It is from an Argentinian who served as a Second Lieutenant during the Falklands War, and is from a friendly discussion at a miniatures wargaming board. It started as friendly discussion, with I believe people from both sides discussing, and Armand shared some stories:
Note that the blowpipe in discussion is a handheld rocket launcher.
Topic: How Many Companies in Argentine Regts (Falklands)?
Armand, TMP Discussion Boards
Bazookas? I had not seen any but yes, I saw the blowpipes when they arrived at the islands.
Impossible to forget!.
The senior Seargeant took one and said that is was so easy to use that he didn't need to read any instrucctions (who were in english and of course he decided that not want any translation from one of his soldiers who had studied that idiom). He point to a ridge, fire and the projectile shoots out…backwards! destroying a pile of drawers [crates?] with supplies distant at 100 meters.
The face of fear and surprise of that ignorant fool was so comical that all the Company began to laught to tears!.
[After] that, the imbécil decided that those weapons cannot be used!.
He never would accept he was wrong. And so, we had not any to used at combat.
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| Blowpipe in action. Note in our story, the men would be facing the other way. |
4 comments:
PP: You mean a manager at almost everyones work place don't you? :)
I have a more detail piece coming from the same source. Not as funny, but the ineptitude is amazing. It goes a long way toward explaining the performance of a lot of highly politicized conscript armies.
I was accepted into the USAF and the US ARMY at the same time. Long story.
Anyway I had both recruiters saying I had to make a decision. (Ya think?) The AF offered me a job in Admin. The Army offered me a job as a tanker. Of coarse, this 18 YOA city boy who never drove anything in his life wanted to be a tanker and break things. Out of the army in 8 years.
If I went into the AF, I'd probably would have retired with a pension. BUT I would only have had a weapon in my hand once a year for qualification. And I might have a different attitude about guns. IE "Jeez, I gotta go qualify tomorrow! What a pain!!!"
I'm still not sure which one I would pick if offered the choice again.
GK
The choice being a pension vs weapon familiarization and the rest of the joys of combat arms. Living like a bear in the woods, etc.
GK: There is a lot that would go into that type of decision. But from a pure survival point of view, the survival advantage of money and cash flow in the here and now, has to be far more valuable than the possible advantage of training that may not ever wind up being used. It is math.
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