Technical Intelligence Bulletins Nov

Technical Intelligence Bulletins Nov - Dec 2000

Vol. 5 No. 6 November -December 2000

A non-profit publication about the veterans of Technical Intelligence in war and peace,the current operations of the National Ground Intelligence Center, the Technical Intelligence Unit at Aberdeen Proving Ground and news items

of interest to the technical intelligence community.

The 21st Century

A surprisingly candid new Army study concludes that captains are leaving the service in droves mainly because of a generation gap between baby boomer generals and Generation X junior officers. But it also blames President Clinton's scandals, among other things, for undercutting younger officers' respect for authority.

The Army has grown alarmed in recent months because so many captains are leaving that it fears it might have trouble filling leadership positions within a few years. In 1989, just as the Cold War was ending, 6.7 percent of Army captains left voluntarily. In 1999, the number climbed to 10.6 percent, a 58 percent increase.

An internal Army forecast that hasn't been released predicts the departure rate will climb this year to about 13 percent. This steady rise is especially disconcerting because captains constitute the largest rank cohort in the Army, accounting for about one-third of commissioned officers. "We're losing a generation of good leaders," the report quotes one Army colonel as saying. Written by Leonard Wong, a recently retired Army lieutenant colonel who is on the staff of the Army War College's Strategic Studies Institute, the report concludes that the heart of the problem is that "today's senior officers do not understand today's junior officers or their perspectives." Generals and colonels incorrectly assume that today's captains share their values and life experiences, Wong argues. But Generation X officers, born between 1960 and 1980 and now serving as lieutenants, captains and majors, have a very different view of the world than baby boomers born between the end of World War II and 1960, says Wong, who holds a doctorate in organizational behavior and management. Growing up in two-career families in which divorce became widespread, with 40 percent of their cohorts spending at least some time in a single-parent home, "Xers became the ultimate latchkey children," Wong said. As adults and officers, members of this generation tend to be extremely skeptical of authority and less inclined to sacrifice time with families to succeed at work. So, he notes, only 21 percent of captains surveyed by the Army in 1998 said that the Army permitted them to maintain a good balance between work and personal life, compared with 47 percent of captains in 1988. They also are less impressed with authority, Wong finds. "They have been let down by too many authority figures, ranging from their overworked parents to their commander in chief," he writes. Asked about this and another critical reference in the study to Clinton, Wong said in an interview that "I know it raises eyebrows." But, he added, "I'm a civilian now," having retired Sept. 1. Wong is just as critical of the Army's current leaders. He recommends that today's generals and colonels stop assuming that they understand their subordinates and instead shut up and listen to them. "Spend 95 percent of the time listening and 5 percent of the time giving advice," he counsels. The report also takes commanders to task for reassuring themselves with the dismissive adage that soldiers always bellyache. The difference nowadays, he writes, is that "the complaining soldiers are acting on their grievances." The gap between generations is widened by the skepticism of younger officers, who are holding their superiors to far higher standards than in the past, Wong says. In the 1998 Army survey, 18 percent of captains said they were dissatisfied with their senior officers, compared with 6 percent in 1988. Despite that dissatisfaction, today's junior officers trust the Army as an institution even more than their predecessors, according to survey data cited by Wong. In 1998, 76 percent said they trusted the Army to help people when needed, slightly higher than the 73 percent who said that 10 years earlier. Likewise, today's captains overwhelmingly report in surveys that they are proud to tell people they are in the Army and that they value the sense of community it gives them. Wong recommends that the Army build on that desire for community by making it a "fun place in which to work and live," with more social activities and more recreation geared to the "extreme sport" tastes of Generation X, such as mountain biking and rock climbing. He also called on the Army to revive initiation rituals such as "prop blasts," which have been discouraged in recent years because they have been associated with hazing and alcohol abuse. The study concludes by warning that the Army needs to get serious about addressing this generation gap because it soon will have a new wrinkle in its demography. The young people entering the Army this year as freshly minted second lieutenants, he notes, are from yet another generation, the group born after 1980 that has been dubbed "Generation Y," "the Nintendo Generation" or "Generation Next."

Ammunition terms Dum-Dum Bullet. A British military bullet developed in India’s Dum- Dum Arsenal and used on India's North West Frontier and in the Sudan in 1897 and 1898. It was a jacketed .303 cal. British bullet with the jacket nose left open to expose the lead core in the hope of increasing effectiveness. Improvement was not pursued, for The Hague Convention of 1899 (not the Geneva Convention of 1925, which dealt largely with gas warfare) outlawed such bullets for warfare. Often Dum-Dum is misused as a term for any soft nosed or hollow pointed hunting bullet (being a bullet with a concavity in its nose to increase expansion on penetration of a solid target).

And the pertinant definitions from the National Rifle Association:

BULLET: The projectile expelled from a gun. It is not synonymous with cartridge. Bullets can be of many materials, shapes, weights and constructions such as solid lead, lead with a jacket of harder metal, round-nosed, flat-nosed, hollow-pointed, etc.

COP-KILLER BULLET: An inflammatory phrase having neither historical basis nor legal or technical meanings.

DUM-DUM BULLET: A British military bullet developed in India*s Dum- Dum Arsenal and used on India's North West Frontier and in the Sudan in 1897 and 1898. It was a jacketed .303 cal. British bullet with the jacket nose left open to expose the lead core in the hope of increasing effectiveness. Improvement was not pursued, for the Hague Convention of 1899 (not the Geneva Convention of 1925, which dealt largely with gas warfare) outlawed such bullets for warfare. Often "dum-dum" is misused as a term for any soft-nosed or hollow- pointed hunting bullet.

EXPANDING BULLET: One designed to increase in diameter on entering a target. Almost all rifle bullets intended for hunting are intended to expand on impact.

EXPLODING BULLET: A projectile containing an explosive component that acts on contact with the target. Seldom found and generally ineffective as such bullets lack the penetration necessary for defense or hunting.

HOLLOW-POINT BULLET: A bullet with a concavity in its nose to increase expansion on penetration of a solid target.

JACKET: The envelope enclosing the core of a bullet.

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

MUSHROOMED BULLET: A description of a bullet whose forward diameter has expanded after penetration.

TEFLON: Trade name for a synthetic sometimes used to coat hard bullets to protect the rifling. Other synthetics, nylon for instance, have also been used as bullet coatings. None of these soft coatings has any effect on lethality

Lessons Learned from the Zulu Wars

The discussion of logistics in WWII was influenced by logistics in the Zulu wars. Perhaps the reference was to Isandlwana, but there the disaster was due to poor reconnaissance & defensive lines too far out and spread out rather than problems opening the ammo. However at the battle of Ishandlwana part of the problem with ammunition resupply was the ammo crates had the tops held on by screws and there was a shortage of screw drivers. According to the book "Washing of the Spears" They realized it too late, they did not have time to open enough boxes fast enough. I think there were eight screws and few screwdrivers. "Washing of the Spears" by the way should be on the reading list of every military historian regardless of the era (s)he is interested in. Lessons from the battle at Isandlwana were passd to the defenders of t Rorke's Drift which held till relief arrived. One might ask: “ what were these ammo boxes like? Could you not just bash the top of it with the butt of rifle? “

As I recall from a photo of one of the boxes, they were something like 18 inches long and 10-inches square. They were made of almost 1-inch thick wood with the corner dovetailed and reinforced by screws. Eight screws (I think) held the lid on. The .450-577 cartridges were packed in 5-round paper packages and the box was fully packed and lined with heavy tinfoil. If on struck the lid with a rifle butt it would be like hitting a cinder block, no give. Screwdrivers were in limited supply and bayonet tips did not fit the screw slots. The US Army, based on this lesson, actually issued a tool for snapping the steel bands used on WWII ammo boxes. One tool came with each ammo pallet. Some have argued that it was a matter of deployment, distances, and command and control that led to the British defeat, true, but the ammo situation certainly contributed to it. Read "Washing of the Spears." Gordon Rottman and others. I remember something about an error being made by the commanding officer in dividing his forces? Is that correct? I don't recall if the forces were split. I think that they were pretty much concentrated. There were a few patrols out. The company at the Drift does not constitute a split force, it was simply a small lines of communication security force. I'm always cautious about discussions of split forces. There are instances when it is advisable and at some level forces are in fact split, such as the three German army groups advancing into the USSR or the US Pacific and US Southwest Pacific forces.

Talking about Isandalwana, the overall column commander, Chelmsford, had spilt his force, leaving roughly half, under Puelline IIRC (again, spelling), with the wagons as a base, while he took the other half on an armed recon ahead. The forces left behind were plenty adequate IF the defenders had formed a tight defense. However, the British forces were basically flung about in small segments in the hours before the entire Zulu Impi appeared, and when it did it was way too late to save the situation. The errors were further complicated by the fact that the rifle companies deployed forward with at most 40 rounds per man, and it just was never apparent to those left in the camp that the situation was actually serious until way too late.

In the last battle of the Zulu war, Chelmsford intentionally did not lager his column and opted to fight in a hugh square just to prove that, had the British deployed thus at Isandalwana with the ammunition supply readily available, they would have been able to beat of the Zulus. I

t is also fairly well accepted that Chelmsford was, prior to Isandalwana, one of the few British Imperial Officers that really understiood that the Zulus represented a technologically backward, but tactically superior foe.

The subject of 'dum-dum' bullets used in the Second South African (Boer) War has evoked much comment, usually emotional and not well informed. It was at Dum-Dum near Calcutta, during the Chitral Campaign in 1895, that the British Army modified the .303-inch bullet in order to improve its stopping power. The nickel-jacket was thinned at the apex and the lead laid bare to allow it to expand, but the .303 inch Mark IV bullet had the apex hollowed out to produce this effect. Mark IV bullets were on issue to British troops but rapidly withdrawn early on. Soldiers rapidly learned that by rubbing away the nickel jacket at the apex, the desired effect could be obtained; and this was done on both sides but never on a wide scale. Later, when increased knowledge indicated the effect of wobble tumbling, it became clear that most judgements on the use of expanding bullets were unfounded and the massive wounds observed were due to ricochet bullets or the effect of bone being struck and shattered. (Paraphrase of an article by de Villiers in the SAMHJ). Doug Tidy Warfare in transition One has to understand the 19th Century mindset that existed at the start of WWI. Many in the officer corps of the European nations were what might be called "social elites"; they were gentleman, and conducted themselves as such. WWI, and then WWII, moved warfare into a much more proletariat sphere, as the style of war required large bodies of men, drawn from all classes of society. As warfare became more leveling, these "rules of war" stated to be "forgotten" I would also guess that "short warfare" (a war lasting only a few weeks or a few months) did not give troops time to harden their feelings and spend time creating these extra-legal weapons. A long war (such as WWI or WWII) would lead, it would seem, to looking for means to defeat the enemy-Knights of the sky in 1939 could afford to be more chivalrous than a Russian fighter pilot in 1944 seeking to drive the Nazis from the Motherland. I have never understood this well meaning (but meaningless) desire to make war more civil. War means fighting and fighting means killing, and there are no two ways around that. If dropping cluster bombs or using dum dums means one less day of fighting, or one less American is killed, than so be it. I think we can find the ultimate expression of this in the atomic bomb. While a terrible, terrible weapon, it served it purpose, and saved American (and Japanese) lives. Booby trap and land mine recording The question was asked:” How does one record the placements of booby traps and mines?

The US uses a grided form called a minefield report. With slight modification the form has been used since WWII and other countries used similar forms. It has space to record the reporting unit, date, general location, map sheet, number and types of mines/booby traps. The mines are plotted on the grided area with each mine show. Minefields are not just scattered about. Most countries emplace them in specified patterns with different distances between rows and individual mines. Of course these distances were varied to make it more difficult for the enemy to locate them and the rows would often change their angle or direction. Some reference point was established (a house or a large tree) and was marked on the form. Its coordinates were marked in a space on the form. The direction and distance from the reference point to the end of the baseline mine row was also marked. Details of different booby traps were also included with the report. A copy of the report was sent to higher headquarters and filed in the event that the field had to be cleared in the future. It was a good system, but as units often relocated it was impossible for the locations of the thousands of minefields to be kept track of. There are still areas in western Russia and elsewhere in Eastern Europe where there are mines. The same applies to North Africa. The WWII mines will seldom function, however, even if they have not simply rusted away. Gordon Rottman.

Chemical Warfare Chronology

What sort of chemical weapons existed in 1907? What I tend to think of as chemical weapons (i.e. poison gas) appeared for the first time in World War One. Rob I agree that most name Prof. Fritz Haber, the father of chemical warfare, as commencing in 1914. But since it was covered at the Hague in 1907, they must have had something in mind. I am still trying to locate that section of the Protocol verbatim. Updated bio-chemical warfare history Updated version at http://www.neravt.com/left/biochem.htm 400s BC.: Spartan Greeks use sulfur fumes against enemy soldiers. 1346: Crimean Tatars catapult plague-infected corpses into Italian trade settlement. 1500s: Spanish conquistadors use biological warfare used against Native peoples. 1763: British Gen. Jeffrey Amherst orders use of smallpox blankets against Native peoples during Pontiac's Rebellion. 1800s: Blankets infected with smallpox deliberately given to Native Americans, causing widespread epidemics. 1907: Hague Convention outlaws chemical weapons; U.S. does not participate. 1914: World War I begins; poison gas produces 100,000 deaths, 900,000 injuries. 1920s: Britain uses chemical weapons in Iraq "as an experiment" against Kurdish rebels seeking independence; Winston Churchill "strongly" backs the use of poisoned gas "against uncivilised tribes." 1928: Geneva Protocol prohibits gas and bacteriological warfare; most countries that ratify it prohibit only the first use of such weapons.

1935: Italy begins conquest of Abyssinia (Ethiopia), using mustard gas. 1936: Japan invades China, uses chemical weapons in war. 1939: World War II begins; neither side uses bio-chemical arms, due to fears of retaliation in kind. 1941: U.S. enters World War II; President Roosevelt pledges U.S. will not be first to use bio-chemical weapons. 1943: U.S. ship damaged by German bombing raid on Bari, Italy, leaks mustard gas, killing 1000. 1945: Japanese military discovered to have conducted biological warfare experiments on POWs, killing 3000. U.S. shields officers in charge from war crimes trials, in return for data. 1947: U.S. possesses germ warfare weapons; President Truman withdraws Geneva Protocol from Senate consideration. 1949: U.S. dismisses Soviet trials of Japanese for germ warfare as "propaganda." Army begins secret tests of biological agents in U.S. cities. 1950: Korean War begins; North Korea and China accuse U.S. of germ warfare--charges still not proven. San Francisco disease outbreak matching Army bacteria used on city. 1951: African-Americans exposed to potentially fatal simulant in Virginia test of race-specific fungal weapons. 1956: Army manual explicitly states that bio-chemical warfare is not banned. 1959: House resolution against first use of bio-chemical weapons is defeated. 1962: Chemical weapons loaded on U.S. planes during Cuban missile crisis. 1966: Army germ warfare experiment in New York subway system. 1969: Utah chemical weapons accident kills thousands of sheep; President Nixon declares U.S. moratorium on chemical weapons production and biological weapons possession. U.N. General Assembly bans use of herbicides (plant killers) and tear gasses in warfare; U.S. one of three opposing votes. U.S. has caused tear gas fatalities in Vietnamese guerrilla tunnels. 1971: U.S. ends direct use of herbicides such as Agent Orange; had spread over Indochinese forests, and destroyed at least six percent of South Vietnamese cropland, enough to feed 600,000 people for a year. 1972: Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention. Cuba accuses CIA of instilling swine fever virus that leads to death of 500,000 hogs. 1974: U.S. finally ratifies 1928 Geneva Protocol. 1975: Indonesia annexes East Timor; planes spread herbicides on croplands. 1979: Washington Post reports on U.S. program against Cuban agriculture since 1962, including CIA biological warfare component. 1980: U.S. intelligence officials allege Soviet chemical use in Afghanistan, while admitting "no confirmation." Congress approves nerve gas facility in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. 1981: U.S. accuses Vietnam and allies of using mycotoxins (fungal poisons) in Laos and Cambodia. Some refugees report casualties; one analysis reveals "yellow rain" as bee feces. Israel bombs Iraqi nuclear reactor, leading to Iraqi decision to build chemical weapons. 1984: U.N. confirms Iraq using mustard and nerve gasses against Iranian "human wave" attacks in border war; State Department issues mild condemnation, yet restores diplomatic relations with Iraq, and opposes U.N. action against Iraq. Bhopal fertilizer plant accident in India kills 2000; shows risks of chemical plants being damaged in warfare. 1985: U.S. resumes open-air testing of biological agents. 1986: U.S. resumes open-air testing of biological agents. 1987: Senate ties in three votes on resuming production of chemical weapons; Vice President Bush breaks all three ties in favor of resumption. 1988: Iraq uses chemical weapons against Kurdish minority in Halabjah; U.S. continues to maintain agricultural credits with Iraq; President Reagan blocks congressional sanctions against Iraq. 1989: Paris conference of 149 nations condemns chemical weapons, urges quick ban to emerge from Geneva treaty negotiations; U.S. revealed to plan poison gas production even after treaty signed. 1990: U.S., Soviets pledge to reduce chemical weapons stockpiles to 20 percent of current U.S. supply by 2002, and to eliminate poison gas weapons when all nations have signed future Geneva treaty. Israel admits possession of chemical weapons; Iraq threatens to use chemical weapons on Israel if it is attacked. 1991: U.S. and Coalition forces bomb at least 28 alleged bio- chemical production or storage sites in Iraq during Gulf War, including fertilizer and other civilian plants. CNN reports "green flames" from one chemical plant, and the deaths of 50 Iraqi troops from anthrax after air strike on another site. New York Times quotes Soviet chemical weapons commander that air strikes on Iraqi chemical weapons would have "little effect beyond neighboring villages," but that strikes on biological weapons could spread disease "to adjoining countries." Czechoslovak chemical warfare unit detects sarin nerve gas during air war. Egyptian doctor reports outbreak of "strange disease" inside Iraq. U.S. troops use explosives to destroy Iraqi chemical weapons storage bunkers after the war. 1992: Reports intensify of U.S. and Allied veterans of Gulf War developing health problems, involving a variety of symptoms, collectively called Gulf War Syndrome. U.N. sanctions intensify civilian health crisis inside Iraq, making identification of similar symptoms potentially difficult. 1993: President Clinton continues intermittent bombing and missile raids against Iraqi facilities; U.N. inspectors step up program to dismantle Iraqi weapons. U.S. signs U.N. Chemical Weapons Convention, but approval later blocked in Senate. 1995: Japanese cult launches deadly sarin nerve gas attack on Tokyo subway system. 1996: Congressional hearings on Gulf War Syndrome focuses on Iraqi storage bunker destruction, rather than other possible causes, and does not call for international investigation of symptoms among Iraqis. 1997: Cuba accuses U.S. of spraying crops with biological agents . Iraq expels U.S. citizens in U.N. inspection teams, which are allowed to continue work without Americans, but choose to evacuate all inspectors. U.S. mobilizes for military action. 1998: U.S. again mobilizes for bombing campaign against alleged Iraqi bio-chemical weapons sites, after Iraq questions role of Gulf War veteran as U.N. inspector. Compiled from articles in "Z" magazine by Stephen Shalom and Noam Chomsky (February 1991) and Zoltan Grossman (March 1991) and from information at the website of the Council for a Livable World. Zoltan Grossman is a cartographer/geographer and writer on ethnic relations and geopolitics, based in Madison, Wisconsin. Feel free to circulate or to publish (with attribution and copy). Zoltan Grossman, 731 State St., Madison WI 53703 USA; Tel. 608-246-2256; E-mail: mtn@igc.apc.org Web: http://ns1.netphoria.com/wort/shows/apa.html#zoltan

Joint Readiness Training Center using Russian helicopters

We use Russian helicopters here at JRTC (five or six different models). They're flown by former US Army helicopter pilots, mainly warrant officers, and they say that it not a big deal to learn the Russian choppers, except for the Ka-26, which has two rotors, one above the other. They're painted in Russian camouflage colors or OD. We do have some black helicopters that come here. They're MH-47s from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment that supports Special Forces Gordon Rottman The .50-cal HB-M2 adopted in 1932 (the .50-cal water-cooled was adopted in 1922) is certainly one of those classic weapons that will be with us for sometime. The Army is working on a replacement, the Objective Crew-Served Weapon. Its hard to improve on the .50-cal, but the British have. They sell a licensed copy with a few minor improvements, but it has a quick-change barrel meaning that one does not have to set the timing and headspace. How would you compare the M2HB with the two Soviet/Russian .50 cal HMGs? The NSV and its WWII-era predecessor, which name escapes me just now...Cheers, Mikko

I would take the HB-M2 over the Russian 12.7mm DShKM-1938/46 and the NSV any day. I think the Browning is less complex and more reliable than the DShKM. I cannot say for sure how reliable the NSV is. I've handled one, worked the action, etc., but have never fired one. The DShKM I have fired and was under-impressed. By the way, even though the DShKM was commonly called the ".51-caliber" in Vietnam, the ammunition is not interchangeable. That is an assumption based of the 12.7mm being .511-caliber. Actually the US .50-cal is .511-caliber as well. But the .50-cal case is 99mm in length and the 12.7mm is 107mm. Neither will feed or chamber in the other weapon. Gordon Rottman Iraq buying Sony Playstation 2s in record numbers---- For those who think that unclassified doesn't matter, read on.Why Iraq's buying up Sony PlayStation 2s Intelligence experts fear games bundled for military applications By Joseph Farah© 2000 WorldNetDaily.com Many American kids may be disappointed on Christmas morning because the Sony PlayStation 2 they wanted wound up in Iraq. Both the U.S. Customs Service and the FBI are investigating the apparent transfer of large numbers of Sony PlayStation 2s to Iraq, according to military intelligence sources. A secret Defense Intelligence Agency report states that as many as 4,000 of the popular video game units have been purchased in the United States and shipped to Iraq in the last two to three months. What gives? Does Saddam Hussein have an extraordinarily long Christmas shopping list? And why would U.S. military and intelligence officials be concerned about such a transfer? Two government agencies are investigating the purchases because the PlayStations can be bundled together into a sort of crude super-computer and used for a variety of military applications, say intelligence sources. "Most Americans don't realize that each PlayStation unit contains a 32-bit CPU -- every bit as powerful as the processor found in most desktop and laptop computers," said one military intelligence officer who declined to be identified. "Beyond that, the graphics capabilities of a PlayStation are staggering -- five times more powerful than that of a typical graphics workstation, and roughly 15 times more powerful than the graphics cards found in most PCs." A single PlayStation can generate up to 75 million polygons per second. Polygons, as noted in the DIA report, are the basic units used to generate the surface of 3-D models -- extremely useful in military design and modeling applications.

"When I first saw this report, I was highly skeptical," said an intelligence source. "So, I did some checking with computer experts I know within the Department of Defense. From what they tell me, bundling these video game units is very feasible." Additionally, Sony will make the process even easier with planned upgrades to the system. Beginning early next year, you can purchase a plug-in, 3.5 gig hard drive for the PlayStation, along with interface units that allow integration into the World Wide Web. If the Iraqis have trouble developing military software for the PlayStation computer system, they can probably find needed assistance on the Internet, say U.S. intelligence sources. What could Iraq do with such a primitive super-computer constructed with Sony PlayStation 2s? "Applications for this system are potentially frightening," said an intelligence source. "One expert I spoke with estimated that an integrated bundle of 12-15 PlayStations could provide enough computer power to control an Iraqi unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV -- a pilotless aircraft." Iraq has been working on development of UAVs for several years as a possible platform for delivering chemical weapons, say intelligence experts. Bundled PlayStation computers could also be used to calculate ballistic data for long-range missiles, or in the design of nuclear weapons, they add. Iraq has long had difficulty calculating the potential yield of nuclear devices -- a critical requirement in designing such weapons. Networking these computers might provide a method for correcting this deficiency, said one intelligence source. So, why doesn't Saddam Hussein simply buy computers or workstations from friendly nations or on the black market? While this is a possibility,current United Nations sanctions prohibit the sale or transfer of virtually all types of computer hardware and technology to Iraq. However, computer-based video game systems -- like the PlayStation 2 -- are not included in the ban. Iraq's scientists and engineers have apparently found a convenient loophole in the U.N. sanctions. Defense experts say it is also relatively easy to smuggle PlayStations into Iraq, since customs inspectors don't view toys as potential military weapons. Jordanian and Turkish inspectors rarely examine "small" shipments under 100 pounds, making it possible to send large numbers of PlayStations into Iraq without arousing suspicion. The Sony PlayStation 2 is one of the most popular all-in-one home entertainment systems of its kind. At just over 4 pounds, it contains a 300 MHz-driven, 128-bit CPU. In addition to a plethora of new games designed to utilize PlayStation 2's hardware, it can play games from the original PlayStation's library, audio compact discs and DVD movies. Not only has Saddam Hussein apparently found a creative way around the computer embargo, he has helped to exacerbate the Sony PlayStation 2 shortage reported in many parts of the United States. eToys.com and other e-tailers are sold out of the units and are not expecting any more shipments in time for Christmas.

In memory of CWO Thomas Swearengen, I add the following sent by Gordon Rottman: Combat ShotgunsPump-action or [semi-]automatic shotguns, especially with 20-inch barrels and loaded with buckshot, have a certain appeal for use in close combat situations. While the use of shotguns is beneficial in some combat situations, they have their limitations. The purpose of this discussion is not to belittle the value of shotguns or lay fault on their shortcomings. The problem is that shotguns do possess certain limitations, as does any weapon, and these must be understood in order to make maximum effective use of the weapon and prevent them from being used in inappropriate situations. The problem of understanding a shotgun’s limitations is that there are so many misunderstandings and myths associated with the weapon. By the way, the minimum legal length for civilian shotgun barrels is 18 inches.

The US armed forces have a number of different models of shotguns in the inventory. Most of these are pump-action with an under-the-barrel six or more round tubular magazine (an additional round may be held in the chamber) and a 12-gauge, 20-inch long cylinder choke barrel (a straight bore its entire length; there is no tapering at the muzzle). The most common are the Remington Model 870 Mk 1, Mossberg Model 590, and Winchester Model 1200. Existing shotguns will eventually be replaced by the new semi-automatic M1014* made by H&K (militarized version of the Italian-designed Benelli Armi S.p.A. M4 Super 90). The standard US combat load is the 2-3/4-inch (64-mm) shell with nine 00 buckshot pellets (.33-caliber, 1,325 feet per second 3 feet from muzzle). The 3-inch (76-mm) magnum shell has 12 00 buckshot pellets and can be fired in the M1014. The 12-gauge magnum is not in the inventory, but can be acquired through local purchase order.

* The Marine Corps type standardized the M1014 in February 2000, but the Army still designates it the XM1014 and is not expected to type standardize it until September 2001. Some models of pump-action shotguns may be fired by retaining pressure on the trigger as the action is pumped and it will fire automatically after the round is chambered and the slide shoved forward. In World War II shotguns capable of this sometimes had the trigger wired down. One would have to check and see which models of shotguns this is applicable to. Much of the conventional wisdom regarding the use of shotguns in combat is based on some basic misconceptions. The first problem with a shotgun is that while it is impressive to rapidly pump six or so rounds of buckshot into the underbrush, one then has to reload it, while fumbling around in an ammunition pouch for each shell, one-round-at-a-time. This problem is somewhat alleviated with the M1014 as four-round speed-loading tubes are issued with it, although they are reported to allow only slightly faster reloading than single round manual-loading. One of the main misconceptions of shotguns is that they are viewed as scatter guns, i.e., one merely points it in the general direction of the target and fires assured that he will hit everyone downrange. This is not true. Even with the cylinder choke the shot dispersion at under 30 meters is not all that much. All of the pellets will strike within a 1-meter circle. At 40 meters, however, the shot begins to spread widely. This means vertically as well as horizontally resulting in less of a chance of the nine pellets hitting other individuals near the intended target, i.e., some will go overhead and others will hit the ground. Only three or four of the pellets will hit within a 1-meter circle at 40 meters meaning two or three .33-caliber lead pellets traveling at 1,165 feet per second may hit a man-sized target, which is not as lethal as a single 5.56-mm bullet. It is often thought that firing two or three shotgun shells into a room will takeout everyone inside. This too is not true. The shot spread is not enough to cover but a small portion of the room. The British by the way, found in Malaysia that No. 1 buckshot was more effective as more pellets were liable to hit a man-sized target. It was deemed that a larger number of slightly smaller pellets hitting a target is more effective than fewer large pellets. Smaller pellets, however, have less retained energy and less penetration out to 30-50 meters than 00 buckshot. For ranges under 40 meters 0 buckshot (.32-caliber, 12 pellets per shell) and No. 1 buckshot (.30-caliber, 16 pellets per shell) might be more effective than 00 buckshot. For close-in self-defense, under 20 meters, No. 4 buckshot (.24-caliber, 27 pellets per shell) is considered effective due to the large number of multiple hits on a person. These shot shells can be acquired through local purchase order. At ranges of 15-20 meters a group of two to four persons can be killed or wounded with a single round of buckshot. Shotguns lack effective penetration at ranges over 40 meters, which is considered the maximum effective range with 00 buckshot for downing deer or man. Comparatively soft lead spherical pellets simply do not achieve near the penetration of higher velocity, ballistically-shaped, jacketed bullets. This means that shotguns may fail to penetrate 1-inch thick planks, 3/4-inch plywood, and similar materials at even moderate ranges. The pellets deform and expand when hitting hard materials and this further reduces their penetration. Most body armor will defeat buckshot. Buckshot at longer ranges, while hitting a person and possibly incapacitating him, may not be lethal as the pellets will not penetrate the body deep enough to damage internal organs and arteries. Shotguns will do little damage to automobiles other than superficial. Buckshot often fails to penetrate windshields except as very close range. It will shatter and penetrate most side and rear safety glass windows though. Shotguns are of course effective in close combat situations, especially in MOUT, fortification clearing, tunnels, storm sewers, bar fights, etc. Ear protection is required in confined areas and the massive muzzle flash at night or in dark, confined areas will dazzle the firer as well as everyone else. Shotguns are very effective for blowing off door hinges and locks, blasting out windows, and shooting through light wall materials (sheet rock, thin plaster and lathing, etc.). Shotguns are usually not too effective for shooting through floors and ceilings because of the multiple layers of flooring, sub-floors, joists, and ceiling material, but rifled slugs are. Rifled slugs are very effective for blowing off hinges and locks. They are not in the inventory, but can be acquired through local purchase order. A typical lead rifled slug weighs about 440 grains (almost an ounce). They have a velocity of roughly 1,600 feet per second at the muzzle and 1,175 at 50 meters. Muzzle energy is 2,364 pounds and 1,340 pounds at 50 meters. For comparison a 9-mm pistol round has less than 400 pounds of muzzle energy. A typical five-shot group of slugs at 40 meters is 2 inches and 9 inches at 100 meters, a slug’s maximum effective range, but the shotgun must have rifle-type sights to be accurate at over 50 meters. Shotguns are also effective for firing at known or suspected enemy at short ranges in underbrush. Their penetration into dense bamboo, however, is limited. In World War I “trench brooms” were considered extremely effective for clearing trenches and pillboxes, and for use on night patrols into “no man’s land” where close combat was expected. During the Korean War they were sometimes used for close-in protection of crew-served weapons and short-range ambushes in limited visibility. There are stories of trench gun-armed soldiers in World War I deflecting enemy hand grenades (it may have happened, but not too frequently). The M1014 shotgun is issued with a 470-mm (18-1/2-inch) barrel and there is an optional 355-mm (14-inch) barrel available (beware the muzzle blast). This brings up a common misunderstanding about the range of shotguns. It is not true that the longer the barrel the longer the range. Modern smokeless powder shot shells develop their maximum velocity in 20-22 inches of barrel regardless of the overall barrel length. A 20-inch barrel is just as effective range-wise as a 26 or 32-inch. In fact, the longer barrels actually reduce the shot velocity through increased friction. The M1014 is issued with various screw-in choke tubes. The tighter choked shotgun barrels, i.e., improved cylinder, modified choke, full choke, do not increase range either. The shot pattern will be a little tighter, but it deforms the pellets as they pass through the constriction and they fly erratically to adversely effect their pattern at longer ranges. Shotguns are excellent weapons for guarding prisoners (they are intimidating) and guarding supplies, ammunition stocks, aircraft, and other materials as their short range poses less of a danger to friendlies and missed shot will inflict less damage than a rifle bullet on what is being guarded. They are also effective in riot control situations, but their lethality must be remembered. In some instances, when it is desired not to kill or seriously wound rioters, it may be advisable to use light birdshot. Both No. 9 (0.08-inch), No. 7-1/2 (0.095-inch), and No. 4 (0.13-inch) are in the inventory or may be acquired through local purchase order (the smaller the number the larger the shot size). It has been found that when buckshot is fired into the paving or ground in front of rioters, even soft soil, that the pellets will deform or mushroom and ricochet into the targets causing more serious wounds. Various non-lethal rounds are also available for shotguns*. Many of these non-lethal rounds will not load semi-automatically in the M1014, or other issue shotguns for that matter, but can be individually, manually loaded. A new 12-gauge breaching round is under development. It will defeat locks, hinges, and doors. The projectile disintegrates upon impact, but does not produce a fragmentation hazard, although there will be lock or hinge fragments and wood splinters, which promotional literature for the round fails to mention. It will not be available until 2001. * Non-lethal 12-gauge shotgun shells include: Rubber buckshot (12 x 3/8-inch diameter, about .35-caliber, hard rubber pellets), “The Bolo” (3 x .72-caliber hard rubber balls), and “Power Punch” (40-gram shot-filled ballistic nylon beanbag). Issue shotgun shells may have all plastic, plastic and brass, or paper and brass cases. Paper cases will swell in damp conditions (rain, tropics) and prevent loading or may jam when extraction is attempted. Paper cases will also deteriorate after repeated loading and unloading as required by guards. Basically, paper shotgun shells should be restricted to training and plastic and brass or all plastic shells used in combat and for guard duty. The shot size is printed on the side of the shell. Claymore bags are useful for carrying shotgun shells. Do not fill the pockets to capacity as shells will fall out of an overly filled bag. About 15 rounds will fit in each pocket. Different types of shells may be carried in the two pockets, e.g., buckshot in one and non-lethal or breaching shells in the other. Commercial shotgun shell bandoleers are a very effective means of carrying shells as they are readily accessible and preclude fumbling in ammunition pouches. There are also commercial (police) pouches with individual shell loops inside. M16 magazine pouches should never be used, even with the divider web straps inside cut out as the pouch is too small to allow the hand to remove shells in the bottom. 21 Dec 2000 Today's London Times has an article by Giles Whittell & Alice Lagnado about a CD put out by SRV aka KGB that is touted as the world's first Spy Song CD . Track one os 'Spy's Motto' -- As Long as Spies shall live the country shall survive." Unfortunately the CD is not being released for sale but rather is being sent to Russian spies around the globe to mark the anniversary of 80 years since the founding of Soviet Intelligence Service. Sent in by: wmac

My Russian friend says ths is rubbish. WL Howard

Retired Col. Edward Imparato, wrote about WWII By BETSY BOLGER-PAULET © St. Petersburg Times, published December 22, 2000 BELLEAIR -- Edward Thomas Imparato, a retired Air Force colonel, author of two accounts of experiences in World War II, among other books, and a major force behind many local foundations, died Monday (Dec. 11, 2000) at his home in Belleair. He was 83. Born in Flushing, N.Y., Col. Imparato grew up in Saugerties, N.Y., and came here from Albrook Air Force Base, Canal Zone, Panama, when he retired in 1961 after 23 years in the Air Force. Col. Imparato graduated from Ryan School of Aeronautics and West Point of the Air at Randolph Field, Texas. At the age of 27, he became the youngest full colonel in the military and he was the youngest air group commander in World War II. He piloted the first aircraft to land in Japan at the war's end, carrying 28 Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force personnel sent to prepare the way for Gen. Douglas MacArthur to accept the surrender of Japan. After Col. Imparato retired to Belleair at the age of 43, he started a second career in finance and investments. He retired as vice president and resident manager of the Clearwater office of Merrill Lynch and also retired in 1991 after seven years as chairman and chief executive of International Systems and Technology Inc. of Oldsmar, which repairs circuit breakers for utilities and markets a technology to repair cracking in the cooling systems of nuclear reactors. His civic accomplishments were many. He established foundations in Clearwater for the YMCA, UPARC, Abilities Inc., the Arthritis Research Institute, the Florida Gulf Coast Art Center, the Pinellas Animal Foundation, the Senior Citizens Foundation and was a principal benefactor for the Downtown Children's Center. He organized and founded Morton Plant Hospital Foundation and was its first board president. He was a member of Episcopal Church of the Ascension, a former commodore of Carlouel Yacht Club, a member of Belleair Country Club, former president of Florida Gulf Coast Art Center and a member of the Daddaleans at MacDill Air Force Base. He was a prolific writer. In addition to his accounts of World War II, he wrote seven books on money management. His World War II titles include an account of wartime experiences with MacArthur, Into Darkness: A Pilot's Journey Through Headhunter Territory. The book, based on a diary he wrote during an eight-day safari he led through hostile jungle in New Guinea in 1943, followed his team's mission to investigate the crash of a U.S. B-24 Liberator bomber. Their mission was to determine why these planes were mysteriously crashing in clear weather with no hostile action. His findings of mechanical defects led to modifications of the B-24, for which he was awarded a Legion of Merit medal. Another book, Rescue from Shangri-La, related the time when he was one of the crew chosen to rescue U.S. military personnel stranded in Hidden Valley, New Guinea. He was one of three survivors out of the 24 sent on the trip. Survivors include his wife, Jean deGarmo Imparato; a son, Edward T. of California; five sisters, Phyllis Conway, Nan Hanofee, Celia Rinaldi, Helen Sullivan and Lucille Doyle, all of New York; and a household employee of 43 years, Marceline Fernandez. Hubbell Funeral Home and Crematory, Belleair Bluffs, is in charge of arrangements. Information from Times files used in this report. I have read the first book and it is excellent. Borderline of air technical intelligence during WW II. William L. Howard Ordnance Technical Intelligence Museum 727-585-7756 wlhoward@gte.net www.wlhoward.co International Space Station If you have been following the construction of the international space station, it is moving along slowly and is ready for the first crew to occupy it. If you want to see something great, and maybe feel a little proud, and a little humble at the same time, visit this site: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0011/earthlights_dmsp_big.jpg You will see a photo taken from the International Space Station. Regards, Bill In vol.6, no.4 of Bender publications MILITARY ADVISOR (a militaria collectiors magazine) there is an article by S.E.Henaghan that describes the evolution of the German stahlhelm (steel-helmet). Had the war continued beyond May 1945, it is probable that German soldiers would have been wearing something quite similar to the post-war DDR's "Volksarmee" helmet It seems that after the Polish and Western campaigns of 1939-40, an organization called the "Reich Institute for Defense Technology and Materials Research" undertook an in-depth study of the ballistic characteristics of various German and foreign helmet designs (i.e. British, French, Dutch types).These helmets, including the German M-35, were fired at with various small caliber ammunitions,with the British design faring worst. Some of the drawbacks of the M-35 were that it was "extremely prone to puncture at the angled surface where the helmet-crown turned into the visor and coal-scuttle." Also, that the visor obstructed easy use of optical sighting equipment , and that it's "scuttle" feature tended to interfere with packs and knapsacks (as well as panzer-crew head-sets) - while the wearer was in a prone position. The "scuttle" neck-apron also acted as a "noise- collector" during windy conditions, producing a rumbling-sound in the wearer's ears that obscured potentially life-threatening noise. The findings of this research were forwarded to the Heereswaffenamt (Army Weapons Office),which,under impetus from a memorandum from the Army Medical Inspectorate (about the feasibility of a new design to reduce wounds to the troops) decided to go ahead with the development of a whole new generation of Stahlhelm. Ballistics data on a new design,called the "Model B/II" (recognizable as the Volksarmee helmet), found it to be far more protective than the M-35 during tests at the Army's "Infanterie-Schule" at Doberitz, near Berlin. The new design had also been found easier and more economical to produce. After reviewing the data and considering the somewhat radical lines of the design, Hitler rejected it on the grounds that it would be "inappropriate to discard the current model of stahlhelm, which was the "traditional hallmark" of the German Soldier, at a time when Germany's armed forces were fighting a great battle for her freedom." Though a "new model" helmet would not be officially issued to the Wehrmacht before the end of the war, it was siad that when the personnel of the Doberitz Infantry school were mustered to fight the Soviet attack on Berlin in April of 1945 ,the two alarm companies formed were issued gear from existing stocks which included the "leftover" Model B/II prototypes as headgear. So it very well could be that this curious design did see limited action in WWII. An interesting aside, if nothing else. For further study see: Ludwig Baer,"The History of the German Steel Helmet 1916-1945" (Bender Pub., 1985 - or 'WWII German Helmets' website: http://www.german-helmets.com/index.htm Russ Folsom

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