One of the banes of existence in SOF is the requirement to conduct periodic Mod Demos and static displays for visiting dignitaries.
5th SFG(A) created several videos to assist them in this endeavor. This is one of those videos entitled: “Run Through The Jungle” which depicts a Foreign Internal Defense mission, training indigenous forces in infantry tactics for their Counter Narcotics role.
As far back as 3000 B.C.E (5000 years), people were going after natural sponges off the coast of Crete and breathing through the world’s first snorkel tube that they made from hollow reeds. Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, recalled instances of divers breathing through a device similar to the trunk of an elephant.
In later years, the Assyrians developed an alternative snorkel device. They filled animal skins with air to breathe from under water. Aristotle wrote about divers who used a tube that led from the surface to the divers below. The consummate Renaissance Man, Leonardo Da Vinci, had many designs that he called diving or underwater apparatuses. He designed a self-contained dive suit and even sketched diving gloves with webbed fingers. Technically, they could be considered the first fins.
The development of the diving bell, which contained air bubbles for divers to inhale while underwater, was overseen by Alexander the Great.
• 900 B.C.E- Assyrian divers used animal skins filled with air to lengthen the time they could spend below the water’s surface.
• 333 B.C.E Alexander the Great encourages divers to develop and use the first diving bell — a large bell-shaped object that trapped air in the top of the bell (and a person) to submerge and maintain the ability to breathe.
• 1538- Greeks in Spain (Toledo) submerge themselves in a large diving bell-like gadget to the bottom of the Tagus River, only to emerge later with dry clothes and a still-burning candle.
The same concept allows modern-day snorkelers to breathe air from the surface with their face submerged. Modern rubber and plastics make equipment durable and comfortable while offering maximum safety. Snorkels have significantly improved their function and use with the advances in rubber and plastic composite materials. The most popular snorkel is the J-shaped plastic tubes connected to the diver’s mask by a flexible strap or clip assembly.
Snorkels for diving
The snorkel makes it possible to breathe safely on the surface without using the air in your tanks. When choosing a snorkel, think first about what you want to use it for and how it will most. The diameter is critical because it minimizes your effort while using it. Most snorkels are brightly colored, so dive boats can easily spot them and you, more importantly.
Free-diving Snorkels
Free-diving snorkels are often the simplest models. They are made without a complex purging system and valves to limit breathing noise; snorkels are also shorter to quickly expel water from the tube and easily tuck away. They usually have a slightly larger diameter to ventilate between two dive immersions properly. They are one of the best for Combat swimmers to use, as they are small and can be packed away quickly and come in dark colors.
Types of Snorkels
There are four common types of snorkels, and each has its advantages and disadvantages.
Classic
The classic snorkel, also called a J-style snorkel, is a plastic tube with a mouthpiece attached. This snorkel is usually slightly bent, but it can also be made to fit a more specific shape. The SCUBAPRO Apnea snorkel can be rolled up and easily stored in a pocket or attached to the sides or bottom of a Rebreather. This is the one best suited for combat swimmer operations.
Flexible Snorkel
The flexible snorkel has a purge valve. This snorkel has a flexible portion and a rigid portion, as well as a one-way valve located at the bottom that makes it easier to expel any water that may get into the snorkel. The added flexibility allows divers to fit the snorkel better around their masks and faces. The purge valve at the bottom of the mouthpiece helps ensure uninterrupted breathing as it flushes water out every time you exhale.
Simi Dry
The semi-dry snorkel is a mix of a classic and dry snorkel. The top features a splashguard, and sometimes even a flexible tube and a purge valve. The splashguard at the top helps prevent splashes or sprays of water quickly entering the tube. It doesn’t stop all the water from entering, especially if you fully submerge yourself underwater or if water covers the top like in a high wave.
Dry
The dry snorkel has a valve at the top of the snorkel. The valve blocks water and air when the snorkel is submerged—and a purge valve at the bottom. They are great for snorkeling on the surface and occasionally diving without worrying about constantly clearing water out of the tube. When used for diving, the advantage is that divers don’t have to clear them of water when they reach the surface.
As with semi-dry snorkels, the one-way purge valve at the bottom allows the user to flush water out with a few quick exhalations easily. While the dry snorkel is more convenient and efficient, it can also have its drawbacks. The valve at the top of the snorkel can sometimes become blocked. The dry snorkel may also be more buoyant underwater.
As Vietnam heated up, the Agency’s need for eyes on the Laotian panhandle increased beyond the support that could be provided by Thai PARU and RTSF advisors. As a result, the CIA was forced to look for other solutions to communicate with its illiterate Lao Theung road watching teams targeting the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
To tackle this problem, the Agency came up with a radio that used pictograms to communicate what a team saw. Crafted from a modified USAF survival unit, the Hark-1 or Hark Box was released early in 1967.
Note the depictions of armor, artillery, AAA, trucks, porters, soldiers, time of day, and direction of travel. The circular button at the center was used to transmit the tally of what was seen moving north and southbound on the trail to an airborne relay station. While the radio doesn’t appear to have a pictogram for elephants, it was given the affection moniker “the Elephant Counter” by Paramilitary Officers involved in the project. To avoid detection, the Hark road watching teams – sometimes numbering up to twenty-four road watchers on a target like the Mu Gia Pass – would be inserted via unmarked “Pony Express” CH-3s very far from their objective.
On the third slide you can see the Hark-1 with antenna deployed in front of Case Officer, Gene Norwinski during a briefing in Savannakhet. The project was wrapped up in 1969 having been overshadowed by a variety of Pentagon projects and new sensors and night vision capabilities like those present on the AC-130.
Written by @Immurement
On December 24th, 1944, The Battle of the Bulge had started 8 days before with a massive push by the Germans to split the Allies in half and stop the use of the Belgium port of Antwerp. Many soldiers on both sides had become lost from their units and were looking for a place to stay. Three American Soldiers were lost around the area where the shack was. They saw the light from the small hunting cabin and the smoke from the chimney. They saw their chance to warm up. They knocked on the door and asked if they could come in. The German lady had a small chicken cooking for themselves but invited the Americans in to warm up and for the Christmas meal.
One of the American Soldiers was wounded, and the lady tried to make him comfortable. There was a language barrier for a time till one of the soldiers found out the lady could speak French as well as German. So, everything was going well, and the Americans were feeling right at home.
Then suddenly there was a knock at the door. The American’s went for their guns. The lady went to the door and answered it. There were four German soldiers who were also lost from their unit, and they asked the lady for shelter. The lady answered them with this, “Yes, you can come in for Christmas dinner, but I have other guests.” One German soldier remarked, “Americana.” She said, “yes, and that this was Christmas, and there would be no killing on this night.” She also told the Germans that they would have to lay down their weapons while they came in. She instructed the Americans to do the same.
There they were all in the room together, soldiers who a little while ago were bent on killing each other. Now, they were in a small room together with no weapons. Everyone could feel the tension in the air. It was very quiet for about ten minutes. Then one American soldier offered the Germans a cigarette. They obliged. One of the Germans who had medical training asked about the wounded American. He then began to help the wounded American and made him as comfortable as he could be.
By the time the meal was ready, the atmosphere was more relaxed. Two of the Germans were only sixteen, their corporal was 23. As Elisabeth said grace, Fritz noticed tears in the soldiers’ eyes, both German and American.
The truce lasted through the night and into the morning. Looking at the Americans’ map, the corporal told them the best way to get back to their lines and provided them with a compass. They asked if they should instead go to Monschau, the corporal shook his head and said it was now in German hands. Elisabeth returned all their weapons, and the enemies shook hands and left in opposite directions. Soon they were all out of sight, and the truce was over.
If you are in the Christmas spirit and want to watch a movie about the Battle of the Bugle, I would recommend Battleground. It was written by someone who was in the Battle of the Bugle. It is an all-time classic.
Sorry, I couldn’t find the whole movie. This is the preview.
On Christmas night 1776, George Washington led a force of American patriots across the Delaware River to attack the Hessian mercenary garrison at Trenton, New Jersey which was fighting for the British.
You’ve likely seen Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze, painted in 1851, but modern artist Mort Kunstler created a much more likely depiction of events in his 2011 painting entitled, Washington’s Crossing.
It was audacious plan; take a force of 5400, including artillery, across a river at night in a storm in order to attack the enemy in his sleep. 2400 made it with 3,000 troops and the critical artillery stranded in the wrong side of the Delaware. Washington struck out toward his prey and attacked at 8:00 AM, fortunate that the defenders were groggy from their Weinacht’s Fest, surprising many still in bed.
Miraculously, only three Americans were killed, while over 1000 Hessians were captured with 22 killed and 98 wounded. Unfortunately, without his additional force, Washington was forced to withdraw. But the psychological victory fed faith in the revolution.
Consequently, George Washington crossing the Delaware in the middle of a stormy night in order to kill German mercenaries remains my second favorite Christmas tale.
My third favorite Christmas tale comes from the Battle of the Bulge.
December 22 1944 – Encircled by German forces at the Battle of the Bulge, the 101st Airborne Division, under acting commander Brigadier General McAuliffe received a message from German General Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz delivered under flag of truce.
To the U.S.A. Commander of the encircled town of Bastogne.
The fortune of war is changing. This time the U.S.A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled by strong German armored units. More German armored units have crossed the river Our near Ortheuville, have taken Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing through Hompre-Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands.
There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A. troops from total annihilation: that is the honorable surrender of the encircled town. In order to think it over a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation of this note.
If this proposal should be rejected one German Artillery Corps and six heavy A. A. Battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. troops in and near Bastogne. The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hours term.
All the serious civilian losses caused by this artillery fire would not correspond with the well-known American humanity.
His response was perfect.
To the German Commander.
NUTS!
The American Commander
The Palawan massacre occurred on 14 December 1944, during World War II, near the city of Puerto Princesa in the Philippine province of Palawan. The Japanese Imperial Army massacred 139 of 150 American POWs. The Palawan compound was named Camp 10-A by the japanese, and the prisoners were quartered in several unused Filipino constabulary buildings. Food was almost nonexistent; the prisoners received a daily meal of wormy Cambodian rice and a canteen cup of soup made from camote vines boiled in water (camotes are a Philippine variant of sweet potatoes). Prisoners who could not work had their rations cut by 30%.
The Japanese unit in charge of the prisoners and the airfield at Palawan was the 131st Airfield Battalion, it was command of Captain Nagayoshi Kojima, whom the Americans called the Weasel. Lieutenant Sho Yoshiwara commanded the garrison company, and Lieutenant Ryoji Ozawa was in charge of supply. Ozawa’s unit had arrived from Formosa in 1942 and had previously been in Manchuria. There was also a Military police and intelligence unit, called the kempeitai at Palawan, they were feared by anyone who fell into their hands because of their brutal tactics.
In September 1944, 159 of the American POWs at Palawan were returned to Manila. The Japanese estimated that the remaining 150 men could complete the arduous labor on the airfield, hauling and crushing coral gravel by hand and pouring concrete seven days a week. The men also repaired trucks and performed a variety of maintenance tasks in addition to logging and other heavy labor
An attack by a single American Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber on 19 October 1944, sank two enemy ships and damaged several planes at Palawan. More Liberators returned on 28 October and destroyed 60 enemy aircraft on the ground. While American morale in the camp soared, the treatment of the prisoners by the Japanese grew worse, and their rations were cut. After initially refusing the prisoners’ request, the Japanese reluctantly allowed the Americans to paint American Prisoner of War Camp on the roof of their barracks. This gave the prisoners some measure of protection from American air attacks. The Japanese then stowed their supplies under the POW barracks.
On 14 December, Japanese aircraft reported the presence of an American convoy, which was headed for Mindoro, but which the Japanese thought was destined for Palawan. All prisoner work details were recalled to the camp at noon. Two American Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft were sighted, and the POWs were ordered into the air-raid shelters. After a short time, the prisoners re-emerged from their shelters, but Japanese 1st Lt. Yoshikazu Sato, whom the prisoners called the Buzzard, ordered them to stay in the area. A second alarm at 2 p.m. sent the prisoners back into the shelters, where they remained, closely guarded.
Suddenly, in a deliberate and planned move, 50 to 60 Japanese soldiers under Sato’s leadership doused the wooden shelters with buckets of gasoline and set them afire with flaming torches, followed by hand grenades. The screams of the trapped and doomed prisoners mingled with the cheers of the Japanese soldiers and the laughter of their officer, Sato. As men engulfed in flames broke out of their fiery deathtraps, the Japanese guards machine-gunned, bayoneted and clubbed them to death. Most of the Americans never made it out of the trenches and the compound before they were barbarously murdered. Still, several closed with their tormentors in hand-to-hand combat and succeeded in killing a few of the Japanese attackers.
Marine survivor Corporal Rufus Smith described escaping from his shelter as coming up a ladder into Hell. The four American officers in the camp, Lt. Cmdr. Henry Carlisle Knight (U.S. Navy Dental Corps), Captain Fred Brunie, Lieutenant Carl Mango (U.S. Army Medical Corps) and Warrant Officer Glen C. Turner, had their dugout, which the Japanese also doused with gasoline and torched. Mango, his clothes on fire, ran toward the Japanese and pleaded with them to use some sense but was machine-gunned to death.
About 30 to 40 Americans escaped from the massacre area, either through the double-woven, barbed-wire fence or under it, where some secret escape routes had been concealed for use in an emergency. They fell and/ or jumped down the cliff above the beach area, seeking hiding places among the rocks and foliage. Marine Sergeant Douglas Bogue recalled: Maybe 30 or 40 were successful in getting through the fence down to the water’s edge. Of these, several attempted to swim across Puerto Princesa’s bay immediately but were shot in the water. I took refuge in a small crack among the rocks, where I remained, all the time hearing the butchery going on above. They even resorted to using dynamite in forcing some of the men from their shelters. I knew [that] as soon as it was over up above, they would be down probing among the rocks, spotting us and shooting us. The stench of burning flesh was strong. Shortly after this, they were moving in groups among the rocks dragging the Americans out and murdering them as they found them. By the grace of God, I was overlooked.
Eugene Nielsen of the 59th Coast Artillery observed, from his hiding place on the beach, a group of Americans trapped at the base of the cliff. He saw them run-up to the Japs and ask to be shot in the head. The Japs would laugh and shoot or bayonet them in the stomach. When the men cried out for another bullet to end their misery, the Japanese continued to make merry of it all and left them there to suffer. Twelve men were killed in this fashion. Nielson hid for three hours. As the Japanese were kicking American corpses into a hole, Nielson’s partially hidden body was uncovered by an enemy soldier, who yelled to his companions that he had found another dead American. Just then, the Japanese soldiers heard the dinner call and abandoned their murderous pursuit in favor of hot food. Later, as enemy soldiers began to close in on his hiding place, Nielson dived into the bay and swam underwater for some distance. When he surfaced, approximately 20 Japanese were shooting at him. He was hit in the leg, and bullets grazed his head and ribs. Even though he was pushed out to sea by the current, Nielson finally managed to reach the southern shore of the bay.
He was one of 11 prisoners of war who escaped the December 1944 massacre on Palawan Island in the Phillippines, where around 140 soldiers died when the Japanese put them into trenches, dumped gasoline on them and set them on fire. He was later a key witness in the War Crime Trials of 1945.
This biography tells the story of Glenn (“Mac”) McDole, one of eleven young men who escaped and the last man out of Palawan Prison Camp 10A. Beginning on 8 December 1941, at the U.S. Navy Yard barracks at Cavite, the story of this young Iowa Marine continues through the fighting on Corregidor, the capture and imprisonment by the Japanese Imperial Army in May 1942, Mac’s entry into the Palawan prison camp in the Philippines on 12 August 1942, the terrible conditions he and his comrades endured in the camps, and the terrible day when 139 young soldiers were slaughtered. The work details the escapes of the few survivors as they dug into refuse piles, hid in coral caves, and slogged through swamp and jungle to get to supportive Filipinos. It also contains an account and verdicts of the war crimes trials of the Japanese guards, follow-ups on the various places and people referred to in the text, with descriptions of their present situations, and a roster of the names and hometowns of the victims of the Palawan massacre.
www.humanitiestexas.org/news/articles/interview-rufus-w-smith-world-war-ii-pow
SCUBAPRO Sunday is a weekly feature focusing on maritime equipment, operations and history.
NEWINGTON, N.H., (December 7, 2021) – In partnership with the Best Defense Foundation, SIG SAUER is honored to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor with three one-of-a-kind, custom designed 1911 pistols: the Pearl Harbor Commemorative Pistol, the USS Arizona Commemorative Pistol, and the USS Oklahoma Commemorative Pistol.
“It was truly an honor to create these custom pistols and we are humbled to have the opportunity to partner with the Best Defense Foundation to salute these men and women of the greatest generation,” said Tom Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, SIG SAUER, Inc. “The foundation is providing any World War II veteran that wants a measure of closure the opportunity to return to their battlefield and we hope these pistols will bring recognition to their efforts. From the shores of Normandy to Pearl Harbor, the foundation has made it their mission to honor these veterans’ sacrifice and we are forever thankful for their dedication to that mission.”
The unique distinguishing features of the commemorative 1911 pistols crafted by SIG SAUER Custom Works are:
1911 Pistol: The 1911 pistol was one of the most commonly issued pistols and carried by U.S. forces throughout World War II. Each of the commemorative 1911 Pearl Harbor pistols feature engravings designed in collaboration with Outlaw Ordnance customizations, and a Battleship Gray Cerakote® matte finish on the frame and slide. The pistols are chambered in.45 AUTO with an SAO trigger, Gold Dot Novak™ front sights and Wilson Combat™ serrated rear sights.
Pistol Grips: The custom grips on each of the pistols was designed and manufactured by Chad Schumacher at Allegory Goods, and is crafted from teak decking salvaged from the USS North Carolina. After the Pearl Harbor attack, the USS North Carolina was sent to the pacific to strengthen allied forces during the Guadalcanal Campaign, and was part of the offensive operations supporting the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa.
Pearl Harbor Commemorative Pistol: Engravings commemorate the date and time of the attack: December 7, 1941 at 7:55am where Japanese warplanes descended on the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, and the address by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to the U.S. Congress formally requesting a declaration of war between the U.S. and Japan where he began with “A day which will live in infamy.”
USS Arizona (BB-39) Commemorative Pistol: Engravings commemorate the USS Arizona which was hit by Japanese torpedo bombers which detonated in a munitions magazine, which violently exploded and sank the ship, losing 1,177 officers and crewmen. The USS Arizona Memorial at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial was dedicated on May 30th, 1962 to honor all those who died during the attack.
USS Oklahoma (BB-37) Commemorative Pistol: Engravings commemorate the USS Oklahoma which served in World War I and protected allied convoys across the Atlantic. During the Attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese torpedo bomber airplanes hit the Oklahoma’s hull causing it to capsize. A total of 429 crew died as a result, others jumped to safety, were rescued through hatches or from drilling holes in the side of the hull.
Additionally, SIG SAUER is honored to release a short video to video to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor and highlight the detail and distinguishing features of the commemorative pistols.
The commemorative 1911 pistols have been presented to the leadership of the Best Defense Foundation.
A full series of photos of the Pearl Harbor Commemorative 1911 pistols are available for viewing at sigsauer.com.
