The FReeper Foxhole's TreadHead Tuesday - the Last Soviet Heavy Tanks - July 5th, 2005

www.battlefield.ru ^

[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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Last Heavy Tanks of the USSR

The IS-4


The six prototype of the IS-4 heavy tank named "Object 701-6".

In 1944, the development of the IS-4 heavy tank (factory designation: IS-4-701) began. It was an attempt to develop a heavy tank for the last period of World War II and for the post-war period.


The IS-4 heavy tank.

The production version of the tank was preceded by several prototypes: "Object 701-2", "Object 701-5", and "Object 701-6". These tanks were distinguished by their armament (type and caliber) as well as their armor protection. "Object 701-6" was the most successful, and in 1947 it was accepted for service under the IS-4 designation.


The production IS-4 heavy tank. 1947.

One of the main features of the new tank was the layout of the ammunition: 30 multi-part loading (separate loading) rounds.

This ammunition was placed in special steel cartridges to protect them from accidental detonation and fire. Today it is widely believed that large-scale production of this tank started in 1947, but some production tanks may have been built in 1945-1946. In total, about 250 IS-4's were manufactured. Most of these tanks were sent to Far East units. In 1949, production was canceled and later these tanks were removed from service. That short operational life was due to:

• The weight of the tank exceeded the carrying capacity of most bridges and transport vehicles;
• Low reliability of the transmission;
• Below average tractability.

The IS-5


The wooden mockup of the IS-5.

This project began in 1944 in Factory #100 which was headed by J.Y.Kotin. There were several variants of this tank which were distinguished by differing armament, protection, and layout of the turret. The chassis was based on an existing project, but it also contained some original ideas. Only wooden scale-models of this tank were produced.

The IS-6


The IS-6 with the mechanical transmission during trials.

In 1954, a new project was developed in Chelyabinsk, called "Object 253". It later received the "IS-6" designation. The main feature of the new tank was an electro-mechanical transmission. The chassis of the new tank was similar to the IS-2.

There was also a tank developed and produced with a mechanical transmission such as on the IS-3. This tank received the "Object 252" designation. The chassis of "Object 252" consisted of big road wheels only (without support wheels). Later, Soviet designers chose the electro-mechanical transmission. The maximum speed of the 51.5-ton tank was 43 km/h.


The IS-6 with the electric-mechanical transmission.

The firepower of the IS-6 was equal to the IS-2, IS-3 or IS-4. Protection was better than the IS-2 or IS-3, but inferior to the IS-4.

Use of the electro-mechanical transmission was expected to increase the maneuverability of the tank. Unfortunately, it did not due to the tank's heavy weight. The transmission was also of questionable reliability. The IS-6 with the purely mechanical transmission was even less reliable.

[SAMWolf]

The IS-7

The wooden model (1:1) of the IS-7. 1946.

In 1945, Soviet designers started a new project: "Object 260" (IS-7). This tank was distinguished from the tanks of World War Two by many features. The hull of "Object 260" was made of sloped armor plates with rakish angles. Only a wooden mockup (1:1) was made.

In 1946, another variant was built. This variant had the same designation ("Object 260"). The first prototype was finished on September 8, 1946, and passed running trials successfully. A second prototype was completed by December 25 of 1946 and also passed running trials (45km).


The prototype of the IS-7 heavy tank. 1948.

One of the main features of both prototypes were rubber-and-steel tracks. Such tracks were widely used by the Americans since World War II, but were previously rejected by Soviet designers. The tank was armed with a 130 mm S-26 gun with a new muzzle brake. Rate of fire was 6-8 shots per minute (very high considering the large calibre of the gun). The high rate of fire was due to a new automatic loading mechanism.

An Izhorsky factory manufactured two armored hulls and two turrets for the IS-7. They were tested at the Kubinka proving ground by gunfire from various guns of 88 mm, 122 mm and 128 mm calibres. The results were used for developing a final scheme of armor protection.


The prototype of the IS-7 heavy tank. 1948.

During 1947, Soviet designers worked on a project which was an improved variant of the IS-7. Both hull and turret were redesigned and their armor protection was increased. The tank was rearmed with the newest 130 mm S-70 (L/54) gun. Another new feature was a system of fire control which allowed the gun to lock on a target and fire automatically.

In the summer of 1948, the Kirovskiy factory produced four IS-7 tanks. After they passed the factory trials, they were sent for Government trials. The armor protection of the IS-7 was almost invulnerable: the tank successfully withstood German 128 mm and Soviet 130 mm guns (the best guns of that time).


The production IS-7 heavy tank.

The IS-7 can be considered a masterpiece of Soviet tank development. It was far superior to all other tanks of the time. Having the weight of the "King Tiger" the IS-7 was far superior in protection and armament. The last surviving IS-7 is now displayed at Kubinka.

The T-10 (IS-8/IS-9)


The T-10M heavy tank. Soviet Armed Forces in DDR (Eastern Germany). 1970.

At the end of 1948, the GBTU (General Tank Directorate) issued an order to develop and produce a new heavy tank weighing no more than 50 tons. Work on the new "Object 730" was headed by J.Y.Kotin. That tank later received the "IS-8" designation.

A wooden mockup (1:1) was built and construction of the first prototype of the IS-8 began. After trials, the factory produced a small lot of 10 tanks, a testing detachment. In the spring of 1950 at the Kubinka proving ground, these tanks were tested in government trials. Those trials were more or less successful and, as a result, a Government commission recommended the IS-8 for production, but only after a number of improvements were to be made.


The first production T-10.

The modifications were so numerous and significant that the project changed course many times. The tank was even renamed to the "IS-9", and then to the "IS-10". In March 1953, Stalin died and the abbreviation "IS" was obsolete. So the tank was renamed again, and it received the new "T-10" designation.

The T-10 was armed with a 122 mm D-25TA gun and a coaxial 12.7 mm DShKM machine-gun (a modernised DShK). In 1955 the first two prototypes were produced: "Object 267 sp.1" with gun stabilization in the vertical plane and "Object 267 sp.2" with a 2-plane gun stabilizer. A year later these features were used in a subsequent version, the T-10A ("Object 730A").


The T-10A on military parade. Red Square, Moscow. November 7, 1957.

In 1957, another modification, the T-10B ("Object 730B") was accepted into service. This tank was equipped with a 2-plane gun stabilizer, the PUOT-2 "Grom" and a T2S-29-14 sight.

Soon, a new 122 mm M-62-T2 (2A17) gun with improved ballistics was developed. This gun was equipped with a 2-plane stabilizer, the 2E12 "Liven" and a T2S-29-14 sight. The new tank ("Object 272") was also equipped with night vision devices. Under the designator T-10M the tank was accepted to service and put into production in 1957.


The T-10M heavy tank.

In 1963 the T-10M was equipped with OPVT - a special system for underwater river crossings (up to 5 metres deep). From 1967, the tanks received APS and HEAT ammunition. The T-10 wasn't exported and was never used in military conflicts. In 1966, the manufacture of the T-10 was canceled. In 1993, the T-10 heavy tank was removed from Russian Army service.

[SAMWolf]

The "Object 277"


"Object 277" during trials.

In 1957, "Object 277" was developed by J.Y.Kotin's design bureau. The new tank was based on ideas from the IS-7 and the T-10. "Object 277" was armed with a 130 mm M-65 gun and coaxial 14.5 mm KPVT machine-gun. The gun was equipped with a "Groza" 2-plane stabilizer and a night vision system. Ammunition consisted of 26 shells for the main gun and 250 rounds for the machine-gun. The tank had a diesel engine of 1,090 hp.

The "Object 277" was equipped with an anti-nuclear defense system, a system of clearing the sights and a system for underwater river crossings. The crew consisted of four men, and the tank had good maneuverability. Two tanks were built in 1958.

The "Object 279"


The "Object 279" during trials. 1959 -1960.

In 1957, a group of engineers, headed by L.S.Troyanov, developed a prototype of a new heavy tank, named "Object 279". This was a very unique vehicle. The tank had a classic layout, but the problem of protection was solved by an unusual design feature. The hull of the tank was covered by a thin elliptical shield. That shield protected the tank against HEAT ammunition and to prevent it from overturning during a nuclear explosion.

The thickness of the glacis plate was 269 mm, and the thickness of the turret was 305 mm. The tank was armed with a 130 mm M-65 gun and a coaxial 14.5 mm KPVT machine-gun. The ammunition carried for the main gun was 24 shells. The Engine was a 16-cylinder diesel DG-1000 (950 hp) or 2DG-8M (1000 hp). The tank's crew consisted of four men.

Another unusual feature of the tank was the chassis. It consisted of four tracks combined in pairs. Such construction increased the tank's height, but guaranteed that the tank would rarely get bogged down. The tank also had great tractability on snowy and swampy terrain. At the end of 1957, a single tank had been built, but after that the project was abandoned. The "Object 279" is now displayed at Kubinka.

Additional Sources:

www.jodyharmon.com

[SAMWolf]

The "Object 770"


The "Object 770" during trials.

Unlike "Object 277", this tank was based on several unique ideas. The tank was equipped with a nuclear defence system, automatic fire-extinguisher system, night vision equipment, and semi-gyrocompass.

The thickness of the glacis plate was 120 mm, and the turret was 290 mm thick. Armament consisted of a 130 mm gun M-65 and one 14.5 mm machine-gun KPVT. The amount of ammunition carried for the main gun was 26 shells and 250 rounds were carried for the machine-gun. The engine was a 10-cylinder diesel DTN-10 (1000 hp) with a water-cooling system. The crew consisted of four men.


The chassis of the "Object 770", Kubinka.

Having very good maneuverability, this tank was very easy to control. In a Soviet tank expert's opinion, "Object 770" was one of the most exemplary vehicles of the time. Today "Object 770" is displayed at Kubinka.

[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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We here at Blue Stars For A Safe Return are working hard to honor all of our military, past and present, and their families. Inlcuding the veterans, and POW/MIA's. I feel that not enough is done to recognize the past efforts of the veterans, and remember those who have never been found.

I realized that our Veterans have no "official" seal, so we created one as part of that recognition. To see what it looks like and the Star that we have dedicated to you, the Veteran, please check out our site.

Veterans Wall of Honor

Blue Stars for a Safe Return

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UPDATED THROUGH APRIL 2004



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

Click on Hagar for
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[Professional Engineer]

Good morning ladies. Flag-o-Gram.

[radu]

Good morning everyone!

To all our military men and women past and present, military family members, and to our allies who stand beside us
Thank You!

[snippy_about_it]

"FALL IN" to the FReeper Foxhole!



It's TreadHead Tuesday!


Good Morning Everyone

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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, fall in. :-)

[Iris7]

This site puts the T-80 in production in 1983, which makes it Soviet.

Whether the T-80 is a "heavy" tank or a "medium" tank is a matter of nomenclature, I think. The Abrams is a very heavy tank, for instance, at over 80 tons in the more recent versions.

The Russians rate the T-80 at 45 tons, but is suspect they mean metric tons, the "tonne". This would be fifty US tons. I think the later versions were considerably heavier. Certainly the machine weighed as much as a PzKw VI (standard Tiger tank), 55 tons, and so is a heavy tank in my estimation.

[Iris7]

Sorry to let so many errors get by my editing. Too late at night for me (as usual)!

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Snippy.

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the freeper foxhole.

[demlosers]

Interesting tanks. :)

[GailA]

Good morning

[The Mayor]

July 5, 2005

Dashboard Dining

Read:
Revelation 3:14-22

If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. —Revelation 3:20

Bible In One Year: Hosea 11-14

The term "dashboard dining" has come to signify the growing practice of eating while driving to save a little time. Popular freeway fare includes yogurt in squeeze tubes, soup in heat-and-sip containers, and small cookies that fit in cup holders. One US consumer products analyst says that people increasingly want food items that can be eaten quickly and easily while on the road. In some cultures, a leisurely meal at a table is becoming an endangered practice.

This eat-and-run mentality can also invade our spiritual thinking. Do we set aside daily time for an unhurried meeting with Jesus? Is our Bible reading and prayer time rushed or relaxed?

The risen Christ told the lukewarm church of Laodicea, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20). When we open our hearts in surrender to the Lord, He promises to come in for a meal, not a snack. His offer to dine with us holds the promise of a nourishing meal with relaxed conversation, not a quick hello and goodbye.

While modern culture worships efficiency and speed, God invites us to slow down and sit down for a spiritual feast of fellowship with Him. —David McCasland

We need to set aside the time
To read God's Word and pray,
And listen for the Spirit's voice
To guide us in His way. —Sper

Time is a friend when you use it to strengthen your friendship with Jesus.

FOR FURTHER STUDY
Keeping Our Appointments With God

[alfa6]

Starting to dry out bump for the Freeper Foxhole. Had a about 3/4 of an inch of a slow soaking rain Sunday night/Monday morning at the alfa6 homestead.

One of the neighbor did her usuall fine job of fixing some ribs, brisket, chicken, sausgae and beans for the rest of the neighbors. UM UM Good, I feel like a tick that has been ridin' around on the hound dog for a week or so.

Here is a bit of different paint job on an old N2S biplane. The usuall hat tip to Mr. Glenn Alderton, of course.

Y'all have a grate day ya 'ere

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on July 05:
1709 Etienne de Silhouette )French minister of finance who gave his name to outline portraits)
1781 Sir Stamford Raffles founded Singapore
1794 Sylvester Graham developed graham cracker
1801 David G Farragut Knoxville Tenn, naval hero
1853 Cecil John Rhodes South Africa, politician, diamond merchant
1867 Dr Andrew Ellicott Douglass Dendrochronologer (study of tree rings)
1879 Dwight Filley Davis donated tennis' Davis Cup
1879 Wanda A Landowska Warsaw Poland, harpsichordist (Musique Ancienne)
1891 John Northrop US, biochemist, crystallized enzymes (Nobel 1946)
1902 Henry Cabot Lodge (R) politician/ambassador (VP candidate 1960)
1904 Milburn Stone Bruton Ks, actor (Doc-Gunsmoke)
1909 Andrei Gromyko USSR, diplomat/USSR President (1985-89) [7/18 NS]
1913 Smiley Lewis Louisiana, vocalist (I Hear You Knockin')
1928 Warren Oates Depoy Ky, actor (East of Eden, The Wild Bunch, Stoney Burke)
1929 Katherine Helmond Galveston Tx, actress (Soap, Mona-Who's the Boss)
1944 Robbie Robertson guitarist/vocalist/songwriter (The Band)
1948 Julie Nixon Eisenhower Wash DC, daughter of Richard Milhaus
1951 Huey Lewis rocker (& the News-Power of Love)
1951 Richard "Goose" Gossage relief pitcher (Yankees, Padres)
1952 Terence T "Tom" Henricks Bryan Oh, Lt Col USAF/astronaut (STS 44)
1956 James Lofton NFL wide reciever (Bills, Packers, Raiders)
1958 Bill Watterson, American Cartoonist (Calvin & Hobbes)
1996 Dolly (the cloned sheep) born

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Deaths which occurred on July 05:
1539 Antonio M. Zaccaria, Italian physician, saint, died
1948 Carole Landis actress, dies at 29
1950 Pvt Kenneth Shadrick of WV becomes 1st US fatality in Korean War
1969 Tom Mboya economics minister, assassinated in Narobi Kenya
1969 Walter Gropius architect (found Bauhaus school of design), dies at 86
1983 Harry James swing-era bandleader/trumpet player, dies in Las Vegas
1990 Mitch Snyder homeless advocate, commits suicide at 46 by hanging
1993 Harrison E Salisbury, US journalist (NY Times), dies at 84
2002 Ted Williams (83), baseball Hall of Famer, dies
2003 N!xau, (the diminutive bushman catapulted to international stardom in the film "The Gods Must Be Crazy") he was thought to be about 59 years old
2004 Rwaida Al Shemre (33), an Iraqi interpreter for the US 3rd Battalion, assassinated

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GWOT

Iraq
05-Jul-2004 4 | US: 3 | UK: 0 | Other: 1
US Lance Corporal Michael S. Torres Al Anbar Province Hostile - hostile fire
US Lance Corporal John J. Vangyzen IV Al Anbar Province Hostile - hostile fire
US Corporal Dallas L. Kerns Al Anbar Province Hostile - hostile fire
IT Caporal Maggiore Antonio Tarantino An Nasiriyah (near) Non-hostile - vehicle accident


Afghanistan
A Good Day

http://icasualties.org/oif/
Data research by Pat Kneisler
Designed and maintained by Michael White
//////////
Go here and I'll stop nagging.
http://www.taps.org/
(subtle hint SEND MONEY)

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On this day...
0649 St Martin I begins his reign as Catholic Pope
0767 [Constantine] begins his reign as Catholic Pope
1643 1st recorded tornado in US (Essex County, Massachusetts)
1687 Isaac Newton's PRINCIPIA published by Royal Society in England
1775 The Olive Branch Petition was adopted by the Continental Congress and professed the attachment of the American people to George III.
1776 The Declaration of Independence was first printed by John Dunlop in Philadelphia. 200 copies were prepared July 5-6 and distributed to the states
1809 Pope Pius VII was taken prisoner to France and held there until 1814
1811 Venezuela, 1st South American country to gain independence from Spain
1814 Americans defeat British & Canadians at Chippewa, Ontario
1830 France invades Algeria, begins a 40 year conquest
1841 Thomas Cook opens 1st travel agency
1843 Committee of 9 appointed to establish civil govt in Oregon Country
1859 Capt NC Brooks discovers Midway Islands
1861 Battle of Carthage, MO - US Gen Sigel attacks pro-secessionist
1863 Battle of Jackson, MS and Battle of Birdsong Ferry, MS
1864 Battle of Smith's Expedition, MS (Tupelo, Harrisburg)
1865 The US Secret Service begins operating under the Treasury Department (William P. Wood first head)
1884 US Congress accept 2nd Chinese Exclusion Act
1896 Bill Doolin escapes from jail
1891 Hail kills 6 horses in Rapid City, SD
1914 Boston Braves are 15 games back in NL, & win the World Series
1919 Red Sox Babe Ruth hits 2 HRs in a game for his 1st of 72 times
1921 The "Black Sox" ( The Chicago White Sox players, including stars Shoeless Joe Jackson, Buck Weaver, and Eddie Cicotte) are accused of throwing the World Series
1929 A Deutsch discovers asteroid #1148 Rarahu
1932 Oliveira Salazar becomes dictator of fascist Portugal
1935 Chicago Cubs are 10 games back in NL, & go on to win the pennant (Not that it does anygood)
1935 Pres Franklin Roosevelt signs the National Labor Relations Act
1936 120ø F, Gannvalley, South Dakota (state record)
1937 117ø F, Medicine Lake, Montana (state record)
1937 Joe DiMaggio's 1st grand slammer
1940 Diplomatic relations broken between Britain & Vichy govt in France
1941 German troops reached the Dnieper River in the Soviet Union.
1943 Battle of Kursk, (the largest tank battle in history) began as German tanks attacked the Soviet salient
1944 Harry Crosby takes 1st rocket airplane, MX-324, for maiden flight
1945 U.S. General Douglas MacArthur announced that the liberation of the Philippines from its Japanese occupiers was complete.
1946 Louis Reard's(former civil engineer) bikini swimsuit design debuts at Paris fashion show (thankyouthankyouthankyou)
1950 Law of Return passes, guarantees all Jews right to live in Israel
1950 American forces (Taskforce Smith) engaged the North Koreans for the first time at Osan, South Korea
1951 Dr William Shockley invents junction transistor (Murray Hill NJ)
1954 B-52A bomber made its maiden flight(BUFF)
1959 Ben-Gurion's Israeli govt resigns
1962 Algeria gains independence after 132 years of French rule
1963 1st Beatle tune to hit US charts, Del Shannon "From Me to You" at #87
1966 National Guard mobilizes in Omaha after 3rd night of rioting
1966 Saturn I rocket launched at Cape Kennedy
1971 26th amendment certified (reduces voting age to 18)
1973 Isle of Man begins issuing their own postage stamps
1975 Cape Verde Is gain independence after 500 years of Portuguese rule
1977 Pakistan's army, led by Gen Mohammad Zia ul-Haq, seizes power
1978 Soyuz 30 spacecraft touches down in Soviet Kazakhstan
1981 Rajan Mahadevan recites 31,811 digits of ã from memory
1983 Baby girl born in Roanoke, Va., to a mother brain dead for 84 days
1984 Supreme Court weakens 70-year-old "exclusionary rule"-evidence seized with defective court warrants can now be used in criminal trials
1985 Nicholas Mark Sanders (England) begins circumnavigation of the globe, covering 13,035 road miles in 78 days, 3 hr, 30 min
1986 Nancy Reagan cuts red, white & blue ribbon; reopens Statue of Liberty
1989 Mark McGwire's gets 100th HR, 2nd fastest (1400 at bats) (to Kiner)
1991 Bank of Credit and Commerce International shut down by 8 countries
1993 Kurd guerrilla's murder 32 villager in East Turkey
2001 Pres. Bush appoints Robert S. Mueller III, as the new head of the FBI
2001 Condoleeza Rice, National Security Advisor, and Andrew Card Jr.,tell Richard Clarke, head of counter-terrorism, to alert top officials of the country's domestic agencies on increased terrorist threats
2001 Kenneth Williams, an FBI agent in Phoenix, Arizona, writes to bureau headquarters that al Qaeda could be sending terrorists to train as student pilots. He urges the investigation of Middle Eastern men enrolled in American flight schools
2001 Saddam Hussein accepts a 5-month UN extension for the oil-for-food program. (I'll just bet he did. Really had to twist his arm on that one)
2002 In Turkey 3 police officers and a suspected Islamic terrorist were killed in a shootout during a raid on an apartment in the southeastern Turkish city of Elazig.

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

Algeria : Independence Day (1962)
Isle of Man : Tynwald Day (1266)
Laos : Boun Festival
Rwanda : Peace & National Unity Day
Venezuela : Independence Day (1811)
Caribbean Common Market : Caribbean Day (1973)(Monday)
National Canned Luncheon Meat Week (Day 3)
Be Nice to New Jersey Week (Day 3)
Bikini Day
Workaholics Day
Freedom Week (Day 3)
Baked Beans Month

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Religious Observances
Muslim-Brunei : Mohammed's Ascension
RC : Memorial of St Anthony-Mary Zaccaria, confessor (opt)
Feast of St. Athanasius, deacon and martyr.

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Religious History
1439 At the Council of Florence, the Decree of Union ('Laententur Coeli') was signed,creating an official theological union between the Eastern (Orthodox) and Western (Catholic)churches. Unfortunately, the Eastern Church at large never accepted the document and a fullworking unity between these two major
1768 English founder of Methodism John Wesley wrote in a letter: 'We are reasonablecreatures, and undoubtedly reason is the candle of the Lord. By enlightening our reason tosee the meaning of the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit makes our way plain before us.'
1903 Death of English theologian William Burt Pope, 81. His 'Compendium of ChristianTheology' (1875-76) set forth the most powerful systematic arguments of his day for theholiness doctrine in Methodism.
1962 Death of Helmut Richard Niebuhr, 67. Christian Ethics professor at Yale for 30years, Niebuhr is better remembered for his popular and oft-reprinted 1951 classic, 'Christand Culture' -- a work that explores available options of relating one's personal faith tothe world's highest and noblest principles.
1963 In an instruction given by the Holy Office, disposal of the dead by cremation wasofficially granted sanction by the Catholic Church. (Belief in the resurrection of the deadhad previously made cremation repugnant to many Christians.)

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

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Russian sues NASA for comet upset
By Artyom Liss
BBC News, Moscow

Hours after a Nasa probe crashed into Comet Tempel 1, legal reverberations were felt in a Moscow court.
Judges in the tiny courtroom normally deal with matters much more mundane than space exploration.

But Judge Litvinenko opened hearings into a case which could see Nasa pay a local amateur astrologist millions of dollars in damages.
Writer Marina Bay claims that by slamming the probe into the comet, Nasa endangered the future of civilisation.

"Nobody has yet proven that this experiment was safe," says Ms Bay's lawyer Alexander Molokhov.
"This impact could have altered the orbit of the comet, so now there is a chance that the Tempel may well destroy the Earth some day!"

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Thought for the day :
"Hobbes: Do you think there's a God? Calvin: Well, SOMEBODY'S out to get me."

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning, everyone.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Some fascinating "objects" this morning! Happy Tuesday to all!

[w_over_w]

Morning Glory Folks~

Happy Treadhead Tuesday (it feels like Monday)!

Interesting read . . . but I have to admit, the Soviet tanks have never been the "object" of my affections.

No pun intended.