Polish Greatness (Blog) is devoted to promoting Polish History, and gives tribute to the Polish Armed Forces past and present for their Courage, Honour and Sacrifices.
Carl von Ossietzky was a German pacifist, and winner of Nobel Peace Prize of 1935. He was awarded the prize for his work in exposing the clandestine re-armament of Germany however he was unable to accept the award because he was under police custody. On May 4, 1938 he passed away in Nordend, a prison hospital in Berlin-Pankow, due to tuberculosis and after-effects of torture he suffered while imprisoned in a Nazi German concentration camp. He was convicted by Germany of high treason and espionage in 1931 after publishing details of Germany's re-militarization of its air force, and training pilots in the Soviet Union, in violation of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. In 1990, his daughter, Rosalinde von Ossietzky-Palm, called for a resumption of proceedings, but the verdict was upheld by the Federal Court of Justice in 1992. Here is an excerpt of the Court ruling, "..According to the case law of the Reichsgericht (Imperial Court of Justice), the illegality of covertly conducted actions did not cancel out the principle of secrecy. According to the opinion of the Reichsgericht, every citizen owes his Fatherland a duty of allegiance regarding information, and endeavours towards the enforcement of existing laws may be implemented only through the utilization of responsible domestic state organs, and never by appealing to foreign governments. – Ruling of the Bundesgerichtshof, 3 December 1992."
1940
The Polish destroyer ORP Grom was sunk in the fjord Rombaken by a German Heinkel He 111. Grom was the lead ship of her class of destroyers serving in the Polish Navy during World War II. ORP translated to English means "Thunderbolt" while her sister ship ORP Błyskawica meant "Lightning". During her operations in the Norwegian Campaign, Grom was ranked by the German soldiers as probably the most hated of all the Allied ships deployed to the area. The reason for this hatred was due to the fact that Grom was extremely vigilant regarding hostilities on shore, and was reputed to spend hours lurking around the coast in order harass German forces. (Editors note: Created in July 1990, GROM is the name of Poland's elite counter-terrorism force, whose predecessor, during WW2, was called the Ciechociemni, whose motto was "Silent and Unseen". GROM's counterparts are NATO's tier one, US Army's Delta Force, the US Navy's SEAL Team Six (DEVGRU) and the British Army's SAS.)
1945
German surrendered at Lüneburg Heath: At Bernard Montgomery's headquarters in the Netherlands, Wehrmacht forces in northwestern Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark surrendered to the Allies, effective at 8:00 a.m. on May 5.
German forces in Bavaria surrendered: At 14:30 on May 4, 1945, General Hermann Foertsch surrendered all forces between the Bohemian mountains and the Upper Inn river to the American General Jacob L. Devers, commander of the American 6th Army Group.
Soviet troops liberated Oranienburg concentration camp. The camp was an early German concentration camp, one of the first detention facilities established by the Nazis in the state of Prussia when they gained power in 1933. It held the political opponents of German Nazism from the Berlin region, mostly members of the Communist Party of Germany and social-democrats, as well as a number of homosexual men and scores of the so-called undesirables. It was eventually replaced by Sachsenhausen concentration camp in 1936. At closure, the prison had held over 3,000 inmates, of whom 16 had died.
While battles raged throughout Europe on land and in the air, the greatest military campaign of World War Two was being fought on the high seas. It was the Battle of the Atlantic - the longest series of battles which lasted for the entire six years of the war - from September 1st, 1939 to May 8, 1945. Thousands of allied ships made perilous journeys sailing through treacherous routes across the Atlantic and back again. Ships criss-crossed the vast expanse of seas - from the North Sea, the Irish Sea to the Labrador Sea, the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Outer Banks and the Arctic Ocean. Vessels from the United States, Canada, Norway, Poland, Belgium, Greece, Brazil, the Netherlands, just to name few, took part in massive allied convoys. By the end of the war there had been more than one hundred battles asea and as many as one thousand encounters with enemy vessels. The losses of ships and men was disastrous.
Just three days after the start of the war, Britain and France declared war on Nazi Germany and launched an immediate blockade. But it was too late. Ships of the Kriegsmarine had already mobilized during the previous month and were asea ready to launch attacks against the British and French fleets.
Naval Message from Commander in Chief of British Home Fleet
SS Athenia begins to go down
The very first casualty of WW2 was the British SS Athenia. She departed Liverpool on September 2nd, 1939 at 13:00 hours carrying 1,103 passengers and 315 crew. The next day she was spotted 61 miles (97 km) northwest of Inishtrahull, Ireland by the German submarine U-30 and tracked for several hours. At precisely 19:40 hours Oberleutnant Fritz-Julius Lemp, the commander of U-30 ordered an attack.
Fritz-Julius Lemp
Two torpedoes were launched - the first struck the Athenia while the second misfired. By the next morning at 10:40 hours, the Athenia had sunk. Of the people aboard 98 passengers and 19 crew perished. The news of the attack provoked worldwide public outrage. The Athenia was an unarmed passenger ship. The German attack upon her was in violation of the Hague Convention and London Naval Treaty which forbade the sinking of any vessel, unless she carried contraband or was conducting military operations. German propaganda went into full swing in an effort to evade responsibility and accused Churchill for having ordered the heinous attack as an elaborate plot to demonize Germany, as well as an attempt to pressure the United States to enter the war. (NB. It was not until 1946, that German Admiral Donitz finally confessed that their U-30 was indeed responsible.)
Churchill depended upon American assistance and desperately needed the US to join the war. It would be two years before the US entered the war, in response to the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese air force. On the morning of December 7, 1941, the 353 Japanese fighter planes launched a surprise attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, damaging eight US battleships and sinking four others. Also attacked and destroyed were three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, one minelayer, and 188 US aircraft: 2,402 Americans were killed - 1,282 wounded.
In the meantime, Britain had no choice but to face the Nazi threat alone. During the month of September 1939 German U-boats sunk a total of 50 ships (200,728 tons) and damaged 2 ships (16,916 tons). Most were British vessels such as steam merchants, steam trawlers, steam tugs, and motor tankers. About a dozen vessels were of other nationalities including Danish, Finnish, Belgian, Norwegian, Swedish, and French.
On September 14, 1939 the HMS Ark Royal, an aircraft carrier, miraculously escaped an attack by a German U-39. Three torpedoes had been launched but detonated prematurely. Within the span of a few moments the U-39 was sunk by escort British destroyers. (But on November 13, 1941 she was hit by a torpedo from U-81 and sank the next day. She had survived many "near misses" and was until then considered a "Lucky Ship". )
HMS Ark Royal
On September 17, 1939 the HMS Courageous was patrolling the coast of Ireland when she was torpedoed by a U-29 and sank in twenty minutes. Five hundred and nineteen men, and the captain lost their lives. She was a carrier which served during World War I, and was present when the German Fleet surrendered. She was recommissioned during WW2 and reverted to her original role of patrolling the North Sea.
The numerous losses of the first month and those that were to follow virtually destroyed British morale. But the most shocking event was the cold-blooded and daring attack by a German U-boat on Scapa Flow, a vital British base located at Orkney Islands, in Scotland. On October 14, 1939 at 01:16 hours, the commander of the U-47, Gunther Prien, successfully infiltrated the naval base and launched two torpedoes on the HMS Royal Oak, a British battleship that had served during WW1, and which was laying at anchor. At first the U-47 fired only one torpedo and turned to make a quick get-away. But upon noticing there was no immediate threat from British warships, the U Boat returned and launched a second torpedo which ripped a 9 meter (30 ft) gash in the Royal Oak. She capsized with 833 men aboard.
U-47 departing Kiel for Scapa Flow
The Kriegsmarine planned the attack in retaliation for the humiliation that Germany suffered in its surrender after WW1. The attack was also meant to demonstrate just how easily U-Boats could breach British security. The length of Scapa Flow measures approximately 312 square kilometres (120 sq mi), with a shallow bottom roughly 60 metres (200 ft) in depth, but most areas no deeper than 30 metres (or 98 feet).
Route taken by U-47 into Scapa Flow to attack and out again
It was an impressive feat on the part of Prien to navigate this waterway so skillfully amid tight British security, to launch the attack and then silently retreat. It set British authorities into a panic. German Command conferred Prien with high praise for his success and he decorated a war hero. This was just the beginning of a long and deadly battle.
Incidentally, Scapa Flow is one of the great natural harbours of the world equipped with enough space to contain several navies. More than 1000 years ago, Viking ships used to anchor there. But it is known for being the chief British naval base during WW1 and WW2. (The base was closed in 1956.)
: WW2 in Colour 1941 U-Boat Campaign against the US (00:10:00)
For the next three months, the German battleship Admiral Graf Spee and her sister ship the Deutschland prowled the North Atlantic working in tandem to track and destroy British vessels. Together they sunk nine merchant ships totalling over 50,000 tons. British and French navies combined forces to track down the enemy ship. An allied fleet of 3 battle cruisers, 3 aircraft carriers and 15 cruisers were immediately set asea and eventually spotted the Admiral Graf Spee near the mouth of the River Plate. Battle ensued but the enemy escaped towards shelter in Montevideo harbor, where in December 1939, it was scuttled by the crew.
Kriegsmarine vessel Admiral Graf Spee
SAILING CONVOYS
Allied ships and merchant ships were virtual sitting ducks asea while German submarines prowled beneath the waves laying in wait for the opportunity to torpedo the vessels and sink their valuable cargo. Despite the numerical superiority of the British Royal Navy they continuously suffered disastrous losses; a total of 175 warships, 3,500 merchant vessels, and 30,264 merchant sailors were lost by the British, as compared to the loss of 783 German U-boats and 30,000 German sailors.
Any semblance of hope that the British had in gaining a military advantage over Germany had vanished when France, her biggest ally was conquered by German forces in June 1940. The Battle of Britain which ensued had fortunately ended with a decisive British victory. But throughout it England stood alone. Despite British numerical superiority on the seas, she still relied on the scant number of French ships which joined the Free French forces and a few Canadian built corvettes to make up the shortfall. British naval forces were strained beyond the breaking point in a desperate attempt to meet with all contingencies.
British ships that had already been allocated to positions in the Atlantic had to be re-assigned elsewhere to meet the immediate threats: Italy had just declared war and was bent on raiding British and French colonies in the Mediterranean; British forces were deployed in the Norwegian Campaign and the Low Countries, and hundreds of British vessels were dispatched to Dunkirk in the largest naval rescue mission in history - to evacuate allied soldiers from the beaches and harbours. Churchill called it "a colossal military disaster" and that"the whole root and core and brain of the British Army" was stranded in Dunkirk on the brink of annihilation.
British Dunkirk Evacuation Footage- Operation Dynamo 1940 (00:03:57)
In a desperate attempt to minimize Allied losses, British Command implemented a convoy system which at first was voluntary, but quickly became mandatory for all ships. Each convoy consisted of up to 70 unarmed merchant ships carrying goods to Britain - war materiel and supplies that were vital for the continuation of the war effort. Flanking each convoy were one or more escort destroyers, whose mere visible presence was sufficient to deter enemy attack. It so happened that when the German warships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau encountered an eastbound British convoy of 41 ships (HX-106), they spotted the escort, an old battleship HMS Ramillies and immediately fled the scene. No doubt they considered it better to avoid a battle than risk damaging their 15" guns.
Initially the Kriegsmarine were caught by surprise by the sight of escorted convoys but it did not deter them from continuing their terror tactics at sea. Enemy attacks continued unabated and British losses continued to rise. British Command realized that the convoy defenses were not as secure as originally expected. However as the war progressed the Allies began to gain the advantage.
Aerial view of Convoy escorted by Allied Battleship April 1941
SURFACE RAIDERS
On November 5, 1940, in one of the most dramatic and powerful attacks of the Kriegsmarine, the Admiral Scheer fired upon Convoy HX-84 and in the process very quickly sunk five allied ships and damaged several others. The remainder of the convoy was able to escape only because of the sacrifice of the escorting Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS Jervis Bay, and the failing light. British Command temporarily suspended all convoys and dispatched the Home Fleet to hunt down the Scheer. They couldn't pin her down. The Scheer virtually disappeared in the South Atlantic area, then reappeared in the Indian Ocean a month later.
The German Cruiser, Admiral Hipper launched an attack on Convoy WS 5A, on Christmas Day 1940. however were driven off by escorting cruisers. Two months later, on February 12 1941, Hipper encountered Convoy SLS 64 and sank seven of its nineteen ships.
Operation Berlin was launched in January 1941 when the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, two infamous and impenetrable battlecruishers that could outgun any Allied ship, was put out to sea in hunt and destroy missions. With so many German battleships in the Atlantic the British Navy had to scramble to provide battleship escorts to its allied convoys. It was a prudent move and was directly responsible for saving convoys on two occasions. The following month, the HMS Ramillies deterred an attack on Convoy HX 106. In March, the HMS Malaya was able to protect Convoy SL 67.
In the most infamous raid on Allied Convoys, the Germans launched Operation Rheinubung. A new and powerful German battleship, the Bismarck and cruiser Prinz Eugen were set out to sea to attack convoys but were intercepted by a British fleet off the coast of Iceland. In the Battle of the Denmark Strait, the British battlecruiser HMS Hood was torpedoed and sunk. The Bismarck was damaged and headed towards France but was bombed by PBY Catalinas, from the carrier Ark Royal. Three days later the Bismarck was sunk by Home Fleet. It marked the end of the warship raids.
THE POLISH CONNECTION
The Polish Navy was an integral part of the Allied forces in the Battle of the Atlantic. Though they possessed far fewer ships than Britain or the US they nonetheless made enormous contributions in the allied war effort. Polish ships took part in the Battle of Narvik, shelling shore batteries, and engaging Nazi raiders. They also participated in the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force, shelling the coast around Dunkirk. The Polish ship Blyskawica boldly entered the Dunkirk canal amid heavy enemy bombing and gun fire.
ORP Blyskawica Polish distroyer- WW2
Crew cleaning 4-inch anti-aircraft gun-ORP Błyskawica 12 September 1940
Piorun (Thunderbolt), Blyskawica (Lightning), Orkan (Windstorm), Burza (Thunderstorm), and Garland, were the Polish destroyers which protected the English Channel. They also escorted convoys in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean, took part in naval operations at Tobruk, Dieppe, Lefoten, Murmansk, Malta, and Normandy, carried valuable cargo to Murmansk and Africa, participated in massive allied landings in North Africa, Salerno, and the D-Day Invasion of Normandy.
The ORP GROM (Thunder) was sunk on May 4, 1940 during the Norwegian Campaign by a German He111. There were 154 survivors,59 KIA, 30 WIA. But before being hit GROM was able to bomb German troops around the Narvik area, and delivered equipment to the HMS Enterprise.
The ORP Piorun (Thunderbolt) became famous and celebrated for its role in the hunt for the Bismark. (story in Part 3). She was originally commissioned for the Royal Navy and christened HMS Nerissa, but after the ORP GROM had been sunk, she was transferred to the Polish Navy as a replacement vessel.
ORP Piorun
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound
Sir Dudley Pound, the British First Sea Lord decorated several Polish sailors in 1942 for their valor. He made the following statement.
"Last night I asked my Chief of Staff to give me a list of all Polish warships fighting alongside the Royal Navy. I was shocked to learn how few they are because in all dispatches of naval operations and major engagements I almost always find a name of a Polish ship that distinguished itself."
Among the materiel resources available to the Polish Navy were 8 Submarines, 7 Destroyers, 6 Minesweepers, 3 Escort Destroyers, 2 Gun Boats, 2 Light Cruisers, 1 Torpedo Boat, and 1 Minelayer. As a matter of fact the command of several British ships were temporarily given to the Poles, including the famous submarine ORP Sokol (formerly HMS Urchin). The Urchin was supposed to have been commissioned to the Royal Navy, but because of the the lack of trained personnel was given to the Polish. The ORP Sokol teamed up with her sister sub the ORP Dzik and earned a reputation for being the "Terrible Twins". Sokol patrolled the Bay of Biscay off the port of Brest, escorted numerous convoys in the Mediterranean, and took part in naval runs on the port of Taranto and Naples.
In October 1941 ORP Sokol scored her first victory, damaging the Italian cruiser Citta di Palermo. A few days later she was able to sink the 2,469 ton transport ship Balila. In November she succeeded in breaking through the anti-submarine nets, entered the port of Navarino and damaged the Italian destroyer Aviere but was attacked by Italian torpedo boats and destroyers. They all missed the target. Sokol was able to escape and in the process was able to launch another three salvos and succeeded in sinking another Italian vessel - a transport steamer of 5,600 ton.
In April 1942, Sokol was heavily damaged by a German air raid and had no recourse but to return to the shipyards at Blyth for repairs. Within weeks she was back in the Mediterranean harassing enemy ships up and down the coast of Italy, and North Africa. Throughout the war, ORP Sokol sank or damaged about 19 enemy ships totalling 55,000 tons. All the crew and officers were decorated with Poland's highest medal, the Virtuti Militari. The records of their bravery are stored in the National Record Office located in Kew, England.
ORP Sokol
In 1939 Polish ships were fewer than 1,000, but by the end of the war had increased to well over 4,000 vessels. Of the total number of men and ships, 404 Polish sailors were KIA, and 5 Polish warships sunk, the largest casualties having occured with the sinking of the ORP Orkan. Four Polish midshipmen were among the casualties of HMS Hood when the Nazis torpedoed and sunk her.
Though little mention is made of the Polish Navy today, their role during WW2 was nothing short of astonishing. Of the numerous missions for the Royal Navy, Polish ships sailed a total of 1,213,000 nautical miles, escorted 787 convoys, carried out 1,162 combat patrols, sank 2 U-boats and 11 probably damaged, sank 39 Nazi transports and 20 aircraft.
ORP Sokol Flag
WAR OF ATTRITION
The Battle of the Atlantic was a tonnage war. Throughout the war the allies struggled desperately to maintain a steady flow of vital supplies from North America to Britain; supplies, without which Britain would have surely lost the war. Convoys of up to 70 unarmed merchant ships, under the protection of British, Canadian, Polish, and later American, air and naval forces, brought food, war materiel and supplies to Britain. There were over 200 convoy routes charted. Over a million tons of goods were required by Britain each week just to survive and to continue the war effort and most particularly to supply weapons and equipment necessary in preparation for the massive D-Day invasion. The United States provided ship and air force escorts in September 1941 based on the Lend-Lease program which came into effect earlier that year. Through this program the US will have shipped over $31 billion of supplies to Britain.
With the rise of Hitler to power, Germany embarked on a massive remilitarization, coded "Plan Z". It not only disregarded all the restrictions imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 but superceded its limits to an alarming degree. The German navy had been forced to limit its materiel assets; no more than 15,000 men, 6 battleships of a maximum displacement of 10,000 tons each; 6 cruisers with maximum displacement of 6,000 tons each; 12 destroyers with a maximum displacement of 800 tons each; and 12 torpedo boats with a maximum displacement of 200 tons each. Submarines were expressly prohibited.
Hitler earmarked 1938 as the year in which the Kriegsmarine would have achieved its monumental objective of assembling a fleet of 800 ships in addition to 10 battleships and battlecruisers, 4 aircraft carriers, 5 heavy cruisers, 44 light cruisers, 158 destroyers and torpedo boats, various smaller vessels, and 249 submarines. Quite an ambitious undertaking, but one which had to be shelved virtually on the eve of World War II. In its stead, Germany reallocated all its available resources towards the construction of U-boats, which together with existing capital ships, armed merchant cruisers and aircraft were more than sufficient to make up for any weaknesses of the Kriegsmarine.
At the very beginning of the war, the Kriegsmarine had only 57 Type II U-boats in her fleet, primarily relegated to the tasks of mine-laying. The temporary shortfall was quickly remedied and soon massive hordes of German U-boats were prowling the North Atlantic and leaving a trail of destruction in every wake. Its most effective strategy has often been referred to as the "Wolf Pack", a technique suggested by Karl Donitz, Commander of German U-boats. In a memo to Grand Admiral Eric Raeder, he recommended that"effective submarine warfare could bring Britain to her knees." It almost did.
Prime Minister Winston Churchill
"Without ships, we cannot live." Churchill uttered these words as a dire warning that unless Britain win the Battle of the Atlantic, the consequences would be catastrophic. Fortunately, the tide began to turn in 1943. While the U boat menace persisted throughout the rest of the war, the Kriegsmarine no longer wielded the same degree of threat. A variety of factors contributed to the change of Allied fortunes including an increase in resources and technological developments. First and foremost was their ability to intercept and decipher German Enigma messages, thanks to the efforts of the Polish Underground who cracked the Enigma code before the war even started. The Germans did not suspect a thing!
GROM is at the forefront in the global war against terrorism. They are Poland's secret weapon as well as a valued ally of western nations. They have trained with the best in the world - the SAS and U.S. Navy Seals, among others. What makes GROM so unique is that they are a hybrid elite force, integrating the most effective and most deadly tactics acquired from each of the top special forces around the world. GROM is so highly rated that the U.S. Navy Seals have called them the "Polish Navy Seals". GROM and the Navy Seals have collaborated closely in many international missions, including Operation Iraqi Freedom.
As part of this special series, we take a look at some of the most powerful weapons that have been produced during the past several years. Because the field of weaponry is so vast, only a few can be presented here. Bear in mind that the specifications that are to follow are far from comprehensive, but rather rudimentary and intentionally incomplete. Nevertheless it is meant to be a showcase of lethal weapons; weapons that are part of the arsenal of some of the world's special forces, including GROM.
GALLERY OF WEAPONS
BUSHMASTER ACR
The Bushmaster ACR (Adaptive Combat Rifle) is a relatively new design in the arsenal of weapons and is being used by the United States Army, as well as by GROM forces. The design is borrowed from the Magpul Masadan, which is an amalgamation of the best features of rifle designs recently developed: the short-stroke gas system from the Armalite AR-18; the upper receiver, charging handle location, from the FN SCAR; the liberal use of polymer components from the Heckler & Koch G36/XM8; the trigger pack from the M16/AR-15; and the barrel from the M16. The Busmaster also includes a quick-change barrel/trunnion system, adjustable gas regulator, non-reciprocating charging handle and storage compartments in the stock and grip. The weapon's caliber can easily be changed by replacing the bolt head, magazine and barrel. Incidentlaly the rifle was named after the Siege of Masada, though Magpul Industries is not Jewish-owned or Israeli-backed.
Specifications
Type: Assault Rifle Place of Origin: United States Service: 2011 to present Used by: USA and Poland Wars: Afghanistan War Weight: 3.54 kg (7.8 lb) (14.5" barrel no mag) Length: (with stock deployed mid) 32-5/8 in Barrel Length: 10.5 to 18 in (266-508 mm) Width: 2.5 in (63.5 mm) Height: 7.75 in (196.9 mm) Cartridge: Current: 5.56x45mm NATO, .308 Winchester Future: 6.5 mm grendel, 6.8 Remington SPC, 7.62x39mm Action: Gas-piston, rotating bolt Rate of Fire: 800-950 RPM (est) Muzzle Velocity: (.223) 792-990ms (2600-3250 ft/s) Effective Range: (.223) 300 m. Feed System: 30 round Magpul PMAG Sight: Magpul MBUS iron sights
HECKLER & KOCH MP5
The Heckler & Koch MP5, the "Maschinenpistole 5" is a 9mm submachine gun developed in the 1960s by a team of German engineers for the small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K)and Oberndorf am Neckar. The MP5 is still being manufactured and is one of the most widely used machine guns in the world, used by countless number of military forces, police units and intelligence and security organizations. In the 1990s Heckler & Koch developed a new successor to the MP5, called the Heckler & Koch UMP, both of which remain in wide production. There are virtually dozens of variants of the MP5 on the market - for example the MP5A2, which is a lightweight, air-cooled, selective fire delayed blowback operated 9x19mm Parabellum weapon with a roller-delayed bolt. It fires from a closed bolt (bolt forward) position. The MP5-N ("N" for Navy)was developed especially for the United States Navy in 1986. This particular model has a collapsible stock, a tritium-illuminated front sight post and a 225mm (8.9 in) threaded barrel for use with a stainless steel sound suppressor (made by Knight's Armanent Company) combined with quieter subsonic ammunition. The MP5K (K for the German word kurs, meaning "short") was developed in 1976. It was a shortened version of the MP5A2 and was designed for battle in close quarters, ideally used by clandestine operatives and special services. The MP5K model does not have a shoulder stock (the receiver end is covered with a flat end cap, featuring a buffer on the inside and a sling loop on the outside) and the bold and receiver were shortened at the rear. It produces a higher rate of fire than the MP5. The barrel, cocking handle and its cover were shortened and a vertical foregrip was used to replace the standard handgard. The barrel ends at the base of the foresight preventing the use of any kind of muzzle device. The MP5 is being manufactured under license in several countries including Greece, Iran, Mexico, Turkey, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom. It is the Ultimate weapon for battle in close quarters. It's lightweight, small, but wields deadly accuracy.
US. Navy SEALs armed with MP5s on a training exercise
Specifications (of MP5-K)
Type: Submachine Gun Place of Origin: Germany Service: 1976- current Used by: over 70 countries, including Poland. Weight: 2 kg (4.4 lb) Length: 368 mm (14.5 in) stock folded Barrel Length: 115 mm (4.5 in) Width: 50 mm (2.0 in) Height: 210 mm (8.3 in) Cartridge: 9x19mm Parabellum Action: Roller-delayed blowback, closed bolt Rate of Fire: 900 rounds/min Muzzle Velocity: 375 m/s (1,230.3 ft/s) Effecive Range: 100 m (328 ft) Feed System: 15-30 or 32 round detachable box magazine, 100-round Beta C-Mag drum magaine. Sights: Iron sights: Rear: rotary drum; Front: hooded post.
FN F2000
The FN F2000 was designed by Belgian manufacturer, FN Herstal and made its debut in March 2001 at the IDEX defense exhibition at Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.
The F2000 is a modular weapon system. Its principal component is a compact 5.56x45mm NATO caliber assault rifle configured in a bullpup layout. The F2000 is a selective fire weapon operating from a closed bolt. The rifle consists of two main assemblies: the barreled receiver group and the frame, coupled together by means of an axis pin located above the trigger guard. The barrel group has an integral ML-STD 1913 Picatinny rail used to mount optical sights. The frame or lower receiver contains the trigger group, the bolt and bolt carrier assembly, return mechanism and magazine well. The removable handguard is installed in front of the trigger which completes and enclosed the trigger guard.
The F2000 is a gas operated, fully automatic and ambidextrous bullpup rifle. One of the modules developed for the F2000 system is a proprietary lightweight 40 mm under-slung GL 1 grenade launcher that uses standard low-velocity 40x46mm grenades. The launcher is a single-shot breech-loaded pump-action weapon with a barrel that slides forward for loading and unloading (like the M203 grenade launcher), locked by axial rotation of the barrel.
Slovenian soldiers with F2000 S rifles.
Specifications
Type: bullpup assault rifle Place of Origin: Belgium Service: 2001 - current Used by: about 10 countries including Poland Wars: 2011 Libyan Civil War, Operation Astute (2006 East Timor Crisis, War in Afghanistan Weight: 3.6 kg (7.9 lb Length: 688 mm (27.1 in) Barrel Length: 400 mm (16 in) Width: 81.3 mm (3.20 in ) Height: 259.1 mm (10.20 in) Cartridge: 5.56x45mm NATO Action: gas-operating, rotating bolt Rate of Fire: 850 rounds/min Muzzle Velocity: 900 m/s (2,953 ft/s) Effective Range: 500 m (1,600 ft) Feed System: detachable box magazines/ capacities: 10 rounds restricted, 30 round (standard STANAG Sights: 1.6× magnified telescopic sight, notch back-up sight
BOR
When Poland became a member of NATO in 1999 the Polish Armed Forces were required to produce firearms that were compatible with NATO standards. In the early 2000s, Aleksander Lezucha embarked on a joint venture with the Polish Science Research and Information Technology Ministry to create a new standard sniper rifle. During the development stage the rifle was named "Alex" but received the military designation of "Bor" thereafter.
The Bor is a bullpup-configuration bolt-action magazine-fed sniper rifle. The barrel length (of 680 mm, or 26.8 in) provides increased accuracy while minimizing the overall length of 1,038 mm (40.9 in). Weight has been reduced by the use of a free-floting fluted barrel, without sacrificing accuracy. The muzzle is fitted with a double-baffle muzzle brake, which is claimed to reduce recoil by up to 30%. The "in-line" design of the barrel-receiver group also directs recoil rearwards in a straight line, minimizing muzzle flip. A sturdy adjustable bipod is fitted to the front of the fore-end. The rifle features a fully adjustable buttstock and cheek riser. A folding/adjustable monopod located behind the magazine on the inside of the buttstock can be used to support the rifle in firing position during extended periods of deployment. No iron or emergency sights are provided; a MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail is mounted above the centerline of the barrel, over the receiver area for mounting various optical sights. The standard telescopic sight is a Leupold 4.5-14x50, with sight grid mil-dot reticle, parallax correction and an adjustment range of 100 MOA.
Sgt. Chad Droege, Illinois Army National Guard, learns how to fire a Polish sniper rifle from Polish army Cpl. Lukasz Bocwinski during Immediate Response 07 at the Wedrzyn Training Area in Poland.
Specifications
Type: Sniper Rifle Place of Origin: Poland Service: 2007 - current Used by: Polish Army Weight: 6.1 kg (13.45 lb) Length: 1,038 mm (40.9 in) Barrel Length: 680 mm (26.8 in) Cartridge: 7.62x51mm NATO Action: Bolt action Muzzle Velocity: 870 m/s (2,854 ft/s Effective Range: 800 m Feed System: 10-round detachable box magazine. Sights: day or night optics, ZTOCS-1 ACRAB (also Carl Zeiss Optronics NSV 80 )
SAKO TRG - 42
These sniper rifles are developed by SAKO, a Finnish firearm manufactuer. The TRG-22 was designed to fire standard.308 Winchester ammunition, while the TRG-42 was designed with a larger action and barrel to fire more powerful .300 Winchester Magnum and .338 Lapua Magnum ammunition. The SAKO has a folding stock, and are normally fitted with muzzle brakes to reduce recoil, jump and flash. The muzzle brakes vent sideways and are detachable. Most are fitted with a Zeiss or Scmidt & Bender PM II telescopic sight with either fixed or variable power of magnification. However, variable telescopic sights can be fitted for operators needing more flexibility to shoot at variable ranges, or when a wider field of view is required.
What is unique about the TRG is that it is a purpose-designed sniper rifle rather than an accurised version of an existing rifle. The heart of the TRG system is a cold-hammer forged receiver and barrel, which provide the maximum strength at minimum weight making it exceptionally resistant to wear. The "resistance free" bolt has three massive lugs and requires a 60 degree bolt rotation and a 98 mm (3.86 in) bolt throw for the short and 118 mm (4.65 in) bolt throw for the long bolt-action - features that should be appreciated by the shooter during multiple firings that require rapid projectile placement on the target.
Sako TRG M-10
Specifications
Type: Sniper Rifle Place of Origin: Finland Service: 2000 to present Users: 22 countries including Poland (Policja, GROM, 1st Special Commando Regiment of Lubliniec) Wars: Afghanistan War, Iraq War
Weight: 4.7 kg (10.4 lb) empty
Length: 1,000 mm (39.37 in
Barrel: 510 mm (20.08 in)
Cartridge: .260 Remington, .308 Winchester (Magnum), .338 Lapua Magnum
Action: Bolt Action
Effective Range: (TRG-42 /.300 Win. Mag) = 1,100 m (1,203 yd)
(TRG-42 /.338 Lap. Mag) = 1,500 m (1,640 yd)
Feed System: 5, 7 or 10-round detachable box magazine
Sights: Aperture rear (with flip-up open tritium night/combat sight); day or night optics.
AT4
AT-4 Light Anti-Tank Rocket
The AT4 built by the Swedish, Saa Bofors Dynamics (formerly Bofors Anti-Armour Systems), is an 84-mm unguided, portable, single-shot recoilless smoothbore weapon. The AT 4, as well as its variants, AT4 CS, AT4CS have had considerable success and has become one of the most commonly used anti-tank weapons in the world.
The designation "CS" (confined space) refers to the propellant charge which makes it possible to operate the AT effectively within buildings in an urban environment. It enables infantry units a means to destroy, or disable armored vehicles and fortifications. But it is not designed to defeat a modern MBT (main battle tank). The launcher and projectile are manufactured prepacked, and issued as a single unit of ammunition with the launcher discarded after a single use.
The AT4 took many of its design features from the Carl Gustav, and may be considered a disposable, low cost alternative to a Carl Gustav recoilless rifle. It operates on the principle of a recoilless weapon, where the forward inertia of the projectile is balanced by the mass of propellant gases ejecting from the rear of the barrel. But unlike the Carl Gustav, which uses a heavier and more expensive steel tube with rifling, the disposable AT4 design greatly reduces manufacturing costs by using a reinforced smoothbore fiberglass outer tube. Since recoilless weapons generate almost no recoil, a relatively large projectile can be fired which would otherwise be impossible in a man-portable weapon.
To fire the AT4, the gunner must first remove the safety pin located at the rear of the tube, thereby unblocking the firing rod. He then takes a firing position ensuring that no one is present in the back blast area. If firing from the prone position (lying on his stomach) he must also place his legs well to the side to avoid burning himself. Then the gunner moves back the front and rear sight covers, allowing the sights to pop up into their firing positions. After firing, the AT4 is discarded. Unlike the heavier Carl Gustav, the AT4 outer tube is built only to take the stress of one firing and is not reusable and cannot be reloaded like the Carl Gustav.
Spc. Thomas Johnson shoots an Swedish AT-4 anti-tank weapon during familiarization training at the Udari range in Kuwait. Johnson is a legal specialist assigned to the 25th Infantry Division's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. Soldiers of the division recently deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Sean Kimmons. (February 3, 2004)
Specifications
Type: Anti-tank weapon
Place of Origin: Sweden
Used by: over 20 countries including Poland, USA, and UK
Wars: USA invasion of Panama, Afghanistan War, Iraq War
Weight: 6.7 kg (14.8 lb)
Length: 102 mm (40 in)
Caliber: 84 mm
Muzzle Velocity: 290 m/s (950 ft/s)
Effective Range: 300 m (point target)
Maximum Range: 500 m (area target) / 2100 m (maximum)
Sights: Iron sights, optional night vision unit
Filling: Octogen/TNT
Filling Weight: 440 g HE (HEAT round)
AWM
Accuracy International Arctic Warfare Magnum Folding (AI AWM F 300WM) .300 Winchester Magnum / 7.62x63 sniper rifle
The AWM (Arctic Warfare Magnum) is a sniper rifle manufactured by Accuracy International. It is also known by the acronym AWSM (Arctic Warfare Super Magnum), which typically denotes the .338 Lapua Magnum version.
The AWM rifle is a variant of the British Accuracy International Arctic Warfare, and has a longer bolt to accomodate larger magnum-length cartridges such as the .300 Winchester Magnum and the .338 Lapua Magnum, that are approved by NATO standards. The AWM has a detachable box magazine which holds five rounds. Muzzle brakes are fitted to reduce recoil, jump and flash and act as a base for optional iron sights and suppressors.
Normally, the AWMs are outfitted with a Schmidt & Bender PM II 10x42/MILITARY MK II 10x42 telescopic sight with 10x fixed power of magnification. However, a Schmidt & Bender PM II/MILITARY MK II with variable magnification of either 3-12x50, 4-16x50 or 5-25x56 can be used if the operator wants more flexibility to shoot at varying ranges, or when a wide field of view is required. Accuracy International actively promotes fitting the German made Schmidt & Bender PM II/MILITARY MK II product line as sighting components on their rifles, which is rare for a rifle manufacturer. The German and Russian Army preferred a telescopic sight made by Zeiss over Accuracy International's preference.
The AWM rifle is normally supplied in a metal transit case together with scope, mount, butt spacers, bipod, spare magazines, sling, cleaning and tool kits.
A Dutch ISAF sniper team displaying their Accuracy International AWSM .338 Lapua Magnum rifle and Leica/Vectronix VECTOR IV laser rangefinder binoculars. (originally uploaded to Wiki by Francis Flinch)
Specifications
Type: Sniper Rifle
Place of Origin: United Kingdom
Service 1996 - now
Used by: 9 countries including Poland (GROM, 1 Pulk Specjalny Komandosow) .338 L.M
Wars: Afghanistan War, Iraq War
Weight: 6.9 kg (15.1 lb) (.338 Lapua Magnum) with stock, bipod and empty magazine
Length: 1230 mm (48.4 in) (.338 Lapua Magnum
Barrel Length: 686 mm (27 in) (.338 Lapua Magnum)
Cartridge: .300 Winchester Magnum or .338 Lapua Magnum
Action: bolt action
Effective Range: 1,500 m (1,640 yd) (.338 Lapua Magnum)
Feed System: 5-round detachable box magazine
Sights: detachable aperture type iron sights day or night optics.
SPIKE MISSILE
Spike is a fourth generation man-portable, fire-and-forget, anti-tank guided missile with tandem-charged HEAT warhead, developed and designed by the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and in service with numerous countries.
As well as engaging and destroying targets within the line-of-sight of the launcher ("fire-and-forget"), some variants of the missile are capable of making a top-attack profile through a "fire, observe and update" guidance method - the operator can track the target, or switch to another target, optically through the trailing fiber-optic wire while the missile is climbing to altitude after launch. This is similar to the lofted trajectory flight profile of the US FGM-148 Javelin.
The missile is a fire-and-forget missile with lock-on before launch and automatic self-guidance and equipped with an imaging infrared seeker, that is available for medium, long, and extended range missiles.
Spike is connected by a fiber-optical wire that is spooled out between the launch position and the missile. It allows the operator to obtain a target if it is not in the line of sight of the operator at the time of launch, permits switching targets while in flight, and is capable of compensating for the movement of the target if the missile is not tracking the target for some reason. Hence, the missile can be fired speculatively for a target of opportunity, or to provide observation on the other side of an obstacle. The missile has a soft launch capability - the motor firing after the missile has left the launcher- which allows for the missile to be fired from confined spaces, which is a necessity in urban warfare.
The missile uses a tandem warhead - two shaped charges, a precursor warhead to detonate any explosive reactive armor and a primary warhead to penetrate the underlying armor. Currently, it is replacing aging second generation anti-tank missiles like the MILAN and M47 Dragon in the armies of the user nations.
Spike can be operated from the launcher by infantry, or from mounts that can be fitted to vehicles such as fast attack vehicles, APCs or any utility vehicle.
PORTABLE SPIKE MISSILE BEING FIRED
Specifications
Type: anti-tank missile
Place of Origin: Israel
Service: 1997 to present
Used by:
Azerbaijan 100 Spike-LR missiles.
Chile 2,200 Spike-MR/LR missiles
Equador 244 missiles, delivered October 2009
Finland 300 Spike-MR and 400 Spike-ER missiles; 100 MR launchers plus an option for 70 more, and 18 ER launchers for coastal anti-ship use.
Germany 4,000 Spike-LR missiles,311 LR launchers on Puma vehicles.
Italy 1,155 Spike-MR/LR missiles. Army: 65 Infantry Launchers, 36 LR launchers, 20 LR launchers, 26 indoor and 37 outdoor training systems. Navy: 6 Infantry Launchers, 2 indoor and 2 outdoor training systems. Contract: at least 120 million Euros.
Singapore 1,000 Spike-LR missiles, with associated launchers.
Slovenia 75 missiles. (Spike MR/LR in operational use since 2009)
South Korea A South Korean government deal concluded on 6 September 2011 has confirmed the procurement of unspecified numbers of Spike NLOS, of which about 50 missiles will be forward deployed to the South Korean islands of Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong, close to the Northern Limit Line with North Korea.
Spain 2,600 Spike-LR and 200 Spike-ER; 236 Spike LR launchers (option for 100 more), 2,360 missiles for Spanish army, 24 Spike LR launchers and 240 missiles for Spanish marines. Spike ER on Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopters (Spanish army).
Wars: Second Entifada, 2006 Lebanon War, Afghanistan War (2001 - present), Gaza War.
Weight:
(a) Spike ER from helicopter Missile in canister: 34 kg (74 lb) Launcher: 55 kg ( 121 lb) Launcher + 4 missiles: 187 kg (412 lb)
(b) Spike MR/LR from ground Missile round: 14 kg (30 lb) Command & launch unit (CLU) 5 kg (11 lb) Tripod: 2.8 kg (6 lb) Battery: 1 kg (2 lb) Thermal sight: 4 kg (8 lb) Length: 1,670 mm (5 ft 6 in) (Missile w/launcher) Diameter: 170 mm (6.7 in) (Missile w/launcher) Rate of Fire: Ready to launch in 30 seconds, reload in 15 seconds Maximum Range: 800 to 25,000 m (870 to 27,000 yd) depending on version Sights: 10× optical sight Warhead: Tandem=charge HEAT warhead Detonation: on impact Engine: Solid Rocket Fuel Guidance System: Infrared homing - Electro Optical (CCD, IR or Dual CCD/IIR), Passive CCD or dual CCD/IIR seeker
