Bristol Buckingham — British twin engine bomber more used in liaison and passenger roles.
Brylcreams — Slang term for the Air Force.
C-47 — US twin engine transport used for paratroopers or supply.
de Havilland Vampire — British single engine jet aircraft, produced in fighter, night-fighter and carrier versions.
Der Totentanz — Dance of Death / Danse Macabre.
DFS-230 — WW2 German glider for up to 9 men [15 for F1 version].
Dingo — British Daimler 4x4 reconnaissance and liaison vehicle.
DRH — Deutsches Republikanischen Heer [Army]
DRK — Deutsches Republikanischen Kreigsmarine [Navy]
DRL — Deutsches Republikanischen Luftwaffe [Air Force]
F80 Shooting Star — US single engine turbojet fighter.
FN — Fabrique National, Belgian arms manufacturer.
FOO — Forward Observation officer
FUSAG — First US Army group, a subterfuge around D-Day, intended to mislead the Germans about the invasion's focal point.
G43 Gewehr — German WW2 7.92mm semi-automatic rifle.
GC&CS — Government code & cypher school, now known as GCHQ, Cheltenham, UK.
Geffchen & Richter — Company that produced the first walk-through metal detectors [mid 1920s].
Gigant — German Messerschmitt 323, motorised version of a heavy gilder, equipped with six engines, and capable of carrying a light tank or other vehicles.
Govno — Soviet expression for shit/bullshit/rubbish
Gran Sasso — September 1943 raid by Fallschirmjager and SS troops to liberate Mussolini from Italian captors.
Grand Slam — British earthquake bomb containing 22000 lbs [10000 kgs] of Torpex D1, equivalent to 6.5 tons of TNT.
Hals-und beinbruch — Literal meaning is ‘break a leg’, but is always intended as ‘good luck’.
He219 — German night fighter, also known as the Uhu [Eagle-owl]. First operational military aircraft to have ejector seats. Was greatly feared, but only produced in small numbers.
HEAT — High-explosive, Anti-tank. Shaped charge shells that penetrate using the Monroe effect.
Heracles Missions — So named as Heracles had killed the multi-headed Hydra, the Heracles missions were designed to cut the head off the Red Army by killing the front and overall command structures in Europe.
Hershey Bar — American chocolate bar
Horch 1a — German 4x4 multi-purpose vehicle.
HS-129/B3 — German Henschel twin-engine ground attack fighter, known as the Panzerknacker. B3 version was equipped with the 75mm Bordkanone, and was a successful tank killer.
Hundchen — Marriage of an SDKFZ 251 and a Pak43 88mm anti-tank gun. Unsuccessful as it was top heavy.
HVAP — High Velocity, Armour Piercing
Hyena — Panther hull married to an M4A3 or similar turret, mounting a 76mm gun.
Imperia — Belgian automotive factory.
IS-IV — Soviet upgraded version of the IS-III, with increased armour, improved engine, longer chassis, but retaining the 122mm gun.
Jaguar — Panther modification, similar to the Ausf F.
JU-388 — German Junkers twin engine multi-role aircraft.
JU-52 — German three engine transport aircraft.
JU-87D — German single engine dive-bomber, known as the Stuka.
Killick — RN Leading Seaman
Koorva — Ukrainian word meaning whore.
Lanchester — British copy of the MP28 SMG.
Lilliput Pistol — German semi-auto pistol of 4.25mm calibre. 4.25" long and with a barrel length of 1.75".
M-18 RCL — US recoilless rifle of 57mm diameter.
M-20 RCL — US recoilless rifle of 75mm diameter.
M-29 Cluster bomb — US 500lbs cluster bomb containing ninety 4lbs charges.
M39 grenade — German egg-grenade.
M8 Greyhound — US-manufactured six-wheel armoured car, armed with a 37mm gun.
M9A1 Bazooka — US 57mm diameter rocket AT weapon.
Mamayev Kurgan — Dominant feature in the Battle for Stalingrad. Height 102.2 changed hands a number of times.
Matrose — Soviet seaman
Maxson mount. — A powered gun mount for 4 .50cal heavy machine guns, effective as an AA weapon or for ground use.
Me 323 Gigant — German Messerschmitt 323, motorised version of a heavy gilder, equipped with six engines, and capable of carrying a light tank or other vehicles.
MG-FF — German 20mm auto cannon used by the Luftwaffe.
Oberwachtmeister — Literally, Senior watch master. In German Army, equivalent to Oberfeldwebel.
Operation Cascade — British deception operation mounted in 1942 in the Middle East.
Operation Freston — British mission to Southern Poland in January 1945. Considered a failure as most of its personnel were captured by the Red Army.
Operation Pantomime — Within RG, land operations including and following the coastal invasion of Poland.
Panje Cart — Horse-drawn cart used by the Red Army
Panther Felix — French-produced Panthers with a 17pdr gun.
Panther II — German upgraded Panther, with increased armour and gun mounted.
Project Raduga — Raduga is Russian for Rainbow.
PTRD — Soviet anti-tank rifle firing a 14.5mm round.
Pumpkin Bomb — US conventional HE bomb, built to resemble the 'Fat Man' Plutonium bomb.
Purple Heart — US military award for being wounded or killed in service. It was also awarded for meritorious performance of duty, which reason was subsequently discontinued.
RASC — Royal Army Service Corps
Rheinbote — In German, the Rhine Messenger, a short-range rocket intended for use as artillery, with an effective range of around 100 miles.
RNoAF — Royal Norwegian Air Force
Saab 17 — Swedish single engine reconnaissance bomber.
Saab 21 — Swedish single engine pusher type fighter/attack aircraft.
SAAG — Second Allied Army Group, a formation created to fool the Soviets about Allied intentions.
SAFFEC — South American Field Forces, European Command.
Schrage Musik — German upward firing auto cannons. Literally ‘Jazz’, the weapon enabled attacks from underneath target aircraft.
Schwimmwagen — German military car capable of ‘swimming’. Powered by a rear mounted propeller and steered by the front wheels.
SCR-536 Handie-Talkie — The original walkie-talkie of early WW2 movie fame.
SGMT — Soviet infantry and tank mounted MG, also known as the SG43 Goryunov, firing a 7.62mm round.
Skata — Greek word for shit.
SKS — Soviet semi-automatic carbine of 7.62mm calibre, complete with integral bayonet.
Skyraider — US single engine ground attack aircraft with high load capacity and excellent loiter time.
SMERSH — Acronym for Spetsyalnye Metody Razoblacheniya Shpyonov, a group of three counter-intelligence agencies. Also known as ‘Death to spies.’
SNAFU — Abbreviation for ‘Situation normal, all fouled up’. The reader may substitute ‘fouled’ as he/she sees fit.
Spartacist — A German group of radical socialists, which went on to become the German Communist Party.
SPAT — Self propelled anti-tank.
Springfield Rifle — US .30-06 bolt-action rifle replaced by the Garand.
Staghound — US produced T17E1 armoured car, known as the Staghound in British use. Armed with a 37mm M6 gun, plus 2-3 MGs
STAVKA — Soviet term for the High Command of Soviet Forces. Junior to the GKO.
Super Pershing — US heavy tank mounting the improved T15E1 90mm gun and extra armour protection.
T20E2 Garand — US selective fire version of the Garand, with a 20-round magazine and a recoil checker.
T3 Carbine — US M2/3 Carbine fitted with infra-red siting and a 30 round magazine.
T-54 — Soviet MBT armed with a 100mm gun, superior in performance to the 88mm on the Tiger II. Eventually the 54/55 became the most produced tank in history. RG introduces the 54 ahead of schedule.