Please help me expand my WW2 glossary

[RustyBattleship]

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)..

I warned you about my spelling while this Novocaine is wearing off.

Surprising how many times you can bite the inside of your cheek and your lips just while drinking a glass of milk.

[Shamus]

Fallschirmjager=German paratrooper
B.A.R.=Browning Automatic Rifle
Panzerschreck=German improved copy of the bazooka
bazooka=American rocket propelled shaped charge grenade

[Gun Grape]

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.

I always thought it was from Kiplings "Tommy" but after Googling I see that the name has been used since the 1743!!!!

From Wiki:

Tommy Atkins has been used as a generic name for a common soldier for many years. The precise origin is a subject of debate, but it is known to have been used as early as 1743. A letter sent from Jamaica about a mutiny amongst the troops says "except for those from N. America (mostly Irish Papists) ye Marines and Tommy Atkins behaved splendidly".

Robert Graves, in his autobiography Goodbye to All That (1929), states that: "The original 'Thomas Atkins' was a Royal Welch Fusilier in the American Revolutionary War". Graves was an officer in the Royal Welch in 1915, and mentions this among other regimental history, but does not cite his reference. [1]

According to Lieutenant General Sir William MacArthur, in an article in the Army Medical Services Magazine (circa 1950), "Tommy Atkins" was chosen as a generic name by the War Office in 1815.

Richard Holmes, in the prologue to Tommy (2005) [2], states that in:

"1815 a War Office publication showing how the Soldier's Pocket Book should be filled out gave as its example one Private Thomas Atkins, No. 6 Troop, 6th Dragoons. Atkins became a sergeant in the 1837 version, and was now able to sign his name rather than merely make his mark."

No source is provided for this statement.

The Oxford English Dictionary states its origin as "arising out of the casual use of this name in the specimen forms given in the official regulations from 1815 onward"; the citation references Collection of Orders, Regulations, etc., p.75-87, published by the War Office, August 31 1815. The name is used for an exemplar cavalry and infantry soldier; other names used included William Jones and John Thomas.

A common belief is that the name was chosen by the Duke of Wellington having been inspired by the bravery of a soldier at the Battle of Boxtel in 1794. After a fierce engagement, the Duke, in command of the 33rd Regiment of Foot, spotted the best man-at-arms in the regiment, Private Thomas Atkins, terribly wounded. The Private said "It's all right sir. It's all in a day's work" and died shortly after.

A further suggestion was given in 1900 by an army chaplain named Reverend E. J. Hardy. He wrote of an incident during the Sepoy Rebellion in 1857. When most of the Europeans in Lucknow were fleeing to the British Residency for protection, a private of the 32nd Regiment of Foot remained on duty at an outpost. Despite the pleas of his comrades he insisted that he must remain at his post. He was killed at his post and the Reverend Hardy wrote that "His name happened to be Tommy Atkins and so, throughout the Mutiny Campaign, when a daring deed was done, the doer was said to be 'a regular Tommy Atkins'".

Rudyard Kipling published the poem Tommy (part of the Barrack Room Ballads - themselves dedicated "To T.A.") in 1892, and in 1893 the music hall song Private Tommy Atkins was published with words by Henry Hamilton and music by S. Potter. In 1898 William McGonagall wrote Lines In Praise of Tommy Atkins, which was an attack on what McGonagall saw as the disparaging portrayal of Tommy in Kipling's poem.

The British were still called Tommies by the Germans in World War II. The phrase — "for you Tommy the War is over!" — has become a stock phrase, expressed by a German upon the capture of a British soldier or airman. They also nicknamed the Sherman tanks "Tommy cookers" because early versions tended to "brew-up" (catch fire) easily, due to the way ammunition for the main gun was stowed inside the tank.

Today's soldier is nicknamed (within the Army) as 'Tom' and the British Army Magazine 'Soldier' features a cartoon strip character called tom.

[RustyBattleship]

Fallschirmjager=German paratrooper

Laughed my head off when watching gunny Lee Ermy on "Mail Call" telling the history of the German paratroopers.

When he said they were called "Fallschirmjager", he paused and said, "You can imagine how many takes THAT took before I got it right."

[Shamus]

Laughed my head off when watching gunny Lee Ermy on "Mail Call" telling the history of the German paratroopers.

When he said they were called "Fallschirmjager", he paused and said, "You can imagine how many takes THAT took before I got it right."

[Tarek Morgen]

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.

Well I am not a Vet of any war, (except relationships do count), but I can assure you there is no way you can translate the word Schutzstaffel into Combat Commando...ah **** now I got it, must have been the SA (Sturmabteilung). That would fit more or less the translation

I warned you about my spelling while this Novocaine is wearing off.

Surprising how many times you can bite the inside of your cheek and your lips just while drinking a glass of milk.

At least you dont wake every other morning in a pile of your own blood...

Fallschirmjäger would be written either with an ä or with an ae (Fallschirmjaeger)

Panzerschreck mens something allong (literally) tank-scarer, but i thinjk tankbane would fit better as english name.

[Shamus]

Fallschirmjäger would be written either with an ä or with an ae (Fallschirmjaeger)

Panzerschreck mens something allong (literally) tank-scarer, but i thinjk tankbane would fit better as english name.

Sorry Tarek,I don't know how to put an umlaut on top of my German words .I believe the most common translation that I 've come across for Panzerschreck is "tank terror".:)

[sappersgt]

Fallschirmjager=German paratrooper
B.A.R.=Browning Automatic Rifle
Panzerschreck=German improved copy of the bazooka
bazooka=American rocket propelled shaped charge grenade

Panzerschreck=RPzB or Raketen Panzer Buche, literally Rocket Panzer Rifle. Commonly referred to by Landsers (infantrymen) as the "Ofenrohr" or stovepipe.

StG= Sturmgeschutze or assault gun.

I don't have an umlout either. I've always found it interesting the way German terms are so descriptive. Afrikaans is often similar, for instance the Afrikaans term for a Sapper is a Sturmpioneer.

[Tarek Morgen]

Sorry Tarek,I don't know how to put an umlaut on top of my German words .I believe the most common translation that I 've come across for Panzerschreck is "tank terror".:)

mh tanktterror...yeah that would work, didnt think of that one

RPzB si right, but as whole word it means: Raketenpanzerbüchse

And I fear you confused Stg (Sturmgewehr) with stug (Sturmgeschütz).

Here are two pics to sort things out:



this is a Sturmgewehr (StG44)



And this is a Sturmgeschütz (Stug III/G)

I think you can see the difference *g*

Afrikaan is a Dutch-German mixup with some other influences. If you give a dutch or a german an afrikaan text, they should be able to understand most of it.

Regarding Umlauts, you can type them either this way:

ä: Alt+0228
ö: Alt+0246
ü: Alt+0252
Ä: Alt+0196
Ö: Alt+0214
Ü: Alt+0220

or simply put always an e behind the vocal so Jäger is the same like Jaeger while Jager would be wrong..but well..who cares *g*

[sappersgt]

I confused a gewehr with a geschutze!

[Shamus]

OK guys,quick trivia question.....what was the German name for the vertical skirting seen on the Stug and what was it's purpose?The clock is ticking.....

[Tarek Morgen]

Ok i have to guess what skirting means, but I think you are refering to the Panzerschürzen over the tracks?

[temujin77]

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.

Actually, the definition is not correct. "Tora" normally means "tiger", but not in this case. In this case, "tora" is an acronym of "totsugeki raigeki", meaning "attack" and "torpedo strike", respectively.

[Shamus]

Ok i have to guess what skirting means, but I think you are refering to the Panzerschürzen over the tracks?

Very good Tarek.....what was it's purpose?

[Tarek Morgen]

uhm well protection like any armor. It was added during the invasion of the soviet union after the tanks ran intro trouble with PTRS-41 and PTRD who liked to aim at the tracks of tanks since they were often not strong enough to penetrate the "main armor"