THE FORESIGHT WAR

by Anthony G Williams

  Master Bomber Commander of a bombing raid, who circled around the target observing where the bombs were falling and giving instructions to the incoming bomber crews; a role which could be combined with that of Pathfinder [developed in 1940 instead of later in the war]

  Merlin aero engine designed by Rolls Royce

  MG Machine Gun

  MGB Motor Gun Boat

  Molins Hispano Hispano cannon modified to fire at 1,000 rpm instead of 600 [this was developed, but not put into production]

  MTB Motor Torpedo Boat

  OB convoys outbound, ie from the British Isles

  Oboe very accurate radio navigation system, used by bombers [developed much earlier in the war]

  Oerlikon Swiss 20 mm AA gun

  Osprey air-launched, semi-active radar guided anti-ship missile

  Pathfinder Bomber carrying flares to mark the target for following bomber crews. Usually had particularly skilled navigators or advanced navigation aids [implemented much earlier in the war]

  pdr pounder: a measure of the size of a gun based on the nominal weight of its shell

  PIAT shoulder-fired recoilless anti-tank gun (from Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank) [the historical PIAT was not recoilless, had a lower performance and was available later]

  Polsten 20 mm AA cannon: a simplified version of the Oerlikon

  RT Radio telephone

  SAS Special Air Service: specialist troops

  SBS Special Boat Section or Squadron: specialist Marine troops

  Schmeisser incorrect British name for the MP 38 sub-machine gun, chambered for the 9x19 mm cartridge.

  Serrate an airborne receiver which picked up signals from German night-fighters’ radar

  SHAEF Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Force

  Sledgehammer operation to invade N France [historically, the name was used for a planned raid on France which did not take place]

  Solen British submachine gun in 9x25 mm calibre (from SOLothurn and ENfield) [based on the Solothurn S1-100 SMG]

  sonobuoys disposable buoys containing hydrophones and radios; dropped by aircraft and used to track submarines

  Spandau incorrect British name for the MG 34 and MG 42: general purpose belt-fed machine guns chambered for the 7.92x57 mm cartridge and notable for very high rates of fire.

  SPATG self-propelled anti-tank gun

  SPG Self-propelled gun

  Squid three-barrel anti-submarine mortar [available for the start of the war]

  TBS Talk Between Ships: a short-range radio

  Treaty of Locarno 1925 pact confirming the frontiers between Germany, France and Belgium, and the demilitarized zone of the Rhineland

  Treaty of Versailles 1919 agreement which ended the Great War

  Triton amphibious armoured tracked carrier, some with gun turrets

  U-boat German submarine (Unterseeboot – under sea boat)

  Vichy Government responsible for the part of France which Germany left unoccupied by its troops after the invasion

  Vickers MG standard medium machine gun throughout WW2

  Vickers-Browning British heavy machine gun: an adaptation of the Browning MG to take the Vickers .5 inch cartridge [curiously, the IJA did exactly that to produce the 12.7 mm Ho103 aircraft gun]

  VT fuze "variable time" (proximity) fuze for AA shells

  Washington

  Naval Treaty 1922 agreement limiting the size of navies and the types of ships in them

  Window code word for strips of aluminium foil dropped by aircraft in order to confuse enemy radar

  British Weapon Calibres:

  2 pdr tank/anti-tank gun [modified to use Bofors 40mm ammunition]

  6 pdr tank/anti-tank gun [modified to use Bofors 57mm ammunition]

  17 pdr tank/anti-tank gun, 76.2 mm calibre

  25 pdr artillery field gun, 88 mm calibre

  14 pdr tank gun using a cartridge based on the 6 pdr case necked out to 76.2 mm [equivalent to historical 75 mm, but with longer case designed for APDS]

  35 pdr tank gun based on the 17 pdr case necked out to 102 mm calibre, designed for APDS

  62 pdr medium artillery gun firing the same 4.7 inch/120 mm shells as naval guns [used instead of 4.5 and 5.5 inch guns]

  .303 inch rifle and machine-gun cartridge (7.7x56R mm)

  .5 inch Vickers heavy machine gun cartridge (12.7x81mm)

  3 inch AA gun, using the same ammunition as the 17 pdr tank/anti-tank gun [used instead of 3.7 inch gun]

  4 inch naval dual-purpose gun

  4.7 inch naval dual-purpose gun [L/50 gun with 62 lb shells standardised instead of earlier 4.7 inch L/45 and later 4.5 inch guns]

  7.5 inch [coast defence gun, taken from Cavendish class cruisers]

  9.2 inch coast defence gun

  15 inch naval gun; battleship main armament

  16 inch naval gun; main armament of battleships HMS Rodney and Nelson

  9mm Mauser Export pistol and submachine gun cartridge (9x25 mm) [adopted for Solen SMG and Colt pistols]

  40mm Bofors army and naval AA gun [adopted earlier and more widely used]

  57mm Bofors Swedish automatic anti-aircraft gun [historically not developed until after 1945]

  British Aircraft

  Albemarle STOL/rough field tactical transport designed by Armstrong Whitworth with two Hercules engines, capacious fuselage with rear ramp between twin booms [historical Albemarle was an unsuccessful medium bomber]

  Auster light observation aircraft

  Beaufighter British single-Hercules-engined single seat naval fighter-bomber built by Bristol [the historical Beaufighter was a twin-engined strike fighter]

  Beaufort British two/three seat single engined naval torpedo/dive bomber and anti-submarine/reconnaissance aircraft, built by Bristol [the historical Beaufort was a twin-engined torpedo bomber]

  Brigand British fighter bomber designed by Bristol, a version of the Beaufighter without naval equipment but with extra armour [the historical Brigand was a postwar twin-engined light bomber]

  Blenheim twin-engined light bomber and night-fighter designed by Bristol

  Hampden British twin-Hercules-engined day and torpedo bomber built by Handley Page [the historical Hampden was a less powerful and versatile aircraft]

  Hereford version of Hampden equipped for ground attack, with twin 40mm (Mk.1) or single 57mm (Mk.2) Bofors guns [historical Hereford was a version of the Hampden with different engines)

  Horsa troop-carrying glider

  Hurricane single engined single-seat fighter designed by Hawker [replaced by Brigand after 1940]

  Manchester four-Merlin-engined high-altitude high-speed unarmed heavy bomber, designed by Avro [the historical aircraft was an unsuccessful twin-engined precursor to the Lancaster]

  Mosquito high speed twin-engined bomber/night-fighter designed by de Havilland [developed earlier and used more extensively]

  Reaper twin-Merlin-engined single-seat long range fighter and reconnaissance aircraft, built by Gloster

  Spitfire single engined single-seat fighter designed by Supermarine [earlier improvements to engine power and armament]

  Stringbag nickname for Swordfish

  Sunderland four-engined maritime reconnaissance flying boat designed by Short Bros of Belfast [design modified to use Bristol Hercules engines, with a longer fuselage and wings]

  Swordfish Obsolete naval single-engined biplane torpedo/ bomber/anti- submarine aircraft, designed by Fairey

  Typhoon single-seat jet fighter [the historical Typhoon was a piston-engined fighter-bomber]

  Warwick very long range, heavy maritime reconnaissance bomber with four Hercules engines [the historical Warwick had two Centaurus engines]

  Wellington twin-engined medium bomber designed by Vickers

  Whitley twin-engined medium bomber designed by Armstrong Whitworth

  British & Commonwealth Ships

  Anson battleship of the King George V class

  Ark Royal nameship of 25,000 ton aircraft carrier class [
the historical class did not have angled decks]

  Atherstone Hunt class corvette [the historical Atherstone was a Hunt class destroyer]

  Australia Australian heavy cruiser

  Barham battleship, Queen Elizabeth class

  Berwick heavy cruiser

  Canberra Australian heavy cruiser

  Cornwall heavy cruiser

  Courageous aircraft carrier, adapted from a WW1 battlecruiser

  Dido 4,000 ton frigate with eight 4.7 inch guns [the historical Dido was a 5,500 ton light cruiser with 5.25 inch guns]

  Eagle aircraft carrier, adapted from an incomplete WWI battleship

  Frobisher light aircraft carrier [converted from the historical heavy cruiser]

  Furious aircraft carrier, adapted from a WW1 battlecruiser

  Glasgow light cruiser

  Hawkins light aircraft carrier [converted from the historical heavy cruiser]

  Hood battlecruiser [extensively modernised before WW2]

  Illustrious aircraft carrier of the Ark Royal class [the historical Illustrious class differed from the Ark Royal in having an armoured deck and a smaller hangar capacity]

  Inflexible aircraft carrier of the Ark Royal class

  Invincible aircraft carrier of the Ark Royal class

  Jervis destroyer

  King George V nameship of 35,000 ton battleship class (“KGVs”), built around four older 15 inch turrets [the historical ships had new 14 inch armament and were available later]

  Kingston destroyer

  Malaya battleship, Queen Elizabeth class

  Manchester 10,000 ton light aircraft carrier based on cruiser hull [the historical Manchester was completed as a cruiser]

  Nelson battleship, sistership to Rodney

  Newcastle light cruiser

  Prince of Wales battleship of the King George V class

  Queen Elizabeth battleship, WW1 vintage

  Renown battlecruiser, sistership to Repulse

  Repulse battlecruiser, sistership to Renown [modernised before WW2]

  Rodney battleship, sistership to Nelson

  Seawolf S class submarine

  Sheffield cruiser

  Talisman T-class submarine

  Tribune T-class submarine

  Valiant battleship, Queen Elizabeth class

  Vindictive light aircraft carrier [converted from the historical heavy cruiser]

  Warspite battleship, Queen Elizabeth class

  Queen Mary British passenger liner

  German Terms

  Abwehr military intelligence and counter-intelligence organisation

  Barbarossa code name for invasion of Soviet Union

  Befehlshaber der U-boats Commander (Admiral Dönitz’s title)

  U-boote

  Blitzkrieg "lightning war"; the principle of a sudden, overwhelming attack using mechanized forces in conjunction with air support

  bodenständige an adjective describing a fortress (stationary) army unit

  Christbäume Christmas tree; name given by Germans to RAF Target Indicator flare

  Düppel term for Window (q.v.)

  Einsatzgruppen SS extermination squads

  Elektroboot submarine with high underwater speed and endurance

  Eloka Elektronische Kampfmassnahmen: electronic countermeasures

  Enigma Encoding machine

  Ente Duck: fighter controllers’ slang for a target

  Fall Gelb code name for the attack on France and the Benelux countries (“case yellow”)

  Fallschirmjäger paratroops

  FAT pattern-running torpedo (Feder-Apparat Torpedo), aka G7a

  Feldwebel Sergeant

  FHQ Führerhauptquartier (q.v.)

  Flak abbreviation (informally adopted by the British) of Fliegerabwehrkanone; anti-aircraft gun

  Flak 38 2cm automatic anti-aircraft cannon (also available in four-barrelled Flakvierling)

  Flakpanzer AA tank

  Flakvisier sighting system for anti-aircraft guns

  Fliegerführer

  Atlantik Luftwaffe commander of maritime aviation over the Atlantic

  Fliegerkorps air corps, typically with 300–750 aircraft

  Freya air defence radar

  Fühlungshalter master fighter; fighter pilot who guided attacks on Allied bombers

  Führer leader: title given to Hitler

  Führerhauptquartier (FHQ): Hitler’s headquarters (there were several)

  Führersonderzug Hitler’s special train

  G7a submarine torpedo

  Gebirgsjäger mountain troops (translation: mountain hunters)

  Gefechsstand command post

  Gefreiter Army rank, equivalent to lance-corporal

  Geleitzugschlact travelling convoy battle

  Generalleutnant Lieutenant-General

  Generalmajor Major-General

  Geschwader Luftwaffe unit equivalent to a wing (90 planes)

  Gruppe Luftwaffe unit equivalent to squadron

  Gruppe

  Kommandeur Group Commander; Luftwaffe rank

  Hartkernmunition hard (tungsten) cored AP projectile

  Hauptman rank equivalent to Army captain or flight-lieutenant

  Heinrich radio jamming, used against Gee

  Horchdienst radio “eavesdropping” service

  Hornisse SPATG using the 8,8cm AA gun in an armoured box on the Panzer III chassis.

  Jagdpanzer “hunting tank”: a model of heavy SPATG

  Kammhuber Line a line of defences against night bombers

  Kampfgeschwader bomber unit

  Kanalkueste part of Channel coast between Normandy and Pas-de-Calais

  Kanonier gunner

  Kapitän Captain, German navy

  Kapitänleutnant First Lieutenant, German navy

  Kesselschlacht cauldron battle: one in which the enemy is surrounded

  Kommandogerät 36 Flak director

  Korfu used to detect H2S transmissions

  Korvettenkäpitan naval rank equivalent to Lieutenant-Commander

  Kriegsherr term for the Führer

  Kriegsmarine German Navy

  Kurier target (used by fighter controllers)

  Lagebesprechung Hitler’s daily conferences to discuss the military situation

  Leichentuch shroud – anti-bomber tactic of using searchlights to illuminate clouds from below to reveal bombers flying above them

  Leutnant equivalent to second lieutenant

  Luger service pistol, the first to use the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge

  Luftwaffe German air force

  Luftwaffehelferin female Luftwaffe staff

  "Machen Sie Pauke” order to attack (informal term used by fighter controllers)

  Marder self-propelled anti-tank gun (the specification varied)

  Marine-Kurier naval radio system sending compressed messages in short bursts to minimise the risk of detection

  Mauser Kar 98 standard bolt-action infantry rifle firing the 7.92x57 mm cartridge.

  Metox radar warning receiver; not sensitive to centimetric radar (see Naxos)

  MG 131 aircraft heavy machine gun, 13 mm calibre (Rheinmetall-Borsig) [available earlier]

  MG 151/20 aircraft cannon, 2 cm calibre, designed by Mauser

  MK 103 large, high-velocity aircraft and anti-aircraft cannon, 3 cm calibre (Rheinmetall-Borsig) [available earlier]

  MK 108 compact, low-velocity, fast-firing 3 cm aircraft cannon (Rheinmetall-Borsig) [available earlier]

  M-Geschoss Minengeschoss or mine shell; light weight and high capacity

  Nachtjäger night-fighter

  Nachtjagdgeschwader night-fighter unit

  Naxos radar warning receiver; sensitive to centimetric radar (see Metox)

  Naxos-Z airborne version of Naxos

  Nebelwerfer mortar

  Obergruppenführer Waffen SS rank equivalent to General

  Oberleutnant equivalent to first lieutenant

  Oberst equivalent to colonel

  Oberstleutnant equivalent to Lieutenant Colonel<
br />
  OKH High Command of the German Army (Oberkommando des Heeres)

  OKL High Command of the German Air Force (Oberkommando der Luftwaffe)

  OKM High Command of the German Navy (Oberkommando der Marine)

  OKW High Command of the German armed forces (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht)

  Panzer shortened form of Panzerkampfwagen (q.v.)

  Panzeraufklärungs- armoured reconnaissance unit

  abteilung

  Panzerbefehlswagen armoured command vehicle

  Panzerfaust shoulder-fired recoilless anti-tank weapon

  Panzergrenadiers troops accompanying armoured units

  Panzergruppe armoured group

  Panzerjäger anti-tank self-propelled gun (translation: tank hunter)

  Panzerkampfwagen tank (translation: armoured battle vehicle)

  Panzerspähwagen armoured car

  Panzertransportwagen armoured transport

  Peenemunde research centre for rockets and projectiles

  " Pfielgeschoss arrow shell – long-range sub-calibre HE artillery shell

  Personenkraftwagen armoured personnel carrier

  Pioneeren pioneers – military engineers

  Pz abbreviation of PzKpfw (q.v.)

  PzKpfw abbreviation of Panzerkampfwagen (q.v.)

  PzKpfw II light tank

  PzKpfw III 25-30 ton battle tank with 5 cm L/60 gun (7,5 cm L/45 in later versions) [similar to the historical PzKpfw III but with thicker sloped armour and introduced instead of the historical PzKpfwIII and IV]

  PzKpfw IV (Panther) 40-45 ton battle tank armed with 88mm L/56 gun; Ausf.B with 88mm L/71 and extra armour [similar to the historical PzKpfwVI Panther. The historical PzKpfw IV was an earlier 25 ton tank]

  Reichsjägerwelle fighter broadcast frequency

  Rheinmetall-Borsig armaments firm, designers of MG 131, MK 103, MK 108

  Rotterdamgerät term for British H2S

  RSHA Reichssicherheitshauptamt: Reich Central Security Office

  Rudeltaktik tactic of attacking convoys with groups of submarines (known as "wolf packs" by the British)

  SA Nazi private army (Sturmabteilung: Storm Detachment)

  S-boot (plural S-boote): Schnellboot (fast boat) = MTB

  Scharführer Waffen SS rank equivalent to Sergeant

  Schnorkel retractable air tube enabling submarines to run their diesel engines underwater

  Schräge Musik “jazz or oblique music”: used to describe upward-firing aircraft guns employed in attacking bombers at night

  Schwarm a formation of four fighter aircraft

  Schwartz Kapelle “Black Orchestra”: Gestapo name for German resistance movement