Category Archives: weapons

T-AGSEs Surface

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An interesting addition to the Bollinger-built 87-foot Marine Protector class patrol boats for the Coast Guard in 2008 was four units– paid for wholly by the Navy– that would serve in two special Maritime Force Protection Units, assigned to the Submarine bases at Kings Bay and Kitsap, tasked to escort submarines (particularly SSBNs) heading in and out on patrol.

Each MFPU, which numbers 150-200 personnel, also has a dozen smaller craft (33-foot RIBs, etc).

In a nod to their taskings, these Navy-paid-for/assigned and CG-manned patrol boats carried the names of historic fleet boats of WWII fame:

  • USCGC Sea Dragon (WPB-87367) MFPU Kitsap
  • USCGC Sea Devil (WPB-87368) MFPU Kings Bay
  • USCGC Sea Dog (WPB-87373) MFPU Kitsap
  • USCGC Sea Fox (WPB-87374) MFPU Kings Bay

Armed with three 50 cal. machine guns (instead of the standard two for the class) these MFPUs carried their “extra” BMG in a permanently installed forward mount that was stabilized and remotely controlled.

TAMPA, Fla. – Coast Guard Cutter Sea Dog, a newly-designed 87-foot coastal patrol boat, transits Tampa Bay, Fla.,, Wednesday, May 6, 2009, during sea trials. The Sea dog is scheduled to be commissioned July 2, 2009, and is homeported in Kings Bay, Ga. (U.S. Coast Guard photo/PA3 Rob Simpson)

However, last year all four of these still rather young WPBs were withdrawn from CG service, decommissioned, disarmed, and relegated to auxiliary service with the Navy and Marine Corps.

For instance, the two Kings Bay-based boats were transferred to MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina to be used as range/target towing boats.

Disarmed and without her racing stripe, the ex-USCGC Sea Dragon WPB-87367 at MCAS Cherry Point for target support

Their replacements?

Meet T-AGSEs

The civilian mariner crewed Military Sealift Command has a small flotilla of eight vessels tasked with “Submarine and Special Warfare Support.”

These vessels, typically oilfield supply boats operated by Louisiana-based Hornbeck Offshore Services, include a quartet of 250-foot EDF type who have been christened as U.S. Naval Ships with hull numbers.

They also carry fixed armament, something extremely rare for the MSC, namely two Mk. 38 25mm mounts, operated by a USCG Tactical Boatcrew. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had MANPADs, AT4s, and M2s stowed as well

  • USNS Black Powder (T-AGSE 1)
  • USNS Westwind (T-AGSE 2)
  • USNS Eagleview (T-AGSE 3)
  • USNS Arrowhead (T-AGSE 4)

Built by Leevac Industries of Jenerette, these four brand-new 250EDFs were operated by HOS between 2009 and 2015 on a Navy contract and then purchased outright for $152 million.

The MSC has their file pictures all still in their HOS livery:

HOS Black Powder 200819-N-IS698-0004

HOS Eagle View 200819-N-IS698-0007

HOS Arrowhead

Since 2015, these craft have been Navy (MSC) owned and operated by HOS, typically for 215 days per year at a rate of about $30,000 per day.

Arrowhead and Eagleview are out of Kitsap while Black Powder and Westwind are out of Kings Bay.

Being some 250 feet in length, they are often referred to as “Blocking Vessels” in operations.

They rarely get any attention, with the USCG operating their guns and providing an MLE team for intervention/boarding if an escort gets…weird. Why the Coasties pull the gig is that they are federal law enforcement with a pretty far-reaching jurisdiction around U.S. flagged vessels in U.S. waters. 

USNS Black Powder and USNS Westwind. Note the 25mm Mk 38 Mod 2 mounts, and the MSC blue and yellow stripes around Westwind’s pilothouse. Wiki commons

Ohio class USS West Virginia (SSBN-736) USNS Black Powder

U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft from Moody Air Force Base, Ga., escorted ballistic missile submarine USS Wyoming (SSBN 742), July 15, 2024. The aircraft conducted a live fire exercise and U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Force Protection Unit Kings Bay, USNS Black Powder (T-AGSE-1), and USNS Westwind (T-AGSE-2) also participated in the escort of the submarine. Joint operations, such as this one which involved the Air Force, Coast Guard, and Navy, ensure the U.S. military is ready to meet its security commitments at home and abroad

Being three times the size of the 87s, they can also help serve as mini-tenders and, during Covid, were used to swap out Blue/Gold crews on SSBNs at sea, as well as replenishment for parts and stores transfers via a moving brow.

Note the USCG ensign on Black Powder’s mast and her USNS designator on her bow. 

ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 24, 2022) Sailors assigned to the Blue Crew of the Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Wyoming (SSBN 742) prepare to execute an exchange of command and crews at sea. This regularly scheduled exchange of command at sea demonstrates the continuity and operational flexibility of our sea-based nuclear deterrent operations and our ready, reliable ballistic submarine force. The efficiency of exchanges of crews at sea allows Sailors to reunite with their families and provides a ready, resilient submarine force. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Xavier Saldana/Released)

ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 24, 2022) USNS Black Powder supports the Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Wyoming’s (SSBN 742) exchange of command and crews at sea. This regularly scheduled exchange of command at sea demonstrates the continuity and operational flexibility of our sea-based nuclear deterrent operations and our ready, reliable ballistic submarine force. The efficiency of exchanges of crews at sea allows Sailors to reunite with their families and provides a ready, resilient submarine force. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Xavier Saldana/Released)

ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 24, 2022) Sailors assigned to the Blue and Gold Crews of the Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Wyoming (SSBN 742) execute an exchange of command and crews at sea. This regularly scheduled exchange of command at sea demonstrates the continuity and operational flexibility of our sea-based nuclear deterrent operations and our ready, reliable ballistic submarine force. The efficiency of exchanges of crews at sea allows Sailors to reunite with their families and provides a ready, resilient submarine force. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Xavier Saldana/Released)

They just popped up in a DOD Contract list this week, as noted below, with the current daily rate being more like $50K per vessel including operation and maintenance:

Hornbeck Offshore Operators, Covington, Louisiana, is being awarded a $48,360,544 firm-fixed-price contract (N3220525C4134) for the operation and maintenance of four government-owned Transportation Auxiliary General Submarine Escort (T-AGSE) vessels. The vessels under this award include USNS Arrowhead, USNS Eagleview, USNS Westwind, and USNS Black Powder. The contract includes a six-month base period with a six-month option. The contract will be performed in Kings Bay, Georgia; and Bangor, Washington, beginning March 1, 2025, based on the availability of funds clause at Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.232-18 and will utilize fiscal 2025 working capital funds (Navy), and will conclude Feb. 28, 2026, if the option is exercised. This contract is a Sole Source Bridge and was not competitively procured, under the authority of 41 U.S. Code 3304(a)(2), as implemented by FAR 6.302-2 Unusual and compelling urgency. Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

The Tropical Rainforests of Hampshire

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80 years ago this month, 2 February 1945.

“Trainees in a wooded area with their faces painted with camouflage paint, wearing American fatigue caps and gaiters and Carrying American ‘Tommy’ guns, during training at the Royal Marines Eastern Warfare School at Brockenhurst, Hampshire where they learn jungle tactics for the Pacific War. Thickly wooded hills, with some live palms and bamboo, gave a good imitation jungle in which tropical bridging work, bivouacking, patrolling, sniping, and booby-trap lessons could be learned.”

Of note, the weather in Hampshire in February typically runs 40-50 degrees F. 

IWM A 27308. Photograph by LT DC Oulds, Royal Navy official photographer

IWM A 27306. Photograph by LT DC Oulds, Royal Navy official photographer

IWM A 27307. Photograph by LT DC Oulds, Royal Navy official photographer

“These men are learning to give themselves all-round protection when forced to keep to a narrow track in the ‘English jungle’ at the Eastern Warfare School at Brockenhurst, Hampshire where they learn jungle tactics for the Pacific War.”

Brockenhurst, the largest village by population within the 140,000-acre New Forest in Hampshire, is about 15 miles from Southampton in southern England.

In early 1944, the forest served as the (somewhat secret) home for the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division, the core of Allied Assault Force “G”, tasked with storming Gold Beach on D-Day, and once the Army moved out in June 1944, the Royal Navy moved in.

As elaborated by a local journal for the New Forest:

Carey’s Manor Hotel in the village was requisitioned for the Eastern Warfare School where Royal Marine trainees were taught basic jungle warfare tactics along the Lymington River and Roydon Woods in preparation for what they might encounter against the Japanese forces. Booby traps and ambushes in common use among the Japanese were reproduced in this area of the New Forest. They also learned how to take care of themselves and what to carry in the way of medical supplies in remote inhospitable locations

As further detailed in By Sea, By Land: The Authorised History of the Royal Marines by James D Ladd:

Apart from such schools for specialists as the Signals School at Saundersfoot (Pembrokeshire) and the MT School, the Corps also set up an Eastern Warfare School, Brockenhurst, where officers and senior NCOs did a 10-day course ‘on the special form of warfare . . . in the Far East Theatre.’ In addition, in the UK and abroad, there were “jungle warfare” schools.

The standards for “physical efficiency tests” as they were called, were also raised to the following: 10-mile march in 2¼ hours, before firing five rounds, three of which must be hits at 30 yds; leopard crawl 45 yds in a minute followed by pitching two out of three grenades into a 10 ft circle; running two miles on roads in 18 minutes; jumping a 9 ft ditch; and various climbing feats.

All these were aimed at making every Marine fit – not only those serving in Commandos – and for detachments in the Pacific Fleet: such applied physical training was a routine. This aimed at not only keeping men fit but also enabling them to pass these battle efficiency tests.

The School was staffed by a cadre of NCOs and officers drawn in part from the 3rd Special Service Brigade, which included a trio of three Royal Marine Commando units (No. 5 Cdo, No. 42 Cdo, and No. 44 Cdo). These men had been sent to India in November 1943 to fight in the Burma campaign and had picked up some tricks.

Lieut General T L Hunton, KCB, MVO, OBE, General Officer Commanding the Royal Marines, and Major General R A D Brooks, CMG, DSO, watching a demonstration of Japanese Booby traps by Capt Kenneth Pammenter, No.5 Cdo, [2nd from right] and Capt. Bennett, RM, at the Eastern Warfare School, Brockenhurst. IWM A 27300

In the end, the Royal Marines in the CBI and the Pacific were involved in the campaign to recapture Arakan, as well as staged for Operation Zipper– the planned amphibious operation to recapture the Malayan peninsula.

Finally, they reoccupied Hong Kong in September 1945, cheated out of seeing more jungle fighting by the A-bombs and the resulting Japanese capitulation.

There, things looked a lot different than in Hampshire. 

“Royal Marine W E Sebly making the acquaintance of young and old Chinese folk after the re-occupation of Hong Kong, Sept 1945. IWM 30527

Black Widow On Deck

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80 years ago this week, a USAAF 421st Night Fighter Squadron Northrop P-61B-20-NO Black Widow (SN 43-8317) seen landing at recently liberated and expanded Puerto Princesa Airfield, Tacloban, Leyte, 8 February 1945. Official caption: “One of the first 13th AAF Black Widows to arrive at Puerto Princesa buzzes the strip preparatory to peeling up, dropping his wheels, and landing.”

Check out that luxurious control tower! While I cannot find the ultimate end of #317, Baugher notes that of the 83 P-61B-20-NOs produced, at least 22 were lost or written off, with the leading causes primarily due to accidents while landing or mid-air accidents. Night fighters were tough on crews. Of note, this photo was published in the August 145 issue of Air Force magazine. (U.S. Air Force Number 58348AC) National Archives Identifier 204949312

Constituted as 421st Night Fighter Squadron on 30 April 1943, the 421st stood up stateside at the Kissimmee AAFld in Florida– the future home of Disney– with troublesome Douglas P-70 Havoc night fighters before shipping out to Milne Bay, New Guinea just after New Year’s 1944. Flying from Nadzab, Wakde, and Owi during the New Guinea/Bismarck Archipelago campaign, the unit ditched their P-70s for P-38Js (without radar!) before finally getting some Widows.

On 7 July 1944, a P-61 crew in the 421st NFS based in New Guinea shot down a Japanese twin-engine Mitsubishi Ki-46 Dinah reconnaissance airplane, only the type’s second air-to-air “kill” in the with their Saipan-based sister squadron, the 419th, bagging a moonlit Betty a week prior. 

They then shifted north to the PI, operating from San Marcelino and then to Tacloban (as seen above) until 23 March when Clark Field on Luzon became their next stepping stone to Okinawa, operating from Ie Shima beginning on 24 July 1945. They ended their war occupying Itazuke Air Base, Japan, with 16 confirmed aerial victories to their tally sheet and 7 campaign streamers.

Inactivated on 20 February 1947, they reformed 15 years later as the F-105-equipped 421st TFS and soon took their show on the road, flying out of Incirlik during the Cold War as well as some serious Southeast Asia time on five deployments as Phantom Phlyers between 1969 and 1973 (DaNang, Kunsan, Takhli, and Udorn), earning three Presidential Unit Citations.

Stationed at Hill AFB in Utah since 1975, they flew F-16A/Cs during numerous trips to the sandbox in the 1990s and 2000s before upgrading to F-35As in 2017.

They still wear the “Widow” as their official patch. 

210421-F-EF974-2024

And they are no doubt still ready to mix it up after dark.

Two F-35 Lightning IIs assigned to the 421st Fighter Squadron from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, sit on the flight line during a thunderstorm at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, July 25, 2021. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Zachary Rufus)

On the Beach with the Boys

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Official wartime caption, 85 years ago today: “Men of the 1st Royal Welsh Fusiliers practice firing their .55 caliber Boys anti-tank rifles on the beach near Etaples, 6 February 1940.” At the time the unit of regulars was part of the 6th Infantry Brigade, assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division, of the British Expeditionary Force in France.

Kessell (Lt), War Office official photographer, IWM F 2441

An infantry unit formed in 1689, raised by Henry Herbert, 4th Baron Herbert of Chirbury, and primarily recruited in North Wales, the regiment was designated a fusilier regiment in 1702 and earned its “Royal” prefix in 1713 after honors at Blenheim (1704), Ramillies (1706) and Malplaquet (1709).

The Royal Welsh kept appearing on campaigns from Culloden to Minden, Bunker Hill to Yorktown (where it was the only British regiment not to surrender its colors, instead smuggled them out, tied around an ensign’s waist).

They fought the French in Haiti, Egypt, Martinique, the Peninsula, and Waterloo. They then fought alongside the French in the Crimea, Manchuria, and on the Western Front as well as in 1940, as seen above above.

The 1st Royal Welsh evacuated at Dunkirk– leaving their heavy Boys behind– then, after defending the British Isles from Mr. Hitler, moved to India and Burma to fight the Japanese, taking part in the defence of Kohima in 1944 with Bill Slim’s “Forgotten Fourteenth” Army.

1st Royal Welsh Fusiliers move forward on a jungle path near Pinbaw, Burma, December 1944. Note the mix of M1928 Thompson SMGs and No. 1 Mk III Enfields. Photo by No 9 Army Film & Photographic Unit, IWM SE2889

Postwar, the unit saw service in England, Germany, and Cyprus, combat in the Malayan Emergency, along with 13 tours in Northern Ireland, and continued service in Bosnia and Iraq.

On St David’s Day (1 March) 2006, the regiment amalgamated with The Royal Regiment of Wales to form The Royal Welsh and are known as the “Nanny Goats” after their mascot, a Persian goat enrolled as a lance corporal.

They are based at Hightown Barracks, Wrexham, serving in an armored infantry role.

Their motto is “Gwell angau na Chywilydd” (Welsh) (“Better Death than Dishonour”)

MAC-V-SOG J frames

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One of the best showings in terms of companies, at SHOT last month was by Smith & Wesson. Not only did they bring back a line of classic “no hole” wheelguns in J, K, and L-frames, but they also reintroduced the Mountain Gun series.

Going past that, two guns that I thought were just great are the new Special Edition Undercover sries shrouded hammer snub-nosed revolvers, designed to honor the Army’s MAC-V-SOG group of Vietnam fame.

Lightweight & performance-focused, these defensive revolvers feature OD Green G10 grips, brass bead front sight, and the iconic Special Operations logo. A portion of proceeds supports the Special Operations Association (SOA).

They are offered in .38 (Model 442-UC SOA) and soft recoiling .32 (Model 432-UC SOA)

Further, I think these are very appropriate as my grandfather, who did three tours in Vietnam and had to often go to remote firebases to fix commo gear, said he always carried his personal all-stainless steel S&W Model 60 with him everywhere he went.

And, as told by Major John Plaster, who spent time as an operator in SOG during the conflict, all the Recon Team (RT) and Hatchet Force men typically carried handguns as backups to their primary rifle system:

SOG’s most used handgun certainly was the Browning 9mm Hi-Power. Many recon men packed the 45 U.S. Government model. although just about any handgun might be encountered, from a Walther P-38 to Colt Commando airweight or hammerless Smith & Wesson snub nose.

Meet the New ROK Blue Water TF

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The South Korean Navy, which started in 1946 with a few second-hand Japanese ships left over in their local waters at the end of WWII and a surplus 173-foot subchaser bought cheaply from the U.S., now feels they have enough large warships to found the Mobile Fleet Command, a blue water task force some 36 years in the making.

First recommended by Admiral Ahn Byung-tae, in 1995, the force will primarily be tasked to intercept North Korean missiles and consist (initially) of 10 advanced destroyers and four logistics support ships, while a poster for the group shows it built around a helicopter-equipped 19,000-ton Dokdo-class LPH and augmented with SSKs, UAVs, and MPAs. 

The moto video includes some of the first publicly released footage of the brand new Aegis destroyer King Jeongjo the Great (DDG 995), the 8,200-ton lead ship of the KDX-III class Batch II vessels:

The video description, mechanically translated.

The backbone of the ocean-going navy, the Mobile Fleet Command, was established on February 1, 2025. The Mobile Fleet Command is the core force for executing the maritime-based Korean three-axis system operations and will perform various open-sea operations such as supporting national policies through the protection of maritime traffic lanes and overseas dispatch, along with the ability to rapidly deploy to the forward seas. Towards a wider sea, towards the future! The Republic of Korea Navy will vigorously advance towards the Blue Ocean Navy. The power of the Navy! The future of the Republic of Korea!

Glass Sherman

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You think you are cold!

80 years ago today: 1st February 1945 – Fifth Army, Poretta Area, Italy. A Fifth Army M4 Sherman medium tank of the U.S. 751st Tank Battalion is inclined to use as an ersatz artillery piece. It is wearing camouflage consisting of white paint and spun glass to simulate snow, The spun glass was obtained from a local factory and applied by Army combat engineers.

(U.S. Army Signal Corps photo – 196th Signal Photo Co.) – MM-45-30308 – 111-SC-233067. Credit: NARA.

The 751st was activated at Fort Benning, Georgia, on 1 June 1941 and participated in seven major campaigns during the war, spanning across North Africa (Tunisian campaign) and Italy (Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno, North Apennines, and Po Valley) racking up 581 days of combat time.

Individuals in the battalion had earned the following awards:
· 3 Distinguished Service Crosses
· 7 Legions of Merit
· 37 Silver Stars
· 1 Oak Leaf Cluster to the Silver Star
· 63 Bronze Stars
· 3 Oak Leaf Clusters to the Bronze Star
· 4 Brazilian War Medals
· 4 Soldier’s Medals

Baptism for the American Ski Troops

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Some 80 years ago this month, members of the intelligence and reconnaissance (I&R) platoon, 86th Mountain Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, logged the first documented combat use of ski troops by the American military as they sent patrols over the snow-covered Campiano-Mancinella Ridge, also known as Riva Ridge, to scout the German positions there overlooking Mount Belvedere.

Sgt. Stephen P. Knowlton, Durham, N.H., I & R Platoon, 86th Mountain Inf., 10th Mountain Div., does a couple of short turns to get his “ski legs” as he prepares to leave on a 3-day ski patrol deep into enemy territory. 21 January, 1945. Spigvana, Italy. Graning, 3131st Signal Service Co., SC 201357

As detailed by the Army:

Five Soldiers were sent on a mission to report on the location and enemy strength on the ridge. The team used skis but hid them away before reaching the top. The men free-climbed to the top of the cliff. The men took out three German soldiers but were chased from the area by machine-gun fire.

“From then on, there was increased activity on the ridge,” wrote Lt. Col. Henry J. Hampton, who served as commander of 1st Battalion, 86th Infantry Regiment during the operation. “There was continual improvement and digging of old and new positions. The result of this patrol was that we had one trail over which a small force of well-trained mountain men could advance.”

“A 5-man ski patrol of the I & R Platoon, 86th Mountain Inf., 10th Mountain Div., begin to climb up the mountain as they start deep into enemy territory on a 3-day patrol, the longest one ever made in this region. All 5 men are famous skiers and have held records at one time or another. 21 January 1945. Spigvana, Italy.” Photographer: Graning, 3131st Signal Service Co. SC 201358

Two GIs with the 10th Mountain Division in the Apennine Mountains Italy, likely early 1945, Note the snow camo, Ray Bans, and mix of M1 Garand (front) and M1 Carbine (rear). LIFE Magazine Archives – Margaret Bourke-White Photographer WWP-PD

Simple origins

Formed following reports of wildly successful Finnish ski troops in the 1939-40 Winter War, FDR stressed that something similar could be established from U.S. soldiers, with experienced men drawn from among the estimated 2 million Americans who enjoyed the winter sport in the States.

 

U.S. Army Takes to Skis, 1/14/1940 Lake Placid, N.Y.—Perhaps taking a lesson from the Fighting Finns who glide swiftly over the snow to cut down unwary Russians. Men of the 26th Infantry, U.S. Army, stationed at Plattsburg, N.Y., slide along in single file as they receive ski instruction at Lake Placid from Rolf Munsen, Olympic star. Credit: ACME;

Formed beginning in November 1941 by blending earlier ski troop detachments from the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 41st, and 44th Infantry Divisions, then greatly expanded by volunteers from other units who attested to peacetime alpine experience, the 10th Mountain remains the only American military division recruited by civilian organizations, the American Alpine Club and National Ski Patrol.

The training cadre was drawn from the Ski Patrol itself and included many American winter Olympians.

These American ski troops got lots of press in 1943 during training. 

Famous image of Corporal Hall Burton, Mountain Trooper, At Camp Hale, Colorado, ca. 1943 10th Mountain M1 Garand ski 111-SC-329331

World War II American soldiers on skis take aim with M1 Garands during winter training in the Colorado Rockies 10th mountain

Following something of a dress rehearsal in the liberation of the Aleutians, the 10th arrived in the North Apennines and the Po Valley front on 6 January 1945 and went into tough combat, earning their motto “Climb to Glory” in the hardest of ways.

During its brief four months in combat, the division suffered a staggering 4,866 casualties– a full quarter of its strength. This average of 1,216 casualties per month was the highest in the Italian campaign.

While ISR platoons in other American infantry units were issued skis and told to make a go of it as best they could (see the slapstickyness below), only the 10th actually sent patrols out on the devices.

60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division – 12 January 1945. Wearing Quartermaster-issued snow capes, American soldiers go into training as ski troops. Lt. William M. Trafford, left, of Vinal Haven, Maine, gives instructions to one man while others look on. L-R: Pfc. Donald L. Taylor, Devils Lake, N.D.; Cpl. Edmund J. Hums, Jr., Pottstown, Pa.; Pvt. Ernest Bassett, Pittsfield, Mass.; Pfc. Glen K. (illegible), Ypsilanti, Mich.; and Pfc. Alfred J. Peters, Buffalo, N.Y. SC 199088-S

CMP Resumes Surplus M1911/M1911A1 Pistol Sales– with no lottery

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As any follower of the blog will know, I’ve been reporting on the CMP 1911 program since 2015 and have been lucky enough to have participated in the program’s Second and Fourth rounds.

The latter, which kicked off in September 2023, was soon after placed on hold after the Army found that 98 of the handguns had gone missing.

Well, everything seems to have been straightened out and CMP announced this week that it is proceeding full speed ahead, both with the long-delayed Round Four folks (moi included) as well as scrapping the random number generator lottery system altogether and moving to a first-come-first-served model.

This is likely because the legislation moving the guns from Anniston Army Depot across town to CMP’s warehouse covered “up to 10,000” pistols per year and, as Round Four covered the 2023 allotment and the 2024 guns likely didn’t get moved, plus the 2025 guns are probably on the way, the organization may have several truckloads of 1911s on hand.

The announcement:

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) is excited to announce the immediate resumption of surplus U.S. Army M1911/M1911A1 pistol sales! These historic firearms, cherished for their role in U.S. military history, are now available to qualified US Citizen customers.

Key Details:

  • Pistol Availability:The CMP currently holds a substantial inventory of a variety of Pistol Grades, many ready to ship to consumers, and expects to fulfill a significant quantity of orders.
  • Free Shipping:Those purchasing a CMP M1911 pistol will receive free shipping and handling (a $25 value).
  • Updated Process: Given the quantity of on-hand pistols, we reorganized our sales fulfillment structure and our staff is ready to process orders in a timely manner without the use of the Random Generated Number (RGN) process, as in past M1911 sales.  Additional detail on fulfillment information and sequencing follows below.  

Fulfillment Information:

  • Round Four Orders Fulfilled First:The CMP will prioritize fulfilling existing orders from Round Four and will honor the pricing of those orders. Starting this week (Jan. 27, 2025), the CMP M1911 customer service representatives will contact Round Four individuals to confirm order details.
  • New Orders Now Accepted:Effective immediately, the CMP is accepting new applications on a first-come, first-served basis. Again, we do not anticipate having more “rounds” or using RGN numbers as in the past.  

Purchasing Guidelines:

  • Limitations:A lifetime limit of two pistols per customer remains in effect. Customers who have not previously purchased a pistol may now submit an order for up to two pistols.
  • Upgrades for Round Four Customers:Existing Round Four applicants making their first purchase may also upgrade their order to include two pistols.

CMP 1911 staff will reach out to customers when their order is ready to process. At that time, customers will indicate the pistol grade and quantity with CMP 1911 staff.

The CMP encourages all interested individuals to submit their applications promptly. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to own a piece of history!

Learn More:

To view M1911 Pistol Grades as well as additional info on eligibility requirements, ordering and other specifics, please visit the CMP’s website at https://thecmp.org/sales-and-service/1911-information/. 

Curious Airborne Puffer Fish

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Captured 80 years ago this month.

Official wartime caption: “Japanese balloon, Fu-Go [Fugu, 河豚; 鰒; フグ]. A completed Japanese balloon is inflated for laboratory tests at a California base. It was recovered at Alturas, California, January 10, 1945. Ineffective as it is, however, the Japanese balloon is an ingenious device. The balloon itself at a maximum altitude is a true sphere, 100 feet in circumference. It is made of five layers of mulberry paper, each about as thick as cigarette paper, but strong and water-repellant when cemented together. It is filled with hydrogen. Suspended like a chandelier below the envelope by 19 shroud lines, each 45 feet long, is a device for automatic control of altitude. The bomb load is attached to the ‘chandelier’ with an automatic release mechanism. The balloon is further equipped with automatic demolition blocks which are supposed to destroy it in the air. On many of the balloons recovered the self-destroying device failed to function.”

Print received August 1945 from Publications Sec., AC/AS, Intelligence. Used in the August 1945 issue of “Impact.” Copied August 27, 1945. U.S. Army Air Corps (Air Force) photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. 342-FH-3B23422

It is estimated that an amazing 9,300 Fu-Go balloons were launched from Japan against the U.S. and Canada from Coastal Honshu Island between November 1944 and April 1945.

While only 285 were documented as reaching North America, as many as 1,000 may have made it this far, meaning their wreckage is likely sprinkled over remote forests and lakes, waiting.

Surely this is something China would never consider doing again, right?

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