Graduates of West Point and V.M.I. in the early and mid nineteenth century would not have been familiar with Clausewitz’s great work “On War” as it was not translated into English until after the Civil War. Jomini’s works were translated prior to the war and some if not all of the graduates should have been familiar with his theories. Many of the theories of Clausewitz and Jomini originate from the Napoleonic Wars and we know for a fact the graduates were familiar with Napoleon. Jomini is considered the offensive minded of the two theorists though it is definite that he concurs with Clausewitz that offense must emanate from solid defense.

Clausewitz emphasized that military success would be measured by, “the political object of the war.” The South’s political objective was independence. Militarily this goal did not require the total defeat of Union forces or the occupation of large areas of Northern territory. The North’s political goal was the preservation of the Union. This goal did require the total defeat of Confederate forces and the occupation of large areas of the South. At the onset of hostilities Confederate Secretary of War, George Wythe Randolph, wrote, “There is no instance in history of a people as numerous as we are inhabiting a country as extensive as ours being subjected if true to themselves.” The North’s ambitious political goal and the vast land area of the South, suggest a defensive strategy of Jomini’s, which has been labeled the space and time defense.

In the space and time strategy the defending forces will execute a retrograde movement drawing the attacking forces with them. The mission of this movement is to continually lengthen the attacking forces lines of communications. In the military sense time means the simultaneous movement or attack of two or more forces in two or more separate locations. The defender will employ simultaneous raids or attacks against the attackers line of communications. The initial mission of these raids and attacks would be to disrupt these lines but not to cut them. The goal of the defender is to force the attacker to guard as much of his lines of communications as possible, thereby reducing the man power of the main attacking force. This strategy does not call for large armies such as the Army of Nothern Virginia or the Army of Tennessee. If the defending commander had 40,000 troops, his dispositions could be 25,000 in the main defensive force, with the remainder being allotted to three or even four raiding units.

In order to employ the time and space strategy effectively are there requirements that must be met. The area of operations must be large. With the exception of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812, the South was the largest field of continuous operations to date. The ground within the area of operations must be defensible. The South’s topography, with its mountain ranges, rivers, wide streams, heavily wooded areas, swamps and marshes, was conducive to defense. The commanders of the raiding units must be intrepid and innovative. The commander of the main defensive force must be well versed in maneuver and defensive tactics. The Confederacy had officers that would have excelled in this strategy. Perhaps the most important and most necessary factor to this strategy lies with the civilian population. The strategy does not call for the active participation of the civilians in the military aspect. Loss of home territory, whether by force or by the strategy employed, can adversely influence the morale on the home front. Resistance to the loss of morale and passive resistance to the attacker are crucial to the success of the space and time strategy. The spirit and determination of the Confederacy’s civilians made up for many military deficiencies that the South suffered. This spirit and determination would have been fully sufficient for the employment of the space and time strategy.

An example of how effective the space and time defensive strategy could have been during the Civil War is William T. Sherman’s Atlanta campaign. Sherman’s forces were totally dependent on the Western and Atlantic railroad. As General Joseph E. Johnston’s forces retreated towards Atlanta they took or used all the forage and supplies along their line of march, forcing Sherman to be even more dependent on his one railroad. No one was more aware of his precarious lines of communication than General Sherman. At the start of his campaign he had assigned no less than 20,000 troops to defend this single railroad line. On May 5, as the Army of the Tennessee prepared to move through Snake Creek Gap, Sherman stressed to McPherson, “Strike hard as it may save us what we have most reason to apprehend, a slow pursuit, in which he gains strength as we lose it.” Sherman may have been referring to the possible reinforcement of Johnston and the prepared defensive fortifications ahead of which the Confederates would surely make use. The weakening of his own forces could only have come from attrition, as reinforcements were readily available. In any movement that a force undertakes attrition is a natural occurrence. The remedy for this natural attrition is found in the availability of supplies. As he moved toward Atlanta, Sherman knew his line of supply was being stretched, resulting in difficulty supplying his troops at the front.

As General Johnston retreated he was executing part of the equation of the space and time strategy, albeit unknowingly. The strategy does not dictate if the retrograde movement is forced or planned. It does stress that the defender does not allow the attacker to draw them into a major engagement. General Johnston was successful in this. In his memoirs he wrote that, on June 13, he requested President Jefferson Davis to have all available cavalry not assigned to his army, placed under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Forrest’s mission would be to fall on Sherman’s one line of communication disrupting and if possible destroying it. Johnston maintained that he wrote six letters to Davis on the subject. Two letters were sent directly and four routed through General Braxton Bragg. Richmond turned a deaf ear to Johnston even though his plan was endorsed by Polk and Hardee, Johnston’s corp commanders. At a later date General Robert E. Lee urged the implementation of the plan but Richmond still did not act. Did Richmond’s indifference to this plan cost the Confederacy Atlanta and subsequently the war?

Had Forrest been ordered to execute Johnston’s plan, the second part of the space and time defense equation would have been met. To finish the equation, Forrest would have to attack the railroad at more than one location simultaneously. Forrest had made use of this tactic in previous raids. Sherman’s greatest apprehension for the success of his campaign, was Forrest receiving the very orders that Johnston’s request had asked to be issued. General Forrest’s record shows that he was successful in these type of operations and there is no reason to believe he could not carry this mission to success. If Sherman’s lines of communication, his one railroad, had been consistently disrupted or even destroyed what options could Sherman entertain?

Jomini’s theory of the space and time strategy allows for three possible courses of action open to the attacker in response to his threatened lines of communication. General Jomini believed that these three courses were inclusive of all variations. The first, likely the least viable for Sherman, is the drawing of reinforcements from areas outside the immediate theater of operations. This response requires time to concentrate and organize a new force to defend or open the lines. Sherman had over 100,000 men and 35,000 animals in his force. He wrote home in June, “I wish we could make an accumulation of stores somewhere near, but the railroad is taxed to its utmost to supply our daily wants.” The disruption of Sherman’s railroad would not have to have been of long duration for his forces to be in jeopardy. There would not have been time enough for the first response to be employed. The second option allows for the attacker to draw troops from his main attacking force in an attempt to defend or reopen his lines. This course weakens the main attacking force and subjects the second force to consistent attacks by the defender. The third course of action, the most desirable for the defender, is the retreat of the attacking force along its lines of communication. This virtually guarantees the reopening of the attackers lines but at the least delays his attainment of his primary goal. It is quite possible, through the defender going on the offensive, that the attacker’s campaign could be altered or even negated. The offensive tactics available to the defender, when the attacker opts for the second or third response, are material for another article.

Had the Confederacy employed the space and time defense against General Sherman’s invasion, it is quite probable that the fall of Atlanta would have at the very least been delayed. It is even possible that Atlanta’s capture could have been prevented. Many credit the fall of Atlanta for the re-election of President Lincoln in 1864. How many “what if’s” exist if McCellan had won the election?

The Confederacy had no coordinated defensive strategy. Given the tremendous handicap in manpower and resources that faced the South, I believe this lack of any such strategy was a fatal flaw. The “offensive-defensive” strategy of Davis was in fact one of dispersed defense. By attempting to defend widely dispersed areas, Davis weakened the overall defensive ability of the Confederacy. General Jomini’s space and time defensive strategy was seemingly tailored for the Confederacy. The strategy does not require large armies, an benefit to the manpower-short South. The defensive typically does not require the resources of the offensive, an aid to the South’s supply situation. The ground of the South, being extremely advantageous to the defense, would have been utilized fully for that purpose. With their lack of a coordinated defensive strategy, any such strategy would have been an advantage to the Confederacy. Though there may be other defensive strategies that the South could have employed, I submit that Jomini’s space and time defensive strategy is the best of these alternatives. I will not state unequivocally that Jomini’s strategy would have changed the fortunes of the Confederacy in the war. I will, however, say that if the strategy had been employed from the beginning the possibility exists.

Source: http://www.civilwarhome.com/strategy.htm

Stooped over, you wade across to the firing step and take over the watch.  Having exchanged pleasantries, your bleary-eyed and mud-spattered colleague shuffles off towards his dug out.  Despite the horrors and the hardships, your morale is high and you believe that in the New Year the nation’s army march towards a glorious victory.

But for now you stamp your feet in a vain attempt to keep warm.  All is quiet when jovial voices call out from both friendly and enemy trenches.  Then the men from both sides start singing carols and songs.  Next come requests not to fire, and soon the unthinkable happens: you start to see the shadowy shapes of soldiers gathering together in no-man’s land laughing, joking and sharing gifts.

Many have exchanged cigarettes, the lit ends of which burn brightly in the inky darkness.  Plucking up your courage, you haul yourself up and out of the trench and walk towards the foe…

The meeting of enemies as friends in no-man’s land was experienced by hundreds, if not thousands, of men on the Western Front during Christmas 1914.  Today, 90 years after it occurred, the event is seen as a shining episode of sanity from among the bloody chapters of World War One - a spontaneous effort by the lower ranks to create a peace that could have blossomed were it not for the interference of generals and politicians.

The reality of the Christmas Truce, however, is a slightly less romantic and a more down to earth story.  It was an organic affair that in some spots hardly registered a mention and in others left a profound impact upon those who took part.

Many accounts were rushed, confused or contradictory.  Others, written long after the event, are weighed down by hindsight.  These difficulties aside, the true story is still striking precisely because of its rag-tagged nature: it is more ‘human’ and therefore all the more potent.

Months beforehand, millions of servicemen, reservists and volunteers from all over the continent had rushed enthusiastically to the banners of war: the atmosphere was one of holiday rather than conflict.

But it was not long before the jovial façade was torn away. Armies equipped with repeating rifles, machine guns and a vast array of artillery tore chunks out of each other, and thousands upon thousands of men perished.

To protect against the threat of this vast firepower, the soldiers were ordered to dig in and prepare for next year’s offensives, which most men believed would break the deadlock and deliver victory.

The early trenches were often hasty creations and poorly constructed; if the trench was badly sighted it could become a sniping hot spot.  In bad weather (the winter of 1914 was a dire one) the positions could flood and fall in.  The soldiers - unequipped to face the rigours of the cold and rain - found themselves wallowing in a freezing mire of mud and the decaying bodies of the fallen.

The man at the Front could not help but have a degree of sympathy for his opponents who were having just as miserable a time as they were.

Another factor that broke down the animosity between the opposing armies were the surroundings.  In 1914 the men at the front could still see the vestiges of civilisation.  Villages, although badly smashed up, were still standing.  Fields, although pitted with shell-holes, had not been turned into muddy lunarscapes.

Thus the other world - the civilian world - and the social mores and manners that went with it was still present at the front.  Also lacking was the pain, misery and hatred that years of bloody war build up.  Then there was the desire, on all sides, to see the enemy up close - was he really as bad as the politicians, papers and priests were saying?

It was a combination of these factors, and many more minor ones, that made the Christmas Truce of 1914 possible.

On the eve of the Truce, the British Army (still a relatively small presence on the Western Front) was manning a stretch of the line running south from the infamous Ypres salient for 27 miles to the La Bassee Canal.

Along the front the enemy was sometimes no more than 70, 50 or even 30 yards away.  Both Tommy and Fritz could quite easily hurl greetings and insults to one another, and, importantly, come to tacit agreements not to fire.  Incidents of temporary truces and outright fraternisation were more common at this stage in the war than many people today realise - even units that had just taken part in a series of futile and costly assaults, were still willing to talk and come to arrangements with their opponents.

As Christmas approached the festive mood and the desire for a lull in the fighting increased as parcels packed with goodies from home started to arrive.  On top of this came gifts care of the state.  Tommy received plum puddings and ‘Princess Mary boxes’; a metal case engraved with an outline of George V’s daughter and filled with chocolates and butterscotch, cigarettes and tobacco, a picture card of Princess Mary and a facsimile of George V’s greeting to the troops.  ‘May God protect you and bring you safe home,’ it said.

Not to be outdone, Fritz received a present from the Kaiser, the Kaiserliche, a large meerschaum pipe for the troops and a box of cigars for NCOs and officers.  Towns, villages and cities, and numerous support associations on both sides also flooded the front with gifts of food, warm clothes and letters of thanks.

The Belgians and French also received goods, although not in such an organised fashion as the British or Germans.  For these nations the Christmas of 1914 was tinged with sadness - their countries were occupied.  It is no wonder that the Truce, although it sprung up in some spots on French and Belgian lines, never really caught hold as it did in the British sector.

With their morale boosted by messages of thanks and their bellies fuller than normal, and with still so much Christmas booty to hand, the season of goodwill entered the trenches.  A BritishDaily Telegraph correspondent wrote that on one part of the line the Germans had managed to slip a chocolate cake into British trenches.

Even more amazingly, it was accompanied with a message asking for a ceasefire later that evening so they could celebrate the festive season and their Captain’s birthday.  They proposed a concert at 7.30pm when candles, the British were told, would be placed on the parapets of their trenches.

The British accepted the invitation and offered some tobacco as a return present.  That evening, at the stated time, German heads suddenly popped up and started to sing.  Each number ended with a round of applause from both sides.

The Germans then asked the British to join in.  At this point, one very mean-spirited Tommy shouted: ‘We’d rather die than sing German.’  To which a German joked aloud: ‘It would kill us if you did’.

December 24 was a good day weather-wise: the rain had given way to clear skies.

On many stretches of the Front the crack of rifles and the dull thud of shells ploughing into the ground continued, but at a far lighter level than normal.  In other sectors there was an unnerving silence that was broken by the singing and shouting drifting over, in the main, from the German trenches.

Along many parts of the line the Truce was spurred on with the arrival in the German trenches of miniature Christmas trees - Tannenbaum.  The sight these small pines, decorated with candles and strung along the German parapets, captured the Tommies’ imagination, as well as the men of the Indian corps who were reminded of the sacred Hindu festival of light.

It was the perfect excuse for the opponents to start shouting to one another, to start singing and, in some areas, to pluck up the courage to meet one another in no-man’s land.

By now, the British high command - comfortably ‘entrenched’ in a luxurious châteaux 27 miles behind the front - was beginning to hear of the fraternisation.

Stern orders were issued by the commander of the BEF, Sir John Frenchagainst such behaviour.  Other ‘brass-hats’ (as the Tommies nick-named their high-ranking officers and generals), also made grave pronouncements on the dangers and consequences of parleying with the Germans.

However, there were many high-ranking officers who took a surprisingly relaxed view of the situation.  If anything, they believed it would at least offer their men an opportunity to strengthen their trenches.  This mixed stance meant that very few officers and men involved in the Christmas Truce were disciplined.

Interestingly, the German High Command’s ambivalent attitude towards the Truce mirrored that of the British.

Christmas day began quietly but once the sun was up the fraternisation began.  Again songs were sung and rations thrown to one another.  It was not long before troops and officers started to take matters into their own hands and ventured forth.  No-man’s land became something of a playground.

Men exchanged gifts and buttons.  In one or two places soldiers who had been barbers in civilian times gave free haircuts.  One German, a juggler and a showman, gave an impromptu, and given the circumstances, somewhat surreal performance of his routine in the centre of no-man’s land.

Captain Sir Edward Hulse of the Scots Guards, in his famous account, remembered the approach of four unarmed Germans at 08.30.  He went out to meet them with one of his ensigns.  ‘Their spokesmen,’ Hulse wrote, ’started off by saying that he thought it only right to come over and wish us a happy Christmas, and trusted us implicitly to keep the truce.  He came from Suffolk where he had left his best girl and a 3 ½ h.p. motor-bike!’

Having raced off to file a report at headquarters, Hulse returned at 10.00 to find crowds of British soldiers and Germans out together chatting and larking about in no-man’s land, in direct contradiction to his orders.

Not that Hulse seemed to care about the fraternisation in itself - the need to be seen to follow orders was his concern.  Thus he sought out a German officer and arranged for both sides to return to their lines.

While this was going on he still managed to keep his ears and eyes open to the fantastic events that were unfolding.

‘Scots and Huns were fraternizing in the most genuine possible manner.  Every sort of souvenir was exchanged addresses given and received, photos of families shown, etc.  One of our fellows offered a German a cigarette; the German said, “Virginian?”  Our fellow said, “Aye, straight-cut”, the German said “No thanks, I only smoke Turkish!”… It gave us all a good laugh.’

Hulse’s account was in part a letter to his mother, who in turn sent it on to the newspapers for publication, as was the custom at the time.  Tragically, Hulse was killed in March 1915.

On many parts of the line the Christmas Day truce was initiated through sadder means.  Both sides saw the lull as a chance to get into no-man’s land and seek out the bodies of their compatriots and give them a decent burial.  Once this was done the opponents would inevitably begin talking to one another.

The 6th Gordon Highlanders, for example, organised a burial truce with the enemy.  After the gruesome task of laying friends and comrades to rest was complete, the fraternisation began.

With the Truce in full swing up and down the line there were a number of recorded games of soccer, although these were really just ‘kick-abouts’ rather than a structured match.

On January 1, 1915, the London Times published a letter from a major in the Medical Corps reporting that in his sector the British played a game against the Germans opposite and were beaten 3-2.

Kurt Zehmisch of the 134th Saxons recorded in his diary: ‘The English brought a soccer ball from the trenches, and pretty soon a lively game ensued.  How marvellously wonderful, yet how strange it was.  The English officers felt the same way about it.  Thus Christmas, the celebration of Love, managed to bring mortal enemies together as friends for a time.’

The Truce lasted all day; in places it ended that night, but on other sections of the line it held over Boxing Day and in some areas, a few days more.  In fact, there parts on the front where the absence of aggressive behaviour was conspicuous well into 1915.

Captain J C Dunn, the Medical Officer in the Royal Welch Fusiliers, whose unit had fraternised and received two barrels of beer from the Saxon troops opposite, recorded how hostilities re-started on his section of the front.

Dunn wrote: ‘At 8.30 I fired three shots in the air and put up a flag with “Merry Christmas” on it, and I climbed on the parapet.  He [the Germans] put up a sheet with “Thank you” on it, and the German Captain appeared on the parapet.  We both bowed and saluted and got down into our respective trenches, and he fired two shots in the air, and the War was on again.’

The war was indeed on again, for the Truce had no hope of being maintained.  Despite being wildly reported in Britain and to a lesser extent in Germany, the troops and the populations of both countries were still keen to prosecute the conflict.

Today, pragmatists read the Truce as nothing more than a ‘blip’ - a temporary lull induced by the season of goodwill, but willingly exploited by both sides to better their defences and eye out one another’s positions.  Romantics assert that the Truce was an effort by normal men to bring about an end to the slaughter.

In the public’s mind the facts have become irrevocably mythologized, and perhaps this is the most important legacy of the Christmas Truce today.  In our age of uncertainty, it comforting to believe, regardless of the real reasoning and motives, that soldiers and officers told to hate, loathe and kill, could still lower their guns and extend the hand of goodwill, peace, love and Christmas cheer.

Source: http://www.firstworldwar.com/features/christmastruce.htm

A light machine gun may be identified either by the weapon or by its tactical role. It is used to fire in short 8 -10 round bursts, usually from a bipod; a sustained-fire mount such as a tripod is a characteristic of a medium machine gun. Some machine guns - notably General purpose machine guns - may be deployed as either a light machine gun or a medium machine gun. As a general rule, if a machine gun is deployed with a bipod it is a light machine gun; if deployed on a tripod it is a medium machine gun - unless it has a caliber of about 10mm or larger, making it a heavy machine gun. Modern light machine guns often fire smaller-caliber cartridges than medium machine guns, and are usually lighter and more compact.

Light machine guns, such as the British Lewis, were first introduced in World War One to boost the firepower of the infantry. By the end of World War II, light machine guns were usually being issued on a scale of one per section or squad, and the modern infantry squad had emerged with tactics that were built around the use of LMGs.

It is possible to fire a light machine gun from the hip or on the move, but this is generally inaccurate. They are usually fired from a prone position using a bipod. Many light machine guns (such as the Bren gun or the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle) weremagazine-fed. Others, such as the MG 34, could be fed either from a belt or a magazine. Modern light machine guns are designed to fire more rounds of a smaller caliber and as such tend to be belt-fed. Some LMGs, such as the Russian RPK, are modifications of existing assault rifle designs. Adaptations generally include a larger magazine, a heavier barrel to resist overheating, a more robust mechanism to support sustained fire and a bipod. Other modern light machine guns, such as the FN Minimi, are capable of firing from either an ammunition belt or a detachable box magazine.

1900s–1940s

• Madsen machine gun (Multi-caliber)
• Bergmann MG15 nA Gun (7.92 x 57mm)
• M1909 Benet-Mercie (8 mm Lebel, .303 British, .30-06 Springfield)
• Bren (.303 British)
• Fusil-Mitrailleur Mle 1915 ‘CSRG’, ‘Chauchat’ light machine gun (8 mm Lebel)
• Degtyaryov light machine gun (7.62×54mm R)
• Lewis automatic rifle (8 mm Lebel / 6.5×55mm Mauser)
• Lewis Gun (.303 British, .30-06 Springfield)
• Mendoza RM2 (7.92×57mm, .30-06 British)
• ZB vz.26 (7.92×57mm Mauser)
• Browning Automatic Rifle (.30-06 Springfield)
• Browning M1919A6 (LMG variant with stock and bipod) (.30-06 Springfield)
• Type 11 Light Machine Gun (6.5×50mm Arisaka)
• Type 96 Light Machine Gun (6.5×50mm Arisaka)
• Type 99 Light Machine Gun (7.7×58mm Arisaka)
• Breda 30
• FM-24/29 light machine gun (7.5×54mm French)

[edit]1950s–1970s

• RPD (7.62×39mm)
• L4A1 Bren (7.62×51mm NATO)
• MG51 (7.5mm GP11)
• FN MAG (7.62×51mm NATO)
• FAL 50.41 & 50.42 (7.62×51mm NATO)
• MG3 (7.62×51mm NATO)
• M60 (7.62×51mm NATO)
• PK machine gun
• Stoner 63 LMG (5.56×45mm NATO)
• RPK (7.62×39mm)

[edit]1970s-present

• FN Minimi (5.56×45mm NATO)
  • M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (5.56×45mm NATO)
  • Mk 48 Mod 0 (7.62×51mm NATO)
• CETME Ameli (5.56×45mm NATO)
• Ultimax 100 (5.56×45mm NATO)
• Vektor Mini-SS
• IMI Negev (5.56×45mm NATO)
• Pecheneg machine gun (7.62×54mmR)
• Heckler & Koch MG4 (5.56×45mm NATO)
• Ares Shrike 5.56 (5.56×45mm NATO)
• Stoner LMG (5.56×45mm NATO)
• Colt Automatic Rifle (5.56×45mm NATO)
• Steyr AUG H-BAR (5.56×45mm NATO)
• RPK-74 (5.45×39mm)
• L86 LSW (5.56×45mm NATO)
• Heckler & Koch MG36 (5.56×45mm NATO)
• INSAS LMG (5.56×45mm NATO)
• SAR-21 LMG(5.56×45mm NATO)
• EMERK (5.56×45mm NATO)

Examples of assault rifles include the Kalashnikov family (by far the most prolific)^[5], M16 rifle, G36, FN F2000, and the Steyr AUG.

The term assault rifle is a translation of the German word Sturmgewehr (literally “storm rifle”, as in “to storm a position”). The name was coined by Adolf Hitler^[6] to describe the Maschinenpistole 44, subsequently re-christened Sturmgewehr 44, the firearm generally considered the first assault rifle that served to popularise the concept and form the basis for today’s modern assault rifles.

The translation assault rifle gradually became the common term for similar firearms sharing the same technical definition as the StG 44. In a strict definition, a firearm must have at least the following characteristics to be considered an assault rifle:^[7][8][9]

• It must be an individual weapon with provision to fire from the shoulder (i.e. a buttstock);
• It must be capable of selective fire;
• It must have an intermediate-power cartridge: more power than a pistol but less than a standard rifle or battle rifle;
• Its ammunition must be supplied from a detachable magazine.
• And it should at least have a firing range of 300 meters

Rifles that meet most of these criteria, but not all, are technically not assault rifles despite frequently being considered as such. For example, semi-automatic-only rifles that share designs with assault rifles such as the AR-15 (which the M16 rifle is based on) are not assault rifles, as they are not capable of switching to automatic fire and thus not selective fire. Belt-fed weapons (such as the M249 SAW) or rifles with fixed magazines are likewise not assault rifles because they do not have detachable box magazines. However, in this case, the M249 SAW has the ability for both being fed by belt or detachable box magazine.

The term “assault rifle” is often more loosely used for commercial or political reasons to include other types of arms, particularly arms that fall under a strict definition of the battle rifle, or semi-automatic variant of military rifles such as AR-15s.

The US Army defines assault rifles as “short, compact, selective-fire weapons that fire a cartridge intermediate in power between submachinegun and rifle cartridges.”^[10]

History

The Dragon Fire program began in 1997 as a concept demonstrator, intended to experiment with automating medium-caliber, medium range artillery. The Dragon Fire combines digital fire control, power-operated traverse, elevation, and loading, and an advanced aiming system with a 120mm rifled mortar system to give much faster and more precise direct support. Program lead is the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory with design by Army Armament Research, Development, and Engineering Command (ARDEC), and fabrication by Rock Island Arsenal IL, and General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS).

The first prototype was constructed partly from components of a French 120 mm rifled mortar and was completed in 1998. The system was successfully tested and then used in operational experiments from 1998 to 2002, including firings from a modified Light Armored Vehicle.

Dragon Fire II intended to reduce the overall weight of the concept demonstrator and to improve its performance, particularly response time and precision and to facilitate counter-battery fire. The first Dragon Fire II concept demonstrator was completed in September 2005 at Rock Island Arsenal and successfully test fired at Yuma Proving Ground in November 2005.

Operation

The Dragon Fire mortar system can be deployed mounted in an LAV, towed by a HMMWV, or air deployed by CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter or V-22 Osprey. Mounting in an LAV does not require a separate mount; its towing carriage can be converted to an LAV mount in five minutes. After deployment the crew can control the weapon system from a remote station. In operation it is designed to be fully automatic: loading, computing firing solutions, aiming and firing automatically. From an unloaded condition, the weapon is capable of loading, completing a firing solution, aiming, and firing the first round within 14 seconds of receiving an order. The weapon is also capable of being operated manually in the event of failure of an automatic system.

The advanced fire control system is fully compatible with the US Army system, to reduce the risk of friendly fire.

Types of Rounds

The Dragon Fire system is designed to be able to use all NATO types of rifled and smoothbore 120 mm mortar ammunition.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Fire_(mortar)

Development began in 1979, with Boeing and Hughes Aircraft as the primary contractors. The specification called for a small missile which could be carried in large numbers by attack aircraft in multiple dispensers - the A-10 was able to carry several 12 round launcher pods. The Boeing design was unsuccessful, and the USAF selected the Hughes Wasp missile.

The AGM-124A was a small weapon with folding wings and fins to reduce storage space within the launcher. It was intended to be launched in large numbers - 10 or more missiles launched nearly simultaneously was envisaged for a typical attack; indeed the name Wasp derived from this “swarm” tactic. The missiles would follow a pre-programmed path to the target area before activating a millimetric-wave radar to identify and home on a specific target. This high resolution radar was able to distinguish targets even against enemy jamming and high background clutter from the ground.

Testing of the radar system began in 1981, and the first prototype AGM-124 took place in 1983. Production was planned for 1987, but in October 1983 the program was cancelled. Most of the other components of the WAAM program were also less than successful, with only the BLU-108/B Skeet submunition in use today.

Specifications

• Length : 1.52 m (5 ft)
• Wingspan : 51 cm (20 in)
• Diameter : 20 cm (8 in)
• Weight : 57 kg (125 lb)
• Range : 10 km (6.2 miles)
• Propulsion : Solid-fueled rocket motor
• Warhead : Shaped charge

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM-124_Wasp

The Beginning - The Texas Lone Star Chapter was started by two men who wanted to find other Korean Veterans, and bring them together.  These two men, Nat Young and Joe Coyle, worked hard, and succeeded.  The membership has grown month by month, year by year, to over 650 members in 1998.

The Petition for a Chapter Charter was filed January 31, 1991 and approved February 13, 1991.  There were 15 members listed on the petition.  The Lone Star Chapter is a Non-Profit, Texas Corporation, incorporated in the State of Texas on February 11, 1951.  The chapter is exempt from federal taxes by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(19) organization, August 17, 1992.  The Texas Lone Star Chapter, qualifying as an Exempt Organization, is further exempt from State of Texas Franchise taxes and state and local Sales Taxes.

The Purpose of the Texas Lone Star Chapter is to remind the people of the sacrifices made by men and women who served in the armed services during the Korean War.  To find the truth about the MIA’s and POW’s, still listed as not returned, or missing in action.  To help and support the wounded and disabled American Veterans of the Korean War.  To motivate partriotism amongst the American People and to raise their awareness of the Korean War and those who served in it.

The Color Guard participates in numerous functions; funeral services for deceased veterans of any war.  They offer comfort and understanding to surviving family members.  The American Flag, which drapes over the casket, is presented to the family.  The Color Guard also participates in numerous patriotic ceremonies, which include the Memorial Day Parades, 4th of July Parades and various parades around the area, including Austin and Fort Worth. Veterans Day Ceremonies and Memorial Day ceremonies at the National Cemetary and Bear Creek Park.

Education - The chapter has developed and refined an educational program utilizing literature and Korean war memorabilia with veterans telling of their experiences in Korea.  This program is very popular and growning all the time.  The speakers bureau is set up to speak at Junior and Senior High Schools.  Many students were unaware that there was a Korean War or that so many people died there in such a short period of time.  The history books contain maybe two pages dedicated to the war.  The bureau will also speak at any military, social function, or any organization that requests our presence.

Veterans Hospital - Chapter members donate many hours to the Veterans Hospital on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.  They donate their time working where needed.  Donations are collected all year to purchase socks and caps to be distributed to the patients at Christmas time and again during the summer.  These socks are greatly appreciated by the Veterans as some of them have nothing.

Social Functions - Annually the Valentine Sweetheart Dinner is enjoyed and looked forward to.  The Christmas dinner is very popular and attended by a most of the membership.  A 4th of July picnic is also very popular as are our other get-togethers thoughout the year.  We enjoy social activities as well as official functions.

Availability - The Texas Lone Star Chapter is available for any cause requiring the presence of a veterans organization.

PURPOSE OF THE CATHOLIC WAR VETERANS

1. To build a strong organization of Catholic Veterans pledged to the protection of our constitutional form of government and our Church.
2. To conduct an extensive campaign against all dangers to our established government.
3. To assist widows, orphans and dependent parents of veterans.
4. To maintain a legislative lobby in the nation’s capital.
5. To introduce and sponsor veteran’s legislation.
6. To maintain service offices in the Veteran’s Administration and advise and assist veterans and their families.
7. To conduct a National Youth Program.
8. To encourage social and athletic activities within the community.

As members of the CWV, we are obligated to cooperate to the fullest extent with all veterans’ organizations in order to better serve the interests of the men and women who served in each of the the wars in which our nation has been involved. However, we must constantly remember, that as Catholics, we are bound to serve God. We can do this in many ways, such as demonstrating our love and respect to individuals without regard to race, creed, color or national origin. We must strive to instill in the young people of today a respect for our flag, our national anthem, and for the traditions of our great country. And finally, we must remember that the family is the basic unit or building block in our society. May we ask the Lord’s blessing in providing us with the strength and fortitude to achieve our goals.

History Of the Catholic War Veterans

In early 1935 -Msgr. (then Father) Edward J. Higgins, with permission of his Bishop Ordinary, Most Reverend Thomas E. Molloy of the Diocese of Brooklyn, gathered together a few parishoners from his parish, Church of the Immaculate Conception in New York, who had served in World War I, and organized the first Post of the Catholic War Veterans (CWV) - Astoria Post #1, which is a Post of Queens Chapter, Department of New York.

May 19, 1935 - Catholic War Veterans of the United States of America was incorporated under the laws of the State of New York.

May 1935 - Father Higgins journeyed to Rome. Pope Pius XI bestowed his blessing upon the Catholic War Veterans, and blessed the American and Papal flags of the CWV.

July 1940 - The Catholic War Veterans was officially recognized as a Veterans Organization by the Veterans Administration in Washington, DC.

August 17, 1984 - President Ronald Reagan signs legislation granting the Catholic War Veterans (CWV) a Congressional Charter, being the 59th group to receive a Federal Charter, expressing deep admiration for our commitment to serve both God and Country.

Ever since the close of World War I, America had been threatened by the so-called political heresies commonly known today as the “Ism” movement, their purpose to destroy Christianity. Incidentally, up until this time the Catholic Church in America had, strictly speaking, no militant veterans organization made up of men and women who had served their country in time of war. It is true that the Knights of Columbus saw to the needs of Catholic soldiers in camps and behind the battlefield. However, the Knights of Columbus is not a veterans’ organization, but rather a lay organization, commissioned by the United States Government to render services to Catholics in the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

Our Holy Father, Pius XI, warned the world of the dreadful disaster and danger of the “Ism” movements. In response to this warning, aimed directly at Communism, the Reverend Edward J. Higgins, Pastor of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Astoria, Long Island, New York, determined not only to heed the Pope’s plea, but also to do something about it. Father Higgins, who had served as a commissioned Lieutenant Chaplain in the United States Army, had discovered that Catholic servicemen and women had very little organized voice in national matters that concerned their God, their Country and their Home. He knew that without some sort of organized action, the Catholic Veterans could not, as a specific group, voice their approval or disapproval on any matters of grave importance. Thus, Father Higgins conceived the vital need for an organized Catholic veterans’ group. It was due to his priestly guidance, together with the worthy efforts of Past National Commander, John M. Dealy, that the Catholic War Veterans’ of the United States was incorporated under the laws of the State of New York on May 19, 1935.

In May 1935, Father Higgins journeyed to Rome and while there had a private audience with Pope Pius XI. Father Higgins informed his Holiness of what he had thus far accomplished in organizing and establishing the new veterans’ group. He elaborated, too, on his plans and hopes for the future of this organization. Pope Pius XI was pleased with and intensely interested in this new drive for Catholic Action. The Holy Father did not fear for the future of the organization, but, mindful of the Lord’s own words:

…..Where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them….

bestowed upon it his blessing. On this same occasion, the sovereign Pontiff not only blessed the American and Papal Flags of the new organization, but presented Father Higgins with a photograph of himself specially autographed, as an inspiration to urge members ever onward in their endeavors to make this land of ours safe for democracy.

The Creation of the Department of New York of the CWV

The Department of New York was organized in the winter of 1937-38 at a Convention held at the St. George Hotel, Brooklyn, New York. when James J. Munro was elected Commander. The present headquarters is located in New York City.

The present Commander is Frank Belsito, a member of the Assumption Post #1897, Suffolk County. There are seventy-eight Posts that report their CWV activities, grouped as County Chapters and Posts not under Chapter jurisdiction. These Posts are located from Suffolk County, Long Island, to Cheektowaga, Buffalo. These Posts report to the Department of New York at quarterly meetings held at different sites to foster personal contact with the Department.

The Chaplain of the Department of New York is Rev. Emeric Szlezak, a Franciscan priest. Each unit has their own Chaplain to guide the members in matters of faith and morality.

The programs of the Department of New York follow the guidelines of the National Department, that are issued each year and basically cover:

Americanism
Catholic Action
Leadership
Membership
Veterans’ Affairs

Each Post will also have local religious and patriotic activities relative to their Parish, and the local VA Hospital facilities. Our members are very active as volunteers at these hospitals for which they have been awarded for their service, which is recorded in hours spent at the hospital. Their service includes wheelchair escorts; arranging holiday socials and games; providing canteen books to use at the retail store for toiletries; bedside visits and helping with personal chores.

Contact

Catholic War Veterans of the United States of America Inc.
346 Broadway-Suite 812
New York, NY 10013
Phone (212) 962-0988
FAX (212) 894-0517
Email: NYSCWV@aol.com

Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) was founded by Iraq war veterans in July 2004 at the annual convention of Veterans for Peace (VFP) in Boston to give a voice to the large number of active duty service people and veterans who are against this war, but are under various pressures to remain silent.

From its inception, IVAW has called for:

• Immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces in Iraq;
• Reparations for the human and structural damages Iraq has suffered, and stopping the corporate pillaging of Iraq so that their people can control their own lives and future; and
• Full benefits, adequate healthcare (including mental health), and other supports for returning servicemen and women.

Our membership includes recent veterans and active duty servicemen and women from all branches of military service, National Guard members, and reservists who have served in the United States military since September 11, 2001.

IVAW’s strategy is to mobilize the military community to withdraw its support for the war and occupation in Iraq. Therefore, IVAW is leading the movement of veterans and GIs who are working to bring the troops home now.

Today, IVAW members are in 48 states, Washington, D.C., Canada, and on numerous bases overseas, including Iraq. IVAW has chapters around the country and in Canada. IVAW members educate the public about the realities of the Iraq war by speaking in communities and to the media about their experiences. Members also dialogue with youth in classrooms about the realities of military service. IVAW supports all those resisting the war, including Conscientious Objectors and others facing military prosecution for their refusal to fight. IVAW advocates for full funding for the Veterans Administration, and full quality health treatment (including mental health) and benefits for veterans when they return from duty.

Contact Us

IVAW
P.O. Box 8296
Philadelphia, PA 19101
Tel: 215.241.7123
Fax: 267.519.4593

General info/inquiries: ivaw@ivaw.org
Press requests: media@ivaw.org
Speaker requests: Click here to fill out our speaker request form
Membership requests/questions: join@ivaw.org

AK Series Weapons

American Arms

AK-Y 39

AK-F 39

AK-C 47

AK-F 47

Arsenal

SLR (all)

SLG (all)

B-West

AK-47 (all)

Hesse Arms

Model 47 (all)

Wieger STG 940 Rifle

Inter Ordnance - Monroe, NC

RPK

M-97

AK-47 (all)

Kalashnikov USA

Hunter Rifle / Saiga

MAADI CO

* AK 47

* ARM

MISR (all)

MISTR (all)

Made in China

* 84S

* AKM

* 86S

* AKS

* 56

* AK

* 56S

* AK47

MARS

Pistol

Mitchell Arms, Inc.

M-90

AK-47 (all)

AK-47 Cal .308 (all)

M-76

RPK

Monday, October 02, 2000

Page 1 of 3

* Specifically named in the Robert-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989

and required to be registered by March 31, 1992

Norinco

* 86 S

86 (all)

* 84 S

81 S (all)

* 56

RPK Rifle

NHM 90, 90-2, 91 Sport

AK-47 (all)

MAK 90

* 56 S

Hunter Rifle

Ohio Ordnance Works (o.o.w.)

ROMAK 991

AK-74

Poly technologies

* AKS

* AK47

Valmet

Hunter Rifle

76 S

WUM

WUM (all)

AR-15 Series Weapons

American Spirit

USA Model

Armalite

AR 10 (all)

M15 (all)

Golden Eagle

Bushmaster

XM15 (all)

Colt

Law Enforcement (6920)

Match Target (all)

* AR-15 (all)

Sporter (all)

Dalphon

B.F.D.

DPMS

Panther (all)

Eagle Arms

M15 (all)

EA-15 A2 H-BAR

EA-15 E1

Monday, October 02, 2000

Page 2 of 3

* Specifically named in the Robert-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989

and required to be registered by March 31, 1992

Frankford Arsenal

AR-15 (all)

Hesse Arms

HAR 15A2 (all)

Knights

SR-15 (all)

SR-25 (all)

RAS (all)

Les Baer

Ultimate AR (all)

Olympic Arms

AR-15

Car-97

PCR (all)

Ordnance, Inc.

AR-15

Palmetto

SGA (all)

Professional Ordnance, Inc.

Carbon 15 Rifle

Carbon 15 Pistol

PWA

All Models

Rock River Arms, Inc.

Standard A-2

Car A2

Standard A-4 Flattop

Car A4 Flattop

NM A2 - DCM Legal

LE Tactical Carbine

Wilson Combat

AR-15

Total Records: 84

Source: http://ag.ca.gov/firearms/infobuls/kaslist.pdf