The FReeper Foxhole - Military Related News in Review - August 11th, 2003

various

[ken5050]

Man, that TSV looks like a LCAC on steroids...they should nickname it "Ah-nuld"

[SAMWolf]

Our Military Today
101st on Patrol

Private 1st Class Samuel Wright, 20, of C Co., 326th Engineering Battalion of the 101st Airborne Division, carries a picture of Saddam Hussein found during a patrol Wednesday, July 30, 2003, in Sinjar, Iraq. ( AP Photo /Sergei Grits )


US troops with the 187th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, begin to patrol al Alrisala, 50 miles (80 kms) south of Mosul on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2003. ( AP Photo /Sergei Grits )


A U.S soldier with the 187th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, patrols al Alrisala, 50 miles (80 kms) south of Mosul on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2003. (AP Photo /Sergei Grits)


U.S. soldiers patrol near the area where Sergeant Leonard Simmons from Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 502nd infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Div., memorial service will be taking place, in Mosul, Sunday Aug.10, 2003.Simmons, who was from Clarksville, Tennessee, died of cardiac arrest on Aug.6, 2003, while on duty. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)


U.S. soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division play chess before leaving for a patrol, at an army base near Mosul, Iraq, Friday Aug. 8, 2003. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)


US Army Spc. Shane Boyd, of Chattanooga, Tenn., First Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, reads a book during a break in his service in headquaters of his unit in an abandoned Iraqi army facility near of the town of Tall Afar, northern Iraq, Monday, Aug 4, 2002. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits )

[Valin]

HISTORY OF
THE 187TH I9NFANTRY REGIMENT
The 187th Infantry Regiment was constituted on 12 November 1942 at Camp Mackall, North Carolina. On February 25, 1943 the Regiment was activated and designated a glider regiment, and assigned to the 11th Airborne Division. A two battalion regiment, the 187th prepared for combat with its men trained as both gliderists and parachutists.

In May of 1944, the regiment deployed with the 11th Airborne Division to the Southwest Pacific, debarking at Lae, New Guinea. With the invasion of the Philippines, the regiment took part in bitter fighting to include repulsing the only Japanese airborne operation against U.S. Forces in World War II, and the bloody battle for Purple Heart Hill in the mountains of Leyte.

In May, the regiment moved into Lipa to refit, rebuild, and prepare for the invasion of Japan. At this time, the regiment was given a para-glider designation. When the war ended, the 187th was selected to spearhead the occupation of Japan and gained the distinction of being the first allied combat troops to enter the Japanese homeland.

While serving as occupation forces, the 187th received the title, "RAKKASANS" from the Japanese, which means, literally, "falling down umbrella". In April 1949, the Rakkasans returned to the United States with the 11th Airborne and settled into what was called Camp Campbell, Kentucky. In early 1950, the regiment participated in Operation Swarmer, the largest peacetime airborne maneuver in history. The Rakkasans' performance in this maneuver was instrumental in their selection to form the only Airborne Regimental Combat Team to fight in the Korean Conflict.

The Rakkasans entered the Korean War as part of the Inchon Landing Force in September 1950 and fought in the liberation of Seoul and the Kimpo Peninsula. In October, the Rakkasans made a parachute jump at Suckchon-Sunchon to cut off retreating North Korean forces. Months later, following the battles at Suan, Won-ju, and Kae-song, the regiment made history once more in a mass parachute assault into a road/railhead at Munsan-ni, South Korea, cutting off and destroying large enemy forces above the 38th Parallel.

In February 1963, the unit was redesignated as the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry and assigned to the 11th Air Assault Division at Fort Benning, Georgia, to test the concept of Air Assault Tactics. A year later, following successful testing and evaluation of the concept, the Rakkasans were once again attached to the 101st Airborne Division.

The Rakkasans soon returned to war when the 3rd Brigade of the 101st deployed to Vietnam in 1967. There, in battles from the A Shau Valley to the Iron Triangle, the Regiment added nine decorations and twelve battle streamers to the two decorations and three battle streamers of World War II and the four decorations and six battle streamers of Korea.

The 3rd battalion preserved the history and traditions of the regiment until, in the early 1980's, the regiment expanded to five battalions, two serving in Panama. In September 1987, the 4th and 5th Battalion were redesignated the 2nd and 1st respectively.

In August 1990, the Rakkasans were alerted with the 101st for movement to Saudi Arabia in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. On 25 February 1991, the Brigade Task Force executed the deepest air assault in history, sealing off Iraqi escape routes in the Euphrates River Valley and cutting off lines of communication and resupply.

The battalion conducted a recent contingency mission providing support to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, as part of Operation Joint Guardian from February 2000 to August 2000.

In November of 2001 elements of 1st Battalion were deployed to Jacobabad, Pakistan in support of operation Enduring Freedom. Throughout the task forces deployment, it was called upon many times to conduct numerous sensitive site explorations and airfield security operations. In March of 2002 elements of Task Force Leader played a major role in Operation Anaconda in the Shahi-Kot valley in Afghanistan conduction combat operations at the highest elevation the United States Army has fought in to date.

The Rakkasans are the only Airborne Warfare regiment in the history of the Army to have fought in every war since the development of Airborne tactics. From glider to parachute to air landing, to air assault by helicopter, the 187th Infantry has entered combat in each mode of airborne warfare and has pioneered the tactics that govern these modes. In each, the Rakkasans have given true meaning to their motto: "Ne Desit Virtus-Let Valor Not Fail."

[snippy_about_it]

Morning w/w.

Blue BDU's...the FR thread for that was really quite fun.

[snippy_about_it]

Good Morning SAM.

The Army has the strangest looking boats! I think they should leave ship building to the Navy. lol.

[snippy_about_it]

LOL. I was just posting to SAM that I think the Army should leave ship building and I'll add here, transport of troops to the Navy. All Aluminum???

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks for the pictures SAM. I like seeing current pics of our troops on the job!

[w_over_w]

. . . They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint
. . . that's 5 by 5 God.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks Valin. That was quick!

[SAMWolf]

Morning w_-over_w.

Good quote from the Bible. God Bless our troops.

[SAMWolf]

General Characteristics

Class: LCAC 1
Builder: Textron Marine and Land Systems/Avondale Gulfport Marine
Power Plant: 4- Avco-Lycoming TF-40B gas turbines (2 for propulsion/2 for lift); 16,000 hp sustained; 2- shrouded reversible pitch airscrews; 4- double-entry fans, centrifugal or mixed flow (lift)
Length: 87 feet 11 inches (26.4 meters)
Beam: 47 feet (14.3 meters)
Displacement: 87.2 tons (88.60 metric tons) light; 170-182 tons (172.73 - 184.92 metric tons) full load
Range: 200 miles at 40 kts with payload / 300 miles at 35 kts with payload
Speed: 40+ knots (46+ mph; 73.6 kph) with full load
Load Capacity: 60 tons / 75 ton overload
Military lift: 24 troops or 1 MBT
Crew: Five
Armament: 2 - 12.7mm MGs. Gun mounts will support: M-2HB .50 cal machine gun; Mk-19 Mod3 40mm grenade launcher; M-60 machine gun
Radars: Navigation: Marconi LN 66; I band
Date Deployed: 1982

[Darksheare]

During the Falklands war the Brits lost some ships due to the fact that there were made of aluminum.
The metal literally burned and melted once the ships was hit.
I hope they have an excellent fire suppression system on that ship.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Gettin' better, slow but sure. Was nearly desperate enough to try Darksheare's coffee this morning but managed to stop in time :)

[Darksheare]

Morning/ Afternoon!
Not much going on here at the moment.
Well, rain..
But that isn't a problem.

[Johnny Gage]

Air Power
Convair B-58 "Hustler"

The Convair B-58 Hustler was the first United States bomber to have a supersonic dash capability and required the development of much new technology. Although the B-58 was thought by many to be the harbinger of future generations of more advanced supersonic bombers, only about 115 of these unique aircraft were built, and they were quietly withdrawn from the SAC inventory after less than 10 years of service.

The general operating requirement, SAB-51, called for the replacement of the B-47 to be the first supersonic bomber. Research and development studies began in the late 1940's, and both Boeing and Convair developed conceptual designs. In 1952, the more revolutionary Convair design was chosen and designated the B-58, with the first flight occurring November 11, 1956. The program was not a competitive development, and Convair was given total development responsibility. As a result of money and schedule problems, the number of aircraft produced was reduced from 244 to 116, with its initial deployment in 1960.

The first B-58 was delivered in August 1960 and by 1964 deployment had reached about 90 aircraft. The B-58 had a Mach 2 dash capability and employed an external weapons pod. The last B-58 was retired in January 1970, about three months after the first FB-111 was accepted by SAC. Although the aircrews swore by the B-58, money and mission limitations led to it being phased out of the inventory after only 10 years of service.

The B-58 represented a drastic change from the B-47 in design, acquisition strategy, and deployment philosophy with SAB-51 being the first time that Air Force requirements called for radical, technological advances. The design specifications called for a Mach 2, high-altitude, medium-range nuclear bomber of minimum size to keep a low RCS. Convair was the prime contractor under the "Weapon System Management Concept" introduced with the B-58 and had responsibility for all subcontractor performance. This was in marked contrast to prior programs in which the Air Force was responsible for providing the prime contractor with "off-the-shelf" technology subsystems. The deployment concept was also different from the B-47 since the B-58 was designed to rely on quality rather than quantity.

These radical changes in the Air Force's approach to bomber development resulted in many problems. For example, meeting the technological requirements proved difficult and resulted in schedule slippages and cost overruns, while under-funding and lack of space on board affected development options. Subsequently, the B-58 was considered an interim bomber since the XB-70 was on the drawing boards.

The high altitude range of 3,500 nm for the B-58A and 4,000 nm for the B-58B included the use of a large centerline fuel pod. Although this range was better than the B-47, the lack of forward basing resulted in a requirement for more tanker support. While the B-58 was faster than Soviet fighters, the newly emerging threat was the development of SAMs in the late 1950's that forced the B-58 to adapt to low level penetration of enemy defenses. This change in mission profile caused a large increase in fuel consumption and compounded range problem.

The B-58, although the holder of numerous world speed records, was severely restricted in its usefulness and lifetime. Designed for supersonic, high-altitude penetration, the B-58 was limited in range, payload, and growth potential for the addition of advanced radar and other electronic equipment.

Thus, replacements were the main mode of modification. For example, analog electronic equipment with cooling problems was replaced by digital electronics. The B-58's planned production run was reduced because of the high cost per unit, a small payload, a mission profile different from its design concept, and, in the 1960's, a Secretary of Defense that downplayed the role of the bomber. In addition, it was very expensive to operate, and huge sums of money were needed for the Vietnam war.

Mission requirements for the Convair B-58 Hustler called for a subsonic cruise segment of several thousand miles followed by a supersonic dash (Mach 2.0) in the target zone of as much as 500 miles and, finally, a post-strike cruise segment. Diverse requirements such as these call for an aircraft of high aerodynamic efficiency at both subsonic and supersonic speeds, together with a versatile propulsion system capable of efficiently providing the required thrust in the different flight regimes. Today's response to the B-58 mission requirements would no doubt be a variable-sweep configuration employing afterburning turbofan engines. Unfortunately, the technology for a practical variable-sweep aircraft did not exist in the early 1950's when the B-58 was being designed - nor did afterburning turbofan engines. The only possible way in which the difficult mission objectives could be met in that time period was with the use of in-flight refueling.

With the increased effectiveness of enemy detection and antiaircraft capability discussed previously, the high-altitude Mach 2 method of weapons delivery became increasingly less viable, and an on-the deck method of attack became the preferred mode of operation. For this type of weapons delivery, however, the payload-range characteristics of the B-58 were much inferior to those of the B-52. For whatever reason, the last B-58 was withdrawn from service in January 1970 after about 10 years in the active inventory. First flight of the aircraft took place on November 11, 1956; approximately 115 units were built.

The B-58 represented a significant technical achievement in the 1950's time period, but the mission requirements called for innovations that far exceeded the technical state of the art then available.

Specifications:
Primary Function: Bomber
Contractor: Convair
Engines: Four General Electric J79-GE-1 turbojets of 15,000 lbs. thrust ea. with afterburner
Crew: Three - Pilot, Navigator/Bombardier, Defensive Systems Operator

Dimensions:
Span: 56 ft. 10 in.
Length: 96 ft. 10 in.
Height: 31 ft. 5 in.
Weights: Empty: 55,560 lb (25,201 kg) / Maximum Takeoff: 163,000 lb (73,935 kg)

Performance :
Maximum speed: 1,325 mph
Cruising speed: 610 mph.
Range: 4,400 miles max. ferry range
Service Ceiling: 64,800 ft.

Armaments:
one 20mm cannon in tail;
Up to 10,000-lb. bomb load of Nuclear or conventional weapons in pod or on under-wing pylons

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This above is actually a picture of a Monogram 1/48th Scale model!!!!!

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For one pilot's life experiences with this airplane, please click here: Capt B.F. Brown's B-58 Page

All photos and information is Copyright of their owners

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks Johnny. I'll read the link when I get home. Nice looking plane!

[snippy_about_it]

You'd like to think they know what they are doing building an aluminum ship. :)

[snippy_about_it]

...Darksheare's coffee...managed to stop in time

Thank goodness. lol. A cold shower or grapefruit juice in the eye, try those to wake up before getting so bad you need Darksheare's coffee. lol.

[snippy_about_it]

Morning Darksheare. We were just talking about you and your coffee. See earlier posts. ;)

[SAMWolf]

Yep, HMS Sheffield was hit by a french Exocet missle, fired from french Super-Etenard fighter-bombers, she shouldn't have taken as much damage as she did, the aluminum construction was part of the problem.

21 sailors lost their lives and a further 24 wounded.

The ship had to be abandoned eight hours after the flames had raged out of control. The ship's burnt out hulk sank a few days later on May 10th, whilst under the tow of frigate HMS Yarmouth. Position 53°04'S, 56°56' W. The first Royal Navy ship to be sunk in action for nearly forty years, the wreck is a designated war grave.