The five most shameful failures of the us army. Unsuccessful military inventions The thorny path of the revival of airships

Many countries today are proud of their achievements in the military industry, but judging by the facts from history, armies and governments did not always receive the weapons they dreamed of. Even the slightest superiority of the enemy in armament can determine the outcome of the battle. But sometimes the "arms race" gives rise to completely comical models ...

Tank A7V (Germany)

Built and developed in the later stages of World War I by a tractor manufacturer. Hence all the ensuing consequences, both in terms of the materials used and the absurdity of the design. The only plus of that weapon is 7-8 machine guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition on board. Unfortunately, most never made it to the battlefield: the crew would pass out from the heat inside.

Amphibious tank Christie (USA)

Built by inventor J. Walter Christie in 1921. It was intended to be used by the army when landing, as a ground weapon capable of blowing up any enemy resistance. It was armed with a 75 mm cannon, however, the weight of the cannon, combined with the weight of a quarter inch of armor, resulted in a total weight of 7 tons.

british flamethrower jeep

Why not attach a flamethrower to an armored personnel carrier or a jeep? Let them not only be engaged in the transfer of troops, but at the same time beat the enemy to death. Even "better" is to take all the tanks with flammable liquids outside.

In this case, the jeep definitely outperforms the armored personnel carrier - it creates less noise when driving, which provides the driver and crew, surrounded on all sides by tanks and cans of fuel, at least one chance to return from a combat mission.

The jeep was used at the final stage of World War II, and no one knows how successful its use was. The photo shows how the driver is protected from behind by a bottle of fuel for a flamethrower, and in front of him is carefully covered by a gas tank.

The Imperial War Museum in Duxford has a single example of the machine. Which, in general, is predictable, given the number of tanks with flammable liquids brought outside. Fighting in such a jeep is common sense similar to smoking at a gas station.

tsar tank

The domestic military and engineering genius was also noted in the field of very dubious military inventions. One of the most worthy of mention in this context is the "infernal machine" of the First World War called the "Tsar Tank".

A huge wheeled combat mechanism with a design speed of about 17 kilometers per hour could produce a colossal psychological and demoralizing effect on the enemy, but alas, this was where its useful qualities ended - even the simplest volley of shrapnel along the wheel spokes put the car out of action.

Tests showed the unsuitability of the machine in the military field. This whole huge structure rusted in the forest until it was dismantled for scrap already under the new Russian government, in 1923.

airship carrier

Projects for the creation of huge airships-aircraft carriers of the first half of the 20th century seem to us something fantastic, covered with a romantic steampunk halo. However, viable prototypes did occur, both in the United States and in Germany during the interwar period.

Military aircraft of that time - both fighters, bombers, and reconnaissance aircraft, could not boast of current flight range without refueling. Their mass was also lower, so the project to create huge aircraft that could deliver aircraft over considerable distances found its place.

One of the developers was the engineer Karl Anstein, who created the airship Macon USA in April 1933, and after his "sister" - Akron USA. The carrying capacity of Macon allowed five F9C Sparrowhawk aircraft to be lifted into the sky. The mechanism for releasing planes from the airship, as well as returning them back, deserves special attention - it was a hook to which the plane clung, coming close to the airship.

This project was a failure because of its vulnerability - the size of the zeppelins, low speed and low maneuverability made them an ideal target for almost any enemy force. As experience has shown, they did not tolerate bad weather. For example, the already mentioned Macon died on February 12, 1935, unable to cope with the storm. Bob Semple Tank (New Zealand)

During World War II, New Zealand created its own unique tank. The absence of a military industry forced scientists to invent something new, and a tractor-based tank built in a barn was born. Each tank was equipped with 7 machine guns. However, this tank was extremely inconvenient to control.

"Glory to robots" or a walking truck

The walking robot truck was developed by the American firm General Electric in the late 60s. This design was intended to support infantry on rough terrain, and support was supposed to be expressed through the transfer of cargo.

In fact, this robot was supposed to take on the function of a truck or convoy where an ordinary truck was not able to pass. But, alas, not only did the robot warn of itself for kilometers with strong noise and was not stable, it was also impossible to control it.

He weighed more than a ton and moved at a speed of no more than 5 miles per hour. So, despite all the modern projects like BigDog (four-legged cargo robot with powerful artificial intelligence), horses seem to be retired early. Armored Quad (UK)

Created in Great Britain in 1899, this armored car looked a little strange. The armor protected the driver/gunner's body well, but did it matter if the legs were left completely open and it was enough to throw a ball at them to disable the structure. It was possible to completely forget about the use on hilly terrain. No mass production.

Armed motor scooter

The French army during the Indochina War decided to provide itself with new "super-penetrating" weapons, without abandoning the usual scooters. To do this, they attached a 75-mm cannon to them, which, as planned, was supposed to "punch" the road.

The gun, mounted on a moped, was recoilless - that is, it did not give such a strong return, which we are used to seeing in films about gunners, and did not need a gun carriage. But the "miracle of technology" did not help the French. They lost the decisive battle for the Dien Bien Phu garrison and were forced to capitulate. Flying tank Antonov-40 (Russia)

Not only did the tank sweep away everything in its path, passing through any mud, the Russians decided to teach it to fly. However, in order for the tank to take off, it was necessary to reduce its weight, this could only be achieved by depriving it of ammunition, which, in principle, ultimately made it meaningless to use it. The problem was never resolved.

Spherical shell (Germany)

Also known as "ball barrel". It was first seen in 1945 in Manchuria. No other samples were found. The tank was equipped with tiny two-stroke engines and was armed with a machine gun in the hands of the driver.

Focke-Wulf Tribvane

Back in the days when flying was still a miracle, this “plane” could take off from point A and fly to point B. The Nazis added a ramjet to it during World War II. However, the use turned out to be very inconvenient in the end.

Charles de Gaulle

Created in 1986, weighing about 40,000 tons, costing over $4 billion. Charles de Gaulle was the first and only nuclear carrier built outside the United States. However, the screws did not work correctly, the design was not thought out to the end, the nuclear reactor produced radiation in the wrong format in which it was necessary. Failed project.

One Wheel Tank

German invention. One person sitting inside could control two machine guns, if not distracted by the control of the tank itself, of course. In fact, the invention remained useless and was not put into production. Rocket belt

It was invented so that the soldier could safely travel short distances, which is comparable to a jump. Invention of the 60s. seemed very promising. In October 1961, it was demonstrated by J.F. Kennedy, but from the mid-1960s the military ceased to be interested in the project - the maximum duration of the rocket flight was 21 seconds, the range was only 120 m.

Tank Tortuga (Venezuela)

Developed in 1934 and, like the ATV above, was only equipped with a machine gun. It was conceived as a weapon of intimidation for neighboring Colombia, although the logic of the creators is difficult to understand. "Tortuga" is translated as "turtle" - an animal that is in no way associated with aggression.

Compression 1K17 (Russia)

A fully functional device equipped with lasers, which, of course, did not shoot down alien ships, but were quite capable of turning off enemy missile guidance systems (including those on an airplane). Thus, if this contraption hit you, you no longer have options to adequately answer it with your projectile - you will miss.

Crab Sherman Flail (USA)

The main task of the tank was to clear minefields so that other tanks could then drive through it. To do this, drums with chains and a powerful engine were installed in the front part, rotating the entire array. The chains were supposed to capture mines without detonation. However, in the end, the design was never brought to mind.

Tank Corkscrew

Invented by the Russians, the tank was designed to cut a path through rough, rocky rocks. The vehicle was able to maneuver throughout the terrain, incl. snow and ice. Despite this, he had many shortcomings. Including large size, weight, slowness.

compilation material – Fox

The armies of many countries are proud of their achievements in the military industry. Even the slightest superiority of the enemy in armament can determine the outcome of the battle. But judging by the facts from history, armies and governments did not always receive the weapons they dreamed about. Sometimes the "arms race" gives rise to completely comical models ...

One of the developers was the engineer Karl Anstein, who created the airship Macon USA in April 1933, and after his "sister" - Akron USA.

The carrying capacity of Macon allowed five F9C Sparrowhawk aircraft to be lifted into the sky. The mechanism for releasing planes from the airship, as well as returning them back, deserves special attention - it was a hook to which the plane clung, coming close to the airship.

Tank Corkscrew

Tank A7V (Germany)

Single Wheel Tank / Ball Barrel

In addition, despite the fact that the giant wheels of the Tsar Tank really broke birch trees during tests, like matches - it did not differ in high cross-country ability - the rear controlled roller, in the absence of an engine of appropriate power, instantly bogged down in the ground. Tests showed the unsuitability of the machine in the military field. This whole huge structure rusted in the forest until it was dismantled for scrap already under the new Russian government, in 1923.

scooter gun

It was created by the French for use in Vietnam. There were not enough funds for complex structures, which explains the materials used and the strange format. The result was a scooter as a vehicle equipped with weapons. Needless to say, the invention did not pass the test of the war?

In the days when flying was still a miracle, this plane could take off from point A and fly to point B. The Nazis supplemented it with a ramjet during World War II. However, the use turned out to be very inconvenient in the end.

british flamethrower jeep

Cybernetic Machine Walking

An experimental four-legged robot created in 1968 by Ralph Mosher. The car was supposed to help soldiers carry weapons over rough terrain. It never went into production, but a prototype can be found at the US Army Transport Museum in VA. And this is the fifth place in the Top 10 Most Unfortunate Military Inventions.

Charles de Gaulle

Bob Semple Tank (New Zealand)

Rocket belt

Armored Quad (UK)

Flying tank Antonov-40 (Russia)

Mankind has never had a military as defensive, smart and strong, with the same command and resources as the US military today. These words of US State Department spokesman John Kirby, thrown in the face of the whole world in response to Vladimir Putin's statement that the Russian army is now stronger than any potential aggressor, amused many. However, God forbid someone took what was said seriously. In order to clarify this issue completely, we bring to your attention an overview of only the brightest and loudest "epic fails" of the American army.

Crazy Horse Strike

The first, perhaps, truly shameful defeat of the regular US army was inflicted on June 25, 1876. And by whom? Those whom the pale-faced Yankees did not even consider to be people, calling them "bloodthirsty savages." This, of course, is about the native inhabitants of America - the Indians.

Well, savages or not savages, but, nevertheless, in the battle that took place at the Little Big Horn, their losses amounted to 50 people killed and 160 wounded. The American soldiers were utterly decimated. More than 250 people were killed, of which 13 were officers. Far from a heroic death, all the commanders who led the dashing cavalry attack on the Indian camp fell - Major Marcus Renault, Captain Frederick Bentin, and George Armstrong Custer, who led the operation. By the way, he is far from being a "green" newcomer - he ended the Civil War in the United States with the rank of general, and later was reinstated in the US Army with the rank of lieutenant colonel. On its own head ... In general, out of all the “invading forces”, by some miracle, a peaceful convoy cattle (either a horse, or, according to some sources, a mule) survived by some miracle, nicknamed “Comanche”. The poor animal was then driven through the parades until it threw back its hooves and rested in the form of a stuffed animal in the Kansas Museum of History.

For a long time, the banal numerical superiority of the "savages" over the brave guys in dragoon uniforms was considered the cause of such a terrible catastrophe. However, subsequent archaeological research showed that the situation was even worse. Shell casings from the Henry and Winchester carbines were massively found at the battle site. But Custer's soldiers simply didn't have that! At that time, the US Army was armed with single-shot "Springfield" and "Sharps". Lead with an unprecedented speed at that time - 25 shots per minute, they were watered just by the Indians!

The answer to the riddle is extremely simple and lies in American psychology. Lively merchants, for whom every extra dollar earned was and remains much more expensive than human lives (including their own compatriots), heartily supplied the “bloodthirsty savages” with the most rapid-fire and modern weapons. The result is obvious. Fighting an enemy equal to or superior in arms is not for the US Army ... Here, burning Indian settlements, destroying hundreds of everyone there, right down to the very old people and infants - her soldiers did it wonderfully.

Norman beaches, "Omaha" and "Utah" - stages of the "long journey"

About the "heroic landing" of the allied forces in 1944 in Normandy, which marked the opening of the Second Front in World War II, an immense number of works have been written and filmed. "Saving Private Ryan" and other blah blah blah. That's just the truth in them ... How to put it more diplomatically ... Not enough.

Those who try to present it as almost the main battle of that war, either simply do not know what they are talking about, or deliberately and shamelessly sin against the truth. There was no battle!

Let's start with the fact that the formidable "Atlantic Wall", in the form in which many people imagine it today, existed only in the ambitious plans of the top of the Third Reich. And also - in modern films and computer "shooters". In reality, by the time of the landing, its fortifications were barely 50% built, armed with all sorts of rusty rubbish (sometimes with guns from the First World War!), Or with captured cannons, the shells for which were sorely lacking. To match was the "personnel" - something between a disabled team and a penal battalion. The Germans who served in Normandy were either "mighty warriors" with flat feet, strabismus and stomach ulcers, or 40-50 year old "non-combatants" fit only to guard the wagon trains. And more than half of the "defenders" consisted of scum collected from all over Europe and beyond. There were even "Vlasovites"! And also - the 162nd infantry division, entirely formed from the so-called "eastern legionnaires" (Turkmen, Uzbek, Azerbaijani, etc.).

It would seem that what is needed for the American army. A weak, demoralized, practically incompetent enemy, armed at random and with whatever. Come and get it! It wasn't there...

The artillery preparation, which lasted half an hour, went ... nowhere! NONE of the 15,000 shells fired at the Germans by the guns of two battleships, three cruisers, and six destroyers (this is not counting the field artillery that was hitting with might and main from the landing barges!), hit real targets! It is not enough that not a single bunker was destroyed - it was not possible to fill up a lousy trench.

The valiant American aces distinguished themselves even more abruptly. The several hundred thousand tons of bombs they dumped from the Liberators were not like the German fortifications - they did not hit the beach! Poured, idiots, FIVE kilometers from the coast ...

The landing went no better - out of 32 amphibious tanks (DD Sherman), 27 managed to drown while trying to launch! Of the 16 armored bulldozers to destroy the fortifications, only three reached the shore. The commanders of some landing barges, having put on full pants in fear of German artillery, refused to take risks and began landing paratroopers at depths of two or more meters! Brave American guys went to the bottom no worse than the notorious axes. And then ... Then began what I call "the triumph of the fighting spirit of the American army." In his best.

Of the three bulldozers, the sappers were able to use two. “Marines” hid en masse behind another one, threatening to shoot anyone who tries to deprive them of this shelter. Little of. These same clowns drove their own sappers away ... from concrete gouges that needed to be blown up so that tanks could get involved. And where to hide? It is not surprising that in the end, sappers died in dozens ...

But the most admirable example of heroism came from the US Army paratroopers. A few hours before the start of the operation, they tried to throw them deep into the German positions - to capture bunkers and other key defense centers. For some reason, I am not at all surprised by the fact that three dozen paratroopers were dumped (by mistake) straight onto the W-5 bunker. Those who were lucky enough to stay alive after a close acquaintance with German invalids safely surrendered. So - exactly at four in the morning, these crap fighters of the "US Army elite" collectively fell at the feet of the Fritz, demanding to send them away from the front line at a run! And to the surprised question of the Herr officer: “Why would that be?” with all possible frankness they told that in exactly one hour the artillery preparation and landing would begin ... No one beat them, did not torture them. The Germans, one must think from this themselves ofigeli. Oh glorious American army!

Nazi Germany, of course, was defeated. It is a fact. However, taking into account what has been said above, I personally cannot consider the entry of the Americans into that war as something other than a shame. Berlin was taken by our grandfathers! Let's always remember this.

"I'm walking on scorched earth..."

Many people of my generation, and a little older, remember the song from which the lines are taken. About the Vietnam War. This conflict, without exaggeration, has become not just a disgrace for the US Army, but a worldwide disgrace. And in all respects - in the military, political, economic and others.

Well, judge for yourself - when a country with the strongest economy in the world, a multi-million population, an ocean fleet and jet aircraft invades a tiny state torn apart by a civil war, bombards it for EIGHT years, floods it with napalm and defoliants, and then runs with its tail between its legs and throwing " allies”… What is this?

And the losses of the American army in almost sixty thousand - only those killed? Nine thousand American planes shot down there, a thousand pilots captured by partisans? Equipped with the most modern weapons, the “smart and strong” US army was beaten by partisans who started the war with rifles from the Second World War and PPSh. She was shamefully expelled with all her "command and resources."

But this is only the military part of the defeat. It was in Vietnam that the American army showed itself in all its "glory" - with its "scorched earth" tactics, the destruction of the entire country's ecosystem, the massacres of civilians and atrocities comparable only to what Hitler's thugs did in their time.

Someone calculated that during the war, American aircraft dropped more than 100 kilograms of bombs for every inhabitant of Vietnam, both North and South. According to the US Department of Defense, from 1962 to 1971, the Americans sprayed 77 million liters of Agent Orange defoliant into South Vietnam, including 44 million liters containing dioxin. More than 14% of the territory of Vietnam was flooded with this super-toxic abomination. Chemical weapons hit 60% of the jungle and more than 30% of the lowland forests. During 1969 alone, in South Vietnam, the Americans poisoned more than 285,000 people with gases and destroyed more than 905,000 hectares of crops with pesticides. And still - they lost this war!

We will continue talking about the Vietnam War, as well as a story about other, even more shameful episodes in the history of the American army, in the second part of the publication.

From Vietnam to Kiska

In what, in what gentlemen from the USA can give a hundred points ahead to anyone - it is in the ability to wishful thinking. Here they are only equal to their diligent students from some ... underdeveloped countries. Before declaring the US Army the most “defensive, smart and strong” in almost the entire history of mankind, Mr. John Kirby would do well to recall history to the whole world. Own. Well... can we help?

Ash Songmy

We ended the first part of our conversation with a story about how the US Army, in eight years, was unable to cope with tiny, in comparison, Vietnam. At the same time, it must be remembered that the disgrace of America in this case was not limited to military losses alone.

In 1967, the so-called "Russell Tribunal for Investigating War Crimes Committed in Vietnam" was created. This International Tribunal held two of its meetings - in Stockholm and in Copenhagen, and after the first one they delivered a verdict, which, in particular, said:

“... The United States is responsible for the use of force and, as a result, for the crime of aggression, for the crime against peace. The United States violated the established provisions of international law enshrined in the Paris Pact and the UN Charter, as well as the establishment of the 1954 Geneva Accords on Vietnam. US actions fall under Article: Nuremberg Tribunal and are subject to the jurisdiction of international law.
The United States has violated the fundamental rights of the people of Vietnam. South Korea, Australia and New Zealand became complicit in this crime…”

“... The Tribunal finds that the United States, which carried out the bombing of civilian targets and the civilian population, is guilty of war crimes. The actions of the United States in Vietnam must be qualified as a whole as a crime against humanity (according to Article 6 of the Nuremberg Statute) and cannot be regarded as mere consequences of a war of aggression ... "

On March 16, 1968, the US Army stood forever on a par not even with the Nazi Wehrmacht, but with the most vile units of Nazi Germany, like the Einsatzkommandos or other punishers that the Germans themselves abhorred. From now on, along with the Belarusian Khatyn, the Polish Lidice and other places of the most terrible fascist crimes in history, the Vietnamese village of Song My in the province of Quang Ngai is mentioned. More than 500 inhabitants were killed there by American soldiers. And - with special cruelty. The village was literally wiped off the face of the earth - burned down with the people to the last house and barn.

About bastards from purely punitive teams such as “scouts” from Tiger Force, the 101st Airborne Division (oh, those brave American paratroopers ...), who specialized in reprisals against prisoners and civilians, and in addition, they hung themselves with scalps and necklaces from the cut off ears of the Vietnamese are also known to the whole world. As you wish, but in my opinion, SUCH shame is not washed off in any way and never - neither from the uniform, nor from the banner, nor from the soldier's honor.

In the end, I can not resist considering another topic that has already become commonplace. At one time, it became very fashionable (especially in some circles that love “liberal values”) to equate the war in Vietnam with the participation of the USSR in the Afghan war. It seems like - the same thing ... Well, let's compare. In the previous part, I already gave the figures for the losses of the US Army for eight years of Vietnam. Let me remind you very briefly - the loss of those killed only by the US Army - more than 58 thousand people. Downed aircraft - about 9000. Missing - more than 2000 people. About a thousand American soldiers were taken prisoner. Mostly pilots.

During the ten years of the conflict in Afghanistan, the USSR lost about 14 and a half thousand people (irretrievable combat losses), 118 aircraft and 333 helicopters. You can compare further, but, in my opinion, this is enough. I am not going to consider the idiotic conjectures of liberal "historians" that "Afghan losses are underestimated at times", based solely on the thesis: "they counted something little", I am not going to consider. With this - to Mr. Kirby. In one room...

Oh yes! Even in the USSR there were not those 27,000 deserters and war evaders who crawled out in the United States like cockroaches from all cracks when President Ford announced an amnesty for them in 1974. Feel the difference, as they say.

How the "Black Hawk" over the "Black Sea" screwed up

The first US Army personnel to receive the highest military award, the Medal of Honor, after the Vietnam War were Sergeant First Class Randall Shugart and Master Sergeant Harry Gordon. By the way, posthumously ... I wonder - for what merits?

The civil war that began in Somalia in the 1980s continues to this day. In the early 90s, out of a peculiar habit of “bringing democracy” to the whole world, no matter how he kicks, the Americans initiated the introduction of “UN multinational forces” into the country Under their own command, of course. The operation received, as always, the utterly pretentious name "Revival of Hope."

However, "American hope" was not shared by all Somalis. One of the field commanders, Muhammad Farah Aidid, completely considered the presence of foreign soldiers as interference in the internal affairs of the country. What a savage... Of course, the Americans tried to deal with him in the usual manner - with numerous casualties among the civilian population and without any harm to Aidid personally.

The ensuing confrontation led to the fact that in 1993 in Somalia, a whole tactical group "Ranger" - Task Force Ranger, came directly to the soul of Aidid. It included one company of the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, a Delta squadron, and helicopters from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Night Hunters. Special forces - special forces nowhere! Elite to all elites. Well, this elite turned around on the move ...

The first operation to capture the "inconvenient" field commander was carried out "brilliantly" - the prey of the special forces was ... the official representative of the UN Development Program, three senior employees of UNOSOM II and an elderly Egyptian woman, a representative of one of the humanitarian organizations. Whoops…

However, as it turned out in that raid, the idiots were only warming up - the Americans themselves assessed all further operations as "not very successful." During one of them, the heroic “Delta”, with a roar, shooting and all the required special effects, heroically stormed the house of an entire Somali general, effectively putting him and, in addition, another 40 members of the Abgal clan “face to the ground”. True, it later turned out that this general is the best friend of the United Nations and the United States in Somalia, and was actually put forward as a candidate for the post of the country's new police chief. Mdya ... With allies like the Americans, it’s as if enemies are not needed ...

The bodyaga with attempts to capture Aidid himself, or at least someone from his inner circle, dragged on for a long time, tediously and unsuccessfully. Without a doubt, the role played by the fact that the American General Howe, who "steering" the process, perceived him as another "dirty native", while Aidid had a decent military education, received, including in the USSR. Well, the smartest army, no questions...

And finally, the long-awaited day "X" has come! According to intelligence data, on October 3, 1993, in the area of the capital of Somalia, Mogadishu, which was called the "Black Sea", Omar Salad, Aidid's adviser, and Abdi Gasan Aval, nicknamed Kebdid, the Minister of Internal Affairs in Aidid's "shadow government" were supposed to meet. Aidid himself was allowed to appear. The Yankees could not miss such an opportunity! A real armada was prepared for the capture - twenty units of aircraft, twelve cars and about one hundred and sixty personnel. Armored Hummers, trucks full of Rangers, and, of course, Black Hawks. Where would we be without them...

By the way, the first such helicopter was shot down by the Somalis on September 25 - with the help of the most ordinary Soviet RPG-7. Pompous fool…sorry, Commander-in-Chief General Garrison considered this incident nothing more than an accident. "Coincidence, you say? Well, well ... ”- said the partisans of Aidid. And then they stocked up more RPGs.

The beginning of the operation was marked by events ... let's say, in a purely American style. In general, she almost broke down because the agent, who was supposed to stop the car near the house where potential targets would gather, and thus give a signal to capture, left his car in a completely different point with a fright. The entire armada mentioned above almost rushed to storm an empty place. Understood. The agent was either reprimanded or intimidated, and, having once again circled the block, he stopped at the right place. And away we go!

We will not (out of pity) focus on such moments of the operation as the "elite ranger" who blurted out when landing from a helicopter from a twenty-meter height. Or on a desperate assault by two four commandos of an impregnable fortress, which turned out to be ... a stationery store. Well, it happens... One way or another, two of Aidid's close associates and two dozen more people with them were captured by the Americans, and an evacuation convoy moved to the Black Sea area to extract them. And this is where the jokes ended. The bloody hell has begun.

The "Black Sea" exploded with fire and lead. At the very least, miserable scraps of a column that took away an almost self-murdered commando managed to get to the base. In that part of the column that remained for the removal of prisoners at the very beginning of the battle, the Hammer and one of the trucks were burned from the RPG. And then the Black Hawks began to fall from the sky. The first of them with the proud call sign "Super-61" was shot down in five minutes. From all the same RPG, of course. The next grenade flew to the hawk, which landed the search and rescue group. Its pilots were very lucky - they somehow managed to reach the base.

"Black hawk" with the call sign "Super-64" was less fortunate. It didn't go down at all, to be honest. After receiving an RPG shot in the tail section, he crashed two miles from the 61st. Snipers were brought in to protect his Super 62 crew. The ones I mentioned at the very beginning. In the end, only one of the pilots of the 64th managed to survive, and even then, only because he was captured for a subsequent exchange. And ... Yes - "Super-62" caught his grenade, but blurted out to the ground already near the airfield itself.

All this time, the column that had originally arrived to evacuate the rangers and prisoners under the command of Colonel McKnight ... circled the streets of Mogadishu! For which she was subsequently awarded the "honorary" title - "The Lost Convoy". At first, the command demanded that the colonel provide assistance to the downed helicopter pilots, then, realizing that help would be here, like milk from a famous animal, they demanded to immediately go to the base - in order to at least deliver the prisoners to their destination! The drivers of the convoy, meanwhile, with admirable tenacity ... turned into the wrong streets, missing the right turns and forks. In the middle of the day! As they themselves later wrote in their reports, “because of the enemy’s heavy fire.” Well, the smartest - you haven't forgotten?!

Another convoy sent to rescue the rangers who were dying one after another in the meantime got stuck literally in the first hundreds of meters of movement. Two Hammers were blazing with cheerful fires, and the brave mountain shooters and rangers, instead of helping out their comrades, feverishly fired in all directions (later it was calculated that during the battle they shot 60,000 pieces of ammunition!). As a result, the fathers-commanders again spat and ordered the "rescuers" to return to the base.

By nine o'clock in the evening it became completely clear that there was no way to cope with the "most-most army in the world" on its own. The Americans rushed headlong to ask for help from their colleagues in the peacekeeping contingent. As a result, the “elite of the US army” was saved by Pakistani and Malaysian “armor”! She pulled out, so to speak, their asses - as the Americans themselves like to say in such cases.

The column, which included four Pakistani tanks, twenty-four Malaysian armored personnel carriers and about three dozen more vehicles, supported from the air by a whole flock of helicopters, managed to break through barricades and heavy fire to the site of the tragedy. By morning, the evacuation (during which part of the rescued had to follow the “armor” of the foot thug for a whole mile) was successfully completed

The result of the battle was the death of 18 elite fighters of the US Army, the capture of one of them and injuries of varying severity - about eighty. The Somalis lost, according to various estimates, from 300 to 800 people. True, the US ambassador to Somalia subsequently wove something about two thousand dead, but this, I'm sure, is a calculation of the results of passing the famous computer toy Delta Force: Black Hawk Down. On the easy level...

But even if we assume that this figure is at least somewhat close to the truth, then the result is not the most shameful, but the most shameful! Do not forget that dozens of "turntables" poured fire on the Somalis from airborne weapons - only helicopters covering the last evacuation column shot 80 thousand rounds of ammunition and 100 rockets around the city! The “unsurpassed elite” of the US Army, the magnificent superspecial forces, from the very sight of which, theoretically, the “bad guys” should have scattered within a radius of at least hundreds of miles, were opposed by rebels armed by no means the newest Kalashnikovs and, at most, RPGs. . According to some reports, almost half of them were women and children.

In Somalia, October 3 is called "Ranger's Day" and is still almost a national holiday. In the United States, these events were dubbed “the second Pearl Harbor. A humiliating "truce" had to be concluded with Aidid. The US Secretary of Defense was dismissed, and the “strongest army” left Somalia after these events literally the next year. The rest of the UN troops soon followed. Since then, none of the “peacekeepers” dares to meddle in this territory anymore.

Operation Cottage. Full pussy...

In this part of the story, I willy-nilly have to break the chronological principle, which I adhered to earlier. It’s just that the episode, which will be discussed below, is not only unequivocally the most shameful page in the history of the US Army, but may well be recognized as perhaps the greatest military shame of all times and peoples.

For what the hell the Japanese ran into the Aleutian Islands in 1942, no one has established for sure. Some military historians said that from there the imperial army was preparing to "take Alaska." Or - to build air bases for bombing the United States. However, this explanation seems doubtful. Yes, that's not the point.

In 1943, the Americans, who had bombarded the islands with many tons of bombs for a year, finally mustered up the courage to retake them. In May, they landed on the island of Attu, and for three weeks it turned into the arena of the bloodiest battle. Despite the fact that the Japanese army was a military adversary of the USSR, I cannot refrain from words of admiration addressed to her. The Japanese fought like heroes, like real samurai - Warriors who put honor above life. Left without cartridges and grenades, they met the Americans with bayonets, swords and knives. More than half a thousand American soldiers and officers found their death on Attu, more than a thousand the US Army lost wounded. Well, and non-combat losses - twice as much ...

One way or another, the brave American guys approached the tiny island of Kiska already ... with pretty soaked uniform trousers. More than a hundred warships were thrown to take it, with 29 thousand American and five Canadian paratroopers on board. They, as the command of "the smartest in the world" considered, should have been enough to break the eight thousandth Japanese garrison.

On August 15, the Americans fired on the island EIGHT times, rained down on it 135 tons of bombs and mountains of leaflets calling for surrender. The Japanese did not even think about giving up. “Again, they gathered to cut themselves with katanas, bastards!” - realized the American command, and landed troops. 270 American Marines set foot on the land of Kiska, and after them - a little to the north, and the Canadian landing group.

In two days, the brave paratroopers managed to advance 5-7 kilometers inland. Apparently, they spent most of their time turning over stones and interrogating crabs that came to hand - in search of an answer to the question: “Where did the cunning samurai go ?!” And only on August 17 they finally got a chance to prove themselves in all their glory.

On two land mines, when examining a COMPLETELY EMPTY Japanese bunker, 34 American marines managed to blow themselves up. Two - to death ... Obviously, some of them were not taught in time the golden rule of the sapper: “Do not stretch out your hands, otherwise you will stretch out your legs!” The Canadians who heard such a powerful cannonade did not blunder, and-and-and-and ... How they fried it in the place where it was heard from! Yes, from all trunks! The Americans, who were very offended by such a turn, did not remain in debt - the queues of the Tommy Guns mowed down five Canadians like grass. And at this moment...

At that moment, Admiral Kicknade, who was in charge of all this mess, remembered that he was in charge of something. And he also decided to play war games. “Come on, brother gunners, give me a spark from everything on board!” - obviously, his appeal to the crew of the destroyer "Abner Rean" sounded something like this. Well, they are happy to try ... Naval artillery shells fell on the bad heads of the Marines, who had barely begun to "resolve" the situation. Beats, as it is not surprising, "in the bull's-eye." "Friendly fire" cost the lives of seven more Americans and three Canadians. Plus - fifty wounded.

The next day, we managed (finally!) to establish normal communication and the admiral was informed: “There are NO Japanese on the island! Nancy! Raccoon! Your Mother!" Well, it probably sounded something like that... After wiping the sweat that must have flowed from under his snow-white cap, Kicknade decided to back off. In the literal and figurative sense, he gave the command to the Abner Rean to "join the main forces of the fleet." However, instead of this, the destroyer, barely moving away from the coast, managed to run into a mine, which he managed to miss in an unimaginable way ... skip a minesweeper darting along the island. 71 sailors were killed, fifty were injured, and five completely disappeared in foggy waters without a trace.

You probably think that this circus of idiots called Operation "Cottage" is over? Yeah, how about it ... The guys were not going to let up and continued in the same spirit with renewed vigor. And even tougher!

Already on August 21 (a WEEK, as everyone knows that there is NOT a single Japanese on the island!) the mortar crew of the Americans, it is not clear from what fright, fired at their own reconnaissance group, returning from the search. From my own, I specify specifically, units! They shot, apparently, very badly, because the scouts who survived under the mines ... cut out the mortars to the last man! Well, I just don't have words...

Moreover, in the following days - on August 23 and 24, American and Canadian marines opened fire on each other more than once or twice in the process of inspecting Japanese fortifications. In general, the Americans and Canadians lost more than 100 people killed during the assault on a COMPLETELY DESERTED ISLAND. A few hundred more - wounded, frostbitten and sick. No comment…

“But what about the Japanese?!” - you ask. Oh, yes ... The Japanese calmly left the island a couple of weeks before the assault, not wanting to ruin people and resources in a completely useless battle. And rightly so - the "smartest army in the world" did just fine without them.

It only remains to add that after analyzing the operation to storm Kyska, it becomes extremely clear where the legs of the recent tragedy in Ukraine come from. With the interaction of the police. Ukrainian "special forces" were trained by American instructors...

That, in fact, is all about the US Army. Well, except for a couple of strokes. The US Army is the only one on the planet that has used nuclear weapons. And - not against enemy units and formations, but against completely peaceful cities.

In the US Army ... well, it somehow happened ... there never were Matrosovs, Gastello, Talalikhins. But there were brave paratroopers who crawled on their knees in front of the Fritz in Normandy, and "surrendered" on their own initiative the timing of the offensive, or burned the children of Song My in Vietnam. There was NOTHING SIMILAR in either the Soviet or the Russian army. Never.

Now, that's all for sure. Big hello to Mr. John Kirby!

In the past year, failures have plagued many of the armies of the world, as well as some civilians who have decided to acquire weapons. Among these troubles, there are many events truly worthy of the high-profile title of “epic failure”. The Warspot portal invites you to recall the Top 10 most significant, memorable and simply curious failures of 2017 related to weapons.

Altay "stalled"

The firstborn of the Turkish tank building Altay was "immobilized". Last January, Tümosan, the supplier of engines for Altay tanks, terminated the contract with the Austrian company AVL List GmbH, which was supposed to transfer engine production technologies to the Turkish contractor. The Turkish Ministry of Defense is looking for a new supplier of tank engines, as of today - unsuccessfully.

Tank Altay.

British nuclear failure

Back in 2016, the British Navy tested the new Trident II D5 intercontinental ballistic missile, launching from the Vengeance submarine. However, in January 2017, the British newspaper The Sunday Times, citing its sources in the military department, reported problems with the missile during testing. At the same time, the Ministry of Defense calls the tests successful and does not disclose their details, citing "obvious national security reasons".

Be that as it may, a serious scandal erupted in the UK, since an unsuccessful launch could put an end to the allocation of funds for the construction of a new generation of submarines carrying nuclear missiles.

Underwater launch of a Trident missile.

Tank failure of India

In the coming years, the Indian army will not receive domestically developed tanks, since the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO, Defense Research and Development) program to develop Arjun tanks has failed. In April last year, the Indian Ministry of Defense proposed that DRDO make changes to the design of the Arjun Mk-2 tank, since in the basic version it is unacceptable for the army.

DRDO said that the changes required by the military department could delay large-scale production for seven years - that's how long it will take to create a new combat vehicle weighing up to 50 tons.

Tank Arjun Mk-2.

The first failure of the American "Raider"

A promising Sikorsky helicopter was damaged during a test flight. On August 2, 2017, a prototype S-97 Raider made a hard landing at the Sikorsky Development flight center located at the West Palm Beach airfield (Florida). The press service of the Sikorsky company reported that the helicopter systems did not work correctly, and instead of a soft landing, the car fell from a height of two meters. The developers called the problem software and announced the start of work to eliminate it.

Photo from the scene of the S-97 Raider crash.

Losses of the American fleet

In 2017, two US Navy destroyers were damaged in accidents. In June, the destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with the Philippine container ship ACX Crystal ( see the first photo at the beginning of the article) - 7 American sailors were killed, the ship was seriously damaged.

Two months later, the sister destroyer USS John S. McCain did not miss the tanker Alnic MC (10 people died). At the same time, in both cases, civilian ships received minimal damage. Based on the results of the investigation, the command of the US Navy developed new instructions and made changes to the training program for military sailors.

Tank as a way to quarrel with neighbors

In the United States, buying a tank is not a problem. The real problem is making sure he doesn't disturb the neighbors. In October last year, it became known that in an elite area in central Houston, Texas, neighbors ganged up on lawyer Tony Busby, who parked his personal tank on the roadway near the house.

According to Busby, he bought the tank out of patriotic feelings with his personal savings. The local homeowners' association did not appreciate Bazby's patriotism and sent him a letter demanding that the tank be removed from the roadway. The claim letter stated that the tank "impedes movement", causes "security issue" and creates "serious problems for neighbors".

Tony Busby and his tank. Screenshot from the plot of the KHOU-TV channel

Indian Air Force rejected Russian "stealth"

The Indian-Russian FGFA project is in jeopardy. In October last year, the command of the Indian Air Force demanded to close the project Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA), within which it was planned to create a fifth-generation fighter for the Indian army based on the Russian Su-57 aircraft. In a recent report, the Indian Air Force reported that the FGFA program does not meet their requirements, and within its framework it will not be possible to create an aircraft with capabilities close to the American F-35 fighter.

The prototype of the Su-57 fighter at the MAKS-2011 air show.

"South Korean Abrams" delayed

Last year, production of the second batch of K2 Black Panther tanks was supposed to start in South Korea. Due to problems with South Korean engines that did not show the proper level of reliability, the production of the updated K2 Black Panther was postponed for several years. On October 29, it became known that they would be replaced by K1A2 tanks - a new version of the K1 MBT, created on the basis of the American Abrams tank.

Tank K1A2.

The thorny path of the revival of airships

On November 18 last year, the world's largest airship, Airlander 10, crashed at the English Cardington airfield. On the eve of the accident, the aircraft practiced test flights, after which it was fixed on the mooring mast. Hybrid Air Vehicles, which owns the aircraft, said it was likely that the Airlander 10 was blown off its mountings by a gust of wind. The emergency system depressurized the helium tanks and the airship crashed to the ground.

Airship Airlander 10 after the accident.

German quality failed

For the first time in its history, the German Navy returned the ship to the manufacturer for revision. On December 24, 2017, the BAAINBw Procurement Agency under the German Ministry of Defense announced that, after a series of acceptance tests of the latest Baden-Württemberg frigate, it was returning it to the Blohm + Voss shipyard to eliminate the identified deficiencies. The military department did not specify the reasons for the return, but the German Navy had previously stated that the new frigate had problems with the software and rolled to starboard.

Frigate Baden-Württemberg.