Weapons of War (A-L)
Weapons of War (A-L)
The 10/22DSP is a Ruger .22" calibre rimfire carbine. It takes a 10-round rotary magazine.
The 12/250 Rapid is a precharged air rifle made by Theoben. It has a 23 inch barrel in .25" calibre and takes a 12-round magazine. Power is adjustable from 33ft/lbs to 40ft/lbs.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The AH-64 is an American two-seat attack helicopter.
An airgun is not a firearm but a gun that uses compressed air or carbon dioxide to propel a projectile.
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.
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 7.62mm round from a 30-round box.
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.
The Altmark was a German POW ship of the Second World War. The prisoners-of-war were rescued by the British destroyer Cossack.
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.
APC is an abbreviation for armoured personnel carrier.
Aquila is an American RPV.
Armor is body protection worn in battle. The invention of gunpowder led, by degrees, to the virtual abandonment of armor until World War I, when the helmet reappeared as a defense against shrapnel.
Modern armor, used by the army, police, security guards, and people at risk from assassination, uses nylon and fiberglass and is often worn beneath clothing.
An Armored 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.
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 grroves, causing it to spin. The Armstrong Gun was invented in the middle of the 19th century.
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.
An arrow is a missile projected by a bow.
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.
Artillery refers to missile type weapons.
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.
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.
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.
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.
ATGM is an abbreviation for anti-tank guided missile.
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 Britian in 1940 and was transferred to the USA after its
entry into World War II 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.
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.
The AV-8b is a harrier ground attack aircraft.
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.
The B-1 is an American strategic bomber and cruise missile carrying aircraft.
The Mitchell B-25 was an American medium bomber used during the Second World War. It carried a crew of 5, a maximum speed of 308mph and a service ceiling of 25400ft. It had a range of 2650 miles.
The Baker rifle was the first rifle accepted for English military use. It was a muzzle loader with a calibre of 0.625". It was produced from 1800 to 1838.
In weapon terminology, a ball was originally a spherical projectile, now generally a fully jacketed bullet of cylindrical profile with round or pointed nose. Most commonly used in military terminology.
The Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) was a .30 inch calibre gas operated automatic rifle designed by Browning and manufactured by Winchester, Colt and other companies from 1918 onwards. It had an effective range of 550m.
A bayonet is a short sword attached to the muzzle of a firearm. The bayonet was placed inside the barrel of the muzzleloading muskets of the late 17th century. The sock or ring bayonet, invented 1700, allowed a weapon to be fired without interruption, leading to the demise of the pike.
Since the 1700s, bayonets have evolved into a variety of types. During World War I, the French used a long needle bayonet,the British a sword bayonet, while the Germans adopted a "pioneer" bayonet with the rear edge formed into a saw. As armies have become more mechanized, bayonets have tended to decrease in length.
Although many military leaders have advocated the use of the bayonet, in practice it has been rarely used.
The bazooka was an American infantry anti-tank missile used during the Second World War. It had a range of 90m.
BBC is an abbreviation for Bromo-benzyl-cyanide, a tear gas used during the second world war. It had a smell faintly of watercress. It caused pain in the eyes, a copious flow of tears, spasms of the eyelids and irritation of shaved skin.
Beretta are an Italian gun manufacturer.
The Beretta m38a is an Italian sub-machine gun developed during the second world war. It takes a 9mm round from a 10/20/40-round box. Its cyclic rate is 600rpm and it has a muzzle velocity of 420 m/s.
The Bergmann mp18 was a German sub-machine gun developed during the course of the great war. It takes a 9mm round from a 32-round snaildrum. It has a cyclic rate of 400rpm and a muzzle velocity of 365 m/s.
The Bergmann mp28 was a German sub-machine gun developed from the bergmann mp18. It takes a 9mm round from a 20/30/50-round box. Its cyclic rate is 500rpm and it has a muzzle velocity of 365 m/s. Unlike the mp18, it can fire single shots or bursts.
The Messerschmitt BF 110C was a German fighter aircraft of the Second World War. It carried a crew of 2. It was armed with 4 7.9mm MG 17 machine guns and 2 20mm MG FF cannons in the nose and 1 7.9mm MG 15 machine gun in the rear cockpit. It had a top speed of 349 mph and a range of 565 miles.
Blackpowder was the earliest type of firearms propellant that has generally been replaced by smokeless powder except for use in muzzleloaders and older breechloading guns that demand its lower pressure levels.
A blank cartridge is a round loaded with blackpowder or a special smokeless powder but lacking a projectile. Used mainly in starting races, theatrical productions, troop exercises and in training dogs.
A blowpipe is a tubular weapon through which a missile is blown.
The blunderbuss was usually a short carbine or pistol intended as a defensive weapon which fired a large load of heavy shot at close ranges.
Bolas is a form of missile used by South American Indians. It is a length of rope with a stone or ball of metal at each end. When used it is swung round the head by one hand and then hurled at an animal so as to entangle it by twisting round its legs.
Bolt-action is a gun mechanism activated by manual operation of the breechblock that resembles a common door bolt.
A bomb is a hollow shell filled with an explosive. The bomb was invented in the 15th century for use with a mortar. Early bombs were a hollow iron ball filled with explosive and fitted with a fuse which was ignited as the bomb left the mortar.
A bombard was a type of cannon or mortar generally loaded with stone instead of iron balls.
A boomerang is a curved wooden weapon of Australian aborigines.
A bow is a weapon for propelling arrows. It is made of a strip of flexible wood and a cord.
The Boys Anti-Tank Rifle was designed by Captain Boys at Enfield in 1935 as an anti-armour weapon. It was a .55 inch calibre short bipod mounted rifle with a bolt action and fed from a 5 round box magazine.
The breech is the portion of the barrel with chamber into which a cartridge or projectile is loaded.
A broadsword is a sword with a broad blade designed chiefly for cutting. They were used by some British cavalry and Highland infantry. The claymore was a broadsword.
Brown bess is a family of English flint-lock muskets introduced into the British army towards the end of the 17th century and used at the battle of waterloo.
The Browning High Power Pistol is a 9mm automatic pistol manufactured by FN of Belgium to the Browning design of 1926. It is a recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol which takes a 13-round magazine.
The Brunswick Rifle was a .704 inch calibre muzzle loading, percussion cap rifle issued to the British army from 1838 until 1851. It was manufactured by Enfield, and was sighted to 270 m.
The BT-7-2 was a Soviet tank used during the Second World War. It was armed with 1 45mm gun and 2 7.62mm machine guns. It had a top speed of 45mph on road wheels, and 30mph tracked. It had a range of 220 miles tracked and carried a crew of 3.
A buckler was a small shield worn on the left arm
A bullet is the projectile expelled from a gun. It is not synonymous with cartridge. Bullets can be of many materials, shapes, weights and constructions such as solid lead, lead with a jacket of harder metal, round-nosed, flat-nosed, hollow-pointed, etc.
Caliber is the nominal diameter of a projectile of a rifled firearm or the diameter between lands in a rifled barrel. In the USA it is usually expressed in hundreds of an inch; in Great Britain in thousandths; in Europe and elsewhere in millimeters.
CAP is an abbreviation for Chlor-aceto-phenone, a tear gas used during the second world war. It had a smell faintly of floor polish. It caused pain in the eyes, a copious flow of tears, spasms of the eyelids and irritation of shaved skin.
A carbine is a rifle with a relatively short barrel.
A carronade is a short, large calibre ship's gun.
Case-shot was an early form of shrapnel shell. Small iron balls were put into a cylindrical box (called a canister) that justs fits the bore of the gun. The shell was then fired like any other projectile.
A casemate is a valuted chamber within a fortress wall with embrasures for defence, and more recently it describes the armoured enclosure in which warship guns are mounted with embrasures through which they fire.
A cateran was a Highland irregular soldier or raider.
The Cei-Rigotti automatic rifle is an Italian gas operated rifle developed in the 1890s. It takes a 6.5Mm round from a 25-round box. It has a muzzle velocity of 730 m/s and is sighted to 1400m. The cyclic rate is 900 rpm.
Center-fire refers to a cartridge with its primer located in the center of the base of the case.
The cestus was a leather thong bound around the hand. It was covered with knots, and often loaded with lead and iron. The Roman origin of the modern-day knuckle duster.
CFV is an abbreviation for cavalry fighting vehicle.
The Ch-53e is an American amphibious assault transport helicopter.
Chain-shot was two cannon balls joined by a chain which when fired from a cannon revolved upon the shorter axis and were hence effective for mowing down masts and rigging.
The chamber is the rear part of the barrel that is formed to accept the cartridge to be fired. A revolver employs a multi-chambered rotating cylinder separated from the stationary barrel.
The Chassepot was a French, bolt action, needle fire rifle manufactured by Imperiale during the 1860s. It was adopted as standard by the French army in 1866 and remained the standard until 1874. It had an effective range of 400m.
The Chassepot Rifle was a breech loading rifle adopted by the French infantry in 1866, but given up by the turn of the century.
The claymore was originaly a large two-handed double-edged sword of the Scottish Highlanders; now a basket hilted, double-edged broad-sword.
Samuel Colt of Hartford, Conneticut patented the first successful percussion revolver in england in 1835 and in America in 1836.
The Colt commando is a US automatic rifle. It takes a .223" round from a 20/30-round magazine. It has a muzzle velocity of 915 m/s and a cyclic rate of 750 rpm. It is sighted to 458m.
Cordite is a smokeless explosive used in cartridges. It is made from 58% nitro-glycerine, 37% gun-cotton and 5% vaseline.
A corvette is a convoy escort and patrol warship.
The Courageous was a British aircraft carrier. It was the first Allied warship to be sunk by enemy action in the Second World War. She was sunk on 17th September 1939 by U-29.
Cross-bar shot was cannon balls with iron bars crossing through them. The bars would extend some 6 to 8 inches out of the cannon ball at both sides. Cross-bar shot was used for destroying rigging and palisading.
The cross-bow (arbalist) is a bow fastened across a stock (hence the name cross bow). The bow string was cocked and fired by way of a trigger, projecting a bolt. The cross-bow was invented by the Normans but went out of fashion when the long-bow became popular, mainly because 12 arrows per minute could be fired from a long-bow compared to 3 bolts per minute from a cross-bow.
The Cruise Missile is a long-range guided missile that has a terrain-seeking radar system and flies at moderate speed and
low altitude. It is descended from the German V1 of the Second World War. Initial trials in the 1950s demonstrated the
limitations of cruise missiles, which included high fuel consumption and relatively slow speeds as well as inaccuracy and a small warhead.
The Tomahawk cruise missile is an American missile capable of having a nuclear warhead. It has a range of 583km and a flight speed of mach 0.7.
A cruiser is a warship.
The crusader was a British tank used in the second world war. It carreid a crew of five, and had a top speed of 28mph. It was initialt armed with a two pounder gun, these were upgraded to the six pounder gun later in the war.
The curtal-ax was a type of short sword.
The curtana is a pointless sword carried before English monarchs at their coronation. Emblematically it is considered as the sword of mercy.
The cutlass was a short sword carried by seamen. It was effective due to being short enough to be easy to control, and yet long enough to defend a skilful swordsman. Today the term is used in Jamaica for the machette which resemble in simple form the cutlass they evolved from.
The cylinder is the drum of a revolver that contains the chambers for the ammunition.
DA is an abbreviation for Di-phenyl-chlor-arsine, a nore irritant gas used during the Second World War. It has no smell. It has a delayed action, but causes sneezing, a burning pain in the chest, nose, throat and mouth after a few minutes.
The Dahlgren Gun was an improved form of cannon invented in the 19th century by John Dahlgren of the US navy. It was unusual in having less metal between the muzzle and the trunnions than other guns.
Damascus-steel was a kind of steel originally made in Damascus and much prized for making swords. It was a laminate of pure Iron and steel comprising higher than normal quantities of carbon and produced by careful forging, doubling and twisting.
The Deringer was a pocket pistol invented by Henry Deringer of Philadelphia. The original models were single barelled percussion muzzle loaders with a rifled barrel. In 1861 Daniel Moore patented a 0.41" calibre rim-fire cartridge model.
The Destroyer is a small, fast warship designed for antisubmarine work.
Originally called "torpedo-boat destroyers", they were designed by Britain to counter the large flotillas built by the French and Russian navies in the late 19th century.
They proved so effective that torpedo-boats were more or less abandoned in the early 1900s, but the rise of the submarine found a new task for the "destroyer". They proved invaluable as antisubmarine vessels in both the Great War and Second World War.
The Deutschland was a German pocket-battleship of the Second World War. She set out on her first North Atlantic cruise on 24th August 1940.
The DH4 was the first British daylight bomber aircraft. It first flew in December 1916 and saw action during the Great War.
Double-action is a handgun mechanism where pulling the trigger retracts and releases the hammer or firing pin to initiate discharge.
A Dragoon was a mounted soldier who carried an infantry weapon such as a "dragon", or short musket, as used by the French army in the 16th century. The name was retained by some later regiments after the original meaning became obsolete.
The Dragoon was a revolver manufactured by Colt in 1855. It was a single-action pin fire revolver with a 6-round cylinder. It had a calibre of .44 inches. It was also known as the Old Model Army Revolver.
The DUKW was an American amphibious truck used during the Second World War. It was basically a standard 6 x 6 GMC 2.5 ton cargo truck fitted with buoyancy tanks and with screw propulsion when in the water. DUKW were mainly used to ferry supplies and men from ship to shore, and played a vital part in almost every amphibious landing performed by Allied troops.
The dum-dum bullet was a British military bullet developed in India's Dum-Dum Arsenal and used on India's North West Frontier and in the Sudan in 1897 and 1898. It was a jacketed .303 cal. British bullet with the jacket nose left open to expose the lead core in the hope of increasing effectiveness.
An earthwork is a military fortification formed chiefly of earth. They were cheaper and easier to repair than stone defences and also carried less risk of injury to the defenders from broken stone.
The EM2 is a British automatic rifle with a cyclic rate of 450 rpm. It takes a .280" round from a 20-round box. The muzzle velocity is 772 m/s and it is sighted to 549m.
The Exeter was a British heavy cruiser of the Second World War. She was armed with 6 8inch guns, 4 4inch anti-aircraft guns and 2 2pounder anti-aircraft guns and 6 21inch torpedo tubes. She had a top speed of 32.5 knots and a range of 10000 miles.
The exocet is a French anti-ship missile. It has a range of 70km and a flight speed of mach 0.8. Exocet missiles can be launched by aircraft or ships. The missile is guided, and flies less than 3m above the sea level.
The f-15 is an American single-seat air superiority fighter aircraft.
The f1 is an accurate Australian sub-machine gun. It takes a 9mm round from a 34-round box. It has a cyclic rate of 600rpm and a muzzle velocity of 365 m/s.
The fn fal is a Belgian rifle. It has a muzzel velocity of 853 m/s, is gas operated, and is sighted to 600m. It takes a 7.62mm round from a 20-round box. It was first manufactured in 1950. It is capable of automatic or single shot fire.
The farquhar-hill rifle is a British rifle taking a .303" round from a 20-round drum. Operation is automatic with a cyclic rate of 700rpm. It has a muzzle velocity of 732 m/s and is sighted to 1372m.
Female was the name of one of the first British tanks. They were fitted with six machine guns for use in anti-infantry roles.
The Ferguson Rifle was a .5 inch calibre breech-loading rifle manufactured by Durs Egg in the 1770s. It was 155 cm long and had an effective range of 250 m.
The FG42 is a German assault rifle developed in 1942. It is gas operated and takes a 7.92mm round from a 20-round box. It has a muzzle velocity of 762 m/s and it is sighted to 1200m. It can be fired single shot or in bursts.
The FGM-77a is a US infantry anti-tank missile developed in the 1970s. It has a flight speed of 175 m/s and a maximum range of 1500 meters.
The FH70 is a NATO mobile field howitzer. It fires, under computer control, three 43 kg shells at a range of 32 km in 15 seconds.
The FIM-43a (redeye) is an American shoulder-fired infantry surface-to-air missile. It entered service in 1964. It flies at a speed of mach 2.5 to a range of 2 miles using initial optical aiming and infrared homing guidance.
The FIM-92a (stinger) is an American portable air-defense missile. It was first used by British sas troops in the falklands conflict. The missile flies at a speed of mach 2 to a range of 5km. It uses passive infrared homing guidance.
A firearm is a weapon from which projectiles are discharged by the combustion of an explosive. Firearms are generally divided into two main sections: artillery (ordnance or cannon), with a bore greater than 2.54 cm, and small arms, with a bore of less than 2.54 cm.
Although gunpowder was known in Europe 60 years previously, the invention of firearms dates from 1300 to 1325, and is attributed to Berthold Schwartz, a German monk.
The flint-lock was a development of the discharge method for the musket. Sparks were generated by one impact of a piece of flint on the steel above the priming powder.
The Flying Fortress (Boeing Fortress II) was an American heavy bomber aircraft used during the Second World War. It carried a crew of 9. It had a top speed of 305 mph and a service ceiling of 40000 ft.
A Forlorn Hope was a body of men, usually volunteers, of different regiments selected to lead an assault, enter a breach or perform another perilous task. The name comes from the Dutch word hoop meaning a company.
A fraise is a fortification consisting of pointed stakes driven into the ramparts in a horizontal or inclined position.
The Franc-tireur were a body of irregular soldiers organized in France during the Franco-German War of 1870-1871. They were sharp-shooters employed in guerrilla warfare, harassing the enemy and cutting off detachments.
A frigate is a light-weight, fast and nimble warship.
The ft-17 was a French tank produced by renault and first developed in 1917. 3500 ft-17 tanks were made, and it remained in service until 1940.
A Fusilier was a soldier armed with a fusil.
A gabion was an early form of sandbag, it was a wickerwork basket of cylindrical form but without a bottom and about 50cm in diamiter and 84cm tall (20 inches diamiter, 33 inches tall). In a siege, when forming a trench a row of gabions was placed on the outside nearest the fortress and filled with earth as it was thrown from the trench, so as to form a protective barrier against fire from the besieged defenders. Gabions were still in use as recently as 1900.
A Galleon was a Spanish or Portugese warship. They had three or four decks.
A galley was a low, flat-buil warship with one deck and navigated by sails and oars once common in the Mediterranean. Common galleys were between 30 and 60 meters long, and smaller galleys were known as half-galleys and quarter-galleys.
The garand is a US gas operated rifle adopted by the army from 1936. It takes a .30" round from an 8-round internal box. It has a muzzle velocity of 853 m/s and is sighted to 1097m.
Gewehr was a range of German military rifles used during the first and Second World Wars.
The Gewehr M1898 was a bolt action rifle manufactured by Spandau from 1898 onwards. It took a 5 round box magazine and had an effective range of 900m. These rifles were still in use by the German army during the Second World War.
The gewehr41 is a German rifle manufactured by walther and developed in 1941. It is gas operated and has a muzzle velocity of 776 m/s. It takes a 7.92mm round from a 10-round box. It is sighted to 1200m.
The gewehr98 is a German rifle developed in 1898. It takes a 7.92mm round from a 5-round box. Operation is bolt. The muzzle velocity is 870 m/s and it is sighted to 2000m.
The gingal was a 19th century large musket used in Asia. It was fired from a rest and on occassions was mounted on a light carriage.
Glock is an American firearms manufacturer.
The glock m20 is a semi-automatic pistol manufactured by glock. It takes a 15-round 10mm calibre magazine.
The Gloster Gladiator was a British made biplane used by the Swedish and Finnish air forces during the Second World War. It had a top speed of 253mph. It was armed with 2 .303 inch Browning machine guns in the fuselage. It had a range of 428 miles.
The gp-141 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 4" barrel and a calibre of .357" magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and adjustable rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.
The gp-160 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 6" barrel and a calibre of .357" magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and adjustable rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.
The gp-161 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 6" barrel and a calibre of .357" magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and adjustable rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.
The gpf-331 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 3" barrel and a calibre of .357" magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and fixed rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.
The gpf-340 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 4" barrel and a calibre of .357" magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and fixed rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.
The gpf-341 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 4" barrel and a calibre of .357" magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and fixed rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.
The Graf Spee was a German warship of the Second World War. She was armed with 6 11 inch guns and 8 5.9 inch guns, 8 37mm anti-aircraft guns, 10 20mm Anti-Aircraft guns and 8 21 inch torpedo tubes. She had a top speed of 26 knots and a range of 19000 miles. She carried a crew of 1150.
A grenade is a small missile, containing an explosive or other charge, usually thrown (hand grenade) but sometimes fired from a rifle.
Hand grenades are generally fitted with a time fuse of about four seconds: a sufficient amount of time for the grenade to reach the target but not enough for the enemy to pick it up and throw it back.
Rifle grenades were developed during the Great War to achieve a greater range than was possible with the hand grenade, Grenades were known in the 15th century, but were obsolete by the 19th, only being revived in the Russo-Japanese War 1905.
A Grenadier was originally a soldier specially trained for throwing grenades.
A guerrilla is an irregular soldier fighting in a small unofficial unit, typically against an established or occupying power, and engaging in sabotage, ambush, and the like, rather than pitched battles against an opposing army.
The term was first applied to the Spanish and Portuguese resistance to French occupation during the Peninsular War.
The Hotchkiss H-35 was a French, light-support tank used during the second world war. It was armed with a 37mm main gun.
The Hotchkiss H-39 was a French light-support tank used during the second world war. It was armed with a 37mm main gun.
Habergeon was a sleevless jacket of chain-mail, shorter than the hauberk, and worn by squires and archers during the middle ages.
The half-pike was a defensive weapon composed of an iron spike fixed on a short ashen staff and used in the navy to repel boarders.
The harpoon is an American guided anti-ship missile. It has a range of 102km and a flight speed of mach 0.75. The harpoon missile flies close to the sea level.
The harrier is a British VTOL multi-role fighter aircraft.
The hauberk was a jacket of chain-mail with loose sleeves. There were two models, the small hauberk reached to the hips and had sleeves with extended to the elbow, and the large hauberk which reached down to the knees and had sleeves which extended a little below the elbow and also a hood.
During the Great War, heavy field artillery was defined as comprising all artillery equipped with mobile guns of 4 inch calibre and upwards.
The hk ohws is an offensive handgun from the Heckler and Koch company. It is a .45" calibre short recoil semi-automatic. It has a muzzle velocity of 270 m/s and a maximum effective range of 50m. It takes a 12-round magazine.
The HK35 is a German automatic carbine manufactured by Heckler and Koch. It takes a 5.56mm round from a 40-round box. The muzzle velocity is 960 m/s and it is sighted to 400m. It has a cyclic rate of 600rpm.
A hollow-point bullet is a bullet with a concavity in its nose to increase expansion on penetration of a solid target.
A howitzer is a cannon, in use since the 16th century, with a particularly steep angle of fire. Howitzers were developed during the Great War for demolishing the fortresses of the trench system.
The Human Torpedo was a two manned craft used by allied forces to attack shipping during the Second World War. It was first used by the Royal Navy in January 1943. It resembled a torpedo, the front being fitted with an explosive charge armed with a time fuse. This front charge would be fixed to the target vessel, and the crew would then steer the now headless craft away.
The Hussars were the Hungarian cavalry raised in 1448 by Matthias I. Every twenty houses was obliged to furnish a man, and the word Hussar derives from huszar - husz being Hungarian for twenty. The term Hussar developed to refer to any light cavalry similarly dressed and armed of other European armies.
IFV is an abbreviation for infantry fighting vehicle.
An ironclad is a wooden warship covered with armor plate. The first to be constructed was the French Gloire in 1858, but the first to be launched was the British HMS Warrior in 1859.
The first battle between ironclads took place during the American Civil War, when the Union Monitor fought the Confederate Virginia on the 9th of March 1862. The design was replaced by battleships of all-metal construction in the 1890s.
The JA 37 is a swedish single-seat all-weather interceptor fighter aircraft with secondary strike capability. It is made by saab.
The JU 87B-1 was a German fighter-bomber used during the Second World War. It was manufactured by Junkers. It was armed with two 7.9mm MG 17 machine guns in the wings, one 7.9mm MG 15 machine gun in the rear cockpit and it could carry a 1100lb bomb under the fuselage, or 4 110lb bombs on the wings. It had a crew of 2 and a top speed of 217mph. It had a range of 342 miles.
The KA-32 is a Soviet shipboard anti-submarine warfare helicopter.
Kamikaze were pilots of the Japanese air force in the second World War who deliberately crash-dived their planes, loaded with bombs, usually on to ships of the American Navy.
A special force of suicide pilots was established 1944 to crash-dive planes, loaded with bombs, onto American and British ships.
The Kashin class ship is a Soviet anti-aircraft warship. It was commisioned in 1962, and was the first class of warship to be equipped with gas turbines. It has a top speed of 37 knots. Its armament includes 10 torpedoes, 22 SA-N-3 missiles and 4 SS-N-2c missiles.
The KGP-141 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 4" barrel and a calibre of .357" magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and adjustable rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.
The KGP-160 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 6" barrel and a calibre of .357" magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and adjustable rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.
The KGP-161 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 6" barrel and a calibre of .357" magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and adjustable rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.
The KGPF-330 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 3" barrel and a calibre of .357" magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and fixed rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.
The KGPF-331 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 3" barrel and a calibre of .357" magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and fixed rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.
The KGPF-340 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 4" barrel and a calibre of .357" magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and fixed rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.
The KGPF-341 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 4" barrel and a calibre of .357" magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and fixed rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.
The KGPF-840 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 4" barrel and a calibre of .38" special. It has a 6-round cylinder and fixed rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.
The KGPF-841 is a Ruger revolver. It has a 4" barrel and a calibre of .38" special. It has a 6-round cylinder and fixed rear sight. The front sight can be interchanged.
The kp88x is a Ruger semi-automatic pistol. It is available in 9mm and .30" calibres and takes a 15-round magazine.
The krag-jorgensen m1896 was the US army's first bolt action rifle, seeing action in 1894. It has a muzzle velocity of 610 m/s and takes a 5-round magazine. It is sighted to 1829m.
KSK is an abbreviation for Ethyl-iodo-acetate, a tear gas used during the second world war. It had a smell faintly of peardrops. It caused pain in the eyes, a copious flow of tears, spasms of the eyelids and irritation of shaved skin.
The ksp-221 is a Ruger double-action revolver. It has a 2.25" barrel and a calibre of .22" long rimfire. It has a 6-round cylinder and adjustable sights.
The ksp-240 is a Ruger double-action revolver. It has a 4" barrel and a calibre of .22" long rimfire. It has a 6-round cylinder and adjustable sights.
The ksp-241 is a Ruger double-action revolver. It has a 4" barrel and a calibre of .22" long rimfire. It has a 6-round cylinder and adjustable sights.
The ksp-321x is a Ruger double-action revolver. It has a 2.25" barrel and a calibre of .357" magnum. It has a 5-round cylinder and fixed sights.
The ksp-3231 is a Ruger double-action revolver. It has a 3" barrel and a calibre of .32" magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and adjustable sights.
The ksp-3241 is a Ruger double-action revolver. It has a 4" barrel and a calibre of .32" magnum. It has a 6-round cylinder and adjustable sights.
The ksp-331x is a Ruger double-action revolver. It has a 3" barrel and a calibre of .357" magnum. It has a 5-round cylinder and fixed sights.
The ksp-821 is a Ruger double-action revolver. It has a 2.25" barrel and a calibre of .38". It has a 5-round cylinder and fixed sights.
The ksp-921 is a Ruger double-action revolver. It has a 2.25" barrel and a calibre of 9mm. It has a 5-round cylinder and fixed sights.
The ksp-931 is a Ruger double-action revolver. It has a 3" barrel and a calibre of 9mm. It has a 5-round cylinder and fixed sights.
The l119 is a British 105mm calibre towed howitzer. It has a range of 17,200m.
The l1a1 is a British gas operated rifle with a muzzle velocity of 854 m/s and sighted to 549m. It takes a 7.62mm round from a 20-round box.
The l2a3 was developed from 1942 onwards as a replacement sub-machine gun for the sten. It is a British weapon often known as the patchett after its designer. It takes a 9mm round from a 32-round box. It has a cyclic rate of 550 rpm and a muzzle velocity of 365 m/s.
The l4a1 is a British sniper rifle developed from the number 4 rifle. It takes a 7.62mm round from a 10-round box. It has a muzzle velocity of 838 m/s and takes a telescopic sight.
The lanchester mk1 was a British sub-machine gun issued to the navy from 1940. It takes a 9mm round from a 50-round box and has a cyclic rate of 600rpm. The muzzle velocity is 365 m/s.
A lathi is an Indian weapon consisting of a heavy stick, usually bamboo, bound with iron.
The le mat revolver fired grapeshot and was manufactured mainly in france in the mid 19th century.
The lebel is a French rifle developed in 1886. It is bolt operated and takes a 8mm round from a 8-round tubular magazine. The muzzle velocity is 716 m/s and it is sighted to 2000m.
The lee enfield is a series of British rifles. The mark 3 and 4 are bolt operation and take a .303" round from a 10-round box. The muzzle velocity is 738 m/s and they are sighted to 1829m.
The lee straight pull is a US straight-pull operated rifle issued to the navy in 1895. It takes a .236" round from a 5-round magazine. It has a muzzle velocity of 732 m/s and is sighted to 1828m.
The Lee-Metford series of rifles were adopted by the British army in 1888 to replace the martini-Henry. They were bolt-action rifles which took a 5-round box magazine.
Lever-action is a gun mechanism activated by manual operation of a lever.
The liberator pistol was a cheaply made pistol made in America in 1942 for supply to guerilla forces in enemy countries.
Luger were a range of automatic pistols manufactured by DWM from 1908 onwards. Originaly a 7.65mm calibre pistol, various versions were made. The artillery luger was a German 9mm calibre automatic pistol introduced in 1917. It took a 8-round box magazine.