# Weapons and Warfare (1-A)

10/22DSP
The 10/22DSP is a Ruger .22 inch calibre rimfire carbine. It takes a 10-round rotary magazine.

100th Regiment of Foot
The 100th Regiment of Foot (Prince of Wales Royal Canadians) was a British infantry regiment raised in 1857 by Canadian gentlemen to serve in India.

101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division (Screaming Eagles) is a US army division which was activated on August 15th, 1942. The first commander was Major General William C Lee. During the Second World War, the 101st Airborne Division led the way on D-Day in the night drop prior to the invasion.

106th Regiment Colored Infantry
The 106th Regiment Colored Infantry was an American infantry regiment, composed of four companies, organised at Decatur, Alabama, from March 31st to August 10th, 1864, as the 4th regiment Alabama infantry, a.d. (African Descent), to serve three years. Its designation was changed to the 106th regiment U.S. colored troops on May 16th, 1864. It was consolidated with the 40th regiment U.S. colored troops on November 7th, 1865.

107th Bengal Light Infantry
The 107th Bengal Light Infantry was a British army unit raised in 1854. It went on to amalgamate with the 35th Foot to form the Royal Sussex Regiment.

108th Regiment of Foot
The 108th Regiment of Foot (Madras Infantry) was a British infantry regiment which rendered valuable service in the Indian Mutiny before becoming the 2nd Battalion of the Rpya Inniskilling Fusiliers.

109th Regiment of Foot
The 109th (Bombay Infantry) Regiment of Foot was a British infantry regiment raised at Poona in 1853. They were known as the Brass Heads from their apparent immunity to sunstroke in India.

10th Regiment of Foot
The 10th Regiment of Foot (North Lincoln) were a British infantry regiment formed in 1685. They won great renown in William III's campaign, in Marlborough's and in the Sikh war. They earned the nickname of The Poachers from the old song 'The Lincolnshire Poacher'. They were later called the Lincolnshire Regiment.

10th Wisconsin Infantry
The 10th Wisconsin Infantry were an American infantry regiment organised at Camp Holton, Milwaukee, and mustered into the service of the United States on October 14th 1861.

110th Regiment Colored Infantry
The 110th Regiment Colored Infantry was an American infantry regiment organised at Pulaski, Tennessee, from November 20th, 1863, to January 14th, 1864, as the 2nd regiment Alabama volunteers, a.d. (African Descent), to serve three years. Its designation was changed to 110th regiment U.S. colored troops June 23, 1864.

111th Regiment Colored Infantry
The 111th Regiment Colored Infantry was an American infantry regiment organised at Pulaski, Prospect, and Lynnville, Tennessee, and Sulphur Branch Trestle, Alabama, from January 13th to April 5th, 1863, as the 3d regiment Alabama volunteers, a.d. (African Descent), to serve three years. Its designation was changed to 111th regiment U.S. colored troops on June 25th, 1864.

115th Field Artillery Brigade
The 115th Field Artillery Brigade is a US army unit which was first organised in 1888 in the Wyoming National Guard as the 1st Regiment, to consist of Company A (Laramie Grays), organised on the 29th of May 1888 at Laramie, and company B (Cheyenne Guards), organised on the 12th of October 1888 at cheyenne.
In 1890 it was redesignated as the 1st Regiment Infantry. And after many more changes it was redesignated as the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 115th Field Brigade on the 1st of September 1978.

11th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 11th Wisconsin Infantry regiment was an American infantry regiment organised at Camp Randall, Madison, and mustered into the service of the United States on
October 16th 1861.

12/250 Rapid
The 12/250 Rapid is a precharged air rifle made by Theoben. It has a 23 inch barrel in .25 inch calibre and takes a 12-round magazine. Power is adjustable from 33 ft/lbs to 40 ft/lbs.

12th Dragoons
The 12th Dragoons were a British cavalry regiment raised in 1715 in Berkshire. They were later renamed the 12th Lancers. They fought at Waterloo and during the Great War were part of the 5th Cavalry Brigade.

12th Lancers
see "12th Dragoons"

12th Regiment of Foot
see "Suffolk Regiment"

12th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 12th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an American infantry regiment organised at Camp Randall, Madison in October and November 1861.

13th Regiment of Foot
The 13th Foot was a British infantry regiment raised in 1685 to fight the Scottish Jacobites. They fought at Killiecrankie and at the Battle of the Boyne.

13th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 13th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an American infantry regiment organised at Janesville, and mustered into the service of the United States on the 17th of October 1861.

149th Illinois Infantry Regiment
The 149th Illinois Infantry Regiment was organised at Camp Butler, Ill., and mustered in for one year in February 1865. It Moved to Nashville, Tennessee, February 14-17, 1865 and thence to Chattanooga. It was mustered out on January the 27th 1866.

14th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 14th Infantry Regiment was an American infantry regiment organised at Fond du Lac and mustered into the service of the United States on January 30, 1862.

15th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 15th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an American infantry regiment organised at Camp Randall, Madison, and mustered into the service of the United States on the 14th of February, 1862.

16th Lancers
see "2nd Light Horse"

17th Lancers
see "18th Light Dragoons"

17th Regiment of Foot
The 17th Regiment of Foot was a British infantry regiment raised in 1688 around London. They received the nickname of the 'Bengal Tigers' from their tiger badge awarded for service in India and Afghanistan. They were later renamed the Leicestershire Regiment.

17th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 17th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an American infantry regiment organised at Camp Randall, Madison, Wisconsin, and mustered into the service of the United States on the 15th of March, 1862.

18th Light Dragoons
The 18th Light Dragoons were a British cavalry regiment raised in seventeen days in 1759. In 1816 they were converted to the 17th Lancers and became known as the 'Death or Glory Boys' from their skull and cross-bones badge.

18th Royal Irish Foot
see "Royal Irish Regiment"

18th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 18th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an American infantry regiment organised at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and mustered into the service of the United States on March the 15th, 1862.

19th Regiment of Foot
see "Green Howards"

19th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 19th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an American infantry regiment. Organisation started at Racine, Wisconsin, in December 1861, and continued until the 20th of April, 1862, when the regiment was transferred to Camp Randall to guard rebel prisoners. The organisation was perfected and the 19th was mustered into the service of the United States April 30, 1862.

1st Alabama Cavalry
The 1st Alabama Cavalry regiment was formed in 1862 in Huntsville and Memphis and mustered into Federal service that December in Corinth, Mississippi. Company officers were chosen from among the men and Captain George E. Spencer was later named Colonel and given overall command. The "1st" was one of six Union regiments from Alabama, the only cavalry unit, and its ranks contained both whites and blacks. The other five were infantry and artillery units raised during the war, were composed of ex-slaves and were officially called "African Descent" regiments.

1st Regiment Colored Infantry
The 1st Regiment Colored Infantry was an American infantry regiment organised at Corinth, Mississippi, May 21, 1863, as the 1st regiment Alabama volunteers, a.d. (African Descent), to serve three years. Its designation was changed to the 55th regiment U.S. colored troops on March 11th, 1864.

1st Regiment of Foot Guards
see "Grenadier Regiment of Foot Guards"

1st South Hampshire Regiment
The 1st South Hampshire Regiment was formed in 1782 of the old 67th Foot. The regiment won acclaim in India and was commemorated with the Royal Tiger on the regimental badge. They later became the 2nd Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment.

1st Staffordshire
see "38th Foot"

1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards
1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards (The Welsh Cavalry) is a British cavalry regiment, the senior Cavalry regiment of the Line. The regiment was formed by the amalgamation of The 1st (King's) Dragoon Guards and The Queen's Bays in 1959.

1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 1st Wisconsin Infantry was an American infantry regiment organised at Camp Scott, Milwaukee, on April 27th 1861, in response to a call by President Lincoln for seventy-five thousand men to fight in the American Civil War.

20th Regiment of Foot
The 20th (East Devon) Regiment of Foot was a British infantry regiment raised at Exeter in 1688 by William III. They took part in the capture of Spanish galleons at Vigo Bay in 1702 and won fame at the Battle of Minden. With the Childers reorganisation of the Army in 1881 they became known as the Lancashire Fusiliers.

20th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 20th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an American infantry regiment organised at Camp Randall, Madison, Wisconsin and mustered into the service of the United States on August the 23rd 1862.

21st Royal North British Fusiliers
see "Royal Scots Fusiliers"

21st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 21st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an American infantry regiment organised at Camp Bragg, Oshkosh, and mustered into the service of the United States on September the 5th 1862. It was disbanded on June the 17th 1865.

22nd Regiment
see "Cheshire Regiment"

22nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 22nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an American infantry regiment organised at Camp Utley, Racine, Wisconsin, and mustered into the service of the United States on September 2, 1862.

23rd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 23rd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an American infantry regiment organised at Camp Randall, Madison, and mustered into the service of the United States on the 30th of August, 1862. It was disbanded on July 24th 1865.

24th Foot
see "24th Regiment of Foot"

24th Regiment of Foot
The 24th Regiment of Foot was formed in 1689 when new regiments were needed to fight in Ireland. When the Duke of Marlborough became the Regiment's Colonel, it fought under his command at the Battles of Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenarde and Malplaquet. The regiment fought in the Peninsular War and at the Battle of Chillianwallah, during the Second Sikh War, it gained one of its more famous victories.
In the Zulu War of 1879 the regiment was engaged at the Battle of Isandhlwana and at the Defence of Rorke's Drift. Nine VCs were won by the Regiment in these battles, the most ever awarded to a regiment in a single action.
By 1873 the Regiment was recruiting heavily in Wales and had its Depot at Brecon and, in 1881, the 24th became the South Wales Borderers. It fought in the Great War, winning the unique Battle Honour 'Tsingtao'. The Regiment saw much action during World War II, with the 2/24th being the only Welsh Battalion to land on the Normandy Beaches on 'D' Day.

24th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 24th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an American infantry regiment organised at Camp Sigel, Milwaukee, the last company being mustered into the service of the United States on August the 21st, 1862.

25th Foot
see "Kings Own Scottish Borderers"

25th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 25th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an American infantry regiment organised at Camp Salomon, La Crosse, Wisconsin, and mustered into the service of the United States on the 14th of September 1862. It was disbanded on June the 11th 1865.

26th Foot
see "Cameronians"

26th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 26th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an American infantry regiment organised at Camp Sigel, Milwaukee, and mustered into the service of the United States on the
17th of September, 1862.

27th Regiment Massachusetts Voluntary Infantry
The 27th Regiment Massachusetts Voluntary Infantry was an American infantry regiment raised in the western counties of Massachusetts by Horace C. Lee of Springfield, who became its colonel. The companies reported at Camp Reed, Springfield, between the 19th and 24th of September 1861, and three quarters of the regiment had been mustered in by September 27. On November 2 the regiment entrained for Annapolis, Md., where it arrived on the 5th. January 9, 1862, as a part of Foster's Brigade, Burnside's Coast Division, it embarked with the Burnside expedition to North Carolina. It was engaged with loss at Roanoke Island, Feb. 8, and with greater loss at Newbern, March 14.

27th Regiment of Foot
The 27th Regiment of Foot was formed in 1689 when new regiments were needed to fight in Ireland. It was the only Irish regiment at the Battle of Waterloo, where it held a position for hours without being allowed to fire and suffered heavy casualties. Later it formed the 1st Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.

27th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 27th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an American infantry regiment organised at Camp Sigel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and mustered into the service of the United States on the 7th of March 1863.

28th Foot
see "Gloucestershire Regiment"

28th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 28th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an American infantry regiment. It was organised at Camp Washburn, Milwaukee, and finally mustered into service on September 13th, 1862. It was disbanded on the 23rd of September 1865.

2A20
The 2A20 is a Russian 115 mm smooth-bore gun mounted on older T-62 MBT. It has a muzzle velocity of 1615 m/s and armour piercing capabilities of 326 mm at 500m and 302 mm at 1000m firing APFSDS ammunition.

2A26
The 2A26 is a Russian 125 mm calibre smooth-bore gun mounted on T-64, T-72 and T-80 MBTs. It has a muzzle velocity of 1680m/s and armour piercing capabilities of 397 mm at 500m and 363 mm at 1000m firing HVAPFSDS ammunition.

2A28
The 2A28 is a Russian 73 mm calibre smooth-bore closed-breech rocket launcher. It fires the PG-9 rocket at a muzzle velocity of 400m/s and is mounted on the BMP-1 IFV.

2A42
The 2A42 is a Russian 30 mm calibre auto-cannon mounted on BMP-2 and ZSU-30-2. It is based upon the British Rarden gun and has dual loading for AP and HE ammunition allowing the gunner to switch rounds without unloading and reloading. The 2A42 has a muzzle velocity of 1000m/s and can pierce 50 mm of armour at 500m.

2A46
The 2A46 is a newer version of the 2A26 with a redesigned mechanical loader.

2nd 4th Machine Gun Battalion
In 1940 in Western Australia, Lt-Colonel Anketell was directed to form a Machine Gun Battalion. The men he assembled came to be known as the 2nd 4th Machine Gun Battalion. They fought bravely in the defence of Singapore. On the 15th of February 1942, Singapore fell to the Japanese and the Battalion shared the horrors of three and a half years as prisoners of war of the Japanese.

2nd Dragoon Guards
see "The Queen's Bays"

2nd Dragoons
see "Royal Scots Greys"

2nd Highland Battalion
see "78th Highlanders"

2nd Light Horse
The 2nd Light Horse was a British cavalry regiment raised in 1759. They first saw action at the siege of Belle Isle in 1761 and later fought in the American war of Independence. They were later renamed the 16th Lancers and earned the nickname 'Scarlet Lancers' because they were the only lancers to wear a scarlet tunic. They are the only British cavalry regiment to break an infantry square, which they did at Aliwal in the Punjab in January 1846.

2nd Regiment Alabama Volunteers, a.d.
see "110th Regiment Colored Infantry"

2nd Royal North British Dragoons
see "Royal Scots Greys"

2nd Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment
The 2nd Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment was an American cavalry regiment organised at Camp Washburn, Milwaukee, and mustered in to the service of the United States by companies at various dates, the last on March the 12th 1862.

2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
The 2nd Infantry was an American infantry regiment first organised under the call for volunteers for three months service. The full number of troops under this call having been accepted, the 2nd was mustered, on June the 11th 1861, into the service of the United States for "Three years or during the war" under the call of the President, dated May 3, 1861, for "500,000 men".

30th Regiment of Foot
The 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot was a British infantry regiment raised in 1694 and disbanded after the Treaty of Ryswick. They were reformed in 1697 as marines and took part in the capture of Gibraltar. In 1782 they became the Cambridgeshire Regiment and later formed the 1st Battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment.

31st Foot
The 31st Foot was a British marine regiment raised in 1702. In 1782 it was renamed the Huntingdonshire Regiment and in 1825 formed part of the East Surrey Regiment.

35th Foot
The 35th Foot was a British army unit raised in 1701 at Belfast. It captured the standard of the Roussillon Grenadiers on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec. The regiment developed the names 'Orange Lillies' and 'Prince of Orange's Own' on account of wearing orange facings. The regiment later formed part of the Royal Sussex Regiment.

35th Illinois Volunteer Infantry
The 35th Illinois Volunteer Infantry was an American infantry regiment, originally known as G.A. Smith's Independent Regiment. It was organised in Decatur, Illinois on July the 3rd 1861. Its organiser and first colonel was Gustavus A. Smith. On the 23rd of July, 1861, it was accepted by the secretary of war as Colonel G.A. Smith's Independent Regiment, of Illinois Volunteers. They were mustered out of service on September the 27th 1864.

35th Infantry Regiment
The 35th Infantry Regiment is a US army unit which was organised on the 13th July 1916 in Arizona of men from the 11th, 18th and 22nd Infantry. These units dated back to The War Between the States.

36th Illinois Volunteer Infantry
The 36th Illinois Volunteer Infantry was an American infantry regiment organised at Camp Hammond, near Aurora, Illinois, by Colonel N. Greusel, and was mustered into the service by Colonel Brackett, U.S. Mustering Officer, September 23, 1861, for a term of three years, or during the war. They were mustered out September 23rd, 1865.

37th Foot
The 37th Foot was a British infantry regiment raised in 1701 in Ireland and later known as Meredith's Regiment. It later became the 1st Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment.

38th Foot
The 38th Foot was a British army infantry unit raised in 1702. It received the title 1st Staffordshire in 1782 and went on to form part of the South Staffordshire Regiment.

39th Foot
The 39th Foot was a British army regiment raised in 1702, and the first regiment to serve in India, sailing in 1754. It was merged with the 54th Foot into the Dorset Regiment.

3rd Foot Guards
see "Scots Guards"

3rd Pattern Commando Knife
The 3rd Pattern Commando Knife (Fairbairn-Sykes) was a double edged fighting knife specified by the British MOD in 1943, and issued to Service Men. It had a 7 inch, double edged carbon-steel blade with a 2 inch oval guard, a ribbed zinc-alloy handle and a brass nut. The blade was finished in black.

3rd Regiment of Foot
see "East Kent Regiment"

40th Regiment of Foot
The 40th Regiment of Foot was a British infantry regiment raised in 1717 in Nova Scotia. They served mainly in Canada. The regiment later formed the 1st Battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment.

41st Regiment of Foot
The 41st Regiment of Foot was a British infantry regiment formed in 1719 when the Government decided to raise a 'Regiment of Invalids' from the 'outpatients' of the Royal Hospital. The Regiment undertook guard duties and manned forts along the coast. In 1787 the title 'Invalids' was dropped and it became a marching Regiment of the Line.
During the Crimean War, the regiment won two VCs, Captain Rowlands being the first Welshman to win the medal.
In 1783 the regiment linked with the 69th Regiment of Foot for recruiting purposes, and became the Welch Regiment.

42nd Foot
The 42nd Foot was the first battalion of the Royal Highlanders.

42nd Royal Highland Regiment
see "Black Watch"

46th Middlesex Regiment
The 46th Middlesex Regiment was a British infantry regiment raised in 1859. They later became the London and Westminster Volunteer Rifle Corps and formed the 2nd Battalion of the London Regiment in 1909.

47th Regiment of Foot
The 47th (Lancashire) Regiment of Foot was a British infantry regiment raised in 1740. They fought at Falkirk in the '45 rebellion and were prominent in the Seven Years' War under Wolfe on the Plains of Abraham.

4th Regiment Alabama Infantry, a.d.
see "106th Regiment Colored Infantry"

4th Regiment of Foot
The 4th Regiment of Foot was a British infantry regiment raised in 1680 for service in Tangier. They were the first considerable body of troops to join William of Orange after his landing at Torbay. In 1715 they became the Royal 4th Regiment of Foot, the Royal title being conferred by George I and in 1881 they were renamed the Royal Lancashire Regiment.

4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards
The 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards were raised in the northern counties of England in 1697 and known from the name of their commander as 'Arran's Cuirassiers'. In 1788 they received the name of 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards and were the only Irish regiment of dragoon guards in the Heavy Brigade at Balaklava. During the Great War the regiment formed part of the 2nd Cavalry Brigade in the original British Expeditionary Force.

50th Regiment of Foot
The 50th Regiment of Foot was a British infantry regiment raised in 1756. They later became the 1st Battalion of the Kent Regiment in 1782. They earned the nickname 'Dirty Half Hundred' from powder-begrimed faces at Vimiera where they routed 5000 French.

53rd (Shropshire) Regiment
see "Shropshire Light Infantry."

54th Regiment of Foot
The 54th Regiment of Foot was a British army regiment raised in 1755. It was later merged with the 39th Foot to form the Dorset Regiment.

59th Regiment of Foot
The 59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot was a British infantry regiment. They served in the American war of Independence and later became the 2nd Battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment.

5th Lancers
The 5th Lancers (Royal Irish Lancers) were a British cavalry regiment descended from a corps of dragoons raised by William III for the Irish and Flemish wars. They won renown in Marlborough's battles and during the Great War were part of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade in the original British Expeditionary Force.

60th Royal Americans
see "Kings Royal Rifle Corps"

61st Regiment of Foot
see "Gloucestershire Regiment"

63rd Regiment of Foot
see "King's Regiment"

64th Regiment of Foot
The 64th (2nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot was a British army unit raised in 1756 to be the 2nd Battalion of the 11th Foot. It received the title 'Prince of Wales's' on occasion of the Prince's visit to Malta in 1876.

64th Troop Carrier Group
The 64th Troop Carrier Group is an American air force unit. It was activated as a Transport Group in December of 1940 and was moved from the west coast to Westover Field, Massachusetts during the first part of June 1942. The Group, at that time, consisted of the 16th, 17th, and 18th squadrons with the 35th joining the 64th on the 7th of June. The air crew cadres from these four squadrons were augmented with an estimated group of about 50 pilots from class 42-E which had just graduated in May, 1942. The Group was soon redesignated as the 64th Troop Carrier Group which meant that its primary function would be to transport paratroopers and tow gliders in airborne operations. The primary aeroplane assigned to the Group was the C-47 which was the military version of the DC-3 used in commercial aviation. Extensive training was conducted in the next several weeks at Westover and nearby Westfield. The first paratrooper drop, for some aeroplanes in the Group, was conducted later in June staging out of Pope Field, North Carolina, and dropping at Fort Jackson, North Carolina.

67th Regiment of Foot
see "1st South Hampshire Regiment"

69th Regiment of Foot
The 69th Regiment of Foot was a British infantry regiment. In the latter half of the 18th century, the regiment won fame as Marines and served with the 'Iron Duke's' Allied Army in the Waterloo Campaign.
In 1783 the regiment linked with the 41st Regiment of Foot for recruiting purposes, and became the Welch Regiment.

6th Inniskilling Dragoons
The 6th Inniskilling Dragoons were raised by Gustavus Hamilton, governor of Enniskillen, for the siege of Londonderry.

6th Regiment of Foot
see "Royal Warwickshire Regiment"

70th Foot
The 70th Foot was a British army regiment raised in 1758. In 1825 it formed the 2nd Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment.

71st Foot
The 71st Foot were a British regiment raised in 1777 to assist in the war against the colonists of America. The regiment was comprised of two battalions, the 2nd Battalion of the regiment were originally marines under Sir George Rodney.

73rd Foot
The 73rd Foot was the second battalion of the Royal Highlanders and was raised in 1780.

74th Foot
The 74th Foot was a British infantry regiment raised in 1787. They were later merged with the 71st Foot as the Highland Light Infantry.

75th Highland Regiment
The 75th Highland Regiment was a British infantry regiment raised in 1788. They formed the 1st Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders on its inception in 1881.

78th Highlanders
The 78th Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs) were formed in 1756 as the 2nd Highland Battalion and reformed in 1793 as the 78th Highlanders and joined with Fraser's Highlanders in 1881 to form the Seaforth Highlanders.

7th (Royal Fusilier) Regiment
see "Royal Fusiliers"

7th Illinois Veteran Volunteer Infantry
The 7th Illinois Veteran Volunteer Infantry were the first Illinois infantry regiment mustered for the civil war and numbered seven because Illinois sent six regiments to the Mexican war. A number of regiments which responded to the first call of President Lincoln for troops claimed to be the first regiment in the field, but the honour of being the first was finally accorded Colonel John Cook. This unit was mustered in at Camp Yates, April, 1861 for a 3-month enlistment by Captain John Pope. The regiment was mustered out in July 1865 in Louisville, Kentucky, arriving home in Springfield later that month for discharge.

7th Regiment Colored Infantry
The 7th Regiment Colored Infantry was an American infantry regiment organised at La Grange, Lafayette, and Memphis, Tennessess, and Corinth, Mississippi, from June 20, 1863, to April 2, 1864, to serve three years, and designated the 1st regiment Alabama siege artillery, a.d. (African Descent). Its designation was changed to 6th regiment U.S. colored heavy artillery March 11, 1864, to 7th regiment U.S. colored heavy artillery April 26, 1864, and to its present designation on January 23rd, 1865.

8-229th Aviation Regiment
The 8-229th Aviation Regiment (Flying Tigers) is a US army unit formed in 1941 under the command of Colonel Claire L Chennault, and formally known as the American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force during the Second World War.
In 1942 when the USA declared war on Japan, they were absorbed into the 10th Air Force and became the nucleus of the China Air Task Force.

80th Foot
The 80th Foot was a British army infantry unit raised in 1793 which went on to form part of the South Staffordshire Regiment.

81st Regiment of Foot
The 81st (Loyal Lincolnshire Volunteers) Regiment of Foot was a British infantry regiment which served in the Indian Mutiny and later merged with the 47th Regiment of Foot to form the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.

82nd Regiment of Foot
The 82nd Regiment of Foot (Prince if Wales' Volunteers) was a British infantry regiment raised in 1793. They later formed the 2nd Battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment.

83rd Regiment of Foot
The 83rd (Co. Dublin) Regiment of Foot was a British infantry regiment raised in 1793 and known as 'Fitch's Grenadiers'. The regiment had an honourable record in the Peninsular.

86th Regiment of Foot
The 86th (Royal Co. Down) Regiment of Foot was a British infantry regiment raised in 1793 and then known as 'Cuyler's Shropshire Volunteers'. It received the title 86th Regiment of Foot in 1812.

87th Regiment of Foot
The 87th Regiment of Foot were a British Infantry regiment formed in 1793 and known as the Prince of Wales' Irish.

89th Regiment of Foot
The 89th Regiment of Foot were a British Infantry regiment formed in 1793 and known as Princess Victoria's.

8th Regiment of Foot
The 8th Regiment of Foot were a British infantry regiment raised in 1685 to quell the Monmouth rebellion. In 1715 it was renamed the King's and in 1881 the Liverpool Regiment.

90th Light Infantry
The 90th Light Infantry (Perthshire Volunteers) was a British army unit formed in 1794. It joined with the Cameronians in 1881 to form the Scottish Rifles.

91st Argyllshire Highlanders
The 91st Argyllshire Highlanders was a British infantry regiment raised in 1794 seeing service in the South Africa Peninsula, Waterloo and India.

92nd Highland Regiment
The 92nd Highland Regiment was a British infantry regiment raised in 1794 by the Duchess of Gordon with a shilling between her lips. they formed the 2nd battalion of the Gordon Highlanders on its inception in 1881.

93rd Sutherland Highlanders
The 93rd Sutherland Highlanders was a British infantry regiment raised in 1799 and seeing service in New Orleans, the Crimea including Balaklava, where they earned the nickname of 'the Thin Red Line', and the Indian Mutiny where they won seven Victoria Crosses.

97th Regiment of Foot
The 97th Regiment of Foot was a British infantry regiment raised in 1824. They later became the 2nd Battalion of the Kent Regiment.

98th Foot
The 98th Foot was a British infantry army unit raised in 1824 as the 2nd Battalion of the North Staffordshire Regiment.

9th Lancers
The 9th Lancers (Queen's Royal Lancers) were a British cavalry regiment raised in 1697 and disbanded after the Treaty of Utrecht. They were reformed in 1715 as Wynnes Dragoons and became lancers in 1820. At the siege of Delhi during the Indian Mutiny they received the nickname of the 'Delhi Spearmen'.

Abatis
An abatis is a barricade or obstacle comprised of felled trees arranged with the branches pointing outwards.

Abwehr
The Abwehr were the German Intelligence Service during the Second World War.

Accoltellatori
The accoltellatori were secret assassins based at Ravenna and other places in Italy around 1874.

Achilles
The name Achilles has been used for British war ships since 1744 and is associated with the capture of the St Florentine in 1759 and the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. In 1863 a first-class cruiser was launched and named Achilles. That Achilles was decommissioned in 1901.

Actinaut
Actinauts were torpedoes propelled by self-contained power and steered on or beneath the water by a distant operator through the medium of a ray or electric current without the intervention of wires. They were first invented around 1900 and described in the New Liberal Review of June 1901.

Action
In weapon terms, action refers to the working mechanism of a firearm. Various types exist, including single-shots, multi-barrels, revolvers, slide- or pump-action, lever-action, bolt-action, semi-automatic and automatic.

Acton
An acton was a quilted or padded tunic worn under a coat of mail as a defence against bruising in combat. They were popular in the 15th century.

Admiral Graf Spee
The Admiral Graf Spee was a German pocket battleship. She was launched in April 1933 and was scuttled off Montevideo, Uruguay after engaging three British cruisers in the Battle of the River Plate in December 1939. The Admiral Graf Spee was armed with six 11 inch and eight 6 inch guns and had a top speed of 28 knots.

Admiral Hipper
The Admiral Hipper was a German heavy cruiser of the second World War. During the invasion of Norway in 1940 it was rammed by the British destroyer HMS Glowworm, which sank as a result. It remained in Norwegian waters as part of the German force harassing Allied convoys to the USSR. An attack led by the Hipper in December 1942 caused the Battle of the Barents Sea, a disaster for the Germans which caused Hitler to decommission most of the German Navy's major warships.

Adolf Hitler Line
The Adolf Hitler Line also called the Dora or Senger Line was a second Axis line of defence in Italy during the Second World War behind the main Gustav Line about 80 km south of Rome, stretching from Cassino to the West Italian coast. It formed the principal obstacle preventing the Allied 5th Army linking up with the US VI Corps in the Anzio beachhead until it was breached by Canadian forces on the 23rd of May 1944.

Aerial reconnaissance
In warfare, aerial reconnaissance is used to discover the position of enemy troops, fortifications, and armaments.

Affondatore
The Affondatore was an Italian turret battleship. She was launched in November 1865 and retired from service with the Italian navy in 1907. She was armed with two 10 inch muzzle-loading rifled guns and had a top speed of 12 knots. The Affondatore was an iron-hulled schooner rigged vessel with two turrets each designed by the British navy's Captain Cowper Coles. She acted as the flagship of Admiral Persano's fleet at the Battle of Lissa in July 1866.

Afrika Korps
The Afrika Korps was a German army in the western desert of North Africa, 1941 to 19443 during the Second World War, commanded by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.
The Korps was formed as the German component of a joint Axis force to fend off the Allied counter-offensive against Italian advances in North Africa during 1940. Initially they were successful in revitalising the Axis effort in the area, in their first battle with the British on the 24th of March 1941, a reconnaissance force succeeded in taking the British forward outpost at El Agheila. The Afrika Korps recaptured Tobruk and advanced over the Egyptian border in June 1942 until they were halted at El Alamein in November 1942. The Allies gradually drove them back and they surrendered in May 1943.

AFV
AFV is an abbreviation for armoured fighting vehicle.

Agent Orange
Agent Orange was a selective weedkiller, notorious for its use in the 1960s during the Vietnam War by American forces to eliminate ground cover which could protect enemy forces. It was subsequently discovered to contain highly poisonous dioxin. Agent Orange, named for the distinctive orange stripe on its packaging, combines equal parts of 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) and 2,4,5-T (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid), both now banned in the USA.

AGM-114
The AGM-114 (hellfire) is an American laser-guided anti-tank missile. It can be carried by helicopters or ground forces. It has a flight speed of mach 1.7 and a range of 5 miles.

AGM-114A
The AGM-114A is an anti-tank missile carried by American helicopters. It has a flight speed of 170 m/s and a maximum range of 7000 meters. It is unusual in being a laser guided missile. Also called the hellfire missile.

AGM-65
The AGM-65 is an air-to-ground missile used by the US army. It has a flight speed of 180 m/s and a maximum range of 16000 meters.

AGM-65D
The AGM-65D (Maverick) is a 300 mm air-to-ground missile used by the USAF. It is mounted on A-10A and other similar attack aircraft. It has a range of 16000m and an FLIR guidance system. It can penetrate 650 mm of flat steel, 527 mm of sloped steel armour and 257 mm of composite armour.

Air-Gun
An Air-Gun is a gun in which the projectile is propelled by compressed air. They were first patented in England in 1872 by Giffard. In 1867 Bessemer patented an ordnance to project large shot using compressed air, and in 1866 Zalinski of the USA artillery made a practical gun for throwing dynamite shells which was used during the Cuban war of 1898.

Ajax
The Ajax was a British light cruiser of the Second World War. She was armed with 8 6 inch guns, 8 4 inch anti-aircraft guns, 8 2 pounder anti-aircraft guns, 12 .5 inch guns and 8 21 inch torpedo tubes. She had a top speed of 32.5 knots. She carried a crew of 550.

AK47
The AK47 is a Soviet assault rifle. It is an automatic weapon with a cyclic rate of 600 rpm and a muzzle velocity of 717 m/s. It is sighted to 800m. The AK47 takes a 7.62 mm round from a 30-round box.

Akagi
The Akagi was a Japanese aircraft carrier. She was designed as a battle cruiser but the design was altered and she was built to despatch up to 60 aircraft. The Akagi was launched in 1925 and led the Japanese aircraft carrier assault on Pearl Harbour in 1941. She was sunk at the Battle of Midway in 1942 by American dive bombers.

Al-Hussayn
The Al-Hussayn is an Iraqi army modified Scud missile capable of projecting a smaller payload of about 500 kg a distance of up to 650 km.

Alabama
The Alabama was a steam vessel of 900 tons, with engines of 300 hp, constructed by Messrs Laird at Birkenhead for the confederate service. She was launched on May 15th 1862 and sailed from the Mersey on July 28th. Under the command of captain Semmes she did great damage to the American mercantile shipping until her destruction by the federal ironclad Kearsage captained by Winslow, off Cherbourg on June 19th 1864.

Alexandra
HMS Alexandra was a British second-class battleship launched in 1875 and named after Alexandra, then Princess of Wales.

Alfa
The Alfa is a gas-operated machine gun designed in Spain during the Second World War when their stock of machine guns required replacement, and no outside source was available. It was originally chambered for the 7.92 mm Mauser cartridge, but in 1955 a new model was put into service using the 7.62 mm NATO cartridge. The Alfa has a rate of fire of 800 rpm. Production of the Alfa ceased in 1962.

Aliakmon Line
In the Second World War, the Aliakmon Line was a Greek defensive line running some 96 km from the Aegean coast near Mount Olympus to the Yugoslavian border north of Arnissa. It was in the process of being occupied by British troops in April 1941 when it was outflanked by the Germans who passed through the gap between it and the Greek Army concentrated in Albania.

Almirante Brown
The Almirante Brown is an Argentinean Meko 360 Type destroyer. She was built by Blohm and Voss in Hamburg and launched on the 28th of March 1981. She has a displacement of 2900 tons and is armed with eight Aerospatiale MM 40 Exocet missiles, one OTO Melara 5in gun, eight Breda/Bofors 40 mm guns, six 324 mm ILAS 3 (2 triple) torpedo tubes and two Breda 105 mm SCLAR Chaff rocket launchers. She is powered by two Rolls-Royce Olympus TM3B gas turbines providing 51600 shp and a top speed of 30.5 knots and a range of 7200 km. She carries a crew of 26 officers and 174 men.

Alpini
The Alpini were an elite Italian mountain military force founded in 1872 and expanded during the Great War into eight special regiments and 38 companies of militia. They used mule transport and were all adept mountaineers and skiers. Among their exploits was the capture in April 1916 of the Adamello Glacier during a snowstorm from an Austrian force at an altitude of over 3,000 m.

Altmark
The Altmark was a German POW ship of the Second World War. The prisoners-of-war were rescued by the British destroyer Cossack.

Ambuscade
Ambuscade describes the disposition of troops laying an ambush - that is concealing themselves and lying in wait for the enemy. A classic example of an ambuscade occurred at Sanna's Post during the Boer War in March 1900.

Ambush
see "Ambuscade"

American Expeditionary Force
The American Expeditionary Force (AEF) were forces sent to fight in Europe from the USA after the USA entered the Great War in April 1917. Although initially only a token force of one division went to France under General Pershing, by November 1918 the AEF comprised three armies each of three corps, a total of 1,338,000 combat troops. The greater part of the force was infantry, with only small detachments of cavalry being sent to Europe, principally for liaison and remount duties, though a provisional squadron did see some mounted action. A considerable force of artillery was also deployed, but was armed entirely with British or French guns since American production had not made any serious contribution by the time the war ended. A strong tank force was planned but only three battalions, using British and French tanks, saw action. In all, some 2 million American troops eventually served in France.

Amir
An amir was the commander of a unit of Mamluks.

Ammunition
Ammunition generally refers to the assembled components of complete cartridges or rounds i.e., a case or shell holding a primer, a charge of propellant (gunpowder) and a projectile (bullets in the case of handguns and rifles, multiple pellets or single slugs in shotguns). Sometimes called 'fixed ammunition' to differentiate from components inserted separately in muzzleloaders.

Amphion
The Amphion was a British frigate of 38 guns, blown up while riding at anchor in Plymouth Sound, killing her entire crew of more than 250 persons on September 22nd 1796.

AMT
AMT (Arcadia Machine and Tool Incorporated) are an American firearms manufacturer based in California.

AMT Automag II
The AMT Automag II is a gas-assisted action, stainless steel self loading pistol in .22 inch WMR calibre. It takes a 9 round magazine and is available in three barrel lengths; 153 mm (standard) 114 mm and 86 mm with a reduced seven round magazine and a cropped grip.

AMT Hardballer
The AMT Hardballer is a faithful stainless steel copy of the full sized Colt Government 1911A1 pistol with a magazine capacity of seven rounds of .45 inch ACP ammunition which started production in 1977.

AMT On Duty
The AMT On Duty is an American pistol first produced in 1991. It is available in 9 mm parabellum and .40 inch Smith and Weston calibres with a 15 round and 11 round respectively magazine.

Antonine Wall
The Antonine Wall was a Roman line of fortification built around 142-200 AD as the Roman Empire's North West frontier between the Clyde and Forth in Scotland.

Anzio Annie
During the Second World War, Anzio Annie was a German railway gun which shelled the Allied beachhead at Anzio at long range. It was reputed to be kept in a tunnel when not firing so as to preserve it from air attacks.

AP
In terms of ammunition, AP is an abbreviation for armour piercing.

APC
APC is a military abbreviation for armoured personnel carrier.

APCS
see "APC"

APFSDS
APFSDS is a military abbreviation for armour piercing, fin stabilised, discarding sabot.

Approaches
In military tactics, approaches are trenches dug by an attacking body, by which they may advance under cover against a fortified position.

Aquila
Aquila is an American RPV.

Arbalist
see "Cross-bow"

Argonauts of St Nicholas
The Argonauts of St Nicholas were an order of military knights founded by Charles III of Naples in 1382.

Ark Royal
The original Ark Royal was a British galleon of 800 tons built for Sir Walter Raleigh in 1587. She was the flagship of Lord Howard at the battle against the Spanish Armada in 1588. The name Ark Royal was later employed for a British aircraft carrier built in 1937 and sunk in 1941 by the German submarine U81.

Arleigh Burke
Arleigh Burke is an American guided missile destroyer of 8400 tons and a top speed of over 30 knots.

Armada
The Invincible Armada (Spanish Armada) was collected and equipped by Philip II, king of Spain, for the subjugation of England. It consisted of 130 ships, 3165 cannon, 8050 sailors, 2088 galley-slaves, 18,972 soldiers, 1382 volunteers and 150 monks the whole under the command of the duke of Medina-Sidonia. The armada sailed from Lisbon on the 19th May 1588 and was soon after dispersed by a storm, it recollected and sailed into the channel off Cornwall on the 19th of July 1588 and during a series of engagements with the English fleet under Francis Drake and John Hawkins was destroyed.

Armour
Armour is body protection worn in battle. The invention of gunpowder led, by degrees, to the virtual abandonment of armour until World War I, when the helmet reappeared as a defence against shrapnel.
Modern armour, used by the army, police, security guards, and people at risk from assassination, uses nylon and fibreglass and is often worn beneath clothing.

Armoured Landship
Armoured Landships were the official name, rather than the code name, for Tanks. The term never really caught on, and by the Second World War the code name of 'Tank' was in general usage.

Armoured Personnel Carrier
An Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) is a wheeled or tracked military vehicle designed to transport up to ten people. Armoured to withstand small-arms fire and shell splinters, it is used on battlefields.

Armoured Train
Armoured Trains were railway trains with the engine and carriages protected from musket fire by armour in the form of high parapets of iron or steel plate. Loopholes in the armour allowed carried soldiers to fire without undue exposure, and machine-guns were also carried on pivot mountings. Armoured Trains were used in France and Belgium during the early part of the Great War, especially at the siege of Antwerp, but were found to be vulnerable to artillery fire and this together with their inability to manoeuvre led to their discontinuation.

Armstrong Gun
The Armstrong Gun is a type of cannon named after its inventor, William Armstrong. It is made of wrought-iron spirally-coiled bars. It has a rifled barrel. The projectile is covered in soft lead. As the projectile is propelled out of the cannon, the lead coating is compressed into the rifle grooves, causing it to spin. The Armstrong Gun was invented in the middle of the 19th century.

Arquebus
The arquebus was a hand-gun similar to a musket. It fired a two ounce ball, and was fired from a forked rest. A larger variant which took a heavier ball was used in fortresses.

Arrow
An arrow is a missile projected by a bow.

Arsine
Arsine, short for Arseniuretted hydrogen, is a blood irritant gas used during the Second World War. It has very little smell and causes violent vomiting and blood poisoning.

Articles of War
Before the establishment of a standing army in 1660, when war broke out 'Articles of War' were issued by the crown to govern the troops when actually engaged in hostilities. the earliest articles of which records remain were those issued by Richard II and Henry V on the occasion of wars with France. The punishments awarded for crimes were very severe, death or loss of limb being inflicted for trivial offences. The prerogative power of the crown to issue articles was gradually encroached upon by Parliament and finally superseded by a corresponding statutory power in 1803.

Artillery
Artillery refers to missile type weapons.

AS-14
The AS-14 is a Soviet air-to-ground anti-tank missile. It has a flight speed of 150-175 m/s and a maximum range of 20000 meters. It is carried by SU-25 and other aircraft.

Asahi
The Asahi was a Japanese battleship built in 1898 and broken up in 1947. She had a top speed of 18 knots and was armed with four 12 inch and fourteen 6 inch guns. The Asahi saw extensive service in the 1904-1905 war with Russia and in 1921 was reclassified as a coast defence ship and in 1923 became a training ship.

ASDIC
ASDIC was an abbreviation used during the Second World War for Allied Submarine Detection Investigation Committee. It was a device used for detecting underwater ships. The American name was sonar.

Assault on Eben Emael
During the Second World War on the 10th of May 1940 German glider troops tried to captured the Belgian fort of Eben Emael which was strategically placed at the junction of the Albert Canal and Maas river, north of Liege, to guard a vital crossing-point and which was considered to be impregnable as any assault would have to be made across either the river or the canal. It was attacked by a squad of 85 German glider troops who landed on top of the fort and used special explosive charges to put the gun turrets out of action, but were unable to get into the fort itself as they were pinned down by crossfire from neighbouring forts. The following day German troops crossed the canal by boat to relieve the glider force, who had suffered relatively low casualties, and the fort surrendered. The gliders were quickly removed so for several years it was believed that the assault had been made across the canal.

Assegai
The assegai is a spear used as a weapon by the Kaffres of South Africa. It is made of hard wood with an iron tip and is used for throwing and thrusting.

Astra 300
The Astra 300 is a Spanish pistol first introduced in 1922 in 9 mm parabellum for the Spanish Prison Service, and then produced in 1923 in 7.65 mm and 9 mm for commercial sales. In 1928 the 9 mm model was adopted by the Spanish Navy. Over 80,000 were supplied to the German Army during the Second World War. It takes a seven round magazine. Production of the pistol ended in 1947.

Astra 400
The Astra 400 was a Spanish service pistol produced from 1921 to 1950 in three calibres; 9 mm Largo, 7.65 mm ACP and 7.63 mm Mauser. It took an eight round magazine and had a barrel length of 150 mm.

Astra A-100
The Astra A-100 is a Spanish pistol similar to the Astra A-90 but with some variations for the overseas market including no manual safety catch and the magazine release in the butt, behind the trigger. The A-100 was first made in 1990 and is available in 9 mm Parabellum with a 15 round magazine and .45 inch ACP with a 9 round magazine.

Astra A-50
The Astra A-50 is a simple single-action blowback Spanish pistol available chambered for 9 mm short and 7.65 mm Browning ammunition. It takes a seven round magazine and has an 89 mm barrel. Production of the A-50 started in 1960.

Astra A-70
The Astra A-70 is a Spanish single-action pistol manufactured since 1992 for the Police and military. It is available for either the 9 mm parabellum or .40 inch Smith and Wesson cartridge with an 8 or 7 round respectively magazine capacity.

Astra A-75
The Astra A-75 is a double-action version of the Astra A-70 pistol produced since 1993 for the Police and military markets. It is available in 9 mm parabellum and .40 inch Smith and Wesson calibres with an 8 or 7 round respectively magazine capacity.

Astra A-80
The Astra A-80 is a well-built Spanish pistol first produced in 1982 and available in several calibres; 9 mm Parabellum, 9 x 23 mm Steyr, .38 inch Super Autom .45 inch ACP and 7.65 mm Parabellum. It takes a fifteen round magazine through the butt and has a 96.5 mm barrel.

Astra A-90
The Astra A-90 is a Spanish pistol produced since 1985. It is an improved version of the Astra A-80 with adjustable sights and an increased magazine capacity of 17 rounds in the 9 mm model and 9 rounds in the .45 inch calibre model. A manual safety catch is also employed in addition to the automatic safety.

Astra Falcon
The Astra Falcon is a Spanish pistol based upon the Astra 400 taking a 9 mm short calibre round from a seven round capacity magazine. Production started in 1956.

Astra Model F
The Astra Model F was a Spanish service pistol first produced in 1928 and in service from 1935 to 1945. It took a 9 mm Largo cartridge and had a magazine capacity of ten or twenty rounds and a barrel length of 180 mm.

AT-3
The AT-3 (Sagger) is a Russian 120 mm ATGM. It has a flight speed of 120m/s and a range of 3000m. The original AT-3 was introduced during the 1960s and was joystick guided which required a high degree of gunner skill. During the 1970s it was redesigned to optical guidance, whereby the gunner just needs to keep the target in sight.

AT-4
The AT-4 is an American lightweight multi-purpose weapon. It is a single shot anti-tank rocket with iron sights guidance and a range of about 300m. The AT-4 (Spigot) is a Russian 120 mm ATGM introduced during the 1970s and supplied to infantry, BMP-1, BMP-2 and BRDM-3 units. It has a maximum range of 2000m and a flight speed of 185m/s.

AT-5
The AT-5 (Spandrel) is a Russian 130 mm ATGM. It is wire-guided and mounted on the BMP-2 and BRDM-3. It has a flight speed of 185m/s and a maximum range of 4000m. The AT-5 can penetrate 500 mm of flat steel, 406 mm of sloped steel and 198 mm of composite armour.

AT-6
The AT-6 (Spiral) is a Russian ATGM designed to be fired from helicopters, and is radio guided. It has a flight speed of 225m/s and can penetrate 600 mm of flat steel, 487 mm of sloped steel and 237 mm of composite armour. The AT-6 has a maximum range of 5000m.

AT-8
The AT-8 (Songster) is a Russian ATGM. It was designed to be fired from the 125 mm smooth-bore gun. It uses radio for guidance from the gunner. The AT-8 has a flight speed of 250m/s and a range of 4000m. It can penetrate 550 mm of flat steel and 446 mm of sloped steel armour.

ATGM
ATGM is an abbreviation for anti-tank guided missile.

ATGMS
see "atgm"

ATGW
ATGW is an abbreviation for anti-tank guided weapon.

Atomic Bomb
The Atomic bomb is a bomb deriving its explosive force from nuclear fission as a result of a neutron chain reaction. It was developed in the 1940s in the USA into a usable weapon.
Research began in Britain in 1940 and was transferred to the USA after its entry into the Second World War the following year. Known as the Manhattan Project, the work was carried out under the direction of the American physicist Robert Oppenheimer at Los Alamos, New Mexico.

ATS
The ATS were a British Army unit of non-combatant women auxiliaries in the Second World War. they were formed 1939 and provided cooks, clerks, radar operators, searchlight operators, and undertook other light non-combat duties.

Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force (AIF) was a volunteer military force formed at the outbreak of the Great War and was the major Australian contribution to the war. It was organised into infantry divisions (eventually five), five light horse divisions, the Australian Flying Corps and the Australian Army Nursing Service. A second AIF was formed in 1939 and 1940 during the Second World War, with its divisions numbered 6th to 9th to follow those of the first force.

Autocannon
The autocannon was a French air defence weapon of the Great War, consisting of a modified 75 mm field gun fitted to a special high-angle mounting and carried on a De Dion Bouton motor lorry. It became the standard anti-aircraft gun in France, used for the defence of forward as well as rear areas and cities, although its use declined as motorised guns became an obsolete method of air defence. A small number were used in London from 1915 and the design was copied in Britain.

Automatic (firearm)
An automatic is a firearm designed to feed cartridges, fire them, eject their empty cases and repeat this cycle as long as the trigger is depressed and cartridges remain in the feed system. Examples: machine guns, submachine guns, selective-fire rifles, including true assault rifles.

AV7
The AV7 was the first German tank. It was first made in 1918 by Daimler, a total of 20 being made before the war ended. It had two 100hp Daimler petrol engines giving a top speed of 12 kmph and a range of 35 km. It was armed with a 57 mm cannon and six 7.62 mm machine guns. The armour plating was a maximum of 30 mm thick and it was crewed by 18 men.

Avalanche
During the Second World War Avalanche was the codename for the Allied landings at Salerno, Italy, in September 1943.

Avenger
see "GAU-8/A"

AVRE
The AVRE (Armoured Vehicle, Royal Engineers) was a British tank designed during the Second World War to defeat various types of obstacle. It was based on the Churchill tank, and was armed with a special short-range mortar firing a heavy demolition charge, for use against pillboxes. The use of various modular attachments allowed it to fill ditches, lay bridges, set demolition charges, or lay tracks for soft vehicles.

AWACS
AWACS is an acronym for Airborne Warning And Control System. It is a surveillance system that incorporates a long-range surveillance and detection radar mounted on a Boeing E-3 sentry aircraft. It was used with great success in the 1991 Gulf War.

Copyright 1997,1998 Servile Software Enquiries to Matthew Probert

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