Grem posted:

This is the dirtiest loving thing in the world.

The water around the opening is all that gross rainbow water you get from oil, it's disgusting. I did this off the coast of Australia and we had a bunch of Marines get really sick for a few weeks. Why anyone thinks it's enjoyable is beyond me.

Say Nothing posted:

I'd like to believe this was an intentional shot.

Memento posted:

There's a really simply explanation for this that doesn't involve bullets colliding in mid-air. The bullet that has been penetrated has never been fired - there's no marks along the length of it that they get from being crammed through a barrel that's not quite big enough at very high pressure. So it would have probably been in someone's pocket in a clip, and saved their life when it got in the way. Still bad-rear end.

Grem posted:

This is the dirtiest loving thing in the world.

The water around the opening is all that gross rainbow water you get from oil, it's disgusting. I did this off the coast of Australia and we had a bunch of Marines get really sick for a few weeks. Why anyone thinks it's enjoyable is beyond me.

syscall girl posted:

I can see that. The one doing the penetrating was briefly heated in the barrel and has all kinds of carbon baked onto it that prevented it from oxidizing so badly?

Perhaps? I am not a bullet scientist.

London Gazette posted:

War Office, 14th October, 1941.

The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of awards of the Victoria Cross to the undermentioned: —

Second Lieutenant Charles Hazlitt Upham (8077), New Zealand Military Forces.

During the operations in Crete this officer performed a series of remarkable exploits, showing outstanding leadership, tactical skill and utter indifference to danger. He commanded a forward platoon in the attack on Maleme on 22nd May and fought his way forward for over 3,000 yards unsupported by any other arms and against a defence strongly organised in depth. During this operation his platoon destroyed numerous enemy posts but on three occasions sections were temporarily held up.

In the first case, under a heavy fire from a machine gun nest he advanced to close quarters with pistol and grenades, so demoralizing the occupants that his section was able to "mop up" with ease.

Another of his sections was then held up by two machine guns in a house. He went in and placed a grenade through a window, destroying the crew of one machine gun and several others, the other machine gun being silenced by the fire of his sections.

In the third case he crawled to within 15 yards of an M.G. post and killed the gunners with a grenade.

When his Company withdrew from Maleme he helped to carry a wounded man out under fire, and together with another officer rallied more men together to carry other wounded men out.

He was then sent to bring in a company which had become isolated. With a Corporal he went through enemy territory over 600 yards, killing two Germans on the way, found the company, and brought it back to the Battalion's new position. But for this action it would have been completely cut off.

During the following two days his platoon occupied an exposed position on forward slopes and was continuously under fire. Second Lieutenant Upham was blown over by one mortar shell, and painfully wounded by a piece of shrapnel behind the left shoulder, by another. He disregarded this wound and remained on duty. He also received a bullet in the foot which he later removed in Egypt.

At Galatas on 25th May his platoon was heavily engaged and came under severe mortar and machine-gun fire. While his platoon stopped under cover of a ridge Second-Lieutenant Upham went forward, observed the enemy and brought the platoon forward when the Germans advanced. They killed over 40 with fire and grenades and forced the remainder to fall back.

When his platoon was ordered to retire he sent it back under the platoon Sergeant and he went back to warn other troops that they were being cut off. When he came out himself he was fired on by two Germans. He fell and shammed dead, then crawled into a position and having the use of only one arm rested his rifle in the fork of a tree and as the Germans came forward he killed them both. The second to fall actually hit the muzzle of the rifle as he fell.

On 30th May at Sphakia his platoon was ordered to deal with a party of the enemy which had advanced down a ravine to near Force Headquarters. Though in an exhausted condition he climbed the steep hill to the west of the ravine, placed his men in positions on the slope overlooking the ravine and himself went to the top with a Bren Gun and two riflemen. By clever tactics he induced the enemy party to expose itself and then at a range of 500 yards shot 22 and caused the remainder to disperse in panic.

During the whole of the operations he suffered from dysentery and was able to eat very little, in addition to being wounded and bruised.

He showed superb coolness, great skill and dash and complete disregard of danger. His conduct and leadership inspired his whole platoon to fight magnificently throughout, and in fact was an inspiration to the Battalion.

London Gazette posted:

War Office, 26th September, 1945.

The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of a Bar to the VICTORIA CROSS to: —

Captain Charles Hazlitt UPHAM, V.C. (8077), New Zealand Military Forces.

Captain C. H. Upham, V.C., was commanding a Company of New Zealand troops in the Western Desert during the operations which culminated in the attack on El Ruweisat Ridge on the night of 14th–15th July, 1942.

In spite of being twice wounded, once when crossing open ground swept by enemy fire to inspect his forward sections guarding our mine-fields and again when he completely destroyed an entire truck load of German soldiers with hand grenades, Captain Upham insisted on remaining with his men to take part in the final assault.

During the opening stages of the attack on the ridge Captain Upham's Company formed part of the reserve battalion, but, when communications with the forward troops broke down and he was instructed to send up an officer to report on the progress of the attack, he went out himself armed with a Spandau gun and, after several sharp encounters with enemy machine gun posts, succeeded in bringing back the required information.

Just before dawn the reserve battalion was ordered forward, but, when it had almost reached its objective, very heavy fire was encountered from a strongly defended enemy locality, consisting of four machine gun posts and a number of tanks.

Captain Upham, without hesitation, at once led his Company in a determined attack on the two nearest strongpoints on the left flank of the sector. His voice could be heard above the din of battle cheering on his men and, in spite of the fierce resistance of the enemy and the heavy casualties on both sides, the objective was captured.

Captain Upham, during the engagement, himself destroyed a German tank and several guns and vehicles with grenades and although he was shot through the elbow by a machine gun bullet and had his arm broken, he went on again to a forward position and brought back some of his men who had become isolated. He continued to dominate the situation until his men had beaten off a violent enemy counter-attack and consolidated the vital position which they had won under his inspiring leadership.

Exhausted by pain from his wound and weak from loss of blood Captain Upham was then removed to the Regimental Aid Post but immediately his wound had been dressed he returned to his men, remaining with them all day long under heavy enemy artillery and mortar fire, until he was again severely wounded and being now unable to move fell into the hands of the enemy when, his gallant Company having been reduced to only six survivors, his position was finally overrun by superior enemy forces, in spite of the outstanding gallantry and magnificent leadership shown by Captain Upham.

The Victoria Cross was conferred on Captain Upham for conspicuous bravery during the operations in Crete in May, 1941, and the award was announced in the London Gazette dated 14th October, 1941.

AnonSpore posted:

So basically he was BJ Blazkowicz

slothrop posted:

While we're on the subject of VC winners, one of the recipients that always blew me away was Charles Upham, the only combat soldier to be awarded the VC twice.



Growing up in New Zealand I certainly knew of him but I never really knew what he had done to earn him medals. Cue reading his wikipedia entry one day, it's a hell of a read. It can be instructive to read other VC citations first so you get an idea of what they entail, but usually they are fairly short and detail one extremely gallant act which usually gets the person mentioned killed. Upham is a little different.


That's his first VC, awarded during the Battle of Crete which was a bit of a gently caress up for the Allies but it's too detailed for me to go into here. Upham then evacuates to Egypt to recover and then fight in the First Battle of El Alamein


After being captured he attempted a few escapes while healing from his injuries before being shipped off to Colditz with the rest of the hard nuts. He still attempted to escape from Colditz and I've heard when the prison was liberated he went and broke into the armoury so he could go hunt some Nazis.

quote:

After this incident, Upham was considered extremely dangerous and was placed in solitary confinement. He was only allowed to exercise alone, while accompanied by two armed guards and while covered by a machine gun in a tower. Despite these precautions, Upham bolted from his little courtyard, straight through the German barracks and out through the front gate of the camp. The guard in the machine-gun tower later told other prisoners that he refrained from shooting Upham out of sheer respect, and as he could see German soldiers coming up the road who he expected to capture Upham.

Say Nothing posted:

Nordick posted:

While we're still (kinda) on the topic of soldiery, I will draw attention to the fact that it is now 200 years since the Gurkhas entered service in the British army.



We have gushed about them in this thread before, but it bears repeating because they are some hardcore motherfuckers.

dsriggs posted:

Great how the most famous moment in skateboarding history had Disney's Tarzan advertising all over it. Counter-culture as gently caress.

Say Nothing posted:

Futurama.

VendaGoat posted:

I'll be in the angry dome!

Say Nothing posted:

Elwood P. Dowd posted:

...
Again, these guys shot down a shitload of fighters in very dangerous combat and were undoubtedly the most skilled fighter pilots in the war by a wide margin, but the numbers do need some context.

poptart_fairy posted:

The angle of this shot looks as if he's deflecting a ninja star being thrown at him. I can't unsee that.

Two Finger posted:

I think this adds a little something:

Say Nothing posted:

Futurama.

thespaceinvader posted:

I'd guess an observatory.

JoelJoel posted:

It isn't facial hair or an old building but this blows my mind:



Fun fact, cats will reach their terminal velocity of ~100km/h after falling about 5 floors.

Nordick posted:

Considering he's a loving Gurkha, that might as well be exactly what he is doing.

Edmond Dantes posted:

I choose to believe this is the same cat:

JoelJoel posted:

It isn't facial hair or an old building but this blows my mind:



Fun fact, cats will reach their terminal velocity of ~100km/h after falling about 5 floors.

Bip Roberts posted:

Gurkhas are regular humans.

Bip Roberts posted:

Gurkhas are regular humans.

Pneub posted:

WHAT?!?! My monocle just flew off so hard my eyeball popped out of socket! Let me fix that real quick...

fits posted:

Now watch how a cat tries to orient itself to fall in zero gravity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW4Q1dKuR5w