# Weapons and Warfare (G-O)

G.A. Smith's Independent Regiment
see "35th Illinois Volunteer Infantry"

G11
The Heckler and Koch G11 is a German sub-machine gun. It was designed to be the German Police standard weapon during the 1990s, but politics prevented that happening. It takes special caseless cartridges in 4.7 mm calibre from a 50-round magazine and has variable rates of fire, including three-round bursts which can deliver 2000 rounds per minute.

G137
G137 was a German Torpedo Boat of the Great War. She was 71.5m long and 7.65m wide. She was powered by Parson Turbines giving a total power of 10800hp and a top speed of 33.9 knots. She was armed with 3 torpedo tubes, one 88 mm gun and three 52 mm rapid fire guns. She was crewed by 3 officers and 78 men.

G41
The Heckler and Koch G41 is a German light machine gun. It is an improved HK33, produced from 1983, specifically for the NATO standard 5.56 mm cartridge. It incorporates the low-noise bolt closing device first used on the PSG1 sniping rifle. It uses the standard NATO magazine interface, accepting M16 and similar magazines and has NATO standard sight mounts for day or night optical sights. It comes in two models, one with a fixed and the other with a folding stock. The rate of fire is 850 rounds per minute.

Gabion
A gabion was an early form of sandbag, it was a wickerwork basket of cylindrical form but without a bottom and about 50cm in diameter and 84cm tall (20 inches diameter, 33 inches tall). In a siege, when forming a trench a row of gabions was placed on the outside nearest the fortress and filled with earth as it was thrown from the trench, so as to form a protective barrier against fire from the besieged defenders. Gabions were still in use as recently as 1900.

Galil
The Galil is an Israeli automatic rifle. It is a modified version of the Kalashnikov rotating bolt system. It was originally developed in 5.56 mm calibre, but later a 7.62 mm model was also produced. It has a rate of fire of 550 rpm from either a 35 or 50 round curved box magazine. The Vektor R4 is a modification of the Galil.

Galleon
A Galleon was a Spanish or Portuguese warship. They had three or four decks.

Galley
A galley was a low, flat-built warship with one deck and navigated by sails and oars once common in the Mediterranean. Common galleys were between 30 and 60 meters long, and smaller galleys were known as half-galleys and quarter-galleys.

Garand
The garand is a US gas operated rifle adopted by the army from 1936. It takes a .30 inch round from an 8-round internal box. It has a muzzle velocity of 853 m/s and is sighted to 1097m.

Garrotte
A garrotte (Spanish for cudgel) was a device used in Spain and Portugal for the execution of criminals. The condemned person was strapped to an upright post in which a rod struck the back of the neck, dislocating the spinal column.

GAU-8/A
The GAU-8/A (Avenger) is a seven-barrel auto-cannon mounted on the A-10A attack jet. It has a muzzle velocity of 1066m/s and armour penetration of 69 mm at 500m and 38 mm at 1000m.

Gecko
see "SA-N-4"

Gelignite
Gelignite is a blasting explosive chiefly composed of nitro-glycerine and potassium nitrate.

Gendarme
The Gendarme were a French cavalry regiment formed in 1791. They served as the King's bodyguard up to the time of Louis XVI and after the French Revolution became armed police.

Geneva Convention
The Geneva Convention was an international convention held at Geneva in 1864, at which the world Powers agreed to respect the persons and property of those tending the sick and wounded in battle.

Gentlemen-at-Arms
The King's Bodyguard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms was a body of 39 officers decorated for war services derived from the 'pensioners' of Henry VIII, and founded in 1862 as the first military bodyguard of the sovereign at official functions and ceremonies.

Gewehr
Gewehr was a range of German military rifles used during the first and Second World Wars.

Gewehr 41
The Gewehr 41 is a German gas-operated, self-cocking semi-automatic rifle manufactured by Walther and developed in 1941. It has a muzzle velocity of 776 m/s. It takes a 7.92 mm round from a 10-round box. It is sighted to 1200m.

Gewehr 43
The Gewehr 43 was a German semi-automatic rifle based upon the Gewehr 41. It improved upon the 41 but was still unreliable. It took two 5-round box magazines.

Gewehr 98
The Gewehr 98 is a German bolt action rifle developed in 1898. It takes a 7.92 mm round from a 5-round box. Operation is bolt. The muzzle velocity is 870 m/s and it is sighted to 2000m.

Gewehr 98 k
The Gewehr 98 k is a German carbine based upon the Gewehr 98, but six inches shorter. It was issued to most German soldiers during the Second World War.

Gewehr M1898
The Gewehr M1898 was a bolt action rifle manufactured by Spandau from 1898 onwards. It took a 5 round box magazine and had an effective range of 900m. These rifles were still in use by the German army during the Second World War.

Ghurka War
The Ghurka War was fought from 1811 until 1816 between the British and the Ghurkas after the Ghurkas encroached onto British territory.

Gingal
The gingal was a 19th century large musket used in Asia. It was fired from a rest and on occasions was mounted on a light carriage.

Glock
Glock is an American firearms manufacturer.

Glock m20
The glock m20 is a semi-automatic pistol manufactured by glock. It takes a 15-round 10 mm calibre magazine.

Gloster Gladiator
The Gloster Gladiator was a British made biplane used by the Swedish and Finnish air forces during the Second World War. It had a top speed of 253mph. It was armed with 2 .303 inch Browning machine guns in the fuselage. It had a range of 428 miles.

Gloucestershire Regiment
The Gloucestershire Regiment is a British infantry regiment. The 1st Battalion was the old 28th Foot, raised in 1694. In 1782 it received the territorial title 'North Gloucestershire'. The 2nd Battalion was the old 61st Foot, raised in 1758 and in 1782 designated the 'South Gloucestershire'. The regiment bears the Sphinx as its badge worn at both the back and the front of the cap, giving rise to the regiment's nickname of the 'Fore and Aft'. The sphinx badge commemorates the regiments gallantry in resisting a French cavalry attack in front and rear at Alexandria on March 21st 1801.

Glyoxyline
Glyoxyline was an explosive invented by Abel in 1867. It was a mixture of gun-cotton, pulp and potassium nitrate saturated with nitro-glycerine. Glyoxyline was later abandoned for compressed gun-cotton.

Goblet
see "SA-N-3"

Goeben
The Goeben was a German battle-cruiser of the Great War. She had a displacement of 22,640 tons, and was armed with ten 11 inch guns and had a top speed of 28 knots. On August the 4th 1914 she, along with the Breslau, bombarded Philippeville and Bona on the French African coast. On August the 13th she was sold to the Turkish Navy and was renamed Sultan Selim.

Golden Knights
The Golden Knights are the US Army Parachute Team. It was formed in 1959 at Fort Bragg.

Gomez Roca
The Gomez Roca is an Argentinean Meko 140 Type Frigate. She was built by Afne in Rio Santiago and launched on the 14th of November 1986. 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.

Gordon Highlanders
The Gordon Highlanders are a British infantry regiment. They were formed from the amalgamation of the 75th Highland Regiment and the 92nd Highland Regiment in 1881.

Gorget
In armour, a gorget was a defence for the throat and chin.

Gp-141
The Gp-141 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 4 inch barrel and a calibre of .357 inch magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and adjustable rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.

Gp-160
The Gp-160 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 6 inch barrel and a calibre of .357 inch magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and adjustable rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.

Gp-161
The Gp-161 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 6 inch barrel and a calibre of .357 inch magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and adjustable rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.

Gpf-331
The Gpf-331 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 3 inch barrel and a calibre of .357 inch magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and fixed rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.

Gpf-340
The Gpf-340 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 4 inch barrel and a calibre of .357 inch magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and fixed rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.

Gpf-341
The Gpf-341 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 4 inch barrel and a calibre of .357 inch magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and fixed rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.

Graf Spee
The Graf Spee was a German warship of the Second World War. She was armed with 6 11 inch guns and 8 5.9 inch guns, 8 37 mm anti-aircraft guns, 10 20 mm Anti-Aircraft guns and 8 21 inch torpedo tubes. She had a top speed of 26 knots and a range of 19000 miles. She carried a crew of 1150.

Grail
see "SA-N-5"

Great War
The Great War was a war between the Central European Powers of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and allies on one side and the Triple Entente of Britain and the British Empire, France, and Russia and their allies (including the USA which entered in 1917), on the other side between 1914 and 1918.
An estimated 10 million lives were lost and twice that number were wounded. It was fought on the eastern and western fronts, in the Middle East, in Africa, and at sea.
The underlying causes of the war were nationalism and trade barriers. By the early 20th century, the countries of Western Europe had reached a high level of material prosperity. However, competition for trade markets and imperial possessions world-wide had led to a growth of nationalistic sentiment. This nationalism created great political tension between the single-nation states such as France and Germany, and threatened the stability of multi-nation states such as Austria-Hungary. These tensions were reflected in jingoistic propaganda, an arms race between the major powers, and trade barriers and tariffs which exacerbated tensions further.
The outbreak of war occurred following the assassination in Sarajevo of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on the 28th of June 1914 by a Bosnian student, Gavrilo Prinzip, backed by the Serbian nationalist Black Hand organisation.
The Austro-Hungarian government sought to punish Serbia for the crime and Germany promised support, despite the danger of involving Russia, ultimate patron of the Balkan nationalist movements. Austria-Hungary presented Serbia with an ultimatum on the 23rd of July, requesting a reply within 48 hours. Serbia, on Russian advice, agreed to all the demands except two which conflicted with its authority as a sovereign state.
Austro-Hungarian armies near the Serbian border were mobilised and Russia mobilised its forces against Austria-Hungary on the 29th of July. On the same day Austrian artillery bombarded the Serbian capital, Belgrade, while the German High Seas Fleet was transferred from the Baltic to the North Sea. News of the Russian mobilisation reached Berlin on the 31st of July and Germany demanded that the Russian mobilisation should cease, and asked France for a notification by 1 p.m. the following day that it would remain neutral in the event of a Russo-German war, despite treaty obligations to Russia.
Long-established German war plans envisaged a crushing blow against France as a precursor to concentration against a Russian invasion.

Greek Fire
Greek Fire was an incendiary substance invented by Callinicus and thrown by engines. It was first employed in the 7th century to destroy the Saracens' ships.

Green Howards
The Green Howards are a British infantry regiment, formed in 1688. Green Howards have taken part in most of the main campaigns and wars since the 17th Century, most of them when designated the 19th Regiment of Foot.
The Regiment received the nickname The Green Howards in 1744 to avoid confusion on the battlefield when two regiments were named after their Colonel - Howard's Regiment. As one Regiment wore green facings on their scarlet uniforms they were called the Green Howards, whilst the other was nicknamed The Buffs after their buff brown facings. The nickname became official in 1920.
The Green Howards raised 24 Battalions in the Great War and thirteen in the Second World War and fought in all the major theatres of war. Since 1945 the Regiment has seen active service in Malaya, Cyprus, Northern Ireland and Bosnia.

Green Jackets
see "Rifle Brigade"

Greenjackets
see "Kings Royal Rifle Corps"

Grenade
A grenade is a small missile, containing an explosive or other charge, usually thrown (hand grenade) but sometimes fired from a rifle.
Hand grenades are generally fitted with a time fuse of about four seconds: a sufficient amount of time for the grenade to reach the target but not enough for the enemy to pick it up and throw it back.
Rifle grenades were developed during the Great War to achieve a greater range than was possible with the hand grenade, Grenades were known in the 15th century, but were obsolete by the 19th, only being revived in the Russo-Japanese War 1905.

Grenades
see "Grenade"

Grenadier
A Grenadier was originally a soldier specially trained for throwing grenades.

Grenadier Guards
see "Grenadier Regiment of Foot Guards"

Grenadier Regiment of Foot Guards
The Grenadier Regiment of Foot Guards (Grenadier Guards) was raised at Bruges in 1656 by King Charles II whilst he was in exile in Belgium. King Charles, allied to the Spanish, was short of funds and so only five regiments were raised. The most loyal supporters formed 'The Royal Regiment of Guards'. On his return to England the King raised another Regiment of Foot Guards, namely the King's Regiment of Guards, for his protection. On the death of Thomas, Lord Wentworth in 1665, these two Regiments were linked to form the First Regiment of Foot Guards. This title remained from then until 1815 when, due to the Regiment's actions at Waterloo, it was granted its present title. The Grenadier Guards is the only Regiment in the British Army that has gained its title directly from the part it played in action. It is in consequence of this that the Grenade is worn as a badge on the forage cap, the tunic and the Colours of the Regiment. A new uniform embodying the Grenade was first worn at Christmas 1815.

Grey Dragoons
see "Royal Scots Greys"

Grumble
see "SA-N-6"

Guerrilla
A guerrilla is an irregular soldier fighting in a small unofficial unit, typically against an established or occupying power, and engaging in sabotage, ambush, and the like, rather than pitched battles against an opposing army.
The term was first applied to the Spanish and Portuguese resistance to French occupation during the Peninsular War.

Gun-Cotton
Gun-Cotton is a highly explosive substance invented by professor Schonbein of Basel in 1846. It is made of purified cotton, steeped in a mixture of equal parts of nitric acid and sulphuric acid, and afterwards dried, retaining the appearance of cotton-wool. The first British trial of gun-cotton took place in the Spring of 1864 at Stowmarket in Suffolk.

Gustav Line
The Gustav line was a German defensive line in Italy running from the mouth of the Garigliano river through Cassino and across the Apennines to a point south of Ortona during the Second World War.

H-35
The Hotchkiss H-35 was a French, light-support tank used during the Second World War. It was armed with a 37 mm main gun and manned by a crew of two.

H-39
The Hotchkiss H-39 was a French light-support tank used during the Second World War. It was armed with a 37 mm main gun and manned by a crew of two.

Habergeon
Habergeon was a sleeveless jacket of chain-mail, shorter than the hauberk, and worn by squires and archers during the middle ages.

Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall was built to prevent the irruptions of the Scots and Picts into the northern counties of England, then under the Roman government. It extended from the Tyne to the Solway Firth and was eighty miles long, twelve feet high, eight feet thick and supplied with watchtowers. It was built in 121 and repaired and strengthened between 207 and 210.

Half-pike
The half-pike was a defensive weapon composed of an iron spike fixed on a short ashen staff and used in the navy to repel boarders.

Hampshire Regiment
The Hampshire Regiment was formed of the merger of Meredith's Regiment (37th Foot) and the 1st South Hampshire Regiment. The regiment first saw action at Blenheim and later fought in Afghanistan and Burma.

Harpoon
The harpoon is an American guided anti-ship missile. It has a range of 102 km and a flight speed of mach 0.75. The harpoon missile flies close to the sea level.

Hauberk
The hauberk was a jacket of chain-mail with loose sleeves. There were two models, the small hauberk reached to the hips and had sleeves with extended to the elbow, and the large hauberk which reached down to the knees and had sleeves which extended a little below the elbow and also a hood.

HE
HE is an abbreviation for high-explosive.

HEAT
HEAT is an abbreviation for High-Explosive Anti-Tank. It is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate steel plate armour and also be effective against non-armoured targets.

Heavy field artillery
During the Great War, heavy field artillery was defined as comprising all artillery equipped with mobile guns of 4 inch calibre and upwards.

Hellfire
see "agm-114"

Heroina
The Heroina is an Argentinean Meko 360 Type destroyer. She was built by Blohm and Voss in Hamburg and launched on the 17th of February 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.

Highland Light Infantry
The Highland Light Infantry are a British infantry regiment formed in 1809 from the amalgamation of the 71st Foot, and the 74th Foot.

Highland Watch
see "The Watch"

Hindenberg Line
see "Siegfried Line"

Hindenburg Line
The Hindenburg Line was a German defence line of the Great War comprised of fortifications running from Arras to Laon, built between 1916 and 1917. Part of the line was taken by the British in the third battle of Arras, but it generally resisted attack until the British offensive of the summer of 1918. The fortifications were designed to give the German Army a shorter and more easily held line in the west, allowing them to hold off the Anglo-French attack while dealing a decisive blow to Russia. The main positions were on reverse slopes, with the advance positions on forward slopes and all were protected by artillery.

HK Ohws
The Hk Ohws is an offensive handgun from the Heckler and Koch company. It is a .45 inch calibre short recoil semi-automatic. It has a muzzle velocity of 270 m/s and a maximum effective range of 50m. It takes a 12-round magazine.

HK33
The Heckler and Koch HK33 is a German automatic rifle. It went into production in 1968 as a variant of the G3 designed for the NATO 5.56 mm cartridge. It takes a 25 round magazine and has a rate of fire of 750 rounds per minute.

HK33E
The Heckler and Koch HK33E is the short barrel carbine version of the HK33.

HK33SG1
The Heckler and Koch HK33SG1 is the sniping rifle version of the HK33. It has a special sight mount and telescopic sight.

HK35
The HK35 is a German automatic carbine manufactured by Heckler and Koch. It takes a 5.56 mm round from a 40-round box. The muzzle velocity is 960 m/s and it is sighted to 400m. It has a cyclic rate of 600 rpm.

HMS Aboukir
HMS Aboukir was a British armoured cruiser. She was launched in May 1900 and sunk in the North Sea in September 1914 after being torpedoed by the German submarine U-9. HMS Aboukir was armed with two 9.2 inch and twelve 6 inch guns and had a top speed of 21 knots.

HMS Agincourt
HMS Agincourt was a British battleship. She was launched in 1862 and eventually broken up in 1960. She had four 9 inch and twenty-four 7 inch muzzle loading rifled guns all in one long armoured battery. HMS Agincourt had a top speed of 15 knots.

HMS Attentive
HMS Attentive was a British cruiser. She was built around 1910 and saw service during the Great War. She was armed with ten 3 inch guns and had a top speed of 26 knots.

HMS Audacious
The original HMS Audacious was a British 74 gun sailing ship-of-the-line built in the 18th century. She was armed with thirty-six 32 pounder guns on the lower deck and thirty-four 24 pounder guns on the main gun deck and a further ten 18 pounder guns on the upper deck. In 1911 a new HMS Audacious was launched which was a British battleship armed with ten 13.5 inch guns and sixteen 4 inch guns and a top speed of 21 knots. The new HMS Audacious struck a mine in 1914 and was the first major ship lost in the Great War.

HMS Birmingham
HMS Birmingham was a British light cruiser of the 'Chatham' class. On the 9th of August 1915 the Birmingham sank U 15, the first German submarine sunk during the Great War. The Birmingham later took part in the Battle of Heligoland and the Battle of Jutland.

HMS Bonaventure
HMS Bonaventure was a British second class cruiser of 4360 tons launched in 1892. The name has been applied to British naval ships since the 15th century and included Drake's ship the Bonaventure.

HMS Brilliant
HMS Brilliant was a British second-class cruiser of 3,600 tons launched in 1891. The name Brilliant has been in use in the British Navy since 1755.

HMS Caesar
HMS Caesar was a British first-class battleship launched in 1896. The name Caesar has been used for British naval ships since 1793.

HMS Cambridge
HMS Cambridge was a British 100-gun gunnery ship of 4971 tons displacement launched in 1858.

HMS Canopus
HMS Canopus was a British first class Battleship of 12950 tons launched in 1897.

HMS Captain
HMS Captain was a British turret ironclad of 6950 tons displacement built in 1869 and lost in 1870 when it capsized off Finisterre.

HMS Courageous
HMS Courageous was a British aircraft carrier. It was the first Allied warship to be sunk by enemy action in the Second World War. She was sunk on 17th September 1939 by U-29.

HMS Daffodil
HMS Daffodil was a British minesweeper. She was launched in 1915 and transferred to escort duties in 1917 before being sold in 1935. She was armed with two 76 mm guns and had a top speed of 16.5 knots.

HMS Endurance
HMS Endurance is a British ice patrol ship. She was withdrawn from the South Atlantic in the 1980s, and this gave Argentina the impression that Britain was no longer prepared to protect her interests there, and thus led to the Falkland's War. HMS Endurance was launched in May 1956, and armed with two 20 mm guns and has a top speed of 14.5 knots.

HMS Glorious
HMS Glorious was a British aircraft carrier and sister ship to HMS Courageous. Like HMS Courageous, HMS Glorious was completed in 1917 as a fast cruiser for use in the Great War in the Baltic, but by the 1920s with Britain wanting to increase her aircraft carrier strength she was converted to an aircraft carrier, as was HMS Courageous.

HMS Hampshire
HMS Hampshire was a British armoured cruiser of the Great War. She had a displacement of 10,850 tons and a top speed of 23 knots. She was launched at Elswick in 1903 and armed with four 7.5 inch guns, six 6 inch guns and twenty 3 pounder guns. On the evening of June the 5th 1916 while proceeding through an unswept channel bound for Russia she struck a mine and sunk, killing all but twelve crewmen including the passenger Lord Kitchener.

HMS Hood
HMS Hood was a British battle cruiser of the second World War. She had a displacement of 41,200 tons and was armed with eight 15 inch, twelve 5.5 inch, and eight 4 inch guns, with four torpedo tubes, and had a top speed of 31 knots. She was sunk by gunfire from the German battleship Bismarck south of Greenland on the 24th of May 1941 with the loss of all but three of the crew of 1,420.

HMS Invincible
HMS Invincible was a British armoured cruiser. She was completed at Elswick in 1908 and had a displacement of 17,250 tons and a speed of 26 knots. She took part in the Battle of the Falkland Islands of 1914, and was sunk at the Battle of Jutland on May the 31st 1916.

HMS Iron Duke
HMS Iron Duke was a British super-Dreadnought battleship built at Portsmouth and completed in 1914. She had a displacement of 25,000 tons, a speed of 21 knots and was armed with ten 13.5 inch guns, twelve 6 inch guns, four 3 pounder guns and four anti-aircraft guns. During the Great War she served as Admiral Jellicoe's flagship from 1914 to 1916 and took part in the Battle of Jutland.

HMS Irresistible
HMS Irresistible was a British battleship launched at Chatham in 1898. She had a displacement of 15,000 tons and a speed of 18 knots. She was armed with four 12 inch guns and twelve 6 inch guns. In 1915 she struck a mine in the attack on Dardanelles and sunk.

HMS Swiftsure
HMS Swiftsure was a British first-class battleship of 11,800 tons launched in 1903. There were ships named Swiftsure in the British navy since 1573.

HMS Triumph
HMS Triumph was a British first class Battleship of 11,800 tons launched in 1903. She was built for the Chilean navy, and bought by the British.

HMS Victorious
HMS Victorious was a British first-class battleship of 14,900 tons lauched in 1895.

HMS Victory
HMS Victory was a British 100 gun ship of 2,164 tons launched in 1765. It was Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar and in 1906 ws the flasghip at Portsmouth. Today it is a musueum.

HMS Vindictive
HMS Vindictive was a British light cruiser launched in 1897 with a top speed of 20 knots. She conveyed men to the mole at Zeebrugge during the attack on that harbour in April 1918 during the Great War. Later she was filled with concrete and sunk in Ostend harbour on May 9th 1918. She was raised in August 1920 and in November presented to the Belgium government.

HMS Wasp
HMS Wasp was a British steam gunboat, which was lost in September 1887 while on a passage from Singapore to Hong-Kong. All seventy-three crew were killed.

Hohernzollern redoubt
The Hohernzollern redoubt was an intricate trench system extending out 450 m from the German front line at the battle of Loos in September 1915 during the Great War. It was taken by the British during the opening stages of the battle but regained by the Germans two days later.

Holland Regiment
see "East Kent Regiment"

Hollow-point bullet
A hollow-point bullet is a bullet with a concavity in its nose to increase expansion on penetration of a solid target.

Horse Guards
see "Life Guards"

The Life Guards, the senior Regiment in the British Army, were formed at the Restoration in 1660 from a group of 80 Royalists who had gone into exile with King Charles II after his defeat at the Battle of Worcester in 1652. They first saw action at the Battle of Sedgemoor in 1685 during the Monmouth rebellion and subsequently in both the Jacobite wars and during the War of Austrian Succession. They were re-designated the 1st and 2nd Life Guards in 1788, a period from which the majority of today's state dress originates. They formed the front charging line of the Household Cavalry Brigade at the battle of Waterloo, staging the famous charge against the French Cuirassiers that saved the British centre from being overrun. During the 19th century, the Life Guards served in Egypt, as part of the Household Cavalry Regiment, taking part in the moonlight charge at Kassassin, and also in the Sudan and South Africa. During World War I, the Regiment saw action at Mons, Le Cateau, Ypres, Loos, and most notably at Zandvoorde where two complete squadrons were lost. During World War II, the Life Guards contributed men to both Household Cavalry Regiments, the second of which was described by General Sir Brian Horrocks as the 'finest armoured car regiment he had ever seen'. They landed at Normandy in July 1944 and spearheaded the Guards Armoured Brigade advance through France to liberate Brussels and became the only forces to make contact with the Polish Free Forces during the advance to the bridge at Arnhem. The Horse Guards were a British heavy cavalry regiment formed in 1660 by Charles II as a personal bodyguard of Cavalier gentlemen of proven valour and loyalty. In 1788 they were renamed the Life Guards.
Howitzer
A howitzer is a cannon, in use since the 16th century, with a particularly steep angle of fire. Howitzers were developed during the Great War for demolishing the fortresses of the trench system.

Human Torpedo
The Human Torpedo was a two manned craft used by allied forces to attack shipping during the Second World War. It was first used by the Royal Navy in January 1943. It resembled a torpedo, the front being fitted with an explosive charge armed with a time fuse. This front charge would be fixed to the target vessel, and the crew would then steer the now headless craft away.

Huntingdonshire Regiment
see "31st Foot"

Hussar
The Hussars were the Hungarian cavalry raised in 1448 by Matthias I. Every twenty houses was obliged to furnish a man, and the word Hussar derives from huszar - husz being Hungarian for twenty. The term Hussar developed to refer to any light cavalry similarly dressed and armed of other European armies.

IFV
IFV is an abbreviation for infantry fighting vehicle.

Imperial Guard
The Imperial Guard was an army force created by Napoleon from the guard of the convention, the directory, and the consulate when he became emperor in 1804. It consisted at first of 9775 men, but was afterwards enlarged. It was subdivided in 1809 into the old and the young guard. It was dissolved by Louis XVIII in 1815, revived by Napoleon III in 1854 and surrendered with Metz to the Germans in 1870 after which it was abolished by the government.

Independant
The Independant was an abortive tank British tank designed between the Great War and the Second World War. It had five turrets and a single three-pounder (47 mm) gun, and was crewed by eight men. The Independant was a tank design along the lines of the land battleship concept.

Iran-Iraq War
The Iran-Iraq War between Iran and Iraq lasted from 1980 to 1988, and was claimed by Iran to have begun with the Iraqi offensive on the 21st of September 1980, and by Iraq with the Iranian shelling of border posts on the 4th of September 1980. It was occasioned by a boundary dispute over the Shatt-al-Arab waterway, it fundamentally arose because of Saddam Hussein's fear of a weakening of his absolute power base in Iraq by Iran's encouragement of the Shi'ite majority in Iraq to rise against the Sunni government.

Irish Guards
The Irish Guards are a British infantry regiment. They were formed in 1900 by Command of Queen Victoria, to commemorate the bravery of the Irish troops who fought in South Africa, the Irish Guards played a very full part in both the Great War and the Second World War and in many parts of the world since 1945.

Iron Cross
The Iron Cross was a medal awarded for valour in the German armed forces. It was instituted in Prussia in 1813 and consists of a Maltese cross of iron, edged with silver.

Ironclad
An ironclad is a wooden warship covered with armour plate. The first to be constructed was the French Gloire in 1858, but the first to be launched was the British HMS Warrior in 1859. The first battle between ironclads took place during the American Civil War, when the Union Monitor fought the Confederate Virginia on the 9th of March 1862. The design was replaced by battleships of all-metal construction in the 1890s.

IS-1
The IS-1 was a Russian 'heavy' tank of the Second World War. It weighed 44 tonnes, had a crew of four and a 513 bhp diesel engine giving a speed of 37 kmph and a range of 150 km. Armour thickness reached 90 mm on the hull sides, 30 mm on the turret sides, 120 mm on the hull front and 100 mm on the turret front. It was armed with an 85 mm main gun.

IS-2
The IS-2 was a Russian 'heavy' tank of the Second World War. It weighed 45 tonnes, had a crew of four and a 513 bhp diesel engine giving a speed of 37 kmph and a range of 150 km. Armour thickness reached 90 mm on the hull sides, 30 mm on the turret sides, 120 mm on the hull front and 100 mm on the turret front. It was armed with a 122 mm main gun.

IS-3
The IS-3 was a Russian 'heavy' tank of the Second World War. It weighed 46.25 tonnes, had a crew of four and a 513 bhp diesel engine giving a speed of 37 kmph and a range of 150 km. Armour thickness reached 90 mm on the hull sides, 30 mm on the turret sides, 132 mm on the hull front and 100 mm on the turret front. It was armed with a 122 mm main gun.

ITV
ITV is an abbreviation for Improved TOW Vehicle.

Jagdpanther
The Jagdpanther was a German tank destroyer of the Second World War based upon a Panther tank chassis with a fixed superstructure mounting an 88 mm gun. It was protected by 80 mm of well-sloped armour, weighed 45 tons, and had a top speed of 72 kph. The Jagdpanther was introduced in 1944 and about 385 were made.

Jagdpanzer IV
The Jagdpanzer IV was a German tank destroyer of the Second World War based on the chassis of the Panzer 4 tank, it had a long 75 mm gun in a fixed superstructure of 80 mm, weighed 24 tons, and had a top speed of 39 kph. Low and easily concealed, it was a formidable weapon and some 1,300 were made from 1943 to the end of the war.

Jagdtiger
The Jagdtiger was a German tank destroyer of the Second World War. It was based on the Tiger tank chassis and carried a 128 mm gun in a fixed superstructure with 250 mm thick frontal armour. It weighed 70 tons and had a top speed of 37 kph, but its complicated electromechanical drive frequently broke down.

Janissaries
The Janissaries were a body of Turkish infantry formed about 1330 as the Sultan's bodyguard. They were originally composed chiefly of Christian captives, who were compelled to profess Islam. They were disbanded in 1826 after a number of revolts against the sultans.

Jervis Bay
The Jervis Bay was an armed British merchant ship of the Second World War II which was sunk by the German battleship Admiral Scheer while protecting a convoy of merchant ships in the North Atlantic in November 1940. The Jervis Bay's Captain, Fegen ordered the convoy to scatter and then, hopelessly outgunned, began firing at the battleship so as to draw it away from the convoy. The end was inevitable, and the Jervis Bay went down fighting, but 32 of the convoy ships managed to escape and Fegen was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.

Jihad
Jihad is a religious war conducted against non-believers by Muslims.

Jollies
see "Marines"

JU 87B-1
The JU 87B-1 was a German fighter-bomber used during the Second World War. It was manufactured by Junkers. It was armed with two 7.9 mm MG 17 machine guns in the wings, one 7.9 mm MG 15 machine gun in the rear cockpit and it could carry a 1100lb bomb under the fuselage, or 4 110lb bombs on the wings. It had a crew of 2 and a top speed of 217mph. It had a range of 342 miles.

Ju-Jitsu
Ju-Jitsu (Ju-Jutsu) is the Japanese method of self-defence which Dr. Kano studied and developed into the sport of judo.

Ju-Jutsu
see "Ju-Jitsu"

Ka-bar
The Ka-bar was the fighting knife issued to USA Marine Corps soldiers from 1942. It had a 6.25 inch clip-point, black finished, carbon steel blade and a stacked leather handle.

Kaga
The Kaga was a Japanese aircraft carrier. Originally designed as a battleship, it was converted during building and completed as a carrier in 1928, and then modernized in 1935. She had a displacement of 38,100 tons,a speed of 28.5 knots, carried 90 aircraft and was armed with ten 8 in and sixteen 5 in guns.
The Kaga carried part of the strike force which attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941 and subsequently served in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans. At the Battle of Midway in May 1942 she was hit by four American bombs and sank.

Kaiser Wilhelm Geschutz long-range gun
see "Paris Gun"

Kamikaze
Kamikaze were pilots of the Japanese air force in the Second World War who deliberately crash-dived their planes, loaded with bombs, usually on to ships of the American Navy.
A special force of suicide pilots was established 1944 to crash-dive planes, loaded with bombs, onto American and British ships.

Karate
Karate (empty hand) is a form of Japanese unarmed combat which has developed over thousands of years with aspects coming from India, Okinawa, China and Japan. It was originally a dual form of meditation and self-defence, it has more recently been perverted into a sport which doesn't do justice to the deep spiritual origins of karate.

Karlsruhe
The Karlsruhe was a German Class 2 light cruiser. She was completed in 1912 and had a displacement of 4,820 tons and a speed of 28 knots. She was armed with twelve 4.1 inch guns and two torpedo tubes. In October 1914 she appeared in the Atlantic as a commerce raider and sunk thirteen British ships. Early in November she destroyed two more before herself sinking as a result of an explosion.

Kashin
The Kashin class ship is a Soviet anti-aircraft warship. It was commissioned in 1962, and was the first class of warship to be equipped with gas turbines. It has a top speed of 37 knots. Its armament includes 10 torpedoes, 22 SA-N-3 missiles and 4 SS-N-2c missiles.

Kata
A kata is a series of formal combat techniques used in karate.

Katana
A katana was a Japanese sword used by Samurai.

Katyusha
The Katyusha (Stalin's Organ) was a Russian free-flight rocket of the Second World War. It was fired from racks mounted in a heavy truck and had a range of about 5 km. Each truck had 48 launcher racks and a battalion could lay down an immense rapid-fire barrage. The rocket was 1.8 m long, 130 mm in diameter and weighed 42 kg complete with a 22 kg explosive warhead.

Kent Regiment
The Kent Regiment was a British infantry regiment formed in 1782 from the old 50th Regiment of Foot. The 97th Regiment of Foot later joined as the 2nd Battalion.

KGP-141
The KGP-141 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 4 inch barrel and a calibre of .357 inch magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and adjustable rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.

KGP-160
The KGP-160 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 6 inch barrel and a calibre of .357 inch magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and adjustable rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.

KGP-161
The KGP-161 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 6 inch barrel and a calibre of .357 inch magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and adjustable rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.

KGPF-330
The KGPF-330 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 3 inch barrel and a calibre of .357 inch magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and fixed rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.

KGPF-331
The KGPF-331 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 3 inch barrel and a calibre of .357 inch magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and fixed rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.

KGPF-340
The KGPF-340 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 4 inch barrel and a calibre of .357 inch magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and fixed rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.

KGPF-341
The KGPF-341 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 4 inch barrel and a calibre of .357 inch magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and fixed rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.

KGPF-840
The KGPF-840 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 4 inch barrel and a calibre of .38 inch special. It has a 6-round cylinder and fixed rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.

KGPF-841
The KGPF-841 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 4 inch barrel and a calibre of .38 inch special. It has a 6-round cylinder and fixed rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.

King Tiger
see "Panzer 6B"

Kings Own Scottish Borderers
The Kings Own Scottish Borderers are a British army regiment. They were raised in 1689 under the name of the 25th Foot for the defence of Edinburgh by the 3rd Earl of Leven. In 1805 the 25th Foot was renamed the Kings Own Scottish Borderers.

Kings Regiment
The King's Regiment is a British infantry regiment formed in 1685. It comprises the 1st or Regular Battalion, stationed with its families in Cyprus until 1998, and the 5th/8th or Territorial Army Battalion which has bases in Liverpool, Warrington and Manchester. The Colonel in Chief is Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and the Colonel of the Regiment is Brigadier Jeremy Gaskell OBE. Officers join the regiment from all over the United Kingdom but the regiment prides itself on its unique position as the Army's only City Regiment, recruiting its soldiers - the Kingsmen - from Liverpool and Manchester. The Regiment expanded in 1756 to two battalions. In 1758, one formed the 8th or King's Regiment of Foot and the other became the 63rd which was later still to become the Manchester Regiment. In 1958, these two Regiments rejoined as the King's Regiment. The Regiment has battle honours from service all over the world, from Marlborough's battles in the 18th century to Korea in 1953. In the Great War the Regiment raised the second largest number of battalions of any regiment in the Army - 87. In the Second World War, the Regiment served world-wide. Battalions fought in France in 1940, took part in the heroic defence of Malta, landed in the first few minutes of the D-Day operation and fought in the jungles of Burma. A battalion of the Regiment fought with great distinction in the first Chindit expedition and another battalion fought with equal bravery, providing the glider-borne spearhead of the second Chindit expedition. Battalions fought in Italy and across Northwest Europe until the end of the war. In the last 50 years, regular battalions, often reinforced from territorial battalions, have served on operations in Malaya, Kenya, Kuwait, Northern Ireland, Hong Kong and Belize. Garrisons have been provided for Guyana, the Falklands and of course for extended periods all over Germany. Men from Liverpool and Manchester have been decorated for gallantry in all theatres and most
ecently in Northern Ireland. The Regiment's volunteer battalion tradition stems both from its 5th King's (Liverpool) Battalion (which was originally the third to be raised in the country and the first in the North West of England) and the 8th Battalion The Manchester Regiment. This tradition is maintained in the 5th/8th Battalion which includes a Scottish Company, tracing its origins to the Liverpool Scottish Battalion whose doctor gained one of only three bars ever awarded to the Victoria Cross. In total, over 23 Victoria Crosses and one George Cross have been awarded to men of the Regiment, including one of the very few VCs to have been awarded between the Great War and the Second World War. The 1st Battalion comprises 35 officers recruited from all over the country and nearly 600 men recruited almost exclusively from Liverpool and Manchester. In addition there are many thousands of former serving officers and soldiers settled in the North West of England who retain the closest links with the Regiment through the two Regimental offices in Liverpool and Manchester. The Regiment has a fine sporting record, having won the unique Army double of boxing and football championships in its tercentenary year of 1985. Many of the Regiment's boxers have fought for their country and the Battalion football team had the privilege of training with England's winning 1966 World Cup Squad. Liverpool, Manchester and the Borough of Tameside have honoured the Regiment with the granting of the Freedom of the Cities and the Borough. This very close link is exemplified by the warmth and goodwill extended to the Regiment by civic and commercial institutions in both cities and the borough. The Regiment is immensely proud of its unique position as the Army's only City Regiment.

Kings Royal Rifle Corps
The Kings Royal Rifle Corps was a British infantry regiment raised in North America in 1755 under the name of the 60th Royal Americans, a title which ceased to be used in 1824 and in 1830 the title Kings Royal Rifle Corps was adopted. They were nicknamed the 'Greenjackets' and 'Sweeps' because of their dark-green full-dress uniform. The Kings Royal Rifle Corps is notable as the most prolific in battle honours of any British regiment.

Koln
The Koln was a German cruiser completed at Kiel in 1911. She had a displacement of 4,281 tons and a speed of 27.5 knots. She was armed with twelve 4 inch guns and two torpedo tubes. She was sunk at the Battle of Heligoland Bight.

Konigin Luise
The Konigin Luise was a German H type mine-layer. She had a displacement of 2,163 tons and a speed of 20 knots. She was sunk by HMS Amphion near the mouth of the Thames on August the 5th 1914. Prior to the Great War she had been a Hamburg to America liner.

Konigsberg
The Konigsberg was a German light cruiser. She was completed in 1907 and had a displacement of 3,350 knots and a speed of 24 knots. She was armed with ten 4.1 inch guns. At the outbreak of the Great War she was in the Indian Ocean and was sighted by HMS Pegasus on July 31st 1914 steaming out of Dar-es-Salaam. She was eventually destroyed on July the 11th 1915 by HMS Mersey and HMS Severn accompanied by aircraft, after being trapped in the Rufiji River opposite Mafia Island by HMS Chatham.

Kp88x
The Kp88x is a Ruger semi-automatic pistol. It is available in 9 mm and .30 inch calibres and takes a 15-round magazine.

Kp89
The Kp89 is a Ruger semi-automatic 9 mm calibre pistol. It takes a 15-round magazine.

KPVT
The KPVT is a 14.5 mm super-heavy machine gun developed after the Second World War by the Russians to fire high-velocity anti-tank rounds. It has a muzzle velocity of 900m/s.

Krag-jorgensen m1896
The krag-jorgensen m1896 was the US army's first bolt action rifle, seeing action in 1894. It has a muzzle velocity of 610 m/s and takes a 5-round magazine. It is sighted to 1829m.

Kreimhild Line
Kreimhild Line was the German name for a fortified line of trenches and pillboxes in the Great War. Designed as a fall-back position some miles behind the Hindenburg Line. It was not completed until 1918.

KSK
KSK is an abbreviation for Ethyl-iodo-acetate, a tear gas used during the Second World War. It had a smell faintly of peardrops. It caused pain in the eyes, a copious flow of tears, spasms of the eyelids and irritation of shaved skin.

Ksp-221
The ksp-221 is a Ruger double-action revolver. It has a 2.25 inch barrel and a calibre of .22 inch long rimfire. It has a 6-round cylinder and adjustable sights.

Ksp-240
The ksp-240 is a Ruger double-action revolver. It has a 4 inch barrel and a calibre of .22 inch long rimfire. It has a 6-round cylinder and adjustable sights.

Ksp-241
The ksp-241 is a Ruger double-action revolver. It has a 4 inch barrel and a calibre of .22 inch long rimfire. It has a 6-round cylinder and adjustable sights.

Ksp-321x
The ksp-321x is a Ruger double-action revolver. It has a 2.25 inch barrel and a calibre of .357 inch magnum. It has a 5-round cylinder and fixed sights.

Ksp-3231
The ksp-3231 is a Ruger double-action revolver. It has a 3 inch barrel and a calibre of .32 inch magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and adjustable sights.

Ksp-3241
The ksp-3241 is a Ruger double-action revolver. It has a 4 inch barrel and a calibre of .32 inch magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and adjustable sights.

Ksp-331x
The ksp-331x is a Ruger double-action revolver. It has a 3 inch barrel and a calibre of .357 inch magnum. It has a 5-round cylinder and fixed sights.

Ksp-821
The ksp-821 is a Ruger double-action revolver. It has a 2.25 inch barrel and a calibre of .38 inch. It has a 5-round cylinder and fixed sights.

Ksp-921
The ksp-921 is a Ruger double-action revolver. It has a 2.25 inch barrel and a calibre of 9 mm. It has a 5-round cylinder and fixed sights.

Ksp-931
The ksp-931 is a Ruger double-action revolver. It has a 3 inch barrel and a calibre of 9 mm. It has a 5-round cylinder and fixed sights.

Ksrh-7
The ksrh-7 is the 7.5 inch barrel super redhawk revolver.

Ksrh-9
The ksrh-9 is a super redhawk 9.5 inch barrel revolver.

KV-1
The KV-1 was a Russian Second World War tank designed by Kliment Voroshilov. It was crewed by five men and mounted the same 76.2 mm gun as the T-34 until 1943 when the 85 mm gun became available. It was heavily armoured, up to 110 mm thick and had a top speed of 35 kmph and a range of 250 km.

KV-2
The KV-2 was a Russian Second World War breakthrough tank similar to the KV-1 but equipped with a 152 mm gun and thicker armour, a six-man crew and a top speed of 26 kmph and a range of 160 km.

L119
The l119 is a British 105 mm calibre towed howitzer. It has a range of 17,200m.

L1a1
The l1a1 is a British gas operated rifle with a muzzle velocity of 854 m/s and sighted to 549m. It takes a 7.62 mm round from a 20-round box.

L2a3
The l2a3 was developed from 1942 onwards as a replacement sub-machine gun for the sten. It is a British weapon often known as the patchett after its designer. It takes a 9 mm round from a 32-round box. It has a cyclic rate of 550 rpm and a muzzle velocity of 365 m/s.

L4a1
The l4a1 is a British sniper rifle developed from the number 4 rifle. It takes a 7.62 mm round from a 10-round box. It has a muzzle velocity of 838 m/s and takes a telescopic sight.

L81A1
The L81A1 is a version of the Parker-Hale M82 with a shorter butt and shorter fore-end adopted by the British Army as a Cadet training rifle in 1983.

La Argentina
The La Argentina is an Argentinean Meko 360 Type destroyer. She was built by Blohm and Voss in Hamburg and launched on the 25th of September 1981. 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.

Lambrequin
A lambrequin is a strip of leather or metal suspended from the waist as flexible armour for the thighs. A skirt of lambrequins was a popular part of the Roman soldier's armour.

Lancashire Fusiliers
see "20th Regiment of Foot"

Lance
A lance was a long, spear-like weapon with a pointed head used by cavalry soldiers to unhorse or injure their opponents.

Lance-corporal
Lance-corporal is not actually an Army rank, but rather an appointment of a private or equivalent acting as corporal. A lance-corporal wears one stripe on his sleeve.

Lancer
A lancer was a cavalry soldier armed with a lance.

Lanchester mk1
The lanchester mk1 was a British sub-machine gun issued to the navy from 1940. It takes a 9 mm round from a 50-round box and has a cyclic rate of 600 rpm. The muzzle velocity is 365 m/s.

Landsturm
During the Great War, Landsturm were German third-line reserve troops composed of men who had completed their conscript or regular service, reserve service, and Landwehr service. They were then transferred to the Landsturm, in which they remained until the age of 45. Normally the Landsturm was only used for local defence and similar duties, but the shortage of troops in the latter part of the war led to their use in all military capacities.

Landwehr
During the Great War, Landwehr were German second-line reserve troops. All German conscripts, on completion of their mandatory service, were transferred to the 'first ban' of the Landwehr for five years, during which time they attended regular training camps. At the end of this period they passed into the 'second ban' until they were 39, when they moved into the Landsturm. In time of war the troops of the first ban were used as reserves for fighting formations and those of the second ban for line of communication duties, but due to the shortages of troops 1917 and 1918 this distinction was lost. In the Austrian army the Landwehr was a standing reserve pool into which regular troops and recruits were drafted when there was no immediate need for them at the front.

Lathi
A lathi is an Indian weapon consisting of a heavy stick, usually bamboo, bound with iron.

Law
Law is an abbreviation for light anti-tank weapon.

Le mat
The le mat revolver fired grapeshot and was manufactured mainly in France in the mid 19th century.

Le Regiment d'Hebron
Le Regiment d'Hebron was Sir John Hepburn's regiment raised in 1633 and evolved into the Royal Scots.

Lebel
The lebel is a French rifle developed in 1886. It is bolt operated and takes a 8 mm round from a 8-round tubular magazine. The muzzle velocity is 716 m/s and it is sighted to 2000m.

Lee Enfield
The Lee Enfield is a series of British rifles. The mark 3 and 4 are bolt operation and take a .303 inch round from a 10-round box. The muzzle velocity is 738 m/s and they are sighted to 1829m.

Lee straight pull
The Lee straight pull is a US straight-pull operated rifle issued to the navy in 1895. It takes a .236 inch round from a 5-round magazine. It has a muzzle velocity of 732 m/s and is sighted to 1828m.

Lee-Metford
The Lee-Metford series of rifles were adopted by the British army in 1888 to replace the martini-Henry. They were bolt-action rifles which took a 5-round box magazine.

Leicestershire Regiment
see "17th Regiment of Foot"

Leigh light
The Leigh Light was an airborne searchlight used by the RAF in the Second World War. They were carried in Wellington bombers and, guided by radar, were used to illuminate submarines prior to attacking them. Leigh lights were first used in 1942, and by the end of the war 27 U-boats had been sunk and 31 severely damaged in attacks using.

Leinster Regiment
The Leinster Regiment was a British infantry regiment formed of the merger of the 100th Regiment of Foot and the 109th Regiment of Foot

Leipzig
The Leipzig was a German Cruiser. She fought at Coronel and was sunk at the Battle of the Falkland Islands on the 8th of December 1914.

Leopard 1
The Leopard 1 is a German MBT designed in 1957 and entered service in 1965. At the time it was the fastest and most manoeuvrable tank available and was purchased by many other NATO countries. It weighed 40 tonnes, carried a crew of 4 and was armed with a 105 mm main gun. 60 rounds of APFSDS, HEAT and WP ammunition were carried and range-finding was usually laser.

Leopard 2
The Leopard 2 is a German MBT designed in the late 1970s as a sequel to the failed MBT70 project. It has a top road speed of 65 kph, carries a crew of 4, and is armed with a 120 mm smooth-bore main gun. 42 rounds of APFSDS and HEAT ammunition are carried and the Leopard 2 weighs 55 tonnes.

Leopard ARVM
The Leopard ARVM (Armoured Recovery Vehicle Medium) uses the same automotive components of the Leopard AS1 including powerpack and suspension. Typical roles for the ARVM include: changing AFV components and powerpacks, recovery of disabled and damaged vehicles, towing vehicles, dozing operations and refuelling and defuelling other vehicles. 1 x 7.62 mm MG is mounted in bow on left side with elevation, depression and traverse left and right of 15 degrees. A similar weapon is mounted on roof for local and anti-aircraft defence, six smoke dischargers are mounted on side of hull for firing forwards. A crane is mounted on the front right which traverses through 270 degrees and lifts a maximum load of 20 tonne. A blade is mounted under the nose which is used for dozing or to stabilise vehicle when the crane or winch is used. The ARVM winch has 90 metres of 33 mm steel cable and with a maximum capacity of 35 tonne which can be increased to 70 tonne. A complete Leopard AS1 powerpack is carried on the rear decking of the ARVM.

Leopard AS1
The Leopard AS1 is an MBT used by the Australian army. It is powered by a 37.4 litre V-10 four stroke multifuel engine with mechanical superchargers producing 830 bhp at 2200 rpm and 2860 Nm torque at 1500 rpm. The engine is attached to a 4 speed planetary type power shift and steering transmission with hydraulic torque
converter providing four forward and two reverse speeds. The Leopard AS1 MBT is fitted with a welded turret containing a 105 mm rifled gun capable of firing Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot, High Explosive Squash Head, High Explosive Plastic, White Phosphorus Smoke, Anti-Personnel, Cannister, Discarding Sabot-Practice and Squash Head-Practice Ammunition. A coaxially mounted 7.62 mm machine gun and a 7.62 mm anti-aircraft machine gun are also mounted. Two sets of four 76 mm multi-barrel smoke grenade dischargers are mounted externally.

Les Gardes du Roi
see "Swiss Guards"

Lever-action
Lever-action is a gun mechanism activated by manual operation of a lever.

Lewis gun
The Lewis Gun was a British light machine gun. Tt was gas-operated, air-cooled, and fed from a rotating drum of 47 or 97 rounds. The gun was used by the British, Belgian, and Italian armies in great numbers, both as a ground weapon and as an aircraft gun. Though generally replaced by more modern designs in the 1930s, the Lewis was still in use during the Second World War. The Lewis gun was initially designed by Samuel MacLean and was then developed and perfected by Colonel I N Lewis, of the American Army. Unable to interest the American Army in the weapon, Lewis took the gun to Belgium and set up a manufacturing company there in 1913. In 1914 most of the staff fled to Britain where they were able to continue manufacture in the Birmingham Small Arms Company factory.

LGM-118A
The LGM-118A (Peacekeeper) is America's newest intercontinental ballistic missile, first deployed in 1986.
The Peacekeeper is capable of delivering 10 independently targeted warheads over 6000 miles at a speed of Mach 20.

Liberator pistol
The liberator pistol was a cheaply made pistol made in America in 1942 for supply to guerrilla forces in enemy countries.

Life Guards
The Life Guards, the senior Regiment in the British Army, were formed at the Restoration in 1660 from a group of 80 Royalists who had gone into exile with King Charles II after his defeat at the Battle of Worcester (1652). They first saw action at the Battle of Sedgemoor in 1685 (the Monmouth rebellion) and subsequently in both the Jacobite wars and during the War of Austrian Succession (1742-46). They were re-designated the 1st and 2nd Life Guards in 1788, a period from which the majority of today's state dress originates. They formed the front charging line of the Household Cavalry Brigade at the battle of Waterloo (1815), staging the famous charge against the French Cuirassiers that saved the British centre from being overrun. During the 19th century, the Life Guards served in Egypt, as part of the Household Cavalry Regiment, taking part in the moonlight charge at Kassassin, and also in the Sudan and South Africa. During World War I, the Regiment saw action at Mons, Le Cateau, Ypres, Loos, and most notably at Zandvoorde where two complete squadrons were lost. During World War II, the Life Guards contributed men to both Household Cavalry Regiments, the second of which was described by General Sir Brian Horrocks as the 'finest armoured car regiment he had ever seen'. They landed at Normandy in July 1944 and spearheaded the Guards Armoured Brigade advance through France to liberate Brussels and became the only forces to make contact with the Polish Free Forces during the advance to the bridge at Arnhem.

Light Infantry
The Light Infantry is a British infantry regiment formed as a large regiment in 1968 from a merger of: The Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry, The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, The King's Shropshire Light Infantry and The Durham Light Infantry. Although there had been 'light troops' in the British Army in the 1740s, such as the Highlanders at Fontenoy (1745), it was the colonial war between France and England in North America which established the concept of 'Light Infantry' in the British Army. In the North American Wars of the 1750s, the heavy equipment, conspicuous red and white uniforms and close formation fighting of the British Army proved to be wholly unsuitable when operating in close country against Indians and French colonists, who had highly developed fieldcraft and marksmanship skills. Prompted by these experiences, General James Wolfe and Lord Amherst realised there was a need for a new approach in the Infantry. A small corps of 'Light' troops, recruited from the settlers, was formed in 1755. It consisted of specially trained men, carefully selected for their toughness and intelligence, able to scout and skirmish, concentrating and dispersing with great stealth and speed. Their dress, equipment and tactics were adjusted to meet this new role. So effective were these 'Light' troops that steps were taken to increase the number available. Regiments formed 'Light Companies' of soldiers specially selected for their toughness, intelligence, military skills and ability to act on their own initiative, within the framework of a broad tactical plan. The bugle horn, which subsequently became the emblem of light troops, replaced the drum as the means of communication for the often widely dispersed Light Companies. By the end of the 18th century it was not unusual for commanders to group the various Light Companies together for specific tasks. The invasion of Spain by Napoleon in 1802 was to cause a further, rapid evolution of the Light Infantry concept
der the leadership and training of the brilliant young general, Sir John Moore.

Lincolnshire Regiment
see "10th Regiment of Foot"

Liverpool Regiment
see "8th Regiment of Foot"

Locust tank
see "m22"

London Regiment
The London Regiment was a Territorial army corps created from the merger of all the London battalions in 1909.

Long Lance
The Long Lance was a Japanese naval torpedo of the Second World War. It was 610 mm in diameter with a warhead twice the size of any comparable torpedo and was powered by an enriched oxygen motor giving it a range of 40 km and a speed of 50 knots.

Long Max
Long Max was the nickname for the German 38-cm railway gun used during the Great War for the long range interdiction fire at Verdun, it was also used as a basis in the development of the larger Paris Gun.

Lothian Regiment
see "Royal Scots"

Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment was a British infantry regiment formed of the 47th Regiment of Foot and the 81st Regiment of Foot - from whom they inherited the title 'Loyal').

LT-35
The LT-35 was a Czechoslovakian medium tank developed during the 1930s. It was crewed by four men and was armed with a 37 mm main gun and a co-axial machine gun in the turret plus a second machine gun in the hull front. It had a top speed of 42 kmph and a range of 200 km. When the German army annexed Czechoslovakia, production of the LT-35 continued, and they were redesignated PzKpfw 35(t) (Panzer 35(t)).

LT-38
The LT-38 was a Czechoslovakian medium tank developed during the 1930s. It was crewed by four men and was armed with a 37 mm main gun and a co-axial machine gun in the turret plus a second machine gun in the hull front. It had a top speed of 42 kmph and a range of 200 km. When the German army annexed Czechoslovakia, production of the LT-38 continued, and they were redesignated PzKpfw 38(t) (Panzer 38(t)).

Luger
Luger were a range of automatic pistols manufactured by DWM from 1908 onwards. Originally a 7.65 mm calibre pistol, various versions were made. The artillery Luger was a German 9 mm calibre automatic pistol introduced in 1917. It took a 8-round box magazine.

Lyddite
Lyddite was a British explosive used for filling artillery shells during the Great War. It was actually molten and cast picric acid, the name being adopted in order to conceal the nature of the substance and was taken from the initial trials which were conducted at Lydd, in southern England.

M-1 Abrams MBT
The M-1 Abrams MBT, is an American main battle tank. It is manned by a crew of four, weighs 54.5 tonnes, and a top road speed of 72 kmph. It is armed with a 105 mm smooth bore main gun with an effective range of 2500m. It can carry 55 rounds of ammunition, including HEAT and SABOT shells.

M-113
The M-113 is an American APC. It has been in service since the Vietnam war and carries a crew of 2 plus an 11 man squad. It has a top road speed of 64 kmph and a range of 321 km. It is armed with a 12.7 mm calibre machine gun with an effective range of 500m.

M/46
The M/46 is the Browning High Power Pistol manufactured in Denmark.

M1
The M1 is a US gas operated carbine. It takes a .30 inch straight pistol type round from a 15/30-round box. It has a muzzle velocity of 585 m/s and has fixed sights set at 275m.

M102
The M102 is an American 105 mm calibre light-howitzer. It has a range of 11,500m with standard ammunition and 15,100m with rap ammunition.

M106
The M106 is an American mortar carrier comprised of an M113 APC chassis with a hole cut in the roof for a mortar to fire upwards and out of.

M106A2
The M106A2 is a variant of the M106 mortar carrier. It carries a 107 mm mortar and 100 rounds of HE and WP ammunition.

M109
The M109 is a series of American self-propelled howitzers. They have a top speed of 56 kph.

M109a2
The M109a2 is one of the M109 series. It is armed with a 155 mm howitzer and Browning 0.5 inch calibre anti-aircraft machine gun.

M109A3
The M109A3 is one of the M109 series. It is armed with a M185 howitzer and a Browning 0.5 inch calibre anti-aircraft machine gun and carries 34 rounds of HE, WP, HEAT, HE/RAP ammunition and 2 CLGP rounds. It uses a stadiametric rangefinder.

M109a6
The M109a6 is one of the M109 series. It is armed with a M284 howitzer and a Browning 0.5 inch calibre anti-aircraft machine gun.

M110
The m110 is a series of American self-propelled howitzers. They first entered service in 1963. They are armed with a 8 inch howitzer and have a top speed of 34mph.

M110a1
see "m110"

M110a2
see "m110"

M113
The m113 is a series of American APCs. They are lightly armed with a Browning 0.5 inch calibre machine gun. They have a top speed of 40mph.

M113A3
The M113A3 is an American APC. It was designed in the late 1950s and entered service in 1960, the M113A1 upgrade entered service in 1963. It carries a crew of 2 plus a squad of 7 and is armed with a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun for which 1200 rounds of ammunition are carried.

M114
The m114 is an American 155 mm calibre howitzer series first used during the Second World War. The m114a2 model has a range of 19,300m.

M114a2
see "m114"

M119
The M119 is the American designation for the l119.

M13/40
The M13/40 was an Italian Second World War tank of bolted armour plates, up to 40 mm thick, which were prone to split apart under fire. It was armed with a 47 mm gun and had a top speed of 32 kmph and a range of 200 km.

M14
The m14 is a US automatic rifle developed in the 1950s to replace the garand. It takes a 7.62 mm round from a 20-round box. It has a muzzle velocity of 853 m/s and is sighted to 915m with a cyclic rate of 750 rpm.

M16
The M16 (Armalite AR-15) is a US automatic rifle. It takes a .233 inch round from a 30-round magazine. It has a muzzle velocity of 991 m/s and is sighted to 458m. It has a cyclic rate of 800 rpm.

M163
see "M163A2"

M163A2
The M163A2 is an American anti-aircraft gun carrier. The M163 is comprised of an M113 APC with an M61A1 gatling gun mounted on the roof. The A2 version improved the fire control system by integrating the ranging radar with a ballistic computer.

M1889
The Schmidt-Rubin M1889 is a Swiss straight pull bolt action rifle produced from 1889 to 1920. It takes the Swiss service M1890 7.5 mm cartridge from a 12 round magazine. It is now obsolete in military terms, but quite a few are still used for target shooting.

M1911
The Schmidt-Rubin M1911 is a Swiss straight pull bolt action rifle produced from 1911 to 1925. It was developed from the M1889 to take the more powerful M1911 7.5 mm cartridge which it takes a 6 round magazine.

M1911A1
The M1911A1 was a .45 inch calibre automatic pistol designed by Browning in 1911 and manufactured by Colt. It had a semi-automatic recoil action and took a 7-round magazine.

M1931
The Schmidt-Rubin M1931 Carbine is a Swiss straight pull bolt action short rifle produced from 1933 to 1958 for the Swiss army. It had a completely revised action. It took the M1911 7.5 mm cartridge from a 6 round magazine. In the 1930s a 100 of these rifles were supplied to the Vatican City.

M1935A
The M1935A was the standard pistol of the French army during the Second World War. It was a 7.65 mm calibre semi-automatic pistol with a recoil-operation. It took an 8-round magazine.

M198
The M198 is an American 155 mm calibre towed howitzer with a range of 22,000m with standard ammunition and 30,000m with rap ammunition.

M1A1
The M1A1 is a folding stock version of the M1.

M1A1 MBT
The M1A1 MBT is a US tank. It takes a four man crew and is armed with a 120 mm smoothbore gun, a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, a 12.7 mm roof mounted heavy machine gun and a 7.62 mm roof mounted machine gun. It is equipped with a laser rangefinder and thermal imaging night sights. 40 shells are carried for the main gun. It has a top road speed of 67 kph. Defences include chobham armour and a laser warning system.

M2
The M2 is an American IFV. It is armed with a 25 mm Hughes machine gun and a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun and carries 2 TOW ATGMS. It has a top speed of 66 kph. See M2A1.

M22 Locust
The M22 Locust was an American light air-portable tank of the Second World War. It weighed 7.26 tonnes and was manned by a crew of three and armed with a 37 mm main gun. It had armour up to 25 mm thick and a top road speed of 56 kmph.

M224
The M224 is an American lightweight company mortar. It has a calibre of 60 mm and a range of 3,500m.

M230
The M230 is a 30 mm chain gun mounted on the AH-64A attack helicopter. It has a muzzle velocity of 790m/s.

M240
The M240 is a Belgian medium machine gun fitted to the m1a1 MBT and other tanks. It has a muzzle velocity of 840 m/s.

M242
The M242 is a 25 mm chain gun mounted on M2A1 and M3A1 CFVs. It has a muzzle velocity of 1100m/s and fires APDS ammunition with armour penetration of 27 mm at 500m.

M249
The M249 is an American saw. It has a calibre of 5.56 mm and a range of 1300m. It has a cyclic rate of 750 rpm and a muzzle velocity of 924m/s.

M24 Chaffee
The M24 Chaffee was an American light air-portable tank of the Second World War. It weighed 18.37 tonnes and was manned by a crew of five. It was armed with a 75 mm main gun and had armour up to 38 mm thick. It had a top road speed of 56 kmph.

M256
The Rheinmetall M256 is a 120 mm smoothbore gun mounted on M1A1 MBT and Leopard 2 MBT. It has a muzzle velocity of 1661m/s firing APFSDS ammunition and an armour penetration of 399 mm at 500m and 368 mm at 1000m.

M29
The M29 is a family of American mortars.

M29A1
The M29A1 is one of the M29 family. It has a calibre of 81 mm and a range of 4,700 km. It has a sustained rate of fire of between 4 and 12 rpm.

M2A1
The M2A1 (Bradley) IFV entered service with the US army in 1982. It carries a crew of 3 and a 7 man squad. The M2A1 is armed with a twin TOW 2 launcher in the turret and can carry an additional 5 missiles, including TOWs, Dragons and Stingers. The main gun is a 25 mm automatic chain gun for which 900 rounds of APDS and HE ammunition is carried. The M2A1 has a top road speed of 66 kph.

M2HB
The M2HB is the Browning 0.5 inch calibre heavy machine gun mounted on American military vehicles since the Second World War. It has a muzzle velocity of 890m/s and fires ball ammunition.

M3
The M3 is an American CFV version of the M2. It carries additional ATGMS instead of passengers and has slightly thicker armour. See M3A1.

M3 Grant
The M3 Grant was the British designation of the American M3 Lee medium tank.

M3 Lee
The M3 Lee was an American medium tank of the Second World War. It went into production in 1941 and was designed by the Rock Island Arsenal. It was a 27-tonne medium tank with a 75 mm gun mounted in a side sponson, a 37 mm gun plus co-axial machine gun in a small rotating turret, a bow machine gun and a fourth machine gun on the commander's cupola for all-round and anti-aircraft defence. It had a crew of six, armour plate up to 57 mm thick and could achieve a top speed of 42 kmph and had a range of 193 km.

M3 Stuart
The M3 Stuart was an American light tank used during the Second World War. It weighed 14.4 tonnes and was driven by the Continental radial air-cooled W-670-9A engine which developed 250bhp and gave a top speed of 58 kmph and a range of 112 km. The M3 Stuart was crewed by four men and armed with a 37 mm and co-axial machine gun in the turret, plus an extra machine gun in the hull front. It had armour up to a thickness of 38 mm.

M3A1
The M3A1 (Bradley) CFV is a variant of the M2A1 used by the American army in reconnaissance units. It carries a crew of 3 plus 2 infantry scouts used to load the twin TOW 2 launcher in the turret. The main gun is a 25 mm automatic chain gun for which 1200 rounds of APDS and HE ammunition are carried. 12 missiles are carried for the TOW missile launcher. The M3A1 has a top road speed of 66 kph.

M4
The M4 is an American carbine, a short-barrelled version of the M16A2 rifle, and with a collapsible stock produced since 1984. All the mechanical components are interchangeable with those of the M16A2, and it will accept any M16 or NATO STANAG 4179 magazines. It is chambered for the 5.56 mm NATO cartridge and has a rate of fire of 700 to 1000 rpm. It is also used by the Canadian army under the designation C8.

M4 Sherman
The M4 Sherman was an American tank used during the Second World War. Many varieties were made, but the most common was the M4A3 which weighed 31.57 tonnes and had a crew of five. It was fairly thickly armoured, up to 108 mm and had a 75 mm gun plus a co-axial machine gun in a fully traversing turret and an extra ball mounted machine gun in the hull front. As with the M3 Lee an additional machine gun was usually fitted to the commander's cupola. The M4A3 was powered by a Ford 450bhp V8 engine which gave it a top speed of 42 kmph and a range of 160 km.

M40A1
The M40A1 is a military version of the Remington 700 sporting rifle. It is a bolt-action sniping rifle chambered for the 7.62 mm NATO cartridge which it takes from a 5 round magazine. Production started in 1962 and it is in use with the US Marine Corps.

M47
The M47 (Dragon) is an American infantry anti-tank/assault missile. It has a flight speed of 230mph and a range of 1000m. It is guided by the operator.

M48
The M48 (chaparral) is an American forward area air-defence missile system. It launches surface-to-air missiles which use infrared homing to target heat emitter guidance. The missiles fly at a speed of mach 2.5 to a ceiling of 2,500m and a range of 4,800m.

M4A3
see "M4 Sherman"

M5 Stuart
The M5 Stuart was the M3 Stuart tank with a later Cadillac engine which improved the range by 48 km.

M551
The M551 (sheridan) is an American light tank. It entered service in 1966. It is armed with a 152 mm main gun and a 7.62 mm calibre coaxial machine gun and a 0.5 inch calibre anti-aircraft machine gun. It has a top speed of 65mph.

M577
The M577 Armoured Command Vehicle is built from the same plans as the M113 except that the ACV has a higher personnel compartment to house a command post and staff office. The command post is equipped with map boards, tables, blackout curtain, interior blackout light controls, power and communication cables and an auxiliary unit to provide DC power.

M5A1
see "M5 Stuart"

M6 Scout
The M6 Scout is An over-under combo gun chambered in .22LR (or .22 Hornet) and .410. It is 32 inches long with an 18 inch long barrel and includes a folding stock. The M6 Scout is marketed by Springfield as a survival rifle.

M60
The M60 is a series of American tanks. The series entered service in 1960.
The M60 general-purpose machine-gun is an American weapon. It has a calibre of 7.62 mm and a maximum range of 1800m with a rate of fire of 550 rpm.

M60A3
The M60A3 is an American main battle tank. It was designed in the mid 1950s and entered service in 1960, production ended in 1987. It has a crew of 4, a maximum road speed of 48 kph and a 105 mm main gun. It carries 63 rounds of APFSDS, HEAT, HEP and WP ammunition and has laser range-finding.

M60A3 MBT
The M60A3 MBT is a US tank. It was designed in 1956 and entered service in 1960. It is armed with a 105 mm main gun, a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun and a cupola mounted 12.7 mm HMG. It has a top road speed of 48 kph. It is manned by a crew of four and carries 63 rounds of main gun ammunition. It is fitted with a laser rangefinder and thermal imaging night sight.

M61A1
The M61A1 (Vulcan) is a 20 mm six-barrel gatling gun mounted on the M163. It has a muzzle velocity of 1036m/s and fires APT ammunition with armour penetration of 45 mm at 500m and 31 mm at 1000m.

M68E1
The Royal Ordnance M68E1 is a British 105 mm rifle mounted on M1 MBT and M60A3 MBT. It was developed during the 1950s for use with the Centurion tank. It has a muzzle velocity of 1458m/s firing APFSDS ammunition and armour penetration of 377 mm at 500m and 349 mm at 1000m.

M712
The M712 (copperhead) is an American cannon-launched guided projectile. It flies at supersonic speed and uses laser homing guidance to locate its target. It has a range of up to 10 miles.

M72A2
The M72A2 is an American LAW. It has a calibre of 66 mm and a range of 325m.

M72A3
The M72A3 is an American infantry anti-tank missile. It lacks a guidance system and is only usable up to 135 meters.

M77
The M77 is a Ruger bolt-action rifle. It is manufactured in various calibres between .22 inch and .338 inch and also 7.62 mm NATO. It takes a 4-round magazine and is fitted with a receiver for a telescopic sight. It is used for small game hunting and has also been employed by some police forces as a sniping rifle.

M79
The M79 is an American grenade launcher. It has a range of 400m and a rate of fire of 5 rpm.

M9
The M9 is the American army designation of the Beretta Model 92 pistol, adopted by the American military in place of the M1911.

M901A2
The M901A2 ITV is the standard anti-tank missile carrier of the American army. It is based upon the M113 chassis with an Emerson elevating turret on top. It carries a crew of 4, is armed with 2 TOW 2 launchers and a 7.62 mm machine gun on the roof. 12 missiles are carried.

M93
The M93 (fox) is an American reconnaissance vehicle. It carries a crew of 4. It is unarmed and has a top speed of 65mph.

Machine gun
A machine gun is a firearm of military significance, often crew-served, that on trigger depression automatically feeds and fires cartridges of rifle size or greater.

Machine Gun Corps
The Machine Gun Corps was a British army regiment of the Great War formed in 1915 and disbanded after the war. The unit was a consolidation of infantry machine gun companies into a separate, specialist unit, reflecting the growing importance of the machine gun. The principal role of the unit was to provide massed machine guns which could lay down suppressive fire on areas during an attack so as to prohibit the enemy forming up or advancing across them. It was divided into infantry, cavalry, heavy and motor branches, the latter becoming the Tank Corps.

Madras Infantry
see "108th Regiment of Foot"

Madsen M50
The madsen M50 is a Danish sub-machine gun. It takes a 9 mm round from a 32-round box. It has a cyclic rate of 550 rpm and a muzzle velocity of 365 m/s.

Magazine
A magazine is a spring-loaded container for cartridges that may be an integral part of the gun's mechanism or may be detachable. Detachable magazines for the same gun may be offered by the gun's manufacturer or other manufacturers with various capacities. A gun with a five-shot detachable magazine, for instance, may be fitted with a magazine holding 10, 20, or 50 or more rounds. Box magazines are most commonly located under the receiver with the cartridges stacked vertically. Tube or tubular magazines run through the stock or under the barrel with the cartridges lying horizontally. Drum magazines hold their cartridges in a circular mode. A magazine can also mean a secure storage place for ammunition or explosives.

Maginot Line
The Maginot line was a French fortification system along the German frontier from Switzerland to Luxembourg built during 1929 to 1936 under the direction of the war minister, Andre Maginot. It consisted of semi-underground forts joined by underground passages, and was protected by antitank defences; lighter fortifications continued the line to the sea. In 1940 German forces pierced the Belgian frontier line and outflanked the Maginot Line.

Magnum
Magnum is a term indicating a relatively heavily loaded metallic cartridge or shotshell and, by extension, a gun safely constructed to fire it.

Male
Male was one of the first British tanks. It was fitted with six pounder guns and saw action during the first world war.

Mamelukes
see "Mamluks"

Mamluks
The Mamluks (Mamelukes) were slave soldiers who constituted the army of the Ayyubid sultanate established in Egypt by Saladin in the 1170s.

Manchester Regiment
see "King's Regiment"

Mannlicher-Carcano M1891
The Mannlicher-Carcano M1891 is an Italian bolt operated carbine designed for cavalry use, but with a folding bayonet fixed under the barrel. It takes a 6.5 mm round from a 6-round magazine. The muzzle velocity is 701 m/s and it is sighted to 1500m.

Mannlicher-Carcano M1938
The Mannlicher-Carcano M1938 is an Italian carbine with sights fixed at 300m. It takes a 6.5 mm round from a 6-round magazine. It is bolt operated and has a muzzle velocity of 701 m/s.

Maple Leaves
The Maple Leaves was a nickname of the 100th Regiment of Foot from their Canadian origins.

Mareth Line
The Mareth Line was a German defensive line in North Africa during the Second World War running from the sea close to Mareth to the Matmata Hills, about 50 km away; it followed the Wadi Zigzau, a dried river bed which made an excellent defence against tanks. The German field marshal Rommel retired to this line in March 1943, and British frontal attacks failed to dislodge him. He was finally manoeuvred out of the position by a force of New Zealand troops accompanied by the British 1st Armoured Division which made a wide flanking movement around the Matmata Hills. A hastily organized blocking operation by the 21st Panzer Division managed to hold off the threat for long enough to allow Rommel and the rest of his forces to retire from the line into Tunisia.

Marines
Marines are soldiers serving on board ship. They were first formed with the object of forming a nursery to man the fleet. An order in council dated 16th October 1664 authorised 1200 soldiers to be raised and formed into one regiment. In 1684 the third regiment of the line was called the Marine Regiment, but the system of having soldiers exclusively for sea service was not carried into effect until 1698, when two marine regiments were formed. More regiments were embodied in subsequent years and became known as the jollies and in 1802 they were formerly named the Royal Marine Forces.

Martini-Henry
The martini-Henry was the first metal cartridge breech-loading rifle built for the British army. It was adopted in 1871. It had a calibre of 0.45 inch and took a bottle-necked cartridge.

Martonite
see "Bromacetone"

Mas36
The fusil mas36 is a French rifle developed in the 1940s. It takes a 7.5 mm round from a 5-round box. The operation is bolt. It has a muzzle velocity of 823 m/s and is sighted to 1200 m.

Matchlock
The English matchlock was a smooth-bore muzzle loader gun in use during the late 17th century. It was fired from a rest called a pike.

Matilda Mk 1
The Matilda Mk 1 was a British Infantry tank of the Second World War. It had armour up to 60 mm thick and was armed with machine guns. It had a top road speed of 13 kmph and weighed 11.16 tonnes.

Matilda Mk 2
The Matilda Mk 2 was the only British tank to see action right through the Second World War from start to finish. It was an infantry tank weighing 26.9 tonnes with armour up to 78 mm thick and armed with a 2 pounder (40 mm) main gun. It had a top speed of 25 kmph.

Maverick
see "AGM-65D"

MBT
MBT is an abbreviation for Main Battle Tank.

Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the USA's the highest award for valour. It was established by Congress, originally for the navy in 1861 and the army in 1862. Both designs are bronze stars with the goddess Minerva encircled in their centres. Members of the Marine Corps receive the navy version. The air-force version has Liberty in its centre.

Meiji carbine
The Meiji carbine is a Japanese bolt operated carbine. It takes a 6.5 mm round from a 5-round magazine. It has a muzzle velocity of 732 m/s and is sighted to 2000m.

Mentonniere
In armour, a mentonniere is a steel gorget secured to the bascinet and to the cuirass. It was sometimes furnished with a small door to help breathing.

Mercenary
A mercenary is a soldier hired by the army of another country or by a private army. Mercenary military service originated in the 14th century, when cash payment on a regular basis was the only means of guaranteeing soldiers' loyalty.

Meredith's Regiment
see "37th Foot"

MG34
The MG34 was a German light machine gun produced from 1934 to 1945. It took a 7.62 mm Mauser calibre round from a 50 round belt or a 75 round saddle drum magazine and had a rate of fire of 900 rounds per minute. It was introduced to the German army in 1936 and became their standard weapon until superseded by the MG42.

MG42
The MG42 was a German light machine gun. It was designed in 1941 by Mauser in response to a request from the German army for a replacement of the MG34 which retained all the advantages of the MG34 but was easier to mass produce. It took a 7.62 mm Mauser calibre round from a 50 round belt and had a rate of fire of 1200 rounds per minute.

MGM-52c
The MGM-52c (lance) is an American battlefield support missile. It has a range of between 45 and 75 miles depending upon the warhead and is carried by the m752 (m113) carrier. The missile flies at a speed of mach 3.

MI5
MI5 is the British security Service. It was formerly known as Section 5 of Military Intelligence, and hence the name MI5. Its main job is to protect British secrets at home from foreign spies and to prevent domestic sabotage, subversion and the theft of state secrets.

MI6
MI6 is the British Secret Intelligence Service (formerly section 6 of Military Intelligence). It is a civilian organisation with functions resembling those of the American CIA. It is charged with gathering information overseas and other strategic services.

MICV
An MICV (mechanised infantry combat vehicle) is a tracked military vehicle designed to fight as part of an armoured battle group. It is armed with a quick-firing cannon and one or more machine guns. MICVs have now replaced armoured personnel carriers.

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

Midilli
see "Breslau"

Mills bomb
The Mills bomb was the standard British hand grenade used during the Great War and Second World War. It consisted of a cast-iron body filled with explosive and a central tube into which a detonator, fuse, and percussion cap were inserted. Above the cap was a striker pin, held against a spring by an external lever which was locked in place by a split pin. The user gripped the grenade so as to hold the lever depressed and withdrew the pin. As the grenade was thrown, the lever flew off and the spring drove the striker against the cap, igniting the fuse and detonating the grenade four seconds later.
Invented by William Mills of Birmingham in 1915, the Mills bomb entered service as the No. 5 grenade, but was then modified so that it could have a steel rod screwed into its base and be fired as a rifle grenade; in this form it was called No. 23 grenade. Finally, it was altered again, having a 6.3 cm disc screwed to the base to allow it to be fired from a muzzle cup fitted to a rifle – the No. 36 grenade. It remained in British service in this form until the 1960s. It weighed 1.5 lbs and could be thrown 30 yards. During the Spanish civil war, mills bombs proved effective against light tanks.

Mim-104
The mim-104 (patriot) is an American surface to air missile system. The missiles fly at a speed of mach 3 to a range of 68 km.

Mine
A mine is an explosive charge on land or sea, or in the atmosphere, designed to be detonated by contact, vibration, magnetic influence, or a timing device.

Minenwerfer
The minenwerfer was a German trench warfare weapon of the Great War, the fore-runner of the trench mortar. The original minenwerfers were complex short-range breech-loading howitzers, but these were gradually supplemented by simpler muzzle-loading mortars which took the same name.

Minesweeper
A minesweeper is a small naval vessel designed for locating and destroying mines at sea.

Mini-14/5
The mini-14/5 is a Ruger ranch rifle. It is a gas operated .223 inch calibre weapon taking a 5-round box magazine. It has a muzzle velocity of 3300fps.

Minie
The Minie was a .702 inch calibre muzzle loading, percussion lock rifle. It was issued to the British army in 1851 to replace the Brunswick Rifle. The Minie was manufactured by Tower and sighted to 820m.

Minuteman
The Minuteman is an American three stage Inter-Continental Ballistic missile with a range of about 8000 km.

Mitrailleuse
The Mitrailleuse was a machine-gun introduced in France shortly before the Franco-German war of 1870-1871. It consisted of a number of rifled barrels, generally thirty-seven, and was mounted similarly to an ordinary field-piece.

MK19-3
The MK19-3 is an American automatic grenade launcher. It has a range of 1500m and a rate of fire of 325-375 rpm.

MLRS
MLRS is an abbreviation for multiple-launch rocket system. It is an American weapon system being a mobile vehicle which carries 12 rocket launchers. The rockets have a range of about 19 miles and fly at a supersonic speed.

Model 1853
The Model 1853 was a reduced calibre form of the Minie. It was a .577 inch calibre muzzle loading, percussion cap rifle manufactured by Enfield from 1853. It was sighted to 730m.

Moltke
The Moltke was a German cruiser. It was sunk by a British submarine during the battle for riga, on august the 18th 1915.

Mondragon
The Mondragon automatic rifle was one of the first automatic rifles invented. It was patented in 1907 by Manuel Mondragon of Mexico. It had a calibre of 7 mm.

Monitor
A monitor was a very shallow, heavily-armed, iron-clad steam-vessel invented by Ericcson, carrying on its open decks either one or two revolving turrets, each containing one or more enormous guns and designed to combine the maximum fire-power with the minimum of exposure. The vessels got their name after the first one, built during the American civil war, proved its superiority during an engagement with the Merrimac in 1862.

Monk's Regiment
see "Coldstream Guards"

Monkey Tail
The Monkey Tail was a .45 inch calibre, breech-loading, single capping carbine manufactured by Enflied in 1863. It had an effective range of 350m.

Montagu's Regiment of Foot
Monatgu's Regiment of Foot was an English infantry regiment raised in June 1643 by Edward Montagu under invitation of his cousin the 2nd Earl of Manchester. The regiment was quartered around Newport Pagnell with several other foot regiments, under the command of Lieutenant General Lawrence Crawford. This force, under Crawford, attacked Hillesden House on the 5th March. The house and the garrison surrendered after an engagement lasting only 15 minutes.

Mortar
A mortar is a machine for projecting a bomb via a high trajectory at a remote target. A mortar bomb is stabilized in flight by means of tail fins. The high trajectory results in a high angle of attack and makes mortars more suitable than artillery for use in built-up areas or mountains; mortars are not as accurate, however. Artillery also differs in firing a projectile through a rifled barrel, thus creating greater muzzle velocity. Mortars began to be developed when the trench lines came into use in the Great War, so that missiles could be pitched into the enemy trenches. The German minenwerfer was an early and complex design, but the archetypal early mortar was the British Stokes design of 1915. This was a simple tube with a fixed firing pin at the bottom end, into which a bomb carrying a blank shotgun cartridge and some smokeless powder was dropped. The cartridge hit the pin, ignited the powder, and blew the bomb from the barrel.

Mosin-Nagant M1944
The Mosin-Nagant M1944 is a Soviet carbine. It is bolt operated and takes a 7.62 mm round from a 5-round magazine. It has a muzzle velocity of 823 m/s and is sighted to 1000m.

Mother
Mother was the name of the first prototype tank.

Mousquetaires
The Mousquetaires were horse-soldiers under the old French regime, raised by Louis XIII in 1622 and considered a military school for the French nobility. It was disbanded in 1646 but restored in 1657 and a second company created in 1660 which formed the cardinal Mazarin's guard. They were finally abolished in 1775.

Mp40
The mp40 was a German sub-machine gun which saw extensive use during the Second World War. It takes a 9 mm round from a 32-round box. Its cyclic rate is 500 rpm and it has a muzzle velocity of 365 m/s.

MP44
The MP44 is a German assault rifle. It takes a 7.92 mm round from a 30-round box. It has a muzzle velocity of 647 m/s and is sighted to 800m. It was developed in 1944 and influenced the development of the AK47. It has a cyclic rate of 500 rpm.

MRLS
The MRLS is an American rocket launcher. It was designed in 1977 and entered service in 1983. It fires twelve 227 mm rockets, usually M77 rockets but also AT2 rockets. The rangefinder is an on-board ballistic computer fire control system.

Mulberry Harbour
The Mulberry Harbour was a prefabricated floating harbour, used on D-day in the Second World War to assist in the assault on the German-held French coast of Normandy. Two were built in the UK and floated across the English Channel.

Musket
A musket was a hand-gun first introduced in the early 16th century as a development of the culverin and arquebus. It was discharged by means of a lighted match, which gave rise to its name matchlock. It was so heavy that it had to be laid across a staff or rest to be fired. To make use of it the soldier needed to carry a lighted slow-burning match, which was apt to be extinguished in wet weather. This was developed into the wheel-lock which was a wheel made to revolve by a spring and which caused sparks by friction against a flint. In 1625 the musket developed the flint-lock.

Musketoon
A musketoon was a short thick musket with a very wide bore, sometime bell-mouthed like a blunderbuss. It fired a ball weighing between 5 and 7.5 ounces.

Mustard gas
Mustard gas, Di-chloro-di-ethyl sulphide, is a blister gas used during the Great War. It has a faint smell of mustard. It has a delayed action which makes it so dangerous, it not being detected until it has already caused its damage. It rapidly damages the eyes, lungs and exposed parts of the body. Blisters appear on exposed skin after a few hours. The stomach and intestines can be damaged by eating food contaminated with the gas. Exposure to the gas often results in death or blindness.

Muzzle
The muzzle is the open end of the barrel of a gun from which the projectile exits.

Muzzle loader
The muzzle loader was the earliest type of gun, now also popular as modern-made replicas, in which blackpowder and projectile(s) are separately
loaded in through the muzzle. The term is often applied to cap-and-ball revolvers where the loading is done not actually through the
muzzle but through the open ends of the cylinder's chambers.

My Lai massacre
The My Lai massacre was the killing of 109 civilians in My Lai, a village in South Vietnam, by American troops in March 1968. An investigation in 1969 produced enough evidence to charge 30 soldiers with war crimes, but the only soldier convicted was Lieutenant William Calley, commander of the platoon. Sentenced to life imprisonment in 1971, Calley was released less than five months later on parole. His superior officer was acquitted but the trial revealed an American Army policy of punitive tactics against civilians. News of the massacre contributed to domestic pressure for the USA to end its involvement in Vietnam.

Napalm
Napalm is a fuel used in incendiary bombs and flame throwers. It is produced from jellied petrol, and is a mixture of naphthenic and palmitic acids. Napalm causes extensive burns because it sticks to the skin even when ignited. It was widely used by the American Army during the Vietnam War.

Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic wars were a series of European wars between 1803 and 1815 involving Napoleon and his conquests of Europe.

Needle Fire Rifle
The Needle Fire Rifle was first issued to the Prussian army in 1848. It was a bolt-action 15.43 mm calibre rifle sighted to 400m.

Nelson
The Nelson was a British battleship of the Second World War. It was armed with 9 16 guns. She had a top speed of 23 knots and carried a crew of 1300.

Neuhausen KE7
The Neuhausen KE7 was a light machine gun designed by Kiraly and Ende and made in Switzerland by the SIG company and sold in considerable numbers to China. It was recoil-operated and air-cooled and took a 7.5 mm Swiss Service calibre round from a 20 round box magazine and had a rate of fire of 550 rounds per minute. The Neuhausen KE7 was in production from 1929 to 1935.

New land pattern
The new land pattern was a musket of the brown bess family introduced in the middle of the Napoleonic wars. It had a calibre of 0.75 inch.

New Model Army Revolver
The New Model Army Revolver was a .44 inch calibre muzzle loaded, single-action revolver manufactured by Colt in 1860. It had a 6-round cylinder.

North Staffordshire Regiment
The North Staffordshire Regiment was a British army unit comprising the 64th Foot and the 98th Foot.

Number 4
The number 4 rifle is a British rifle manufactured from 1941. It takes a .303 inch round from a 10-round box. Operation is bolt. It has a muzzle velocity of 743 M/s and is sighted to 1189m.

Oboe
Oboe was a British radar-based blind bombing system of the Second World War adopted by the RAF in 1942. It used two transmitters based in the UK; one tracked the bomber, guiding it on a course across the target. The other also tracked the bomber and ordered it to drop its bombs at the computed bomb-release point. Since accuracy was of a very high order, bombing became very accurate, and the system was used by the Pathfinder force to drop marker bombs for the rest of a bombing force.

Okha
The Okha was a specifically designed piloted flying bomb developed for use by Japanese Kamikaze squads.

Old Dozen
see "Suffolk Regiment"

Old Hundredth
The Old Hundredth was a nickname of the 100th Regiment of Foot.

Old Model Army Revolver
see "Dragoon"

Operation Achse
Operation Achse, also called Operation Alarich, was the German disarmament of Italian forces after the Allied invasion of Italy in September 1943 during the Second World War which led to the subsequent Italian surrender.

Operation Bagration
Operation Bagration was a major Soviet offensive against German Army Group Centre in June 1944, during the Second World War and regarded by Russian historians as perhaps the most decisive operation of the war on the Eastern Front. In the space of four weeks, the Soviets destroyed 25 German divisions, crossed eastern Poland, and advanced 725 km/ finishing on the line of the Vistula river. The German field marshal Ernst Busch was forewarned of the attack and requested permission to fall back to a better defensive line on the river Beresina, but Hitler refused and ordered the Group to remain in position. The Soviet force consisted of over 40 tank brigades plus supporting troops, heavily outnumbering the Germans in both tanks and artillery. The Germans were encircled and cut off in the Vitebsk, Mogilev, and Bobruysk areas and suffered heavy losses.

Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the German code name for the plan to invade the USSR during the Second World War. It was launched on the 22nd of June 1941. The plan was initially successful but by the end of 1941, the German advance had stalled. Large sections of the USSR, particularly the Ukraine, remained in German hands until 1944 and fighting continued elsewhere until then, notably the sieges of Leningrad and Stalingrad.

Operation Battleaxe
Operation Battleaxe was an unsuccessful British offensive in the Western Desert on the 15th of June 1941 during the Second World War, intended to relieve Tobruk and recapture Cyrenaica.

Operation Choir
Operation Choir was an operation conducted by MI5 during the 1950s to bug the offices of the Russian Consulate in the Bayswater Road. The operation made the first use of the probe microphone which was lodged in a gap between the dividing wall of the consulate and the adjoining building. Sound to the microphone was to be conducted through a drilled pin hole in the consulte wall. However, the Russians were alerted and the operation never received any intelligence.

Operation Crusader
Operation Crusader was a British operation in Libya during November and December 1941 to relieve the besieged garrison of Tobruk and destroy the German Afrika Korps. Although the Afrika Korps were not destroyed, German and Italian forces suffered heavy losses and the siege of Tobruk was lifted.

Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an nsuccessful operation by British and American forces to cross the Meuse, Waal, and Neder-Rijn rivers in Holland September 1944. British airborne forces were to capture vital bridges at Arnhem to open the way for an armoured thrust from the south. When the airborne operation failed, the armoured force was unable to reach Arnhem and the whole operation collapsed.

Operation Party Piece
Operation Party Piece was a successful MI5 operation during the 1950s in which they burgled the headquarters of the Communist Party of Great Britain and copied the 55,000 membership files contained there. The headquarters were at a flat in Mayfair, and when the couple who lived there were away in the Lake District one weekend a team from MI5's A2 department entered the flat and picked the locks on the filing cabinets and photographed the contents with a Polaroid camera.

Operation Tiepin
Operation Tiepin was a 1950s MI5 operation conducted to bug the offices of the Communist Party of Great Britain by using a microphone concealed in a coal chute in the premises of the Communist Party in King Street, London.

Ordnance Board
The Ordnance Board was a department concerned with the management of forts, armaments, garrisons and stores. It was recognised as a civil department by Charles II in 1683 and in 1689 was divided into military and civil departments before being transferred to the War Office by parliament in 1855.

Otranto
The Otranto was built as a merchant ship for the Orient Steam Navigation Co. in 1909, and converted during the Great War into an armed mercantile cruiser. It was attached to Crack's squadron at Coronel. It sunk following a collision with the S.S. Kashmir off the coast of Ireland.

Owen
The Owen machine-carbine was developed for use in jungle warfare. It was an Australian weapon. It takes a 9 mm round from a 32-round box. It has a cyclic rate of 700 rpm and a muzzle velocity of 420 m/s.

Copyright 1997,1998 Servile Software Enquiries to Matthew Probert

START PAGE

This site is run as a free public information service