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Endgame (The Red Gambit Series Book 7)

Page 78

by Colin Gee


  As I said at the beginning of this series, it is my view that there are no bad peoples, just some bad people.

  Thirdly, I wanted to challenge the reader to consider the subject of moral duty, orders, and self-preservation.

  Whatever you take away from this, and whether or not you now see me as an SS apologist or simply a poor writer, I would ask that you understand my real hopes and purpose in writing the chapter.

  That it should never ever happen again.

  Thank you.]

  Legion Tank conversions and types.

  ALLIGATOR

  Stug III chassis with extended fighting compartment. Armed with the 75mm KwK 42 L/70.

  AARDVARK

  Panzer IV chassis with Achilles turret installed – limited number. Armed with 17pdr.

  WOLF

  Panther chassis with Panzer IV turret installed. Armed with the 75mm KwK 40 L/48.

  ANTILOPE

  Standard SDKFZ 251 with additional plate and armoured roof, and a Puma turret installed. Armed with the 50mm KwK 39/1 L/60.

  HUNDCHEN

  Standard SDKFZ 251 with strengthening for gun mount. Armed with the 128mm Pak 44 L/55, taken from damaged AT weapon mounts or unserviceable Nashorne SP guns.

  DRAGON

  Standard SDKFZ 251 with roof installed and strengthening. Armed with recycled Maultier mounts and 4-6 Wurfrahmen.

  PANTHER II

  Upgraded Panther in line with plans conceived during previous war. Armed with either the 75mm KwK 42 L/100 or 88mm KwK 43 L/71, depending on turret and tube availability. Limited numbers produced, consuming redundant stocks of Tiger II parts.

  EINHORN

  Jagdpanther variant with extended fighting compartment. Armed with the 128mm Pak 44 L/55.

  HYENA

  Panther hull with M4A376mm turret added.

  FELIX

  French produced Panther hybrid. Armed with the 17pdr and equipped with French-produced Maybachs. None used operationally [French-engined versions remained as training vehicles] until German produced Maybachs were available. Limited production but was surprisingly successful.

  JAGUAR

  Latest version of the Panther F with improved drive train and infrared optics as standard. Armed with the 88mm KwK 43 L/71. Initially produced in France, German industry quickly followed suit, and the Jaguar became the preferred tank to fill out the new Panzer Divisions. French produced Jaguars had the official designation Jaguar (fr).

  SCHWARZPANTHER

  Initially produced without the gas turbine engine, the tank carried an 88mm, MG-42 hull mount, and spaced armour.

  SCHWARZJAGDPANTHER

  No wartime-produced versions carried the gas turbine engine. Armed with a 128mm gun, MG-42 hull mount, and twin auto gun turret on roof on later versions.

  Glossary

  AK-47

  Soviet automatic rifle. 7.62mm normally fitted with a 30 round magazine

  Arado-234

  German twin-engine jet bomber

  ARL-44

  French tank produced post WW2 utilising many parts from old designs and armed with a 17pdr gun.

  Auergesellschaft

  German company that was connected with numerous military projects, such as the German Atomic programme.

  Bearcat, Grumman F8F

  US single-engine heavy fighter developed late in WW2

  Belzec

  Nazi extermination camp in occupied Poland.

  Beriev Be-4

  Soviet twin-engine flying boat.

  BOAC

  British Overseas Airways Corporation.

  Bordkanone 75mm

  Aircraft mounted development of the 75mm Pak 40 anti-tank gun.

  BTR-152

  Soviet 6x6 armoured personnel carrier, capable of carrying 18 infantry and 2 crew.

  Bundesheer

  Army of the Austrian Republic

  BV-141

  Luftwaffe single-engine reconnaissance aircraft known for its strange asymmetrical design.

  C-118 Liftmaster

  US four-engine transport aircraft, known as the DC-6 in civilian service.

  Chikushō

  Japanese - literally, oh shit!

  Chivas Regal

  A blended Speyside whisky.

  Ҫibuk [chibouk]

  Turkish long-stemmed pipe.

  CNFC

  Çanakkale Naval Fortified Command

  CoS

  Chief of Staff

  CZ-27

  Czechoslovakian 7.65mm semi-automatic pistol with an 8 round magazine.

  D-44 anti-tank gun

  Soviet divisional artillery weapon of 85mm used in an AT role.

  Diamond T M-19

  US heavy tank transporter and trailer combination.

  EF-131 trident

  Luftwaffe six-engine jet bomber developed post-war by the Soviets.

  Electric Eel

  US early version of a towed sonar array, consisting of a trailed cable with sound sensors installed at regular intervals.

  Enshinbunriki

  Japanese… literal translation is centrifuges

  Ersatzgruppe

  German… literal translation replacement group

  FECOM

  Far East Command

  FFAR

  Folding fin aerial rocket, an air-to-ground- explosive rocket.

  Fido acoustic torpedoes

  Mark 24 mine, an air-deployed anti-submarine homing torpedo that entered service in 1943.

  Flitters

  Irish colloquialism - in tatters.

  FuG 510

  German missile guidance system, FuG 510/238 "Düsseldorf/Detmold" used a joystick to command the deployed device through trailing wires [i.e. wire-guided].

  Futatabi

  Japanese - literally, again, once more.

  Gatos

  USN class of mass-produced submarines, the GATO class.

  Gertrude

  Sound powered underwater phone for communications between submarines developed in 1945.

  Guam, USS

  CB-2, an Alaska class large cruiser, some times considered a battle-cruiser.

  Har Meghiddohn

  Hebrew… literally Mountain of Megiddo. We more commonly know it as Armageddon.

  Hedgehog

  Anti-submarine spigot launcher with 24 charges set to fire ahead of a submarine and explode on contact.

  Hornet, De Havilland.

  British twin-engine fighter developed from the Mosquito and armed with 4 x 20mm Hispano cannon.

  Hs-129-B3, Henschel.

  Luftwaffe twin-engine ground attack aircraft armed with a 75mm cannon that could destroy any tank then in service. The aircraft itself was slower and less responsive than previous versions.

  I-250, Mikoyan-Gurevich [MiG-13]

  Soviet single motor jet fighter aircraft, a project that was eventually cancelled.

  IS-IVm46

  Soviet heavy tank with a 130mm main gun, new gearbox, upgraded suspension, and twin all-new engines.

  IS-VII

  Soviet heavy tank of 68 tons, armed with a 130mm gun.

  Izba

  Traditional Russian country dwelling.

  Jimmy

  Colloquial name for the Number One on an RN vessel.

  Junkers-287

  Incomplete Luftwaffe forward swept wing bomber with four jet engines, called Trident in Soviet service.

  Kätzchen [Gepanzerter Mannschaftstransportwagen Kätzchen]

  German infantry transport and prime mover based on Panther and Tiger II components.

  Kettenhund

  German… literally 'chained dog', the derisory term for Military Policemen in the German Army, who wore a metal gorget.

  Kfz 71, Krupp

  German army command version of the Kfz 70, 6x6 lorry.

  KKE

  The Communist Party of Greece.

  Kripos

  German… Kriminalpolizei… Criminal Police… criminal investigation department of the police.

  La-9, Lavochkin.<
br />
  Soviet single-engine propeller-driven fighter produced after the end of WW2.

  Lancaster MR-3

  Coastal Command conversion of the Lancaster Bomber [Maritime Reconnaissance v3].

  Lans

  Soviet copy of the Panzerfaust.

  Le Boudin

  The Foreign Legion's slow marching song. A Boudin is literally a blood sausage or black pudding.

  Leitstrahl

  German guidance system using a radio beam, used in conjunction with the V-2 and other advanced projects.

  Lewisite

  Organoarsenic compound used in weapons as a vesicant [blister agent] and lung irritant developed in the US, where it became known as 'the Dew of Death'.

  M-17

  US development of the M-16 Quad .50cal AAA mount developed from the M5 halftrack and sent to the USSR in numbers as part of lend lease.

  M20 bazooka

  US 88.9mm rocket launcher.

  M-29 Chamberlain

  Red Gambit's designation for the production model of the T-29 heavy tank.

  M-30 Hancock

  Red Gambit's designation for the production model of the T-30 heavy tank.

  M-40 GMC

  155mm SP Howitzer on an altered M4 chassis.

  M-41 HMC 'Gorilla'

  155mm SP Howitzer on a lengthened M24 chassis.

  M-46 Pershing II

  Red Gambit's designation for the M-46 Patton. Clearly as Patton survives in RG, using his name was impossible.

  Majdanek

  Nazi concentration camp on the outskirts of Lublin, Poland.

  Mongoto

  Japanese - literally, the Things.

  MP-40

  German 9mm sub-machine gun with 32 round magazine.

  Mustang, F-82 Twin

  US conjoined Mustangs on a twin hull configuration, each with a single engine. Pilot’s positions retained in both cockpits, but one could be replaced by a radar set and operator, at which time pilot was in the left side.

  Odalik

  An odalik or odalisque is a Turkish female attendant, often used to refer to women who pander to men's needs, up to and including as a concubine.

  Operation Cougar

  Projected US invasion of Eastern Russia from Chinese bases.

  Operation Kingsbury

  Part of Operation Viking, covering the ground assault and extraction undertaken by 1st SSF and its support elements.

  Operation Niji

  Japanese Operation to transfer atomic secrets, scientists, and machinery from Japan to Soviet control, sailing huge submarines halfway round the world to the Black Sea.

  Operation Raduga

  Soviet Operation to employ a range of destructive weapons, from Atomic bombs, dirty bombs, biological and nerve agents against Allied targets in Europe and beyond.

  Operation Tiger

  Projected US invasion of Siberia.

  Operation Viking

  Overall Allied operation for the negation of the VNIIEG facility at Uspenka.

  Oruspu!

  Turkish colloquialism - bitch or whore.

  Osoaviakhim Project

  Soviet project that brought many specialists and associated equipment from military related projects under their umbrella, mainly gleaned from occupied territories.

  Owl, Curtiss O-52

  US single-engine observation aircraft,

  Pak 44, 128mm Pak 44.

  German 128mm anti-tank gun of high penetrative performance but low manoeuvrability.

  Panzer VII

  German heavy tank development not realised in WW2, equipped with either a 105mm or 88mm weapon.

  Pizdets/Peezdets

  Ukrainian - extremely uncouth word :-)

  Porton Down

  During WW2 it was the centre of British research on chemical and biological weapons.

  Raki

  Turkish anise drink.

  ROE

  Rules of engagement.

  S&D

  Unspecific mission that sent aircraft into a given area with orders to take out anything and everything they found. Literally, Search and Destroy.

  SD

  German security service, full name Sicherheitsdienst der Reichsführer-SS.

  Seiran, Aichi M6A Seiran

  Japanese single-engine seaplane designed to be sub launched, created for the mission to bomb the Panama Canal and Western seaboard of the USA.

  SGMB

  Soviet SG-43 medium machine-gun fitted with special mountings for use in vehicles.

  Sheptat’

  Soviet copy of the Gertrude underwater communications system.

  Shooting Star, Lockheed

  P-80.

  US single turbojet fighter that came into operational testing at the end of WW2.

  Shrike A-25, Curtiss

  USAAF version of the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, a single-engine dive-bomber.

  SOP

  Slang - standard operational procedure

  Squid launchers

  British anti-submarine mortar with three barrels. Highly effective sub killer.

  ST-45

  German assault rifle designation that was produced by the French through CEAM, as the CEAMm46.

  T34m46/100

  Soviet production vehicle of a T34m44 with a modified interior and extended turret rear, incorporating the 100mm gun.

  T-70

  Soviet light tank armed with a 47mm or MG as main armament, crew of 2.

  Tabun

  Nerve agent that fatally interferes with the nervous system.

  Theresienstadt

  Nazi concentration camp established in Terezin, Czechoslovakia.

  Thunderjet, Republic F-84.

  US single turbo jet engine fighter-bomber.

  Tigercat, F7F Grumman

  US twin-engine heavy fighter that served mainly with the USN and USMC. It packed a powerful punch with 4 x 20mm Cannon and 4 x .50cal machine guns.

  TR-1

  The Lyulka TR-1 was the USSR's first home produced jet engine.

  Tupolev 4, Tu-4

  Soviet reverse engineered copy of the B-29 heavy bomber.

  Uranprojekt

  Nazi Germany's nuclear weapons project.

  V-2

  Germany's long-range ballistic missile, also known as the A-4.

  Vosper MTB

  British motor torpedo boat.

  Yak-15

  Soviet single turbojet fighter with a reversed engineered German Jumo jet engine.

  Zeltbahn

  German triangular poncho that could be combined with three others to make a tent for four men.

  ZSU-20-4

  [RG only] Soviet mobile 20mm Quad AA gun mounted on a truck chassis.

  Bibliography

  Rosignoli, Guido

  The Allied Forces in Italy 1943-45

  ISBN 0-7153-92123

  Kleinfeld & Tambs, Gerald R & Lewis A

  Hitler’s Spanish Legion - The Blue Division in Russia

  ISBN 0-9767380-8-2

  Delaforce, Patrick

  The Black Bull - From Normandy to the Baltic with the 11th Armoured Division

  ISBN 0-75370-350-5

  Taprell-Dorling, H

  Ribbons and Medals

  SBN 0-540-07120-X

  Pettibone, Charles D

  The Organisation and Order of Battle of Militaries in World War II

  Volume V - Book B, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

  ISBN 978-1-4269-0281-9

  Pettibone, Charles D

  The Organisation and Order of Battle of Militaries in World War II

  Volume V - Book A, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

  ISBN 978-1-4269-2551-0

  Pettibone, Charles D

  The Organisation and Order of Battle of Militaries in World War II

  Volume VI - Italy and France, Including the Neutral Countries of San Marino, Vatican City [Holy See], Andorra, and Monaco

  ISBN 978-1-4269-4633-2

  Pettibone, Charles D

  The Organis
ation and Order of Battle of Militaries in World War II

  Volume II - The British Commonwealth

  ISBN 978-1-4120-8567-5

  Chamberlain & Doyle, Peter & Hilary L

  Encyclopaedia of German Tanks in World War Two

  ISBN 0-85368-202-X

  Chamberlain & Ellis, Peter & Chris

  British and American Tanks of World War Two

  ISBN 0-85368-033-7

  Dollinger, Hans

  The Decline and fall of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan

  ISBN 0-517-013134

  Zaloga & Grandsen, Steven J & James

  Soviet Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War Two

  ISBN 0-85368-606-8

  Hogg, Ian V

  The Encyclopaedia of Infantry Weapons of World War II

  ISBN 0-85368-281-X

 

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