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Anniversaries for today :
Welcome to Clash of Steel!
Featured battle : Riga, Siege 1700
Part of Second or Great Northern War
Date : 01 February 1700 - 20 October 1700
The Saxon army invaded Livonia and laid siege to the fortress of Riga. Augustus, King of Poland, did not join his Saxon army until July. The siege was ineffective, in March counter attacks by the Swedes killed General Carlowitz, Saxon commander of the siege. Augustus finally ordered a withdrawal into winter quarters before the end of October 1700.
Featured image :
McDonnell F-4C Phantom II 63-7699

One of the most successful fighter aircraft of the latter 20th Century, the F4 saw service with many airforces across the world including the RAF and the Royal Navy as well as many other European, Middle Eastern and Far Eastern Airforces. It saw action in Vietnam, the Arab-Israeli wars and the 1991 Gulf War. This particular aircraft flew in the Vietnam war and has a red "kill" star on it's port air intake, signifying a Mig-17 it shot down on 14th May 1967 while serving with the 356th Tac. Fighter Sqn. The F4 could reach Mach 2.23 (1,472 mph) and a ceiling of 60,000ft carrying a wide variety of armament from up to 18,000lbs of bombs to 4 of pretty much any air to air or anti radar missile of the period 1960 -1980.
Gallery updated : 2022-04-04 08:33:43
Featured review :
Snipers at War
Walter, John
The subtitle to this quality volume is "An equipment and operations history" which neatly but a perhaps inadequately describes what it contains. Primarily this is a detailed history of the rifles and optical sights that sharpshooters have used around the world since the term and the technique gained popularity around the mid 1800's. There is a complicated introduction to ballistics with a considerable number of comparison example targets showing the spread of shots over measured distances for various rifles, and detailed discussions of the progress of the optics that went into producing ever more accurate and effective sights.
However as any military tactician will tell you, the weapon is more than just the rifle. This is where the book becomes more than just a small-arms guide. It includes an introduction into how sharpshooting became a recognised specialisation, taking it from the days of crossbows to the American Civil War. It also describes how sniping went in and out of military fashion over the 20th century, and even include a number of short biographies of some of the more prominent snipers of the 'glory days' of the First World War and the Eastern Front of the Second World War. It ends with a review of modern sniper weapons in use today, along with some notes on what it takes to be a sniper and how the craft has changed over the last 150 years. The book has plenty of good quality photographs throughout to illustrate the kit and personnel involved. All in all, it is a beautifully produced, impeccably researched study of the subject by someone who definitely knows what he's talking about, with enough detail to interest the knowledgeable while still being accessible to the interested. Highly recommended.
Greenhill Books, 2017
Reviewed : 2018-04-24 19:12:00