OCTU - Officer Cadet TRaining Unit
Panzerfaust - The German hand-operated anti-tank weapon; unlike the US bazooka it required only one man to use and its penetrative power was often devastating at close range.
PPA - Popski's Private Army. (Popski's Private Army, officially No. 1 Demolition Squadron, PPA, was an unit of British Special Forces founded in Cairo in 1942 by Major (later Lieutenant-Colonel) Vladimir Peniakoff DSO MC. Popski's Private Army was one of several raiding units formed in the Western Desert during the Second World War. They also served in Italy and the Adriatic before they were disbanded in September 1945)
REME - Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
RSM - Regimental Sergeant Major
RTU - Returned to unit, for those men who fail to make the grade in the SAS
RV - rendezvous
Schmeisser - Standard German issue sub-machine gun with a 9mm calibre and capable of firing 500 rpm, effective at 150 yards.
SD - Sicherheitsdienst, the German Security Service, about 3,000 strong.
SFHQ - Special Forces Headquarters
SHAEF - Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
SIG - Special Interrogation Group
SOE - Special Operations Executive formed in 1940 to foment clandestine warfare in Occupied Europe
Spandau - The German army machine gun
SS - Schutzstaffeln, Nazi military force whose stated mission was the protection oof the Fuhrer and the security of the REich, who were supposed to be racially pure Germans, swore an oath of loyalty to Hitler and wore their SS number as a tattoo.
Sten gun - Mass produced and unreliable 9mm caliber sub-machine gun effective only at close range.
Thompson - US-made sub-machine gun with a .45 calibre and a range of 300 yards, capable of firing 725 rounds a minute.
Vickers K - Guns taken from Gloster Gladiator fiighter planes mounted in the front and back of SAS jeeps, capable of firing 1,200 rounds per minute.
WAAF - Womens Auxiliary Air Force
Wadi - The Arabic name for a dried up river bed or dry ravine.
WRNS - Women's Royal Naval Service
Bibliography
Stirling's Men: The Inside History of the SAS in World War II, by Gavin Mortimer. Cassell Military Paperbacks, 2004
Showing posts with label terminology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label terminology. Show all posts
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
WW II Glossary of Terms #2
FFI - Forces Francais d'Interieur - responsible for organizing armed resistance in France
Gestapo - Geheime Staatspolizei, a political police force whose mission was to eradicate political views incompatible with Nazism.
LCA - Landing Craft Assault, 12-m long vessel capable of carrying 35 men.
LCI - Landing Craft Infantry, 50m-long vessel capable of carrying nearlty 200 men.
LRDG - Long Range Desert GRoup
Maquis - The French resistance groups who fought against the GErman occupation.
MC - Military Cross, awarded to officers of the rank of major and below for gallantry in action
MEHQ - Middle East Headquarters
MGB - motor gun boat
Milice - French fascist organizations working with the GErmans
MM - military medal, awarded to NCOs and soldiers for gallantry in action.
Nebelwerfer - A multi-barrelled mortar known to the British as Moaning Minnie because of the ungodly noise made by the rockets.
Bibliography
Stirling's Men: The Inside History of the SAS in World War II, by Gavin Mortimer. Cassell Military Paperbacks, 2004
Gestapo - Geheime Staatspolizei, a political police force whose mission was to eradicate political views incompatible with Nazism.
LCA - Landing Craft Assault, 12-m long vessel capable of carrying 35 men.
LCI - Landing Craft Infantry, 50m-long vessel capable of carrying nearlty 200 men.
LRDG - Long Range Desert GRoup
Maquis - The French resistance groups who fought against the GErman occupation.
MC - Military Cross, awarded to officers of the rank of major and below for gallantry in action
MEHQ - Middle East Headquarters
MGB - motor gun boat
Milice - French fascist organizations working with the GErmans
MM - military medal, awarded to NCOs and soldiers for gallantry in action.
Nebelwerfer - A multi-barrelled mortar known to the British as Moaning Minnie because of the ungodly noise made by the rockets.
Bibliography
Stirling's Men: The Inside History of the SAS in World War II, by Gavin Mortimer. Cassell Military Paperbacks, 2004
Saturday, April 2, 2011
WW II Glossary of Terms #1
3-inch mortar: A range of 2,800 yards and fired 10 pound bombs. It weighed 44 pounds plus a baseplate of 37 pounds and a mounting of 45 pounds.
ATS - Auxiliary Territorial Service
Beretta - Italian-made sub-machine gun with a 9mm calibre
Bofors - A 40mm anti-tank gun favored by the British Army.
Bren gun - Czech-made light machine gun with a range of up to 2,000 yards.
DCM - Distinguished Conduct Medal, the equivalent of the DSO - second only to the VC - and awarded to NCOs and officers for exceptional gallantry.
Dingo - Wheeled and armored scout car with a two-man crew.
DSO - Distinguished Service Order, during WW2 awarded to junior officers for outstanding gallantry just below that of VC and to senior officers for outstanding leadership.
DZ - Dropping zone for parachutists and supplies.
Bibliography
Stirling's Men: The Inside History of the SAS in World War II, by Gavin Mortimer. Cassell Military Paperbacks, 2004
ATS - Auxiliary Territorial Service
Beretta - Italian-made sub-machine gun with a 9mm calibre
Bofors - A 40mm anti-tank gun favored by the British Army.
Bren gun - Czech-made light machine gun with a range of up to 2,000 yards.
DCM - Distinguished Conduct Medal, the equivalent of the DSO - second only to the VC - and awarded to NCOs and officers for exceptional gallantry.
Dingo - Wheeled and armored scout car with a two-man crew.
DSO - Distinguished Service Order, during WW2 awarded to junior officers for outstanding gallantry just below that of VC and to senior officers for outstanding leadership.
DZ - Dropping zone for parachutists and supplies.
Bibliography
Stirling's Men: The Inside History of the SAS in World War II, by Gavin Mortimer. Cassell Military Paperbacks, 2004
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