# Weapons and Warfare (P-Z)

P-12
The P-12 is a semi-automatic pistol based upon the Browning m1911. It takes a 12-round .45 inch calibre magazine.

P-14
The P-14 is a semi-automatic pistol based upon the Browning m1911. It takes a 14-round .45 inch calibre magazine.

P38
The Walther P38 is a 9 mm calibre recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol manufactured by Walther since 1938. It was adopted by the German army in 1938 and is still in use by the Chilean, Norwegian, Portugese and German armed forces. It takes an 8-round magazine.

P89
The p89 is a Ruger semi-automatic pistol. It has a calibre of 9 mm and takes a 15-round magazine.

Panther
see "Panzer 5"

Panzer
The term 'panzer' is a shortening of the full German title 'panzerkampfwagen', which translates to 'armoured war wagon'.

Panzer 1
The Panzer 1 was a light two-man German tank which started production in 1933. Although it was never intended to see battle, it was in service until 1942. It had armour up to a thickness of 13 mm and was armed with two machine guns.

Panzer 2
The Panzer 2 was a German light-weight reconnaissance tank used during the Second World War. It carried a three man crew and was armed with a 20 mm gun.

Panzer 3
The Panzer 3 was a German MBT of the Second World War. It was initially armed with a 37 mm anti-tank gun, but this was upgraded to a 50 mm gun after 1940. It was manned by a five man crew.

Panzer 35
see "LT-35"

Panzer 38
see "LT-38"

Panzer 4
The Panzer 4 was a German assault and infantry support tank of the Second World War. It was initially armed with a low velocity, short-barrelled 75 mm gun. Later versions carried longer guns. It was manned by a crew of five.

Panzer 5
The Panzer 5 (Panther) was a German tank of the Second World War. It weighed 45.5 tonnes and had well-sloped armour between 40 and 45 mm thick around the sides and rear and increasing to 80 mm on the hull front and turret. It had a crew of five and was powered by a 700 bhp Maybach petrol engine which gave it a top speed of 46 kmph and a range of 160 km. It was armed with a high velocity 75 mm main gun.

Panzer 6
see "Tiger 1"

Panzer 6B
The Panzer 6B (Tiger II, King Tiger) was a German heavy tank developed during 1943 to combat the Russian IS-1, IS-2, and IS-3 tanks. It was manufactured by Henschel and was heavily armoured with 80 mm thick side armour and 100 mm thick armour on the hull front and 185 mm thick armour on the front of the turret. It weighed 68 tonnes and was powered by a 700 bhp engine giving a top speed of 38 kmph and a range of 120 km. It was armed with an 88 mm gun and carried a crew of five.

Panzerfaust
The panzerfaust was a German anti-tank missile of the Second World War. It was infantry carried and had a range of 50m.

Paradox gun
A paradox gun was a weapon capable of being used both as a shot-gun and as a rifle.

Paris Gun
Paris Gun was the nickname for the German Kaiser Wilhelm Geschutz long-range gun. It was commonly called the 'Paris Gun' from its use to bombard Paris during March to August 1918. The gun was positioned on railway mountings in the Forest of Coucy, 125 km from the city. Seven 21-cm guns were made, using bored-out 38-cm naval guns fitted with special 40 m long inserted barrels, although for most of the war there were only two mountings so that there were effectively only two guns each with two spare barrels. As the guns wore out, due to the high pressures and temperature of the powder charge, the barrels were removed and re-bored to 24-cm calibre to be used with a fresh outfit of ammunition. The shells weighed 120 kg and were fired by a 180 kg powder charge, giving them a range of up to 131 km. The guns were withdrawn in the face of the Allied advances in August 1918; one spare mounting was captured by American troops near Chateau-Thierry but no gun was ever found by the Allies, during or after the war.

Parker
The Parker is an Argentinean Meko 140 Type Frigate. She was built by Afne in Rio Santiago and launched on the 31st of March 1984. She has a displacement of 1470 tons and is armed with four Aerospatiale MM 40 Exocet missiles, one OTO Melara 3in gun, four Breda 40 mm guns, six 324 mm ILAS 3 (2 triple) torpedo tubes and Chaff rocket launchers. She is powered by two Type 16PC2-5V400 SEMT-Pielstick 16-cyl diesels providing 20400bhp and a top speed of 27 knots and a range of 6400 km. She carries a crew of 11 officers and 82 men.

Parker-Hale M82
The Parker-Hale M82 is a British sniping rifle. It was produced between 1982 and 1984 and takes a 7.62 mm NATO cartridge from a 4-round magazine. It employs a commercial Mauser 98 bolt action allied to a heavy cold-forged barrel. It was adopted as the military sniping rifle of the Australian, New Zealand and Canadian armies.

Parker-Hale M83
The Parker-Hale M83 is a rifle which evolved from the L81A1 variant by restoring the butt to full length. It is the NATO target rifle and is also used by various military units. It is a single shot, bolt-action rifle which takes the NATO 7.62 mm cartridge. Production of the M83 started in 1983 and ended in 1990.

Parker-Hale M85
Parker-Hale designed the M85 in 1986 as a potential sniping rifle for the British army, but the Accuracy International L96A1 design was selected. Parker-Hale then gave up their rifle business and sold their designs to the Gibbs Rifle Company of the USA in 1990 who make this rifle under the Parker-Hale title. The 85 is a bolt-action rifle which takes the 7.62 mm NATO cartridge from a 10-round box magazine. The butt is adjustable for length and there is an easily detatched bipod under the fore-end.

Parma
The parma was a small round or oval flat shield used by the Romans.

Patchett
see "l2a3"

Paterson
The Paterson was an 8-shot revolving rifle made by Colt. It was adopted by the American army in 1838.

Patriot
see "mim-104"

Pattern 1913
The pattern 1913 rifle is a British rifle developed in 1913. It takes a .276 inch round from a 5-round box. It is bolt operated and has a
Muzzle velocity of 843 m/s. It is sighted to 1738m.

Peacekeeper
see "LGM-118A"

Peloponnesian War
The Peloponnesian War raged through the Greek world on land and sea between the Spartans and their allies against Athens and her allies from 431 BC to 404 BC. The underlying cause was Athenian imperialism and the fear this produced in the chief mainland city-states, notably Corinth and Sparta. The two sides were equally balanced and the war only ended when the Persians intervened on the side of the Spartans and resulted in the dismantling of the Greek empire and the installation in Athens of a Spartan-backed puppet regime.

Pepper-Box
The Pepper-Box was a multiple barrelled pistol effective at close range. They typically had six barrels, and were muzzle loading and fired by percussion cap.

Perthshire Volunteers
see "90th Light Infantry"

Phenyldichlorarsine
Phenyldichlorarsine was a chemical weapon, introduced by the Germans in September 1917. It was one of the most toxic gases used in the Great War. It acted against the lungs to cause pulmonary oedema and also acted as a sneezing gas and in contact with the skin raised blisters. It was the first lung injurant used in the war and was later adopted by the French under the name Sternite.

Phoenix
Phoenix is a British RPV.

Phosgene
Phosgene is a lung irritant gas used during the Second World War. It has a smell of musty hay. It is a very poisonous gas.

PIAT
The PIAT was a British infantry anti-tank missile used during the Second World War. It had a range of 100m.

Pilum
The pilum was a Roman weapon similar to a pike or javelin. It was about 6 feet long and was usually thrown at the enemy.

Pistole 640
The Pistole 640 was the Browning High Power Pistol manufactured in Liege for the German SS during the Second World War.

PK
The PK is a family of 7.62 mm Kalashnikov light and medium machine guns mounted as a secondary armament on many Russian AFVs. It has a muzzle velocity of 825m/s.

Platoon
Platoon is a military organisation subordinate to a company. Platoons usually include 2 or 3 sections of vehicles and between 2 and 4 squads of infantry, totalling around 25 to 50 men.

PPD 34
The PPD 34 was a Soviet sub-machine gun. It takes a 7.62 mm round from a 71-round drum. It has a cyclic rate of 800 rpm and a muzzle velocity of 489 m/s.

PPK
The Walther PPK is an automatic pistol originally designed for police detectives in 1931. It has a calibre of 7.65 mm and takes a 7-round magazine. It has a blowback double action. Various alternative calibre versions are now made including .22 inch, 6.35 mm and 9 mm.

PPSH 41
The PPSH 41 was a Soviet sub-machine gun developed during the Second World War. It takes a 7.62 mm round from a 71 drum/35-round box. It has a cyclic rate of 900 rpm and a muzzle velocity of 489 m/s.

Pre-land pattern
The pre-land pattern was an early musket of the brown bess family. It had a calibre of 0.75 inch.

Primer
Primer is the ignition component of a cartridge, generally made up of a metallic fulminate or (currently) lead styphnate.

Prince Albert's Light Infantry
The 13th Foot were renamed the 13th (Somersetshire) Prince Albert's Light Infantry Regiment in 1842. They fought in Gibraltar in 1704-1705 and were part of the original British Expeditionary Force of the Great War.

Prince of Wales Royal Canadians
see "100th Regiment of Foot"

PzKpfw 35(t)
see "LT-35"

PzKpfw 38(t)
see "LT-38"

Q Ships
Q Ships were warships masquerading as unarmed merchant ships. They thus lured enemy submarines to their destruction. Q Ships were first used by the British during the First World War when they were commanded by Vice Admiral Gordon Campbell.

Quarrel
A quarrel was a bolt or dart to be shot from a cross-bow, or thrown a catapult. It had a square head and a pyramidal point.

Quarter staff
The Quarter staff was an old English weapon formed of a stout pole about 2 meters long and generally loaded with iron at both ends. In use it was held by one hand in the centre, and the other hand between the centre and the end. In the attack the latter hand was shifted from one quarter of the staff to the other, giving the weapon a rapid circular motion.

Queen's Royal Lancers
see "9th Lancers"

Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment
see "Tangier Regiment"

R-35
The Renault R-35 was a French light-support tank used during the Second World War. It was armed with a 37 mm main gun.

Rapier
A rapier is a light slender sword for thrusting only. It usually has a cylindrical blade with a sharp point, but no edge. It was used by duellists and at court ceremonies.

Rapparee
A rapparee was a 17th century Irish irregular soldier.

Reactive Armour
Reactive Armour is a type of add-on armour which is comprised of boxes which explode outwards when hit by a warhead. It is most effective against HEAT ammunition.

Receiver (firearm)
The receiver is the housing for a firearm's breech and firing mechanism.

Redeye
see "fim-43a"

Redhawk
The Ruger redhawk is a range of .44 inch magnum calibre revolvers. They have a 6-round cylinder and can be fitted with a telescopic sight.

Reinhardt Line
see "Bernhard Line"

Revolver
A revolver is a gun, usually a handgun, with a multi-chambered cylinder that rotates to successively align each chamber with a single barrel and firing pin.

Rh-44
The rh-44 is a 7.5 inch barrel redhawk.

Rh-445
The rh-445 is a 5.5 inch barrel redhawk.

Rifle
A rifle is a firearm with spiral, parallel grooves cut into the bore to impart spin in the projectile giving flight stability to the projectile.

Rifle Brigade
The Rifle Brigade was a British infantry force raised in 1800 under the name of the Rifle Corps and comprising detachments of officers and men selected from a number of line regiments formed into an experimental corps of riflemen. The Rifle Brigade fought at Waterloo amongst other battles and was also known as the 'Green Jackets'.

Rifle Corps
see "Rifle Brigade"

Rimfire
Rimfire is a rimmed or flanged cartridge with the priming mixture located inside the rim of the case. The most famous example is the .22 rimfire.

Robinson
The Robinson is an Argentinean Meko 140 Type Frigate. She was built by Afne in Rio Santiago and launched on the 15th of February 1985. She has a displacement of 1470 tons and is armed with four Aerospatiale MM 40 Exocet missiles, one OTO Melara 3in gun, four Breda 40 mm guns, six 324 mm ILAS 3 (2 triple) torpedo tubes and Chaff rocket launchers. She is powered by two Type 16PC2-5V400 SEMT-Pielstick 16-cyl diesels providing 20400bhp and a top speed of 27 knots and a range of 6400 km. She carries a crew of 11 officers and 82 men.

Rosales
The Rosales is an Argentinean Meko 140 Type Frigate. She was built by Afne in Rio Santiago and launched on the 4th of March 1983. She has a displacement of 1470 tons and is armed with four Aerospatiale MM 40 Exocet missiles, one OTO Melara 3in gun, four Breda 40 mm guns, six 324 mm ILAS 3 (2 triple) torpedo tubes and Chaff rocket launchers. She is powered by two Type 16PC2-5V400 SEMT-Pielstick 16-cyl diesels providing 20400bhp and a top speed of 27 knots and a range of 6400 km. She carries a crew of 11 officers and 82 men.

Ross
The Ross rifle is a Canadian rifle taking a .303 inch round from a 5-round box. Operation is straight pull. The muzzle velocity is 794 m/s and it is sighted to 1098m. Production of the Ross rifle started in 1905 and continued until 1917 at the Ross Rifle Company in Quebec. The weapon was adopted by the Canadian army until 1915 when the mud of Flanders defeated the bolt action causing difficult extraction, but then the rifle was employed by the British Home Guard from 1940.

Ross-shire Buffs
see "78th Highlanders"

Round Tower
A Round Tower was a form of military defensive architecture dating in Britain from the 8th century. They were a round tower with walls sloping inwards from the base to the apex and with three or four one roomed stories, accessible only by a ladder which was pulled up during defence. Round towers were equipped with arrow slits for the defenders to shoot out of.

Royal Army Medical Corps
The Royal Army Medical Corps was formed in 1898 by a royal warrant which abolished the former designation of the 'Medical Staff Corps' and formed the new corps comprising all officers below the rank of surgeon-major-general and others formerly serving with the Medical Staff Corps. The ranks were changed in line with other British army corps.

Royal Ayr Militia
The Royal Ayr Militia was a special reserve battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers during the early part of the 20th century.

Royal Berkshire Regiment
The Royal Berkshire Regiment is a British army regiment raised in 1714 as Trelawny's. They took part as marines in the bombardment of Copenhagen and fought in the Crimea. The royal title was awarded for services at Tofrek in Egypt in 1885.

Royal Dragoons
The Royal Dragoons were a British army regiment raised in 1661 under the name of the 'Royals' for the defence of Tangier. They were transferred to England and renamed the Royal Regiment of Dragoons in 1684 and were numbered the 1st (Royal) Dragoons in 1751. During the Great War they formed part of the 6th Cavalry Brigade, 3rd Cavalry Division.

Royal Dublin Fusiliers
The Royal Dublin Fusiliers were a British army regiment formed from the 102nd foot and 103rd foot, and disbanded on July 31st 1922 on the establishment of the Irish Free State.

Royal Engineers
The Royal Engineers are a British army regiment. They had some kind of existence as far back as 1683 but were made part of the ordnance by an Order of Council in 1717. The regiment was reorganised in 1788 and renamed the Corps of Royal Engineers. The Royal Engineers are concerned with mining and building work, but are also called upon to fight as infantry.

Royal Field Artillery
see "Royal Regiment of Artillery"

Royal Fusiliers
The Royal Fusiliers are a British army regiment raised in 1685 by James II under the name of the City of London Regiment to suppress the Monmouth rising. They were an ordnance corps with a special duty of protecting the guns of the royal army. In 1689 the regiment was renamed the 7th (Royal Fusilier) Regiment and in 1881 it was redesignated the Royal Fusiliers.

Royal Garrison Artillery
see "Royal Regiment of Artillery"

Royal Green Jackets
The Royal Green Jackets is a British infantry regiment formed as a large Regiment on the 1st of January 1966 by the amalgamation of the 1st Green Jackets (The 43rd & 52nd), the 2nd Green Jackets (The King's Royal Rifle Corps), and the 3rd Green Jackets (The Rifle Brigade). These three Regiments had come together to form the Green Jackets Brigade on the 6th of November 1958, before which date their titles had been: The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (43rd and 52nd), The Kings Royal Rifle Corps, The Rifle Brigade.
This was a logical amalgamation because the Regiments have served alongside each other since the Peninsular War in 1808. The Kings Royal Rifle Corps and Rifle Brigade were the first British Regiments to wear green uniforms as camouflage, and to be armed with the rifle, and these two Regiments shared the rifle Depot at Winchester from 1858. The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was the first Light Infantry Regiment.

Royal Highlanders
see "The Watch"

Royal Horse Artillery
see "Royal Regiment of Artillery"

Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers were formed in 1861 from the merger of the 27th Regiment of Foot and the 108th Regiment of Foot.

Royal Irish Fusiliers
The Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's) were formed of the amalgamation of the 87th Regiment of Foot and the 89th Regiment of Foot.

Royal Irish Lancers
see "5th Lancers"

Royal Irish Militia
The Royal Irish Militia was a special reserve battalion of the Royal Fusiliers during the Great War.

Royal Irish Regiment
The Royal Irish regiment is a British infantry regiment first formed in 1684 from the remnants of the Commonwealth army serving in Ireland, and known then as the 18th Royal Irish Foot. It received its royal title in 1751 from William III and incorporated into the English army. The present regiment was formed in 1992 from the merger of the Royal Irish Rangers and The Ulster Defence Regiment.

Royal Lancashire Regiment
see "4th Regiment of Foot"

Royal London Militia
The Royal London Militia was a special reserve battalion of the Royal Fusiliers during the Great War.

Royal Oak
The Royal Oak was a British battleship. She was armed with 8 15 inch guns, 12 6 inch guns, 8 4 inch anti-aircraft guns and 16 2 pounder anti-aircraft guns. She had a top speed of 21.5 knots. She carried a crew of 1146. She was sunk by U-47 whilst she was anchored at Scapa Flow on 13th October 1939.

Royal Regiment of Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery is a British artillery regiment was formed after the Jacobite rebellion of 1715 to replace the old haphazard system of raising artillery trains for each campaign and disbanding them at its conclusion. By a royal warrant of May 29th 1899, the mounted and dismounted branches of the Royal Regiment of Artillery were separated into two corps: The Royal Horse Artillery and the Royal Field Artillery, and the Royal Garrison Artillery.

Royal Regiment of Wales
On 11 June, 1969, the Royal Regiment of Wales was formed from the South Wales Borderers (24th Foot)
and the Welch Regiment (41st/69th Foot) and The Prince of Wales was appointed Colonel in Chief.
During the Great War the Welch Regiment provided 34 battalions and in the second World War produced a further 11. In 1951 the Regiment saw active service in Korea.
Since 1969 the 1st Battalion has served in Osnabruck, Belfast, Berlin, Aldershot, Belize, Lemgo, Warminster, Hong Kong and Tern Hill, and in 1994 it moved to Ballykelly for a two-year tour in the Province.
The 2nd (Volunteer) Battalion, with its headquarters in Cardiff, was formed in November 1994 by the amalgamation of the 3rd and 4th (Volunteer) Battalions of the Regiment. The Regiment is privileged to have been the first to be permitted to use the term '2nd' Battalion, a number usually retained for use in case a 2nd regular battalion should ever need to be raised.

Royal Scots
The Royal Scots Regiment (Lothian Regiment) is the oldest in the British Army and as such is the senior Infantry Regiment of the Line. It was raised in 1633 when Sir John Hepburn, under a Royal Warrant from King Charles I, recruited 1200 men in Scotland.
The first battle honour awarded to the Regiment was Tangier 1680, since when a further 148 have been gained in a history which has involved them in almost every campaign in which the British Army has fought; the last being the Gulf 1991.
The Royal Scots moved to Colchester in August 1996 to become part of 24 Airmobile Brigade, a key component of the British contribution to NATO's multi-national Division which represents the capability to deploy troops at short notice anywhere in the world, where they are needed.

Royal Scots Fusiliers
The Royal Scots Fusiliers are a British army regiment first formed in Scotland in the 17th century by the Earl Of Mar, and originally known as the Earl Of Mar's Fusiliers. They were transferred to an English establishment in 1689 under the name of the 21st Royal North British Fusiliers and received the title of Royal Scots Fusiliers in 1877.

Royal Scots Greys
The Royal Scots Greys (2nd Dragoons) are a British army regiment. They saw their first action in the campaigns of William IV and were known under several names including the Grey Dragoons and Scots Regiment of White Horses. In 1681 they were made up to six troops and in 1866 were renamed the 2nd Royal North British Dragoons, and in 1877 the Royal Scots Greys. One of their most famous actions was their charge at the battle of Waterloo.

Royal Sussex Regiment
The Royal Sussex Regiment is a British army unit. It was formed from the amalgamation of the 35th Foot and the 107th Bengal Light Infantry.

Royal Warwickshire Regiment
The Royal Warwickshire Regiment was one of the five English regiments that suffered terribly at Almanza in 1707. It was raised as the 6th Regiment of Foot under the Dutch Government in late Stewart times, and returned to England with William of Orange in 1688. The regiment saw action at Echalar, Namur, Martinique, Rolica, Vimiera, Corunna, Vittoria, South Africa, Khartum and during the Great War the 1st and 2nd Battalions were part of the original British Expeditionary Force. The Royal Warwickshire title was conferred in 1832.

Royal Welch Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers was raised at Ludlow, in the Welsh Marches, on the 16th of March 1689. Since that date, it has seen continuous service to crown and country. It first saw service at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 and since then has been in nearly every campaign involving the British Army. The Regiment fought with distinction in Marlborough's battles from Blenheim in 1704 to Malplaquet in 1709. In 1743 it fought at Dettingen and, in 1759, was one of the six British infantry regiments that defeated the French cavalry at the Battle of Minden. After taking part in the American War of Independent from 1775 to 1782, the Regiment was involved in the Napoleonic Wars and saw action in Egypt in 1801, Martinique in 1809, the Peninsula from 1810 to 1814 (where in 1811 it fought with outstanding discipline and courage at Albuhera) and finally at Waterloo in 1815. During the Crimean War at the Alma in 1854 Sergeant Luke O'Connor won the Regiment's first Victoria Cross later becoming a Major General and Colonel of the Regiment. The Royal Welch Fusiliers were later present at the relief of Lucknow in 1857 and participated in many colonial wars before going to South Africa in 1899 and to China to raise the siege of the legations in Peking in 1900. For the Great War the Regiment is credited with 42 battalions which served in France, Flanders, Gallipoli, Palestine, Mesopotamia and Italy. In the Second World War the Regiment had thirteen battalions, five of which fought in North West Europe, Madagascar, and Burma. Since 1945 the Regiment has been stationed in Japan, the West Indies, Malaya, Cyprus, Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany, the Falkland Islands, Northern Ireland, Bosnia and throughout Great Britain as well as travelling extensively throughout the world on training exercises.

Royal Westminster Militia
The Royal Westminster Militia was a special reserve battalion of the Royal Fusiliers during the Great War.

RPG-16
The RPG-16 is a Soviet 58 mm infantry anti-tank missile introduced in the 1970s to replace the rpg-7. It has a 58 mm war head which is effective at ranges up to 800 meters. It has a flight speed of 350 m/s but no guidance system.

RPG-7
The RPG-7 is a famous Soviet 85 mm infantry anti-tank missile. It has an 85 mm war head which is effective at ranges up to 500 meters. It has a flight speed of 300 m/s but no guidance system.

RPV
RPV (remotely piloted vehicle) are crewless mini-aircraft used for military surveillance and to select targets in battle. RPVs barely show up on radar, enabling them to fly over a battlefield without being shot down, and they are equipped to transmit TV images to an operator on the ground.

Ruger
Ruger is an American small arms manufacturer.

S-35
The Somua S-35 was a French medium tank used during the Second World War. It was armed with a 47 mm gun, and had 55 mm frontal armour and a top speed of 37 kmph and a range of 230 km.

S100
The S100 was a German sub-machine gun manufactured after the Great War. It takes a 9 mm round from a 32-round box and has a cyclic rate of 500 rpm. Its muzzle velocity is 417 m/s.

SA-N-3
The SA-N-3 (goblet) is a Soviet surface-to-air missile developed in 1967. It has a range of 55 km and a flight speed of mach 2.

SA-N-4
The SA-N-4 (gecko) is a Soviet surface-to-air missile. It has a range of 15 km and a flight speed of mach 2.

SA-N-5
The SA-N-5 (grail) is a light-weight Soviet surface-to-air missile deployed in light amphibious craft and capable of being shoulder launched by infantry. It has a range of 10 km and a flight speed of mach 1.

SA-N-6
The SA-N-6 (grumble) is a Soviet surface-to-air missile. It has a range of 81 km and a flight speed of mach 3.

Saam
see "Saam class"

Saam class
The Saam class is an Iranian frigate. It has a top speed of 39 knots. It is armed with 9 seacat missiles and 5 sea killer missiles.

Sabot
Sabot is a lightweight carrier surrounding a heavier projectile of reduced calibre, allowing a firearm to shoot ammunition for which it is not chambered. For example, a hunter could use his .30-30 deer rifle to shoot small game with .22 centrefire bullets.

Sabre
The sabre is a sword designed for cutting and thrusting. They were popular with dragoons.

Sagger
see "AT-3"

Salade
see "Sallet"

Sallet
A sallet (salade) was a light medieval helmet usually with a vision slit or movable visor.

SAM
SAM is an abbreviation for surface-to-air-missile.

Sangar
A sangar is an Indian circular wall of loose stones used as a defensive position by troops.

SAR-4800
The Springfield SAR-4800 rifle is a .308 inch calibre, gas operated military rifle.

SAR-8
The Springfield SAR-8 rifle is a .308 inch calibre, recoil operated semi-automatic sporting rifle.

Sarandi
The Sarandi is an Argentinean Meko 360 Type destroyer. She was built by Blohm and Voss in Hamburg and launched on the 31st of August 1982. She has a displacement of 2900 tons and is armed with eight Aerospatiale MM 40 Exocet missiles, one OTO Melara 5in gun, eight Breda/Bofors 40 mm guns, six 324 mm ILAS 3 (2 triple) torpedo tubes and two Breda 105 mm SCLAR Chaff rocket launchers. She is powered by two Rolls-Royce Olympus TM3B gas turbines providing 51600 shp and a top speed of 30.5 knots and a range of 7200 km. She carries a crew of 26 officers and 174 men.

SAW
SAW is an abbreviation for squad automatic weapon. It is a new type of weapon similar to an automatic rifle but with a greater range, but not as heavy as a general purpose machine-gun.

Scarlet Lancers
see "2nd Light Horse"

Schneider
The Schneider was a French assault tank of the Great War. Like the St Chammond it was built on a Holt chassis and was armed with a 75 mm gun in a side sponson and two machine guns. It had a 55bhp engine giving a top speed of 7.5 kmph and a range of 48 km. The Schneider was crewed by six men and first saw action in April 1917, when it suffered losses of 40% mainly due to its tendency to catch fire.

Schrecklichkeit
see "Frightfulness"

Scimitar
A scimitar is a highly tempered sword with a convex cutting edge.

Scots Fusilier Guards
see "Scots Guards"

Scots Guards
The Scots Guards are a British army regiment. The Scots Guards were formed in 1642. The Regiment was intended by the King to be his Royal Guard and from this date the history of the Scots Guards begins. In 1712 Queen Anne changed the name of the Regiment to the Third Regiment of Foot Guards and laid down the designs of the sixteen badges which formed those of three battalions and of the first thirteen companies

Scots Regiment of White Horses
see "Royal Scots Greys"

Scottish Rifles
see "Cameronian"

Screaming Eagles
see "101st Airborne Division"

Scud
The Scud is a Soviet-produced surface-to-surface missile that can be armed with a nuclear, chemical, or conventional warhead. The Scud-B has a range of 300 km.

Scutum
The scutum was a large oblong Roman shield.

SdKfz 234
The SdKfz 234 was a range of German armoured cars built from 1943 onwards. The model 2 (SdKfz 234/2) was nicknamed the Puma and armed with a 50 mm gun. The model 4 was armed with a 75 mm main gun, and all models had a top speed of 82 kmph.

SdKfz 250
The SdKfz 250 was a German light-armoured troop carrier used during the Second World War. It had a maximum speed of 74 kmph and was armed with an MG 34 machine gun.

Sea dart
The sea dart is a British anti-ship and surface-to-air missile. It has a range of 17 km and a flight speed of mach 3.

Sea killer
The sea killer is an Italian anti-ship missile. It has a range of 25 km and uses beam-riding and radar altimeter guidance systems. It flies close to the seas surface making it an effective weapon.

Sea sparrow
The sea sparrow is an American surface-to-air missile. It has a range of 32 km and a flight speed of mach 3.

Sea wolf
The sea wolf is a British surface-to-air missile. It has a range of 6 km and a flight speed of mach 2. It is usually fired from a multi-barrel launcher, but on British type 23 frigates they are launched from a vls system.

Seacat
The seacat is a British anti-air missile. It has a range of 6 km and is guided either optically or by radar.

Seaforth Highlanders
The Seaforth Highlanders (also known as the Ross-shire Buffs and The Duke of Albany's) was first raised in 1756 under the title of Fraser's Highlanders. It was disbanded in 1763 and reformed in 1778 by the Earl Of Seaforth. In 1881 it was joined with the 78th Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs) and renamed the Seaforth Highlanders.

Second Crusade
The Second Crusade set out in 1100 to rescue Bohemund who had been captured during the First Crusade. By now the Crusades had become all out war between the Muslims and Christians and the Second Crusade was a disaster.

Second World War
The Second World War was a war between the axis forces of Germany, Italy, and Japan on one side, and the allies of Britain, the Commonwealth, France, the USA, the USSR, and China on the other. It was fought between 1939 and 1945 killing an estimated 55 million people. The war was fought in the Atlantic and Pacific theatres. Germany surrendered in May 1945 but Japan fought on until the USA dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. The war started through rising tensions in Europe throughout the 1930s as Nazi Germany first broke virtually all of its treaty obligations and then embarked on a programme of aggressive expansionism, including invading Poland in 1939.

Selective-fire
Selective-fire is a firearm's ability to be fired fully automatically, semi-automatically or, in some cases, in burst-fire mode at the option of the firer.

Semi-automatic
A semi-automatic firearm is designed to fire a single cartridge, eject the empty case and reload the chamber each time the trigger is pulled.

Semtex
Semtex is an odourless plastic explosive manufactured in Czechoslovakia that can only be ignited by a detonator.

Senger Line
see "Adolf Hitler Line"

Seventh Crusade
The Seventh Crusade was directed against Egypt and led by Louis IX of France. The Crusaders captured Damietta but after the battle of Mansourah in 1250 Louis and his army were captured.

Sharps Carbine
The Sharps Carbine was a .53 inch calibre breech loading carbine used by the Americans during the American Civil War. It had an effective range of 450m.

Sheridan
see "m551"

Sherman
see "M4 Sherman"

Sherman tank
The Sherman tank was an American tank used during the Second World War. There were numerous variations made. It was manned by a crew of five. It was well armed with a 75 mm gun and co-axial machine gun in the turret. A hull mounted machine gun and cupola mounted machine gun were also fitted. It could achieve a top speed of 26mph.

Shinai
A shinai is a Japanese practise sword made from four staves of polished bamboo held together by a long sheath which forms a handle. They are used in kendo.

Shotgun
A shotgun is a shoulder gun with smooth-bored barrel(s) primarily intended for firing multiple small, round projectiles, (shot, birdshot, pellets), larger shot (buck shot), single round balls (pumpkin balls) and cylindrical slugs. Some shotgun barrels have rifling to give better accuracy with slugs or greater pattern spread to birdshot.

Shropshire Light Infantry
The Shropshire Light Infantry are a British army regiment. They were first raised in 1755 as the 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment. A 2nd Battalion, called the Bucks Volunteers was raised in 1793. The Shropshire Light Infantry were the first British light infantry corps.

Siege of Acre
The siege of Acre was an unsuccessful French siege from the 17th of March to the 21st of May 1799 of a seaport and town in Palestine, 130 km northwest of Jerusalem, during Napoleon Bonaparte's abortive attempt to carve out a French empire. Acre has been the focus of many military operations throughout history, notably during the various Crusades. The city was defended by the Turks, aided by a small British naval force, and Napoleon began the siege on March the 17th. A French assault was beaten off, and the approach of a Syrian relief army forced Napoleon to withdraw most of his force to deal with this threat. The siege was then resumed, with seven more assaults being made without success, while the defenders made a number of sorties, and Napoleon finally raised the siege and departed on the 21st of May.

Siege of Badajoz
The Siege of Badajoz was a costly British victory over Napoleonic forces in the Peninsular War during March and April 1812. Badajoz was an important fortress in Spain on the border with Portugal, which the Spanish surrendered to the French in February 1811. It was recaptured by the Duke of Wellington at a cost of some 5,000 casualties.

Siege of Emessa
The Siege of Emessa took place in 272 when the Palmyrenians under Zenobia were completely defeated by the Romans under Aurelian, who at once laid siege to Palmyra which he took in 273 after a stubborn defence.

Siege of Orleans
The Siege of Orleans occurred during the Hundred Years' War. The town of Orleans, held by a French garrison under Dunois, the Bastard of Orleans, was laid siege by the Earl of Salisbury on October 12th 1428. The siege dragged on until April 1429. On April 29th 1429 Joan of Arc entered the town and on May the 3rd the French assumed the offensive and on May the 7th the siege was lifted.

Siegfried Line
The Siegfried Line (called the Hindenberg Line by the British) was the main system of the German defence on the Western front after the first battle of the Somme during the Great War. It was prepared during the winter of 1916-17 and stretched from Tilloy-lez-Mofflaines south-east of Arras, across the Sensee to Bullecourt and on to the Saint Gobain Forest south-west of La Fere. It was comprised of two or more lines of massive trenches spaced 100 meters apart and protected by thick barbed wire entanglements.

SIG SSG-2000
The SIG SSG-2000 is a Swiss target and law enforcment sniping rifle. Production started in 1989. It has no iron sights, but instead a telescopic sight is mandatory. Models are produced chambered for the 7.62 mm NATO cartridge, 5.56 mm, 7.5 mm and the .300 Weatherby Magnum.

SIG SSG-3000
The SIG SSG-3000 is a Swiss military and police bolt-action sniping rifle. Production started in 1991. It has no iron sights, but instead a telescopic sight is mandatory. It takes the 7.62 mm NATO cartridge from a 5 round magazine.

Sikorsky
Sikorsky is an American helicopter manufacturer.

Silkworm
The silkworm is a Chinese anti-ship missile. Its range and speed are believed to be a range of 46 km and a flight speed of mach 0.9, but these are unconfirmed.

Simonov SKS
The Simonov SKS is a Russian carbine developed in 1946 and chambered for the 7.62 mm cartridge which it takes from a 10 round box magazine.

Single-shot
Single-shot is a gun mechanism lacking a magazine where separately carried ammunition must be manually placed in the gun's chamber for each firing.

Siren
The siren was a type of cannon firing a 60 lb shot.

Sixth Crusade
The Sixth Crusade was one of the most successful of the Crusades, but took place against the wishes of the Pope - thereby not making it a true Crusade at all. It took place from 1228 until 1229 and was led by Frederick II. The successes of the Sixth Crusade came mainly from diplomacy, and achieved Jersualem and south Palestine. However, the diplomatic agreement broke down and Jerusalem was lost in 1244 at the battle of Gaza.

Skean Dhu
A Skean Dhu is a traditional Scottish sock knife. They generally have a blade about 9cm long.

Skirmishers
Skirmishers are troops serving in loose order in front of an army. Their usual employment is to protect an advancing army from a surprise.

SKS
The SKS is a Soviet gas operated self-loading rifle. It takes a 7.62 mm round from a 10-round box. It has a muzzle velocity of 735 m/s and is sighted to 1000m.

Slide-action
Slide-action is a gun mechanism activated by manual operation of a horizontally sliding handle almost always located under the barrel. 'Pump-action' and 'trombone' are synonyms for 'slide-action.'

Sm-1
The Sm-1 is an American surface-to-air missile. It has a range of 33 km and a flight speed of mach 2.

Sm-2
The Sm-2 is an American guided surface-to-air missile. It has a range of 59 km and a flight speed of mach 2. It uses an internal guidance system and is equipped with an auto-pilot for effectiveness against evasive targets.

Smasher
see "Carronade"

Smith & Wesson Model No. 1
The Smith & Wesson Model No. 1 was the first revolver manufactured by Smith & Wesson. It was a .22 inch calibre, single-action, rimfire revolver with a 7-round cylinder.

Snub-nosed
Snub-nosed is a descriptive of (usually) a revolver with an unusually short barrel.

Somerset Light Infantry
Somerset Light Infantry is an alternative name for Prince Albert's Light Infantry.

Songster
see "AT-8"

Sopwith Camel
The Sopwith Camel was a single seater fighter scout biplane. It first flew in December 1916 and saw action during the Great War.

South African War
see "Boer War"

South Lancashire Regiment
The South Lancashire Regiment was a British infantry regiment comprised of the former 40th Regiment of Foot and the 82nd Regiment of Foot.

Southampton
The Southampton was a British cruiser of the Second World War. She was armed with 12 6 inch guns and anti-aircraft guns.

South Staffordshire Regiment
The South Staffordshire Regiment was a British army infantry regiment formed from the 38th Foot and the 80th Foot. It was renowned for its marching and shooting and first saw action in Guadeloupe in 1759.

South Wales Borderers
see "24th Regiment of Foot"

Spahi
The Spahi were Turkish irregular cavalry soldiers characterised by their almost wild horses. They were formed in 1326 are reorganised by Moltke in 1835.

Spandrel
see "AT-5"

Spanish Armada
see "Armada"

Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War took place from 1936 to 1939 and was precipitated by a military revolt led by General Franco against the Republican government. Inferior military capability led to the gradual defeat of the Republicans by 1939, and the establishment of Franco's dictatorship. Franco's insurgents (Nationalists, who were supported by Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany) seized power in the South and North-West, but were suppressed in areas such as Madrid and Barcelona by the workers' militia. The loyalists (Republicans) were aided by the USSR and the volunteers of the International Brigade, which included several writers, among them George Orwell.

Spanish-American War
The Spanish-American War broke out between Spain and America in 1898 following the revolt of the Cubans against Spanish misrule which aroused the sympathy of the Americans. An American battleship, the Maine, was blown up in Havana harbour, and the Americans blaming the Spanish demanded the withdrawal of Spain from Cuba, meanwhile the American ambassador in Madrid was expelled. The Americans blockaded and then invaded Cuba and in July the Spanish sued for peace and agreed to the cession of Porto Rico, Cuba and other West Indian possessions to the USA.

Spartiate
The Spartiate was a French 74-gun ship captured by the British at the Nile in 1798.

Spencer
The Spencer was the first successful repeating rifle. It was manufactured in 1862 by the Spencer repeating Rifle Company, in the USA. The Spencer was a lever-action, rolling block rifle with a 7-round tube magazine in the butt. It had an effective range of 275 m.

Spigot
Spigot is the nickname for the Russian AT-4 ATGM.

Spiking Guns
The term spiking a gun was applied to muzzle-loaders, fired from a vent or touch-hole in the breech, which was closed by driving into it a cast-iron spike, afterwards broken short off by a hammer so as to disable the weapon. The only remedy was drilling another vent, a long and tedious process.

Spiral
see "AT-6"

Spiro
The Spiro is an Argentinean Meko 140 Type Frigate. She was built by Afne in Rio Santiago and launched on the 24th of June 1983. She has a displacement of 1470 tons and is armed with four Aerospatiale MM 40 Exocet missiles, one OTO Melara 3in gun, four Breda 40 mm guns, six 324 mm ILAS 3 (2 triple) torpedo tubes and Chaff rocket launchers. She is powered by two Type 16PC2-5V400 SEMT-Pielstick 16-cyl diesels providing 20400bhp and a top speed of 27 knots and a range of 6400 km. She carries a crew of 11 officers and 82 men.

Spring Gun
A spring gun is a weapon designed for the defence of a house or land against trespassers and burglars. It is so placed and contrived as to be discharged by the action of the intruder. Rifles were used as spring guns for the defence of blockhouses and barbed-wire during the Boer War.

Springfield M1903
The Springfield M1903 is an American bolt operated rifle first produced in 1903 and in general issue from 1906 replacing the Krag-Jorgensen M1896. It takes a .30 inch round from a 5-round box. It has a muzzle velocity of 813 m/s and is sighted to 2469m. Production stopped in 1965.

Springfield M1903A4
The Springfield M1903A4 is a sniping version of the Sprinfield M1903 rifle with no iron sights and the bolt handle cut away to avoid striking the telescopic sight.

Squad
A squad is a military organisation of infantry subordinate to a platoon. It contains between 6 and 14 men and is sometimes divided into two or more sections.

Squadron
A squadron is a subordinate division of a cavalry regiment corresponding to the company of an infantry battalion. In the navy, a squadron is part of a division or a group of ships detailed for special service. Since the advent of Aircraft, the term has also been adopted by the Air Force.

SS-N-2a
The SS-N-2a (Styx) is a Soviet anti-ship missile. It has a range of 46 km and a flight speed of mach 0.9. It carries a 1100lb warhead.

SS-N-2c
The SS-N-2c is a Soviet anti-ship missile. It has a range of 80 km and a flight speed of mach 0.9. The SS-N-2c is an updated version of the SS-N-2a, and includes sea skimming abilities for avoiding detection by radar.

St Chamond
The St Chamond was a French mobile fortress, or tank, first made in 1916. It was powered by a Panhard 4-cylinder petrol engine which gave it a top speed of 8.5 kmph and a range of 60 km. It was armed with a 75 mm gun, four 8 mm machine guns. The St Chamond carried a crew of 9 men and had a maximum armour thickness of 17 mm.

Stadiametric
A stadiametric gunsight is one with mil markings placed on the sight to help the gunner estimate the range of a target.

Staffordshire Regiment
The Staffordshire Regiment (the Prince of Wales') is a British infantry regiment incorporating the former South and North Staffordshire Regiments, which were amalgamated in 1959. Its origins go back to 1705 when the 38th Foot (later 1st South Staffords) was raised at Lichfield in the King's Head public house and was known as Lillingston's Regiment. The 64th Foot (later 1st North Staffords) was raised in 1756 and the 80th (Staffordshire Volunteers) in 1793. The 98th was raised and disbanded on five occasions between 1760 and 1818. It was finally reformed in 1824 and became 2nd North Staffords in 1881. The Depot for the South (38th & 80th) and North (64th & 98th) Staffords was established at the newly built Whittington Barracks in 1881. The North Staffords adopted the title 'The Prince of Wales's' from the 98th Foot, which had it conferred in 1876 by Queen Victoria, although the title had been held by a previous 98th in 1805. All four original regiments spent much of their time propping up the Empire and one or more were involved in the American War of Independence, Napoleonic Wars (Sphinx carried on Regimental Colour for 1801), Opium Wars (Dragon carried on Regimental Colour), Sikh Wars, Crimea, Indian Mutiny, Zulu War, Egypt and Sudan and the Boer War. There were 35 Staffordshire battalions in the Great War and 17 in the Second World War. Thirteen members of the Regiment have won the Victoria Cross, including LCpl Coltman VC, DCM & Bar (a stretcher bearer who was the most decorated other rank in the Great War), Major Cain and LSgt Baskeyfield at Arnhem and Lt Cairns with the Chindits.

Sten
The sten was a British sub-machine gun which went through a number of changes and variations from its development in 1941. It takes a 9 mm round from a 32-
Round box and has a cyclic rate of 550 rpm.

Stinger
see "fim-92a"

Stink-ball
A stink-ball was an early gas grenade comprised of a preparation of pitch, rosin, nitre, gunpowder, colophony, asafoetida and other offensive and suffocating ingredients placed in earthen jars. They were used in naval warfare, being thrown at close quarters onto the enemy's decks.

Stoner SR-25
The Stoner SR-25 is an American rifle based upon the M16 but modified for the NATO 7.62 mm cartridge which it takes from a 10 or 20 round box magazine. It is sold as a support weapon for sniper teams, able to provide local defence but also accurate enough for use as a backup sniper rifle. Production of the Stoner SR-25 started in 1992.

Stuart tank
see "M3 Stuart"

Styx
see "SS-N-2a"

Submachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic firearm commonly firing pistol ammunition intended for close-range combat.

Suffolk Regiment
The Suffolk Regiment was a British army infantry unit raised in east Suffolk in 1685 and named the 12th (East Suffolk) Regiment of Foot in 1782, whereupon it became known as the 'Old Dozen'. It won its badge of a castle and key for services rendered during the siege of Gibraltar during 1779 to 1783.

Sultan Selim
see "Goeben"

Suomi m1931
The Suomi m1931 is a Finnish sub-machine gun developed in 1931. It takes a 9 mm round from a variety of magazines. Its cyclic rate is 900 rpm and its muzzle velocity 400 m/s.

Super Redhawk
The Ruger Super Redhawk is a .44 inch magnum calibre revolver. It has either a 7.5 inch or 9.5 inch barrel. The cylinder takes 6-rounds.

Sweeps
see "Kings Royal Rifle Corps"

Swiss Guards
The Swiss Guards are a body of mercenaries who have formed the papal bodyguard since about 1700. They served in the French army from 1616 under the title Les Gardes du Roi and distinguished themselves during the French revolution with their devotion to Louis XVI.

Sword
A sword is an offensive weapon designed for cutting and thrusting. It consists of a long straight or curved blade with a handle or hilt and a cross-guard and usually a sharp point.

T-28
The T-28 was a Russian tank designed along the land battleship concept. It had three Independant turrets, a main one housing a 76.2 mm gun and two subsidiary turrets with machine guns. It had armour plate up to 80 mm thick, a top road speed of 37 kmph and a range of 220 km and was crewed by six men. The T-28 was used during the war with Finland in 1940 and the initial stages of the German invasion of Russia in 1941.

T-34
The T-34 is a Russian tank which was first produced in 1941. The first models weighed 26.7 tonnes, carried a five-man crew and were protected by sloping armour up to 60 mm thick, armed with a 76.2 mm gun capable of firing both AP and HE rounds. Early models had a 500 bhp engine which gave a top speed of 50 kmph and a range of 450 km. In 1943 the T-34/85 model was introduced with an 85 mm gun and the armour increased to 90 mm.

T-35
The T-35 was a Russian tank designed around the land battleship concept. It had five Independant turrets, a main one armed with a 76.2 mm gun, two with 37 mm guns and co-axial machine gun and the other two with a single machine gun. It carried a crew of eleven and had a top speed of 30 kmph and a range of 153 km. It was fairly lightly armoured, with a maximum armour thickness of 30 mm. Like the T-28, the T-35 saw action in Finland in 1940 and during the German invasion of 1941.

T2e1
The T2e1 is a British rifle taking a .276 inch round from a 10-round box. The muzzle velocity is 762 m/s and it is sighted to 1098m. Operation is blowback.

Tai-Ping Rebellion
The Tai-Ping Rebellion was a civil war which took place in China from 1850 to 1866. The rebellion was led by Hung Siu-tsuan, who proclaimed himself the founder of a Tai-ping dynasty.

Tangier Regiment
The Tangier Regiment was a British army unit raised in 1661, later named the Queen's by Charles II in honour of his consort, Catherine of Braganza. In 1751 it became the 2nd (the Queen's Royal) Regiment Of Foot. It later became the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment.

Tank
Tank was the codename of the British armoured fighting vehicles which were envisaged as land warships.

Targe
A targe was a light shield or buckler.

Tasset
A tasset was a piece of armour which hung from the corset to offer protection to the thighs.

Taurus PT99AF
The Taurus PT99AF is a Brazilian made copy of the Bereta 92F. It is a 9 mm parabellum calibre, semi-automatic pistol. It takes a 15-round magazine. The rear sight is adjustable and the front sight is a fixed blade.

Templars
The Templars were a military order founded in 1119 at the time of the Crusades by Hugues de Payen and Godfrey de Saint Adhemar, with seven other knights. They took vows of chastity, poverty and obedience and the undertaking to protect pilgrims to the holy places from attacks by the Saracens.

Teutonic Knights
The Order Of Teutonic Knights was an order similar to the Templars and Knights of St John but restricted to Germans. It was founded at Acre in 1190 originally to tend wounded crusaders, it soon took up aggressive warfare against the heathen. The order was suppressed in Germany by Napoleon in 1809, but was still in existence in Austria in the 1920s caring for those wounded at war.

The 1st (King's) Dragoon Guards
The 1st (King's) Dragoon Guards was a British cavalry regiment formed in 1685 by James II. During the Second World War the regiment found fame in the North African campaign. The KDGs had a front line role as one of the Eighth Army's leading reconnaissance regiments.

The Alamo
The Alamo was a mission fortress in San Antonio, Texas, USA. It was the besieged during the Texan war of independence from Mexico from 23 February to 6 March 1836 by Santa Anna and 4,000 Mexicans. They killed the garrison of 183 Texans who included Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie.

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
In 1881 the 91st Argyllshire Highlanders and the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders were amalgamated to form The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's). After the amalgamation the battalions of the regiment served in: South Africa (Zululand), the Boer War, India and the Far East The Regiment had 26 battalions in the Great War and nine in the second World War. Since the Indian Mutiny members of the regiment have earned a further nine Victoria Crosses. Following the Second World War the 1st Battalion has served in Palestine, Korea, British Guiana, Berlin, Suez, Cyprus, Malaya and Singapore, Borneo, Aden, Germany, Falkland Islands, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Blues
see "The Royal Horse Guards"

The Buffs
see "East Kent Regiment"

The Cameron Highlanders
The Cameron Highlanders were a highland regiment raised by Alan Cameron in 1793. The regiment greatly distinguished itself during the Peninsular War by routing the Imperial Guard at Fuentes d'Onoro.

The Centipedes
The Centipedes was a nickname of the 100th Regiment of Foot.

The Duke of Albany's
see "Seaforth Highlanders"

The Forty-five
The Forty-five was the second Jacobite Rebellion. It took place in 1745 under Prince Charles Edward Stuart, the Young Pretender. After marching as far south as Derby he was forced to retreat and was finally defeated by the Duke of Cumberland at Culloden on April 16th 1746.

The Franco-Austrian War
The Franco-Austrian War was fought in 1859 between France and Austria over the question of Italian unity.

The Fronde
The Fronde was the name given to the civil war in France between 1648 and 1653 during the Regency of Anne of Austria. The Frondeurs were opposed to the rule of Mazarin on account of his rapacity and employment of foreigners. The movement was at first led by the parlements, which wished to regulate taxation, especially the Parlement of Paris, but their forces were defeated by Conde in 1649, and what was called the Old Fronde was brought to an end. Thereafter the Fronde resolved itself into a feud between a faction of discontented nobles headed by Conde and Mazarin, which continued with varying success, at one time Conde being imprisoned, and at another Mazarin having to retire from the capital. In the end victory rested with Mazarin, and the Fronde, which originally aimed at consolidating the powers of the Parlement and relieving the burdens of the people, had the effect of establishing more firmly the absolute monarchy of France.

The Glorious First of June
see "Battle of Cape Ushant"

The King's
see "8th Regiment of Foot"

The Queen's
see "Tangier Regiment"

The Queen's Bays
The Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards) was a British cavalry regiment formed in 1685 by James II.
During the Second World War the regiment found fame in the North African campaign fighting Rommel in Crusader tanks.
At Gazala, the Bays were in continuous tank action for 19 days which is said to be a record for an armoured regiment.

The Queen's Own Hussars
The Queen's Own Hussars was a British cavalry regiment formed from the amalgamation in 1958 of the 3rd The King's Own Hussars with the 7th Queen's Own Hussars.

The Queen's Royal Hussars
The Queen's Royal Hussars is the senior Light Cavalry regiment in the British Army it was formed in 1993 from the amalgamation between The Queen's Own Hussars and The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars.

The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars
The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars was a British cavalry regiment formed from the amalgamation in 1958 of 4th Queen's Own Hussars with the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars.

The Royal Anglian Regiment
The Royal Anglian Regiment is a British infantry regiment of the ten counties of East Anglia and the East Midlands. It was formed in 1964 from the regiments of the East Anglian Brigade, which themselves had been formed through a series of amalgamations of former county regiments between 1958 and 1960. Thus the regiment traces its history back to 1685 with direct descendency from: The Royal Norfolk Regiment, The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment, The Suffolk Regiment, including The Cambridgeshire Regiment, The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment, The Royal Leicestershire Regiment, The Essex Regiment, The Northamptonshire Regiment.
The regiment was the first large regiment of infantry to be formed in the British Army and comprises two regular battalions, the 1st (nicknamed the Vikings) and the 2nd (the Poachers) and two Territorial Army battalions, the 6th and 7th (the Tigers). The regiment maintains strong links with the counties from which the former regiments recruited and most of its soldiers and officers come from this area. These links, of which the regiment is enormously proud, are illustrated by their enjoying the freedom of 33 cities and towns in the region and close affiliations with many local cadet forces and schools.

The Royal Dragoons
The Royal Dragoons were a British cavalry regiment raised by King Charles II in 1661 to form part of the garrison of Tangier. They became Dragoons on their return to England in 1683, the term Dragoon being derived from the 'dragon', a musket suitable for mounted infantry. The Regiment then served in the War of Spanish Succession, the War of Austrian Succession and in the Spanish Peninsula before performing with distinction at the Battle of Waterloo where the Regiment captured the Colour, surmounted by an eagle, of the French 105th Infantry Regiment. The latter half of the 19th century saw them in action in the Crimea, the Boer War and in India before deploying to Flanders in 1914. The Regiment fought at Ypres, Loos, Hohenzollern and the Hindenburg Line in 1917. The inter-war years saw the Royal Dragoons stationed in Egypt, India and Palestine. They deployed to the Western Desert in 1941 seeing distinguished service at El Alamein. Operation Overlord in 1944 saw the Regiment in Normandy from where they liberated Copenhagen in 1945. The Regiment spent the post-war years in Egypt, Germany, Aden and Malaya before amalgamation in 1969.

The Royal Horse Guards
The Royal Horse Guards were a British cavalry regiment raised by Oliver Cromwell prior to the second invasion of Scotland, but the parliamentary officers were replaced by royalists in 1660. The Regiment then saw almost continuous service in Flanders, the Boyne, the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years War during which the Regiment was commanded by the celebrated Marquis of Granby. The Regiment went on to see service during the Peninsular Campaign, fighting at the decisive Battle of Vittoria in 1813, and as part of the Household Cavalry Brigade at Waterloo. The Regiment was especially favoured by King George IV and, with the appointment of the Duke of Wellington as its Colonel, was elevated to the status of Household Cavalry in 1820.
The Royal Horse Guards served with the Household Cavalry Regiment in Egypt in 1882, the Sudan and South Africa. Like the Life Guards, the Blues saw action in the majority of major actions in France and Flanders during The Great War. Likewise the second World War saw the Regiment divided between the 1st and 2nd Household Cavalry Regiment in Palestine, Syria and the invasion of Normandy as reconnaissance troops for the Guards Armoured Brigade.

The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers was formed by order of Her Majesty the Queen on St. George's Day, 23rd April, 1968 by the union of the four regiments of the Fusilier Brigade: The Fifth Foot, The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, The Sixth Foot, The Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers, The Royal Fusiliers (The City of London Regiment), and the Twentieth Foot, The Royal Lancashire Fusiliers. There is no distinction between the regular battalions of the regiment as each shares an equal inheritance from the four former regiments, and each draws Fusiliers from the four regimental areas of England - Northumberland, Warwickshire, London and Lancashire.
Currently, the regiment boasts two regular battalions (1st and 2nd) and two territorial battalions (5th and 6th) which are located in Coventry and Alnwick, Northumberland.
The regimental emblem is St. George with the Garter, all within a laurel wreath and surrounded by St. Edward's crown. The regimental flag is the red cross of St. George on a white field, with the regimental emblem in the centre of the cross. The regimental motto, inherited from The Royal Warwickshire Regiment and The Royal Fusiliers is that of the Royal Garter - Honi soit qui mal y pense - 'Evil be to he who evil thinks.' The regimental cap badge consists of the symbol of St. George and the dragon within a laurel wreath ensigned with the crown. The St. George and the dragon is inherited from The Royal Fusiliers and the laurel wreath from The Lancashire Fusiliers.

The Royals
see "The Royal Dragoons"

The Royals
see "Royal Dragoons"

The Watch
see "Black Watch"

Theoben
Theoben are an English manufacturer of air rifles.

Theoben Rapid 7
The Theoben Rapid 7 is a .22 inch calibre bolt action repeater air-rifle running on compressed air. It takes a seven-shot rotary magazine.

Theoben Taunus
The Theoben Taunus is a gas spring powered air-rifle. It is made in calibres of .177 inch .20 inch and .22 inch, is 41 inches long and weighs around 8lbs.

Thermite
Thermite is a mixture of aluminium and iron oxide or some other metal oxide which on combustion produces a very high temperature, around 3000 degrees Celsius. It is used as a filling for incendiary bombs.

Thin Red Line
see "93rd Sutherland Highlanders"

Third Crusade
The Third Crusade was led by the Kings of England and France and the German Emperor. They agreed to meet outside Acre, which eventually fell in July 1191 after being besieged for two years. During the Third Crusade Cyprus was conquered by the English King and sold to Guy de Lusignan.

Third Regiment of Foot Guards
see "Scots Guards"

Thirtieth Alabama Infantry Regiment
The Thirtieth Alabama Infantry Regiment was organised at Talladega April 16, 1862, and reported for duty at once to Chattanooga. Sent further into east Tennessee, it was brigaded under General Reynolds of Tennessee, and then under General Stevenson. The regiment skirmished at Tazewell and Cumberland Gap, and moved into Kentucky, but was not engaged. On the return to Tennessee, the Thirtieth was brigaded with the Twentieth, Twenty-third, Thirty-first, and Forty-sixth Alabama, under General Tracy of Madison, and in December was sent to Vicksburg with the other portions of Stevenson's division. In the spring the regiment fought with few casualties at Port Gibson, but was bathed in blood at Baker's Creek, where it lost 229 men killed, wounded, and missing - half of its number - and had four ensigns killed, and its colours rent by 63 balls and 16 shell fragments. Pent up in Vicksburg, the Thirtieth suffered severely in casualties during the siege, and was captured with the fortress. Paroled, the regiment recruited at Dempolis, and proceeded, with other portions of the brigade - now under General Pettus of Dallas - to the main army near Chattanooga. The regiment was engaged without loss at Mission Ridge, and wintered at Dalton. At Rocky-face the Thirtieth suffered severely, and lightly at Resaca. From there to Atlanta its tattered colours floated at the front of the fire-tried Army of Tennessee, the regiment losing heavily at New Hope, Atlanta, and Jonesboro. Proceeding into Tennessee, the Thirtieth was cut up at Nashville, but was part of the rear guard back to Duck River. Transferred to North Carolina, the regiment fought at Kinston and Bentonville, suffering severely in casualties. With the army the Thirtieth surrendered at Greensboro, North Carolina, about 100 men being present for duty.

Thirty Years War
The Thirty Years War occurred from 1618 until 1648 and was due partly to politics and partly religion, and took place in Bohemia and Germany between France, Sweden, Austria and Spain against the Germans, Dutch and Italians. Generally the squabble was over German territory and the rights of the German Princes.

Thompson
The Thompson sub-machine gun is an American weapon developed from the 1920s. It takes a .45 inch round from a 50-round drum or 20-round box. It has a cyclic rate of 800 rpm and a muzzle velocity of 281 m/s.

Tiger 1
The Tiger 1 (Panzer 6) was a German heavy breakthrough tank of the Second World War. It was armed with an 88 mm gun and heavy armour up to 110 mm thick. It had a top speed of 38 kmph provided by a 700 bhp Maybach petrol engine and a range of 100 km.

Tiger II
see "Panzer 6B"

Tirah Campaign
The Tirah Campaign was a campaign organised in 1897 by Sir William Lockhart against the Afridis and the Orakzais in the Tirah Valley on the North West Indian frontier. Chief among the brilliant incidents of the campaign was the engagement at Dargai, where a difficult height was scaled and captured under heavy fire, the Gordon Highlanders specially distinguishing themselves in this action.

Tomahawk
The tomahawk is a type of hatchet used by North American Indians.

Tonite
Tonite was an explosive prepared by incorporating 54% wet gun-cotton pulp with 46% barium nitrate. It was then pressed into cartridges and dried.

Tonkin Gulf Incident
The Tonkin Gulf Incident was a clash that triggered the USA's entry into the Vietnam War in August 1964. Two American destroyers (USS C Turner Joy and USS Maddox) reported that they were fired on by North Vietnamese torpedo boats. It is unclear whether hostile shots were actually fired, but the reported attack was taken as a pretext for making air raids against North Vietnam. On the 7th of August the US Congress passed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, which formed the basis for the considerable increase in US military involvement in the Vietnam War. The resolution allowed President Johnson to 'take all necessary steps, including the use of armed forces' to help SEATO (South-East Asia Treaty Organisation) members 'defend their freedom'. It was repealed 1970 in the light of evidence that the Johnson administration contrived to deceive Congress about the incident.

Tonton Macoute
The Tonton Macoute were (are?) a private army of death squads on Haiti initially organised by the president, Francois Duvalier, president of Haiti they continued to terrorise the population under his successor J C Duvalier. It is alleged that the organisation continued to operate after Duvalier's exile to France.

Torpedo
A torpedo is a missile which swims through water to its target. They are used against ships and are carried by submarines, helicopters, aircraft and ships.

Torpedo Boat
Torpedo Boats were an early predecessor to the Torpedo Boat Destroyer used extensively during the early part of the Great War. They were fast fighting ships equipped with torpedoes and light guns. They were cheap to produce, and both the German and Allied navies possessed large numbers of them.

Torpedo Boat Destroyer
Torpedo Boat Destroyers were all-purpose fighting ships used during the Great War to defend ships from torpedo attacks, engaging enemy transport ships and submarines, and carrying out reconnaissance work. They developed into the modern Destroyer.

Torpedoes
see "torpedo"

TOW
TOW is an acronym for Tube-launched. Optically-tracked, Wire-guided. It refers to the American standard heavy anti-tank guided missile.

Train-band
A train-band was a company of citizen soldiers organised in London and elsewhere during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

Treaty of Frankfort
The Treaty of Frankfort marked the conclusion of the Franco-Prussian War, and was signed on May 10th 1871 by Bismark representing Germany and Thiers representing France after the surrender of Paris. It provided for the cession of Alsace and part of Lorraine and the payment of an indemnity of 200 million pounds to Germany.

Trebuchet
The trebuchet was a Medieval military engine consisting of a pivoted lever with a sling at one end, and used for throwing heavy missiles.

Trelawny's
see "Royal Berkshire Regiment"

Trent Affair
In 1861 Captain Charles Wilkes of the United States Federal war Steamer San Jacinto boarded the British steam-packet Trent on her way from Havana to St Thomas, and carried off two Confederate envoys then on their way to Europe. The envoys were imprisoned, but the British government demanded their surrender, a demand which was complied with on January 1st 1862.

TRG
The Sako TRG is a Finnish specialised sniping rifle designed in 1992. The receiver is of forged steel and the heavy barrel is also cold-forged and fitted with a combined flash hider and muzzle brake. The action and barrel are mounted to an aluminium skeleton frame, to which is attached the synthetic stock and fore-end. The muzzle brake can be removed and replaced with a silencer. The stock is fully adjustable in every direction, and is also capable of adaptation to right or left handed firers. The TRG21 is the 7.62 mm NATO model and there is a TRG41 model which fires the .308 Lapua Magnu cartridge. Two magazines take either 5 or 10 rounds.

Trident
A trident is a three headed spear, looking rather like an oversized fork.
Trident is the nuclear missile deployed on certain American nuclear-powered submarines. Each missile has eight warheads (MIRVs). The Trident replaced the earlier Polaris and Poseidon missiles.

Trireme
A trireme was an ancient warship with 3 rows of oars propelled by 170 rowers. It was used by the Greeks, and copied by the Romans.

Troop
Troop is a military designation for a cavalry organisation equivalent to a platoon.

Trophy-money
Trophy-money was money collected in the English counties for providing horses and ammunition for the militia under an Act of 1662.

Truncheon
A truncheon is a short thick staff, or a club. They are usually carried by Policemen.

Twenty-fifth Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The Twenty-fifth Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was organised at Camp Salomon, La Crosse, Wisconsin, and mustered into the service of the United States on the 14th day of September 1862. On the 19th the regiment proceeded to St. Paul as a part of the force to be used in suppressing the Indian uprising there. The command was detached and assigned to various posts in that state. In the latter part of November the Twenty-fifth was relieved and was compelled to make a march of upwards of three hundred miles to Winona, MN, and finally reached Camp e Randall, Wisconsin, December 18. On May 9, as a part of the Seventeenth Corps, Army of the Tennessee, it took its place in line of battle at Resaca. From that time it was a part of the army, following General Sherman in the Atlanta, Savannah and the Carolina Campaigns. Like other forces with Sherman the regiment was almost constantly on the march and in frequent contact with the enemy during the Atlanta Campaign, took part in many engagements, among which were; Resaca, May 15, 1864; The advance on Dallas, May 18 to 25; battles of Dallas, New Hope Church and Pumpkin Vine Creek, May 25 to June 5; Assault on Kenesaw Mountain, June 2; Atlanta, July 21-22; Jonesborough, September 1; Lovejoy Station, Sept. 2-4, 1864. Accompanying the army of the Tennessee, the Twenty-fifth left Atlanta on the 15th of November on the "March to the Sea." Participated in the siege of Savannah December 10 to 21, 1864. On the 13th of January, 1865, the Twenty-fifth commenced the march through the Carolinas, participating in various minor engagements and in the battle of Bentonville March 19-20, 1865, and was actively engaged until the surrender of Johnston on April 26, 1865. The regiment took part in the Grand Review at Washington, D.C., May 24, went into camp at that city, where the regiment remained until June 7, when it was mustered out of service and returning to Madison, Wisconsin, was disbanded June 11, 1865.

Type 56
The type 56 is a Chinese copy of the ak47. It is an automatic assault rifle taking a 7.62 mm round from a 30-round box. The muzzle velocity is 717 m/s and it is sighted to 800m. The cyclic rate is 600 rpm.

Type 99
The type 99 is a Japanese bolt operated rifle. It takes a 7.7 mm round from a 5-round box. It has a muzzle velocity of 715 m/s and is sighted to 2400m.

U-47
U-47 was a German submarine used during the Second World War. She was armed with 4 21 inch torpedo tubes in the bow and 1 21 inch torpedo tube in the stern. She had a top speed of 17 knots on the surface, and 8 knots submerged. She carried a crew of 44.

U-Boat
U-Boats were German armed submarines used during the Great War and Second World War primarily to attack unarmed naval targets, such as merchant shipping.

UB 49
UB 49 was a German U-Boat of the Great War. It was 55.3 meters long, and 5.8 meters wide with a displacement of 516 tons on the surface. It was powered by two 6-cylinder MAN 4-stroke diesel engines giving a total power of 1100hp and a surface speed of 13.6 knots and underwater speed of 6 knots and a range of 9040 nautical miles on the surface. UB 49 was armed with 4 bow tubes and 1 stern tube and carried 10 torpedoes and a 88 mm submarine gun. It was crewed by 3 officers and 31 men.

Uhlan
A uhlan was a Prussian light cavalry soldier armed with lance, pistol and sabre. They were employed as skirmishers and scouts. Marshal Saxe had a corps of them in the French Army.

Upas
Upas is a virulent Malay poison used for tipping arrows.

USS De Wert
The USS De Wert is an American guided missile frigate of the Oliver Hazard Perry (FFG-7) Class. It was commissioned in 1983. The ship's systems reflect a 1970's era design intent to build ships under a "minimum manned" concept. Accordingly, the ship was built with highly automated equipment in its Combat, Propulsion, and Auxiliaries systems. The ships of the class have continually proven their worth in both war and contingency operations. The FFG-7 class has been employed in every naval action over the past decade including operations in the Persian Gulf, Adriatic and Caribbean. It is armed with MK-15 Close-in Weapons System, MK-13 Guided Missile Launcher, Harpoon (Anti-Surface Missile), Standard (Anti-Air Missile), MK-75 76 mm Rapid Fire Gun and Mk 32 Torpedo Tubes (two triple mounts)

Uzi
The Uzi is a modern Israeli machine pistol. It takes a 9 mm round from a 25/32/40-round box and has a cyclic rate of 600 rpm. It has a muzzle velocity of 390 m/s.

Valentine
The Valentine was a British infantry tank made by Vickers which first saw action in North Africa during the Second World War. It had 65 mm thick frontal armour and a slow top speed of 24 kmph and a range of 145 km. Eleven variant models were made, early ones being armed with the two-pounder gun and later models with the six-pounder gun or American 75 mm gun.

Valmet
The valmet is a Finnish automatic assault rifle. It takes a 7.62 mm round from a 30-round box. It has a muzzle velocity of 718 m/s and is sighted to 800m. It has a cyclic rate of 650 rpm.

Vektor R4
The Vektor R4 is the South African standard rifle and is a slightly modified Israeli Galil; the modifications consisted of changing the butt and fore-end to synthetic materials rather than steel, in consideration of the bush temperatures common in Africa, and lengthening the butt since the average South African is rather larger than the average Israeli. The Vektor R4 is chambered for the 5.56 mm M193 cartridge and has a rate of fire of 700 rpm from a curved 35 round box magazine.

Venerable
The venerable was a British first class battleship of 15,000 tons launched in 1899.

Venona
Venona was (and possibly still is) an MI5 operation to break Soviet codes and decipher their spy traffic. The operation started in the USA under the name of Operation Bride, and continued in Britain with MI5 borrowing computer time from various government sources including the AWRE at Aldermaston.

Vickers 3.7 AA gun
The Vickers 3.7 inch AA gun was a British anti-aircraft gun of the Second World War. It fired 8 rounds-per-minute to an effective ceiling of 40000 feet.

Vickers Medium Mk 2
The Vickers Medium Mk 2 was Britain's main tank during the 1930's. It carried a crew of five and a 47 mm gun. It's armour was up to 12 mm thick and it had a top speed of 48 kmph and a range of 200 km.

Victoria
The Victoria was a first-class British ironclad launched in 1887, and whilst temporary flagship in the Mediterranean was, on June the 22nd 1893, rammed by the Camperdown off the coast of Syria, and sank within a few minutes carrying down with her Vice-Admiral Sir George Tyron and 358 of the crew.

Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is a British decoration conferred on officers and men of all ranks in the army and navy for personal bravery. It was instituted in 1856 and consists of a bronze Maltese cross 1.5 inches in diameter, with the royal crown surmounted by a lion in the centre, and beneath the inscription 'For Valour'.

Vimy Ridge
Vimy Ridge is a hill in Northern France. It was taken in the Great War by Canadian troops during the Battle of Arras in April 1917, at the cost of 11,285 lives. It is a spur of the ridge of Notre Dame de Lorette, 8 km North-East of Arras.

Vindictive
The Vindictive was a British light cruiser of 5720 tons launched in 1897 and capable of a speed of 20 knots. She conveyed men to the Mole at Zeebrugge during the attack on that harbour on April 23, 1918 during the Great War and was later filled with concrete and sunk in Ostend harbour on May 9th 1918.

Vtol
Vtol is an abbreviation for vertical take off and landing. It is used with aircraft which can take-off and land with out a runway.

Vulcan
see "M61A1"

VZ-26
The VZ-26 was a Czechoslovakian light machine gun made by the Zbrojovka Brno factory from 1928 to 1945. It was an immediate success and was adopted by 25 countries, including Britain as the Bren (in a modified version, the ZGB33 chambered for the British .303 round). It took a 7.92 mm Mauser calibre round from a 30-round box magazine and had a rate of fire of 500 rounds per minute.

VZ-37
The VZ-37 was a Czechoslovakian machine gun made by the Zbrojovka Brno factory and intended as a heavy support weapon to accompany the VZ-26. It was chambered for the 7.92 mm Mauser cartridge and was belt fed. It could be adjusted to two rates of fire, and was adopted by Britain as the Besa.

VZ52
The VZ52 is a Czechoslovakian rifle. It takes a 7.62 mm round from a 10-round box. The muzzle velocity is 740 m/s and it is sighted to 900m. It is gas operated.

VZ61
The VZ61 is a modern Czechoslovakian machine pistol. It takes a 7.62 mm round from a 10/20-round box. It has a cyclic rate of 700 rpm and a muzzle velocity of 294 m/s.

W145
The W145 is a stealth defence system semi-automatic pistol manufactured by the Wilson company of America.

Walcheren Expedition
The Walcheren Expedition was a British army farce during the Napoleonic Wars. It was intended as a diversion in favour of Austria, to destroy the French fleet in the Cheldt and capture Antwerp, which Napoleon was making a great arsenal. An army of some 40,000 under Chatham and a fleet under Sir Richard Strachan left Portsmouth in July 1809. Antwerp which was weakly held was reinforced by Bernadotte and King Louis Bonaparte, whilst Chatham took Flushing on August the 15th and occupied Walcheren, South Beveland and Schouwen. Of the troops landed on fever-stricken Walcheren, 7,000 died and 15,000 were disabled; and the partial dismantlement of Flushing, evacuated on December the 23rd, after the treaty of Schonbrunn, was the only result obtained.

Wapenshaw
Wapenshaws were a Scottish military meeting or review, especially stringent and compulsory under the Stuarts, when the lieges were compeled to collect themselves, at certain times and within certain specified areas, to 'show their weapons' of military defence, and prove that they were fit - according to their rank - to take the field at a moments notice. Various kinds of sport, such as shooting at the butts, were in vogue at these gatherings.

War of Jenkins' Ear
The War of Jenkins' Ear was a war between Britain and Spain in 1739 and merging into the War of the Austrian Succession. The war started because of Anti-Spanish feeling in Britain fuelled by claims that Captain Jenkins had an ear cut off by Spanish coastguards in the Caribbean.

Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses occurred between the Lancastrians (who chose the red rose as their emblem) and the Yorkists (who chose the white rose) from 1455 to 1485. The wars ended following the marriage of Henry VII to princess Elizabeth, daughter of Edward IV in 1486.

Webley
Webley are a British firearms manufacturer. The .455 service revolver was in use with the British army from 1887 to 1915.

Webley No. 1
The Webley No. 1 was a .455 inch calibre revolver manufactured by Webley & Scott from 1894 onwards. It was made in single and double-action models both of which had a 6-round cylinder.

Webley-Bentley
The Webley-Bentley was an English revolver of the 1850s.

Welch Regiment
The Welch Regiment was formed in 1783 from the 41st Regiment of Foot and the 69th Regiment of Foot for recruiting purposes.

Welsh Cavalry
see "1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards"

Welsh Guards
The Welsh Guards was raised on the 26th of February 1915 by order of King George V, in order to include Wales in the National Complement of Regiments of Foot Guards identified with the countries of the United Kingdom. Two days after their formation the Battalion mounted its first King's Guard at Buckingham Palace on the 1st of March 1915 - St David's Day. On 17 March 1915 the 1st Battalion sailed for France and formed part of the Guards Division. Its first battle was fought at Loos on the 27th of September 1915 and the Regiment's first Victoria Cross was won by Sergeant Robert Bye at Pilckem in July 1917. Between the wars, the 1st Battalion was stationed in Cologne, Egypt and Gibraltar, where it was at the outbreak of war in 1939. The Regiment was expanded to three Battalions during the second World War. The 1st Battalion fought in all the campaigns of North West Europe. The 2nd Battalion was formed in 1939 and fought in Boulogne in 1940, whilst the 1st Battalion was in Belgium as part of the British Expeditionary Force. In May 1940, at the Battle of Arras, the Regiment's second Victoria Cross was won by Lieutenant The Hon Christopher Furness, who was killed in action. In 1941, a 3rd Battalion was raised and fought throughout the Tunisian and Italian Campaigns. Meanwhile, the 1st and 2nd Battalions formed part of the Guards Armoured Division - the 1st Battalion as Infantry and the 2nd Battalion as an Armoured Battalion. The two Battalions, working together, were the first troops to re-enter Brussels on the 3rd of September 1944 after an advance of 100 miles in one day, in what was described as 'an armoured dash unequalled for speed in this or any other war'. Shortly after the war, the 3rd Battalion was disbanded and the 2nd Battalion was placed in suspended animation. Since 1945, the 1st Battalion has served in the United Kingdom, Palestine, Egypt, Germany, Aden and Cyprus and has exercised in many other parts of the world including Canada, Greece, Norway, Kenya
d Belize. In more recent years the 1st Battalion has carried out five six-month and one two-year operational tours in Northern Ireland and in 1982 formed part of the Task Force in the Falklands Campaign, the Battle Honour for which is now borne on the Colours.

West Suffolk Militia
The West Suffolk Militia was a special reserve battalion of the Suffolk Regiment during the early part of the 20th century.

Wigtown Militia
The Wigtown Militia was a special reserve battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers during the early part of the 20th century.

Wild Indians
Wild Indians was a nickname of the 100th Regiment of Foot from their Canadian origins.

Winter Line
see "Bernhard Line"

WP
WP is an abbreviation for smoke ammunition.

Wynnes Dragoons
see "9th Lancers"

Xebec
A xebec was a small three-masted Mediterranean warship.

Yamato
The Yamato was a Japanese battleship class of the Second World War, consisting of the Yamato and the Musashi. Designed to be bigger and more powerful than any other warship in the world, they displaced 64,170 tons, had a speed of 27 knots, armour 400 mm thick, carried nine 460 mm, twelve 155 mm, and twelve 127 mm guns, and had a crew of 2,500.

Yataghan
The yataghan is a Turkish curved sword.

Yeoman
The Yeoman of The Guard are bodyguards to the British sovereign. They were first appointed by Henry VII, and now act chiefly as warders at the Tower Of London.

Yeomanry
The yeomanry were a volunteer cavalry force in the British army. They were originally formed in the 18th century for home defence and merged with the Territorial Force in 1907.

Z batteries
Z batteries were British anti-aircraft rocket batteries in the Second World War first employed in 1942 and usually operated by Home Guard units.

Zeebrugge raid
The Zeebrugge raid was a daring British attack on the German naval base at Zeebrugge on the coast of Belgium in April 1918. The twon was used by the Germans as a U-Boat base. It was finally put out of action by a British attack on the 23rd of April 1918. A party of Royal Marines was landed from HMS Vindictive on the mole, to cause what damage they could, while a submarine packed with explosives went beneath the bridge connecting the mole with the shore and exploded, cutting off the defenders on the mole from any reinforcement. All this was a diversion to attract the attention of the German defences, and while they were diverted, three blockships were sailed into the harbour and sunk in the channel so as to prevent any German vessels entering or leaving. The Vindictive then recovered the landing parties and sailed back to Britain, leaving Zeebrugge sealed up for the rest of the war.

Zion Mule Corps
The Zion Mule Corps was a wholly Jewish unit of the British Army. It served with distinction in Gallipoli in 1915, carrying rations and ammunition to the forward troops, and after the evacuation of the peninsula the corps was merged with the Jewish regiment in 1917. It was formed in Egypt from Zionist refugees from Palestine by a Lieutenant Jablonsky, a Russian journalist, and commanded by a British officer, Lieutenat-Colonel Patterson.

Zk383
The ZK383 is a Czechoslovakian sub-machine gun used during the Second World War. It takes a 9 mm round from a 30-round box. It has a cyclic rate of 500 and 700 rpm and is sighted to 800m with a muzzle velocity of 365 m/s.

Zouave
The Zouave were French infantry soldiers, first raised in 1831 from the Zouaoua tribe in Algeria. The term came to be used for soldiers in other corps modelled on the French Zouaves.

ZU-23
The ZU-23 is a Russian 23 mm calibre auto-cannon mounted on Mi-24 Helicopters and Su-25 attack jets. It has a muzzle velocity of 970m/s and can pierce 30 mm of armour at 500m. It was designed in the 1940s and has become the standard gun mounted in Russian jet aircraft.

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