The FReeper Foxhole's TreadHead Tuesday - British Chieftain and Challenger MBT - Dec 7th, 2004

www.armedforces.co.uk ^

[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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Chieftain MBT

The mainstay of the British Army of the 1960s and 1970s, the Chieftain mounts a long barreled 120mm cannon as well as 2 7.62mm machine guns, one coaxial and one anti-aircraft. The Chieftain solved the problem of ranging the main gun by using a ranging machine gun with similar ballistic characteristics as the cannon. When the machine gun rounds hit the target, the gunner could be reasonably assured that his cannon round will hit. The Chieftain succeeded the Centurion and was in turn replaced by the Challenger.



Early Chieftains and some later modified tanks mount the 50. Cal M2HB machinegun over the main gun as a ranging gun. Iran and Kuwait retained the .50 Cal MG. The HESH round is used for antitank chemical-energy (CE) antiarmor missions, and for HE effects against personnel and materiel. The Iranians claim to employ a snorkel system on Chieftain, for fording to 5 meters depth. A variety of fire control systems and thermal sights are available for Chieftain. At 324 Chieftains have been upgraded with the Barr and Stroud TOGS thermal sight system. The 1R26 thermal camera can be used with the 1R18 thermal night sight. It has wide (13.6°) and narrow (4.75°) fields of view, and is compatible with TOGS format. GEC Sensors offers a long list of sights including: Multisensors Platform, Tank Thermal Sensor, and SS100/110 thermal night sight. Marconi, Nanoquest, and Pilkington offer day and night sights for the Chieftain.



Charm Armament upgrade program, with the 120-mm L30 gun incorporated in Challenger 1, is available for Chieftain modification programs.



VARIANTS

Mk 5: Final production variant, with a new engine and NBC system, modified auxiliary weapons and sights. Mk 6-11 are upgrades to earlier models, with addition of IFCS. Mk 12 added ROMOR (aka: Stillbrew) spaced armor boxes. Mk 11 and Mk 12 have Thermal Observation and Gunnery Sight (TOGS).

A variety of support vehicles were developed from the tank. They include recovery vehicles, AVLB, dozer, mineclearer, air defense and 155-mm SP artillery systems.

Chieftain AVRE MK I: In 1986, the 40 Army Engineer Support Group Workshops in Willich, Germany, converted 12 Chieftain gun tanks into Chieftain AVREs for use in BAOR.

Chieftain AVRE MK II:In late 1989 Vickers Defence Systems was awarded a contract for the design, development and conversion of 48 Chieftain gun tanks into Chieftain Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers. The 48 vehicle contract included two prototype vehicles and 46 production vehicles in two batches.



First two prototypes were completed in 1991 with production running until 1994. The conversion work utilised Chieftain MBT chassis provided from Army stocks. The vehicles have a new superstructure, a 10 tonnes capacity winch at the hull rear, an ATLAS hydraulic crane and top-mounted stowage platforms on which the engineer equipment is carried.

Chieftain AVLB: The Chieftain AVLB is basically a Chieftain MBT chassis without a turret and fitted with a hydraulic system for laying and recovering a bridge. The vehicle can carry and lay either the No 8 or the No 9 Tank Bridge. A total of 51 AVLBs were built by Leeds, 37 for the UK Armed Forces and 14 for the Iranian Army.

The No 8 Tank Bridge has an overall length of 24m and can span a gap of up to 23m. It is carried folded and launched over the front of the vehicle.



The No 9 Tank Bridge is 13.5m long and can span a gap up to 12m. It is carried horizontally and is swung vertically through 180° and laid in position in front of the vehicle.

Chieftain Marksman : Chieftain hull fitted with Marksman air defence gun system

Chieftain ARRV: This is essentially a Chieftain ARV fitted with a hydraulic crane that can lift a complete Challenger MBT power pack. ARRVs were conversions from existing ARVs. Other modifications include hydraulic track tensioners.



Chieftain Mk 6 AVLB: In March 1984, Vickers Defence Systems was awarded a contract by the UK MoD to convert 11 Chieftain Mk 1/4 gun tanks into Chieftain Mk 6 AVLBs. The user trials were completed by November 1985 and the first vehicles were handed over in June 1986 with final delivery made in September 1986.



The conversion work included removing the complete turret and replacing it with an armoured roof plate with a commander's hatch; fitting the launching mechanism on the hull and roof plate to maintain the same geometrical position as on production AVLBs and providing mounting points at the front of the hull for the Pearson Engineering Track Width Mine Plough system.

For Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, a number of the Chieftain AVLBs of the Royal Engineers were used in the mineclearing role. Additional Chobham-type armour was fitted to the sides of the vehicle similar to that fitted to the Challenger 1 MBT. As well as the Pearson Engineering plough system fitted at the front of the hull they were also fitted with a device to detect and activate mines fitted with a magnetic fuze. The vehicles also towed a trailer-mounted Giant Viper mineclearing system.

Khalid/Shir 1: In 1979 Jordan ordered 274 slightly modified Shirs under the designation of Khalid which were delivered from 1981. Khalid is essentially a late production Chieftain with major changes to the fire control system and powerpack which is based on the Shir 2 version developed for Iran before the revolution. The engine is a Rolls-Royce Condor V12 1200bhp diesel. The fire control system is a Marconi system incorporating a Pilkington PE Condor commanders day/night sight with a Barr & Stroud Laser rangefinder.



Germany purchased two chieftains for evaluation trials in the early 1970's, Their eventual fate is unknown.

In 1971, Iran placed an order for approximately 707 Chieftain MBTs: the Mk 3/3(P) and Mk 5/3(P) plus a quantity of ARVs and bridgelayers, all of which were delivered by early 1978. Iran also took delivery of 187 improved Chieftains called the FV4030/1. In 1974, Iran ordered 125 Shir Iran 1 and 1,225 Shir Iran 2 MBTs for delivery from 1980 - but the order was cancelled in 1979 after the fall of the Shah and before deliveries could begin from Royal Ordnance Leeds



During fighting in the Middle East, Iraq captured between approximately 300 Chieftain MBTs from Iran, many of which were undamaged. In 1988, Iraq passed on to Jordan 90 Chieftains amongst a large quantity of military equipment.

Contrary to well established rumour the Iraelis never had any Chieftains in service. Two Chieftain Mark 1/2 were sent to Israel as part of a sales drive but were withdrawn shortly before the outbreak of war.

Late in 1988, Iraq gave Jordan a large amount of military equipment captured during the fighting with Iran. It included 90 Chieftains, 20 Scorpions, 60 M47 tanks, and 35 armoured personnel carriers.



Chieftains of the Kuwaiti Army engaged Iraqi MBTs, including T-72s, during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in the summer of 1990.

In August 1981, Oman took delivery of 12 British Army Chieftain Mk 7/2C MBTs. Though they were on loan they were subsequently purchased by Oman together with 15 new Chieftains called the Qayd Al Ardh, or Mk 15, which were delivered between 1984 and 1985. These Chieftains are fitted with the BAE L20 sight which incorporates the GEC-Marconi/Ferranti Type 520 laser rangefinder.

[SAMWolf]

CHALLENGER 1

Produced by the Royal Ordnance Factory in Leeds, the first Challenger 1s were delivered to the British Army in 1983. Challenger 1 is a development of the Centurion - Chieftain line which was modified to produce the Shir/Iran 2, originally planned for service with the Iranian forces.

Challenger 1 MBT of the British Army showing the 120 mm L11A5 gun fitted with a thermal sleeve

After the Iranian Revolution the Shir Iran 2 project was taken over by the British Army and the end result was Challenger, later redesignated as Challenger 1.

The main differences between Challenger 1 and its predecessor Chieftain (the MBT that it replaced) were in the engine and armour. The Challenger engine, which produces 1,200 bhp at 2,300 rpm was far more powerful than the Chieftain engine, and the Chobham Armour carried is believed to give protection from almost all types of anti-tank weapon.

Challenger 1 MBT in the Middle East showing applique armour installed on the hull front and sides

Chobham armour is thought to consist of several layers of nylon micromesh, bonded on both sides by sheets of titanium alloy, in addition to several other layers of specialised armour and ceramics. Challenger 1 is believed to have cost about £2 million per vehicle at 1987 prices.

The main armament on all Challenger 1s has been upgraded by the installation of the L30 CHARM gun. In addition to firing the existing range of ammunition, this gun fires a new armour-piercing fin stabilised, discarding sabot round with a depleted uranium warhead, which should be able to defeat the armour on all known MBTs.

An additional improvement was the ACTAS (Active Cupola Target Acquisition System) which has been retro-fitted to all Challenger 1s. This system permits the use of the commander's cupola for target acquisition and designation to the gunner.

The only nation known to be operating Challenger 1 is Jordan, where the 274 tanks in service are known as Khalid. Under an agreement signed in March 1999, another 288 Challenger 1s are to be supplied to Jordan over a three-year period to enable the Jordanian fleet of Centurion MBTs (locally called Tariq) to be replaced.

This vehicle has now been phased out

CHALLENGER 1 Specifications
Phased out of operational service in November 2000 - has been replaced by Challenger 2
Armament	1 x 120mm L11A7 gun
	2 x 7.62mm Machine Guns
	2 x 5 barrel smoke dischargers
Ammunition Capacity	44 rounds of 120mm, 6,000 rounds of 7.62mm
Engine	Rolls-Royce CV12
Engine Power	1,200 bhp at 2,300rpm
Engine Capacity	26.1 litres
Max Road Speed	56km/h
Weight loaded	62,000kg
Length Hull	9.87m
Length Gun Forward	11.55m
Height	3.04m
Width	3.42m
Ground Clearance	0.5m
Crew	4
Ground Pressure	0.96 kg/cm2
Fording Depth (no prep)	1.07m

[SAMWolf]

CHALLENGER 2

In July 1991 the UK MOD announced the purchase of 127 Vickers Defence Systems (VDS) Challenger 2 main battle tanks plus 13 Driver Training Tanks (DTT).


Challenger 2 MBT with normal peacetime side skirts (1996)

Vickers Defence Systems won the contract against intense competition from the French Leclerc, German Leopard 2 (Improved) and the US M1A2 Abrams. The Challenger 2 MBT unit price was in the region of £4 million. In July 1994 the UK Secretary of State for Defence announced the purchase of a further 259 Challenger 2 tanks and 9 DTTs, *bringing the totals to 386 MBTs and 22 DTTS, thus allowing for the complete UK MBT fleet to be upgraded to the Challenger 2 standard. The total bill for the contract was approximately £2.2 billion.

The Strategic Defence Review of 1999 reduced the number of RAC armour regiments from 8 to 6. Each of the six armoured regiments are organised for 58 Challenger 2, within four squadrons. The remaining tanks are spread among Army Training and Recruiting Agency (ATRA) Schools, LAND training establishments, trials requirements and operational and logistic stocks. The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards took delivery of the first production models of the Challenger 2 on 30 Jun 98 and by early 2002 deliveries of all 386 Challenger 2 MBTs and 22 DTTs were complete.


Challenger 2 from the rear showing additional fuel drums on hull rear (1996)

Now in service for over 3 years, Challenger 2 has shown itself to be one of the most, if not the most, reliable pieces of major equipment ever brought into service with the British Army. Extensive use on exercises in the UK, Germany, Poland, Canada and Oman, plus operational service in Bosnia and Kosovo has shown CR2 to be a battle winning asset that has performed well beyond its design specifications. Challenger 2 is also in service with the Sultan of Oman’s Forces.

Challenger 2 is manufactured by Vickers Defence Systems and production undertaken at their factories in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and Leeds. At 1999 prices Challenger 2 is believed to cost £4 million per vehicle.


Having fired on the move, a Challenger 2 MBT lays a smokescreen to cover friendly forces.

Challenger 2 successfully completed its Reliability Growth Trial (RGT) in 1994 and during these trials 3 vehicles were tested over a total of about 285 battlefield days. For the purposes of the trial a battlefield day consisted of:

• 27 kms of Road Travel
• 33 kms of Cross Country Travel
• Firing 34 Main Armament Rounds
• Firing 1,000 7.62mm MG rounds
• 16 Hours of Weapon Systems Operation
• 10 Hours of Main Engine Idling
• 3.5 Hours of Main Engine Running - Mobile

A Challenger 2 MBT fires its main armament, the L30A1 120mm rifled tank gun.

Although the hull and automotive parts of the Challenger 2 are based upon that of its predecessor Challenger 1, the new tank incorporates over 150 improvements which have achieved substantially increased reliability and ease of maintenance. The Challenger 2 turret is, however, of a totally new design. The vehicle has a crew of four - commander, gunner, loader/signaller and driver and is equipped with a 120mm rifled Royal Ordnance L30 gun firing all current tank ammunition natures plus the new depleted uranium (DU) round with a stick charge propellant system.



The design of the turret incorporates several of the significant features that Vickers had developed for its Mk 7 MBT (a Vickers turret on a Leopard 2 chassis). The central feature is an entirely new fire control system based on the Ballistic Control System developed by Computing Devices Company (Canada) for the US Army's M1A1 MBT. This second generation computer incorporates dual 32-bit processors with a MIL STD1553B databus and has sufficient growth potential to accept Battlefield Information Control System (BICS) functions and navigation aids (a GPS satnav system). The armour is an uprated version of Challenger 1's Chobham armour.

CHALLENGER 2 Specifications
386 available for operational service
Crew	4
Length Gun Forward	11.55m
Hull Length	8.32m
Height to Turret Roof	2.49m
Width	3.52m
Ground Clearance	0.50m
Combat Weight	62,500kgs
Main Armament	1 x 120 mm L30 CHARM Gun
Ammunition Carried	52 rounds - APFSDS, HESH, Smoke, DU
Secondary Armament	Co-axial 7.62mm MG 7.62mm GPMG Turret-Mounted for Air Defence
Ammunition Carried	4000 rounds 7.62mm
Engine	CV12TCA 12 cylinder
Auxiliary Engine	Perkins 4.108 4- stroke diesel
Gearbox	TN54 epicyclic - 6 forward gears and 2 reverse
Road Speed	56km/h
Cross Country Speed	40km/h
Fuel Capacity	1,797 litres

 

 

 Additional Sources:

www.globalsecurity.org
news.bbc.co.uk
www.jedsite.info
www.tankmuseum.com
www.tankzone.co.uk
www.hobbylinc.com
www.army-technology.com
www.eurus.dti.ne.jp
www.janes.com
www.ginklai.net
www.operations.mod.uk
www.smh.com.au

[SAMWolf]

Life inside a Challenger 2

At £5.6m a piece, the UK's main battle tank, the Challenger 2, is an expensive piece of kit but, as BBC News Online discovered, it is not a great environment to work in, especially in the stifling heat of the Iraqi desert.


A Challenger 2 advances into Iraq

War is never an easy business, but for the crews of the British Challenger 2 tanks in action in Iraq this is an especially hard campaign. The British Army has 40 of these 61-ton behemoths, many of which are in the front line near Basra. They replaced their predecessors, the Challenger 1, in 1994. The new model has 150 improvements over its predecessor, which saw action in the first Gulf War in 1991.

Challenger 2 has a crew of four:

• The commander (who may be anything from a lieutenant to a corporal): it is his job to liaise with his superiors, pass down orders and manage the tank and his men.
• The operator/loader (usually a corporal): his job includes manning the radio, loading ammunition for the main gun and the machine gun, and cooking for the crew.
• The driver (usually a trooper): who steers the tank, keeps watch through his periscope and maintains the engine.
• The gunner (also either an NCO or a trooper): who controls the direction and angle of the 360 degree turret and fires the main 120mm gun.

British Challenger 2 tanks fire on enemy vehicles on the front line just outside Basra.

Francis Tusa, editor of Defence Review, said one important improvement on the Challenger 1 was the fact that the commander now had a "hunter/killer nightsight". This meant that, as the gunner was firing at one target, the commander could be searching for the next target.

Each man will be trained sufficiently to do each other's jobs but they will tend to specialise in their own areas.



The crew will eat, sleep and work together for hours at a time and former Challenger crewman and Gulf war veteran Alistair Miller, from Belfast, told BBC News Online: "There is a tight bond between the crew.

"We were like brothers but the commander is like the daddy."

He said the banter between the crew could be "brutal" at times but would never get out of hand.

Inside the tank compartment it is stiflingly hot during the day but often very cold at night.



Mr Tusa said the Challenger 2 had an environmental control system which was an improvement on Challenger 1 but he said it was unable to cope with the sweltering heat of the desert.

Mr Miller said another morale-sapping factor was the darkness.

"It was always very dark, with all lights painted red to prevent the tank being noticed at night. You are forever banging your head or elbow or scraping your knuckles."



The tank is also "extremely cramped" with four fully grown men sharing a space barely 15 feet by 10 feet and only about six feet high. Inside this space the men have to stow four NBC suits each plus rations, equipment and clothes. The crew compartment has an air filtering system, as well as a heating and cooling system, and is separated from ammunition for obvious safety reasons.

Mr Miller said the overriding smell was of burning cordite, from the rounds which were being fired.



Mr Tusa said that although the tank was designed to be driven while completely sealed, most commanders preferred to drive "hatch up" so they could poke their heads out and check out their landscape unfettered by periscopes or night sights.

[SAMWolf]

Here are the recommended holiday mailing dates for military mail this year:

For military mail addressed TO APO and FPO addresses, the mailing dates are:

• Parcel Post - November 13
• Space Available - November 27
• Parcel Airlift - December 4
• Priority Mail, First Class cards and letters - Mailing date is December 11 to all locations
  • EXCEPT for locations starting with ZIP 093. For all locations starting with ZIP 093 the mailing date is December 6.
• Express Mail - December 20 to locations where Express Mail service is available. Check with your local post office to determine which APO/FPO addresses can receive Express Mail. Note: This service is not available to ships.

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For military mail FROM APO and FPO addresses, the mailing dates are:

• Space Available - November 20
• Parcel Airlift - December 4
• Priority Mail, First Class cards and letters - December 11
• Express Mail - December 18 from APO/FPO addresses where Express Mail can be accepted. Check with your local military post office to determine if they can accept Express Mail. Note: This service is not available from ships.

Thanks for the information StayAtHomeMother

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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.

---

UPDATED THROUGH APRIL 2004



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[snippy_about_it]

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It's TreadHead Tuesday!


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[snippy_about_it]

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************Snippy, I bequeath to you the FR TH PL.

148 posted on 08/24/2004 11:39:45 AM PDT by Cannoneer No. 4 (I've lost turret power; I have my nods and my .50. Hooah. I will stay until relieved. White 2 out.)

Good morning Cannoneer, we hope this finds you well. :-)

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Snippy.

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the Foxhole.

[The Mayor]

December 7, 2004

How To Be Unpopular

Read: Jeremiah 23:16-23

Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture! —Jeremiah 23:1

Bible In One Year: Daniel 5-7; 2 John

---

In 1517, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the castle church in Wittenberg. Luther became known as a reformer, and we remember his bold stand as a turning point in church history.

The fiery priest demonstrated great courage in expressing outrage at the church's practice of selling forgiveness through indulgences, which allowed the people to sin intentionally in exchange for money.

Luther's passion to stop these practices did not make him popular with the religious authorities of his day. In fact, his efforts resulted in a series of attempts to silence him.

Long before Luther, the prophet Jeremiah felt the power of God's Word in his heart "like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not" (Jeremiah 20:9). Jeremiah and Luther refused to allow God's truth to be compromised.

Living for God is about grace and forgiveness, but it's also about boldly standing for the truth. Having God's Word in our heart doesn't always result in warm, pleasant feelings. Sometimes His truth becomes a blazing fire that causes us to challenge corruption—even though we may be attacked for it. —Julie Ackerman Link

Sure I must fight if I would reign;
Increase my courage, Lord.
I'll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word. —Watts

It's better to declare the truth and be rejected than to withhold it just to be accepted.

[GailA]

Good morning....looks like MORE rain today.

[alfa6]

Greetings loyal denizens of the Foxhole

Saw this pic on thread called Fun With Tanks over the weekend. Notice the essential rations just to the left of the gunner, heh.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning everyone, wh00p ThreadHead Tuesday!

[Colonel_Flagg]

Good morning, Foxhole! Falling in for Treadhead Tuesday. Snippy, I hope all is well with you, Sam and the store.

In reading the complaints about the Challenger listed in the article above, I couldn't help but think that it could have been worse: they could have been talking about WW2 British tanks. :)

[Iris7]

I admired Chieftain when it first went into service. The only thing really wrong was the Leyland engine, as the transmission was not quite as bad. The gun was fabulous at the time, as was turret frontal armor. Glacis protection was very good. Good running gear except as noted.

The engine/transmission was supposed to be all fixed with the Shir 2/Khalid models.

Saw some recently published public domain material on Chobham armor, don't know if it is just more disinformatsia. Kinetic energy weapons are brought to a halt in armor largely by hydraulic forces, since the armor is stressed way above it's yield point by the projectile. That being so, why not go for hydraulic drag, just pure kinematic viscosity? That is not air inside that space armor.

[Valin]

On this Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on December 07:
0967 Abu Sa'id ibn Aboa al-Chair Persian mystic
1542 Mary Stuart Queen of Scots (1560-1587)
1598 Giovanni Bernini, Italy, baroque sculptor (St Teresa in Ecstasy)
1761 Madame [Marie Grosholtz] Tussaud, created wax museum
1810 Theodor Schwann, German co-originator of cell theory
1823 Leopold Kronecker, German mathematician (Tensor of Kronecker)
1876 Willa Cather (author: O Pioneers!, My Antonia)
1905 Gerard Kuiper, Dutch/US astronomer (moons of Uranus, Neptune)
1912 Louis Prima (musician, singer: Just a Gigolo; Las Vegas act [w/wife Keely Smith]
1915 Eli Wallach (actor: Emmy Award-winning Best Supporting Actor/ Drama: The Poppy is Also a Flower [1966-'67])
1925 Ted Knight (Tadeus Konopka) (Emmy Award-winning Actor: Mary Tyler Moore Show [1972-73, 1975-76])
1926 Victor Kermit Kiam II CEO (Remington shavers)/NFL owner (Patriots)
1928 Noam Chomsky (linguist, educator, activist, moral midget)
1931 Bobby Osborne (singer: duo: Osborne Brothers: Rocky Top)
1932 Ellen Burstyn (Edna Rae Gilhooley) (Academy Award-winning actress: Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore [1974])
1935 Don Cardwell (baseball)
1940 Gerry Cheevers (hockey: Boston Bruins goalie: longest undefeated streak [32 games])
1942 Harry Chapin (songwriter, singer: Taxi, Cat's in the Cradle
1945 Al Woodall (football)
1947 Gary Unger (hockey)
1947 Johnny Bench (Baseball Hall of Famer: Cincinnati Reds catcher, 1968 Rookie of the Year
1947 Leo Brooks (football)
1948 Yoko Morishita, prima ballerina (Baterina No Habataki)
1949 Brian Goodman (football)
1949 Tom Waits, Calif, rocker/song writer (Blue Valentine)
1956 Larry Bird hoop star (Boston Celtics)

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Deaths which occurred on December 07:
0983 Otto II the Red German king/emperor (973-83), dies at about 28
1254 Innocent IV [Sinibaldo dei Fieschi] Pope (1243-54), dies
1817 William Bligh, British naval officer of "Bounty" fame, dies at 63
1862 Sylvester Churchill US Union Brigadier-General, dies
1970 Rube Goldberg, US cartoonist (Mike & Ike, Pulitzer 1948), dies at 87
1975 Thornton N Wilder US writer (Bridge of San Luis Rey), dies at 78
1982 Charlie Brooks Jr, convicted murderer became 1st US prisoner to be executed by lethal injection, at a prison in Huntsville, Texas
1983 Edgar Graham, member of N Ireland Assembly, shot dead by IRA
1985 Retired Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart died in Hanover, N.H., at age 70.
1990 Joan Bennett US actress (House Across the Bay), dies at 80

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1965 DUNN JOHN HOWARD---GLENDIVE MT.
[02/12/73 RELEASED BY DRV DIED 01/14/98]
1965 FREDERICK JOHN WILLIAM JR---MANITO IL.
[03/13/74 REMAINS RETURNED]
1966 CARLSON JOHN WERNER---CHICAGO IL.

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

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On this day...
0036 BC Earliest known Mayan inscription, Stela 2 at Chiapa de Corzo
0043 BC Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman writer, gets his head & right hand chopped off by Mark Antony's soldiers
0185 Emperor Lo-Yang, China sees supernova (MSH15-52?)
0283 St Eutychian ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1646 Princess Louise Henriette (19) marries monarch Frederik Henry
1741 Elisabeth Petrovna becomes tsarina of Russia
1783 Theatre Royal opens in Covent Garden, London
1783 William Pitt Jr (24) becomes British premier
1787 Delaware becomes 1st state to ratify constitution
1836 Martin Van Buren elected 8th President
1842 New York Philharmonic's 1st concert
1861 USS Santiago de Cuba, under Commander Daniel B. Ridgely, halts the British schooner Eugenia Smith and captures J.W. Zacharie, a New Orleans merchant and Confederate purchasing agent.
1862 Battle of Hartsville TN
1862 Battle of Prairie Grove AR
1864 Skirmish at Ebenezer Creek/Cypress Swamp, Georgia
1868 Jesse James gang robs bank in Gallatin MO, kills 1
1872 HMS Challenger sets sail on 3½-year world oceanographic cruise
1875 Natives Sons of the West organized
1876 New York Mutuals & Philadelphia A's expelled from National League for not completing schedule
1877 Thomas A Edison demonstrates the gramophone
1885 49th Congress (1885-87) convenes
1891 52nd Congress (1st to appropriate $1 billion) holds 1st session
1895 Battle at Amba Alagi: Abyssinians beat Italian armies
1907 Eugene Corri becomes 1st referee in a boxing ring
1909 Leo Baekeland, Yonkers NY, patents 1st thermosetting plastic (Bakelite)
1912 Bust of Queen Nefertete found in El-Amarna, Egypt
1916 David Lloyd George replaces resigning H H Asquith as British PM
1916 British government of David Lloyd George forms
1917 US becomes 13th country to declare war on Austria during World War I
1920 USPD-KPD parties merge into Vereinigte Communist Party of Germany
1924 German election (Social Democrats win/Nazis & Communists lose)
1925 Biltmore Theater opens at 261 W 47th St NYC
1925 Noel Coward's "Easy Virtue" premieres in New York NY
1926 Gas refrigerator patented
1932 1st gyro-stabilized vessel to cross the Atlantic arrives in New York
1934 Wiley Post discovers the jet stream
1937 Dutch Minister Romme proclaims married women are forbidden to work
1937 Red Sox acquire the contract of 19-year-old Ted Williams
1937 Russian chess player Aljechin recaptures world title from Max Euwe
1938 W9XZY broadcasts facsimile of the St Louis Post-Dispatch by radio
1939 Lou Gehrig, 36, is elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame
1939 William Walton's violinist concert premieres in Cleveland
1940 28th CFL Grey Cup (Game 2): Toronto Balmy Beach defeats Ottawa, 12-5
1940 North Africa: British counter offensive under General O'Connor

1941 Japanese attack Pearl Harbor (a date that will live in infamy)

1941 1st Japanese submarine sunk by a US ship (USS Ward)

1941 Australian bombers land on Timor/Ambon
1941 Futshida's air fleet passes coastline of Oahu
1941 German siege of Tobruk after 8 months ends
1941 Nacht & Nebel Erlass, resistance fighter sent to concentration camps
1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation drawn up in Chicago
1944 General Radescu forms Romanian government
1945 Microwave oven patented
1946 Fire at Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta, kills 119
1949 15th Heisman Trophy Award: Leon Hart, Notre Dame (E)
1949 Chiang Kai-shek flees to Taiwan
1952 KKTV TV channel 11 in Colorado Springs-Pueblo CO (CBS) 1st broadcast
1953 Israel's PM Ben-Gureon retires
1955 Clement Attlee resigns as chairman of England's Labour Party
1956 Helen O'Connell joins the Today Show panel
1957 Tony Kubek of the Yankees selected as American League Rookie of the Year
1958 Rómulo Bétancourt elected President of Venezuela
1959 "Saratoga" opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC for 80 performances
1960 Ivory Coast claims independence from France
1962 Great Britain performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1965 Pope Paul VI & Orthodox Patriarch Athenagoras I simultaneously lift mutual excommunications that led to split of the 2 churches in 1054
1967 Otis Redding records "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay"
1968 Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 2 launched into Earth orbit
1968 Richard Dodd returns a library book his great grandfather borrowed in 1823 to the University of Cincinatti; the $22,646 fine went unpaid
1970 West Germany & Poland normalize relations
1971 Wings release their 1st album "Wild Life"
1971 "Wild & Wonderful" opens/closes at Lyceum Theater NYC
1972 Philippine 1st lady Imelda Marcos stabbed & wounded by an assailant

1972 Apollo 17 (US), final manned lunar landing mission (last of Apollo Moon series), launched

1973 Phillies sell infielder-outfielder Cesar Tovar to the Texas Rangers
1975 10th Islander shut-out opponent-Glenn Resch 3-0 vs Sabres
1975 Archbishop Makarios returns Cyprus
1975 Indonesian army occupies East Timor
1976 UN Security Council endorses Kurt Waldheim, Secretary-General for 2nd 5 year term
1981 Spain becomes a member of the NATO
1982 Suriname army under Desi Bouterse fires on radio station building
1983 2 jets collided at Madrid Airport killing 93
1983 France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island
1985 Atlantis returns to Kennedy Space Center via Kelly AFB
1985 51st Heisman Trophy Award: Bo Jackson, Auburn (RB)
1986 President Jean-Claude Duvalier flees Haïti
1987 43 die in Pacific Southwest Airline crash in California (man shot pilots)
1987 Palestinian uprising against Israel in West Bank
1987 Mikhail Gorbachev arrives in the US for a summit meeting(Gorbasims occur across the nation)
1988 Yasser Arafat recognizes existence of Israel (riiiight)
1988 Earthquake in Armenia - 6.9 on the Richter scale (100,000 killed, 5,000,000 homeless)
1988 Rangers sign free-agent pitcher Nolan Ryan to a one-year contract
1989 C Coleman & D Zippel's musical "City of Angels" premieres in New York NY
1990 Iraqi parliament endorses Saddam's decision to free hostages (or else)
1990 Ted Turner & Jane Fonda announce their engagement
1991 A J Kitt, US, wins World Skiing Cup
1992 Galileo spacecraft passes North Pole of Moon (Peary Crater)
1993 South African transitional executive council set up
1993 Henri Konan Bédié names himself President of Ivory coast
1993 A gunman opened fire on a crowded Long Island, N.Y., commuter train, killing several persons.
1994 Radio personality Howard Stern talks a man out of attempting suicide
1995 NBA settles strike of referees, referees to return on December 12
1995 US space probe Galileo begins orbiting Jupiter
1996 Space Shuttle STS 80 (Columbia 21), lands
1996 A British jogger left London on a jog-around-the-world that will end when he returned to the United Kingdom in the year 2000.
1997 Singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, actress Lauren Bacall and actor Charlton Heston were among those receiving awards from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
2000 Al Gore's lawyer, David Boies, pleaded with the Florida Supreme Court to order vote recounts and revive his presidential campaign. Republican attorneys called George W. Bush the certified, rightful victor.

2002 SAMWolf begins FReeper Foxhole!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-vetscor/802408/posts

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

Cuba : Day of National Mourning
Delaware : Ratification Day (1787)
Ivory Coast : National Day (1960)
US : Pearl Harbor Day (1941)
US : Candlelight Vigil of Remembrance and Hope
US : Autism Week (day 2)
National Indigestion Season-Jewish Book Month

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Religious Observances
Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran : Memorial of St Ambrose, governor/bishop of Milan
Roman Catholic : Commemoration of St Mary Josepha Rossello, foundress
Second Sunday of Advent

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Religious History
0374 Early Church Father, Ambrose, 34, was consecrated Bishop of Milan, Italy. His influential works on theology and ethics made Ambrose (along with Jerome, Augustine, and Gregory the Great) one of the "four doctors" of the Western (Latin) Church.
0430 At the Synod of Rome, Cyril of Alexandria, 54, formally condemned the doctrine of the Antiochene monk Nestorius, who had claimed that there were two separate Persons in the Incarnate Christ (one Divine, the other Human).
1661 Under pressure from the British Parliament, the American Colony of Massachusetts suspended its Corporal Punishment Act of 1656, which had imposed harsh penalties on Quakers and other religious Nonconformists.
1965 The Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches formally reconciled themselves by reversing a mutual excommunication of each other, dating back (over 900 years!) to July 1054.
1973 In Atlanta, the Presbyterian Church in America formally instituted its missionary organization, PCA Mission to the World. It was an outgrowth of the newly established denomination.

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

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Thought for the day :
"There has been only one Christmas - the rest are anniversaries."

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Albums We Will Never Buy...
Bob Dylan - Mumble Mumble Mumble Say What?

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You Just Might Be A Scrooge...
If you get your Christmas Tree
at a rest stop at night
-- you just might be a Scrooge

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Dictionary of the Absurd...
Washington
2000 pounds of dirty laundry

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Famous Last Words...
Why is the rest of the Star Trek landing party wearing a different color?

[U S Army EOD]

So what is it? I know Zenith is coming out with a light twin.

[U S Army EOD]

Regardless of the type of armor you can develop, it is a known, indisputable fact that always, "A moving foxhole, attracts the eye".

[Aeronaut]

So what is it? I know Zenith is coming out with a light twin.

Diamond DA-42. It has some pretty good numbers.

[U S Army EOD]

Well, I am just going to have to keep saving the money. My two choices are still the Zenith 601 or 701.

[Professional Engineer]

Good morning ladies. Flag-o-copter.