Rottman, Gordon L
FUBAR, Soldier Slang of World War II
ISBN 978-1-84908-137-5
Glossary
.30cal machine-gun: Standard US medium machine-gun.
.45 M1911 automatic: US automatic handgun.
.50 caclass="underline" Standard US heavy machine-gun.
105mm Flak Gun: Next model up from the dreaded 88mm, these were sometimes pressed into a ground role in the final days.
105mm LeFH: German light howitzer, highly efficient design that was exported all over Europe.
128mm Pak 44: German late war heavy anti-tank gun, also mounted on the JagdTiger and Maus. Long-range performance would have made this a superb tank killer but it only appeared in limited numbers.
2″ Mortar: British light mortar.
39th Kingdom: See Kingdom 39
50mm Pak 38: German 50mm anti-tank gun introduced in 1941. Rapidly outclassed, it remained in service until the end of the war, life extended by upgrades in ammunition.
6-pounder AT gun: British 57mm anti-tank gun, outclassed at the end of WW2, except when issued with HV ammunition.
6x6 truck: Three axle, 6 wheel truck.
Achgelis: The Focke-Achgelis Fa223, also known as the Dragon. One of the first helicopters.
Achilles: British version of the M-10 that carried the high velocity 17-pdr gun.
Addendum F: Transfer of German captured equipment to Japanese to increase their firepower and reduce logistical strain on Soviets
Adin: In Russian, the number one.
Alkonost: Creature from Russian folklore with the body of a bird and the head of a beautiful woman.
Anschluss: The 1938 occupation and Annexation of Austria by Germany.
Anthrax Bombs: Factual Japanese weapons, believed used against the Chinese by Unit 731. Both the US and Britain carried their own tests on the same weapon.
Aquitania, RMS: Cunard liner that saw service in both WW1 and WW2. She was scrapped in 1950.
B-29: The American Superfortress, high-altitude heavy bomber.
BA64: Soviet 4x4 light armoured car with two crew and a machine-gun.
Balebetishen: Roughly means respectable or respectable person.
BAR: US automatic rifle that fired a .30cal round. It was an effective weapon, but was hampered by a 20 round magazine. Saw service in both World Wars, and many wars since.
Battle of the Bulge: Germany’s Ardennes offensive of winter 1944.
Bazooka: Generic name applied to a number of different anti-tank rocket launchers introduced into the US Army from 1942 onwards.
Beaufighter, Bristoclass="underline" British twin-engine long-range heavy fighter, saw extensive service in roles from ground attack, night fighter, to anti-shipping strikes. Also served in the USAAF in its night fighter role.
BergePanther: German Panther tank converted or produced as an engineering recovery vehicle to service Panther Battalions in combat.
Bletchley Park: Location of the centre for Allied code breaking during World War two. Sometimes known as Station X.
Blighty: British slang term for Britain.
Blue and Grey Division: The nickname of the 29th US Infantry Division.
Boyes: .55-inch anti-tank rifle employed by the British Army but phased out in favour of the PIAT.
Brandenburghers: Rough German equivalent of commando, who were trained more in the arts of stealth and silent killing.
Bren Gun: British standard issue light machine-gun.
Browning Hi-Power: 9mm handgun with a 13 round magazine, used by armies on both sides during WW2.
Brylcreams: Slang expression for RAF aircrew.
Buffalo: British term for the LVT or Amtrak, the amphibious tracked vehicle that became a mainstay of the Pacific War, and featured in all major Allied amphibious operations from Guadalcanal onwards.
Bund Deutsche Madeclass="underline" The League of German Girls, young females’ organisation of the Nazi Party.
Bundook: Derived from the Indian language, slang for a rifle.
C47: US development of the DC3, known in British operations as the Dakota. Twin-engine transport aircraft.
Cameclass="underline" US cigarette brand
Canso: RCAF designation for the Catalina.
Caudillo: Political-military leader, in this case, referring to Franco.
Cavalry: The German army had cavalry until the end, all be it in small numbers. The SS had two such divisions, the 8th and 22nd.
Centurion I: British heavy tank, equipped with the 17pdr and a Polsten cannon.
Chekist: Soviet term used to describe a member of the State Security apparatus, often not intended to be complimentary.
Chesterfield: American cigarette brand.
Chickamauga: A battle in the American Civil War, fought on 19th to 20th September 1863. It was a Union defeat of some note, and second only to Gettysburg in combined casualties.
Colibri: High-class men’s accessories producer, initially specialising in cigarette lighters.
Colloque Biarritz: The fourth symposium based at the Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg.
Combat Command [CC]: Formation similar to an RCT, which was formed from all-arms elements within a US Armored Division, the normal dispositions being CC’A’, CC’B’ and CC’R’, the ‘R’ standing for reserve.
Comet: British medium tank armed with a 77mm high-velocity gun.
Corvette: Small patrol and escort vessel used by Allied navies throughout WW2.
Court of Bernadotte: The Court of the Swedish Royal Family.
Deuxieme Bureau: France’s External Military Intelligence Agency that underwent a number of changes post 1940 but still retained its ‘Deux’ label for many professionals.
Douglas DC-3: Twin-engine US transport aircraft, also labelled C-47. [Built by the Russians under licence as the Li-2]
DP-28: Standard Soviet Degtyaryov light machine-gun with large top mounted disc magazine containing 47 rounds.
Duke of York: British battleship of the King George V class. Survived WW2 and was scrapped in 1957.
Dva: In Russian, the number two.
EBW: Explosive bridge-wire detonators.
Edelzwicker: Alsatian wine that is a blend of noble and standard grapes, and as a result is sometimes hit and miss, sometimes superb.
Elektroboote: A Type XXI U-Boat
ESM: Explosive Lens Maths. The complex array of calculations that come together to design the shaped charges in a nuclear device.
Falke: Infrared sighting system, installed on some German vehicles, especially useful for night fighting.
Fallschirmjager: German Paratroopers. They were the elite of the Luftwaffe, but few Paratroopers at the end of the war had ever seen a parachute. None the less, the ground divisions fought with a great deal of élan and gained an excellent combat reputation.
Fat Man: Implosion-type Plutonium Bomb similar in operation to ‘The Gadget’.
FBI: Federal Bureau of Intelligence, which was also responsible for external security prior to the formation of the CIA.
FFI: Forces Francaises de L’Interieur, or the French Forces of the Interior was the name applied to resistance fighters during the latter stages of WW2. Once France had been liberated, the pragmatic De Gaulle tapped this pool of manpower and created ‘organised’ divisions from these, often at best, para-military groups. Few proved to be of any quality and they tended to be used in low-risk areas.
FG42: Fallschirmgewehr 42, a hybrid 7.62mm weapon which was intended to be both assault rifle and LMG.
Firefly, Fairey: British single-engine carrier aircraft, used as both fighter and anti-submarine roles.
Firefly, Sherman V: British variant of the American M4 armed with a 17-pdr main gun, which offered the Sherman excellent prospects for a kill of any Panzer on the battlefield.
Fizzle: Failure of a nuclear device to properly explode, but which can result in radioactive product being distributed over a sizeable local area.
Flak: Flieger Abwehr Kanone, anti-aircraft guns.