The FReeper Foxhole's TreadHead Tuesday - Soviet T-54/T-55 Series Tank - Jul. 27th, 2004

www.globalsecurity.org ^

[SAMWolf]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.

...................................................................................... ...........................................

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T-54/T-55 Series Tank

The layout of the T-54 is conventional, with the main armament comprising a 100mm rifled gun. The T-54 has been used more than any other tank since the Second World War. It is intended for combat actions involving tanks, combat vehicles, armoured personnel carriers and other armored enemy targets. The T-55 combines a high velocity gun with exceptional long-range endurance. The T-55 has a fully tracked, five-road-wheeled chassis with a low-silhouetted hull and a dome shaped turret.


T-54

The T-54 series tanks first appeared in 1949 as replacements for the T-34 tank of World War II. The first T-54 prototype was completed in 1946 with first production beginning in 1947. The T-54 was continuously improved and modified, and, when sufficient changes had been made, the tank was redesignated T-55. The T-55 was introduced in 1958 and incorporates all the refinements and improvements of the fully developed T-54 series without being radically different in design or appearance. The T-55A appeared in the early 1960s. Production continued in the Soviet Union through 1981 and was also undertaken in China (as the Type 59), Czechoslovakia and Poland.


T-54B

Large numbers are still in service, although by the 1980s the T-54/55 had been replaced by the T-62, T-64, T-72, and T-80 as the primary main battle tank in first-line Soviet tank and motorized rifle units. Used in the invasion of Hungary in 1956, Czechoslovakia in 1968, and Syria in 1970, it was the main Arab tank in the 1967 and 1973 wars with Israel. During the 1970s, the T-54 saw combat in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Uganda.


T-55 AMV
DESCRIPTION:

• The T-55 medium tank has a fully tracked, five-road wheeled chassis with a space between the first and second road wheels and no return rollers. It has a low-silhouetted hull with a dome-shaped turret mounted over the third road wheel. The 100-mm rifle-bore main gun has a bore evacuator at the muzzle. A 7.62-mm coaxial machine gun and 7.62-mm bow machine gun are also mounted. The later T-55A version lacks the bow machine gun.
  
  
  
• The T-55 is distinguishable from the other T-54 models in that it lacks the right-hand cupola and the turret dome ventilator located in front of that cupola on the T-54. Most T-55s also lack the turret-mounted 12.7-mm AA machine gun of the T-54, and all T-55s mount an infrared gunner's searchlight above and to the right of the main gun. This searchlight, however, is not a distinguishing feature, since it has been retrofitted to many T-54 and T-54A tanks.

CAPABILITIES:

• The T-55 combines a high-velocity gun with a highly mobile chassis, a low silhouette, and exceptional long-range endurance. Improvements over the T-54 include a larger V-12 water-cooled diesel engine with 580 hp rather than 520 hp, increased cruising range of 500km (up to 715 km with two 200-liter auxiliary fuel tanks which can be carried on the rear) rather than 400 km (600 km with auxiliary tanks). The T-55 also has two-plane stabilization of the main gun rather than vertical stabilization only, and a basic load for the main gun of 43 rounds rather than 34.
  
  
  
• The T-55, which can ford depths of 1.4 meters without preparation, has snorkel equipment which enables it to cross depths of up to 5.5 meters at a speed of 2 km/hr. This equipment takes about 1 5 to 30 minutes preparation but can be jettisoned immediately on leaving the water. All T-55s have the PAZ radiation detection system, and the T-55A also has an anti-radiation liner. Some T-55s also may have been retrofitted with a full NBC collective protection system (air filtration and overpressure). A dense smoke screen can be generated by injecting vaporized diesel fuel into the exhaust system.
  
  
  
• T-55s with "bra armor", semi-circular add-on armor, have turret protection increased to 330 mm (KE) and 400-450 mm (CE). Other improvements available include a hull bottom reinforced against mines, better engines, rubber track pads, and a thermal sleeve for the gun. The 1K13 sight is both night sight and ATGM launcher sight; however, it cannot be used for both functions simultaneously. Optional sights and fire control systems include the Israeli El-Op Red Tiger and Matador FCS, Swedish NobelTech T-series sight, and German Atlas MOLF. The Serbian SUV-T55A FCS, British Marconi Digital FCS, South African Tiger, and Belgian SABCA Titan offer upgraded function. One of the best is the Slovenian EFCS-3 integrated FCS.
  
  
  
• A variety of thermal sights is available. They include the Russian/French ALIS and Namut-type sight from Peleng. There are thermal sights available for installation which permit night launch of ATGMs.
  
  
  Tiran-5 (Israeli upgrade to T-55), upgunned to L7 105mm.
  
  
• The first operational active protection system [APS], named Drozd, was developed by the Soviet Union between 1977 and 1982. This system was installed on some 250 naval infantry T-55As (redesigned T-55ADs) in the early 1980s, and was designed for protection from ATGMs and antitank grenades. It used primitive millimeter-wave radar sensors on each side of the turret to detect incoming rounds. A filter in the radar processor was intended to ensure that the system responded only to targets flying at speeds typical of ATGMs. These are engaged by one or more short-range rockets carrying fragmentation warheads (similar to mortar rounds), fired from four-round launchers (one on each side of the turret). Drozd provides maximum overlap and protection only to the forward 60° portion of the turret, leaving the sides and rear vulnerable. The tank crew can change the orientation of the system by rotating the turret.
  
  
  T-55 abandoned tank during the Gulf War.
  
• Drozd suffered from several shortcomings. Its radar was unable to determine threat elevation levels adequately, and the self-defense rockets would almost certainly have caused unacceptably high levels of collateral damage — particularly to accompanying dismounted infantry.

LIMITATIONS:

• The T-55 is most effective against light to medium armor vehicles. The basic ammunition load for the main gun is 43 rounds. External fuel cells make the tank very vulnerable, as does its thin armor protection. The T-55 has a limited ability to depress the main gun, hindering the tank’s fires in defilade from high ground. In addition the gunner’s primary sight is slaved to the main gun, which does not allow the gunner to acquire targets in a hull-down posture.
  
  
  
• Although the half-egg shaped turret of the T-55 has good ballistic qualities, it provides cramped working conditions for the crew, resulting in a slow rate of fire; and the protection afforded by its low silhouette (1 meter lower than the M60) is counterbalanced by its poor armor protection which is thin by western standards. By the same standards, its gun control equipment is also crude. It shares the disadvantage of most Soviet tanks in having limited ability to depress the main gun, thus not being capable of firing effectively from defilade and being forced to expose itself to engage targets. Ammunition and fuel are stored in vulnerable positions. The lack of a turret basket presents loading difficulties, and there is limited ready ammunition. The driver, commander, and gunner are all in line.
  
  
  An Iraqi T-55, knocked out during the British offensive in Basrah
  
• The T-55 is not airtight. Although crew members are protected from radioactive dust by the filtration system, they must wear individual protective masks and clothing to guard against chemical and biological agents. The tank must thus pass through contaminated areas rapidly and then be decontaminated before it is fully operational.
• The tank can be made watertight for fording water obstacles up to 1.4 meters deep (5.5 meters with snorkel). However, it may take up to half an hour to prepare a medium tank unit for a snorkeling operation, and entrance and exit points may also require preparation.

[SAMWolf]

VARIANTS

The T-54/55 tanks have been produced in greater quantity than any other tank in the world. Seven main production models have been widely used throughout the Warsaw Pact and in many other countries. The T-54/55 series has been manufactured in Czechoslovakia and Poland as well as in China where it is known as Type 59. Due to its long service in the armed forces, many various versions and modifications were developed, both by the original manufacturer and by licensed producers later on, e.g. T-54, T-54/55, OT-54/55, T-54A, T-54B, T-54M, T-55, T-55A, T-55M, T-55AD, T-55MV and others. More than a dozen countries have produced upgraded T-55 variants with similar capabilities in protection and lethality. Due to gradual modernizations, there have been a number of upgrades concerning mobility and immediate protection for the vehicle itself and for the crew. Many countries have upgraded to a larger main gun.

• T-54: There are numerous differences between early production T-54 vehicles and later models with some having a wider mantlet and turret undercut at the rear. These are sometimes referred to as the T-54 (1949), T-54 (1951) and T-54 (1953).
  
  
  T-54A
  
• T-54A: This model has a fume extractor for the 100mm gun, stabilization system and deep fording equipment.
• T-54AK: Command tank (Polish model is the T-54AD). Has additional radios and a radio range of 100 miles.
• T-54M: T-54 upgraded to the T-55M standard. See T-55M.
• T-54B: First model to have infra-red night vision equipment. This is the model used in the above stats.
  
  
  
• T-55: T-54 with new turret and numerous other improvements, late production models have a 12.7mm AA MG. Improvements over the T-54 include a larger V-12 water-cooled diesel engine and an increased cruising range of 500 rather than 400 kilometers (600 kilometers with auxiliary tanks). The cruising range can be extended to 715 kilometers with two 200-liter auxiliary fuel tanks which carried on the rear. The T-55 used a completely different turret from the T-54, the most obvious difference being that the T-55 was now without the roof top mushroom ventilator dome and instead has two D-shaped roof panels. Early T-55s also did not mount the loader's 12.7mm DShK AA MG and the loader's hatch was flush mounted with little or no rise above the surrounding turret armor.
• T-55A added an NBC protection system. T-55A used a new anti-radiation lining and PAZ/FVU chemical filtration system upgrade on the same turret. The lining caused the turret hatches to be thicker and no longer flush with the turret surface. Notable features are much larger combing on the commander's and gunner's hatch, and a large blister on the driver's hatch. The T-55A Model 1970 did begin to receive the 12.7mm MG agin, but in a different position than on the T-54.
• T-55M added the Volna fire control system (with ATGM launcher), improved gun stabilization and sights, improved engine, new radio, and increased protection. That included side skirts, smoke grenade launchers, applique armor, and fire protection.
  
  
  
• T-55AM added bra armor, an armor band around the turret for 180° coverage. The T-55AM designation is sometimes used to indicate a T-55A vehicle with the 12.7mm DShK MG on its new fitting on the loader's hatch.
• T-55AM2B: Czech version of T-55AMV with Kladivo fire control.
• T-55AM2: Variant does not have ATGM capability or Volna FCS.
• T-55AM2P: Polish version of T-55AMV but with Merida FCS.
• T-55AMD: Variant with the Drozd APS instead of ERA.
  
  
  T55 Drozd
  
• T-55AD Drozd: Variant with Drozd but not Volna FCS and ERA.
• T-55AMV The -AMV upgrade means substitution of ERA for the bra armor. Variants ending with -1 denote replacement of the engine w/V-46 engine from T-72 MBT. The Ukraine and Syria will upgrade to the T-55AMV standard.
  
  
  T-72Z, a T-55 MBT upgraded in Iran by addition of the ERA
  
• T-72Z Safir-74 - An Iranian upgrade to the T-54/T-54 that may have been applied to Iraqi T-54s captured in the Iran-Iraq War. This has a number of improvements including a 105 mm M68 rifled tank gun, computerised fire-control system and a new power pack which consists of a diesel engine, fully automatic transmission and cooling system.
  
  
  MT-55A armored bridgelayer
  The MT-55A armored bridgelayer (Mostní tank) is a specially converted T-55A medium tank chassis, with the turret removed and replaced by a special bridge launching equipment. The converted T-55A chassis differs only by the arrangement of the compartments in the hull. The bridge tank is intended for an easy and rapid crossing of antitank barriers (trenches) and other obstacles with the purpose of facilitating the passage of mechanised and tank units. The bridge launching equipment is controlled by a system of hydraulic cylinders; the distribution of hydraulic oil can be controlled both manually by mechanical levers and automatically. The pressure of the liquid is provided by high-pressure piston pumps powered by the tank engine. All mechanisms of the MT-55 used for laying and recovering of the bridge can be controlled by the crew from the inside of the tank, with hatch covers closed. To start the launching procedure, the vehicle stops short of the gap; subsequently, the bridge swings forward and down while its two sections open like scissors.
  
  
  
• The VT-55A recovery tank is a special armored tracked vehicle mounted on the T-55A tank chassis. It is intended primarily for towing of crashed or damaged equipment in various terrain conditions, for recovery of equipment out of all kinds of impossible positions, with a tractive power up to 75 MPa. Its built-in crane can lift loads up to 1.5 ton. Other applications of the VT-55A include material handling, like transportation of spare parts up to 3 tons to damaged equipment. The vehicle is divided into driver´s, commander´s, winch, and engine and gear compartments. It is equipped with an NBC protection. The crew consists of a commander, driver/engineer and slinger.

[SAMWolf]

Since WWII, the T-54/55 MBTs has been the most numerous tank in the world. The T-54 was first produced in 1947 in the former Soviet Union as an improved version of the T-44 used during WWII and the 1956 Hungarian uprising. The T-54 is primarily intended for combat involving tanks, combat vehicles and armored enemy targets. It was used in combat in Vietnam, Cambodia and Uganda in the 1970's. In 1958, an upgraded T-54 was introduced and dubbed the T-55. This new model featured improvements on the fully developed T-54 series, yet retained its basic design and appearance. The Soviets used the T-55 in the invasion of Hungary in 1956 and the former Czechoslovakia in 1968. It was also used in Syria in 1970, and was the primary MBT used by the Arabs in the 1967 and 1973 wars with Israel. The T-55 was produced in the former Soviet Union until 1981.



In the 1950's, T-54s were supplied to China, where China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) put a copy of the tank into production as the Type 59 MBT. The Type 59 was employed in conflicts in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and continues to be used, most notably by China, Vietnam, Cambodia, North Korea and Pakistan. An improved version of the Type 59, the Type 69, was released by NORINCO in 1982 and is a virtual copy of the Soviet T-55 MBT. Iraq ordered between 100 and 200 Type 69-I MBTs from China once the tanks were available. In 1983, the first of these were delivered through Saudi Arabia.



In the former Soviet Union, an improved version of the T54/55 MBT emerged as the T-62 in 1961. It was produced until 1975 and eventually replaced the T-54/55 tanks as the standard MBT in Soviet tank and motorized rifle units. The T-62 was also produced for export in the former Czechoslovakia between 1973 and 1978, and in North Korea for home and export markets.


Chinese Type 59

CAPABILITIES

The T-54, T-55 and T-62 tanks are improved versions of each the last, but all share the same basic design. The Type 59 and Type 69 are Chinese versions of the T-54 and T-55, respectively, with minor differences. All the variants are most effective against light to medium armored vehicles. As with any tank, the three main factors in gauging effectiveness are: armor, firepower and mobility.


Chinese Type 69

Additional Sources:

www.cdi.org
afvinteriors.hobbyvista.com
legion.wplus.net
www.homestead.com/tankerslife/
www.army.lv
members.aol.com/panzersgt2
medlem.spray.se
www.operations.mod.uk
www.reserve-info.de
www.acig.org
www.armouredengineer.force9.co.uk
armor.kiev.ua
www.armouredplastic.com
members.tripod.com/Proj947
www.tanksforsale.co.uk
panzerdlz.myetang.com
www.sinodefence.com

[SAMWolf]

Like many AFV designs, the Soviet T-54 plan was an expedient measure, marrying the proven 100mm D-10 gun of the SU-100 tank destroyer with a new hull/turret combination derived from the T-44 tank (which was originally armed with a ZIS S-53 85mm gun). When the turret was found to be sorely limited in size for the larger D-10 gun, a new turret design produced the sleek streamlined tank profile destined to become one of the most recognized silhouettes in AFV history. The first T-54s of the late 1940s had many teething problems and matured gradually. The suspension and hull components were upgraded and improved and the undercut at the turret rear was eliminated. The resulting AFV would continue to evolve over the next 20 years into one of the most highly produced tanks of the Cold War period.

[SAMWolf]

Veterans for Constitution Restoration is a non-profit, non-partisan educational and grassroots activist organization. The primary area of concern to all VetsCoR members is that our national and local educational systems fall short in teaching students and all American citizens the history and underlying principles on which our Constitutional republic-based system of self-government was founded. VetsCoR members are also very concerned that the Federal government long ago over-stepped its limited authority as clearly specified in the United States Constitution, as well as the Founding Fathers' supporting letters, essays, and other public documents.

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Actively seeking volunteers to provide this valuable service to Veterans and their families.

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UPDATED THROUGH APRIL 2004



The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul

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[snippy_about_it]

"FALL IN" to the FReeper Foxhole!


It's TreadHead Tuesday!


Good Morning Everyone

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[SAMWolf]

Good night Snippy.

Remember no rocks in fire engine red's foxhole. ;-)

[snippy_about_it]

Good night Sam. I didn't do it. I never do it.

[Professional Engineer]

Good morning ladies. Flag-o-gram.

Soldiers and members of other services perform in an entertainment salute to World War II veterans on Memorial Day in Washington, D.C. Members of the 3rd U.S. Infantry, The Old Guard, took part in the event, along with members of the Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard. This photo appeared on www.army.mil.

ARMY-sized

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Snippy.

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the Freeper Foxhole.

Oklahoma Freepers. Be sure to get out and vote in today's election.

[alfa6]

Russian Sherman tank bump for the Foxhole...

Rocks??? Ice???? What next, eh

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[tomball]

 

Good Morning, Foxhole Here's to another great tread, and  another great day,

 

 

[alfa6]

Cool Flag-O-Gram today PE, have you got the F-O-G trademarked yet?

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[alfa6]

A quick note regards the T-55. During Gulf War One a British Chieftan tank knocked out an Iraqi T-55 through the frontal armor at 5000 meters, YIKES

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[Broker]

Great slide show from IRAQ.

http://www.4thetroops.net/ironhorserocks.html

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on July 27:
1612 Murad IV, sultan of Turkey (1623-40)/conquered Baghdad
1768 Charlotte Corday assassin of Jean-Paul Marat
1812 Thomas Lanier Clingman, Brig General (Confederate Army), died in 1897
1820 John Franklin Farnsworth, Brig General (Union volunteers)
1824 Alexandre Dumas fils France, playwright/novelist (Camille)
1840 Ranald Slidell Mackenzie, Bvt Major General (Union volunteers)
1857 Jos‚ Celso Barbosa Puerto Rico, found Federalist Party in 1900
1870 Joseph Hilaire Belloc England, author (Path to Rome)
1880 Donald Crisp Scotland, actor (How Green Was My Valley, Pollyana)
1880 Joseph Tinker baseball Hall of Famer, 1/3 of fame double play combo
1906 Leo (the lip) Durocher, baseball manager (Brooklyn Dodgers, NY Giants)
1916 Kennan Wynn NYC, actor (Dr Strangelove, Absent Minded Professor)
1922 Norman Lear TV writer/producer/activist(PFTAW) (All in The Family)
1924 Vincent Canby critic (NY Times)
1931 Jerry Van Dyke Danville Ill, actor (My Mother the Car, Coach)
1937 Don Galloway Brooksville Ky, actor (Arrest & Trial, Ironside)
1939 Irv Cross NFL sportscaster (CBS-TV)
1939 James McGee, pathologist/professor (Morbid Anatomy at Oxford)(soon to be a major motion picture staring Pamala Sue Anderson)
1944 Bobbie Gentry Mississippi, what did Billi-Jo throw off the bridge
1947 Betty Thomas St Louis Mo, actress (Lucy Baines-Hill Street Blues)
1948 Peggy Fleming San Jose Cal, ice figure skater (Olympic-gold-1968)
1949 Maureen McGovern Youngstown Oh, singer (Got to be a morning after)
1951 Janet Eilber Detroit Mich, actress (Hard to Hold, Romantic Comedy)

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Deaths which occurred on July 27:
0082 Joseph of Arimathea, dies & is buried in tomb he once lent to Jesus
0432 Celestine I, Italian Pope (422-32), dies
1101 Koenrad, RC-German king (1087-98), dies
1498 Vespasiano da' Bisticci, Italian book seller/writer, dies at about 77
1811 Miguel Hidalgo y Castilla, Mexican priest/freedom fighter, executed
1844 John Dalton, Engl physicist/chemist (molecular theorist), dies at 77
1863 William Lowndes Yancey one of the South's strongest voices of states' rights.
1883 Montgomery Blair lawyer (Dred Scot V Sandford), dies at 70
1921 Engelbert Humperdinck (The Original), composer (Hansel und Gretel), dies at 66
1946 Gertrude Stein, US/Fren author/poet (Ida, Tender Buttons), dies at 72
1970 Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, dictator of Portugal (1932-68),
1974 Lightning Slim blues singer, dies at 61
1976 Ray Brennan becomes 1st to, die of "Legionnaire's Disease"
1980 Shah Mohammed Reza Pahavala of Iran, dies in Cairo at 60
1984 James Mason actor, dies at 75 of a heart attack
1990 Bobby Day rocker (Rockin' Robin), dies of cancer at 60

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1965 BERG KILE D. SEATTLE WA.
[02/12/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE IN 96]
1965 KOSKO WALTER COLUMBIA VA.
[EJECT NO BEEP SEARCH NEG]
1965 PURCELL ROBERT B. LOUISVILLE KY.
[02/12/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1967 BARE WILLIAM ORLAN OKLAHOMA CITY OK.
[RADIO CONTACT LOST]
1967 CORBITT GILLAND W. DENVER CO.
[RADIO CONTACT LOST]
1967 HARDIE CHARLES D. HOUSTON TX.
1967 PATTERSON BRUCE M. PORTLAND OR.
1968 FULLERTON FRANK E. JONESBORO GA.
1968 PATTON WARD K. FONTANA KS.

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

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On this day...
0432 St Celestine I ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1214 At the Battle of Bouvines in France, Philip Augustus of France defeats John of England.
1298 Albert I, son of Rudolf of Habsburg, crowned Holy Roman Emperor
1360 Danish King Waldemar IV destroys Visby Gotland
1501 Copernicus formally installed as canon of Frauenberg Cathedral
1586 Sir Walter Raleigh brings 1st tobacco to England from Virginia
1643 Cromwell defeats Royalist at Battle of Gainsborough
1655 Jews of New Amsterdam petition for a Jewish cemetery
1661 Parliament confirms the Navigation Act
1663 British Parliament passes a second Navigation Act, requiring all goods bound for the colonies be sent in British ships from British ports.
1689 Jacobite Scottish Highlanders defeat royal force at Killiecrankie
1694 Bank of England chartered
1777 The Marquis of Lafayette arrives in New England to help fight the British.
1789 Congress establishes Dept of Foreign Affairs (State dept)
1816 US troops destroy Ft Apalachicola, a Seminole fort, to punish Indians for harboring runaway slaves
1836 Adelaide, South Australia founded
1837 US Mint opens in Charlotte, NC
1844 Fire destroys the US mint at Charlotte, NC
1861 Battle of Mathias Point, VA - Rebel forces repel a Federal landing
1861 Battle of St Augustine Springs, NM Terr
1861 Confederate troops occupy Fort Fillmore, New Mexico
1861 Union Gen George McClellan took command of Potamic Army
1862 Hurricane hits Canton; about 40,000 die
1862 Steamer "Golden Gate" burns & sinks off west coast of Mexico
1864 Battle of Darbytown, VA (Deep Bottom, Newmarket Road) (Strawberry Plains)
1866 Cyrus W. Field finally succeeded, after two failures, in laying the first underwater telegraph cable between North America and Europe.(1,686 miles long)
1897 37.5 cm (14.75") of rainfall, Jewell, Maryland (state 24-hr record)
1898 Start of Sherlock Holmes "The Adventure of The Dancing Men" (BG)
1905 J Palisa discovers asteroid #569 Misa
1909 Orville Wright tests 1st US Army airplane, flying 1h12m
1919 Chicago race riot (15 whites & 23 blacks killed, 500 injured)
1920 Resolute beats Shamrock IV (England) in 14th running of America's Cup
1931 Grasshoppers in Iowa, Nebr and SD destroyed thousands of acres of crops
1932 Paul Gorgoulov, French president Doumer's assassin, sentenced to death
1933 K Reinmuth discovers asteroid #1284 Latvia

1940 Bugs Bunny's debut, in Warner Bros. cartoon "A Wild Hare".

1940 Billboard magazine starts publishing bestseller charts
1941 Japanese forces land in Indo-China
1944 1st British jet fighter used in combat (Gloster Meteor)
1944 US regains possession of Guam from Japanese
1944 Soviet Army liberates Majdanek concentration camp
1946 Red Sox Rudy York hits 2 grand slams in 1 game
1947 Yogi Berri starts record 148 game errorless streak
1948 Otto Skorzeny escapes anti-nazi camp at Darmstadt
1949 Havilland Comet 40-passenger airliner makes maiden flight
1953 Armistice signed ending Korean War
1954 Armistice divides Vietnam into two countries
1955 Israeli passenger plane shot down above Bulgaria, 58 die
1955 Austria regains full independence after 4-power occupation
1955 Goethe Link Observatory discovers asteroid #1751 Herget
1960 VP Nixon nominated for pres at Republican convention in Chicago
1962 Mariner 2 launched to Venus; flyby mission
1962 Martin Luther King Jr jailed in Albany Georgia
1964 President Lyndon Johnson sends an additional 5,000 advisers to South Vietnam.
1965 Pres Johnson signs a bill requiring cigarette makers to print health warnings on all cigarette packages about the effects of smoking
1968 Race Riot in Gary Indiana
1969 Pioneer 10 launched
1972 NHL star Maurice "Rocket" Richard signs with WHL Quebec Nordiques
1974 House Judiciary Committee votes 27-11 recommends Nixon impeachment
1976 Japanese ex-premier Tanaka arrested (Lockheed Affair)
1976 8.2 Tangshan earthquake kills estimated 240,000 Chinese
1977 John Lennon is granted a green card for permanent residence in US
1980 Palestinian throws hand grenade on Jewish children in Antwerp, 1 dead
1982 Indian PM Indira Gandhi 1st visit to US in almost 11 years
1987 John Demjanjuk, accused Nazi "Ivan the Terrible" testifies in Israel
1988 Boston's worst traffic jam in 30 years (until today)
1988 Tommy John commits rec 3 errors on 1 play as Yanks rout Brewers 16-3
1988 Radio Shack announces the Tandy 1000 SL computer
1990 Zsa Zsa Gabor begins a 3 day jail sentence for slapping a cop
1991 TV Guide publishes it's 2000th edition
1995 The Korean War Veterans Memorial was dedicated in Washington by President Bill Clinton and South Korean President Kim Young-sam.
2003 Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France, an international 2,036-mile cycling race, for the fifth consecutive year.

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Puerto Rico : Jos‚ Celso Barbosa Birthday (1857)
Virgin Islands : Hurricane Supplication Day ( Monday )
Gilroy, California : Garlic Festival ( Friday )
National Parents Day.
Day of Hatshepsut (Egyptian).
Take Your House Plants for a Walk Day
57 Varieties Day
National July Belongs to Blueberries Month

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Religious Observances
RC : Commem of St Pantaleon, martyr/patron of medicine
Orth : Feast of Vladimir, evangelizer of Russia (7/15 OS)
Ang : Commemoration of William Reed Huntington, priest

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Religious History
1741 Birth of Fran‡ois H. Barth‚l‚mon, French Swedenborgian composer. Two of his manyworks later became hymn tunes: AUTUMN (Hail, Thou Once Despised Jesus) and BALERMA (Oh, fora Closer Walk with God).
1861 Birth of Cyrus H. Nusbaum, an American Methodist clergyman who penned the hymn,'Would You Live for Jesus, and Be Always Pure and Good?' (aka 'His Way With Thee').
1901 Death of B.F. Westcott, 76, English N.T. scholar. In 1881, he and colleague F.J.A.Hort published the most precise critical text of the Greek New Testament ever compiled --still in use today.
1903 Death of Caroline (Lina) V. Sandell Berg, 71. Known as the 'Fanny Crosby of Sweden,' her most beloved hymns (in their English translation) include 'Day by Day' and'Children of the Heavenly Father.'
1913 In Oxford, PA, the first Victorious Life Conference closed. Founder Robert C.McQuilkin, inspired by England's Keswick Movement, emphasized in these meetings anattainment of spiritual freedom from the power of every known sin.

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

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Thought for the day :
"Politics is either passing the buck or passing the dough."

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Things To Do If You Ever Became An Evil Overlord...
DO NOT tell your Legions of Terror "And he must be taken alive!" The command WILL BE "And try to take him alive if it is reasonably practical."

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Letters To God From The Dog...
Dear God,
If a dog barks his head off in the forest and no human hears him, does he still get his ass whacked with a newspaper?

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Dumb Laws...
Wyoming:
It is illegal for women to stand within five feet of a bar while drinking.

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How To Annoy Osama bin Laden If You're Invited To A Dinner Party At His Secret Afghan Lair...
Claim you once saw him at a Hooter's in Muncie wearing a yarmulke.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Good morning to the Foxhole crew!

After a hectic weekend there's nothing more fun than sitting down on a Tuesday morning and beating my head against metal on Treadhead Tuesday. Thanks for the thread :)

[tomball]

Excellent Link.

[The Mayor]

July 27, 2004

Both Glad And Sad

Read: Luke 12:16-21

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, . . . but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. —Matthew 6:19-20

Bible In One Year: Psalms 43-45; Acts 27:27-44

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There’s an old legend about three men who were crossing a desert on horseback at night. As they approached a dry creek bed, they heard a voice commanding them to dismount, pick up some pebbles, put them in their pockets, and not look at them till the next morning. The men were promised that if they obeyed they would be both glad and sad. After they did as they were told, the three mounted their horses and went on their way.

As the first streaks of dawn began to spread across the sky, the men reached into their pockets to pull out the pebbles. To their great surprise, they had been transformed into diamonds, rubies, and other precious gems. It was then that they realized the significance of the promise that they would be both glad and sad. They were happy that they had picked up as many pebbles as they did, but sorry—so sorry—that they had not collected more.

I wonder if we will have a similar feeling when we get to heaven. We will be happy for the treasure we laid up in heaven while on earth, and joyful for the rewards Christ will give us. But we will also experience regret for not having done more to serve Him.

Let’s make the most of our opportunities so that we’ll be more glad than sad. —Richard De Haan

The day will come when we will stand
Before our Judge, God’s Son;
Have we so lived that He will say,
“Well done, My child, well done”? —Sper


The crowns we wear in heaven must be won on earth.

[SAMWolf]

Morning PE.