History, Politics And Current Affairs

Wasn’t that a (dubious) claim made by a doctor who treated Mitterrand?

And Mr Philips is smart enough to note this when saying that it impacted the US public position and not commenting on Argentina. He's also found some interesting CIA docs that show the US was secretly backing left-wing revolutionary movements in Latin America as a way of controlling the various rig...

With thanks to Jotun and Matt W for their contributions. * D+32 * 0931 hours GMT. KGB Headquarters, Lubyanka, Moscow, RSFSR. Chairman Putin was livid. The emotional part of his brain wanted to flatten Berne and Zurich for what the Swiss government had done. Losing those accounts would seriously hur...

Pretty sure that by 2040 what is today the Security Zone will have formally become part of the USA.

Thanks for all the kind comments, gents. They are appreciated. The PRC has its reasons for putting pressure on the USSR. Remember, their leadership tends to be better at long termism than the West and Soviet Union. With regards to MAC and the Pacific Air Bridge, it's hard to plan for something that ...

That would be telling!

Seriously, though, it's a [CENSORED].

With thanks to Jotun. * D+32 0035 hours GMT. Near Zamiin-Uud, Mongolian People's Republic. Major Fedot Shevtsov raised his binoculars to scan the nearby border with the People’s Republic of China. He commanded a reconnaissance unit attached to the headquarters of the 39th Combined Arms Army, the So...

I just hope Sean Connery still stars in Zardoz. It’s a brilliantly weird film that everyone should see at least once.

All the first generation breechloaders were fiddly, especially if they jammed. As I remember from firing a Snider, to open the breach you sort of have to hit it with the heel of your hand in just the right way. Which I could never manage! 577 I heard is a spicy round to shoot Not from memory, thoug...

That's my understanding also. We did, however, take something like £8 million (1980s prices) worth of Argie ammunition into our service. I have found a list of what was captured from a book published in 1986. I will post as soon as I can. I stress that this is purest speculation. Mark, it makes as ...

I will need to double check, but IIRC, most of what was captured ended up at the bottom of the South Atlantic.

British Overseas Garrisons & Regiments. Ascension Island Royal Air Force - Nimrod Detachment (Nimrod MRA.4) [NOTE 1] - RAF Regiment Resident Squadron [NOTE 2] -- B Flight, No. 2625 (County of Cornwall) Squadron (+) (Field) --- Ascension Island Det, Saint Helena Regiment -- A Flight No. 2834 Squ...

Vetterli 1870s have even turned up here. The rival Irish Volunteers and Ulster Volunteer Force purchased them. The UVF had something like 25,000 and 3 million rounds of ammunition! Some of those ended up being used by the Home Guard, having been confiscated in 1914. That means those rifles had sat i...

Thanks, Mark. Yes, the Sten was very much a crude ‘panic’ weapon that could be mass produced. One of the reasons resistance movements and terrorists copied it. I’ve read the Lanchester described as the “Rolls Royce” of SMGs. It was a high quality, well-made weapon. Perhaps not well suited to rapid, ...

Someone seems to have found a Lada that almost matches the pic: linky.

I did wonder if this was real for a moment, but, yes, it does appear to be!

Nimrods could not operate out of the small airfield at Stanley. MPA was just becoming operational, however.