101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division (Screaming Eagles) is a US army division which was activated
on August 15th, 1942. The first commander was Major General William C. Lee. During World War II, the 101st Airborne Division led the way on D-Day in the night drop prior to the invasion.
107th Bengal Light Infantry
The 107th Bengal Light Infantry was a British army unit raised in 1854. It went on to amalgamate with the 35th Foot to form the Royal Sussex Regiment.
115th Field Artillery Brigade
The 115th Field Artillery Brigade is a US army unit which was first organized in 1888 in the Wyoming
National Guard as the 1st Regiment, to consist of Company A (Laramie Grays). organized 29 May 1888 at Laramie, and company B (Cheyenne Guards), organized 12 October 1888 at cheyenne.
In 1890 it was redesignated as the 1st Regiment Infantry. And after many more changes
it was redesignated as the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 115th Field Brigade on the 1st September 1978
12/250 Rapid
The 12/250 Rapid is a precharged air rifle made by Theoben. It has a 23 inch barrel in .25'' calibre and takes a 12-round magazine. Power is adjustable from 33ft/lbs to 40ft/lbs.
12th (East Suffolk) Regiment of Foot
see "Suffolk Regiment"
13th Foot
The 13th Foot was a British infantry regiment raised in 1685 to fight the Scottish Jacobites. They fought at Killiecrankie and at the battle of the Boyne.
1st Staffordshire
see "38th Foot"
21st Royal North British Fusiliers
see "Royal Scots Fusiliers"
24th Regiment of Foot
The 24th Regiment of Foot was a British army unit raised in Ireland in 1689. It's first action was under William III at the Battle of the Boyne. It made an incredible stand at Rorke's Drift in January 1879 against an overwhelming mass of Zulus. At some point in it's history the regiment changed it's name to the South Wales Borderers.
25th Foot
see "Kings Own Scottish Borderers"
2A20
The 2A20 is a Russian 115mm smooth-bore gun mounted on older T-62 MBT. It has a muzzle velocity of 1615 m/s and armour piercing capabilities of 326mm at 500m and 302mm at 1000m firing APFSDS ammunition.
2A26
The 2A26 is a Russian 125mm calibre smooth-bore gun mounted on T-64, T-72 and T-80 MBTs. It has a muzzle velocity of 1680m/s and armour piercing capabilities of 397mm at 500m and 363mm at 1000m firing HVAPFSDS ammunition.
2A28
The 2A28 is a Russian 73mm calibre smooth-bore closed-breech rocket launcher. It fires the PG-9 rocket at a muzzle velocity of 400m/s and is mounted on the BMP-1 IFV.
2A42
The 2A42 is a Russian 30mm calibre auto-cannon mounted on BMP-2 and ZSU-30-2. It is based upon the British Rarden gun and has dual loading for AP and HE ammunition allowing the gunner to switch rounds without unloading and reloading. The 2A42 has a muzzle velocity of 1000m/s and can pierce 50mm of armour at 500m.
2A46
The 2A46 is a newer version of the 2A26 with a redesigned mechanical loader.
2nd Dragoons
see "Royal Scots Greys"
2nd Highland Battalion
see "78th Highlanders"
2nd Royal North British Dragoons
see "Royal Scots Greys"
31st Foot
The 31st Foot was a British marine regiment raised in 1702. In 1782 it was renamed the Huntingdonshire Regiment and in 1825 formed part of the East Surrey Regiment.
35th Foot
The 35th Foot was a British army unit raised in 1701 at Belfast. It captured the standard of the Roussillon Grenadiers on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec. The regiment developed the names ''Orange Lillies'' and ''Prince of Orange's Own'' on account of wearing orange facings. The regiment later formed part of the Royal Sussex Regiment.
35th Infantry Regiment
The 35th Infantry Regiment is a US army unit which was organized on the 13th July 1916 in Arizona of
men from the 11th, 18th and 22nd Infantry. These units dated back to The War Between the States.
38th Foot
The 38th Foot was a British army infantry unit raised in 1702. It received the title 1st Staffordshire in 1782 and went on to form part of the South Staffordshire Regiment.
39th Foot
The 39th Foot was a British army regiment raised in 1702, and the first regiment to serve in India, sailing in 1754. It was merged with the 54th Foot into the Dorset Regiment.
3rd Foot Guards
see "Scots Guards"
3rd Pattern Commando Knife
The 3rd Pattern Commando Knife (Fairbairn-Sykes) was a double edged fighting knife specified by the British MOD in 1943, and issued to Service Men. It had a 7 inch, double edged carbon-steel blade with a 2 inch oval guard, a ribbed zinc-alloy handle and a brass nut. The blade was finished in black.
42nd Foot
The 42nd Foot was the first battalion of the Royal Highlanders.
53rd (Shropshire) Regiment
see "Shropshire Light Infantry."
54th Foot
The 54th Foot was a British army regiment raised in 1755. It was later merged with the 39th Foot to form the Dorset Regiment.
60th Royal Americans
see "Kings Royal Rifle Corps"
64th (2nd Staffordshire) Foot
The 64th (2nd Staffordshire) Foot was a British army unit raised in 1756 to be the 2nd Battalion of the 11th Foot. It received the title ''Prince of Wales's'' on occasion of the Prince's visit to Malta in 1876.
6th Regiment of Foot
see "Royal Warwickshire Regiment"
70th Foot
The 70th Foot was a British army regiment raised in 1758. In 1825 it formed the 2nd Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment.
73rd Foot
The 73rd Foot was the second battalion of the Royal Highlanders and was raised in 1780.
78th Highlanders
The 78th Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs) were formed in 1756 as the 2nd Highland Battalion and reformed in 1793 as the 78th Highlanders and joined with Fraser's Highlanders in 1881 to form the Seaforth Highlanders.
7th (Royal Fusilier) Regiment
see "Royal Fusiliers"
8-229th Aviation Regiment
The 8-229th Aviation Regiment (Flying Tigers) is a US army unit formed in 1941 under the command of Colonel Claire L. Chennault,
and formally known as the American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force during World War II.
In 1942 when the U.S. declared war on Japan, they were absorbed into the 10th Air Force and became the nucleus of the China Air Task Force.
80th Foot
The 80th Foot was a British army infantry unit raised in 1793 which went on to form part of the South Staffordshire Regiment.
90th Light Infantry
The 90th Light Infantry (Perthshire Volunteers) was a British army unit formed in 1794. It joined with the Cameronians in 1881 to form the Scottish Rifles.
98th Foot
The 98th Foot was a British infantry army unit raised in 1824 as the 2nd Battalion of the North Staffordshire Regiment.
Abatis
An abatis is a barricade or obstacle comprised of felled trees arranged with the branches pointing outwards.
Accoltellatori
The accoltellatori were secret assassins based at Ravenna and other places in Italy around 1874.
Action
In weapon terms, action refers to the working mechanism of a firearm. Various types exist, including single-shots, multi-barrels, revolvers, slide- or pump-action, lever-action, bolt-action, semi-automatic and automatic.
Acton
An acton was a quilted or padded tunic worn under a coat of mail as a defence against bruising in combat. They were popular in the 15th century.
Admiral Graf Spee
The Admiral Graf Spee was a German pocket battleship. She was launched in April 1933 and was scuttled off Montevideo, Uruguay after engaging three British cruisers in the Battle of the River Plate in December 1939. The Admiral Graf Spee was armed with six 11 inch and eight 6 inch guns and had a top speed of 28 knots.
Affondatore
The Affondatore was an Italian turret battleship. She was launched in November 1865 and retired from service with the Italian navy in 1907. She was armed with two 10 inch muzzle-loading rifled guns and had a top speed of 12 knots. The Affondatore was an iron-hulled schooner rigged vessel with two turrets each designed by the British navy's Captain Cowper Coles. She acted as the flagship of Admiral Persano's fleet at the Battle of Lissa in July 1866.
AFV
AFV is an abbreviation for armoured fighting vehicle.
Agent Orange
Agent Orange was a selective weedkiller, notorious for its use in the 1960s during the
Vietnam War by American forces to eliminate ground cover which could protect enemy forces. It was subsequently discovered to contain highly poisonous dioxin.
Agent Orange, named for the distinctive orange stripe on its packaging, combines equal parts of 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) and 2,4,5-T (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid), both now banned in the USA.
AGM-114
AGM-114A
AGM-65
AGM-65D
Air-Gun
Ajax
AK47
Akagi
Al-Hussayn
Alabama
Almirante Brown
Altmark
Ammunition
Amphion
Antonine Wall
AP
APC
APFSDS
Aquila
Argonauts of St. Nicholas
Ark Royal
Arleigh Burke
Armada
Armor
Armored Personnel Carrier
Armoured Landship
Armoured Train
Armstrong Gun
Arquebus
Arrow
Arsine
Artillery
AS-14
Asahi
ASDIC
Assegai
AT-3
AT-4
AT-5
AT-6
AT-8
ATGM
ATGW
Atomic Bomb
Automatic (firearm)
AV7
AWACS
B 111
Baker Rifle
Ball (firearm)
BAR
Bashi-Bazouks
Battle of Alford
Battle of Anjou
Battle of Beauge
Battle of Blackwater
Battle of Bosworth Field
Battle of Bouvines
Battle of Briar's Creek
Battle of Brienne
Battle of Bunker Hill
Battle of Chickahominy
Battle of Chillianwallah
Battle of Cold Harbor
Battle of Coronel
Battle of Corunna
Battle of Crecy
Battle of Cunaxa
Battle of Dettingen
Battle of Dogger Bank
Battle of Dunbar
Battle of Dupplin Moor
Battle of El Teb
Battle of Elandsaagte
Battle of Ethandune
Battle of Eutaw Springs
Battle of Evesham
Battle of Falkirk
Battle of Falkland Islands
Battle of Ferkeh
Battle of Ferozeshah
Battle of Fort George
Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Friedland
Battle of Fuentes d'Onoro
Battle of Omdurman
Battle of Otterburn
Battle of Prague
Battle of Stoney Creek
Battle of Suvla Bay
Battle of Talana Hill
Battle of Tannenberg
Battle of the Boyne
Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Verdun
Battle of Waterloo
Battle-Axe
Battle-axe Guards
Bayonet
Bazooka
BBC
Bearer Company
Beaufetier
Beefeater
Bellite
Beretta
Beretta m38a
Bergmann MP18
Bergmann MP28
Bersaglieri
BF 110C
BGM-71D
Blackpowder
Blank Cartridge
Blasting Gelatine
Blowpipe
Blunderbuss
Bolas
Bolt-action
Bomb
Bombard
Bombardier
Boomerang
Bow
Boyne
Boys Anti-Tank Rifle
Bradley
Breech
Brennus
Broadsword
Brown bess
Browning High Power Pistol
Brunswick Rifle
BT-5
BT-7
BT-7-2
Buckler
Bucks Volunteers
Bullet
Burh
Caliber
Cameronians
CAP
Carbine
Carbo-Dynamite
Carronade
Case-shot
Casemate
Castle
Cateran
Catrail
Cei-Rigotti
Center-fire
Centuria
Centurion
Centurion Tank
Cestus
CFV
Chaffee tank
Chain-shot
Chamber (firearm)
Char B1
Char D2
Chassepot
Chassepot Rifle
Chesapeake
Chevy Chase
Children's Crusade
Chobham Armour
Churchill Tank
City of London Regiment
Claymore
Cohort
Coldstream Guards
Colour-Sergeant
Colt
Colt commando
Column
Commander
Commissariat
Composite Armour
Condottieri
Conspicuous service Cross
Cordite
Cordon
Cordon Bleu
Corporal
Corporal of Horse
Corporal-major
Corvette
Crimean War
Croix de Guerre
Cromwell Tank
Cross-bar shot
Cross-bow
Cruise missile
Cruiser
Crusade
Crusader
Cuirass
Cuirassiers
Culverin
Curtain Fire
Curtal-ax
Curtana
Cutlass
Cylinder (weapon)
D-10TG
D.S.O.
DA
Dacian Wars
Daga
Dahlgren Gun
Damascus-steel
Dannewerke
Deringer
Destroyer
Detonator
Deutschland
DH4
Distinguished Conduct Medal
Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Order
Dorset Regiment
Double-action
Draconarii
Dragoon
Dragoon Guards
Dreadnought
DShK
DSO
Dualin
DUKW
Dum-dum bullet
Earl of Mar's Fusiliers
Earthwork
East Surrey Regiment
Ecrasite
EM2
Emden
Enfilade
Enterprise
Epee-de-Combat
Espora
Excalibur
Exeter
Exocet
F-15
F1
Fairbairn-Sykes
Fal
Farquhar-hill
Female
Fencible Light Dragoons
Ferguson Rifle
FG42
FGM-77a
FH70
Fifth Crusade
FIM-43a
FIM-92a
Firearm
Firefly
Fireship
First Crusade
Flame-thrower
Flammenwerfer
Flint-lock
FLIR
Flying Fortress
Flying Tigers
Foreign Legion
Forlorn Hope
Fourth Crusade
Fowling-piece
Fraise
Franc-tireur
Franc-tireurs
Franco-Prussian War
Fraser's Highlanders
French Foreign Legion
Frigate
FT-17
Fusil
The AGM-114 (hellfire) is an American laser-guided anti-tank missile. It can be carried by helicopters or ground forces. It has a flight speed of mach 1.7 and a range of 5 miles.
The AGM-114A is an anti-tank missile carried by American helicopters. It has a flight speed of 170 m/s and a maximum range of 7000 meters. It is unusual in being a laser guided missile. Also called the hellfire missile.
The AGM-65 is an air-to-ground missile used by the US army. It has a flight speed of 180 m/s and a maximum range of 16000 meters.
The AGM-65D (Maverick) is a 300mm air-to-ground missile used by the USAF. It is mounted on A-10A and other similar attack aircraft. It has a range of 16000m and an FLIR guidance system. It can penetrate 650mm of flat steel, 527mm of sloped steel armour and 257mm of composite armour.
An Air-Gun is a gun in which the projectile is propelled by compressed air. They were first patented in England in 1872 by Giffard. In 1867 Bessemer patented an ordnance to project large shot using compressed air, and in 1866 Zalinski of the USA artillery made a practical gun for throwing dynamite shells which was used during the Cuban war of 1898.
The Ajax was a British light cruiser of the Second World War. She was armed with 8 6 inch guns, 8 4 inch anti-aircraft guns, 8 2 pounder anti-aircraft guns, 12 .5 inch guns and 8 21 inch torpedo tubes. She had a top speed of 32.5 knots. She carried a crew of 550.
The AK47 is a Soviet assault rifle. It is an automatic weapon with a cyclic rate of 600 rpm and a muzzle velocity of 717 m/s. It is sighted to 800m. The AK47 takes a 7.62mm round from a 30-round box.
The Akagi was a Japanese aircraft carrier. She was designed as a battle cruiser but the design was altered and she was built to despatch up to 60 aircraft. The Akagi was launched in 1925 and led the Japanese aircraft carrier assault on Pearl Harbour in 1941. She was sunk at the Battle of Midway in 1942 by American dive bombers.
The Al-Hussayn is an Iraqi army modified Scud missile capable of projecting a smaller payload of about 500 kg a distance of up to 650 km.
The Alabama was a steam vessel of 900 tons, with engines of 300 hp, constructed by Messrs Laird at Birkenhead for the confederate service. She was launched on May 15th 1862 and sailed from the Mersey on July 28th. Under the command of captain Semmes she did great damage to the American mercantile shipping until her destruction by the federal ironclad Kearsage capyained by Winslow, off Cherbourg on June 19th 1864.
The Almirante Brown is an Argentinian Meko 360 Type destroyer. She was
built by Blohm and Voss in Hamburg and launched on the 28th of March
1981. She has a displacement of 2900 tons and is armed with eight
Aerospatiale MM 40 Exocet missiles, one OTO Melara 5in gun, eight
Breda/Bofors 40mm guns, six 324mm ILAS 3 (2 triple) torpedo tubes
and two Breda 105mm SCLAR Chaff rocket launchers. She is powered by
two Rolls-Royce Olympus TM3B gas turbines providing 51600 shp and a
top speed of 30.5 knots and a range of 7200 km. She carries a crew of
26 officers and 174 men.
The Altmark was a German POW ship of the Second World War. The prisoners-of-war were rescued by the British destroyer Cossack.
Ammunition generally refers to the assembled components of complete cartridges or rounds i.e., a case or shell holding a primer, a charge of propellant (gunpowder) and a projectile (bullets in the case of handguns and rifles, multiple pellets or single slugs in shotguns). Sometimes called ''fixed ammunition'' to differentiate from components inserted separately in muzzleloaders.
The Amphion was a British frigate of 38 guns, blown up while riding at anchor in Plymouth Sound, killing her entire crew of more than 250 persons on September 22nd 1796.
The Antonine Wall was a Roman line of fortification built around 142-200 AD as the Roman Empire's North West frontier between the Clyde and Forth in Scotland.
In terms of ammunition, AP is an abbreviation for armour piercing.
APC is an abbreviation for armoured personnel carrier.
APFSDS is an abbreviation for armour piercing, fin stabilised, discarding sabot.
Aquila is an American RPV.
The Argonauts of St. Nicholas were an order of military knights founded by Charles III of Naples in 1382.
The original Ark Royal was a British galleon of 800 tons built for Sir Walter Raleigh in 1587. She was the flagship of Lord Howard at the battle against the Spanish Armada in 1588. The name Ark Royal was later employed for a British aircraft carrier built in 1937 and sunk in 1941 by the German submarine U81.
Arleigh Burke is an American guided missile destroyer of 8400 tons and a top speed of over 30 knots.
The Invincible Armada (Spanish Armada) was collected and equipped by Philip II, king of Spain, for the subjegation of England. It consisted of 130 ships, 3165 cannon, 8050 sailors, 2088 galley-slaves, 18,972 soldiers, 1382 volunteers and 150 monks the whole under the command of the duke of Medina-Sidonia. The armada sailed from Lisbon on the 19th May 1588 and was soon after dispersed by a storm, it recollected and sailed into the channel off cornwall on the 19th of July 1588 and during a series of engagements with the English fleet under Francis Drake and John Hawkins was destroyed.
Armor is body protection worn in battle. The invention of gunpowder led, by degrees, to the virtual abandonment of armor until World War I, when the helmet reappeared as a defense against shrapnel.
Modern armor, used by the army, police, security guards, and people at risk from assassination, uses nylon and fiberglass and is often worn beneath clothing.
An Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) is a wheeled or tracked military vehicle designed to transport up to ten people. Armoured to withstand small-arms fire and shell splinters, it is used on battlefields.
Armoured Landships were the official name, rather than the code name, for Tanks. The term never really caught on, and by the Second World War the code name of ''Tank'' was in general usage.
Armoured Trains were railway trains with the engine and carriages protected from musket fire by armour in the form of high parapets of iron or steel plate. Loopholes in the armour allowed carried soldiers to fire without undue exposure, and machine-guns were also carried on pivot mountings. Armoured Trains were used in France and Belgium during the early part of the Great War, especially at the siege of Antwerp, but were found to be vulnerable to artillery fire and this together with their inability to manoeuvre led to their discontinuation.
The Armstrong Gun is a type of cannon named after its inventor, William Armstrong. It is made of wrought-iron spirally-coiled bars. It has a rifled barrel. The projectile is covered in soft lead. As the projectile is propelled out of the cannon, the lead coating is compressed into the rifle grroves, causing it to spin. The Armstrong Gun was invented in the middle of the 19th century.
The arquebus was a hand-gun similar to a musket. It fired a two ounce ball, and was fired from a forked rest. A larger variant which took a heavier ball was used in fortresses.
An arrow is a missile projected by a bow.
Arsine, short for Arseniuretted hydrogen, is a blood irritant gas used during the Second World War. It has very little smell and causes violent vomiting and blood poisoning.
Artillery refers to missile type weapons.
The AS-14 is a Soviet air-to-ground anti-tank missile. It has a flight speed of 150-175 m/s and a maximum range of 20000 meters. It is carried by SU-25 and other aircraft.
The Asahi was a Japanese battleship built in 1898 and broken up in 1947. She had a top speed of 18 knots and was armed with four 12 inch and fourteen 6 inch guns. The Asahi saw extensive service in the 1904-1905 war with Russia and in 1921 was reclassified as a coast defence ship and in 1923 became a training ship.
ASDIC was an abbreviation used during the Second World War for Allied Submarine Detection Investigation Committee. It was a device used for detecting underwater ships. The American name was sonar.
The assegai is a spear used as a weapon by the Kaffres of South Africa. It is made of hard wood with an iron tip and is used for throwing and thrusting.
The AT-3 (Sagger) is a Russian 120mm ATGM. It has a flight speed of 120m/s and a range of 3000m. The original AT-3 was introduced during the 1960s and was joystick guided which required a high degree of gunner skill. During the 1970s it was redesigned to optical guidance, whereby the gunner just needs to keep the target in sight.
The AT-4 is an American lightweight multi-purpose weapon. It is a single shot anti-tank rocket with iron sights guidance and a range of about 300m. The AT-4 (Spigot) is a Russian 120mm ATGM introduced during the 1970s and supplied to infantry, BMP-1, BMP-2 and BRDM-3 units. It has a maximum range of 2000m and a flight speed of 185m/s.
The AT-5 (Spandrel) is a Russian 130mm ATGM. It is wire-guided and mounted on the BMP-2 and BRDM-3. It has a flight speed of 185m/s and a maximum range of 4000m. The AT-5 can penetrate 500mm of flat steel, 406mm of sloped steel and 198mm of composite armour.
The AT-6 (Spiral) is a Russian ATGM designed to be fired from helicopters, and is radio guided. It has a flight speed of 225m/s and can penetrate 600mm of flat steel, 487mm of sloped steel and 237mm of composite armour. The AT-6 has a maximum range of 5000m.
The AT-8 (Songster) is a Russian ATGM. It was designed to be fired from the 125mm smooth-bore gun. It uses radio for guidance from the gunner. The AT-8 has a flight speed of 250m/s and a range of 4000m. It can penetrate 550mm of flat steel and 446mm of sloped steel armour.
ATGM is an abbreviation for anti-tank guided missile.
ATGW is an abbreviation for anti-tank guided weapon.
The Atomic bomb is a bomb deriving its explosive force from nuclear fission as a result of a neutron chain reaction. It was developed in the 1940s in the USA into a usable weapon.
Research began in Britian in 1940 and was transferred to the USA after its
entry into World War II the following year.
Known as the Manhattan Project, the work was carried out under the direction
of the American physicist Robert Oppenheimer at Los Alamos, New Mexico.
An automatic is a firearm designed to feed cartridges, fire them, eject their empty cases and repeat this cycle as long as the trigger is depressed and cartridges remain in the feed system. Examples: machine guns, submachine guns, selective-fire rifles, including true assault rifles.
The AV7 was the first German tank. It was first made in 1918 by Daimler, a total of 20 being made before the war ended. It had two 100hp Daimler petrol engines giving a top speed of 12kmph and a range of 35km. It was armed with a 57mm cannon and six 7.62mm machine guns. The armour plating was a maximum of 30mm thick and it was crewed by 18 men.
AWACS is an acronym for Airborne Warning And Control System. It is a surveillance system that incorporates a long-range surveillance and detection radar mounted on a
Boeing E-3 sentry aircraft.It was used with great success in the 1991 Gulf War.
B 111 was a German Torpedo Boat Destroyer. It was 98m long, 9.35m wide and had a displacement of 1843 tons. It was powered by two sets of marine turbines providing 40700hp and a top speed of 37.4 knots and a range of 2620 nautical miles. B 111 was armed with four 105mm and six 500mm torpedo tubes and carried eight torpedoes. It was crewed by 4 officers and 110 men.
The Baker rifle was the first rifle accepted for English military use. It was a muzzle loader with a calibre of 0.625''. It was produced from 1800 to 1838.
In weapon terminology, a ball was originally a spherical projectile, now generally a fully jacketed bullet of cylindrical profile with round or pointed nose. Most commonly used in military terminology.
The Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) was a .30 inch calibre gas operated automatic rifle designed by Browning and manufactured by Winchester, Colt and other companies from 1918 onwards. It had an effective range of 550m.
Bashi-Bazouks were irregular Turkish troops, employed partially in the Crimean War and the Russo-Turkish War.
The Battle of Alford was fought on July the 2nd 1645 when General Baillie with a large body of covenanters who was defeated by the marquis of Montrose.
The Battle of Anjou (Battle of Beauge) was fought between the English and French on the 22nd of March 1421. The English were defeated. This was the first battle that turned the tide of success against the English.
see "Battle of Anjou"
The Battle of Blackwater was fought in Ireland on August 14th 1598 when the Irish chief O'Neil defeated the English under Sir Henry Bagnall. Pope Clement VIII sent O'Neil a consecrated plume, and granted to his followers the same indulgence as to crusaders.
The Battle of Bosworth Field was the last battle between the houses of York and Lancaster, and occured on August 22nd 1485, when Richard III was defeated by the earl of Richmond, afterwards Henry VII, and slain through the desertion of Sir William Stanley.
The Battle of Bouvines occured on the 27th of July 1214 when Philip Augustus of France was victorious over the emperor Otho and his allies.
The Battle of Briar's Creek occured on the 3rd of March 1779 when a 2000 strong American army under general Ashe was totally defeated by the English under general Prevost.
The Battle of Brienne occured on the 29th of January 1814 when the allied armies of Russia and Prussia under Blucher were defeated by the French.
The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought near Boston in the USA on the 17th of June 1775 between nearly 3000 British and 5000 Americans. The Americans were compelled to retreat after a fierce conflict.
see "Battle of Cold Harbor"
The Battle of Chillianwallah was fought between the Sikh forces in considerable strength, and the British commanded by lord Gough, on 13 January 1849. The Sikhs were completely routed, but the loss to the British was severe, with about 750 killed and 2000 wounded.
The Battle of Cold Harbor was a battle during the American Civil War. It took place on June 3rd 1864 and involved the defeat of the Federal army of the Potomac under General Grant by the Confederate army of Virginia under General Lee. The battle is also known as The Battle of Chickahominy.
The Battle of Coronel was fought on November 1st, 1914 between British and German naval squadrons under Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock and Vice-Admiral von Spee respectively. The British were defeated, losing the Good Hope and the Monmouth. The remaining British ships escaped in the night.
The Battle of Corunna took place on January 16th 1809 during the Peninsular War. At the battle the British under Sir John Moore defeated the French at Soult. However, Sir John Moore was killed at the battle.
The Battle of Crecy took place in 1346, during the Hundred Years' War, when the English under Edward III routed a largely superior French army under Philip VI. The French losses amounted to over 31,000 including the King of Bohemia, 10 other princes and some 1200 knights. It was the first English battle in which the cannon was used, but victory was the result of the shooting of the English long-bow men.
The Battle of Cunaxa took place in 401 BC between Cyrus the Younger with Orientals and Greek mercenaries against the Persians under his brother Artaxerxes. Cyrus was killed but the Greeks refused to surrender and were allowed to march to the coast.
The Battle of Dettingen took place on June 27th 1743 during the War of the Austrian Succession. The British and Hanoverians under George II with the Austrians, defeated the French under Marshal Noailles. This was the last occassion when a British monarch led his troops to battle.
The Battle of Dogger Bank was a naval action of the Great War. It took place on January 24th 1915 off the Dogger Bank between British battle cruisers under Admiral Beatty and German battle cruisers.
The Battle of Dunbar took place on April 27th 1296 when Edward I of England was defeated by the Scots under John Baliol. A second Battle of Dunbar occured on September 3rd 1650 when the Parlimentarians under Cromwell routed the Scottish Royalists under David Leslie.
The Battle of Dupplin Moor took place on August 12th 1332 when Edward Baliol and the Scottish barons defeated a numerically superior force of King David of Scotland under the Earl of Mar.
The Battle of El Teb took place on February 4th 1884 during the Sudan Campaign. A force of Sudanese under Osman Digna practically annihilated an Egyptian column under Baker Pasha which was marching to relieve Sinkat.
The Battle of Elandsaagte took place on October 21st 1899 during the 2nd Boer War when the British under General French drove a strong force of Boers from their position, capturing the leader, General Koch.
The Battle of Ethandune took place in 878 when the West Saxons under King Alfred inflicted a crushing defeat on the Danes under Guthrum.
The Battle of Eutaw Springs took place on September 8th 1781 and was the last serious engagement of the American War of Independence. The British under General Stewart gained a victory over the Americans under Greene at Eutaw Springs, South Carolina.
The Battle of Evesham took place on August 4th 1265 during the Barons' War. The Royalists in largely superior numbers under Prince Edward defeated the Barons under Simon de Montfort, who was slain at Evesham, Worcestershire, thus ending the war.
The first Battle of Falkirk took place on July 22nd 1298 when a superior force of English under Edward I routed the Scots under Sir William Wallace. The second Battle of Falkirk occured on January 16th 1746 when the Highland rebels of ''45'' under the Young Pretender defeated the British under General Hawley.
The Battle of Falkland Islands was a naval battle of the Great War. It occured on December 8th 1914 between the English and German squadrons. The Germans were lured to the Falkland Islands by a bogus cable sent to Berlin by a British spy, and there were ambushed and almost completely wiped out, only the light cruiser Dresden escaping.
The Battle of Ferkeh occured during the Sudan campaign when the army of the dervishes was surprised and wiped out by the British under Kitchener on June 7th 1896 when on his march toward Dongola. The battle lasted from 5 to 7 am and resulted in the death of 1000 dervishes and 20 Egyptians.
The Battle of Ferozeshah took place during the 1st Sikh War on December 22nd and 23rd 1845. The British and native troops under Lord Gough defeated 50,000 Sikhs.
The Battle of Fort George was fought at Niagara on 27th May 1813 during the American War and resulted in a victory for the Americans.
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought on December 13th, 1862 during the American Civil War. The Federals under General Burnside attacked the Confederates under General Lee, who were occupying a strong position on the hills; they were repulsed, but Lee was unable to follow up his advantage.
The Battle of Friedland was fought on June 14th 1807 during the Napoleonic Wars. The Russians and Prussians under Bennigsen were routed by the French under Napoleon I and Lannes.
The Battle of Fuentes d'Onoro was fought on May 3rd to 5th 1811 during the Peninsular War, and was one of the most hotly contested battles of the war. Massena on his way to relieve Almeida, attacked Wellington, but failed to capture the position and retired ingood order. Wellington's doubtful victory then secured the evacuation of Almeida.
The Battle of Omdurman was fought on September 2nd 1898 during the Sudan Campaign. 23,000 British and Egyptian troops under Kitchener defeated 50,000 Dervishes under the Khalifa with a great slaughter of the Dervishes.
The Battle of Otterburn was fought in August 1388 when a force of 2800 Scots under the Earls of Douglas, Dunbar and Moray routed a force of 8600 English under Henry Percy. The battle was fought at night by moonlight which prevented the English from employing their archers. The battle is also kniwn as Chevy Chase.
The Battle of Prague was fought during the Seven Years War on 6th May 1757 and resulted in the Allies being defeated by Frederick.
The Battle of Stoney Creek was fought on 6th June 1813 during the American War and resulted in the Americans being routed.
The Battle of Suvla Bay took place on August 8th 1915 during the Great War, when a landing was made by British troops on the Gallipoli Peninsular with the object of capturing the hills dominating the Dardanelles. The attack failed.
The Battle of Talana Hill was fought on the 20th October 1899 and resulted in a Boer defeat.
The Battle of Tannenberg took place from August 26th to August 30th 1914 during the Great War, between the Germans and Russians near the village of Tannenberg. The battle virtually destroyed the Russian Second Army and relieved the danger of invasion in East Prussia.
The Battle of the Boyne occured near the Boyne River in Ireland on the 1st of July 1690 when William III defeated his father-in-law, James II.
The Battle of Trafalgar took place on October 21st 1805, and was a victory for the British fleet under Nelson over the French and Spanish fleets under Villeneuve. The battle took place off Cape Trafalgar in south-west Spain. The British fleet consisted of 27 sail-of-the-line ships and the enemy fleet 33. The battle began around noon and ended about five. During the battle Nelson was shot and mortally wounded, but lived long enough to know the day was won. The victory destroyed the French and Spanish fleets and secured Britain from invasion.
During the Great War, Verdun was the pivot of France's eastern fortress line. It was defended by General Sarrail's forces against the advancing Germans in August 1914, and the victory of the Marne in September relieved the pressure on the fortress, although the Germans had gained and secured a foothold on the Meuse at St. Mihiel.
The Battle of Waterloo took place during the Napoleonic Wars, on June 18th 1815 when the allied British, Belgian and Hanoverian forces under the Duke of Wellington, with some 50,000 Prussians under Blucher, utterly routed the French army under Napoleon.
The battle-axe is a military weapon based upon an axe, and first used popularly by the Celts.
The Battle-axe Guards (beaufetiers, or vulgarly called Beefeaters) are a military force which was raised by Henry VII in 1485 as attendants upon the king's buffet. They were armed with a sword and lance.
A bayonet is a short sword attached to the muzzle of a firearm. The bayonet was placed inside the barrel of the muzzleloading muskets of the late 17th century. The sock or ring bayonet, invented 1700, allowed a weapon to be fired without interruption, leading to the demise of the pike.
Since the 1700s, bayonets have evolved into a variety of types. During World War I, the French used a long needle bayonet,the British a sword bayonet, while the Germans adopted a ''pioneer'' bayonet with the rear edge formed into a saw. As armies have become more mechanized, bayonets have tended to decrease in length.
Although many military leaders have advocated the use of the bayonet, in practice it has been rarely used.
The bazooka was an American infantry anti-tank missile used during the Second World War. It had a range of 90m.
BBC is an abbreviation for Bromo-benzyl-cyanide, a tear gas used during the second world war. It had a smell faintly of watercress. It caused pain in the eyes, a copious flow of tears, spasms of the eyelids and irritation of shaved skin.
Bearer Companies were the forerunner of the modern medical Corps. They were introduced in the British army in 1873 for the removal of the wounded from the battle-field and to render first aid.
see "Battle-axe Guards"
see "Battle-axe Guards"
Bellite is a Swedish explosive invented by Carl Lamm in 1885.
Beretta are an Italian gun manufacturer.
The Beretta m38a is an Italian sub-machine gun developed during the second world war. It takes a 9mm round from a 10/20/40-round box. Its cyclic rate is 600rpm and it has a muzzle velocity of 420 m/s.
The Bergmann MP18 was a German sub-machine gun developed during the course of the great war. It takes a 9mm round from a 32-round snaildrum. It has a cyclic rate of 400rpm and a muzzle velocity of 365 m/s.
The Bergmann MP28 was a German sub-machine gun developed from the Bergmann MP18. It takes a 9mm round from a 20/30/50-round box. Its cyclic rate is 500rpm and it has a muzzle velocity of 365 m/s. Unlike the MP18, it can fire single shots or bursts.
The Bersaglieri were the sharpshooters of the former Sardinian army, first employed about 1848.
The Messerschmitt BF 110C was a German fighter aircraft of the Second World War. It carried a crew of 2. It was armed with 4 7.9mm MG 17 machine guns and 2 20mm MG FF cannons in the nose and 1 7.9mm MG 15 machine gun in the rear cockpit. It had a top speed of 349 mph and a range of 565 miles.
The BGM-71D is a 152mm TOW ATGM. It has a maximum range of 4000m and a flight speed of 190m/s. It is mounted on various IFV, CFV and ITV. It has an armour penetration of 600mm flat steel, 487mm sloped steel and 237mm composite armour.
Blackpowder was the earliest type of firearms propellant that has generally been replaced by smokeless powder except for use in muzzleloaders and older breechloading guns that demand its lower pressure levels.
A blank cartridge is a round loaded with blackpowder or a special smokeless powder but lacking a projectile. Used mainly in starting races, theatrical productions, troop exercises and in training dogs.
Blasting gelatine was a violent explosive prepared by Alfred Noble, and modified by Abel in 1879. It was a mixture of nitro-glycerine and gun-cotton.
A blowpipe is a tubular weapon through which a missile is blown.
The blunderbuss was usually a short carbine or pistol intended as a defensive weapon which fired a large load of heavy shot at close ranges.
Bolas is a form of missile used by South American Indians. It is a length of rope with a stone or ball of metal at each end. When used it is swung round the head by one hand and then hurled at an animal so as to entangle it by twisting round its legs.
Bolt-action is a gun mechanism activated by manual operation of the breechblock that resembles a common door bolt.
A bomb is a hollow shell filled with an explosive. The bomb was invented in the 15th century for use with a mortar. Early bombs were a hollow iron ball filled with explosive and fitted with a fuse which was ignited as the bomb left the mortar.
A bombard was a type of cannon or mortar generally loaded with stone instead of iron balls.
A bombardier an artillery soldier, originally a bombardier was an artillery soldier whose duties were connected with mortars and howitzers, but now is the lowest non-commissioned officer of artillery.
A boomerang is a curved wooden weapon of Australian aborigines.
A bow is a weapon for propelling arrows. It is made of a strip of flexible wood and a cord.
The Boyne was a man-of-war of 98 guns which was destroyed by fire at Portsmouth on the 4th of May 1795.
The Boys Anti-Tank Rifle was designed by Captain Boys at Enfield in 1935 as an anti-armour weapon. It was a .55 inch calibre short bipod mounted rifle with a bolt action and fed from a 5 round box magazine.
Bradley is a nickname for the M2 and M3 range of American IFV and CFV. See M2A1 and M3A1.
The breech is the portion of the barrel with chamber into which a cartridge or projectile is loaded.
The Brennus was a French Battleship of the Great War. She was 114.5 meters long, 20.4 meters wide and had a displacement of 11370 tons. Her steam engines provided 14000psi of power and a maximum speed of 17 knots and a range of 4000 nautical miles. She was armed with three 340mm guns, ten 164mm guns, fourteen 47mm rapid fire guns, seventeen machine guns and four torpedo tubes.
A broadsword is a sword with a broad blade designed chiefly for cutting. They were used by some British cavalry and Highland infantry. The claymore was a broadsword.
Brown bess is a family of English flint-lock muskets introduced into the British army towards the end of the 17th century and used at the battle of waterloo.
The Browning High Power Pistol is a 9mm automatic pistol manufactured by FN of Belgium to the Browning design of 1926. It is a recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol which takes a 13-round magazine.
The Brunswick Rifle was a .704 inch calibre muzzle loading, percussion cap rifle issued to the British army from 1838 until 1851. It was manufactured by Enfield, and was sighted to 270 m.
The BT-5 was a Russian fast tank of the Second World War. It was based upon Walter Christie's tank design and was armed with a 45 mm gun and 13 mm armour plate. The BT-5 had a top speed of 111 kmph, and a range of 300 km. It was manned by a crew of three.
The BT-7 was a Russian fast tank of the Second World War. It was based upon Walter Christie's tank design and was armed with a 76.2 mm gun and 22 mm armour plate. The BT-7 had a top speed of 74 kmph, and a range of 300 km. It was manned by a crew of three.
The BT-7-2 was a Soviet tank used during the Second World War. It was armed with 1 45mm gun and 2 7.62mm machine guns. It had a top speed of 45mph on road wheels, and 30mph tracked. It had a range of 220 miles tracked and carried a crew of 3.
A buckler was a small shield worn on the left arm
see "Shropshire Light Infantry"
A bullet is the projectile expelled from a gun. It is not synonymous with cartridge. Bullets can be of many materials, shapes, weights and constructions such as solid lead, lead with a jacket of harder metal, round-nosed, flat-nosed, hollow-pointed, etc.
A burh was a Saxon timber palisade encircling the top of a mound as a form of fortification.
Caliber is the nominal diameter of a projectile of a rifled firearm or the diameter between lands in a rifled barrel. In the USA it is usually expressed in hundreds of an inch; in Great Britain in thousandths; in Europe and elsewhere in millimeters.
The Cameronians were a British army unit raised in 1688 among the Covenanters by Richard Cameron. In 1826 the regiment was renamed the 26th Foot. In 1881 they were joined by the 90th Light Infantry are renamed the Scottish Rifles.
CAP is an abbreviation for Chlor-aceto-phenone, a tear gas used during the second world war. It had a smell faintly of floor polish. It caused pain in the eyes, a copious flow of tears, spasms of the eyelids and irritation of shaved skin.
A carbine is a rifle with a relatively short barrel.
Carbo-Dynamite is a powerful explosive of the nitro-glycerine class, invented by Reid and Borland in 1888.
A carronade is a short, large calibre ship's gun. It was invented in 1759 by General Melville, who called it a ''smasher''. It entered service with the British navy in 1779 and was manufactured at the Carron ironworks in Stirling, from whence it got the name ''Carronade''.
Case-shot was an early form of shrapnel shell. Small iron balls were put into a cylindrical box (called a canister) that justs fits the bore of the gun. The shell was then fired like any other projectile.
A casemate is a valuted chamber within a fortress wall with embrasures for defence, and more recently it describes the armoured enclosure in which warship guns are mounted with embrasures through which they fire.
A castle (from the latin castellum, meaning fortress) was a stone defensive building. The concept of castles was introduced to the British by the Normans and replaced the earlier Saxon burh.
A cateran was a Highland irregular soldier or raider.
A catrail is an earthwork with double ramparts and forts. They are still to be found in parts of Scotland and are belived to pre-date the Roman invasion.
The Cei-Rigotti automatic rifle is an Italian gas operated rifle developed in the 1890s. It takes a 6.5Mm round from a 25-round box. It has a muzzle velocity of 730 m/s and is sighted to 1400m. The cyclic rate is 900 rpm.
Center-fire refers to a cartridge with its primer located in the center of the base of the case.
A centuria was a subdivision of a Roman Legion, consisting of 100 men under the cammand of a Centurion.
In the Roman army, a Centurion was the commander of a subdivision of a Roman Legion, which consisted of 100 men, and was called a centuria.
The Centurion Tank was a British tank developed in 1943 which continued in production until 1962. It was originally armed with a 17-pounder main gun, then with a 20-pounder gun and finally with the 105mm L7A2 gun. It carried a crew of 4, and was protected by armour plate 152 mm thick on the turret front, 76 to 118 mm thick on the hull front depending upon the model and 38 mm to 51 mm thick on the sides and rear. The Centurion Tank had a top speed of 34.6 kmph and a range of 190 km. In the 1960's the Centurion Tank was replaced by the Chieftan Tank as Britain's MBT.
The cestus was a leather thong bound around the hand. It was covered with knots, and often loaded with lead and iron. The Roman origin of the modern-day knuckle duster.
CFV is an abbreviation for cavalry fighting vehicle.
see "m24 Chaffee"
Chain-shot was two cannon balls joined by a chain which when fired from a cannon revolved upon the shorter axis and were hence effective for mowing down masts and rigging.
The chamber is the rear part of the barrel that is formed to accept the cartridge to be fired. A revolver employs a multi-chambered rotating cylinder separated from the stationary barrel.
The Char B1 was a French tank used during the Second World War. It was made by Renault along similar lines to the American M3 Lee. It had a fully traversing turret and was armed with a 47 mm main gun and a heavy 75 mm gun mounted in the right-hand side of the hull front. It had armour up to 60 mm thick and a top speed of 28 kmph provided by a 307 bhp engine and a range of 150 km.
The Char D2 was a French tank manufactured by Renault and used by the French army during the Second world War. It was similar to the Char B1, but without a 75mm hull mounted gun. It was crewed by three men and weighed 20 tonnes. It had armour up to 40 mm thick and a top speed of 22 kmph and a range of 130 km.
The Chassepot was a French, bolt action, needle fire rifle manufactured by Imperiale during the 1860s. It was adopted as standard by the French army in 1866 and remained the standard until 1874. It had an effective range of 400m.
The Chassepot Rifle was a breech loading rifle adopted by the French infantry in 1866, but given up by the turn of the century. It was a modified needle-gun named after its inventor Alphonse Chassepot.
The Chesapeake was an American frigate which on June 1st 1813 sailed out of Boston harbour and battled with the English frigate Shannon. The Chesapeake was boarded and captured by the crew of the Shannon.
see "Battle of Otterburn"
The Fifth Crusade was led by a French boy called Stephen, and embarked from Marseilles in 1212. After a series of maritime disasters the survivors were captured and sold into slavery in Egypt.
Chobham Armour is the currently finest armour plate used on AFV. It was developed in Chobham, England.
The Churchill Tank was a British heavy tank of the second World War. It had armour upto a thickness of 101 mm of the front of the hull and 89 mm around the turret. Early models were armed with a 2-pounder gun, later models the 6-pounder. The main variant, the Churchill IV had a top speed of 25 kmph and a range of 145 km.
see "Royal Fusiliers"
The claymore was originaly a large two-handed double-edged sword of the Scottish Highlanders; now a basket hilted, double-edged broad-sword.
A cohort was a division of the Roman Infantry consisting of 600 men. 10 cohorts formed a legion.
The Coldstream Guards are the second oldest regiment in the British Army and were raised at Coldstream in 1660 by General Monk as Monk's Regiment. They were given their present name on becoming part of the Household Brigade of Charles II. The regiment served under Marlborough at Oudenarde and Malplaquet and under Wellington in the Peninsular and at Waterloo.
Colour-Sergeant was a British Army rank which was created in 1813 at Wellington's suggestion for a senior N.C.O of a company to attend the companies colours (standards and flags). The rank was abolished in 1912.
Samuel Colt of Hartford, Conneticut patented the first successful percussion revolver in england in 1835 and in America in 1836.
The Colt commando is a US automatic rifle. It takes a .223'' round from a 20/30-round magazine. It has a muzzle velocity of 915 m/s and a cyclic rate of 750 rpm. It is sighted to 458m.
A column is a military formation in which the units are arranged one behind the other instead of side by side as in a line.
In the British Navy, Commander is a rank below Captain, and above lieutenant-commander.
The commissariat is the army department which supervises the supply of food and forage to the troops, and its transport.
Composite Armour is a type of armour plate fitted to AFV. It comprises layers of hard steel and heat resistant ceramics to withstand HEAT ammunition better than normal steel.
The Condottieri were mercenaries hired during the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries to take part in the wars between the Italian States.
The Conspicuous Service Cross was a medal, instituted in 1901, awarded to officers in the Royal Navy below the rank of Lieutenant-Commander and to Warrant Officers. It was replaced in 1914 by the Distinguished Service Cross.
Cordite is a smokeless explosive used in cartridges. It is made from 58% nitro-glycerine, 37% gun-cotton and 5% vaseline.
A cordon is a line of military (and nowadays also police) posts placed around a district or house etc. in order to prevent communication between it and the parts around it.
Cordon Bleu denoted the blue ribbon worn by the Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Holy Ghost, the leading order of royalist France.
Corporal is the lowest rank of non-commissioned officer in the British Army. He wears two stripes on his sleeve.
Corporal of Horse is the Household Cavalry name for the rank of sergeant.
Corporal-major is the Household Cavalry name for the rank of sergeant-major.
A corvette is a convoy escort and patrol warship.
The Crimean War was conducted between Russia on one side and Turkey, Britain, France and Sardinia on the other and was occassioned by a conflict over the supposed right of a Tsar to protect all Christians in the Sultan's dominions. In 1853 a Russian army invaded the principalities of Moldavia and Walachia and Turkey declared war. England followed her traditional policy of protecting Turkey against possible dismemberment and of trying to prevent an expansion of Russia that might threaten British interests in India. France under Napoleon III joined in with the intention of increasing her prestige and diverting attention away from domestic issues.
The Croix de Guerre are French and Belgian military decorations which were instituted in 1915 and given to members of the forces on land, sea or in the air for conspicuous bravery.
The Cromwell Tank was a British tank of the Second World War. It was protected by 63 mm thick armour on the front of the hull, 76 mm thick armour on the front of the turret and 32 mm thick armour on the sides of the turret. It carried a crew of five and had a top speed of 51.5 kmph and a range of 278 km. It was armed with a British 17-pounder (76mm) main gun.
Cross-bar shot was cannon balls with iron bars crossing through them. The bars would extend some 6 to 8 inches out of the cannon ball at both sides. Cross-bar shot was used for destroying rigging and palisading.
The cross-bow (arbalist) is a bow fastened across a stock (hence the name cross bow). The bow string was cocked and fired by way of a trigger, projecting a bolt. The cross-bow was invented by the Normans but went out of fashion when the long-bow became popular, mainly because 12 arrows per minute could be fired from a long-bow compared to 3 bolts per minute from a cross-bow.
The Cruise Missile is a long-range guided missile that has a terrain-seeking radar system and flies at moderate speed and
low altitude. It is descended from the German V1 of the Second World War. Initial trials in the 1950s demonstrated the
limitations of cruise missiles, which included high fuel consumption and relatively slow speeds as well as inaccuracy and a small warhead.
The Tomahawk cruise missile is an American missile capable of having a nuclear warhead. It has a range of 583km and a flight speed of mach 0.7.
A cruiser is a warship.
The Crusades were Military expeditions in the Middle Ages to the Holy Land, originally sanctioned by the Church. Their objective was twofold - to ensure the safety of pilgrims to Jerusalem, and to recover the Holy Land for Christendom.
The crusader was a British tank used in the second world war. It carreid a crew of five, and had a top speed of 45 kmph. It was initialy armed with a two pounder gun, these were upgraded to the six pounder gun later in the war. It was protected by sloping armour up to 50 mm thick.
A cuirass was a coat or jerkin worn by soldiers as protection against pistol-shot and sword cuts. Varieties include the chain-mail and metal studded leather coats of the Middle Ages through to the corset worn by the Life Guards on ceremonial parades.
Cuirassiers were heavy cavalry which evolved from the mounted men-at-arms of feudal days. An Austrian corps was formed in 1484, very heavily armoured and by 1705 there were 20 corps.
The culverin was a French cannon, introduced into England in 1534. It had a bore of 5.25 inches and fired an 18 lb ball.
Curtain Fire is a line of shells exploding just in front of an advamcing infantry to shield them from attack. Sometimes the shells would be exploded behind an entrenched enemy position to prevent their retreat.
The curtal-ax was a type of short sword.
The curtana is a pointless sword carried before English monarchs at their coronation. Emblematically it is considered as the sword of mercy.
The cutlass was a short sword carried by seamen. It was effective due to being short enough to be easy to control, and yet long enough to defend a skilful swordsman. Today the term is used in Jamaica for the machette which resemble in simple form the cutlass they evolved from.
The cylinder is the drum of a revolver that contains the chambers for the ammunition.
The D-10TG is a 100mm calibre Russian tank rifle. It was designed straight after the Second World War and was the premier high-velocity cannon of the Soviet army during the 1950s. It was mounted on T-54 and T-55 MBTs and had a muzzle velocity of 1415 m/s and armour piercing capabilities of 150mm at 500m and 125mm at 1000m firing HVAPDS ammunition.
see "Distinguished Service Order"
DA is an abbreviation for Di-phenyl-chlor-arsine, a nore irritant gas used during the Second World War. It has no smell. It has a delayed action, but causes sneezing, a burning pain in the chest, nose, throat and mouth after a few minutes.
The first Dacian War took place between Rome and Dacia in 101 until 102, the second Dacian War between 105 until 106. They were fought under the Roman Emperor Trajan, and resulted in Dacia becoming a Roman province.
The Daga was an Italian escort ship of the Second World War. She was launched in 1943 and mined in October 1944. She was armed with two 100mm guns, six 450 mm guns and torpedo tubes. She was seized by the German navy in 1943 and never saw action for the Italians.
The Dahlgren Gun was an improved form of cannon invented in the 19th century by John Dahlgren of the US navy. It was unusual in having less metal between the muzzle and the trunnions than other guns.
Damascus-steel was a kind of steel originally made in Damascus and much prized for making swords. It was a laminate of pure Iron and steel comprising higher than normal quantities of carbon and produced by careful forging, doubling and twisting.
Dannewerke (Dannawirke) is a series of almost impregnable earthworks stretching across the long narrow peninsular of Schleswig, Holstein, and Jutland. It was constructed during the stone-age and rebuilt in 937 by Thyra, queen of Gormo ethe Old, for which she was named ''Dannabod'', the pride of the Danes.
The Deringer was a pocket pistol invented by Henry Deringer of Philadelphia. The original models were single barelled percussion muzzle loaders with a rifled barrel. In 1861 Daniel Moore patented a 0.41'' calibre rim-fire cartridge model.
The Destroyer is a small, fast warship designed for antisubmarine work.
Originally called ''torpedo-boat destroyers'', they were designed by Britain to counter the large flotillas built by the French and Russian navies in the late 19th century.
They proved so effective that torpedo-boats were more or less abandoned in the early 1900s, but the rise of the submarine found a new task for the ''destroyer''. They proved invaluable as antisubmarine vessels in both the Great War and Second World War.
A detonator is a contrivance containing a very sensitive explosive, used to fire a larger charge of a less sensitive and more manageable explosive. Detonators commonly contain mercury fulminate, lead azide and tetranitroaniline.
The Deutschland was a German pocket-battleship of the Second World War. She set out on her first North Atlantic cruise on 24th August 1940.
The DH4 was the first British daylight bomber aircraft. It first flew in December 1916 and saw action during the Great War.
The Distinguished Conduct Medal (D.C.M.) is a British military decoration instituted in 1862 to be conferred upon non-commisioned officers and men for distinguished conduct in the field. Since August 1918 it can be earned only by services in action.
The Distinguished Flying Cross (D.F.C.) is a British decoration instituted in 1918 for gallantry displayed by officers and warrant officers of the Royal Air Force while on active service.
The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a British decoration established in 1901 as the Conspicuous Service Cross, and given its present title in 1914 and extended to include officers upto the rank of lieutenant.
The Distinguished Service Medal (D.S.M.) is a British medal instituted in 1914 for chief petty officers and lower ratings in the Navy and non-commisioned officers and men in the Marines, and awarded for acts not quite deserving the award of the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal.
The Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) is a decoration established in 1886 and bestowed in recognition of distinguished services in action on the part of commissioned officers of the Army and Navy.
The Dorset Regiment is a British army regiment which was formed by the merger of the 39th Foot and the 54th Foot.
Double-action is a handgun mechanism where pulling the trigger retracts and releases the hammer or firing pin to initiate discharge.
The Draconarii were Roman horse-mounted soldiers who bore a dragon as their emblem.
A Dragoon was a mounted soldier who carried an infantry weapon such as a ''dragon'', or short musket, as used by the French army in the 16th century. The name was retained by some later regiments after the original meaning became obsolete.
The Dragoon was a revolver manufactured by Colt in 1855. It was a single-action pin fire revolver with a 6-round cylinder. It had a calibre of .44 inches. It was also known as the Old Model Army Revolver.
The Dragoon Guards were six mounted regiments raised at the time of Monmouth's Rebellion in 1685, and a seventh raised in 1689. Following the Great War the 3rd and 6t, 4th and 7th and the 5th and 6th Dragoons were amalgamated to reduce the number of regiments to five.
The Dreadnought was a class of British battleship introduced in 1906. It was the first time steam turbines had been used, and Dreadnought was armed with 10 12 inch guns, 27 12 pounder guns and 5 torpedo-tubes, and had a speed of 21 knots. Her introduction made all previous battleships obsolete.
The DShK is a Russian 12.7mm heavy machine-gun developed during the 1930s. It has a muzzle velocity of 860m/s.
see "Distinguished Service Order"
Dualin is an explosive composed of varying proportions of cellulose, nitro-starch, nitro-mannite and nitro-cellulose. It was invented by Carl Ditmar in 1870.
The DUKW was an American amphibious truck used during the Second World War. It was basically a standard 6 x 6 GMC 2.5 ton cargo truck fitted with buoyancy tanks and with screw propulsion when in the water. DUKW were mainly used to ferry supplies and men from ship to shore, and played a vital part in almost every amphibious landing performed by Allied troops.
The dum-dum bullet was a British military bullet developed in India's Dum-Dum Arsenal and used on India's North West Frontier and in the Sudan in 1897 and 1898. It was a jacketed .303 cal. British bullet with the jacket nose left open to expose the lead core in the hope of increasing effectiveness.
see "Royal Scots Fusiliers"
An earthwork is a military fortification formed chiefly of earth. They were cheaper and easier to repair than stone defences and also carried less risk of injury to the defenders from broken stone.
The East Surrey Regiment was a British army unit formed in 1825 from the Huntingdonshire Regiment and the 70th Foot.
Ecrasite is an explosive impervious to damp, shock or fire. It was invented by Siersch and Kubin in 1889.
The EM2 is a British automatic rifle with a cyclic rate of 450 rpm. It takes a .280'' round from a 20-round box. The muzzle velocity is 772 m/s and it is sighted to 549m.
The Emden was a German light cruiser, launched in 1908, which achieved world-wide notoriety by its attacks on British and Allied shipping and seaports during the Great War. The ship and her crew were captured off North Keeling Island in the Indian Ocean in 1914 by the Australian cruiser Sydney. Emden was then destroyed on November 9th 1914.
Enfilade is military firing directed along the length of th enemy's line or trench, instead of across it. It is particularly destructive, since each shot is potentially effective over a greater length of its flight.
Enterprise is the name of several American ships. The original Enterprise was a Sloop launched in 1874. She was a barque-rigged, wooden-hulled vessel armed with a 134mm gun, four 228 mm guns and one 280 mm gun. The current Enterprise is an American aircraft carrier launched in 1960 and capable of a top speed of 35 knots and capable of carrying 99 aircraft.
An Epee-de-Combat is a pointed, dull-edged sword with a blade roughly 1 meter long used in duelling and fencing. It developed from the 18th century small-sword.
The Espora is an Argentinian Meko 140 Type Frigate. She was
built by Afne in Rio Santiago and launched on the 23rd of January
1982. She has a displacement of 1470 tons and is armed with four
Aerospatiale MM 40 Exocet missiles, one OTO Melara 3in gun, four
Breda 40mm guns, six 324mm ILAS 3 (2 triple) torpedo tubes
and Chaff rocket launchers. She is powered by
two Type 16PC2-5V400 SEMT-Pielstick 16-cyl dieselsproviding 20400bhp
and a top speed of 27 knots and a range of 6400 km. She carries a crew of
11 officers and 82 men.
Excalibur was the sword of King Arthur, who recieved it from the Lady of the Lake. At Arthur's death, Bedivere cast it into a lake, where it was caught by a mysterious hand.
The Exeter was a British heavy cruiser of the Second World War. She was armed with 6 8inch guns, 4 4inch anti-aircraft guns and 2 2pounder anti-aircraft guns and 6 21inch torpedo tubes. She had a top speed of 32.5 knots and a range of 10000 miles.
The exocet is a French anti-ship missile. It has a range of 70km and a flight speed of mach 0.8. Exocet missiles can be launched by aircraft or ships. The missile is guided, and flies less than 3m above the sea level.
The f-15 is an American single-seat air superiority fighter aircraft.
The f1 is an accurate Australian sub-machine gun. It takes a 9mm round from a 34-round box. It has a cyclic rate of 600rpm and a muzzle velocity of 365 m/s.
see "3rd Pattern Commando Knife"
The fn fal is a Belgian rifle. It has a muzzel velocity of 853 m/s, is gas operated, and is sighted to 600m. It takes a 7.62mm round from a 20-round box. It was first manufactured in 1950. It is capable of automatic or single shot fire.
The farquhar-hill rifle is a British rifle taking a .303'' round from a 20-round drum. Operation is automatic with a cyclic rate of 700rpm. It has a muzzle velocity of 732 m/s and is sighted to 1372m.
Female was the name of one of the first British tanks. They were fitted with six machine guns for use in anti-infantry roles.
The Fencible Light Dragoons were a body of cavalry raised voluntarily in various counties of England and Scotland in 1794, to serve during the war in any part of Britain. The force was disbanded in 1800.
The Ferguson Rifle was a .5 inch calibre breech-loading rifle manufactured by Durs Egg in the 1770s. It was 155 cm long and had an effective range of 250 m.
The FG42 is a German assault rifle developed in 1942. It is gas operated and takes a 7.92mm round from a 20-round box. It has a muzzle velocity of 762 m/s and it is sighted to 1200m. It can be fired single shot or in bursts.
The FGM-77a is a US infantry anti-tank missile developed in the 1970s. It has a flight speed of 175 m/s and a maximum range of 1500 meters.
The FH70 is a NATO mobile field howitzer. It fires, under computer control, three 43 kg shells at a range of 32 km in 15 seconds.
The Fifth Crusade was aimed against Egypt, and led by John of Brienne with Leopold VI and Andrew II of Hungary. It took place from 1218 until 1221 when the invaders withdrew without success.
The FIM-43a (redeye) is an American shoulder-fired infantry surface-to-air missile. It entered service in 1964. It flies at a speed of mach 2.5 to a range of 2 miles using initial optical aiming and infrared homing guidance.
The FIM-92a (stinger) is an American portable air-defense missile. It was first used by British sas troops in the falklands conflict. The missile flies at a speed of mach 2 to a range of 5km. It uses passive infrared homing guidance.
A firearm is a weapon from which projectiles are discharged by the combustion of an explosive. Firearms are generally divided into two main sections: artillery (ordnance or cannon), with a bore greater than 2.54 cm, and small arms, with a bore of less than 2.54 cm.
Although gunpowder was known in Europe 60 years previously, the invention of firearms dates from 1300 to 1325, and is attributed to Berthold Schwartz, a German monk.
The Sherman Firefly was a British tank built from 1943 onwards. It was a modified Sherman M4A4 tank fitted with a British 17 pounder anti-tank gun.
A fireship is a small vessel filled with inflammable material, lighted and set adrift among an enemy's ships in order to set fire to them. Fireships were used during ancient times and successfully employed against the Duke of Parma by the defenders of Antwerp in 1585 and by the British against the Spanish Armada off Gravelines in 1588. Fireships were rendered obsolete by the introduction of metal warships.
The First Crusade occured was due to take place in 1096 led by Adhemar Bishop of Puy. The various parties were due to assemble at Constantinople, but some arrived early and others were wiped out on the way. The First Crusade proper took place in 1097 led by Godfrey of Bouillon and others. They invaded Asia Minor and in 1098 captured Antioch after a long siege and Jersualem in 1099.
The flame-thrower is a weapon first used by the Germans during 1914 and 1915 consisting of a chamber of air or nitrogen under high pressure and a container filled with inflammable oil which is propelled by the high pressure gas.
Flammenwerfer is the German name for a flame-thrower.
The flint-lock was a development of the discharge method for the musket. Sparks were generated by one impact of a piece of flint on the steel above the priming powder.
FLIR (forward looking Infrared) is a device used on aircraft that reads the heat signatures of ground items and is optimised to show ground detail and large objects.
The Flying Fortress (Boeing Fortress II) was an American heavy bomber aircraft used during the Second World War. It carried a crew of 9. It had a top speed of 305 mph and a service ceiling of 40000 ft.
see "8-229th Aviation Regiment"
A Foreign Legion (such as the French Foreign Legion) is an irregular body of volunteers raised abroad to help a country at war.
A Forlorn Hope was a body of men, usually volunteers, of different regiments selected to lead an assault, enter a breach or perform another perilous task. The name comes from the Dutch word hoop meaning a company.
The Fourth Crusade was intended as a war to conquer Egypt. However, en route the Crusaders were persuaded to take part in a civil war in Constantinople and to restore emperor Isaac Angelus to his throne. They stormed Constantinople in 1204 and established the Latin empire of Romania.
Fowling-piece is an alternative name for a sporting shot-gun.
A fraise is a fortification consisting of pointed stakes driven into the ramparts in a horizontal or inclined position.
The Franc-tireur were a body of irregular soldiers organized in France during the Franco-German War of 1870-1871. They were sharp-shooters employed in guerrilla warfare, harassing the enemy and cutting off detachments.
Franc-tireurs are irregular troops armed with rifles, but not wearing uniform and usually not subject to military discipline. The term was first applied to the franc-tireurs of the Franco-Prussian War, who were usually shot when caught by the Germans.
The Franco-Prussian War was fought from 1870 to 1871 and was one of the most important wars of the 19th century. It was fought between France and Germany, with peace concluded in 1871 with France ceeding Alsace and Lorraine to Germany and paying a huge indemnity.
see "Seaforth Highlanders"
The French Foreign Legion was founded in 1831 with foreign sympathisers for the conquest of Algeria. In 1884 it was divided into 4 battalions, and in 1891 a 5th battalion was added. The French Foreign Legion has a reputation for severe discipline, and today forms one of the world's most elite fighting forces, however in the past it spent more time building roads and bridges than actually fighting.
A frigate is a light-weight, fast and nimble warship.
The FT-17 was a French tank produced by Renault and first developed in 1917. 3500 FT-17 tanks were made, and it remained in service until 1940. It was the first true tank, with a rotating turret over a central fighting compartment. It was armed with a 37mm gun and a co-axial machine gun. It was thickly armoured, with 22mm of armour at its thickest point and could travel at 7.7 kmph and had a range of 35km.
A fusil was a light flint-lock musket closely resembling a carbine.