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  • Please help me expand my WW2 glossary

    Please refer to this URL for my World War II glossary:

    WW2DB: Glossary

    Do you know of any terms that are fitting to go on this list? Please share and help me build the website! Thanks so much in advance.
    Pete

  • #2
    SA: Sturmabteilung (The SS was once just a part of the SA, but grew much more important over the time. in the 20s the purpose of the SA was to beat up people from other parties (simplified)

    Your explanation for Reich is kinda wrong. Reich is a generell term which can be tranlsated as nation, empire, land, real, wealth and many other thing- It works similar like the "dom" in Kingdom. And the Nazis did outlaw the use of the term Third Reich in 39.
    Last edited by Tarek Morgen; 13 Sep 07,, 19:41.

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    • #3
      G.I.-common or slang term for American soldier from "government issue"
      Tommy-common or slang term for British soldier.....better ask one of the Brits for the origin....
      AAA-anti-aircraft artillery
      Last edited by Shamus; 13 Sep 07,, 20:17.
      "Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves, therefore, are its only safe depositories." Thomas Jefferson

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      • #4
        OsNaz

        Osobovo Naznachenija - as SpetzNaz is Spetsalnovo Naznachenia, Special Use, OsNaz is translated as Extraordinary Purpose, and it often were the people who gave the RKKA (Raboche-Krestjanskaja Krasnaja Armija - Worker-Peasantry's Red Army) a morale boost in the form of a machine gunning in the back.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Shamus View Post
          G.I.-common or slang term for American soldier from "government issue"
          Tommy-common or slang term for British soldier.....better ask one of the Brits for the origin....
          AAA-anti-aircraft artillery
          I believe it was from the poem "Tommy Atkins" written by American author Robert Service as a tribute to the solid resolve of the British soldier.
          Able to leap tall tales in a single groan.

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          • #6
            Good Lord All Mighty in Heaven:

            You left out USMC.

            You left out GUNG HO.

            Better check your neighborhood tonight to make sure a squad of United States Marines isn't approaching your house.

            Also, USCG. The Coast Guard did their bit as well.

            Also, in conversations I have had with German WW II vets at the old Ritterbrau beer garden and even a co-worker of mine who was in the Hitler Youth, SS could also be translated as Combat Commando. I guess the appropriate translation would depend upon if it was a field unit, disciplinary unit or diplomatic unit (honor guard, etc.).

            Oh, before you ask, that ex-Hitler Youth was an electrical engineer at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard and was part of our team to reactivate the Iowa class Battleships in the 1980's.
            Able to leap tall tales in a single groan.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by RustyBattleship View Post
              I believe it was from the poem "Tommy Atkins" written by American author Robert Service as a tribute to the solid resolve of the British soldier.
              Thanks Rusty:)
              "Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves, therefore, are its only safe depositories." Thomas Jefferson

              Comment


              • #8
                tin can=destroyer
                Long Lance=very effective Japanese torpedo
                ComSubPac=Commander Submarine forces Pacific theatre
                Bouncing Betty=small German anti-personnel mine
                Last edited by Shamus; 14 Sep 07,, 01:31.
                "Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves, therefore, are its only safe depositories." Thomas Jefferson

                Comment


                • #9
                  Here's a few more:

                  AWOL: Absent Without Official Leave.

                  USO: United Services Organization that provided recreational services and entertainment shows for the troops.

                  Port: The "left" side of the ship (the side Viking ships had to come into port on so as not to damage their steering board).

                  Starboard: The "right" side of a ship. A corruption of "Steering Board" which in turn is a translation of "Stjern Bjordi" for the steering board of a Viking ship.

                  Stern: The aft end of a ship. From Viking "Stjern" for the Steering end of the ship.

                  Gremlin: An imaginary fall guy to be blamed for parts (airplane wings, etc.) falling apart for no apparent reason.

                  Foo Fighter: Flashes or balls of light or shiney objects darting in and out of the sky. After the war they were officially renamed "Unidentified Flying Objects."

                  Keel: The center structural beam of a ship at the very bottom running longitudinally. It consists of three parts; the flat keel plate, the vertical keel plate (perpindicular and on centerline of the flat keel) and rider plate (just like the flat keel except on top).

                  Garboard strake: First line of shell plating on each side of the keel.

                  Bilge strake: The curved section of shell plating forming the turn of the bilge from the bottom plating to the side plating.

                  Bilge keel: A ribbon-like appendage on the bilge strake to help dampen the roll of the ship.

                  Shear strake: The upper most line of shell plating where it meets the main deck.

                  Stringer strake: The outer most line of main deck plating where it meets the Shear strake.

                  PKW: Panzer Kampf Wagon. (German) Armored War Vehicle. Their official name for a Tank.

                  East wind rain: Japanese signal to battle fleet on 7 December 1941 to proceed with the attack on Pearl Harbor.

                  Climb Mount Nitaka: Japanese signal from battle fleet to airborne airplanes to continue with the attack on Pearl Harbor.

                  Tora Tora Tora: (Japanese) Tiger Tiger Tiger. Signal from Japanese planes back to battle fleet that they had arrived on target UNDETECTED and were beginning their attack.

                  If I've misspelled any of the above, fellow WAB members are welcome to correct me. Novacaine from dentist visit starting to wear off.
                  Able to leap tall tales in a single groan.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by RustyBattleship View Post
                    I believe it was from the poem "Tommy Atkins" written by American author Robert Service as a tribute to the solid resolve of the British soldier.
                    T'was the Duke of Wellingtonin 1843 when asked to come up with a terrn to typify a British Soldier..he remembered meeting a dying soldier years before named Tommy Atkins

                    For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "chuck 'im out the brute!"

                    But it's "Savior of ' is Country" when the guns begin to shoot;

                    An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, a'n anything you please;

                    An' Tommy ain't a boomin' fool- you bet that Tommy sees!

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                    • #11
                      Of course, my above post sort of exposes the fact that I'm a retired Naval Architect.

                      But a lot of these items can be gotten from the book:

                      World War II Super Facts.

                      by: Don McCombs and Fred L. Worth.

                      The copy I have (that I gleefully found in a used book store) was published in paperback in 1983 by Warner Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 10103.

                      659 pages of GREAT research.

                      Maybe Amazon can find some copies for all you folks.
                      Able to leap tall tales in a single groan.

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                      • #12
                        Wow, got some great ones here... thanks to all!
                        Pete

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by RustyBattleship View Post

                          Also, in conversations I have had with German WW II vets at the old Ritterbrau beer garden and even a co-worker of mine who was in the Hitler Youth, SS could also be translated as Combat Commando. I guess the appropriate translation would depend upon if it was a field unit, disciplinary unit or diplomatic unit (honor guard, etc.).
                          SS (Schutzstaffel) cant really be translated as Combat Commando (maybe you are thinking of Einsatzgruppe...this would fit a bit better to this translation but not much, task force would be the closet one for Einsatzgruppe I can think of). SS in english would be Security Squad, Protection Squadron, or maybe even "Guard group" but Combat Commando simply doesnt work.

                          And it is PzKpfw not PKW for Panzerkampfwagen, PKW in german stands for Personalkraftwagen (personal car), which would simply every private used car (LKW would be a truck).

                          Oh and basicly all German nouns (Like Blitzkrieg for example) should be written with a capital letter in the beginning, because..uh..well its German Grammar. Please dont ask any question about it, it probaly has something to do with the quantens.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by dave lukins View Post
                            T'was the Duke of Wellingtonin 1843 when asked to come up with a terrn to typify a British Soldier.. !
                            Ah, that sounds more like it. However, Robert Service still passed on credit and was probably inspired by the Duke's description.
                            Able to leap tall tales in a single groan.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Tarek Morgen View Post
                              SS (Schutzstaffel) cant really be translated as Combat Commando (maybe you are thinking of Einsatzgruppe...this would fit a bit better to this translation but not much, task force would be the closet one for Einsatzgruppe I can think of). SS in english would be Security Squad, Protection Squadron, or maybe even "Guard group" but Combat Commando simply doesnt work..
                              Yeah. I guess the former German vets of WW II I had lots of beers with were also mistaken. Oh well. Another view of history I guess.
                              Able to leap tall tales in a single groan.

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