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Use of captured German pistols in the USSR

Use of captured German pistols in the USSR

2025-06-01 06:06

It is no secret that for many Soviet officers it was very prestigious to own a captured pistol. Most often, German short-barreled weapons could be at the disposal of the infantry commanders of the platoon-battalion level and the military personnel of the reconnaissance units. That is, those who

The basics of shipbuilding policy: a large and strong navy is inexpensive

The basics of shipbuilding policy: a large and strong navy is inexpensive

2025-06-01 06:06

A rare photo - two identical Russian warships of non-Soviet construction together. But that should stop being rare. Photo: defenceimagery.mod.uk Having decided on the principles that should underlie the sane shipbuilding policy of Russia, you need to subject them at least

Tula novelties at the parade and on the front line

Tula novelties at the parade and on the front line

2025-06-01 06:06

The High-Precision Complexes holding (part of the Rostec state corporation) was formed in 2009. Judging by the brand's popularity in Russia and abroad, the consolidation of the scientific and technical potential of specialized enterprises was successful. Not every integrated structure can boast

Remembering Damansky: how not to forget the "forgotten battles"

Remembering Damansky: how not to forget the "forgotten battles"

2025-06-01 06:06

About spilled blood - as a general to a general In February 2021, shortly before the next anniversary of the armed conflict on Damansky Island, a very lengthy and, to put it mildly, somewhat strange material was published in Nezavisimaya Gazeta. It was a big interview with a retired major general

Chinese civilization and Great Scythia

Chinese civilization and Great Scythia

2025-06-01 06:06

In the minds of the majority of Europeans, and even the citizens of Russia, the expanses of Southern Siberia, Altai, Mongolia, Northern and Central China have always been an area of settlement for the peoples of the Mongoloid race, but this is far from the case. Already in 3000 BC, Southern Siberia was inhabited by the clans of the Indo-European

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Soviet "heavyweight" Mi-26. Part 1

Soviet "heavyweight" Mi-26. Part 1

If the Mi-26 did not exist in the USSR, it should have been invented. With the advent of a rotorcraft of this class, it turned out that everyone needed it: border guards and army aviation, rescuers and builders, civil aviation and firefighters. Mi-26 passed Afghanistan, Chechen conflicts, liquidation

"Battles of encryptors" during the defense of Moscow

"Battles of encryptors" during the defense of Moscow

Special-purpose radio divisions, which were part of the GRU of the General Staff of the Red Army, practically from the very first days of the war were engaged in radio interception, jamming enemy radio communications, direction finding German radio stations, and also in misinforming the enemy

Ciphers of Peter I. Innovative Emperor. The ending

Ciphers of Peter I. Innovative Emperor. The ending

During the Battle of Poltava, the Russian army used a rather unusual method of transmitting information. The garrison of Poltava besieged by the Swedes in 1709 was forced to communicate with its comrades in arms with the help of cannons, into which hollow cannonballs filled with cipher letters were charged. Wherein

The tragedy in Sverdlovsk-19: bio-sabotage or negligence?

The tragedy in Sverdlovsk-19: bio-sabotage or negligence?

“The filter is clogged, I took it off. The filter should be replaced. " Such a reminder on a scrap of paper was left by an employee of the plant of the Military Biological Center of the USSR Ministry of Defense ("Object 19") to his replacement when he went home on Friday evening. Filters at the plant were responsible for cleaning air from the worker

Cryptanalysts of the Third Reich. Part 1

Cryptanalysts of the Third Reich. Part 1

It all began long before World War II, in 1919, when under the auspices of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Z branch was created, whose task was to intercept the diplomatic correspondence of friends and enemies of the state. In total, the Z team opened a lot of ciphers and codes during the entire operation

Russian strategists in Syria

Russian strategists in Syria

Illegal military formations in Syria have created a whole state with a mass of fortified and disguised objects - from operational command posts deep underground to warehouses and workshops for the manufacture of explosives. The militants adopted many tactical methods of fortification from

Non-lethal weapons: smelly and slippery chemistry

Non-lethal weapons: smelly and slippery chemistry

Rigorous science says that malodorous compounds in small concentrations affect the olfactory system, exerting psychological effects and causing behavioral changes. That is, they force a person to frown and leave combat positions in horror in search of a breath of fresh air. Much

Operation Ultra, or the story of how the Poles and the British broke Enigma. The ending. Hacking "Citadel"

Operation Ultra, or the story of how the Poles and the British broke Enigma. The ending. Hacking "Citadel"

The head of American military intelligence, William James Donovan, once rightly remarked: “If the British had sent intercepted German military orders to the Kremlin, Stalin might have understood the true state of affairs. However, the British consider the Bletchley apparatus to be completely secret. They

Operational and tactical skill of the militia of the South-East of Ukraine. The ending

Operational and tactical skill of the militia of the South-East of Ukraine. The ending

The militias, faced with a clearly stronger rival, were forced from the very beginning to fight according to the principle "if you want to live, be able to spin." Ukrainian troops, on the contrary, tried to cover the entire territory of the LPNR quite straightforwardly with a kind of gigantic stranglehold, hoping to cut off the rebels from

Operation Ultra, or the story of how the Poles and the British broke Enigma. Part 5

Operation Ultra, or the story of how the Poles and the British broke Enigma. Part 5

The Abwehr and his agents have always been among the priority targets of the decryptors in Britain, and on December 8, 1941, another episode occurred with the disclosure of German spies. On this day, in Bletchley Park, a cryptogram was deciphered from a special "reconnaissance" version of Enigma. A group of agents was taken, part of

Nuclear winter: reality or myth?

Nuclear winter: reality or myth?

In the early 1980s, the scientific communities in the USSR and the United States almost simultaneously came to the conclusion that a large-scale nuclear war between countries would lead not only to the death of most of the world's population, but also to global climate change. It was a golden time for scientists of the Soviet Union: then

Operational and tactical skill of the militia of the South-East of Ukraine. Part 1

Operational and tactical skill of the militia of the South-East of Ukraine. Part 1

The first period of hostilities in Donbass was marked by the defensive tactics of the militia, but the turning point occurred after May 2014, when the Armed Forces of Ukraine began to iron cities with artillery and aircraft. In response, the self-defense forces organized a mass of raids on enemy locations, and also captured

Operation Ultra, or the story of how the Poles and the British broke Enigma. Part 4

Operation Ultra, or the story of how the Poles and the British broke Enigma. Part 4

The previously mentioned Rudolph Lemoine (a participant in the recruitment of Schmidt, who merged some of the Enigma secrets with France) fell into the hands of the German counterintelligence for the first time in 1938, but was released for lack of evidence. In France, Lemoine was believed that he held himself during interrogations in Nazi dungeons as

Operation Ultra, or the story of how the Poles and the British broke Enigma. Part 3

Operation Ultra, or the story of how the Poles and the British broke Enigma. Part 3

The first person of Great Britain, Sir Winston Churchill, receiving information from Bletchley Park, could not always share it even with members of the Cabinet. In fact, Churchill allowed the use of decryption materials only to the chief of army intelligence and the head of the Intelligence Service. Even the appearance

Bullet and flesh: unequal opposition. Part 5. Non-lethal kinetic weapons

Bullet and flesh: unequal opposition. Part 5. Non-lethal kinetic weapons

What is generally understood by the term "non-lethal weapon"? In the classical version, this is a weapon, the principle of which is based on the temporary (up to several hours) deprivation of the enemy's ability to independently perform actions coordinated in time and space without serious residual

Ground units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Combat tactics. The ending

Ground units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Combat tactics. The ending

Heavy mortars and cannons with a caliber of over 100 mm, as well as RZSO, are used in an unusually massive manner in the Donbass. Multiple launch rocket systems operate on average two to three times more actively than in all previous local wars. Especially popular are "Grads" and "Hurricanes", which are relatively

Operation Ultra, or the story of how the Poles and the British broke Enigma. Part 2

Operation Ultra, or the story of how the Poles and the British broke Enigma. Part 2

In 1931, the Poles unexpectedly received important and timely help from the French special services: a traitor appeared in Germany among the employees of the Ministry of Defense, who approached the French government with a proposal to sell secret documents. It was Hans-Thilo Schmidt, and among his "goods"

Ground units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Combat tactics. Part 1

Ground units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Combat tactics. Part 1

At the beginning of the “anti-terrorist” operation, the Armed Forces of Ukraine were more likely to blockade individual settlements captured by the militia to ensure the subsequent “cleansing” operation. The dirty work of eliminating unwanted persons was carried out by the forces of the National Guard of Ukraine and numerous territorial

Bullet and flesh: unequal opposition. Part 3. Biological simulators

Bullet and flesh: unequal opposition. Part 3. Biological simulators

Natural modeling of the processes occurring during a gunshot wound or mine-explosive injury uses two types of simulators: biological and non-biological nature. Objects of biological origin are, first of all, human corpses, their separate parts, as well as various types of mammals

Bullet and flesh: unequal opposition. Part 2

Bullet and flesh: unequal opposition. Part 2

Researchers of wound ballistics eventually came to the rescue with a perfect technique - high-speed shooting, which allows you to create video at a frequency of 50 frames per second. In 1899, Western researcher O. Tillman used such a camera to capture the process of wounding the brain and skull with a bullet