Our Lady of Luján, going home

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Argentinian soldiers pose with a statue of Our Lady of Luján during the 1982 Falklands War. (Credit: Military Diocese for Argentina.)

The day after April Fool’s 1982 saw a combined-arms task force of the Argentine military, spearheaded by 85 Buzos Tácticos commandos and some 500 members of the elite 2nd Marine Infantry Battalion (BIM-2), landed in the Falkland Islands in Operation Rosario, a combat seizure of the British colony from a vastly outnumbered force of fewer than 100 Royal Marines, mobilized territorials and armed sailors. Buenos Aries then swiftly reinforced these troops with a division-sized unit of conscripts, in a gamble that Maggie Thatcher would call it a day.

She did not.

By mid-June, the Empire had struck back, so to speak, sending two crack special-operations augmented light infantry brigades (3 Commando and 5 Guards) and a 44-ship armada (plus another 70 RFA ships and vessels taken from trade) to retake the islands back by force.

In the end, the 649 Argentine military personnel, 255 British military personnel, and three Falkland Islanders died during the sharp 74-day undeclared war. An amazing 11,313 Argentine prisoners of war were left in British hands to be repatriated to the Latin American continent. Some 25 Argentine military aircraft were captured by the Brits, with many taken back to serve as war trophies, along with the Argentine Coast Guard patrol boat GC82 Islas Malvinas (kept as HMS Tiger Bay until 1986 when she was sold), and some 11,000 assorted small arms.

However, while the surrendered Argentine units were allowed to keep their flags, and officers even allowed to retain their sidearms, the Argentine military holy relic, Our Lady of Luján– representing both the patroness of Argentina, as well as the patroness for Argentine military chaplains– was sent to England. Today, it is on display at the Catholic Military Cathedral of St. Michael and St. George in Aldershot.

In a deal worked out by Bishop of the (UK) Forces Paul Mason and his Argentinian counterpart, Bishop Santiago Olivera, the statute will be returned to Argentina in November while a duplicate replica will remain behind.

The two statues will be exchanged on Oct. 30 during a conference for military bishops taking place in Rome, after being blessed by Pope Francis.

An unlikely lawn ornament

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While in Columbia, South Carolina last week, filming an episode of Select Fire at FN (much more on that, later) I visited the South Carolina State House

While it looks nice, it was 95 degrees, with 95 gnats to match!

In the woods and shade just off to the side of the building, while walking down Gervais Street to Trinity Cathedral– which is breathtaking– I spied this small 6-pounder (57mm) gun on a naval mount almost hidden in the brush.

Why, hello there…

On closer look, it was indeed historic, one of the battery of six such anti-torpedo-boat-guns carried by the ill-fated armored cruiser USS Maine (ACR-1). The vessel sank in Havana Harbor in February 1898, an event that led to the outbreak of the Spanish–American War that April.

The gun was salvaged after the conflict and installed in 1931 at its current location.

While South Carolina raised over 1,000 volunteers in two regiments for the short conflict that in the end saw little of it, the city of Columbia acquired the gun in 1910 as a monument to the effort and installed it in Irwin Park, near the Gervais Street Bridge, in 1913. The city moved the gun to its current location and unveiled it on 22 October 1931.

While a Driggs-Schroeder type 57mm/40cal, the tube markings have worn away over time.

The brass mount is an 1894 Mark III. Notably, the largest battery of remaining Driggs 6-pdrs is preserved on SpanAm War veteran USS Olympia (C-6).

While relics from USS Maine are scattered from Havanna to New England and the West Coast, including several of her guns, from what I can tell, this is her only 6-pdr on display.

A Sword of the Campbell Sharpshooters

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Milestone Auctions in Ohio next weekend has an 850 lot collection of vintage militaria up for grabs next weekend including a 5th SGF(A) Vietnam-era Randall fighting knife, a named set of collectibles (including a Japanese canteen) from a member of the WWII 76th Seabee Batallion, and an album from the Civil War-era 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

Speaking of the Civil War, they also have a period sword identified to Confederate Capt. Caleb P. Bowen of Company C (Campbell Sharpshooters), 30th Georgia Infantry.

Bowen came from a military family and was the son of Major Thomas J. Bowen, a War of 1812 hero. The younger Bowen’s name is etched on the sword along with two variations of the Confederate flag. The 30th fought at Chickamauga, Franklin, and Nashville, among other battles in the West, notably being wiped out at the latter.

Bowen was wounded at Franklin but still with the regiment at Nashville, where he was captured, ending his war in a POW camp. Returning home to Campbell County after the war, he became a noted local and state lawmaker, before passing away in 1907.

One of the best privately-owned examples of a Confederate presentation sword, it is expected to sell for $10,000-$15,000.

 

Thresher remembered

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From Arlington National Cemetery, where the new USS Thresher Memorial was dedicated last week:

(U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Fraser)

A new memorial at Arlington National Cemetery commemorates the service and sacrifice of the crew of the USS Thresher (SSN-593), the world’s most technologically advanced nuclear-powered submarine of its day. On April 10, 1963, Thresher sank during deep-diving tests off the coast of Massachusetts, killing all 129 personnel aboard: 16 officers, 96 enlisted sailors, and 17 civilian technicians. It was the deadliest accident in submarine history, leading the Navy to establish the SUBSAFE Submarine Safety Program.

Loss of the Thresher by A. L. Karafylakis NH 86731-KN

Want to buy a flattop?

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A Vought F-8 Crusader lines up for landing on the French aircraft carrier Foch (R99). Date and location unknown

Built in the 1960s as the second of the Clemenceau-class light carriers by the French, the Foch remained in nominal NATO service until 2000, even appearing in a cameo in the opening of the film Crimson Tide, before moving to Latin America. She is now for sale, after lackluster service with Brazil.

As noted by Joe Travenik over at The Drive, the Brazilians have placed their Cold War-era French-built light carrier, the ex-São Paulo, up for sale with bids starting at $1.275 million:

Originally commissioned in the French Navy as the Foch in 1963, she was the second of two Clemenceau class aircraft carriers and remained in service in France until 2000. Brazil purchased the ship that same year for the bargain price of $12 million. At the time of São Paulo‘s retirement, there were only two other countries in the world, the United States and France, still operating catapult-assisted takeoff and barrier assisted recovery (CATOBAR) configured aircraft carriers.

More here

Hellcat, not just a tank destroyer or Grumman carrier-based fighter anymore

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For those who like the concept of the Glock 26, but lighter, or the Sig P365, but with one extra round, Springfield Armory last week introduced a new entry to the class of “micro-compact” 9mm pistol, the Hellcat.

As a rundown: Using a 3-inch hammer-forged barrel which translates to a 6-inch overall length while standing just 4-inches high, the 18.3-ounce Hellcat offers an 11+1 capacity in a flush-fit magazine. This can be stretched to 13+1 with an extended mag that bumps height to 4.5-inches. Offered in both a standard and OSP (Optical Sight Pistol) configuration, the latter uses a milled slide intended for micro red dots such as the JP Enterprises JPoint and Shield RMSc.

More in my column at Guns.com here. 

World War II Glider Pilots to Reunite in Fayetteville, North Carolina

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An easy and cost-effective way to move light infantry and their equipment, to include some that were too heavy for the parachutes of the day, glider-borne air landing units were in vogue during WWII. The Germans kicked off their combat use when eight gliders full of specially-trained sappers landed atop the supposedly impregnable Belgian fortress at Eben Emael in May 1940 and captured it by lunch.

The U.S. Army’s Glider Forces were established in 1942 and, after a lot of trial and error, a full two- and later three-battalion Glider Infantry Regiment (GIR) or two was assigned to each American airborne division.

In all, 13 GIRs were formed with many seeing heavy combat. These included the 187th and 188th GIR (11th Abn Div), 325th (82nd Abn), 193rd and 194th (17th Abn), 327th and 401st (101st Abn).

Some 13,900 Waco CG-4, the standard U.S. glider, were produced during the war and were smaller than the British Horsa and Hamilcar gliders. Capable of carrying 13 troops and their equipment, they could also tote a jeep or 75mm pack howitzer in the nose. Today, only about 25 CG-4s still exist.

After seeing action in Europe and the Pacific, gliders were eliminated from the Army in 1953, as the military switched to helicopters for “air assault”

However, veterans of those Glidermen still survive.

(Presser from the FACVB):

Men who flew on silent wings to deliver troops, weapons, and supplies in key points on the World War II front are coming to the Fayetteville, North Carolina area in October to reunite and remember those harrowing moments in the battle against tyranny across the globe.

The 49th Annual National World War II Glider Pilot Reunion (WW2GPC) is coming to Fayetteville October 10 – 12th. The reunion will join Glider pilots and several veterans from the various Troop Carrier groups including power pilots, other C-47 crew members, mechanics, as well as family members and historians. Approximately 125 veterans, members, researchers and flight officers from the Air Force Academy will be attending. The event will take place at the Doubletree by Hilton in Fayetteville.

Events throughout the conference include tours of Fort Bragg and dinner and presentations on post two evenings. The conference concludes with a dinner banquet at the hotel Saturday evening, with Lt. Col. Stewart Lindsay, Commander of the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, as guest speaker.

Part of the evening’s presentations will include Katharine Manning, daughter of Glider Pilot John George Manning, accepting her father’s long overdue Bronze Star Medal (BSM.) BSM recipients were to have been awarded the medal in 1945 as requested by their commander Major Charles Gordon, of the 435th Troop Carrier Group.

Approximately 6,000 individuals were trained as glider pilots. The numbers of surviving glider pilots and troop carriers are declining as the age range is over 90 years old. The glider pilots are proud of their silver wings with the large letter “G” which they say, really stands for GUTS. It took guts to fly the glider beyond enemy lines on a one-way mission.

Veterans will be available to speak with the media and share stories from World War II. Please contact Mary Roemer, Reunion Chair 336-655-6607 about setting up media opportunities on Friday and Saturday. Contact Ms. Roemer or navigate to https://www.ww2gp.org/reunion.php for more information.

Pancor Jackhammer, not entirely vaporware

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In the early 1980s, Korean War vet and firearms inventor John Andersen (sometimes-spelled Anderson) thought out the concept of a gas-operated, automatic-fire shotgun for military and police use. His gun would allow full-auto (up to 240 rounds per minute) fire of new and advanced 12-gauge shells, be rapidly reloaded via a 10-round cassette, and still be small and compact enough (17 pounds) for the average foot soldier to carry into combat.

To accomplish this, he envisioned a reciprocating barrel with a fixed gas piston enclosed in a cylinder. When the gun fired, the barrel pushed forward and the action, set in a bullpup style behind the trigger group, ejected the spent shell hull and loaded another in what we would consider a very complicated process. This unique action gave the gun (which turned out looking rather industrial anyway) a very distinctive ‘jackhammer’ style of operation when firing that led to its nickname. If the trigger was kept depressed after the first shot, the weapon would continue cycling, thus producing automatic fire until the trigger was let up or the weapon ran out of ammunition. There was no option for single-shot fire; the gun was full-auto only commenting directly on its philosophy of use.

The 20.75-inch smoothbore barrel gave a 31.10-inch overall length and a weight (unloaded) of ten pounds. Polymers were used as much as possible in the firearm to keep weight low, in itself was a very visionary concept for 1982. At the time, the Glock 17 aka “the plastic fantastic” was only then being introduced into the US.

Perhaps most interestingly though, some of these loaded cassettes could also be laid as booby traps. Referred to by the company as a ‘Bear Trap’, the cassettes could be set like mines and would trigger all ten rounds simultaneously if disturbed—possibly the first time a multi-use explosive trap was included as a factory option in a firearm.

Officially called the MK3, the concept was best remembered as the Pancor Jackhammer automatic shotgun.

The thing is, it never got out of the beta test phase and is basically weapon vaporware. However, a few prototypes went on to legendary status in more than 20 video games (Max Payne, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six ring a bell?) between 1998 and 2018.

Speaking of which, Morphys has the only working Jackhammer up for auction.

Yes, it’s real. Yes, it’s full-auto. Yes, it is transferable. Yes, it is expensive.

What is billed as the only working Pancor Jackhammer, via Morphys

Frommer, FEG and Femaru

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Budapest’s Fegyver- és Gépgyártó Részvénytársaság (FEG) is now one of the biggest water heater makers and HVAC distributors in Europe. However, from the 1880s until 2004, they cranked out a myriad of small arms for the Austro-Hungarian, and later Hungarian proper, military and police. This included the AKM/D-63/65 Kalash, PA-63 Makarov, the 9mm version of the TT33 for Egypt known and loved by collectors as the “Tokagypt,” Pál Király’s Danuvia subguns, and others.

One of my favorites was the Femaru M37, Rudolf Frommer’s swan song. Over 300,000 of these classic semi-autos were produced between 1937 and 1945, seeing extensive service during World War II.

Hungarian Femaru pistols are one of the few affordable WWII-era martial handguns left floating around these days. (Photo: Richard Taylor/Guns.com)

More on the Frommer-FEG-Femaru history in my column over at Guns.com

U-Boote der Klasse 206

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Built to replace the troublesome Type 205 submarines of the West German Bundesmarine, which in turn had replaced the largely experimental Type 201 boats– Germany’s first class of submarines built after World War II– the Klasse 206 U-Bootes were interesting little subs.

The German Type 206s were basically the Volkswagen Beetles of the submarine word. However, they worked and remained in service for 35 years.

Just 500-tons submerged, they were 159-feet long but could remain at sea with their 22-man crew for weeks with the ability to deliver an impressive, one-time, spread of eight 21-inch torpedoes to a target, enough to sink a Soviet battlecruiser if needed. The first of the class, U13 (S-192) was commissioned in 1973 and the 18th, U30 (S-210) followed by 1975. Capable of an impressive 4,000-mile sortie, two of these Baltic u-boats even crossed the Atlantic unsupported, visiting New York City.

Check out this (German) video of one underway in 1975.

The Germans kept the class around through the Cold War, updating a dozen to Type 206A standard in the 1990s, and only fully retired the boats in 2010. Indonesia and Colombia picked up surplus models.

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