Military Despatches Vol 27 September 2019 Forged in battle The M16 assault rifle Military technology New technology aims to change the face of combat Raid on Pebble Island The audacious raid by the SAS in the Falklands War Douglas Bader The WWII legend For the military enthusiast CONTENTS September 2019 Page 22 Click on any video below to view Page 12 How much do you know about movie theme songs? Take our quiz and find out. Hipe’s Wouter de The old South African Goede interviews former Defence Force used 28’s gang boss David a mixture of English, A South African on D-Day Williams. Afrikaans, slang and On 6th June 1944 a number of South Afri- techno-speak that few French Specialcans took part Forces in D-Day. outside the military could hope to under- stand. Some of the terms Features were humorous, some were clever, while others 6 were downright crude. Top Ten military mistakes Throughout history, battles 30 have been lost to bad weather, Rank Structure Part of Hipe’s “On the insufficient weaponry and bad This month we look at the couch” series, this is an luck. But what about those for French military interview with one of which poor judgment and shod- dy planning are to blame? author Herman Charles 32 Bosman’s most famous 22 A matter of survival characters, Oom Schalk 12 This month we’re looking at Changing the face of combat A taxi driver was shot Lourens. Hipe spent time in survival kits that are commer- Special Forces - France The military has not been slow dead in an ongoing Hanover Park, an area Part Seven of a series that takes cially available. plagued with gang in researching and developing war between rival taxi a look at Special Forces units new technology aimed at giving violence, to view first- around the world. organisations. them the edge in any conflict. Quiz hand how Project 18 Ceasefire is dealing with Ahead of its time 36 the situation. Development specifically for 26 General Knowledge Hipe TV brings you videos ranging from actuality to humour and every- the Fallschirmjäger in 1942, Sea Cadets visit This month’s quiz is simple. We thing in between. Interviews, mini-documentaries and much more. the FG 42 was considered one South African Ship’s Society give you 30 questions, you an- of the most advanced weapon welcomes Sea Cadets from TS swer them. Check out Hipe TV and remember to like, comment, share and subscribe. designs of World War II. Woltemade. 00 3 CONTENTS Page 64 Editor’s PUBLISHER Sitrep Hipe Media EDITOR Matt Tennyson DEPUTY EDITOR o, we’re officially in spring. ey without ever seeing a cent in John Verster I wish someone would tell return. Everyone knows about PHOTO EDITOR the weather that. them, but people still obviously September in military history S Regine Lord These days most of us have an fall for them. e-mail address, either for work or Phising e-mails are normal- CONTRIBUTORS Head-to-Head Forged in Battle Book Review for personal use. Come to think ly from someone claiming to be Buddy Bacon, Raymond Fletch- of it, most of you receive this your bank. What they are trying er, Ryan Murphy, Matt O’Brien, 38 52 63 magazine via e-mail. It’s proba- to do is get your account number Matt Tennyson, Glenn von Zeil. At the front bly one of the most common and and security passwords so they Strongest military forces M16 Written by the late General Jan- important methods of communi- can clean out your account. This month we take a look at The M16 assault rifle. Military Despatches is pub- nie Geldenhuys, this is a must cation these days. But it doesn’t I received a new and different SMG’s of the ten strongest mil- lished on-line every month. read. come without its little problems. scam recently. We have a post The articles used in Military itary forces in the world. The first thing I do when I office box and I received a letter Battlefield Despatches are copyrighted Front Cover sit down at my computer in the from the USA. It was addressed and may not be used without Famous Figures 58 mornings is open my e-mail. I re- to ‘The Editor’. prior permission from the edi- Raid on Pebble Island For more than five decades the ceive hundreds of e-mails every Inside was a blank CD. Noth- tor. 46 M16 assault rifle was standard During the Falklands War the week, most of them concerning ing was written on it and there The views stated in this mag- Douglas Bader issue for the US Armed Forces. the magazine. was no covering letter. Just the British Special Air Service car- azine do not necessary reflect Knight Bachelor, World War It was a weapons that was test- Yet every day I receive at least blank CD. ried out an audacious raid on the views of Hipe!, the editor, II fighter ace, prisoner of war, ed and forged in battle. one scam or phising e-mail. I of- Most people would be curious the Argentine Air Force. the staff, or Hipe Media. holder of the DSF and DSO, ten get e-mails from some or oth- and pop it into their computer as and double amputee - Douglas er African prince telling me that soon as they arrived home. Big Hipe! Bader was a legend. his father, the king, has passed mistake. P.O. Box 31216, Tokai, 7966 Gaming away. He’s been left millions The CD will be filled with vi- South Africa. 60 of dollars, but needs my help in ruses such as spyware, malware getting the money released from or even ransomware. Moral of email Blitzkried Anthology the bank. All I have to do is trans- the story - don’t even think about [email protected] Refight some of the famous bat- fer some of my money (usually trying to use the CD. Throw it tles of World War II. a few thousand dollars) into an away. Back Issues account and this will ensure that To view any back issues of Movie Review his money is released to him. Of Until next month. Military Despatches, go to 62 course he will pay me at least one www.militarydespatches.co.za million dollars for my troubles. or click here. Lawrence of Arabia These are known as “419” One of the true epic movies of scams and will cost you mon- Matt all time. 4 5 Top Ten Top Ten bal decided to march on Apulia, Top Ten worst military mistakes hoping that Flaminius might follow him to a battlefield of his Throughout history, battles have been lost to bad weather, insufficient weaponry and bad luck. But own choosing. what about those for which poor judgment and shoddy planning are to blame? We look at ten of Flaminius, eager to exact re- the worst mistakes in military history. venge for the devastation of the countryside, and facing in- t was the Scots poet Rob- your own favour. Sioux and Arapaho, who were creasing political criticism from ert Burns who wrote in his Some commanders have man- led by several major war lead- Rome, finally marched against Ipoem To a Mouse “The best aged to throw away the power ers, including Crazy Horse and Hannibal. laid plans of mice and men of- of greater numbers, strong po- Chief Gall, and had been in- On the morning of 24 June, ten go awry.” sitions and superior weaponry spired by the visions of Sitting Flaminius was pursuing Han- A lot of planning and atten- with blunders of such awesome Bull. nibal along the shores of Lake tion to detail is normally giv- scale that they have ended up The U.S. 7th Cavalry, a force Trasimene when his advance en to most military operations. losing a battle that, logical- of 700 men, suffered a major LAST STAND: An artists impression of George Custer making guard caught up with Hanni- Yet, as Mr. Burns quotes, the ly, they should have won with defeat while under the com- his last stand. bal’s rear guard – this was a best laid plans can go belly up. ease. mand of Lieutenant Colonel trap set up by Hannibal in order Throughout the course of his- These people have, to coin George Armstrong Custer (for- the Pack Train under First Lieu- outcome of the battle. Each of to ambush Flaminius. tory many battles have been lost an old cliché, “Snatched defeat merly a brevetted major gen- tenant Edward Mathey. the heavy, hand-cranked weap- Flaminius ordered his entire due to factors that were beyond from the jaws of victory.” eral during the American Civil Custer also underestimated ons could fire up to 350 rounds army to race forwards to join the control of those that drew Here are ten of the most im- War). Five of the 7th Cavalry’s the weaponry of his enemy. a minute. the fighting. It would have tak- up the plans. pressive military mistakes in twelve companies were anni- The Cavalry was armed with en only a few minutes to send Unpredicted and unseasonal history. hilated and Custer was killed, breech-loading, single-shot 9. Battle of Lake Trasimene horsemen to scout the wood- weather, poor intelligence, in- as were two of his brothers, a Springfield Model 1873 car- During the Second Punic War ed hills, but Flaminius did not sufficient weaponry and some- 10. Little Big Horn nephew and a brother-in-law. bines, and the 1873 Colt sin- the Carthaginian command- do so.