Surrender? Forget about it - Surprising responses to ultimatums to surrender - Hipe Magazine
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Military Despatches
Vol 46 April 2021
Coming to a battlefield near you
10 weapons and systems of the 21st century
Surrender? Forget about it
Surprising responses to ultimatums to surrender
“Let’s go!”
Yuri Gagarin - the first man in space
Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler
Hitler’s most loyal sycophant
For the military enthusiast
CONTENTS
April 2021
Page 10
Click on any video below to view
How much do you know
about movie theme
songs? Take our quiz
and find out.
Hipe’s Wouter de The old South African
Goede interviews former Defence Force used
28’s gang boss David a mixture of English,
Williams. Afrikaans, slang and
techno-speak that few Special Forces - Iraqi Special Operations Force
outside the military
could hope to under-
stand. Some of the terms 44
Features
were humorous, some Importance of role models
6 Sea Cadets invest in the youth’s
were clever, while others
Ten weapons of the future future - Officer Training 2021.
were downright crude. By Lt Cdr Glenn von Zeil.
Military technology of the 21st
century.
Part of Hipe’s “On the 48
16 22
couch” series, this is an Rank Structure
Happy birthday Uncle Syd Remembering Yuri Gagarin Pt 1 Over the next few months we
interview with one of The South African Signals As- From humble beginnings to the will be running a series of ar-
author Herman Charles sociation’s oldest member, first man in space! By Regine ticles looking at the rank struc-
Bosman’s most famous World War II veteran Sydney Lord. ture of various armed forces.
characters, Oom Schalk Ireland celebrated his 100th This month we look at the Iraqi
32
was shot Lourens. Hipe spent time in birthday in March. Armed Forces.
A taxi driver Is that a fact
dead in an ongoing Hanover Park, an area 18 Some facts about World War I.
plagued with gang Quiz
war between rival taxi Surrender? Forget about it Short, sharp and to the point.
organisations. violence, to view first- On given an ultimatum to sur- 35
36
hand how Project render, some responses have
Ceasefire is dealing with been rather surprising to say the Remembering Yuri Gagarin Pt 2 Nicknames
Memorial to Yuri Gagarin - the We give you the nickname of a
the situation. least. In this article we look at
First Man in Space – unveiled at famous military figure and you
some of them. tell us who they are. Some of
Hipe TV brings you videos ranging from actuality to humour and every- the southern tip of Africa. Arti-
these nicknames were ones that
thing in between. Interviews, mini-documentaries and much more. cle and photographs by Regine
the person did not approve of,
Lord. but they stuck.
Check out Hipe TV and remember to like, comment, share and subscribe.
00 3
CONTENTS
Page 88
Editor’s
PUBLISHER
Sitrep Hipe Media
EDITOR
Matt Tennyson
PHOTO EDITOR
I
’m sure that many of our getting at, is that “for more than Regine Lord
readers will remember the a year I’ve been living under
hit song by Smokie “Living lockdown.” And so have you.
CONTRIBUTORS
Regine Lord, Ryan Murphy,
April in military history
Next Door To Alice.” Can you still remember when
Matt O’Brien, Lt Col Robbie
The chorus ends with the line, the president appeared on tele-
Roberts, Matt Tennyson, Lt Head-to-Head Forged in Battle Book Review
“And for 24 years I’ve been liv- vision and informed us that the
Cmd Glenn von Zeil.
ing next door to Alice.” country would be going into 87
It was originally released by lockdown for three weeks? 52 72
Military Despatches is pub- The Elite
Australian vocal harmony trio I’m sure that I’m not the lished on-line every month. Weapons of the Falklands War T34 tank The story of the Rhodesian
New World in 1972. But it was only one that is tired of wear- The articles used in Military We look at the weapons used by Rated as one of the best tanks of Special Air Service (SAS) from
the Smokie version in 1976 ing a mask everywhere. Hell, Despatches are copyrighted the ground forces of both Brit- World War I, the Russian T34 their early days right through to
that would go on to become a I’m starting to believe that I’m and may not be used without ain and Argentina during the was forged in battle. the end of the war.
world-wide hit. Jesse James. And don’t even prior permission from the edi- Falklands War.
Then, in 1995, Dutch novelty talk about sanitizing. Both my Battlefield
tor. Front Cover
act Gompie did their own ver- hands have become raving al- Infamous Figures
The views stated in this maga- 78
sion of the song. The chorus coholics. Argentinian helmets and
zine do not necessary reflect the Operation Nimrod
of their version ended with the We’ve gone through a first views of Military Despatches, 66 equipment litter the battlefield
words, “And for 24 years I’ve and second wave of COVID-19 Heinrich Himmler The daring raid by the SAS that after the had surrendered to the
the editor, the staff, or Hipe was watched live by the world.
been living next door to Alice. and the experts warn that a third One of Hitler’s most loyal sy- British during the 1982 Falk-
Media.
Alice? Who the f*#k is Alice?” wave is one the way. cophants and the architect of lands War.
Now, every time this song Gaming
The thing is we still need Hipe! the Holocaust. He rose to a po-
is played anywhere the entire to take every precaution to P.O. Box 31216, Tokai, 7966 sition of power second only to 84
crowd will scream out the line keep safe. History tells us that South Africa. that of his Fuhrer.
“Alice? Who the f*#k is Alice?”
Call to Arms
Dorchester native Charles Hav-
Experience both RTS and simu-
Now you’re probably won- lat was the last U.S. soldier to email lation in the same game.
dering what I’m on about and be killed in World War II. He editor@hipe.co.za
why I’m telling you this. Well was shot by a sniper just min- Movie Review
there are three reasons. utes before the cease fire was to Back Issues
First of all it allows me to dis- take effect. To view any back issues of 86
play my amazing knowledge of I’d hate for any of our read- Military Despatches, go to American Sniper
music. ers to be remembered as the last www.militarydespatches.co.za The true story of US Navy
Secondly, it’s my editorial person to die of COVID. or click here. SEAL Chris Kyle, regarded as
column and I can write what- Until next time. one of the best snipers of the
Matt
ever I want. modern era.
Thirdly, and the point I’m
4 5
Top Ten Top Ten
by Professor H. Kazerooni and
10 Weapons of the future his team at Ekso Bionics.
It is intended to help soldiers
Military technology of the 21st century, some of which is already being used. in combat carry a load of up to
W
90 kilograms at a top speed of
riting this article was kilometres per hour and travel tons and is deployable from a 16 kilometres per hour for ex-
not as easy as I first 800–1000 meters from its con- C-130; thus, the Black Knight tended periods of time.
thought it would be. troller. It has a seven cameras can be airlifted by military HULC is also easy to put
The problem was not finding for driving, situational aware- transport aircraft. on. It arrives folded in a small
what to include in the article, ness, and for the weapon that Similar in appearance to a package, so soldiers just have
but rather what to exclude from can operate in daytime or ther- tank, it is armed with a tur- to stretch out a leg and step into
the article. mal modes. ret-mounted 30 mm gun and foot beds underneath the boot.
In the end I came up with 22 MAARS is armed with an a 7.62 mm coaxial machine Straps then wrap around the
items that could have easily M240B machine gun and four gun. The vehicle is fitted with thighs, waist and shoulders.
made this Top Ten list. M203 grenade launcher tubes a 300-horsepower Caterpillar MAARS ON THE MOVE: This heavily armed bot can accom- Sensors in the foot pads relay
The days of soldiers going on a 360 degree rotating tur- Inc. diesel engine. plish a multitude of task with no danger to the operator. information to an onboard mi-
mano a mano against each oth- ret. It carries 450 rounds of The vehicle is currently being crocomputer that moves the hy-
er have long passed. These days 7.62×51mm NATO bullets and evaluated by the US Army. inside a manned fighting vehi- speed of the missile leaves you draulic system to amplify and
weapons and military systems four 40mm grenades in the four After initially being tested cle (Bradley Fighting Vehicle) with little time to react. enhance the wearer’s move-
rely on the latest technology M203s. in 2007, BAE reintroduced the giving them protection. Now while this may sound ment.
that evolves at an alarming rate. Grenades can include sponge, Black Knight in March 2017 as The Black Knight’s comput- like something out of a sci-fi The flexibility of the system
With many modern military buckshot and tear gas for the Armed Robotic Combat Ve- er system allows it to perform novel, the X51A Waverider is allows soldiers to run, walk,
conflicts it is a case of not who less-lethal purposes, while high hicle (ARCV). a variety of functions by itself very real. kneel, crawl, and even go into
has the best men, but rather who explosive and air-burst can be The Black Knight is ideal for such as moving the turret, navi- The Boeing X-51 Waver- low squats.
has the best gadgets. used for lethal purposes. Each missions deemed too dangerous gation, and planning a route. ider is an unmanned research It could be used as a frame-
In this article we look at ten tube is loaded individually, al- for manned ground vehicles, scramjet experimental aircraft work for body armour or sensor
weapons or systems that will lowing lethal and less-lethal including forward scouting, X51A Waverider for hypersonic flight. Its first arrays that would allow for bet-
have a major impact on the way capabilities to be available and RSTA, intelligence gathering, Imagine you’re manning an test flight was back in 2010. ter situational awareness during
war is fought. selected when needed. and investigating hazardous ar- Early Warning System (EWS), In May 2013, the U.S. Air combat. Lockheed Martin is
Other features include an on- eas. sitting with a cup of coffee and Force planned to apply X-51 also exploring exoskeleton de-
MAARS board loudspeaker to communi- Its biggest advantage is that looking forward to another qui- technology to the High Speed signs to support industrial and
Why send a soldier to carry cate, a siren, a laser dazzler, and the unmanned vehicle can in- et day. Strike Weapon (HSSW), a mis- medical applications.
out a dangerous task when a ro- a gunfire detection system. vestigate areas that are too haz- The next thing a buzzer be- sile similar in size to the X-51.
bot can do it just as well? The weapons system can be ardous for a group of soldiers to gins to loudly sound and an The HSSW could fly in 2020 Quantum Stealth
The Modular Advanced replaced with a manipulator see or check and it can be con- electronic voice starts to bleat, and enter service in the mid- camouflage
Armed Robotic System arm that can lift 54 kg, making trolled by a Dismounted Con- “Warning, incoming missile. 2020s. In the Harry Potter series of
(MAARS) is a heavily armed it able to pick up 155 mm artil- trol Device. Impact in...” The voice is inter- It is envisioned to have a films one of the nifty items is a
bot designed to save lives and lery rounds, and can pull over These advantages allow op- rupted by the sounds of a large range of 1,100 nautical kilo- ‘cloak of invisibility’. Imagine
handle situations too dangerous 140 kg, which means it can drag erators to receive data from un- explosion. metres, fly at Mach 5–6, and fit the fun you could have with
to send real people into. a wounded soldier to cover. manned forward positions and You see this was no normal on an F-35 or in the internal bay that?
The system weighs 167 kg verify their plan of attack by missile, but rather an X51A of a B-2 bomber. Still, it’s just a fictional item
fully loaded with cameras, sen- BLACK KNIGHT ARVC utilizing the information they Waverider travelling at a speed right? No, not really. Canadian
sors, weapons, and ammuni- The Black Knight is a proto- received from the map data to of Mach 6. HULC camouflage company Hyper-
tion. Its battery can last 3–12 type unmanned ground combat check for unsafe conditions or Dropped from a B-2 stealth Human Universal Load Car- stealth Biotechnology has pat-
hours, with a sleep mode to last vehicle (UGCV) designed by obstacles. bomber, the missile travels to rier, or HULC, is an untethered, ented the technology behind
for up to one week. BAE Systems. The Black Knight can be con- its target at a speed of nearly hydraulic-powered anthropo- a material that bends light to
The MAARS can move at 11 It weighs approximately 12 trolled by soldiers safely from 6,500 kilometres per hour. The morphic exoskeleton developed make people and objects near
6 7
Top Ten Top Ten
invisible to the naked eye. Boeing is currently working
The material, called Quantum on improving the system so that
Stealth, is currently still in the it will be able to destroy incom-
prototyping stage, but was de- ing rocket, artillery and mortar
veloped by the company’s CEO rounds.
Guy Cramer primarily for mili- Along the same lines Boeing
tary purposes, to conceal agents also developed a smaller ver-
and equipment such as tanks sion of the HEL MD.
and jets in the field. The Boeing Laser Avenger is
As well as making objects an aerial defence weapon that
close to invisible to the naked can be mounted to a vehicle
eye, the material also conceals and used to shoot down enemy
them from infrared and ultravi- UAVs.
olet viewing devices. SAFE IN COVER: The CornerShot allows you to fire at a target Unlike conventional anti-air-
without exposing yourself to risk. craft weaponry, the Boeing
Electro-magnetic Rail Gun Laser Avenger system doesn’t
This monster cannon is actu- create a muzzle flare or smoke
ally the culmination of over a
CLOAK OF INVISIBILITY: The lower half of this person is cov- MAHEM HEL MD trail when it fires. This means it
decade’s worth of development ered in Quantum Stealth material, showing how effective it is. The Magneto Hydrodynamic Boeing developed the High can be fired from concealed po-
and testing. An electromagnetic Explosive Munition (MAHEM) Energy Laser Mobile Demon- sitions keeping friendly troops
rail gun capable of firing pro- is a weapon being developed strator uses a 10-kilowatt laser safe and out of harm’s way.
jectiles at over 7,200 kilometres themselves to risk. armed target, without exposing by the Defence Advanced Re- to bring down enemy UAVs or
per hour and smashing through The Germans tried it during the operator to counter-attack. search Projects Agency (DAR- drones. Military technology is devel-
concrete structures 160 kilo- World War II. The Krummlauf PA) of the United States De- Mounted on a truck and pow- oping at frightening pace and
metres away. (curved barrel) was an attach- ADS amphibious rifle partment of Defence that would ered by lithium-ion batteries weapons and tech once consid-
The result is a longer range ment for the Sturmgewehr 44 For many years the prime utilize molten metal to pene- and a diesel generator, it’s easy ered science-fiction may soon
weapon with much greater ac- rifle, which was used by the weapon for a combat diver in trate enemy armour. to use and maintain. become a reality.
curacy. They do, however, re- Germans in World War II. an underwater environment The molten metal would be
quire a great deal of power and It allowed the shooter to aim was a knife. Not anymore. propelled by electromagnetic
scientists are still working on and fire around corners with its The ADS is a Russian assault fields from explosions. The mu-
perfecting the output for max- bent barrel and a periscope-style rifle specially made for com- nition would be delivered to a
imum performance without ac- sight. A disadvantage of the de- bat divers. It is of a bullpup target as a warhead “packaged
tually tearing the weapon apart vice was its short life, due to the layout and is chambered in the into a missile, projectile or oth-
when it fires. stress of firing. 5.45×39mm M74 calibre. The er platform.”
Electromagnetic rail guns are CornerShot is a weapon ac- ADS can adapt a suppressor It would penetrate the armour
said to be the future of war- cessory invented by Lt. Col. and optical sights. It can also of an enemy vehicle then ex-
fare as, like other weapons on Amos Golan of the Israeli De- carry a grenade launcher. plode when it gets inside, de-
this list, they use laser energies fence Forces in cooperation The weapon uses 5.45×39mm stroying the vehicle from the
rather than traditional explosive with American investors. bullets and fires at a firing rate inside out. DARPA predicts the
materials and controlled explo- It was designed in the early of 700 rounds per minute with weapon will have greater effi-
sions. 2000s for use by SWAT teams a range on land of 500 metres. ciency, control, and precision
and special forces in hostile The weapon’s effective under- than conventional explosively
CornerShot situations usually involving water firing range when using formed penetrators.
Being able to shoot around terrorists and hostages. Its pur- the specially designed cartridge It is driven by a compressed
corners is the military opera- pose is similar to that of the is about 25 metres at a depth of magnetic flux generator (CMFG).
tor’s dream - meaning they can periscope rifle; it allows its op- five metres and 18 metres at a
fire at a target without exposing erator to both see and attack an depth of 20 metres. BOEING LASER AVENGER
8 9
“Queen Alia Forces” in the itary from 1964 to 2003, pri- ciplined, equipped, and paid
Special Forces - Iraqi Special mid-1950s. marily during the presidency
of Saddam Hussein. It later
It consisted of Sunni and Shia
more than ordinary Iraqi sol-
diers, receiving bonuses, new
Operations Forces Arabs, as well as other compo-
nents of the Iraqi population.
became the Republican Guard
Corps, and then the Republi-
cars, and subsidized housing.
Formed in 1969, it was orig-
Part twenty-five of a series that looks at Special Forces around the world. This month we They were mainly used on an can Guard Forces Command inally created to be a Presiden-
feature the Iraqi Special Operations Forces. emergency basis to carry out (RGFC) with its expansion into tial Guard. Its primary objective
I
special missions inside of Iraqtwo corps. was to maintain the stability of
raqi Special Operations invasion. the Iraq Ministry of Defence.
and outside when the country The Republican Guard were the regime and provide protec-
Forces (ISOF) are Iraqi spe- The forces, directed by the
was at war. the elite troops of the Iraqi army tion against internal and exter-
cial forces unit created by Iraqi Counter Terrorism Ser- History directly reporting to Saddam nal enemies. During the Iran–
coalition forces after the 2003 vice, consist of the Iraqi Coun- Special operations troops of
Republican Guard Hussein, unlike the paramili- Iraq War, it was expanded into
ter Terrorism Command, which the Iraqi Army were first estab-
The Iraqi Republican Guard tary force Fedayeen Saddam, a large military force.
has three brigades subordinate lished when Colonel Khaleel
(Ḥaras al-ʿIrāq al-Jamhūrīy) and the ordinary Iraqi Army. Because of their elite status
to it. Jassim Al-Dab-
was a branch of the Iraqi mil- They were better trained, dis- Republican Guards received
The Counter Terrorism Ser- bagh built the
vice (Jihaz Mukafahat al-Irhab, first royal spe-
originally translated as Counter cial units in
Terrorism Bureau) is funded by the name of
10 11
better equipment and uniforms Army personnel, but as a dis- Operation Desert Storm ian soldiers and 194 Polish sol- The invasion was a quick and
than their regular Army coun- tinctive marking a scarlet rib- The Iraqi Republican The diers from Special Forces unit decisive operation encounter-
terparts, and could often be bon was often sewn to the right Gulf War (2 August 1990 – GROM sent to Kuwait for the ing major resistance, though
identified by distinctive mark- of the National cap badge to 28 February 1991) was a war invasion. not what the U.S., British and
ings or items of head dress. distinguish bravery in combat waged by coalition forces from The invasion force was also other forces expected. The Ira-
Members of the regular Re- and/or loyalty to the Hussein 35 nations led by the United supported by Iraqi Kurdish mi- qi regime had prepared to fight
publican Guards conventional- regime. States against Iraq in response litia troops, estimated to num- both a conventional and irreg-
ly wore a scarlet-coloured trian- The Special Republican to Iraq’s invasion and annex- ber upwards of 70,000. ular, asymmetric warfare at the
gle insignia on both shoulders Guards wore a maroon beret ation of Kuwait arising from The Republican Guard then same time, conceding territory
of their uniforms (sometimes with the national eagle device, oil pricing and production dis- consisted of between 50,000 when faced with superior con-
backed with white material to and a special variation of the putes. and 60,000 men (although ventional forces, largely ar-
form a white border around the triangle shoulder insignia in It was codenamed Operation some sources indicate up to moured, but launching small-
edge of the triangle); they also maroon with green Arabic let- Desert Shield (2 August 1990 – 80,000), all volunteers, and er-scale attacks in the rear using
wore black berets as did some tering. The bright red qardoon 17 January 1991) for operations some 750 Soviet T-72 and Asad fighters dressed in civilian and
Iraqi Special
(shoulder cord) distinguished leading to the build-up of troops Babil tanks and scores of T-55 paramilitary clothes.
Republican Guards as well. and defence of Saudi Arabia and T-62 tanks, along with oth- On 2 April 2003, U.S. Army Operations Force
A similar cord with green and and Operation Desert Storm er mechanized vehicles. Brigadier General Vincent K. Army infantry battalion, and
red bands was also worn by the (17 January 1991 – 28 February A further 90-100 T-72 tanks Brooks said that the Baghdad two support battalions.
Special Republican Guards. 1991) in its combat phase. were operated by the Special Division of the Iraqi Republican By March 2008, the force
Initially, the Guard had limit- The coalition won with min- Republican Guard. These forc- Guard had been “destroyed”. consisted of a single brigade
ed capabilities; however, during imal losses while inflicting es were intentionally away from Iraq information minister Mu- which in turn was made up of
the Iran–Iraq War, it was ex- heavy losses on the Iraqi Army, the capital to avert a possible hammed Saeed al-Sahaf re- an Iraqi Counter-Terrorism
panded to five brigades, which but elements of the Republican rebellion against the regime. sponded that this was another Force (ICTF) battalion, three
was initially being mostly used Guard divisions were able to Another unit that worked U.S. “lie”. Commando battalions, a sup-
in counter-attacks, notably in withdraw back into Iraq. closely with the Republican The Republican Guard was port battalion and a special re-
Operation Dawn 4. By 1986 the Guard was the Fedayeen Sadd- officially dissolved on 23 May connaissance unit.
war had exhausted Iraq with 2003 Gulf War am (‘Men of Sacrifice’). 2003 per Order Number 2 of the Nicknamed the ‘Golden Di-
both Iran and Iraq suffering At 05h34 Baghdad time on Although not a special forc- Coalition Provisional Authority vision’ their motto is “May you
heavy casualties. 20 March 2003 (9:34 pm, 19 es unit as such, the paramilitary under Paul Bremer. sleep peacefully in your bed to-
In 1986 the government March EST) the surprise mili- Fedayeen Saddam warrants a night for a mighty sword stands
closed all colleges and tary invasion of Iraq began. special mention as they fought Formation of the ISOF ready to strike fear in the hearts
universities and be- There was no declaration of alongside elements of the Iraqi After the 2003 Invasion of of those who would terrorize
gan a mass mobiliza- war. The 2003 invasion of Iraq special forces in 2003 in a way Iraq, the Saddam Hussein-era us!”
tion program to force was led by U.S. Army General that proved more successful Iraqi Army was disbanded by
draft dodgers into the Tommy Franks, under the code- than any regular unit of the Ira- the occupation authorities. Be- Command structure
Iraqi Popular Army. name Operation Iraqi Freedom, qi Army. cause of that, the current Iraqi By 2009, the 1st Special Op-
This decision allowed the UK code-name Operation Formed in 1995 by Saddam commando force was recruited erations Brigade (ISOF-1) was
for the drafting of thousands of Telic, and the Australian code- Hussein’s son Uday, the Feday- from scratch, mostly from Shia, based in Baghdad and had the
university students, who were name Operation Falconer. een had an operational strength Sunni Arabs, Kurds, Assyrians 1st, 2nd, and 5th Battalions, a
sent to military summer camps. Coalition forces also cooper- of some 40,000 members who and Turkmen. brigade support battalion and a
In addition, the military be- ated with Kurdish Peshmerga were trained to mount opera- In November 2005, after training battalion/Iraqi Special
gan accepting volunteers from forces in the north. Approx- tions against dissidents and for- training in Jordan with Jorda- Warfare Center and School.
throughout Iraq. imately forty other govern- eigners alike. Some were even nian Special Forces and U.S. The 1st Battalion was the re-
With this massive influx ments, the “Coalition of the trained by the Chechens to carry Army Special Forces (“Green named Iraqi 36th Commando
of manpower the Republican Willing,” participated by pro- out suicidal attacks in the same Berets”), the Iraqi Special Op- Battalion. The 1st Brigade is
Guard expanded to over 25 bri- viding troops, equipment, ser- manner as the Palestinian Fed- erations Force had 1,440 men often referred to as the Gold-
gades which were led by loyal vices, security, and special ayeen. They managed several trained, composed of two com- en Division, and previously the
officers drawn from the Iraqi forces, with 248,000 soldiers successful attacks against US bat battalions, considered equal Golden Brigade.
Republican military. from the United States, 45,000 service personnel, who greatly in training and combat effec- The 2nd Special Operations
Guard British soldiers, 2,000 Austral- feared them. tiveness to an average U.S. Brigade (ISOF-2) had four com-
12 13
mando battalions (1,440 men),
Weapons used by the ISOF which were at Basra, Mosul,
Diyala and Al Asad prior to the
formation of the 3rd Brigade.
The battalions at Basra and Mo-
sul achieved Iraqi Operational
Control (IOC) in January 2008
and conducted local operations.
Regional CT Centers (RCCs),
similar to Joint Interagency
M4A1 Carbine Task Force (JIATF) organiza-
tions, were to be established
at all four regional commando
bases to develop intelligence
on terrorist networks in their re-
gion.
The 3rd Special Operations
VHS-K2/D2 Brigade was established in Bas-
ra by spring 2013, following an
order by the prime minister in
January 2012 that the forces
expand by an additional bri-
gade. It consisted of regional
commando battalions in Basra,
Diwaniya, Najaf, Maysan, Dhi
Bush War Books has probably one of the finest
Barrett M82A1
Qar and Muthana provinces, a collections of military titles available. Especially
recon battalion, and a support
battalion. A Special Tactics unit
on the South African Border War.
is also maintained.
Operations conducted by the
ISOF include;
• Air assault
• Airborne force
Glock 19 • Close-quarters combat
• Counter Insurgency
• Counter intelligence
Click here to visit their website.
• Counter Terrorism
• Direct Action
• Hostage Rescue
• Raiding
• Special Operations
• Special Reconnaissance
M249 LGM
“War does not determine who is right - only who is left”
14 00
South African Air Force as a
Happy birthday Uncle Syd wireless operator, he was on the
shuttle service bringing soldiers
The South African Signals Association’s oldest member, World War II veteran Sydney Ire- back from Cairo to Pretoria by
land celebrated his 100th birthday in March. aeroplane.
Syd was demobilised in De-
On Tuesday 9 March Sydney brother Lionel, plus two other regiment was ordered to Durban cember 1945 in Potchefstroom.
Ireland, better known to all as brothers and two sisters. Af- where he boarded the Durban Syd went back to work at the
Uncle Syd, celebrated his 100th ter primary school he attended Castle Liner which took him to General Post Office in Cape
birthday. Cape Town High School, a high Mombassa in Kenya. The ship Town.
Not only is he the oldest liv- school for boys that was situ- was escorted by two war ships. Before leaving for war, Syd
ing member of the South Afri- ated in Buitenkant Street. At After arriving in Mobassa, they had met Olga at Holy Trinity
can Signals Association he is school Sydney participated in boarded a train for Nairobi and church and kept in touch with
also, to the best of our knowl- sports, mainly soccer and crick- continued on to a camp called her all through the war years. In
edge, the last remaining South et. Gilgil. 1947 they married in the same
African signaller from World Sydney left school and joined At Gilgil his regiment trained church. They raised three chil-
War II. the Post Office, while his twin with the infantry. He was at- dren – Jennifer, Barbara and
Sydney Thomas Ireland was brother joined the SA Railways. tached to the Natal Mounted Geoffrey.
born on 9 March 1921 on a At the age of 18 he joined the Rifles as their signaller. Syd re- In 1975 Syd and Olga cruised
dairy farm in the Parow dis- Union Defence Force (UDF) mained with the NMR through on the Reina Del Mar to South
trict. At the age of six his fami- and was drafted into the South the East African and Egyptian America, visiting Brazil, Ar-
ly moved to Green Point where African Signals Corps as a campaigns, and saw duty in gentina and Uruguay. The trip
he attended Sea Point Primary wireless operator. His first camp Kenya, Abyssinia and Italian took four and a half weeks.
School. was in 1939 at a place named Somaliland. From there he went What a wonderful holiday.
The family consisted of his Klaasjagusfontein near Cape to the Western desert in Egypt. His next trip was to England TOP: Uncle Syd is presented with a printed copy of the March is-
mother, father, Sydney, his twin Point. His second camp was at Syd escaped from Tobruk and for three months, staying with sue of ‘Jimmy’s Own’ by Signals Association Chairman Colonel
Voortrekkerhoogte in Pretoria. linked up with his regiment at Jennifer, their eldest daugh- (Ret) Robbie Roberts. The March issue of the magazine was
When World War Two El Alamein. ter who was living there at the dedicated to Uncle Syd.
broke out he was mobi- Syd was sent home in 1943, time. Whilst there they went
lised on 27 May 1940. three and a half years after he on a conducted tour of Europe BELOW: One of Uncle Syd’s birthday cakes.
Syd embarked a train had left Cape Town. He became for two weeks. They returned
at Monument Station, ill with pneumonia and pleurisy a hired a car to tour England, Scotland and Wales for three
Cape Town, bound and was sent to Wynberg Hos- wonderful weeks.
for Potchefstroom. At pital in Cape Town to be treat- Syd retired from the Post Of-
Potchefstroom military ed and to recuperate. Thereafter fice in 1981 after 43 years. He
camp Syd did signals he was sent to Saldanha Bay to bought a caravan in 1982 and
training for four months. work on a radio station. for 13 years toured South Afri-
In October 1940 his Back to Potchefstroom where ca as often as possible.
he was seconded to the air force In the year 2001 Syd and
as a wireless operator. This en- Olga visited their son Geof-
tailed going to Tempe for a con- frey and his family in Toronto,
version course from army to air Canada for three months. Olga
force procedures and training at passed away in June 2001. Syd
Swartkop. sold his house in Devil’s Peak,
He was then posted to Bula- central Cape Town in 2001 and
wayo in Rhodesia for his first moved in with his daughter Bar-
duty, followed by a posting to bara and son-in-law Korky and
Ndola in Northern Rhodesia their two children Nicholas and
and then to Nchanga on the Adam until he moved to Huis
copper belt. Attached to the Luckoff in Rosebank in 2015.
16 17
Commander John Paul Jones vessels in a surprising victory. cooperation with Axis occupa-
Surrender! Forget about it Often referred to as the “Fa-
ther of the United States Navy”,
The USS Bonhomme Rich-
ard sank the following day, and
tion. Metaxas gave a clear and
simple answer - “No!”
On given an ultimatum to surrender, some responses have been rather surprising to say the John Paul Jones is perhaps best Jones took command of the cap- The Italians crossed the bor-
least. In this article we look at some of them. remembered for his actions dur- tured HMS Serapis. The victory der and attacked Greece. This
ing a scrap between the Con- not only enhanced Jones’ repu- initiated the Greco-Italian War
W
hen I was in my late was also known as Artaxerxes Spartans, the Greeks united and tinental Navy and the British tation, it stunned the British and Greece’s brief participation
teens, many years the not as great? successfully drove the Persians Royal Navy during the Ameri- Royal Navy. in World War II.
ago, I had a tee-shirt During the First Greco-Per- out of the nation, winning the can Revolutionary War. That same day Greek citizens
with a slogan on it that I really sian War the Greek victory at second Greco-Persian War in Jones was a mere 13 years old Ioannis Metaxas poured into the streets shouting
enjoyed. the Battle of Marathon put a one of the greatest military up- when he began his career at sea. To say that Ioannis Metaxas Ohi (No), in open defiance of
It featured an eagle swooping spoke in the Persian’s wheels sets of all time. He served on private merchant was a controversial figure in the Italian invasion.
down on a mouse. The mouse and brought the war to a close. Yet while “Come and take vessels before volunteering for Greek political history would It all ended with a decisive
was sitting on its hind legs with King Xerxes I was not all that them” was a great response to a the Continental Navy in 1775. be putting it mildly. Axis victory, with Athens being
its right paw in the air with the impressed with the defeat and demand to surrender, the Spar- Jones distinguished himself in His tenure as Prime Minin- captured on 27 April, 1941, and
middle finger extended. The vowed to overthrow and de- tans really outdid themselves maritime military service and, ster of Greece was marred with the Battle of Greece ending on
slogan read, “The last great act stroy Greece. He amassed an over a century later. as a result, was awarded com- uthoritarianism and elements of 30 April, 1941.
of defiance.” invasion force which, accord- Once again the Spartans mand of the USS Bonhomme a fascist, strongman regime. To this day 28 October is ob-
When faced with overwhelm- ing to the ‘Father of History’, found themselves threatened Richard, a rebuilt French mer- A former soldier, Metaxas served in Greece as Epeteios
ing odds and greatly outnum- Horodotus, was the largest ever and imposed upon by the expan- chant cargo ship gifted to the was elected Prime Minister in tou “‘Ohi” (“No” Day).
bered and given the ultimatum to have walked the earth. He sion of empire. This was in the Continental Navy by Jacques 1936. For the first four months
to surrender, the logical thing to estimated the Persian army to mid 300s B.C. when the Mace- Donatien LeRay. he toed the line and complied Maor Digby Tatham-Warter
do would be exactly that - sur- measure well over one million donian Kingdom under Phillip On 23 September 1779, Jones with Greek Constitutional Law. The following incident may
render. men. II, predecessor of Alexander the ran into two escorts of the Bal- It didn’t last long and he soon or may not have taken place.
The following people, how- In order to buy the Greek Great, approached the heavily tic merchant fleet, the HMS began to abuse his power as he But it’s worth a look at.
ever, did not follow the rules. army some time, a contingent defended city of Laconia. Serapis and the Countess of observed the rise of fascism in In a scene from the epic film
When given an ultimatum to of 300 Spartan troops gathered The Macedonian’s warned Scarborough. both Italy and Germany. What- A Bridge Too Far Lt Col John
surrender, they had other ideas. in the narrow coastal path of that if the Laconians chose to Logic dictates that the wise ever Adolf and Benito could do, Frost and Major Harry Carlyle
Thermopylae (The Hot Gates). resist, all inhabitants of the city thing for Jones do have done he could do just as well. of the British Parachute Regi-
The Spartans The Persian generals ordered would be slain if the Spartans was cut and run. Instead he de- Yet his most famous moment ment watch as an SS panzer of-
Many people will have seen them to lay down their arms. were defeated. cided to engage both British came during the early years of ficer approaches their position
the film 300 where a mere 300 The Spartans’ reply was “Come The Spartan’s replied with a vessels. World War II, towards the very during a lull in the Battle of
Spartans, wearing little more and take them!” single word: “If….” HMS Serapis was armed with end of his career. Arnhem. The SS officer is un-
than tight little Speedo swim- And make no mistake, the 44 guns, while the Countess of As the German Wehrmacht der a white flag.
suits, held out against hordes of Persian army did exactly that. Scarborough had 22 guns. The blitzkrieged their way across “Rather interesting develop-
invading Persians. The thing is that it took them USS Bonhomme Richard had Europe, it soon became clear ment, sir,” says Major Carlyle
While the movie was a bit more than three days to achieve. 42 guns. that the Nazi war machine was to Lt Col Frost. He then ad-
over the top, it was based on a The Spartans achieved their ob- Not long after the battle be- unstoppable. dressed the German. “That’s far
real battle - the Battle of Ther- jective of buying time for the gan, the USS Bonhomme Rich- The Germans had already enough! We can hear you from
mopylae. Greek army. ard was badly damaged. The taken Luxembourg, France, there!”
The battle took place during The Spartans were destroyed captain of the HMS Serapis Holland, and most of Belgium “My general says there is no
the Greco-Persian Wars, which to the last man. A commemo- instructed Jones to surrender. by the time Italian forces un- point in continuing this fight-
were ultimately little more than rative epitaph engraved on a Jones replied, “I have not yet der the command of Benito ing! He wishes to discuss terms
a grudge match between the an- plaque marks the spot where begun to fight!” Mussolini, ally of the German of a surrender!” shouts the SS
cient Greeks and the kings of the last of the Spartans per- And then, true to his word, state, arrived on the doorstep of officer.
the Persian Empire. ished; it reads “Go tell the Spar- Jones did begin to fight. Mount- Greece. “Shall I answer him, sir?”
The Persian kings were Xe- tans, thou who passest by, that ing a furious counterattack, the On 28 October, 1940, Italian Carlyle asks Frost.
rxes the Great, and his subse- here, obedient to their laws, we DEFIANCE: The slogan on a listing and heavily damaged ambassador to Greece Emanu- “Tell him to go to hell,” says
quent successor Artaxerxes I. lie…” tee-shirt that inspired this ar- USS Bonhomme Richard de- ele Grazzi demanded uncondi- Frost.
I always wonder if Artaxerxes Inspired by the courage of the ticle. feated and captured both enemy tional Greek surrender and total “We haven’t the proper fa-
18 19cilities to take you all prisoner! pany of the British Parachute grounded. The 101st were sur-
Sorry!” Carlyle shouts to the SS Regiment. They were dropped rounded and outnumber by 5 to
officer. kilometres away from Arn- 1.The Germans demanded that
“What?” says the SS officer, hem Bridge, their intended McAuliffe surrender. Like the
looking very confused. drop zone. To reach the bridge Spartans and Ioannis Metaxas
“We’d like to, but we can’t ac- they had to go through Arnhem before him, McAuliffe’s replied
cept your surrender! Was there where the streets were blocked with a single word - “Nuts!”
anything else?” shouts Carlyle. by German forces. The demand to surrender had
The German walks off shak- Digby led his men through been typed out and delivered
ing his head. back gardens of nearby houses, by two German officers under a
“Well, that’s that,” says Frost. avoiding the Germans. They white flag. McAuliffes response
The German officers returns travelled nearly 13 kilometres had also been typed out. When
to General Wilhelm Bittrich, in seven hours while also taking it was given to the two German
commander of the 2nd SS Pan- 150 German soldiers, including officers they obviously did not
zer Corps. members of the SS, prisoner. understand American slang and
“They rejected our surrender During the battle, Digby wore asked if “nuts” was an affir-
offer. What are your orders, his red beret instead of a helmet mative or negative response to
Herr General?” he tells the gen- and waved his umbrella while their demand.
NUTS: Brigadier General Anthony Clement McAuliffe (middle)
eral. walking about the defences de- PFC Ernest Premetz, a Ger-
LEGEND: Major Allison Digby poses with some of his officers at Bastogne.
“Flatten Arnhem,” General spite heavy mortar fire. Tatham-Warter, British Para- man-speaking medic, told the
Bittrich says. When the Germans started Allies had advanced across the forces with utmost secrecy, with German officers, “Du kannst
chute Regiment.
Now while this makes a great using tanks to cross the bridge, Rhine River and into Germany. minimal radio traffic and move- zum Teufel gehen.” (You can
scene for the movie, there is de- Digby led a bayonet charge it fellow soldiers in hiding. At At the same time on the East- ments of troops and equipment go to hell.”). That they did un-
bate as to whether this incident against them wearing a bowler one stage during his travels he ern Front, the Russians were under cover of darkness. Inter- derstand and they stormed off
really occurred as it was por- hat. He later disabled a German helped push a German staff car pushing forward. It became cepted German communications to take the reply back to their
trayed in the film. armoured car with his umbrel- out of a ditch. clear that they would have to do indicating a substantial German commanding officer.
It is a fact that General Bit- la, incapacitating the driver by He managed to gather 150 something drastic if they were offensive preparation were not Against all odds, despite be-
trich did give the British an ulti- shoving the umbrella through escaped British soldiers and not going to lose the war. acted upon by the Allies. ing surrounded, outnumbered
matum to surrender at Arnhem. the car’s observational slit and led them towards the front line. The plan was Unternehmen The Germans launched their and outgunned, the 101st held
What makes the dialogue poking the driver in the eye. Once there he used a torch to Wacht am Rhein (Operation attack on the morning of 16 De- Bastogne for a remarkable one
above seem authentic was that When the Regiment Padre flash a V for Victory sign. Watch on the Rhine). The Ger- cember 1944. The Allies were month.
the character in the film, Major was pinned down by enemy Members of XXX Corps then mans would launch an offen- overconfident and preoccupied Then the weather cleared and
Harry Carlyle, was based on the fire, Digby walked over, opened ferried them across the river. sive through the densely forest- with their own offensive plans, the Allies were able to launch
real life Major Allison Digby the umbrella as if to give him Upon return to the United King- ed Ardennes region of Wallonia so the Germans achieved total a counter-offensive. Bastogne
Tatham-Warter. cover from the fire, and calmly dom, Digby was awarded the in eastern Belgium, northeast surprise. was relieved by General George
Better known as Digby Ta- escorted the padre to safety. Distinguished Service Order. France, and Luxembourg. The Americans retreated in S. Patton and the US 3rd Army.
tham-Warter, or simply Digby, Injured by shrapnel during the So considering the type of The offensive was intended disarray, causing a massive While officially known as the
he was a legendary figure in the Battle of Arnhem, Digby was character that Digby Tatham- to stop Allied use of the Belgian bulge in their defenses. Ardennes Counteroffensive, it
Parachute Regiment. captured. Because of his injury, Warter was, it would not have port of Antwerp and to split the The US 101st Airborne, the was also known as the Battle of
He always had an umbrella Digby was sent to St. Eliza- been unusual for him to give Allied lines, allowing the Ger- “Screaming Eagles”, retreated the Bulge.
with him which he carried into beth’s Hospital but escaped out the type of answer depicted in mans to encircle and destroy as far as the Belgian town of Patton rallied the Ameri-
battle. When asked why, he said of a window with his second in the film. four Allied armies and force the Bastogne. It was here that the can troops, and, in a brilliant
that he had trouble remember- command Captain Tony Frank. Western Allies to negotiate a commander of the 101st, Briga- counter thrust offensive, broke
ing passwords and felt that any- Having made contact with Brigadier General Anthony peace treaty in the Axis powers’ dier General Anthony Clement through the German line and
one who saw him with it would the Dutch Resistance, Digby Clement McAuliffe favour. McAuliffe, decided to make a pushed the German military
think that “only a bloody fool was given a bicycle and a fake During the winter of late Once that was accomplished, stand. back across the border.
of an Englishman” would carry Dutch identity card that allowed 1944 things were not looking Hitler believed he could fully While the Allies held over- The Germans never recov-
an umbrella into battle. him to pose as Peter Jensen, a too promising for the Germans. concentrate on the Soviets on whelming air superiority, the ered, and continued retreating
During Operation Market deaf-mute son of a lawyer. Since the D-Day landings in the Eastern Front. The offen- dense overcast weather meant back towards Berlin for the re-
Garden he was part of A Com- Digby used the bicycle to vis- June 1944 in Normandy, the sive was planned by the German that they were effectively mainder of the war.
20 21W
hen I was reading Humble beginnings mathematics. He was fascinat-
Remembering Yuri Gagarin - about the life of the
first man in space,
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin
was born on 9 March 1934, in
ed by airplanes, and was part
of a group of children who
Part One Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin,
what struck me immediately is
the small village of Klushino,
Smolensk Oblast [‘oblast’ is a
built model aircraft. As a young
child, he had witnessed a Yak-
that this young man – he was type of administrative division], ovlev fighter plane crash-land-
only 27 years old at the time about 200 km west of Moscow. ing near Klushino, and the sight
of his space flight – came from His father Alexei Ivanovich of the pilot emerging from the
such humble beginnings. was a carpenter, and his mother crashed plane reportedly made
His family lived in a small Anna Timofeyevna was a dairy a huge impression on him, lead-
village west of Moscow, in what farmer. Yuri was the third of ing to a lifelong love of flying.
was then the Soviet Union. His four children.
schooling was interrupted for When German Nazi forces Learning to fly
several years during World War advanced towards Moscow in In 1950, at the age of 16, he
II when occupying Nazi sol- November 1941, the village enrolled at a vocational school
diers, on their way to Moscow, was captured. They evicted in Lyubertsy, a city on the
evicted his family from their Gagarin’s family from their south-eastern outskirts of Mos-
home. home and sent the two older cow, where he entered an ap-
He worked hard to overcome siblings, Valentin and Zoya, as prenticeship as a foundryman at
these challenges, throwing him- slave labour to Poland (they a steel plant. At the same time,
self wholeheartedly into learn- escaped and returned home in eager to further his education, he
ing how to fly, and becoming an 1945 after the War ended). The attended seventh grade evening
From humble beginnings experienced fighter pilot. Ac- family was permitted to con- classes at a local ‘young work-
to the first man in space! cording to reports from family, struct a 3m x 3m mud hut on the ers’ school. He graduated from
friends, colleagues and fellow land behind their house, where both the following year.
By REGINE LORD astronauts, he was a down-to- they lived for almost two years Next, he underwent training at
earth young man who remained until the end of the occupation. the Industrial Technical School
calm and kept his sense of hu- Yuri and his younger brother in Saratov, a city on the Volga
mour even under intense pres- Boris did whatever they could River, some 700 km southeast
sure. to sabotage the garrison, by of Moscow. Here, he studied
After his return from space, scattering broken glass on the tractors, while earning money
he rubbed shoulders with gov- roads, pushing potatoes up ex- on the side as a part-time dock
ernment leaders, political of- haust pipes of military vehicles, labourer on the Volga River.
ficials and influential people and generally causing mischief. More interestingly for
around the world, but his fame In 1946, after the end of Gagarin, however, Saratov had
as Cosmonaut No. 1 of the So- WWII, the family moved a local flying club, where he
viet Union did not go to his their home to the nearby small volunteered as a Soviet air ca-
head. town of Gzhatsk, 166 km from det. He learned how to fly in a
With his friendly smile, in- Moscow. They ‘moved home’ biplane and a Yakovlev Yak-18,
telligent eyes, and boyish good quite literally; they disassem- which was a tandem two-seat
looks, and his easy ability to bled their house, physically military training aircraft. An
connect with people, he cap- relocated it, and re-construct- amusing anecdote tells of how
tured hearts and minds every- ed it in its new location. After Gagarin, who was quite short
where. For the political lead- Gagarin’s death in 1968, the in stature, struggled to master
ership at the time, he was the town of Gzhatsk was re-named smooth landings – until his in-
embodiment of the ideal Soviet ‘Gagarin’, in honour of its most structor gave him a cushion to
citizen – and the perfect poster famous resident. sit on so that he had a better
boy for the Soviet space pro- Yuri and Boris started go- view of the runway!
gram. ing to school here; his favour- After graduating from the
ite subjects were science and Industrial Technical School in
22 231955, he was drafted into the He was a hard-working disci- lot, with his fellow cosmonaut first to pave the way into space
Soviet Army and sent to study plined man who was devoted Gherman Titov as backup, and for mankind. This responsibili-
at the Air Force pilots avia- Grigoriy Nelyubov in turn cho-
to his work as chief engineer at ty is not toward one person, not
tion school in Orenburg, from the Jet Propulsion Research In-sen as Titov’s backup. toward a few dozen, not toward
which he graduated at the top stitute (RNII), which designed The son of a humble peasant a group. It is a responsibility to-
of his class in 1957, with the and developed rockets. family, intelligent and bright, ward all mankind - toward its
title of Air Force Fighter Pilot. with a disarming smile and
In 1938, during Stalin’s ‘Great present and its future.
On the day of his graduation, Purge’, Korolev was arrested calm demeanour, Gagarin was Am I happy as I set off on
he married Valentina Ivanovna after being denounced by spite-the perfect poster child of the this space flight? Of course I’m
Goryacheva, a medical techni- ful colleagues and accused of Soviet space program. happy. After all, in all times and
cian, whom he had met earlier deliberately slowing down and Before his flight, Gagarin re- epochs the greatest happiness
that year. They had two daugh- sabotaging the RNII’s work. corded the following stirring for man has been to take part in
ters, Yelena Yurievna Gagari- speech:
Initially sentenced to death, he new discoveries.
na (1959) and Galina Yurievna was instead sent to a Soviet Gu- “Dear friends, both known It is a matter of minutes now
Gagarina (1961). lag labour camp in the far eastand unknown to me, fellow before the start. I say to you,
His first posting was to the of Siberia for some time, and Russians, and people of all ‘Until we meet again,’ dear
Luostari Air Base in Murmansk exposed to such horrific condi-countries and continents, in a friends, just as people say to
Oblast, near the Norwegian bor- CLOSE STUDY: The cosmonaut training group, including Gh- tions that he almost died. few minutes a mighty spaceship each other when setting out
der. This fell under the North- erman Titov (centre left) and Yuri Gagarin (centre 2nd left), are After repeated appeals, his will carry me into the far-away on a long journey. I would like
ern Fleet, whose headquarters closely studying the equipment. sentence was reduced, and he expanses of space. very much to embrace you all,
and main base are at Severo- returned to Moscow – but not What can I say to you in these people known and unknown to
morsk in the Soviet Arctic. Two G-forces; they spent many days month before his death), after to be freed. Instead, he workedlast minutes before the start? At me, close friends and strangers
years later, in November 1959, on their own in sound-proofed successfully defending his aer- in a sharashka penitentiary forthis instant, the whole of my life alike. See you soon!”
he was promoted to the rank of isolation chambers to test their ospace engineering thesis on several years; these were se- seems to be condensed into one On the morning of 12 April
Senior Lieutenant. psychological resilience. They the subject of spaceplane aero- cret research and development wonderful moment. Everything 1961, Yuri Gagarin settled
were subjected to experiments dynamic configuration. laboratories operating from theI have experienced and done till into the small spherical Vostok
Soviet space programme with weightlessness, their en- 1930s to the 1950s within the now has been in preparation for 3KA space capsule on top of
Gagarin applied to join the durance in heat chambers was The ‘Chief Designer’ Soviet Gulag labour camp sys- this moment. You must realize a Vostok K rocket, preparing
Soviet space program, joining assessed, and their reactions to The head of the Soviet space tem. Korolev continued to work that it is hard to express my feel- to be launched from Baikonur
a pool of 3,000 of the best pi- stressful situations were care- program in the 1950s and 1960s ings now that the test for which
in his field (rockets and rocket Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
lots from all over the USSR. fully monitored. was Sergei Pavlovich Korolev motors) until his discharge in we have been training long and According to official records,
His small stature (1.57 m tall, During the intensive training (1907 – 1966), who was a lead- 1944. passionately is at hand. he had slept well the night be-
weighing less than 72 kg) and that followed, Gagarin reported- ing Soviet rocket engineer and Thereafter, he was appointed I don’t have to tell you what I fore, his pulse rate was steady
youthfulness (the Central Flight ly excelled at completing all the spacecraft designer during the at a newly established researchfelt when it was suggested that I and slow (64), and he seemed
Medical Commission was look- required tasks, while keeping a Space Race between the US institute, which designed long-should make this flight, the first relaxed and calm. Korolev, in
ing for pilots between 25 and 30 sense of humour and remaining and the USSR. range and intercontinental bal-in history. contrast, was fretting and wor-
years old) counted in his favour. calm under pressure. He was His name and identity were listic missiles. Korolev’s pas- Was it joy? No, it was some- ried, closely monitoring all the
The extensive and rigorous – exceptionally fit and healthy, as kept secret, to protect him from sion, however, was to get the thing more than that. Pride? No, preparations at ground control,
even gruelling – medical, phys- well as mentally disciplined, in- assassination attempts by the Soviet Union’s space program it was not just pride. I felt great double-checking everything,
ical and psychological testing telligent, curious, and eager to USA; he was officially only re- happiness. To be the first to en-
off the ground (quite literally), and ensuring that no mishaps
whittled this number down to learn. He was also very popular ferred to as ‘the Chief Design- and his work culminated in the ter the cosmos, to engage single occurred.
20 potential candidates. among his cohorts. er’ or by the initials ‘S.P.’. Only design of the R-7 Semyorka handedly in an unprecedented Gagarin was wearing his or-
The experiments and ex- Because some of the candi- after his death was his name rocket, which would ultimately duel with nature - could anyone ange SK-1 space suit and a
aminations included oxygen dates, including Gagarin, did revealed and did he receive the send Yuri Gagarin into space! dream of anything greater than helmet, with the letters CCCP
starvation tests in which can- not have higher education de- public recognition for his ex- that? painted on in red paint at the last
didates were locked into iso- grees, they enrolled in a corre- traordinary ground-breaking Preparing for the Vostok 1 But immediately after that I minute. Someone had suggest-
lation chambers, while the air spondence course at the Zhuk- work in Soviet space explora- mission thought of the tremendous re- ed, partly as a joke, that Gagarin
was slowly pumped out; they ovsky Air Force Engineering tion. A few days before the launch sponsibility I bore: to be the could be mistaken for the pilot
were placed in a centrifuge Academy. He only graduated Korolev’s life had been turned of the Vostok 1 mission, Yuri first to do what generations of of an American spy plane if he
to test their responses to high from this in February 1968 (a upside down early in his career: Gagarin was chosen as the pi- people had dreamed of; to be the landed somewhere unforeseen,
24 25You can also read
