Question of the Hour
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3rd Herd said:
Answer:
Cowan, Janice. Spy's Wife: Moscow Memoirs of a Canadian Who Witnessed the End of the Cold War
"Janice Cowan was trained by the Canadian government for her role in Moscow. She and her husband went to spy school in Canada to learn how to gather intelligence for her country. She put this into practice as they lived and traveled in the former Soviet Union. She was in the thick of events during the coup against Gorbachev in 1991, and the attempted coup against Yeltsin in 1993. In her account of this experience, she offers fascinating insights into spycraft in the nineties as well as lively anecdotes and stories about the role of an 'official wife'.
Janice Cowan traveled widely, visiting many cities in Russia and learning about many of the now-independent countries. She took a job on an independent English-language Moscow newspaper which gave her the inside track on politics while Russia was emerging from the ruins of the Soviet Union.
This book is a unique story, told from a unique viewpoint, of a key period in Russian history. It offers a rare inside look into the world of contemporary Canadian diplomacy abroad."
Stan Carew CBC Mainstreet
exspy
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3rd,
I just got back from Chapter's and was going to put the same answer on the thread. I should have gone yesterday.
It seems Ms Cowan was the wife of the Canadian Military Attache in Moscow. He is referred to as 'Sam' and identified as a CF-101 Voodoo pilot. She claims she was recruited by the Major-General in charge of CF Military Intelligence.
What's your next question?
I just got back from Chapter's and was going to put the same answer on the thread. I should have gone yesterday.
It seems Ms Cowan was the wife of the Canadian Military Attache in Moscow. He is referred to as 'Sam' and identified as a CF-101 Voodoo pilot. She claims she was recruited by the Major-General in charge of CF Military Intelligence.
What's your next question?
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Interlocking road wheels froze up in the extreme cold when they became packed with mud and snow.
My reference is me. Something I read years ago encroaching from the dark recesses of my addled mind.
edit: Either that or I'm still right the f&*k out of 'er!
My reference is me. Something I read years ago encroaching from the dark recesses of my addled mind.
edit: Either that or I'm still right the f&*k out of 'er!
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Sorry you are:
has to do with rodents...nudge, nudge..wink, wink.....
;D ;D
BernDawg said:
has to do with rodents...nudge, nudge..wink, wink.....
;D ;D
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Now you went and made me look it up
A “mysterious outbreak of tularaemia on the German-Soviet front [occurred] shortly before the Battle ofStalingrad in 1942”.
from here:
http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:FVIAy8qG4iwJ:www.sussex.ac.uk/Units/spru/hsp/Geissler.pdf+panzers,+rats,+stalingrad&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=10&gl=ca
A “mysterious outbreak of tularaemia on the German-Soviet front [occurred] shortly before the Battle ofStalingrad in 1942”.
from here:
http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:FVIAy8qG4iwJ:www.sussex.ac.uk/Units/spru/hsp/Geissler.pdf+panzers,+rats,+stalingrad&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=10&gl=ca
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.....electrical wires....... ;D
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Panzers and other motorized vehicles to a certain extent did not play a significant role in the Battle of Stalingrad as most were awaitting the rewiring of electrical systems. The cause of the failure was mice stripping off the insulation covering the wires. In most cases a complete replacement of wiring was required as there were more than one short circut. In addition to the time and necessary parts was the depletion of a strategic minerial in short supply, copper. This continued to plague the Germany armies in the remainder of the war years on the Eastern front.
Bern:
Mice used to do the same at WP hence the number of well fed strays. It seemed every time a cull of cats was ordered the mice population would rise and shortly after it was rewiring time, especially for vehicles which had spent time sitting up at Macully.
Next question:
In the later years of WW2 German infantry weapons were susceptible to a high frequency of jamming while being fired than in earlier years. What was the sole cause ?
Larry,
of course you were right but I like teaching an old dawg new tricks ;D
Bern:
Mice used to do the same at WP hence the number of well fed strays. It seemed every time a cull of cats was ordered the mice population would rise and shortly after it was rewiring time, especially for vehicles which had spent time sitting up at Macully.
Next question:
In the later years of WW2 German infantry weapons were susceptible to a high frequency of jamming while being fired than in earlier years. What was the sole cause ?
Larry,
of course you were right but I like teaching an old dawg new tricks ;D
foresterab
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Wild guess here...
The change in german fuel production through the war from conventional oils to more synthetic fuels meant that the lubricating oils used in firearms had different properties. With the work Germany did with coal based fuels and vegtable oils I'm guessing the "new" fuels would act differently and eventually lead to a higher jamming rate of weapon actions than was found previously.
As the Allied forces did not use petroleum sythetics to the same degree as the Axis forces this issue was avoided for them.
Anywho...my guess of the day.
The change in german fuel production through the war from conventional oils to more synthetic fuels meant that the lubricating oils used in firearms had different properties. With the work Germany did with coal based fuels and vegtable oils I'm guessing the "new" fuels would act differently and eventually lead to a higher jamming rate of weapon actions than was found previously.
As the Allied forces did not use petroleum sythetics to the same degree as the Axis forces this issue was avoided for them.
Anywho...my guess of the day.
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foresterab said:
Nope nothing to due with synthetic fuel or lubricating oils. But a good WAG gets you an honorable mention.
Most of the problems though you mention in this area of SA were weather related. I am looking for something which was not influanced by seasonal change. ;D
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Was it the G43 and the jamming caused by poor maintenance by less experienced, younger troops as the war progressed?
foresterab
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Well...
My next guess about Germany thinning out the copper content of the cartridge which lead to more jams was incorrect so had to go to plan C - Google.
This is a post regarding Navel weapons but I'm assuming is the answer you're looking for:
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNGER_projectiles.htm
Basically the shortages of key metals forced Germany to change from Brass to Steel cartridges and hence different effects upon firing due to the metals.
My next guess about Germany thinning out the copper content of the cartridge which lead to more jams was incorrect so had to go to plan C - Google.
This is a post regarding Navel weapons but I'm assuming is the answer you're looking for:
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNGER_projectiles.htm
Basically the shortages of key metals forced Germany to change from Brass to Steel cartridges and hence different effects upon firing due to the metals.
foresterab
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Okay...attempt 4 at this one..
Given a piece of ammunition is powder, jacket, bullet, and primer and my earlier answer indicated the change in jackets from copper to steel was part of the problem here's the next guess.
Bullets historically were pure lead but this had two disadvantages...inaccurate ballistics and fouling of the barrel. To combat part of this problem modern bullets have evolved to become a lead alloy mix (usually mixed with tin or anitimony) and a copper base (to cap the gases and improve accuracy).
My guess is that the amount of alloy was decreased or removed leading to a greater fouling of the barrels and in turn, when combined with the steel jackets of the ammunition, lead to higher rates of wweapons malfunctions.
Given a piece of ammunition is powder, jacket, bullet, and primer and my earlier answer indicated the change in jackets from copper to steel was part of the problem here's the next guess.
Bullets historically were pure lead but this had two disadvantages...inaccurate ballistics and fouling of the barrel. To combat part of this problem modern bullets have evolved to become a lead alloy mix (usually mixed with tin or anitimony) and a copper base (to cap the gases and improve accuracy).
My guess is that the amount of alloy was decreased or removed leading to a greater fouling of the barrels and in turn, when combined with the steel jackets of the ammunition, lead to higher rates of wweapons malfunctions.
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Also, German weapons had a tendency to be machined to very exact specifications. Great piece of kit that will last a 100 years - problem being that
1. they won't last that long
2. overly machined = more complicated
3. high specs = lots of maintenance
Today's AKs are an example of a weapon that is simple to maintain and will continue to operate - no matter how fouled up it happens to be (more or less)
Soviet army, with their PPSH 41 created a situation where the germans faced an army with tons of firepower - while most of the germans still had their KAR98.
A few hundred PPSH41s were produced in November 1941 and another 155,000 were produced over the next five months. By spring 1942, the PPSh factories were producing roughly 3,000 units a day. The PPSh-41 was classic example of design adapted for mass production ( like the Sten). Eexcluding the barrel, its parts could be produced by a relatively unqualified workforce using simple equipment available in an auto repair garage or tin shop. Over 6 million of these weapons were produced by the end of the war.
1. they won't last that long
2. overly machined = more complicated
3. high specs = lots of maintenance
Today's AKs are an example of a weapon that is simple to maintain and will continue to operate - no matter how fouled up it happens to be (more or less)
Soviet army, with their PPSH 41 created a situation where the germans faced an army with tons of firepower - while most of the germans still had their KAR98.
A few hundred PPSH41s were produced in November 1941 and another 155,000 were produced over the next five months. By spring 1942, the PPSh factories were producing roughly 3,000 units a day. The PPSh-41 was classic example of design adapted for mass production ( like the Sten). Eexcluding the barrel, its parts could be produced by a relatively unqualified workforce using simple equipment available in an auto repair garage or tin shop. Over 6 million of these weapons were produced by the end of the war.
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