Breakthrough (The Red Gambit Series) (97 page)

.30cal machine-gun

Standard
US
medium machine-gun.

.45 M1911 automatic

US
automatic handgun

.50 cal

Standard US heavy machine-gun.

105mm Flak Gun

Next model up from the dreaded 88mm, these were sometimes pressed into a ground role in the final days.

105mm LeFH

German light howitzer, highly efficient design that was exported all over
Europe
.

128mm Pak 44

German late war heavy anti-tank gun, also mounted on the JagdTiger and Maus. Long-range performance would have made this a superb tank killer but it only appeared in limited numbers.

2" Mortar

British light mortar.

39th Kingdom

See Kingdom39

50mm Pak 38

German 50mm anti-tank gun introduced in 1941. Rapidly outclassed, it remained in service until the end of the war, life extended by upgrades in ammunition.

6-pounder AT gun

British 57mm anti-tank gun, outclassed at the end of WW2, except when issued with HV ammunition.

6x6 truck

Three axle, 6 wheel truck.

Achilles

British version of the M-10 that carried the high velocity 17-pdr gun.

Addendum F

Transfer of German captured equipment to Japanese to increase their firepower and reduce logistical strain on Soviets

Alkonost

Creature from Russian folklore with the body of a bird and the head of a beautiful woman.

Anschluss

The 1938 occupation and Annexation of Austria by
Germany
.

Anthrax Bombs

Factual Japanese weapons, believed used against the Chinese by Unit 731. Both the
US
and
Britain
carried their own tests on the same weapon.

Aquitania
, RMS

Cunard liner that saw service in both WW1 and WW2. She was scrapped in 1950.

BA64

Soviet 4x4 light armoured car with two crew and a machine-gun.

BAR

US
automatic rifle that fired a .30cal round. It was an effective weapon, but was hampered by a 20 round magazine. Saw service in both World Wars, and many wars since.

Battle
of the Bulge

Germany
's
Ardennes
offensive of winter 1944

Bazooka

Generic name applied to a number of different anti-tank rocket launchers introduced into the US Army from 1942 onwards.

Beaufighter,
Bristol

British twin-engined long-range heavy fighter, saw extensive service in roles from ground attack, night fighter, to anti-shipping strikes. Also served in the USAAF in its night fighter role.

BergePanther

German Panther tank converted or produced as a engineering recovery vehicle to service Panther Battalions in combat.

Bletchley
Park

Location of the centre for Allied code breaking during World War two. Sometimes known as Station X.

Blighty

British slang term for
Britain
.

Boyes

.55-inch anti-tank rifle employed by the British Army but phased out in favour of the PIAT.

Brandenburghers

Rough German equivalent of commando, who were trained more in the arts of stealth and silent killing.

Bren Gun

British standard issue light machine-gun.

Browning Hi-Power

9mm handgun with a 13 round magazine, used by armies on both sides during WW2.

Buffalo
 

British term for the LVT or Amtrak, the amphibious tracked vehicle which became a mainstay of the Pacific War, and featured in all major Allied amphibious operations from
Guadalcanal
onwards.

Bund Deutsche Madel

The League of German Girls, young females’ organisation of the Nazi Party.

C47

US
development of the DC3, known in British operations as the Dakota. Twin-engined transport aircraft.

Camel

US
cigarette brand

Caudillo

Political-military leader, in this case, referring to Franco.

Cavalry

The German army had cavalry until the end, all be it in small numbers. The SS had two such divisions, the 8th and 22nd.

Chekist

Soviet term used to describe a member of the State Security apparatus, often not intended to be complimentary.

Chesterfield
 

American cigarette brand.

Chickamauga
 

A battle in the American Civil War, fought on 19th to 20th September, 1863. It was a Union defeat of some note, and second only to
Gettysburg
in combined casualties.

Colibri

High-class men's accessories producer, initially specialising in cigarette lighters.

Colloque Biarritz

The fourth symposium based at the Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg.

Combat Command [CC]

Formation similar to an RCT, which was formed from all-arms elements within a US Armored Division, the normal dispositions being CC’A’, CC’B’ and CC’R’, the ‘R’ standing for reserve.

Corvette

Small patrol and escort vessel used by Allied navies throughout WW2.

Court of Bernadotte

The Court of the Swedish Royal Family.

Deuxieme Bureau

France
's External Military Intelligence Agency that underwent a number of changes post 1940 but still retained its 'Deux' label for many professionals.

Douglas
DC-3

Twin-engine
US
transport aircraft, also labelled C-47. [Built by the Russians under licence as the Li-2]

DP-28

Standard Soviet Degtyaryov light machine-gun with large top mounted disc magazine containing 47 rounds.

Duke of
York

British battleship of the King George V class. Survived WW2 and was scrapped in 1957.

Edelzwicker

Alsatian wine that is a blend of noble and standard grapes, and as a result is sometimes hit and miss, sometimes superb.

Elektroboote

A Type XXI U-Boat

Fallschirmjager

German Paratroops. They were the elite of the Luftwaffe, but few Paratroopers at the end of the war had ever seen a parachute. None the less, the ground divisions fought with a great deal of elan and gained an excellent combat reputation.

Fat Man

Implosion-type Plutonium Bomb similar in operation to 'The Gadget'.

FBI

Federal Bureau of Intelligence, which was also responsible for external security prior to the formation of the CIA.

FFI

Forces Francaises de L’Interieur, or the French Forces of the Interior was the name applied to resistance fighters during the latter stages of WW2. Once
France
had been liberated, the pragmatic De Gaulle tapped this pool of manpower and created ‘organised’ divisions from these, often at best, para-military groups. Few proved to be of any quality and they tended to be used in low-risk areas.

FG42

Fallschirmgewehr 42, a hybrid 7.62mm weapon which was intended to be both assault rifle and LMG.

Firefly, Fairey

British single-engined carrier aircraft, used as both fighter and anti-submarine roles.

Firefly,
Sherman
V

British variant of the American M4 armed with a 17-pdr main gun, which offered the
Sherman
excellent prospects for a kill of any Panzer on the battlefield.

Fizzle

Failure of a nuclear device to properly explode, but which can result in radioactive product being distributed over a sizeable local area.

Flak

Flieger Abwehr Kanone, anti-aircraft guns.

Fuhrer-Begleit-Brigaden

German army armoured formation, formed from the Wehrmacht's Fuhrer Escort. Considered an elite formation, it was part of the Grossdeutschland detachments.

Gamayun

Creature from Russian folklore with the body of a large bird and the head of a beautiful woman.

GAVCA

Grupo de Aviação de Caça [Portuguese] Translated literally means ‘fighter group’, the 1st GAVCA serving within the Brazilian Expediationary Force.

GAZ

Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod, Soviet producers of vehicles from light car through to heavy trucks.

Gebirgsjager

German & Austrian
Mountain
troops.

Gestapo

GeheimeStaatsPolizei, the Secret Police of Nazi
Germany
.

Gitanes Mais

French cigarette brand

GKO

Gosudarstvennyj Komitet Oborony or State Security Committee, the group that held complete power of all matters within the
Soviet Union
.

Grease gun

US issue submachine-gun, designated the M3. Cheaper and more accurate than the Thompson.

Green Devils

Nickname for the German Airborne troops, the Fallschirmjager.

Groβdeutschland

Literally, 'Greater Germany', the elite Grossdeutschland Division was not an SS formation although it wore a cuff title on its right arm.

GRU

Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye Upravleniye of Soviet Military Intelligence, fiercely independent of t
he other Soviet Intelligence agencies such as the NKVD.

Halifax
, Handley Page

British four-engined heavy bomber

Hapsburg

European monarchy that ruled Austro-Hungary amongst other European states.

Harai Ritual

Harai or Harae are rituals for purifying and removing factors such as sin, uncleanliness and bad luck from objects, places, and people.

Hauptmann

Equivalent of captain in the German army.

Hellcat Tank-Destroyer, M18.

US
tank destroyer armed with a 76mm gun. Capable of high speed.

Hero of the
Soviet Union
award

The Gold Star award was highly thought of and awarded to Soviet soldiers for bravery, although the medal was often devalued by being given for political or nepotistic reasons.

Hitler Youth [Hitler Jugend]

Young males’ organisation of the Nazi Party.