by Gee, Colin
DH98 De Havilland Mosquito was a multi-purpose wooden aircraft, much envied by the Luftwaffe.
Mosquito Mk NF30, De Havilland
British twin-engined night fighter.
Mosquito Mk VI
British twin-engined fighter-bomber.
Mosquito Mk XXV, De Havilland
British twin-engined light bomber.
MP-40
German standard issue submachine-gun.
Mustang, North American
P51 Mustang, US single seat long-range fighter armed with 6 x .50cal machine-guns.
Nagant pistol
Standard Soviet revolver, very rugged and powerful using long case 7.62mm ammunition.
Natzwiller-Struhof
Concentration camp in Alsace.
Nebelwerfer
German six-barrelled mortar weapon, literally translated as 'Smoke Thrower' and known to the Allies as the Moaning Minnie, ranging up to 32cms in diameter.
NKGB
Narodny Komissariat Gosudarstvennoi Bezopasnosti, the Soviet Secret Police, separated from the NKVD in 1942 and absorbed once more in 1946.
NKVD
Narodny Komissariat Vnutrennikh Del, the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs.
Normandie Squadron [Normandie-Niemen Regiment]
French Air force group that grew to three squadrons and served on the Russian Front throughout WW2.
OFLAG XVIIa
Offizierslager or OfLag No 17A, prisoner of war camp run by the Germans for officer detainees.
Operation Anvil
August 1944 landing in Southern France.
Operation Apple Pie
US project to capture German officers with specific knowledge about the Soviet Union’s industry and economy.
Operation Kurgan
Soviet joint-operation to employ paratroopers, Naval Marines, NKVD agents and collaborators to attack and neutralise airfields, radar, communications and logistic bases throughout Europe. Subsequently enlarged to include assassinations of Allied senior officers.
Operation Paperclip
OSS project to recruit German Scientist to the Allied cause post May 1945.
Operation Sumerechny
Soviet plan to remove German leadership elements from their prisoners. All officer ranks from captain upwards were to be executed.
Operation Unthinkable
Study ordered by Churchill to examine the feasibility of an Allied assault on Soviet held Northern Germany.
Operation Varsity
The largest single airborne operation of WW2, undertaken in in March 1945, Varsity involved dropping over 16,000 paratroopers to the east of the Rhine.
OSS
OT/34
US Intelligence agency formed during 2, The Office of Strategic Services was the predecessor of the CIA, and was set up to coordinate espionage activities in occupied areas.
T34 variant with a medium flamethrower in the hull.
P.O.L.
Petrol, oil and lubricants.
Panther
German medium tank, considered by many to be the finest tank design of WW2. Armed with a high-velocity 75mm, it could stand its ground against anything in the Allied arsenal.
Panther Tank
German heavy-medium tank carrying a high-powered 75mm gun and 2-3 machine-guns, considered by many to be the finest all-round tank of World War 2.
Panzer IV
German tank, which served throughout the war in many guises, mainly with a 75mm gun.
Panzer V
See Panther Tank
Panzer VI
See Tiger Tank
Panzerfaust
German single use anti-tank weapon. Highly effective but short ranged.
Panzerjager
Antitank troop[s] [German]
Panzertruppen
The German tank crews.
PanzerVIb
See King Tiger Tank
PE-2
The Soviet Petlyakov PE-2 was a twin-engine multi-purpose aircraft considered by the Luftwaffe to be a fine opponent.
PEM scope
Soviet sniper scope for Mosin and SVT rifles.
PIAT
Acronym for Projector, Infantry, Anti-tank, the PIAT used a large spring to hurl its hollow charge shell at an enemy.
Plan Chelyabinsk
Soviet assault plan utilising lend-lease equipment in Western Allies markings.
Plan Diaspora
Soviet overall plan for assaulting in the East and for supporting the new Japanese Allies.
Plan Kurgan
Soviet joint-operation to employ paratroopers, Naval Marines, NKVD agents and collaborators to attack and neutralise airfields, radar, communications and logistic bases throughout Europe. Subsequently enlarged to include assassinations of Allied senior officers.
Plan Zilant
The Soviet paratrooper operations against the four symposiums, detailed as Zilant-1 through Zilant-4.
PLUTO
Acronym for 'Pipeline-under-the-ocean’, which was a fuel supply pipe that ran from Britain to France, laid for D-Day operations and still in use at the end of the war.
Pointe-du-Hoc
Cliff face and bunker position near Omaha beach, Normandy, assaulted by US 2nd Ranger Battalion on D-Day.
PPD
Soviet submachine gun capable of phenomenal rate of fire. Mostly equipped with a 72 round drum magazine but 65 rounds were normally fitted to avoid jamming. It was too complicated and was replaced by the PPSH.
PPS
Simple Soviet submachine gun with a 35 round magazine.
PPSH
Soviet submachine gun capable of phenomenal rate of fire. Mostly equipped with a 72 round drum magazine but 65 rounds were normally fitted to avoid jamming.
Pravda
Leading newspaper of the Soviet Union, Pravda is translated as 'Truth'.
PS84
Passenger Aircraft built at factory 84, the initial designation of the Li-2 transport aircraft.
PTAB
Each Shturmovik could carry four pods containing 48 bomblets, or up to 280 internally. Each bomblet could penetrate up to 70mm of armour, enough for the main battle tanks at the time.
PU scope
Soviet sniper scope for Mosin and SVT rifles.
Puma
German eight-wheel armoured car with a 50mm and enclosed turret.
Ranger, USS
US Aircraft carrier [CV-4], Survived WW2 and was scrapped in 1947.
RCT
Regimental Combat Team. US formation which normally consisted of elements drawn from all combatant units within the parent division, making it a smaller but reasonably self-sufficient unit. RCT’s tended to be numbered according the Infantry regiment that supplied its fighting core.[See CC for US Armored force equivalent.]
Red Devils
Nickname for the British Airborne troops, the Red berets.
Red Star
Standard issue Soviet military cigarettes.
Rodina
The Soviet Motherland.
Schmuck
A Jewish insult meaning a fool of one who is stupid. It also can literally mean the foreskin that is removed during circumcision.
Schwere Panzer Abteilung
Heavy tank battalion [German]
SDKFZ 234
German eight-wheel armoured car equipped with a range of weapons, the most powerful of which was a 75mm HV weapon. Of the four variants, the Puma with its 50mm and enclosed turret is probably the most well known.
Senninbari
Japanese good luck charm given to soldiers, rooted within the Shinto religion. Each one carried 1000 stitches, each from a different woman. Typically, they were waist belts but could also be headbands, vests and flags.
Sherman [M4 Sherman]
American tank turned out in huge numbers with many variants, also supplied under lend-lease to Russia.
Shinhoto Chi-Ha
Upgraded Japanese battle tank, based on the Chi-Ha. The Shinhoto had a 47mm gun superior to the 5
7mm in its forebear.
Shinto
Japanese religion [Shintoism].
Shturmovik
The Ilyushin-2 Shturmovik, Soviet mass-produced ground attack aircraft that was highly successful.
ShVAK
Soviet 20mm auto cannon that equipped aircraft, armoured cars, and light tanks.
Skat
German card game using 32 cards.
SMLE
Often referred to s the ‘Smelly’, this was the proper name of the Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield rifle.
SOE
British organisation, Special Operations Executive, which conducted espionage and sabotage missions throughout Europe.
Spitfire, Supermarine.
British single-engined fighter aircraft.
SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer
SS equivalent of captain.
St Florian
Patron saint of Upper Austria, Linz, chimney sweeps, and firefighters.
ST44 [MP43/44]
German assault rifle with a 30 round magazine, first of its generation and forerunner to the AK47.
Standard HDM .22 calibre pistol
Originally used by OSS, this effective .22 with a ten round magazine is still in use by Special Forces throughout the world.
Starshina
Soviet rank roughly equivalent to Warrant Officer first Class.
Station ‘X’
See Bletchley Park entry.
STAVKA
At this time this represents the ‘Stavka of the Supreme Main Command’, comprising high-ranked military and civilian members. Subordinate to the GKO, it was responsible for military oversight, and as such, held its own military reserves which it released in support of operations.
Sten
Basic British sub-machine gun with a 32 round magazine. Produced in huge numbers throughout the 40's.
Stroh rum
Austrian spiced rum.
Studebaker
US heavy lorry supplied to the Soviets under lend-lease.
Studebaker
2.5 ton truck built in USA and USSR [under licence] and often used as platforms for the Katyusha.
Stuka [Junkers 87]
Famous dive-bomber employed by the Luftwaffe.
SU-76
76mm self-propelled gun used as artillery and for close support.
Sunderland
British four-engined flying boat, used mainly in maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine roles.
SVT40
Soviet automatic rifle with a 10 round magazine.
Symposium Biarritz
Utilisation of German expertise to prepare wargame exercises for allied unit commanders to demonstrate Soviet tactics and methods to defeat them.
T.O.E.
Table of Organisation and Equipment, which represents what a unit should consist of.
T/34
Soviet medium tank armed with a 76.2mm gun and 2 mg's.
T/34-85 [T34m44]
Soviet medium tank armed with an 85mm gun and 2 mg's.
T-44 [100]
Soviet medium tank, produced at the end of WW2, which went on to become the basis for the famous T54/55. Armed mainly with the same 85mm as in the T3485, a few were fitted with the devastating 100mm D-10 gun.
T-70
Soviet light tank with two crew and a 45mm gun.
Tallboy
British designed earthquake bomb, containing 12,000lbs of high explosive. It weighed five tone and proved effective against the most hardened of targets.
Thompson
.45 calibre US submachine-gun, normally issued with a 20 or 30 round magazine [although a drum was available.]
Tiger I
German heavy battle tank armed with the first 88mm gun, capable of ruling any battlefield when it was introduced in 1942.
Tokarev
Soviet 7.62mm automatic handgun [also known as TT30] with an 8 round magazine.
Trimbach
Quality Alsatian wine.
TU-2, Tupolev
Soviet twin-engined medium bomber. Extrememly successful design that peformed well in a variety of roles, the TU-2 is considered one of the best combat aircraft of WW2.
Type 97 Chi-Ha
Japanese main battle tank, armed with a 57mm gun.
Type XXI submarine
The most technologically advanced submarine of the era, produced in small numbers by the Germans and unable to affect the outcome of the war.
Typhoon, Hawker.
RAF's most successful single seater ground attack aircraft of World War Two, which could carry anything from bombs through to rockets.
U-Boat Type XX
30 such U-Boats were planned, but none produced during WW2. They were intended as pure supply boats, shorter than the Type XB but with a wider beam.
U-Boat Type XXI
Advanced U-Boat design capable of extended underwater cruising at high speed.
UHU
German 251 halftrack mounting an infra-red searchlight, designed for close use with infra-red equipped Panther units.
Unicorn, HMS
British light aircraft carrier and aircraft repair ship, seeing service throughout WW2. Scrapped in 1959.
USAAF
United States Army Air Force.
Ushanka
Fur hat with adjustable sides.
Vampir
German term for the ST44 equipped with an infra-red sight, also used to refer to the operators of such weapons.
Venona Project
Joint US-UK operation to analyse Soviet message traffic
Vichy
Name of the collaborationist government of defeated France.
Vickers Machine-Gun
British designed machine-gun of WW1 vintage. Extremely reliable .303 calibre weapon, standard issue as a heavy machine-gun.
Vitruvian man
Da Vinci's sketch of a man with legs and arms splayed.
Wacht am Rhein
Literally, 'Watch on the Rhine', a codename used to mask the real purpose of the German build-up that became the Ardennes Offensive in December 1944.
Waffen-SS
There will always be much debate over these troops. Ideologically driven, politically inspired, pathological killers with an unshakable faith in the superiority of the Aryan race or highly motivated troops with an incredible ‘esprit de corps’? Whatever your point of view, the military achievements of the SS Soldiers were without parallel in WW2. That others wore the same uniform as they tended the camps and satisfied the despicable agendas of the Nazi party has, in many ways, tarnished the Waffen-SS. None the less, they have their own crimes to pay for, as do all who wore a uniform in WW2, for no side came away with clean hands.
Walther P38
German 9mm semi-automatic pistol with an eight round magazine.
Wanderer W23 Cabriolet
German vehicle designed for civilian use, sometimes pressed into military service, particularly as a staff car.
Wehrmacht
The German Army
Yakolev-9
Soviet single-seater fighter aircraft that was highly respected by the Luftwaffe.
Yakolev-9U
Soviet single-engined fighter aircraft, probably the best Soviet high-altitude fighter.
Zilant
Legendary creature in Russian folklore somewhat like a dragon
ZIS3
76.2mm anti-tank gun in Soviet use.
ZSU-37
Soviet light self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicle, mounting a 37mm gun.
Zuikaku
Japanese fleet aircraft carrier of the Shokaku class. Present at Pearl Harbor, she succumbed to air attack during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, sinking on 25th October 1944.
About the Author.
Colin Gee was born on 18th May 1957 in Haslar Naval Hospital, Gosport, UK, spending the first two years of his life at the naval base in Malta.
His parents divorced when he was approaching three years of age, and he went to live with his grandparents in Berkshire,
who brought him up.
On 9th June 1975 he joined the Fire Service and, after a colourful career, retired on 19th May 2007, having achieved the rank of Sub-Officer, Watch Commander, or to be politically correct for the ego-tripping harridans in HR, Watch Manager 'A'.
After thirty-two years in the Fire Service, reality suddenly hit, and Colin found himself in need of a proper job!
As of today, Colin is permanently employed doing night shifts for NHS Out of Hours service.
At this moment in time Colin has a wife, two daughters, one step-daughter, two step-sons and two grandsons, called Lucas and Mason, who are avid Manchester United fans, although neither know it yet.
Four cats complete the home ensemble.
He has been a wargamer for most of his life, hence the future plans for a Red Gambit wargaming series.
In 1992 Colin joined the magistracy, having wandered in from the street to ask how someone becomes a beak. He served until 2005. The experience taught him the true difference between justice and the law, the former being what he would have preferred to administer.
