Browsing: Military

A Brief History This article presents a timeline of The Dark Ages! Prologue On September 28, 235, Pope Pontian became the first pope to resign his office, only to live out his days exiled to the mines of Sardinia! On September 25th, Catholics remember the death of Spanish Saint Fermin, the first bishop of Pamplona, in 303 A.D…and the miracles that followed! On October 27, 312, the night before the Battle of Milvian Bridge against the Roman Emperor Maxentius, the Emperor Constantine the Great adopted as his motto the Greek phrase “ἐν τούτῳ νίκα” after having a vision of a…

A Brief History On this Independence Day we would like to acknowledge the important role firearms and guns of all types have played in the formation of and preservation of the United States.  Especially with the 1996 movie, Independence Day and the 2016 sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence,  we also recognize the prominent role firearms and weapons have played in Hollywood movies and television productions.  On June 27, 2016, Shooting Illustrated, an NRA affiliated publication, published a list of “Top Ten Guns of American Pop Culture” giving us inspiration for making our own list. Digging Deeper 10.  Take Down Sniper Rifle.…

A Brief History On July 3, 1969, the Soviet Union’s dreams of a moon rocket went up in smoke and fire on the launch pad as the largest explosion of any rocket in history.  The Soviet N1 rocket booster was a giant rocket meant to carry objects or people beyond Earth orbit, basically to the moon.  Its first stage is the most powerful single stage of any rocket ever made, and that includes the American counterpart, the Saturn V. Digging Deeper The 5 stage monster N1 rockets were 344 feet tall and almost 56 feet in diameter.  Weighing in at…

A Brief History On July 3, 1940, the Royal Navy (on purpose) pounded a French fleet moored at the Algerian port of Mers-el-Kebir, sinking three French battleships.  Usually when we discuss “friendly fire” we are talking about same side or allied forces accidentally targeting other friendly forces, or technical problems that result in one side’s own weapons striking their own people or equipment. Digging Deeper In this case, the attack was quite deliberate, as France had been overrun by the Nazi juggernaut and the desperate British feared the powerful French fleet would be turned over to Germany for their own…

A Brief History On July 3, 1988, the guided missile cruiser USS Vincennes defended itself against an attacking Iranian fighter bomber by firing two ship to air missiles.  The “attacking” jet was struck and shot down, but it turned out to be Iran Air Flight 655, an Airbus 300 carrying 290 people (civilians).  Sometimes when naval men make mistakes, people die.  Sometimes, the mistake is extremely expensive, or just highly embarrassing.  Here we list 10 of those moments when the naval brass would love to have a “do over.”   Digging Deeper 10. RAF Sinks Cap Arcona, et al, 1945. In spite of…