Military Despatches October 2017 Stranger than fiction Facts, figures and trivia about D-Day Military Myths and Urban Legends Great stories, but are they true or just myths? Head-to-Head Three elite units, the SAS, US Navy SEALS and Spetsnaz go head-to-head Forged in Battle The Japanese Kamikaze The Few The Battle of Britain For the military enthusiast Military Despatches October 2017 What’s in this month’s edition Feature Articles 6 D-Day - facts, figures & trivia Click on any video below to view A few facts, figures and trivia about D-Day, the Allied invasion to liberate Europe during World War II. How much do you know about movie theme 12 Military myths and urban legends songs? Take our quiz Over the next few months we will be looking at some well-known, and some lesser known, myths and leg- and find out. ends about the military and seeing if they are true or not. Page 6 Hipe’s Wouter de The old South African 14 The Maleoskop Statue Group and its story Goede interviews former Defence Force used The memorial to the members of the South African Po- 28’s gang boss David a mixture of English, lice that died during Counter Insurgency operations. Williams. Afrikaans, slang and 18 The Best things in life are free techno-speak that few One of the most important things for a conscript in the outside the military South African Defence Force was his weekend pass. could hope to under- Getting home though was often a problem. stand. Some of the terms were humorous, some Head-to-Head Page 16 were clever, while others 22 SAS - US Navy SEALS - Spetsnaz were downright crude. Three elite units, the British Special Air Service, the US Navy SEALS, and the Russian Spetsnaz go head-to- Part of Hipe’s “On the head this month. couch” series, this is an interview with one of Famous Figures author Herman Charles 34 Anthony Beauchamp-Proctor Bosman’s most famous South Africa’s leading air ace of World War I. His 54 characters, Oom Schalk aerial victories earned him the Victoria Cross. Page 22 A taxi driver was shot Lourens. Hipe spent time in dead in an ongoing Hanover Park, an area Cover Photograph war between rival taxi plagued with gang South African Air Force Saab Gripen fighters swoop organisations. violence, to view first- down to carry out an attack on a South African Navy hand how Project frigate off the coast of False Bay, Cape Town. The pho- Ceasefire is dealing with tograph was taken during a security exercise in prepa- the situation. ration for the 2010 Soccer World Cup that was held in South Africa. Hipe TV brings you videos ranging from actuality to humour and every- thing in between. Interviews, mini-documentaries and much more. Check out Hipe TV and remember to like, comment, share and subscribe. 00 3 Forged in Battle Page 34 34 The Kamikaze Each month “Forged in Battle” looks at weapons, equip- ment or units that have been tried and tested on the bat- tlefield. This month we look at the Japanese Kamikaze pilots in World War II. Editor’s PUBLISHER Sitrep Battlefield Hipe Media 38 The Battle of Britain EDITOR In May 1940 Nazi Germany launched a massive blitz- Matt Tennyson krieg against Western Europe. They overran Belgium, the Netherlands and France in only a matter of weeks. CONTRIBUTORS Britain stood alone and with the Germans preparing Raymond Fletcher, MR Loub- for an invasion, the Battle of Britain was about to start. o, here we are, issue four is done and dusted. And ser, Ryan Murphy, Matt Video O’Brien, Matt Tennyson, HJ Quiz done before the last day 41 Aircraft Identification ofS the month. link van Heerden. Page 38 This month seems to have a We show you a World War II aircraft and you tell us bit of an aeronautical feel to it. Military Despatches is pub- what it is. It wasn’t planned that way. It’s Click on the underlined link lished on-line every month. just that a number of the articles The articles used in Military Reviews are about aircraft or pilots. Despatches are copyrighted Page 45 We’ve finally started a Pa- will open another website, au- and may not be used without 42 Game Review - IL-2 Sturmovik treon account so that people are dio file, or video. prior permission from the edi- We look at IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad. This able to become patrons of the And don’t worry, we check tor. combat flight simulator is realistic and pays lots of at- magazine. Read the article on all the websites, audio files and The views stated in this mag- tention to detail. page 17 for more details. videos beforehand to ensure azine do not necessary reflect Next month is Armistice Day, that they do not contain viruses the views of Hipe!, the editor, Movie Review - The Great Escape so look out for a few articles or malware. We trust that you the staff, or Hipe Media. 44 about that. Can you believe will enjoy this feature. Based on the non-fiction book by Paul Brickhill, this that it’s November next month. If there are any articles that Hipe! 1963 film directed by John Sturges is the story of one Then it’s Christmas and 2017 is you would like to read, then P.O. Box 31216, Tokai, 7966 of the most daring prisoner of war escapes during at an end. Where did the year please feel free to drop us an e- South Africa. World War II go to? mail and let us know. We will I am sure that most readers then try our best to produce an 45 Book Review Page 46 know that Military Despatch- email article regarding the subject. [email protected] Cuito Cuanavalle: 12 Months of War that Transformed es is an interactive magazine. Once again, thanks for your a Continent by Fred Bridgland and We Fear Naught That means that there are links support and feel free to distrib- but God: The Pictorial Edition of the South African to other websites, audio, and ute the magazine as you see fit. Special Forces by Paul Els. Two good reads. video links. Where you see a If you have an article that you photograph with the red “play” think our readers will find inter- button, this means that it is a esting, please feel free to sub- The Lighter Side video link. If you are connected mit it. to the Internet all you need to Until next month. 46 Ready for inspection do is left click on the play icon Soldiers in any army around the world will normally and the video will open up in a have one thing in common - their intense dislike for separate window. inspections. And the old South African Defence Force Any text that is blue and un- seemed to love holding inspections. derlined means that it is also a link. Left click on the text and it Matt 4 5 D-Day - facts, figures and trivia Supreme Headquarters of Allied Expeditionary Forces 6th June 1944 A few facts, figures and trivia about D-Day, the Allied invasion to liberate Europe dur- ing World War II. General Dwight D. Eisenhower Marshall of the RAF General Walter Bedell-Smith On Tuesday 6 June 1944 the Air Crew in, saying his sight was too Supreme Commander of the Sir Arthur Tedder Chief of staff to the Allied Expeditionary Forces largest seaborne invasion force • 31,000 (not including air- bad to read them. Deputy Supreme Commander Supreme Commander in history landed on an 80 km borne troops or their air- • Beach landings in Norman- stretch of the Normandy coast crews) dy were chosen instead of Air Marshal General Sir Bernard Law Montgomery Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay in France. LAND FORCES the Pas-de-Calais because Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory Commander of the XXIst Army Commander of the Navy Forces Codenamed Operation Nep- Vehicles defences were lighter and Commander of the Air Forces Commander of the Land Forces tune, it was part of Operation • 20,000 (including over advancing troops would Overlord, the liberation of Ger- 1,000 tanks) have fewer rivers and canals man-occupied northwestern Men landed on the beaches to cross. Europe from Nazi control. It • American sector - 57,500 • There were to be five land- Air Marshal General Lewis Brereton General Sir Miles General Omar Sir Arthur Coningham was also the launch of the long- (Utah - 23,250, Omaha - ing zones along a 80 km 9th US Air Force Dempsey Bradley 2nd Tactical Air Force Tactical & Strategic Air Forces Commander British Commander Ameri- awaited second front. It was 34,250) stretch of coast. The Ameri- 2nd Army can 1st Army simply termed D-Day. • British sector - 75,215 (Gold cans would attack at Utah - 24,970, Juno - 21,400, and Omaha, the British at Figures Sword - 28,845) Gold and Sword and Cana- General Gerard General J.T General Leonard General Joseph On D-Day, General Dwight Troops parachuted or landed dian troops at Juno. Bucknall Crocker T. Gerow L. Collins D. Eisenhower commanded a by glider • It was vital that D-Day take Commander Br 30 Commander Br 1st Commander Am 5th Commander Am 7th force without parallel in history. • Americans - 15,500 place on the date of the Corps - Gold Corps - Gold & Juno Corps - Omaha Corps - Utah NAVAL FORCES • British - 7.990 highest half-tide at the most Ships • Total - 24.900 Westerly beach (Utah), 40 • 138 warships Total land forces deployed minutes after first light and Admiral Alan G.