Germany
WWII-Era German Artillery Development I
From the days of Krupp’s first experiments with steel guns and breechloading, the German gunmakers have rarely been reluctant to try something new, and the years from 1933 to 1945 saw their vast inventive resources at their peak. Even the standard service weapons often incorporated refinements not found in the designs of other nations, and when anything extraordinary was requested…
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Nassau (1909)
Nassau was a beamy ship (beam 0.18 per cent of length compared to Dreadnought’s 0.15 per cent), most of the difference being used for additional protection. Twelve 280mm (11in) guns were carried, compared to Dreadnought’s ten 305mm (12in) guns. Magazine layout beneath the flank turrets was cramped. One of the…
The Fall of Kalenga, October 1894
Chief Mkwawa Map of Kalenga – Iringa in 1897 (showing the German attack) Despite their success at Lugalo, and the raids which they were in the habit of launching against native enemies, Hehe strategy seems to have been essentially defensive. Oral tradition describes their immense confidence in the fort which…
The Battle of Lugalo, 17 August 1891
The Battle of Lugalu 0700 HRS 17th August 1891Original Image from Google Earth There are several widely differing accounts of what happened in this battle, which is perhaps inevitable in view of the fact that none of the Germans who were heavily engaged survived to tell their story. Lieutenant Prince…
The Hehe and the Kaiser
Askari soldiers under German command (1906) Warriors from Kondoa (1906) In taking over the southern portion of East Africa while leaving the Kenya Highlands to the British, the Germans seem to have got the worst of the bargain. Despite their proximity to the equator, the highlands around Iringa in what…
Archbishopric Electorates
John I, Duke of Brabant, at the Battle of Worringen, Codex Manesse, about 1340 Positions of forces at the beginning of the Battle of Worringen. Archdiocese Cologne Bishop Irenaeus of Lyons records the existence of a Christian community in Cologne (Köln) by the late second century. Maternus, later bishop of…
Soviet-German Cooperation
Chancellor of Germany Joseph Wirth (2.from left) with Krassin, Georgi Chicherin and Joffe from the Russian delegation. The Rapallo Accord In April 1922, long before Hitler and the Nazis, another treaty was signed between the Soviet Union and the Weimar Republic in which both countries gave up any territorial and…