Dark Earth Timeline Discussion

[Simon Darkshade]

"You will go with the cultishts in the life raftsh. The priestsh and I will submerge beneath you and shcuttle the pyramid."

[Jotun]

Guys…shorry…Guysh

[Bernard Woolley]

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

[Simon Darkshade]

https://speechmarksblog.wordpress.com/2 ... onnerys-s/

This little article makes the interesting point that essentially, we’re all having a giggle about late career Sean Connery - that era of The Untouchables, The Hunt for Red October, LExG and Finding Forrester. In his earlier films, whilst there was an Edinburgh brogue, he kept it far more under control.

Consider this conversation with Dr. No: https://youtu.be/-bpvvOBV-q0?si=0X6OzODnQ5togeZk

We can hear at 1:24 or so Bond/Connery say words to the effect that “She has nothing to do with us”, which in his later career, would almost certainly have come out as “She has nothing to do with ush”

The DE Sean Connery of 1975 is more like his Earthly equivalent of 1962/63, as he hasn’t had the superstardom that enabled him to come out with his own idiosyncratic accent. Remember that here, there have been no Bond films, on account of Bond being a real figure.

[Simon Darkshade]

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

Read back to April - Zardoz was nominated for Best Picture:

“April 8: At the 47th Academy Awards, Wagner wins Best Picture in a tight race over Zardoz, The Towering Inferno, The Great Gatsby and Murder on the Orient Express. Richard Burton wins Best Actor for Wagner, popular favourite Miss Piggy wins Best Actress for Jane Eyre, and legendary veterans Fred Astaire and Ingrid Bergman win Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress for their roles in The Towering Inferno and Murder on the Orient Express.”

[Rocket J Squrriel]

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

Especially if you drunk or on acid!

[Simon Darkshade]

Major Weapons Systems of the Great Powers (Part the First)

USA

A.) Tanks
The frontline American main battle tank is the M70 Marshall, a 67 ton beast in production since late 1968. It is protected by the frontal equivalent of 37.8"/960mm against HEAT and 30"/762mm against APFSDS through its composite ceramic, steel and composite armour, with some vehicles carrying further protection enchantments. The M70 carries the 125mm M256, a licensed and developed version of the British L24 56 calibre gun, along with 25mm chain and 7.62mm machine guns in coaxial mounts, a commander's M2 heavy machine gun and a pintle mounted 7.62mm minigun. Its top road speed is 45mph, with a 1675hp Continental V12 diesel engine and a new advanced hydro-pneumatic suspension providing for surprisingly fast cross country performance.

Supporting the Marshall in limited Regular Army service and as the backbone of the US Army National Guard is the M60 Patton, which weighs 60 tons, is powered by a Continental V12 900hp diesel engine to a top speed of 38mph and is armed with a 125mm gun alongside a coaxial .50 calibre heavy machine gun, along with a further .50 calibre HMG in the commander's cupola and a pintle mounted 7.62mm M219 machine guns. In its base version, the M60 is protected by the equivalent of 480mm of RHA armour (through a combination of special armour steels, glass reinforced plastic and a thin layer of a secret compound), but most subsequent now carry additional applique composite armour and a version of the Anglo-American-Canadian Chobham armour first pioneered on the Chieftain, with protection equivalent to at least 32"/812mm of RHA against HEAT and 25.5"/650mm against APFSDS.

Total M60 production between 1958 and 1972 was 45,697, with at least 29,000 of those still in some form of US service or reserve stocks.

The M48 Patton remains in support service with some Army Reserve divisions and as general attritional reserves; of the 32,789 built between 1949 and 1958, over 16,000 are currently in US Army stocks. The 56t M48 has an 875hp diesel engine, and over 8" of RHA on its turret, along with additional applique protection. It is armed with a 105mm gun, a a coaxial .50 cal M2 Browning heavy machine gun, a further heavy machine gun in the commander’s cupola and a pintle mounted M219 machine gun. It could reach a top speed of 36mph over an operating range of almost 300 miles, performing reliably in temperate off-road terrain.

The M96 Custer is a light tank for reconnaissance and rapid deployment. It is based on the historical T92, but weighs 24t, is armed with a high velocity 90mm gun, has a powerful lightweight engine of 650hp to a top speed of 56mph and is protected by composite armour equivalent to 5" of RHA. The Custers are attached to divisional armoured cavalry squadrons and to each tank battalion. A total of 9765 were built over 1960-71, and many of those remain in regular or reserve forces, although almost 800 were lost to various causes in Vietnam in American and South Vietnamese service.

The M124 Buford is a new 25t light tank armed with a 90mm supervelocity automatic gun, powered by a new 875hp lightweight engine and sporting new armour equivalent to 9.4” of RHA. It is designed to be employed by armoured cavalry and tank units alike, along with airborne forces.

The M64 Lejeune was a specialised amphibious variant of the M60 produced for the USMC between 1965 and 1972, and primarily used in operations in the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam. After the cessation of that conflict, the direct operational need for the Lejeune in turn came to an end, and it is planned that most of the surviving vehicles will be turned over to the South Vietnamese and Cambodians.

The M120 Pershing heavy tank is a successor to the now venerable M102 of 1950s vintage, designed through the 1960s and undergoing several different iterations before production. Equipped with a new 140mm gun, its production has not been without controversy, with some labelling the 84t vehicle as an anachronism. Protection is described as more substantial than the M70, and the top speed of 32mph, whilst slower than conventional MBTs, is markedly higher than the M102. With the Soviets producing the T-68 in the mid 1960s and various Chinese developments observed through national technical means, a new US Army heavy tank was a not entirely unexpected development.

The M236 Scott superheavy tank, on the other hand, has confounded professional military journalists and even a large number of serving officers alike. There does not appear to be any known threats on Earth to justify the hulking 145t behemoth, and whilst it shares a similar weight as the British Dreadnoughts of the World Wars, it has a quite markedly modern appearance and is described as being armed with a new 6" gun with novel characteristics.

B.) Assault Guns and Tank Destroyers
The M76 Grant is a new heavy assault gun based on the hull and engine of the M70 Marshall, armed with a 155mm fixed gun and designed for defensive work in Germany and particularly Austria-Hungary, where a heavily armed and armoured vehicle is seen as being of utility in controlling the key Carpathian passes. It is only forecast as having limited production for US service, with the majority set to be sold to Austria-Hungary, Yugoslavia and Bulgaria.

The M154 Stuart tank destroyer carries a 6" gun in a rear mounted turret and is specifically designed for flank and overwatch missions in armored divisions and as a reconnaissance by fire platform in armored cavalry regiments. It is highly mobile and fast, with a top speed of over 50mph, and is protected by a moderate amount of armour. The 6" gun is capable of firing HEAT and APFSDS shells and a new laser guided gun-launched anti-tank guided missile.

Production and Future
US tank production takes place at the Lima Army Tank Plant, the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant, Springfield Army Tank Plant, Rome Army Tank Plant and Waco Army Tank Plant, with other plants in Alexandria, LA, Birmingham, AL, Pittsburgh, PA, Fresno, CA and Columbia, MS being mothballed.

A successor tank to the M70 began development in June 1972, but is at an early stage and unlikely to be seen before 1979/80. It is hoped that the vehicle will be slightly lighter and faster without sacrificing any firepower or protection.

US Tank Production 1960-1975
(2568 M60 Pattons built in 1958 and 1959)
1960: 4022 (642 M96 Custer, 2984 M60 Patton)
1961: 4585 (779 M96 Custer, 3806 M60 Patton)
1962: 4821 (914 M96 Custer, 3907 M60 Patton)
1963: 5468 (963 M96 Custer, 4505 M60 Patton)
1964: 5556 (980 M96 Custer, 4676 M60 Patton)
1965: 6036 (1028 M96 Custer, 4832 M60 Patton, 176 M64 Lejeune)
1966: 6282 (1090 M96 Custer, 4952 M60 Patton, 240 M64 Lejeune)
1967: 6124 (1057 M96 Custer, 4680 M60 Patton, 387 M64 Lejeune)
1968: 5594 (813 M96 Custer, 3788 M60 Patton, 250 M70 Marshals, 743 M64 Lejeune)
1969: 5489 (594 M96 Custer, 2639 M60 Patton, 1610 M70 Marshall, 756 M64 Lejeune)
1970: 5230 (480 M96 Custer, 1260 M60 Patton, 2975 M70 Marshall, 515 M64 Lejeune)
1971: 5325 (425 M96 Custer, 620 M60 Patton, 3960 M70 Marshall, 320 M64 Lejeune)
1972: 5629 (329 M124 Buford, 480 M60 Patton, 4520 M70 Marshall, 300 M64 Lejeune)
1973: 6237 (437 M124 Buford, 5580 M70 Marshall, 200 M120 Pershing, 20 M236 Scott)
1974: 6452(432 M124 Buford, 5680 M70 Marshall, 300 M120 Pershing, 40 M236 Scott)
1975: 7290 (520 M124 Buford, 5300 M70 Marshall, 1100 M76 Grant, 360 M120 Pershing, 40 M236 Scott)

C.) Infantry Fighting Vehicles
The main modern IFV in US Army service is the Bradley family of vehicles, consisting of the M2 Infantry Fighting Vehicle, the M3 Cavalry Fighting Vehicle, the M4 Battlefield Command Vehicle, the M5 Anti Tank Missile Vehicle, the M6 Battlefield Air Defense, the M7 Combat Engineer Fighting Vehicle, the M8 Close Fire Support Vehicle, the M9 Artillery Observation Team Vehicle and the M10 Armoured Multi-Purpose Carrier variants.

The M2 is a 32 ton vehicle protected by advanced armour capable of carrying up to 12 infantrymen at a top speed of 55mph and is armed with 40mm automatic cannon, TOW missiles and a heavy machine gun, beginning production in 1972. The M8 CFSV assault gun version armed with a 105mm gun is intended to augment the Army’s tank and tank destroyer arms to some extent, and has been held up by some proponents as a potential modern 'medium tank', even as the term is long, long obsolete.

US IFV Production 1972-1975
1972: 4256
1973: 5893
1974: 6532
1975: 6887

D.) Armoured Personnel Carriers
The US Army mainly employs the M113 and M114 tracked armoured personnel carriers, with over 145,000 and 42,000 of each respective type produced since 1957. It serves in a host of roles, such that it has never attracted any formal or even informal nickname beyond the 'track' in American service; one overzealous officer who attempted to cultivate a nickname based on a Second World War general for his own reasons was captured by an insane tribe of gnomes somewhere in the jungles of Cambodia and made their prisoner king.

The M250 wheeled armoured personnel carrier is an 8 x 8 armoured wheeled APC (similar in appearance to the Cadillac Gage V-300) built to outmatch the BTR-60. It entered service in 1962 and has proved quite successful in a variety of theatres, although the question of wheels vs tracks remains quite a bitter and unresolved one. There is a school of thought that one of the Army's cavalry divisions should be experimentally converted to an all wheeled force, but this proposal is yet to receive any substantive support from the War Department. A total of 46,726 have been built for US forces and foreign export over the last 14 years, with the M-250 having been sold to Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Los Altos, Honduras, Costa Rica, Yucatan, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Chile, the Philippines, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, South Vietnam, South Laos, Cambodia, Persia, Turkey and Italy.

US APC Production 1957-1975
1957: 4244 M113
1958: 7593 M113
1959: 8445 M113, 1215 M114
1960: 9258 M113, 2927 M114
1961: 11,657 M113, 5243 M114
1962: 11,564 M113, 5962 M114, 1860 M250
1963: 10,927 M113, 4839 M114, 3245 M250
1964: 9563 M113, 4257 M114, 3698 M250
1965: 9412 M113, 4351 M114, 4511 M250
1966: 8457 M113, 3248 M114, 4788 M250
1967: 7288 M113, 3223 M114, 4024 M250
1968: 7346 M113, 2870 M114, 3938 M250
1969: 7189 M113, 2754 M114, 3837 M250
1970: 6782 M113, 1562 M114, 3562 M250
1971: 6514 M113, 3267 M250
1972: 5982 M113, 2984 M250
1973: 5476 M114, 2538 M250
1974: 4534 M113, 2491 M250
1975: 3295 M113, 1983 M250

E.) Self Propelled Artillery

The US has a number of self propelled artillery pieces. The oldest is the 105mm M108, which remains in service with a number of USARNG and Army Reserve divisions. The M108 has an ordinary range of 15 miles and fires a 36lb shell at a rate of fire of 6-8 rounds per minute. It has been largely replaced as a field artillery piece and direct support weapons in active service divisions by the 125mm M125, which has been in production since 1966, and has a markedly improved range of 25 miles and a heavier 50lb shell at a slightly greater maximum rate of fire of 8-10 rpm.

The 155mm M109 serves as the mainstay of the US Army's self propelled artillery in its heavy divisions. It fires a 100lb shell at a rate of 5-6rpm to a range of 40 miles. The 175mm M107, 203mm M110 and 240mm M123 serve as divisional, corps and army support, as well as in the Artillery Divisions. The M107 fires a 150lb shell at 2-3rpm out to a range of 65 miles, the M110 fires a 240lb shell at 2rpm to a range of 56.25 miles, and M123 a 360lb shell to a range of 55 miles.

American self propelled guns are, naturally enough, the widest exported in the Free World, serving in over 30 foreign armies.

US Self Propelled Artillery Production 1956-1975
1956: 189 M108
1957: 225 M108, 125 M109, 56 M110
1958: 354 M108, 675 M109, 179 M110, 96 M107, 54 M123
1959: 469 M108, 956 M109, 287 M110, 107 M107, 64 M123
1960: 582 M108, 875 M109, 392 M110, 128 M107, 80 M123
1961: 453 M108, 739 M109, 240 M110, 96 M107, 104 M123
1962: 426 M108, 684 M109, 245 M110, 96 M107, 96 M123
1963: 410 M108, 662 M109, 236 M110, 80 M107, 90 M123
1964: 378 M108, 632 M109, 224 M110, 72 M107, 82 M123
1965: 376 M108, 625 M109, 216 M110, 72 M107, 72 M123
1966: 364 M108, 589 M109, 214 M110, 72 M107, 48 M123
1967: 329 M108, 584 M109, 198 M110, 64 M107, 48 M123
1968: 324 M108, 527 M109, 187 M110, 48 M107, 32 M123
1969: 382 M108, 429 M109, 152 M110, 48 M107, 32 M123
1970: 425 M108, 387 M109, 138 M110, 48 M107, 32 M123
1971: 456 M108, 392 M109, 132 M110, 48 M107, 32 M123
1972: 468 M108, 384 M109, 135 M110, 48 M107, 24 M123
1973: 480 M108, 378 M109, 129 M110, 48 M107, 24 M123
1974: 480 M108, 423 M109, 156 M110, 64 M107, 32 M123
1975: 480 M108, 440 M109, 168 M110, 64 M107, 32 M123

F.) Anti Aircraft Guns
The US Army’s anti-aircraft guns, at least insofar as the Regular Army is concerned, are virtually all self propelled as of the mid 1970s.

The lightest and most common system is the M163, which carries four 25mm Vulcan autocannon with a combined rate of fire of 16,000rpm to a range of 5000 yards. It is augmented by the M249 Vigilante, which is equipped with twin 37mm Gatling rotary autocannons with a combined rate of fire of 6000rpm out to 10,000 yards. The heavier M284 Skysweeper has an automatic 90mm gun mounted on the hull of an M60 tank with a rate of fire of 60rpm out to an effective range of 8 miles against aircraft and missile targets.

The M42 Duster (twin 40mm) and M52 Stinger (quad 25mm) remain in service with the USARNG and Army Reserve, being the fruit of the massive Korean War armament, and having both accounted for themselves ably in Vietnam.

US SPAAG Production 1957-1975
1957: 144 M249
1958: 160 M249
1959: 192 M249, 48 M284
1960: 192 M249, 48 M284
1961: 240 M163, 160 M249, 48 M284
1962: 240 M163, 160 M249, 48 M284
1963: 240 M163, 160 M249, 48 M284
1964: 240 M163, 160 M249, 48 M284
1965: 288 M163, 144 M249, 48 M284
1966: 288 M163, 144 M249, 48 M284
1967: 288 M163, 96 M249, 36 M284
1968: 288 M163, 96 M249, 36 M284
1969: 320 M163, 84 M249, 36 M284
1970: 320 M163, 84 M249, 36 M284
1971: 240 M163, 72 M249, 24 M284
1972: 240 M163, 72 M249, 24 M284
1973: 240 M163, 72 M249, 24 M284
1974: 216 M163, 72 M249, 24 M284
1975: 216 M163, 72 M249, 24 M284

G.) Surface to Air Missiles
The major part of American air defence is provided by missiles, with the various guns providing relatively short range protection. The MIM-46 Mauler has 16 missiles on an M546 armoured vehicle platform M113 based and has an operational range of 10 miles. The MIM-72 Reaper complements the Mauler for short range battlefield air defence, deploying 8 Sparrow missiles with a range of 25 miles. Medium range threats out to 50 miles and an altitude of 70,000ft are covered by the improved MIM-23 Hawk, with carries four missiles on the M726 armoured vehicle. The mainstay of U.S. Army mobile air defence remains the Nike Hercules, which serves in the mobile long range air defence role with the majority of CONUS based divisions, carried on special launchers adapted from the M520 Goer, and having a range of 100 miles and 100,000ft.

The MIM-20 Plato Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence System is fielded at divisional, corps and field army level, is armed with a 1kt nuclear warhead, has a maximum altitude of 120,000ft, a range of 150 miles and a top speed of Mach 6. It is being replaced, along with the Nike Hercules, by the new MIM-104 Field Army Ballistic Missile Defence System, or the 'Patriot'. The MIM-104, currently in production and in service in German, Japanese and British based forward units with both conventional and nuclear armed variants, has a maximum altitude of 160,000ft, a top speed of Mach 7.5 and a range of 250 miles against aircraft and 125 miles against ballistic missile targets.

Current plans call for the Patriot to fill the long range role, a new medium range weapon to replace the Hawk by the late 1970s, and new point defence and short range missiles to replace the Mauler and Reaper in the 1980s.


H.) Anti Tank Missiles
The U.S. anti-tank missile arsenal is based around the heavy BGM-85 TOW, the medium FGM-77 Dragon and the light FGR-17 Viper.

The BGM-85 has a 6" diameter warhead and began production in 1970, having a range of 4250 yards with a maximum penetration of 25" of RHA with a 10lb warhead; it is in service on a number of vehicles and aircraft as well as with infantry battalion weapons companies.

The shoulder fired, man-portable and wire-guided FGM-77 has a 5" diameter warhead, a range of 1600 yards and maximum armour penetration of the equivalent of 15" of RHA with a 4lb warhead.

The FGM-17, intended as a replacement for the M72 LAW and now in full production after considerable initial teething problems, has a range of 500 yards and a 3" warhead capable of penetrating 12" of RHA equivalent.

Consideration is being given to potential acquisition of the British Hawker-Siddeley Javelin general purpose missile to serve as a superheavy anti-tank guided missile

I.) Tactical Missiles

The most common US tactical missile is the Douglas MGM-52 Lance, which carries either a nuclear (1-50kt variable yield), chemical, biological, incendiary or radiological warhead, along with a conventionally tipped 500lb version. With a CEP of 250ft, it is regarded as an accurate weapon for its range, which is 85 miles for the MGM-52A variant and 125 miles for the new MGM-52B. A battalion of 24 missiles are deployed with each active division of the Regular Army, along with further eight regiments based in the Continental United States, two in South Vietnam and one each in Britain and Japan for an operational total of 2496 Lances.

At corps level, 72 Pershing SRBMs with a range of 400 miles and a 500kt warhead, are deployed in the general support role, replacing the earlier Sergeant; a total of 864 launchers are currently in service.

Deployed at field army level is the Puritan MRBM, which provides general army support, theatre level strike and long range nuclear deterrent capacity. With a range of 1250 miles, a 1 Mt warhead and a CEP of 375ft, it is the most powerful missile in its class in the arsenal of democracy.

A US armored division as of 1975 has 432 M-70 Marshall MBTs in 6 armoured battalions, 256 M2 Bradley AIFVs, 64 M901 Anti Tank Missile Carriers ( 4 x Hellfire) and 64 Bradley Combat Fire Support Vehicles in 4 mechanised infantry battalions; 72 x 125mm M123, 72 x 155mm M109 and 24 x 203mm M110 artillery pieces; 40 M164C (2 x twin 25mm Vulcan + 16 Mauler) and 24 M249B Vigilante (twin 37mm Gatling + 8 Skystreak) in the divisional anti-aircraft battalion; 72 M96 Custer Light Battle Tanks and 80 M154 125mm Stuart tank destroyers; and 72 attack helicopters.

Britain

A.) Tanks
The British Army's main tank is the Crusader, which has been in production since 1969. It weighs 69 tons and carries composite armour equivalent to over 42” against HEAT and 36” against APFSDS, in addition to further protective runes, enchantments and highly secretive active protection systems. The Crusader is equipped with the L24 125mm L/56 gun, a coaxial 25mm Maxim Gun and 0.303” machine gun, a 0.625” heavy machine gun in the commander’s cupola and a further 0.303” machine gun on a pintle mount. It has a top speed of 42mph thanks to its Rolls Royce V12 1675hp engine, a highly developed electronic warfare suite, and the world’s most effective boiling vessel. 12,477 have been produced, equipping the tank regiments of the Regular Army and Territorial Army along with some Commonwealth units.

The Crusader is supported by the Chieftain in reserve with elements of the Army Reserve and some independent TA tank regiments. The first 64t production Chieftains were delivered in 1958 and it was armed with the Royal Ordnance L24 125mm/50 main gun, a 25mm coaxial Maxim Gun, two L7 Vickers medium machine guns and a 0.5” heavy machine gun. A Leyland 975hp diesel engine powered it to a top speed of 35mph over an operational range of 320 miles, with excellent performance in rugged cross country conditions. However, it was its armour that made the Chieftain stand most clearly apart from earlier tanks. It was protected by a layered system composite of titanium, carborundum and fibreglass sandwiched between superhardened Damascus steel armour, giving it the equivalent of over 30” of ordinary steel armour. It has been exported widely, with Commonwealth nations building their own limited runs of tanks, and a total of 29,384 have been built in Britain between 1958 and 1975

The Royalist light tank has served in various versions in the armoured reconnaissance role since 1956, and the latest marks bear protection equivalent to almost 6.5" of RHA, with frontline vehicles carrying additional new applique armour. They are also armed with a new super velocity 25pdr/90mm gun which can penetrate up to 18" of RHA, in addition to their coaxial .303" machine gun and the commander's .625" Vickers heavy machine gun. Recent production Royalists are powered by an improved engine, giving them a top road speed of 48mph. Whilst the original role of the light tank has certain declined since the Second World War, their niche remains for the time being, and additional thought is being given to attaching a troop of light tanks to light infantry battalions on appropriate deployments.

Of similar conceptual vintage is the 80t Super Conqueror heavy tank, which is deployed primarily in Germany and Austria-Hungary and is regarded with some level of dark humour as the 'unkillable tank', not because of any real perceptions of invulnerability, but from its ability to survive multiple plans that have called for its retirement over the 1960s and first half of the 1970s. There are no active plans at this stage for the development of a new heavy tank, and the march of technology does seem to be against the Super Conqueror. It remains a valued weapon by armoured regiment commanders on account of its 6" gun, which is capable of successfully engaging any Soviet tank at a very tactically useful range.

The Valiant main battle tank was developed by Vickers in the mid 1960s for deployment in Asia, India, South America, Middle East and Africa, where the heavier Chieftains and Crusaders have proved too much for some of the less developed infrastructure and rugged terrain. It carries the same 125mm gun as the Chieftain and Crusader, and is protected by the new Chobham composite armour, but is a lighter tank at just 50t and somewhat cheaper at £175,000 compared to £250,000 for the Chieftain and £375,000 for the Crusader. The Valiant has attracted significant attention from foreign buyers, with Egypt ordering 2500 and Yugoslavia upwards of 700.

Four thousand of the late model Super Centurions, so named for its use of the L24 125mm gun, remain in inactive war attrition reserve, with double that number of 105mm Centurions in deep reserve and unlikely to see any use again outside of World War Three.

Finally, the rather curious Cavalier 'Rapid Deployment Light Tank' is in service with airborne divisions. It carries a supervelocity 3" gun and an innovatively protected hull forged from Sablon and fitted with compound armour, whilst having a very high top road speed of 50mph. The Cavalier has not had a great deal of opportunities to prove itself in service quite yet.

B.) Assault Guns and Tank Destroyers
The British Army has had a mixed experience with tank destroyers and assault guns over the 1960s and 1970s, dabbling with the concepts at times enthusiastically, but never fully committing to their niche roles, as the versatility of the main battle tank remains paramount in the view of the Imperial General Staff. There were two major streams of thought - lighter, deployable vehicles, and heavier firepower for the BAOR in Germany

The latter was filled first, and without too much innovation by the Champion and the Coronet. The FV217 Champion heavy assault gun also entered service in 1965, and has a fixed 6" gun and frontal armour considered at the time to be effective against known Soviet tank guns. The FV215b Coronet tank destroyer entered service in 1965 and its most striking feature is the hulking 7.2" gun on its rear mounted turret. Production has been relatively sparse in the intervening decade with the Coronet primarily attached to the corps of the British Army of the Rhine for deployment as defensive overwatch weapons where needed.

For lighter vehicles, the FV584 Argonaut 105mm airborne tank destroyer and the FV687 Achilles 125mm assault gun are relatively new developments, with the latter being a variant of the Swedish Ikv123.


1960-1975 British Tank Production
1960: 321 Royalist, 250 Super Centurion, 2549 Chieftains, 183 Conqueror
1961: 369 Royalist, 150 Super Centurion, 2437 Chieftains, 170 Conqueror
1962: 424 Royalist, 2253 Chieftain, 286 Conqueror
1963: 481 Royalist, 2163 Chieftain, 243 Conqueror
1964: 572 Royalist, 2084 Chieftain, 191 Conqueror
1965: 426 Royalist, 2132 Chieftain, 211 Conqueror, 84 Champion, 72 Coronet
1966: 384 Royalist, 2210 Chieftain, 467 Super Conqueror, 108 Champion, 96 Coronet
1967: 365 Royalist, 2385 Chieftain, 362 Super Conqueror, 100 Valiant, 120 Champion, 120 Coronet
1968: 313 Royalist, 2408 Chieftain, 256 Super Conqueror, 518 Valiant, 120 Champion, 144 Coronet
1969: 290 Royalist, 548 Crusader, 1745 Chieftain, 440 Valiant, 234 Super Conqueror, 96 Champion, 120 Coronet
1970: 248 Royalist, 1962 Crusader, 1121 Chieftain, 325 Valiant, 186 Super Conqueror, 80 Champion, 96 Coronet
1971: 177 Royalist, 2384 Crusader, 739 Chieftain, 260 Valiant, 120 Super Conqueror
1972: 125 Royalist, 2569 Crusader, 450 Chieftain, 254 Valiant, 96 Super Conqueror, 56 Argonaut, 156 Achilles
1973: 140 Royalist, 2560 Crusader, 500 Chieftain, 375 Valiant, 125 Super Conqueror, 64 Argonaut, 184 Achilles
1974: 250 Royalist, 2436 Crusader, 960 Chieftain, 500 Valiant, 120 Super Conqueror, 72 Argonaut, 200 Achilles
1975: 250 Royalist, 2587 Crusader, 960 Chieftain, 500 Valiant, 150 Super Conqueror, 72 Argonaut, 200 Achilles

C.) Infantry Fighting Vehicles
The main British IFV is based around the FV525 Warrior family of vehicles. It is a 32 ton vehicle armed with a 50mm autocannon, a coaxial .303" machine gun, a quad Swingfire ATGM launcher and a commander's .625" heavy machine gun, and can reach a top speed of 42mph from its 700hp engine. The base variant carries a section of 12 infantrymen in addition to the three crewmen, and it has been produced in Armoured Command Vehicle, Mechanised Combat Recovery Vehicle, Forward Artillery Observation Vehicle, Mechanised Repair Vehicle, Anti-Tank Missile Vehicle, Anti-Aircraft Combat Vehicle variants.

It is planned that new automatic mortar, anti-tank gun and 25pdr armoured fire support variants will be produced from 1976, with the last augmenting the Anglo-Swedish assault guns in infantry units

IFV Production
1968: 1964
1969: 2016
1970: 2450
1971: 2890
1972: 2750
1973: 2974
1974: 3029
1975: 3054

D.) Armoured Personnel Carriers
The mainstay of the British Army's armoured personnel carrier is the 25t FV432 family, which has been produced since 1958 in over a dozen variants and still serves as the backbone of many different combat support corps. They are supported by the smaller 12t FV625 Squire Lightweight High Mobility Tactical Vehicle family and the FV100 series CVR (T) family of 16t tracked armoured vehicles.

The FV650 series of wheeled armoured vehicles were introduced in the mid 1960s, and consist of the FV651 Coronet command vehicle, the FV652 Centaur armoured personnel carrier, the FV652 cargo carriers, the FV653 MBCR reconnaissance vehicle, the FV654 Canon armoured fire support vehicle, the FV655 armoured missile carrier, the FV656 armoured reconnaissance vehicle, the FV657 combat ambulance, the FV658 armoured command and signals vehicle and the FV659 mobile field kitchen. They equip the 'medium infantry' battalions of the Regular Army and TA.

The Saracen Armoured Mobile Carrier provides armoured transport and battlefield protection for non-combat support units that still operate in the Rear Combat Zone and Communications Zone of the British Army of the Rhine and other overseas forces, as well as equipping a number of units assigned to Home Forces. (It is broadly equivalent to a combination of the @ GKN Saxon and the South African Ratel)

The Sentinel LAV was designed to replace the FV600 series of light armoured cars and entered service in the mid 1960s. It is a powerful 6x6 light armoured vehicle designed to outmatch the Soviet BRDM.

APC Production
1960: 3380 FV432 Saxon
1961: 3125 FV432 Saxon
1962: 3462 FV432 Saxon
1963: 3967 FV432 Saxon
1964: 4295 FV432 Saxon
1965: 4382 FV432 Saxon
1966: 3616 FV432 Saxon; 1640 FV652 Centaur IMV, 950 Saracen AMC, 750 Sentinel LAV, 720 MAV
1967: 3564 FV432 Saxon; 1768 FV652 Centaur IMV, 1425 Saracen AMC, 1057 Sentinel LAV, 824 MAV
1968: 1120 FV432 Saxon; 1885 FV652 Centaur IMV, 1275 Saracen AMC, 936 Sentinel LAV, 876 MAV
1969: 948 FV-432 Saxon; 1896 FV652 Centaur IMV, 1025 Saracen AMC, 950 Sentinel LAV, 754 MAV
1970: 1082 FV-432 Saxon; 1756 FV652 Centaur IMV, 1243 Saracen AMC, 1026 Sentinel LAV, 827 MAV
1971: 960 FV-432 Saxon; 1642 FV652 Centaur IMV, 1152 Saracen AMC, 946 Sentinel LAV, 954 MAV
1972: 750 FV-432 Saxon; 1548 FV652 Centaur IMV, 1174 Saracen AMC, 883 Sentinel LAV, 917 MAV
1973: 785 FV-432 Saxon; 1652 FV652 Centaur IMV, 1574 Saracen AMC, 1067 Sentinel LAV, 1028 MAV
1974: 1250 FV432 Saxon; 1892 FV652 Centaur IMV, 1628 Saracen AMC, 1276 Sentinel LAV, 1056 MAV
1975: 1460 FV432; 2034 FV652 Centaur IMV, 1783 Saracen AMC, 1129 Sentinel LAV, 640 MAV

E.) Self Propelled Artillery

FV433
The FV-433 Abbot, converted to carry the 125mm Gun in the early 1960s, is the one of the most common self propelled artillery pieces in British service. It is fielded at brigade level in each heavy division and brigade group, along with 8 regiments rotated on Imperial deployments and further independent regiments assigned to Home Forces; the last are scheduled to increase over the latter half of the 1970s. The early 1960s shift in doctrine lead to a shift in role, from divisional general support to tactical direct artillery fire support; whilst it can provide direct support against enemy vehicles, it is only moderately protected and not suited to frontline engagement. With the equivalent of a battery per battlegroup, this deployment provides for fire support down to the lowest tactical level.

The Abbot’s 125mm gun is capable of elevation up to 75 degrees and 360 degree traverse and has a range of 25 miles, like its towed counterpart Light Gun. Perhaps the most notable attribute of the Abbot is the markedly high rate of fire, capable of between 12 and 16 rounds per minute in burst mode, with some experimental versions being capable of 20 rounds a minute. It is one of the faster tracked vehicles in British service, reaching a maximum road speed of 39mph. Regular Army holdings of the Abbot total over 2500, reflecting the high esteem in which it is held. Whilst the 125mm shell does not have weight and lethality of the 6”, its numbers and rate of fire provide for the excellence in suppressive fire, creeping and rolling barrages and defensive box fire. It proved very useful in firebase operations in the Vietnam War

FV654 Canon
A wheeled self-propelled artillery vehicle carrying a 125mm Light Gun, it serves in support of medium infantry units, certain armoured cavalry reconnaissance units and regiments of the Reconnaissance Corps. Its performance is broadly analogous to the Abbot, although as of 1975, the average rate of fire tends to be on the lower end of the scale due to internal issues. The Canon makes up for this with unmatched road mobility and a lighter weight.

FV236 Archbishop
The FV236, known as the Archbishop in line with the old wartime ecclesiastical nicknames given to mobile artillery, and more formally as the SP-70, is usually called simply the 6”. It has delivered in service all that it promised in the early 1960s and more, now being fielded as the main general support weapon of British heavy divisions in addition to the broad provision of heavy bombardment and destructive fire. In addition to divisional several others are in reserve in Britain. It does not have quite the brute speed of the Swedish Bandkanon, but can maintain a top rate of 8 rounds per minute with its 100lb shells out to almost 50 miles thanks to improved propellants, rocket assisted shells and new shell designs

M107 Priest
The American M107 175mm self propelled gun was acquired in 1965 to equip BAOR regiments attached to Corps AGRA. The original purpose of their acquisition was to augment shorter range 6” and 8” howitzer with long range artillery that provide almost double their range, but this particular issue was partly ameliorated by the increased capability of the FV236. With a maximum range of 65 miles with new enhanced rocket propelled shells and improved propellant, the L/70 M107 is a powerful long range weapon, and, courtesy of improvements carried out in conjunction with the United States, is a deadly accurate at maximal distances. The delayed second tranche of purchases for Middle East and Far East based forces was exercised in 1970, and this was followed by the third tranche of 200 guns in 1973 and a planned fourth one of 240 guns in 1975 and 1976. The M107 has attracted a traditional British ecclesiastical nickname, similar to certain other equipments in the Army's artillery park.

FV254 Lionheart
The FV254 8”/60 self propelled gun-howitzer is extremely highly rated by the Royal Artillery for its accuracy and the destructive effect of its 240lb shell, which is regarded as the best balanced weapon for use against fortified enemy positions. Recent developments in Advanced Conventional Munitions, canister shot, artillery deployed anti-tank mines and Special Anti-Tank Munitions make it even more formidable. It also fields a number of chemical, biological, incendiary, special purpose and nuclear rounds. The main armament is carried in a fully armoured and MRBC secure turret capable of 360 degree traverse and elevation from -5 to 75 degrees. Maximum firing range is 59 miles with supercharged propellant and rocket assisted shells, thanks to Project Lionheart, which upgraded a number of different systems as well as ammunition and lengthened barrels.

It is based on the chassis of the Conqueror heavy tank with a more powerful Chieftain engine and is capable of limited amphibious operations. As with the FV-236, it is equipped with arcane enhanced sights and targeting systems controlled by an onboard Marconi computing engine. 864 guns are deployed by 36 regular Heavy Regiments and total Regular Army stocks are over 1240, not counting additional wartime attritional reserves or those weapons assigned to the TA and Army Reserve.

FV287 Excalibur
The heaviest self propelled gun in large scale Royal Artillery service is the FV287, which carries a Mk XXIV 240mm gun-howitzer of 60 calibres. It is fielded by sixteen superheavy regiments, primarily attached to Corps AGRA and the Royal Artillery Division. Their dual main roles are long range nuclear and conventional firepower, with their 360lb shells considered to be the most effective weapon against dug-in enemy positions and infrastructure in British field army service. The FV287 has a range of 60 miles, thanks to Project Excalibur, which also saw engine improvements and an autoloader.

Given the comparatively small numbers of superheavy equipments, a decision was made during Korean War rearmament to generally standardise Western superheavy artillery on a 240mm calibre. This is reflected in the FV287, which saw the strange polite fiction of the 1950s 9.2” Mk XXIII Special adjusted to reflect real practice and avoid misinterpretation; this was thought to be the result of a War Office misprint and subsequent public ministerial announcement of a new and superior British design. Some confusion over the differing calibres did occur during the Six Day Middle Eastern War of 1956, leading to delivery of the wrong ammunition, but the subsequent cooling of Anglo-American relations put off any nomenclature alteration for the next several years.

The FV287 has a fully protected turret capable of 360 traverse and elevation to 75 degrees and carries 24 shells onboard, but these capabilities, in addition to a sufficient battle speed of 35mph come at a considerable cost in weight, coming in at 64 tons, not counting its accompanying support vehicle. In any event, the perceived value of the FV287 is such that further investment is seen as worthwhile; it’s battlefield performance in South Vietnam was met with universally positive reviews, particularly of its ability to destroy underground enemy bunker systems and clear out jungle landing zones with airburst rounds.

British Self Propelled Artillery Production 1958-1975
1958: 720 FV433
1959: 960 FV433
1960: 1240 FV433
1961: 960 FV433
1962: 720 FV433, 240 FV236, 120 FV254, 60 FV287
1963: 720 FV433, 400 FV236, 160 FV254, 60 FV287
1964: 640 FV433, 480 FV236, 200 FV254, 100 FV287
1965: 640 FV433, 480 FV236, 240 FV254, 100 FV287
1966: 640 FV433, 480 FV236, 250 FV254, 100 FV287
1967: 600 FV433, 500 FV236, 250 FV254, 100 FV287
1968: 400 FV433, 250 FV236, 125 FV254 , 50 FV287
1969: 400 FV433, 250 FV236, 125 FV254, 50 FV287
1970: 400 FV433, 240 FV236, 120 FV254, 50 FV287
1971: 250 FV433, 240 FV236, 120 FV254 , 50 FV287
1972: 250 FV433, 240 FV236, 120 FV254, 50 FV287
1973: 250 FV433, 250 FV236, 120 FV254, 50 FV287
1974: 250 FV433, 360 FV236, 200 FV254, 100 FV287
1975: 600 FV433, 500 FV236, 300 FV254, 120 FV287


F.) Self Propelled Anti-Aircraft Guns
The British Army operates three types of self propelled anti aircraft guns - the quad 25mm Armstrong-Whitworth Sharpshooter, the twin 42mm Rolls-Royce Marksman and the 3.75” Vickers Whirlwind. All three integrated their own fire control RDF and other modern means of increasing the lethality of their collective fire.

The Sharpshooter entered production in 1956, replacing the wartime Skinks and Wasps in the light anti-aircraft role, being mounted on the chassis of the FV432 armoured vehicle, weighing 24 tons and having a road speed of 39mph. The Marksman began production in 1957, replacing wartime AA tanks with twin Bofors, and being based on the chassis of the Centurion tank. The Whirlwind entered production in 1963, and was built on the chassis of the Chieftain tank, and its dual purpose 3.75" automatic gun proved quite effective in Vietnam when employed against ground targets.

The Marksman and Sharpshooter are combined in Light Anti-Aircraft batteries attached at battalion level to armoured regiments and heavy mechanised infantry battalions, both at home and abroad. It is planned to replace the current generation of weapons with new vehicles that combine rapid fire guns and short range missile systems.

British SPAAG Production 1956-1975
1956: 82 Sharpshooter
1957: 96 Sharpshooter, 48 Marksman
1958: 192 Sharpshooter, 120 Marksman
1959: 284 Sharpshooter, 160 Marksman
1960: 320 Sharpshooter, 240 Marksman
1961: 360 Sharpshooter, 260 Marksman
1962: 345 Sharpshooter, 240 Marksman
1963: 320 Sharpshooter, 200 Marksman, 48 Whirlwind
1964: 350 Sharpshooter, 200 Marksman, 56 Whirlwind
1965: 360 Sharpshooter, 180 Marksman, 64 Whirlwind
1966: 320 Sharpshooter, 160 Marksman, 72 Whirlwind
1967: 320 Sharpshooter, 160 Marksman, 72 Whirlwind
1968: 320 Sharpshooter, 160 Marksman, 96 Whirlwind
1969: 320 Sharpshooter, 160 Marksman, 80 Whirlwind
1970: 364 Sharpshooter, 178 Marksman, 84 Whirlwind
1971: 325 Sharpshooter, 156 Marksman, 94 Whirlwind
1972: 320 Sharpshooter, 138 Marksman, 82 Whirlwind
1973: 360 Sharpshooter, 160 Marksman, 96 Whirlwind
1974: 480 Sharpshooter, 240 Marksman, 124 Whirlwind
1975: 600 Sharpshooter, 300 Marksman, 150 Whirlwind

G.) Surface to Air Missiles

The shortest range SAM in British Army service is the Armstrong-Whitworth EG.324 Sabre, which fulfills the 'SHORAD' role and engages targets between 800 and 8000 yards and to a height of 20,000ft at a speed of Mach 4.5. 64 quad launcher vehicles are fielded by each division, typically divided into 5 vehicles per battalion (allowing one launcher per company and one for the battalion HQ company), with a further four assigned to divisional HQ.

The English Electric PT.428 Rapier is deployed with the divisional Air Defence Regiment as a short to medium range SAM system, fielding 32 octuple launchers. Its range is 25,000 yards, speed is Mach 3.75 and maximum altitude is 40,000ft.

At divisional and corps level, the English Electric Thunderbird was replaced in the late 1960s by the Thunderbird 2, which provides for an incremental improvement in performance and is fielded on a mobile tracked vehicle or on a 8x8 lorry. It has a range of 50 miles, a speed of Mach 3.8 and a maximum altitude of 75,000ft. Each division had an organic force of 24 launcher vehicles, which each had 2 ready to fire missiles. It still serves as the mainstay of TA and Reserve formations.

In turn, the Thunderbird 2 is being rapidly replaced by the Bristol Broadsword long range surface to air missile, which is also being used to replace the Bloodhound in fixed air defence batteries. The Broadsword has a range of 150 miles, a speed of Mach 6 and a maximum altitude of 150,000 feet.

H.) Anti Tank Missiles

The first generation Vickers Vigilant is now found only in the TA and Army Reserve and will be replaced in the former by 1976, whilst the slightly earlier Bristol Silver Shield can now be found in deep reserve alone.

The earlier weapons were replaced from the mid 1960s by the formidable Fairey Swingfire or Orange William, a wire guided missile with a range of 2.5 miles that outranged most known Soviet and Chinese tank guns, which can penetrate up to 36" of RHA equivalent. Swingfire is deployed at battalion level with infantry Guided Weapons Platoons and in the FV 438 (4 in every armoured regiment and mechanised battalion). It has a faster initial firing speed due to advanced wire guidance experience. It is considered to be a close second to the US TOW.

The lighter man portable anti-tank missile in service with British infantry at platoon level since 1967 is the Shorts Green Apple, which emerged from a requirement for medium range anti-tank weapon to fill the gap between the lighter L25A1 Longbow and L1A1 rocket and heavier vehicle based anti-tank missiles. The result is a fire and forget missile that, by virtue of its later design, lies at the head of the same general class as the American M47 Dragon, the French MILAN, the German Draufgänger, the Italian Zanzara and the earlier Soviet AT-4 Spigot. Green Apple has a range of 1760 yards, weighs 25lb and its 5.25" warhead is capable of penetrating 19" of armour.

The Hawker Siddeley Maelstrom, carried by the FV-440 Strongbow, is capable of destroying any prospective enemy tanks at long range. The Maelstrom is deployed at brigade level with four vehicles, each with 2 missiles. It has a 10” diameter warhead and can inflict the degree of damage that Malkara could a decade earlier on conventional tank armour. It is, regarded as something of a developmental dead end which is kept in service as a means of taking on Soviet heavy tanks. It is nicknamed ‘The Kitchen Sink’.


I.) Tactical Missiles

Hawker Siddeley Javelin
The Hawker-Siddeley Javelin general purpose missile is deployed with teams of 4 quad launchers at brigade level and, with its considerably long range, doesn’t have a precise equivalent either Eastern nor Western. It can engage MBTs and other armoured vehicles out to 6000 yards, with an armour penetration of 24", whilst also being used against fortifications, buildings and entrenchments out to a range of 12,000 yards. A longer range variant is under development.

Hawker-Siddeley Lance
At divisional level, a guided weapons regiment of 24 Robin Hood ballistic missiles is deployed, but this weapon is now considered to be obsolescent. It is to be replaced by a licenced version of the American MGM-52 Lance missile, with either a nuclear (1-25kt variable yield), chemical, thermobaric or conventional 500lb warhead. The range of 95 miles is considered adequate for now, but the improved variant now under development is seen as very attractive.

English Electric Blue Water
The English Electric Blue Water has proved extremely popular and effective in service as a corps general support missile. It has a range of 250 miles, with some newer variants capable of reaching 375 miles. It comes with a variable nuclear warhead of 50-250kt, conventional 1000lb, chemical or biological warhead. It has been purchased by a number of allied nations. Current deployment is planned at one regiment of 64 launchers per corps.

de Havilland Black Rock
At Army level, the de Havilland Black Rock has a range of 750 miles and a 1 Mt/2500lb/chemical warhead. It provides general support, theatre strike and long range counterstrike capacity. One specific purpose is the countering of Soviet weapons in Eastern Europe that threaten to upset the strategic balance in Europe. It is also in the process of being deployed in the Far East and Australia as part of the deterrence of Indonesia. India has an order for 200 conventional missiles. Current deployment is 120 with BAOR, 96 with UKLF and 40 in the Far East/Australia

[Simon Darkshade]

Dark Earth Films

Best Picture

1946: The Lost Weekend/Billy Wilder/Ray Milland/Joan Crawford/Robert Mitchum/Angela Lansbury
1947: Henry V/Frank Capra/Laurence Olivier/Celia Johnson/Harold Russell/Anne Baxter
1948: Great Expectations/David Lean/Ronald Colman/Loretta Young/Edmund Gwenn/Ethel Barrymore
1949: Hamlet/John Huston/Laurence Olivier and Humphrey Bogart/Olivia de Havilland/Walter Huston/Jean Simmons
1950: The Sands of Iwo Jima/Joseph Mankiewicz/Richard Burton/Olivia de Havilland/Dean Jagger/Mercedes McCambridge
1951: All About Eve/Carol Reed/Jose Ferrer/June Holliday/George Sanders/Celeste Holm
1952: Quo Vadis/John Huston/Humphrey Bogart/Vivien Leigh/Karl Malden/Kim Hunter
1953: The Greatest Show on Earth/John Ford/Gary Cooper/Shirley Booth/Richard Burton/Gloria Grahame
1954: From Here to Eternity/Fred Zinnemann/Burt Lancaster/Audrey Hepburn/Frank Sinatra/Donna Reed
1955: On the Waterfront/Elia Kazan/Marlon Brando/Grace Kelly/Ronald Reagan/Eve Marie Saint
1956: Sword of Freedom/John Ford/Ronald Reagan/Olivia de Havilland/Jack Lemmon/Peggy Lee
1957: Around the World in Eighty Days/George Stevens/Yul Brynner and Charlton Heston/Deborah Kerr/Anthony Quinn/Susan Hayward
1958: The Bridge over the River Mekong/David Lean/Alec Guinness/Sophia Loren/James Dean/Marilyn Monroe
1959: Gigi/Vincente Minnelli/David Niven/Elizabeth Taylor/Burl Ives/Wendy Hiller
1960: Ben Hur/William Wyler/Charlton Heston/Simone Signoret/Hugh Griffith/Shelley Winters
1961: Sink the Bismarck!/John Wayne/Kenneth More/Elizabeth Taylor/Peter Ustinov/Janet Leigh
1962: West Side Story/Federico Fellini/Maximillian Schell/Sophia Loren/George Chakiris/Rita Moreno
1963: Lawrence of Arabia/David Lean/Gregory Peck and Peter O'Toole/Anne Bancroft/Omar Sharif/Patty Duke
1964: Tom Jones/Tony Richardson/Sidney Poitier/Patricia Neal/Bobby Darin/Margaret Rutherford
1965: My Fair Lady/George Cukor/Rex Harrison and Anthony Quinn/Julie Andrews/Peter Ustinov/Gladys Cooper
1966: The Sound of Music/Robert Wise/Richard Burton/Julie Christie/Ian Bannen/Maggie Smith
1967: King Henry VIII/Fred Zinnemann/Robert Shaw/Elizabeth Taylor/Walter Matthau/Sandy Dennis
1968: The Fellowship of the Ring/David Lean/Christopher Lee/Katherine Hepburn/BRIAN BLESSED/Rosemary Crutchley
1969: Oliver!/Carol Reed/Peter O'Toole/Katherine Hepburn and Barbara Streisland/Jack Wild/Sondra Locke
1970: The Return of the King/David Lean/Charlton Heston/Maggie Smith/Laurence Olivier/Liv Ullmann
1971: 1914/Lewis Gilbert/George C. Scott/Ali McGraw/John Mills/Helen Hayes
1972: The Road to Miklagard/Franklin J. Schaffner/Christopher Lee/Vanessa Redgrave/Emilio Delgado/Ann-Margret
1973: Sleuth/John Boorman/Robert Redford/Liv Ullmann/Michael Caine/Shelley Winters
1974: The Last Crusade/Ingmar Bergman/Robert Redford/Ellen Burstyn/John Houseman/Tatum O'Neill
1975: Wagner/Tony Palmer/Richard Burton/Miss Piggy/Fred Astaire/Ingrid Bergman


Films

Conan the Barbarian
June 25 1975
A highly anticipated epic sword and sorcery adventure directed by John Milius and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as the eponymous barbarian hero, Bruce Lee as his bold companion Subotai, Reb Brown as Fafnir, Sandahl Bergmann as the beautiful Valeria, Lynda Carter as Red Sonja, Brian Blessed as Crom/Kull, Tomasz Wiseau as the mysterious sorcerer Thoth-Amon, Max von Sydow as King Osric, Chuck Norris as Wal-Kar the Ranger, Geoffrey Bayldon as Wotan the Wanderer and Sean Connery as the wicked Thulsa Doom. The 179 minute film, shot in Spain, France, Sweden, Egypt and Rhodesia, has a stirring score by young composer Basil Poledouris and an array of lavish special effects and set piece battles with thousands of extras. Immediate reactions are extremely positive, with The New York Times questioning how, after Overlord and Conan, another film released this year could top them for spectacle


Overlord
June 6 1975
A new Anglo-American epic war film about the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944 directed by David Lean and starring Harry Morgan as General Eisenhower, David Niven as Field Marshal Montgomery, Richard Burton as Winston Churchill, Ralph Bellamy as President Roosevelt, Edward Fox as Marshal Charles de Gaulle, Joseph Cotten as General Marshall, Karl Malden as General Bradley, Lyndon Brook as King George VI, Brian Blessed as Stalin, Hardy Kruger as Field Marshal Erwin Rommel and Gunter Meisner as Adolf Hitler. Filmed on location in England, France and the Channel, Overlord uses innovative new arcane special effects to show the vast scale of the Allied invasion fleets of ships and aircraft, in addition to hundreds of period planes and warships, and displays the most realistic portrayal of the action, scope and cost of D-Day of any motion picture to day; some stunner reviewers state that it might well be the best war film yet made.

Galileo
May 30 1975
A biographical film based around the Galileo Affair of the early 17th century, which served as one of the triggers for the Enlightenment and the Scientific and Arcane Revolutions, starring Topol as Galileo Galilei, Michael Lonsdale as Pope Urban VIII, Christopher Lee as Johannes Kepler, Donald Pleasance as Roger Bacon, Paul Scofield as Rene Descartes, and Alec Guinness as Leonardo da Vinci.

Bohemian Rhapsody
April 30 1975
a Hollywood musical based on the events of the Thirty Years' War, in what many critics view as an inconceived attempt to carry over the popularity of the German-based early modern television series Darklands, Wolf and Fox and Kriegshammer. Despite gathering plaudits for Tomasz Wiseau in the role of Albrecht von Wallenstein, Richard Harris as King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden and Timothy Dalton as Prince Rupert of the Rhine, the film is seen a rather expensive failure.

Aces High
March 26 1975
an exciting Great War aerial combat film starring Christopher Plummer as Sir Hugh Trenchard, Simon Ward as James Bigglesworth VC, Malcolm McDowell as Albert Ball VC, Timothy Dalton as Edward Mannock VC, Michael Caine as Billy Bishop VC, Ray Milland as General Sir David Henderson, and one of Snoopy's own great-grand puppies, Maxy, in the role of his famed ancestor, the Beagle who shot down the Red Baron.

The Fall of Berlin
March 11 1975
a 214 minute epic war film depicting the climactic battle of the Second World War in Europe and the Allied siege and capture of the Nazi capital, starring Harry Fonda as General Eisenhower, Michael Rennie as Field Marshal Montgomery, George C. Scott as General Patton, Adrien Cayla-Legrand as Marshal de Gaulle, Dirk Bogarde as General Sir Guy Simonds, Richard Todd as General Sir Bernard Freyberg, Anthony Hopkins as Hitler, Julian Glover as Walter Wenck, Wolfgang Preiss as General Helmut Weidling, Karl-Otto Alberty as Felix Steiner, Bruno Ganz as Hermann Fegelein and Derek Fowlds as Count Jan Niemzyck, the Conqueror of the Reichstag. Filmed in and around as many locations in Berlin as possible, several scenes see the greatest concentration of Second World War tanks and aeroplanes since the 1940s.

1918
March 1 1975
the final film in the Great War sequence, showing the German Spring Offensive, the Second Marne, the climactic victory which began the German defeat at the Battle of Amiens and the subsequent Hundred Days Offensive which took the Allies from France through Belgium to the Rhine. The all star cast is lead by Barry Foster who is tragically masterly as Kaiser Wilhelm II, Philip Madoc as Lloyd George, Anthony Hopkins as Clemenceau, George C. Scott as Foch, John Mills as Sir Douglas Haig, Lee Van Cleef as General John Pershing, Patrick Stewart as Vladimir Lenin, Robert Hardy as Sir Winston Churchill and Brian Keith as President Theodore Roosevelt.

The Land that Time Forgot
February 12 1975
A fantastical adventure film directed by Kevin Connor and adapted by Michael Moorcock from the eponymous novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, starring Michael Caine, Jon Finch, Peter Firth, John McEnery, Oliver Tobias, Mark Lester, Susan Penhaligon, Ingrid Pitt, Olivia Hussey and Jenny Agutter and filmed on location in the South Atlantic. The cost of shipping in dinosaurs for several shots added greatly to the bottom line expenses of the picture, but fortunately it is a critical and box office success.

Earthquake
November 30 1974
The story of a calamitous 9.9 earthquake striking Los Angeles and San Francisco, starring Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth, James Dean, Walter Matthau, Henry Fonda, Clark Gable, Bela Lugosi, Robert Driscoll, Bruce Lee and Jack Hawkins, and directed by Mark Robson. It is later described as starting the ‘disaster film craze’ of the mid 1970s by notable film critics Statler and Waldorf.

The Prince and the Pauper
June 19 1974
Directed by Kenneth Russell and starring Keith Michell as King Henry VIII, Brian Blessed as the Duke of Suffolk, Oliver Reed as Sir Miles Hendon, Frank Forsyth as John Dee and young British actor Mark Lester in the twin roles of Tom Canty and Edward VI. Despite some explicit scenes (which are accepted because of their historical context), it is regarded as a splendid adaption of Twain's work, with the characteristically excellent costuming of similar British period productions and the performance of young Lester winning considerable plaudits.

Wagner
March 17 1974
a 12 hour epic film depicting the life and works of the German composer Richard Wagner, directed by Tony Palmer and starring Richard Burton in the title role, Vanessa Redgrave as Cosima Wagner, Klaus Kinski as King Ludwig II of Bavaria, Sir Ralph Richardson, Sir Laurence Olivier and Sir John Gielgud as a trio of Bavarian statesmen, Arnold Schwarzenegger as Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld, Ronald Pickup as Friedrich Nietzsche, Tomasz Wiseau as Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Groucho Marx as Karl Marx. It is generally screened in three separate parts on consecutive evenings at selected cinemas employing the new Dolby Surround Sound system in a marriage of Wagnerian tradition and commercial convenience.

Treasure Island
February 21 1974
A new exciting adaption of Robert Louis Stevenson's class adventure, directed by Michael Powell and starring Mark Lester as Jim Hawkins, Charlton Heston as Long John Silver, Julian Glover as Doctor Livesey, Malcolm Stoddard as Captain Smollet, Christopher Lee as Blind Pew, Oliver Reed as Billy Bones and Brian Blessed as Ben Gunn. The film is hailed for its excellent scenes at sea, an evocative soundtrack by the Third Ear Band and fine cinematography.

Charlemagne
January 16 1974
An expansive 287 minute historical epic directed by Franco Zeffirelli on the life of the King of the Franks and the first Holy Roman Emperor, starring Christopher Lee in the title role, Frank Finlay as Alcuin of York, Robert Shaw as Pepin the Short, Omar Sharif as Harun al-Rashid, Harry Andrews as Einhard, Stanley Baker as Desiderius, Charlton Heston as Pope Leo III and Robert Redford as Roland.

1917
November 3 1973
The latest picture in The Great War series, telling the story of the pivotal year of the First World War, ranging from the hard fought British victories on the Western Front at Arras, Messines and Passchendaele, the capture of Baghdad and Jerusalem and the breakthrough at Cambrai to the French suffering on the Aisne, the Austrian victory at Caporetto and America's great triumphs on the Meuse. John Mills as Sir Douglas Haig attracts further plaudits for his performance, but it is Lee Van Cleef as General John Pershing who gains the most praise, even as Max Von Sydow brings a quiet tragedy to his role as General Robert Nivelle.

The Last Crusade
October 19 1973
A motion picture of the story of the British abolition of slavery and suppression of the slave trade, from William Wilberforce's historic Slave Trade Act of 1792 to the Slavery Abolition Act of 1815 and the Royal Navy's subsequent suppression of the Atlantic slave trade, starring Robert Powell as Wilberforce, Jeremy Brett as William Pitt, Christopher Plummer as the Duke of Wellington, Anthony Hopkins as Sir Henry Brougham, Malcolm Stoddard as Thomas Clarkson and Christopher Lee as the Earl of Liverpool.

Full Fathom Five
September 23:
The second picture featuring British secret agent Philip Calvert, this time pursuing a secret plot to raise a sunken U-Boat thought to contain a deadly cursed weapon. Initial projections show it likely to be a smash hit, propelling star Anthony Hopkins firmly onto the ‘A list’ of Hollywood leading men.

A Bridge to Victory
July 1 1973
An epic war film debuts before Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness Prince Phillip. The 219 minute film, which tells the tale of Operation Market Garden, the Allied invasion and liberation of the Netherlands by the Allied Airborne Army, the Canadian First Army and Second British Army, was filmed from September 1970 to November 1971 on location in Europe and, with a budget of almost $70 million, is comfortably the most expensive film made to date. The initial impression of the audience and critics at the premiere are that it is a masterpiece, with massive set piece battle scenes and aerial filming capturing the grand scale of the campaign most succe

1916
November 8 1972
The third epic war film in the ‘Great War Sequence’. It portrays the terrible battles of Verdun and the Somme, the Brusilov Offensive, the fall of Gaza, the entry of the United States into the war and the tremendous British victory at the Battle of Jutland. Barry Foster attracts immediate attention for his ongoing excellent portrayal of Kaiser Wilhelm II, but greater praise yet is reserved for Kenneth More as Sir John Jellicoe and John Mills as Sir Douglas Haig.

Crusade!
June 29 1972
An epic war film directed by Richard Attenborough about General Allenby’s famed campaign in Palestine and Syria in the Great War, featuring Robert Shaw as Allenby, Peter O’Toole as Lawrence of Arabia, Richard Harris as General Maude, Christopher Lee as Lord Curzon, Robert Hardy as Sir Winston Churchill, Peter Cushing as Falkenhayn and George Sanders as Lloyd George. Filmed on location in Israel, it sees a very large amount of original equipment employed, including dozens of Mark V tanks recently located in an old British munitions depot in Sindh.

The Hobbit
December 28 1971
World release of a motion picture adaption of The Hobbit, featuring some of the cast members of David Lean’s The Lord of the Rings hit trilogy, in London. Some American reviewers mistakenly label it as a sequel to the recent films, causing some confusion.

The Road to Miklagard
August 30 1971
A lavish, action packed historical adventure epic set in the time of the Vikings directed by Francis Ford Coppola and loosely based on the novel by Henry Treece. It stars Robert Redford as Harald Hardrada, Harrison Ford as Harald Sigurdsson, Max von Sydow as Canute, David Hemmings as Hereward the Wake, Richard Harris as King Harold of England and Robert Shaw as William the Conqueror.

Red Sun
May 30 1971
A new exciting Western starring Charles Bronson, Toshiro Mifune, Alain Delon, James Dean, Ursula Andress and Audie Murphy, depicting the story of a stolen samurai sword in the Wild West, and its pursuit by the unlikely paring of Kuroda the samurai and Link Stuart the outlaw.

Conquistador
April 3 1971
A three and a half hour historical epic directed by Carol Reed, depicting the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, starring Christopher Lee as Hernando Cortes, Robert Shaw as Pedro de Alvarado, Alec Guinness as Emperor Charles V and Emilio Delgado as Montezuma. Critics regard it as perhaps overly long, but the grandeur of the visual spectacle of Tenochtitlan and the huge battle scenes are noted approvingly

Chariots of the Gods
December 18 1970
The highly speculative and widely decried ‘secret history’ of mankind’s past. It attracts mixed reviews for its content, but plaudits for its soundtrack and cinematography.

1914
November 7 1970
The first film in an intended war epic series depicting the course of The Great War. The sequences of the miraculous Battle of Mons and the end of the Race to the Sea are particularly acclaimed by audiences, whilst the cast of Barry Foster as Kaiser Wilhelm II, Richard Burton as Von Falkenhayn, Louis Jourdan as Marshal Joffre, Sir Laurence Olivier as Sir John French and Robert Hardy as Sir Winston Churchill all deliver noteworthy performances.

Waterloo
October 26 1970
a multinational epic war film about the eponymous battle in 1815, directed by David Lean, produced by Dino de Laurentis and accompanied by a majestic score by John Barry. It features over 36,000 British, French and German troops filmed in action over a painstakingly accurate arcanely-augmented recreation of the battleground in Belgium and stars Rod Steiger as Napoleon and Christopher Plummer as the Duke of Wellington.

The Mahabharata
August 6 1970
The most expensive picture yet produced by the Indian film industry, telling the story of the epic Hindu legend of the primordial war between the good Pandavas and evil Kauravas.

The Book of Three
May 14 1970
The first live action film of a planned adaption of Lloyd Alexander’s Celtic fantasy The Chronicles of Prydain, directed by Richard Attenborough and starring Ian McShane as Prince Gwydion, Frank Finlay as Dallben, Jack Watson as Coll, David Jones as Fflewddur Fflam, Jenny Agutter as Princess Eilonwy and Mark Lester as Taran the Assistant Pig Keeper.

The Return of the King
January 5 1970
The 324 minute epic leaves audiences and critics astounded with its combination of epic battles, enthralling action, spectacular magic and fantastical landscapes. The Return of the King will go on to win Best Picture at the 1970 Academy Awards, with Charlton Heston winning Best Actor as Aragorn, Sir Laurence Olivier winning Best Supporting Actor as Denethor and David Lean winning Best Director, as well as Best Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Original Song, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing and Best Special Visual Effects.

The Bulge
November 24 1969
Release of The Bulge, a Columbia Pictures epic war film on the 1944 Battle of the Bulge starring Henry Grace as General Eisenhower, George C. Scott as General Patton, Hardy Kruger as Field Marshal Rommel, Harry Morgan as General Bradley, David Niven as Field Marshal Montgomery, and Alec Guinness as Adolf Hitler.

The Masters of Darkness
October 1 1969
Release of The Masters of Darkness, Ingmar Bergman's latest expansive cinematic epic, a two and a half hour historical drama about two families of minor Swedish aristocrats in Småland and their generational feud over a local glassworks, starring Max von Sydow, Sven-Bertil Taube and former child star Pippi Longstocking.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
May 24 1969
World premiere of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first motion picture adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ children’s fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia.

The Two Towers
January 31 1969
World premiere of The Two Towers, the second picture in David Lean’s epic trilogy The Lord of the Rings in London. The 269 minute film is immediately hailed as a masterpiece, with the set piece Battle of Helm’s Deep attracting particular praise for its scope and spectacle.

The Fellowship of the Ring
November 6 1967
First film in David Lean's epic cinematic adaption of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Its all star cast, headlined by Christopher Lee as Gandalf, Charlton Heston as Aragorn and Robert Powell as Frodo Baggins, and also featuring Ian Holm as Samwise Gamgee, Michael York as Legolas, Anthony Hopkins as Gimli, Robert Shaw as Boromir, Brian Blessed as Tom Bombadil, Tom Baker as Radagast, Alec Guinness as Lord Elrond, Max von Sydow as Glorfindel, Malcolm McDowell as Gollum, David McCallum as Merry, David Hemmings as Pippin, David Jones as Gildor Inglorien and Richard Attenborough as Bilbo Baggins, meets with widespread acclaim, whilst the broad shots of the fantastical landscape of Middle Earth are regarded as some of Lean's finest work.

King Henry VIII
December 12 1966
Directed by Fred Zinnemann, King Henry VIII is a historical epic about the long and storied reign of the renowned English king, played by Robert Shaw, his able counsellors Sir Thomas More (Paul Scofield), Cardinal Wolsey (Orson Welles), Lord Blackadder (Terry-Thomas), Thomas Cromwell (Leo McKern) and Doctor Merriman de Lyon (Christopher Lee), and his five wives.

The Thieftaker
May 30 1964
A dark thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Dean and Marilyn Monroe as a most unlikely pair of private investigators exploring the disappearance of the renowned jewel, the Pink Panther.

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
An epic Technicolor historical film starring Richard Todd as King Arthur, Elizabeth Taylor as Guinevere, Sean Connery as Lancelot, Richard Harris as Galahad, Christopher Lee as Mordred and Ralph Richardson as Merlin.

Alamein
January 3 1962
An epic Technicolour war film depicting the eponymous British victory of 1942 in North Africa, starring Alec Guinness as General Montgomery, Laurence Olivier as Field Marshal Alexander, Ralph Richardson, Richard Burton, Kenneth More and Richard Todd.

Blackadder Goes Forth
December 23 1961
A British war epic about the Allied invasion of Greece and the Battle of the Balkans in the last years of the Second World War. It stars Terry Thomas in the role of Field Marshal Blackadder.

[Simon Darkshade]

A sneak preview of July 1975:

July 8: Interpol investigators, operating in conjunction with Nazi hunters Ezra Lieberman and Simon Wiesenthal and British intelligence, uncover evidence of some sort of ODESSA operation aimed at the murder of 94 seemingly innocuous men across Europe, Southern Africa, Australasia and North America, all of whom seem to have young sons of a certain age. Upon urgent consultation with London, the boys are all offered free scholarships to King George VI International School in Tel Aviv.

July 10: Promising young English cricketers Graham Gooch of Essex and Ian Botham of Somerset make their Test debuts in the First Test of the Ashes against Australia at Edgbaston in Birmingham. The powerful England XI of Geoffrey Boycott, Dennis Amiss, the Honourable Peter Ratcliffe, Keith Fletcher, Gooch, Tony Greig, Alan Knott, Botham, Derek Underwood, Bob Willis and Chris Old is considered as having the potential to challenge the Australians in the most anticipated series for a number of years, even notwithstanding the recent retirements of Illingworth, Snow, Edrich and Cowdrey.

July 12: The Telegraph carries a feature story on ‘The Plight of the Exchequer’, which contends that the last decade has seen a decisive move of power away from HM Treasury to Number 10, the Armed Services and, to a lesser extent, some of the ‘superministries’; expounds upon the uniquely limited position that Chancellor Denis Healey occupies, with operational control of fiscal policy under a grand strategy directed from above and the new challenges faced since the repayment of the National Debt; and gives examples of Treasury officials allegedly going stark raving mad over military budgets, and, in one notable case, apparently dropping stone dead upon news of the ‘Great Artillery Shift’, which turned out to be a rather florid exaggeration of the man fainting and having to be hospitalised at St. Trinian's Asylum for the Gently Addled.

July 30: Well known trade unionist and former Teamster’s President Jimmy Hoffa successfully fights off an attempted kidnapping in Bloomfield, Michigan through the timely help of a mysterious cigarette smoking man, who apparently disappears after providing covering fire at the pivotal moment of the ambush. Hoffa vows not to be silenced by the pernicious assault and to continue his work for labour; he does agree with an FBI suggestion to engage a bodyguard detail, selecting an unlikely crew of former Secret Service agents, grizzled war veterans and former mercenaries headed by Vince Majestyk.

July 31: The War Office announces the completion of a review of the Junior Soldier Programme, whereby boys of 14 -17 have been specially enlisted and undergone dedicated and intense training and education before commencing active service. It recommends that the programme be restructured into a multi-tiered system to reflect the differing needs and management of youths, with each of the Boys Battalions of serving regiments of foot to field Junior and Senior Contingents, effectively doubling their numbers.

[jemhouston]

Interesting sneak peaks.

[Simon Darkshade]

I did like evoking the imagery of Treasury officials increasingly exasperated at new military spending, to the point of lunacy and fainting.

[jemhouston]

I did like evoking the imagery of Treasury officials increasingly exasperated at new military spending, to the point of lunacy and fainting.

Same here, I actually got two of them without looking them up.

[Rocket J Squrriel]

Wowza! Most excellent as per usual.

[Simon Darkshade]

Thank you kindly.

July 8 came from me rewatching The Boys from Brazil and pondering over what would happen in a scenario like that here, albeit a slightly different one given that Mengele danced Danny Deever in 1946, with the twist about an Israel based boarding school being suitably nice to mess with ODESSA’s plans.

July 30 sees Jimmy Hoffa saved by the Cigarette Smoking Man from the X-Files, who also takes on some attributes of a certain ‘Mysterious Stranger’, and then guarded by a team of Charles Bronsons.

July 12 is just a nice opportunity to show the relative power and role of HM Treasury on a different trajectory, which is also combined with them somewhat searching for a role.

The relative power balance in the government, and a Prime Minister who has a very strong military interest, have made the Chancellor’s role from 1964-1975 one of “We need X. Find the money.” Had there not been fair economic winds and the process of retiring debt in a big way, that would have been a far more interesting task.

[Simon Darkshade]

Dark Earth Crime and Punishment

1973
90 murders (7 in Midsomer)
8 kidnappings
198 rapes
64 drug trafficking
4 treachery

87 manslaughter
324 attempted murder
219 cause death by dangerous driving
127 child cruelty
192 procurement of illegal abortion
1043 indecent assault
256 indecent exposure
247 animal cruelty
386 abduction
962 arson
12783 robberies
1382 drug possession
2578 aggravated assaults
20854 assaults
42,335 burglaries
32,992 thefts
20,537 vehicle/horse thefts
8569 bicycle thefts
9849 theft by employee/servant
24,223 cases of criminal damage
752 blackmails
40,945 shoplifting
526 forgeries
20,791 frauds

1974
82 murders
6 kidnappings
172 rapes
40 drug trafficking
1 treachery

64 manslaughter
295 attempted murder
187 cause death by dangerous driving
82 child cruelty
214 procurement of illegal abortions
1057 indecent assaults
231 indecent exposures
202 animal cruelty
301 abductions
804 arson
11213 robberies
1189 drug possession
2322 aggravated assaults
19672 assaults
38,952 burglaries
29,874 thefts
16,787 vehicle/horse thefts
5628 bicycle thefts
10,243 thefts by employee or servant
21,290 criminal damage
642 blackmails
37,231 shoplifting
411 forgery
18,234 fraud


The short term trend seems to be towards a slight general decline in crime, and sharper decreases in particular offences, seemingly due to a combination of improved policing practices, reduced recidivism, improved economic circumstances, definitional changes in categorisation of some crimes and other factors. The decrease in murders comes largely down to provision of a new squad of specialist detectives assigned to the Midsomer region of Berkshire, which recorded no homicides in 1974/75 for the first time in decades.

There are 76,236 prisoners in 219 prisons across Britain, with a further 12,987 young offenders incarcerated in borstals and 245 adult convicts sentenced to penal transportation, largely for reasons of national security. Conditions in prisons are mandated as being hard but fair, with prisoners provided with fresh air, three meals a day and the opportunity to work, either at hard labour or ordinary labour, following the general precepts of the Prisons Act of 1898. Additionally, around 2000 young men every year are offered the choice of imprisonment or signing up to the British Army for service with the Royal Labour Corps in the colonies.

The general crime policies adopted by British governments through the 20th century have been influenced by a steady fear of going down the path either of America, which is seen as a more wild frontier of plentiful crime, or of Europe, which is seen as something of a corrupt and unlawful den of iniquity; both of these impressions are, by the by, manifestly unfair. These concerns have in turn lead to regular 'moral panics', where an increase in crime is seen as a harbinger of change for the worse, such as in the aftermath of World War 1 through the early 1920s, that of World War 2 through the late 1940s, and the recent period of the early 1970s, which has coincided with the end of the Vietnam War and consequent partial demobilisation of large numbers of men, as well as the first major economic recession for over a decade. Some social commentators have argued persuasively that the periods of increased crime are directly symptomatic of the socio-economic dislocation that comes at the end of a war than merely concomitant. In any event, policies and statements of being tough on crime are politically popular across the ideological spectrum, and as a result, there has been little scope for substantive reforms since the halcyon days of the Edwardian period.

Increasing integration of modern magics and specialised enchantments in police work and law enforcement present an interesting pathway towards further crime reduction and minimisation, with goals of a reduction of 30% in 10 years viewed as viable. Additionally, the increasing number of computers available to police forces around Britain present an opportunity for swifter communication of information and coordination of efforts across force boundaries, and other scientific advances in forensics and criminology offer the potential to severely reduce the perceived success of certain types of crime. Both of these trends coincide with the strong fundamentals of community policing, with there being 329,364 police across Britain, and a very large number of them engaged in regular foot and car patrolling of their villages, towns and metropolitan suburbs.

[Simon Darkshade]

July 1975
July 1: Release of Winstanley, an English period drama set in the reign of King Charles I, telling the story of the radical social reformer Gerald Winstanley and the 'True Leveller' or Digger movement, who sought to cultivate common land in 1650s England, their suppression, and the eventual journey of a remnant of a remnant across to the Newfoundland.
July 2: Establishment of two new US unified combat commands for Africa and the Middle East and India, with the latter to be known as Central Command, joining the current Atlantic, Pacific, European, Southern, Strike and Continental Air Defense Commands. No permanent forces have been assigned to African Command at this time, whilst Central Command is to take responsibility for United States Forces Middle East (USFME), which has land, sea and air bases in Israel, Arabia and Persia, and USN and US Army forces based in India; it is planned that a field army based in the Continental United States will be attached at an appropriate juncture.
July 3: CBS News features a special report on ‘The Golden Age of Air Travel’, highlighting the ever increasing luxury and comforts afforded to airline passengers, and including a live cross to a Qantas Concord flight from Sydney to Los Angeles to showcase the particular features of that plane, including the Supersonic Bar and Lounge and the Odeon of the Skies, which shows the latest films to passengers wishing to pass the time when bored of the lounge bar, the library or the dining cabin.
July 4: Release of The Star Wars, George Lucas's much-anticipated science-fantasy space adventure, which tells the story of a daring band of rebels who seek to overthrow the wicked tyranny of the Galactic Emperor, return the true prophesized King to his rightful throne for his heralded free and benevolent rule, and restore the noble protectors of space, the pure and mystical Jedi Knights. From the opening battle of space cruisers to the thrilling evasion of mighty sand worms on Tatooine and amazing illusory depictions of space dragons and the final climactic and desperate attack on the Empire's 'Death-Star', The Star Wars is filled with the derring-do and action of space adventure serials of yore, and audiences seem entranced by its rollicking story. It stars Alec Guinness as the wise and mysterious Obi-Wan Kenobi, newcomers Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker and Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, Harrison Ford as the mercenary pilot Han Solo, David Prowse as the evil champion Darth Vader, Peter Cushing as Imperial Fleet Commander Grand Moff Tarkin, Christopher Lee as Archcount Draku, the Emperor's dark wizard, Kathleen Stark as Kamie Marstrap, Michael Caine as Rebel Commander Admiral Giles de Ackbar, Christopher Walken as Rebel pilot Moore Cawbelle and Brian Blessed as the sleeping High King Valerius Pendragon.
July 5: Arthur Ashe defeats Bjorn Borg to become the first Negro to win the Wimbledon Gentlemen's Singles Championship, winning 6-1, 6-1, 6-4 to record his fourth Grand Slam title in straight sets, and being awarded the trophy by His Royal Highness Prince George of Kent. Ashe is regarded as one of the gentlemen of the sport, in contrast to some of the younger tyros, and his victory is welcomed across tennis.
July 6: Kaman, Bell, Sikorsky and Hughes are all invited to submit designs for the joint US Army, USAF and USMC VLRH VSTOL competition for the development of a jet powered aircraft capable of carrying up to 250 passengers or 50 tons of payload to a range of 1800 miles at a speed equivalent to or in excess of 675mph, whilst equipped with certain air to air self defence systems.
July 7: The Ministry of Science and Technology, in conjunction with relevant universities, selected electronic, computing and aerospace companies, the Atomic Energy Authority, and the Ministry of Space establishes ten new ‘High Technology Centres’ across Britain in Oxford, Cambridge, Manchester, London, Stirling, Bristol, Waterford, Newcastle, York and Lincoln, to include new dedicated science parks, Imperial Research Laboratories, super computer mainframes, power towers and specialised robotic manufacturing plants.
July 8: Interpol investigators, operating in conjunction with Nazi hunters Ezra Lieberman and Simon Wiesenthal and British intelligence, uncover evidence of some sort of ODESSA operation aimed at the murder of 94 seemingly innocuous men across Europe, Southern Africa, Australasia and North America, all of whom seem to have young sons of a certain age. Upon urgent consultation with London, the boys are all offered free scholarships to King George VI International School in Tel Aviv.
July 9: Dutch artist and photographer Bas Jan Ader sets out across the Atlantic from Cape Cod in Ocean Wave, a 13 foot pocket cruiser, to attempt a singlehanded voyage east across the ocean sea.
July 10: Promising young English cricketers Graham Gooch of Essex and Ian Botham of Somerset make their Test debuts in the First Test of the Ashes against Australia at Edgbaston in Birmingham. The powerful England XI of Geoffrey Boycott, Dennis Amiss, the Honourable Peter Ratcliffe, Keith Fletcher, Gooch, Tony Greig, Alan Knott, Botham, Derek Underwood, Bob Willis and Chris Old is considered as having the potential to challenge the Australians in the most anticipated series for a number of years, even notwithstanding the recent retirements of Illingworth, Snow, Edrich and Cowdrey.
July 11: Launch of the new Soviet exploration atomic spacecruiser, Sozvezdiye 1, from the orbit of Luna, on what is purported as a six year mission to the outer reaches of the solar system. American intelligence sources believe that the Soviets will be aiming for Orcus, with a minority opinion being that it is possible that it could be undertaking a mission to Pluto.
July 12: Release of Jaws, a new adventure thriller about the infamous Amity Megalodon Attacks of 1947, starring Roy Scheider as Police Chief Brody, Robert Shaw as Quint the sharkhunter, Richard Dreyfuss as shark scientist Matthew Hooper, Christopher Reeve as Daily Planet journalist Clark Kent, Murray Hamilton as Mayor Vaughn, Adam West as Governor West, Charlton Heston as Rear Admiral Matthew Garth, Farrah Fawcett as Lauren Bacall and Marilyn Monroe as Mrs Kintner. The role of the killer shark, increased from its historical 56ft to 65ft, is played by a robotic contraption so realistic that it triggered an automatic mobilisation of a long-dormant USN protective enchantment from the days of the eradication of the monstrous megalodon in the early 1960s. Audiences thrill at the oceanic action, and swell rapidly through word of mouth over the weekend, leading to a storied rivalry with the success of The Star Wars.
July 13: Challenger, the first boat of the Royal Navy's new class of atomic cruise missile submarines is laid down at Vickers yard in Barrow, with five further boats (Champion, Caradoc, Columbia, Crispin and Cymric) to follow at Armstrong-Whitworth, Cammell-Laird, Scott Lithgow, Harland & Wolff and Swan Hunter over the next two years. The Challengers are designed to carry a very large number of Lionheart cruise missiles in new vertical launch tubes modelled on those of the strategic ballistic missile submarine fleet, along with a strong armament of Blue Moon strike missiles and Paladin anti-ship missiles. Construction of the Trafalgar class nuclear attack submarines continues at scheduled pace, whilst the supercarrier Incomparable and the battleship Defence are due to commission in November and December respectively.
July 14: King Louis and Premier d'Ambreville review the Bastille Day Parade in Paris, where, whilst there are no new vehicles, weapons systems or aircraft, there is the largest contingent of tanks since the end of the Second World War, as part of a demonstration of French armoured strength. A U.S. military observer is heard to ask, sotto voce, whether the demonstrativeness of the military parade was proportional to France's perception of her actual declining power in the world and the ongoing scars of German occupation in the Second World War, before his British neighbour nudges him and tells him to simply enjoy the complementary wine and Gauloises.
July 15: Medal of Honour and 1969 Heisman Trophy winner Lieutenant Laurence Tureaud, on special temporary from active US Army service to study advanced mathematics at Jesus College in Cambridge, becomes the first American to be awarded the highly coveted black belt and braces in the ancient Lancastrian martial art of Ecky Thump, and takes on the masterly name of Mr. T.
July 16: A delegation of Arabian Union oil sheikhs, princes and potentates arrives in London for discussions on an extensive British arms deal, purported to be for hundreds of aircraft, thousands of armoured vehicles, and a full range of advanced missile, RDF and communications systems, with the potential payment to come both through conventional monies and crude oil, which would be onsold to European and Asian buyers.
July 17: Large swathes of Brazil's coffee crop in Parana are struck by a mysterious black frost, or Geada Negra, almost entirely wiping out production across the state. Parana had produced some 19.7 million bags of coffee in 1974, or over half of the national total, and this disaster looks set to reduce that to a few thousand at most. World coffee futures spike overnight, with some American traders speculating that a dastardly British villain was behind this assault on coffee.
July 18: The Telegraph carries a feature story on ‘The Plight of the Exchequer’, which contends that the last decade has seen a decisive move of power away from HM Treasury to Number 10, the Armed Services and, to a lesser extent, some of the ‘superministries’; expounds upon the uniquely limited position that Chancellor Denis Healey occupies, with operational control of fiscal policy under a grand strategy directed from above and the new challenges faced since the repayment of the National Debt; and gives examples of Treasury officials allegedly going stark raving mad over military budgets, and, in one notable case, apparently dropping stone dead upon news of the ‘Great Artillery Shift’, which turned out to be a rather florid exaggeration of the man fainting and having to be hospitalised at St. Trinian's Asylum for the Gently Addled.
July 19: First secret flight of the experimental Focke-Wulf FW-500 Nachtmahr low observable strike plane, a joint project of the Luftwaffe and Kaiserliche Marine, at a the top secret German testing base in the Namib Desert. Konteradmiral Harro von und zu Jotunheim, the long time champion of the ambitious Nachtmahr project is heard to remark that, if war comes, the Soviets will remember why they fear the night. The Nachtmahr, with a combat radius of 1500km with an internal load of four 1000kg bombs or strike missiles, has a top speed of Mach 0.96 and apparently has the radar cross section of a football.
July 20: A group of British successfully produce a new breed of beef cattle based on the popular British Gold ‘Wagyu’ crossbred with Scottish Angus, Burgundian Charolais and the Swedish Mountain, provisionally named the Victoria. With a height of nearly seven and a half feet, a length of twenty feet and potential yield of up to two tons of meat after dressing, the new breed is also considered by many tasters as being superior to some of the currently trendy Japanese Kobe beef on account of being more fundamentally beefier and less gobby, whilst retaining very abundant marbling through micro-striation.
July 21: The New Zealand Superannuation Act is given Royal assent by Governor-General Prince Edward of Kent, and will enter operation from the beginning of 1976. New Zealand joins Australia, Britain and Canada as Commonwealth countries that have effected or are contemplating the implementation of a compulsory superannuation scheme for all employers, initially based upon 3.5% of a worker's ordinary time earnings and overtime, with legislative scope for the figure to rise in line with inflation, capacity for the encouragement of individual employee contributions, and full access to the entire sum at 65, either as a tax free lump sum or a tax free revenue scheme.
July 22: Scotland Yard Magical Security Department approves the retailing of a number of new anti-theft devices for vehicles, including combined tracking and immobilisation dweomers, and product alarm spells for shops. In conjunction with mooted increased penalties for offences and the planned employment of general crime deterrent geases over certain urban areas on an experimental basis, it is hoped that new measures can reduce these particular categories of theft by up to half.
July 23: Imperial Ethiopian security forces operating in Eritrea report a marked increase in the incidence of insurgent attacks, and a concerning increase in their armament, with RPGs and heavier machine guns apparently employed in recent hit and run attacks on barracks and blockhouses.
July 24: Canada's Minister of Fisheries Alistair Lynn announces that the Soviet fishing fleet will be barred from Canadian Atlantic ports and waters after exceeding permitted catch limits, violations of regulations, and several incidents of damage to lobster fishing gear, with a Soviet Embassy official stating that the measure was regarded as an 'unfriendly act'. The Royal Canadian Navy is ordered to begin enforcement of the decision forthwith, a measure that is expected to stretch RCN capacity due to the current process of replacing the large number of wartime and 1950s frigates and destroyer escorts that make up the bulk of its escort fleet; The Globe and Mail carries a cartoon of the new atomic super battleship Canada intercepting a tiny Soviet trawler with the caption "Terribly sorry, tovarich, but we drew the short straw this afternoon."
July 25: The mysterious costumed hero, vigilant vigilante and champion of justice known only as The Silver Shroud defeats a wicked underground conspiracy that would have seen popular neighbourhood saloon bar 'Cheers' closed, after having been written by local youngster James Hunter to do something about the terrible situation.
July 26: Geelong set a new VFL record score of 33.21 (219) against Essendon's 13.13 (91) at Kardinia Park, with veteran full forward Doug Wade kicking 12 goals to top the century for the second successive season, Larry Donohue, Rex Hunt and Malcolm Blight all kicking 5 apiece and Sam Newman pipping Blight, Wade and Ian Nankervis for best afield honours.
July 27: President Reagan signs the Safe Drinking Water Act, providing for the protection from adulteration and regulation of the over 240,000 public water systems across the United States, and establishing exacting standards of maximum permissible levels for a range of harmful and potentially harmful substances.
July 28: Moscow Militsia officers Ivan Danko and Nikolai Rachenko are permitted to enter the United States in pursuit of a fugitive suspect involved in a large cocaine (known as 'cocainum' in Russian law enforcement argot) smuggling ring who had been tracked down to Chicago. There, with the aid of their Chicago PD liaison officer, vacationing Irish firebrand priest Father Jack Hackett and young tow-headed Boy Scout sniper Kevin McAllister, they track down their prey, arrest him peacefully, and accidentally drown, impale, electrocute and shoot him after he attempts to escape.
July 29: A man is killed by a car bomb in a shopping centre car park in the usually sedate Adelaide suburb of West Lakes, with the power of the explosion disturbing the SANFL game between Sturt and West Adelaide. Subsequent police investigation bombing leads to the uncovering of a conspiracy involving the victim's wife, her adulterous lover and a wretched sidekick, and the arrest, swift trial and sentencing to death by hanging for all three.
July 30: Well known trade unionist and former Teamster’s President Jimmy Hoffa successfully fights off an attempted kidnapping in Bloomfield, Michigan through the timely help of a mysterious cigarette smoking man, who apparently disappears after providing covering fire at the pivotal moment of the ambush. Hoffa vows not to be silenced by the pernicious assault and to continue his work for labour; he does agree with an FBI suggestion to engage a bodyguard detail, selecting an unlikely crew of former Secret Service agents, grizzled war veterans and former mercenaries headed by Vince Majestyk.
July 31: The War Office announces the completion of a review of the Junior Soldier Programme, whereby boys of 14 -17 have been specially enlisted and undergone dedicated and intense training and education before commencing active service. It recommends that the programme be restructured into a multi-tiered system to reflect the differing needs and management of youths, with each of the Boys Battalions of serving regiments of foot to field Junior and Senior Contingents, effectively doubling their numbers.

[jemhouston]

Going after the coffee supply is an act of war.

Sending Kevin McAllister after smugglers is very mean, and very deserved.

[Simon Darkshade]

The coffee crop blight is an entirely historical and natural event, so any war would be in the manner of Caligula.

Danko, like most Moscow detectives, is rather aggressive about cocainum, which has seen a surprising increase in the last two years even as the coca plant is progressively controlled in Latin America. It is as if some third party is somehow smuggling what few supplies of powdered cocainum that can be found into the Soviet Union for some weird reason.

[Simon Darkshade]

July 1975 Notes
- Winstanley is quite an interesting low budget film, and would be different here in the absence of the ECW
- Central Comman gets an earlier start, existing parallel to the nascent JRDTF rather than being its successor
- Air travel is not heading in a deregulated race for the bottom in the same manner as our time
- As signposted, The Star Wars are a bit different on account of the world, Vietnam, pop culture and timing
- The VLRH is an entirely original and ambitious project
- High Tech Centres/Hubs/Nodes will be something to watch in the future
- The Boys from Brazil end up at a boarding school in Israel, right next door to a Jewish girl’s school. ODESSA’s plans for a cloned Hitler are defeated by the oldest trick in the book
- Ian Botham debuts a bit earlier, coming into quite a powerful England side, which will get even better when there are some recoveries from injury
- The Soviets put another ship up for a long, long journey out
- Jaws is a tad different, reflecting its real origins, and throwing in Matt Garth from Midway and a few other tantalising names
- The Challengers are something in between the Oscar IIs and the Ohio SSGNs. Useful boats, if a bit of a superpower luxury
- French parades are one way they show that they are still super important
- July 15 sees the first step in Mr. T’s journey to high office
- The Arab Union arms talks are a very big contract, but the British aren’t the only player
- The Geada Negra episode is a weird one from our own history
- HM Treasury isn’t the bête noire of many a world, but an important department that feels a bit superfluous or slightly powerless in the absence of the same overarching constraints on spending and the general economic situation. The lines about being driven mad or passing out (and being erroneously presumed dead) due to military spending demands reflect the relative pecking order
- The Nachtmahr is an interesting German stealth project
- Better beef that isn’t as ridiculously visually fatty as A5 Wagyu is both a sign of different tastes and an illustration of how far modification of animal breeding has progressed in DE
- NZ goes down the path of superannuation, which does seem to offer a better solution to the pension issue than the mixed bag Britain haphazardly put together historically, and the other solutions pursued by Canada and Australia; given 30 years of growth, there will be a lot of people who will be substantially better off
- Anti theft measures, many of which bear a distant resemblance to ones from our world, will have some interesting cumulative effects here
- The Sovs getting locked out of Canadian ports is historical; a battleship apologising to them in stereotypical Canadian politeness is not
- The Silver Shroud is from Fallout 4, which probably improved a fair bit of downtown Boston
- Australian rules football and the VFL starts to subtly diverge a bit more
- Ivan Danko (Red Heat) and Nikolai Rachenko (Red Scorpion) are quite the pair of Soviet cop buddies. At one point in the adventure, the young McAllister picked up what looked to be a cookie; fearing that it had been poisoned with cocainum, Danko was heard to desperately yell out for Kevin to “Put that cookie down! Now!”
- The West Lakes car bomb murder is a historical crime
- Jimmy Hoffa is saved by the Cigarette Smoking Man
- The Boys Battalions are broadly equivalent to the IJLB, but there are a lot more of them

[Simon Darkshade]

Coming up in August 1975:
- Jackie Chan helps foil a Hang Seng armoured car robbery
- Some moves start in the Association of University Teachers in Britain
- Strange happenings in the Comoros
- The Japanese Red Army make a very big mistake
- Hank Williams tops the charts
- John Walker breaks the world record for the mile (Not that I'm an athletics fan, but the juxtaposition of the name and a running record is too sweet not to use)
- A Mr. Tom Narrow attempts to sell his grandmother
- A Japanese television series is given permission to film in Imperial China
- Development of a new form of accelerate tree growth enchantment by British druids and dendromancers based on the 'Falkland Method'
- Strange reports of dark elves in North Vietnam
- Service rifle ruminations
- Venezuela starts to develop in some interesting ways
- The Soviets have their own 'nine in one blow'
- A Soccer Bowl has a bit more success than its gridiron counterpart
- Haile Selassie visits the Americas
- Espionage scandals spark calls for a new Communist Control Act in the USA
- Some theories on UFOs
- An attempted robbery of a Greyhound bus runs into the obstacle of a granny with a Mac 10 in her knitting bag
- Unveiling of a new advanced Anglo-American LST concept incorporating capacity for war machines and power armour equipped infantry in addition to tanks and armoured fighting vehicles