Military Subjects & War Stories (Incldg the Cold War)

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East German KGB - Rise of Stasi - COLD WAR DOCUMENTARY​

16:40

Our historical documentary series on the history of the Cold War continues with a video on the East German Ministry for State Security, more commonly known as Stasi. This East German version of the KGB was a staple of the Cold War period and was known for its brutal methods.
 

Meet The Real Cold War Spies Of BRIXMIS • FULL DOCUMENTARY | Forces TV​

45:07

They were known as BRIXMIS - a unit made up of personnel spying on the Soviet Union in post-war Germany. After the Second World War, Germany was split into four occupation zones - the east under Russian control, and the west under American, British and French control. The agreement to divide Germany led to the creation of military liaison missions that could travel into enemy territory. However, in reality, BRIXMIS (the British Commander-in-Chief’s Mission to the Soviet Forces) became spies.
 
This one is a podcast. Nothing to see. You can listen in one tab, play around on the forum in a different tab.

Reflections on a Life in Special Operations, Intelligence, and Strategy​

In a career spanning from the height of the Cold War to the fight against Al Qaida, Michael Vickers worked at every level of the US national security community. From his time as an Army Green Beret trained to parachute behind Soviet lines in Europe with a “backpack” nuclear weapon, to his final assignment as the senior official responsible for all Department of Defense intelligence activities, few people have accumulated as much experience. Join host Bob Hamilton as he talks with Dr. Vickers about his career and the lessons he draws for today’s national security practitioners.

Reflections on a Life in Special Operations, Intelligence, and Strategy - Foreign Policy Research Institute

In a career spanning from the height of the Cold War to the fight against Al Qaida, Michael Vickers worked at every level of the US national security
www.fpri.org
 

NUCLEAR BRINKMANSHIP IN AI-ENABLED WARFARE: A DANGEROUS ALGORITHMIC GAME OF CHICKEN​

Russian nuclear saber-rattling and coercion have loomed large throughout the Russo-Ukrainian War. This dangerous rhetoric has been amplified and radicalized by AI-powered technology — “false-flag” cyber operations, fake news, and deepfakes. Throughout the war, both sides have invoked the specter of nuclear catastrophe, including false Russian claims that Ukraine was building a “dirty bomb” and President Volodymyr Zelensky’s allegation that Russia had planted explosives to cause a nuclear disaster at a Ukrainian power plant. The world is once again forced to grapple with the psychological effects of the most destructive weapons the world has ever known in a new era of nuclear brinkmanship.

Rapid AI technological maturity raises the issue of delegating the launch authority of nuclear weapons to AI (or non–human-in-the-loop nuclear command and control systems), viewed simultaneously as dangerous and potentially stabilizing. This potential delegation is dangerous because weapons could be launched accidentally. It is potentially stabilizing because of the lower likelihood that a nuclear strike would be contemplated if retaliation was known to benefit from autonomy, machine speed, and precision. For now, at least, there is a consensus amongst nuclear-armed powers that the devastating outcome of an accidental nuclear exchange obviates any potential benefits of automating the retaliatory launch of nuclear weapons.

More:

Nuclear Brinkmanship in AI-Enabled Warfare: A Dangerous Algorithmic Game of Chicken - War on the Rocks

Russian nuclear saber-rattling and coercion have loomed large throughout the Russo-Ukrainian War. This dangerous rhetoric has been amplified and
warontherocks.com
 

Deep Intel on Why a US Carrier is Headed to the Israel-Hamas War​

Oct 10, 2023

7:04

Ward reviews the basics around the arrival of the Ford Strike Group in the eastern Mediterranean following the Hamas attack on Israel.
 

A Crash Course in Israeli Intelligence – with Erez David Maisel​

Oct 12, 2023

1:24:05

Brig. Gen. (res.) Erez David Maisel joins Andrew to provide a crash-course in Israeli Intelligence history. Erez formerly served as Brigadier General and Director of the Israel Defense Forces International Cooperation Unit. Currently, he is an associate researcher in the Military History Department of the IDF, focusing on Cross-Boundary Defense and Public Crisis Engagement in conflict zones.

Erez is an alumni of the University of Haifa, which sits atop the northeastern slope of Israel’s Mount Caramel mountain rage. On the western side of the range, you can find the The Nahal Me’arot / Wadi el-Mughara Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that documents over 500,000 years of the history human evolution.

This episode is the first in our 5-part SpyCast series on Israeli Intelligence. In this month-long series, SpyCast takes a deep dive into the ins and outs of intelligence and espionage in Israel – its intricate history, agencies, major successes and failures, and current state.

The events unfolding this week are tragic and historic in their timing - coming almost 50 years to the day after the Yom Kippur War. The Spy Museum has an educational mission and we work hard to provide historic context and understanding for what happens in the world.

Dive deeper into this episode with additional resources: https://thecyberwire.com/podcasts/spy...

Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@IntlSpyMuseum/videos

Edit: Almost forgot - nothing to see, can listen in one tab, play around the forum in a different tab.
 

Last Celebrity WW2 Veterans 2023​

8:42

Some extremely famous celebrities still alive today are WW2 veterans, some with amazing stories. Here are some of the most well-known American, British & Canadian examples.
 

UNMANNED MEDEVAC: DRONES OVER THE BATTLEFIELD

One of the unintended outcomes of the wars of the last two decades is the introduction of the drone or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) into daily discussions across all walks of life. In the military context, UAVs have generally been thought of as weapons or sensors for weapons, but Greg Gharst...
warroom.armywarcollege.edu
 

Red Cell, The True Story with Richard Marcinko (Special Edition DVD)​

Nov 20, 2021

55:15

RED CELL Special Edition DVD Featuring Richard Marcinko Classified top secret by the Navy and banished by the Department of Defense, "Red Cell" is the true account of a unit the government denies ever existed! Staffed by members of the Navy's top secret SEAL Team Six, Red Cell used their special skills to carry out successful terrorist attacks against American military bases, assets, and personnel worldwide. Admiral Ace Lyons, creator of the Red CELL program explains its objectives. Commander Richard Marcinko, founder of SEAL Team Six, and first CO of Red Cell discusses intimate details of Red Cell's successes and failure. A Red Cell Operator exposes operations and how Red Cell was designed as a cover for other covert programs The DVD format allows you to watch the program in its entirety or go directly to just the chapters you want to review. This DVD tells the shocking truth about "Red Cell" in the words of the insiders who created, implemented, and operated Red Cell. "Red Cell" contains rare and exclusive footage shot during raids conducted by Red Cell. It contains evidence of stunning lapses in military security as well as never before seen footage of Red Cell Teams in action. Decide for yourself whether the Navy was justified in disbanding Red Cell, or if this was just a band-aid approach designed to stifle criticism of base security operations.
 

The Most Ridiculously Small Nuclear Submarine​

10:23

During the Cold War, the US Navy launched the infamous Ivy Bells project to spy on the Soviets. The legendary USS Halibut submarine was chosen for this mission. Yet, not everyone was on board with the idea.
Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, excluded from the intelligence network of the Navy and the CIA, created a spy submarine: the NR-1.
The NR-1, designed to perform deep-sea tasks, had advanced computer and sonar systems and various tools for recovery operations, exploration, and research. Despite being marketed as a rescue submarine, she was primarily used for covert missions.
Nevertheless, the submarine conducted various missions, including search operations, object recovery, and oceanographic research. And she did it all while holding the title of the smallest nuclear submarine in US military history…

Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DarkDocsSeas/videos

Operation Ivy Bells - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org
 
If you've got just a coupla minutes... you can hear the story of an incredible man who saved the trapped 101st at Bastogne. He made four combat WWII jumps. He never got promoted to PFC, but wound up getting paid as First Sergeant anyway.

And he wouldn't salute, or say "sir", but would always call any officer by his first name. He stole a train to get back to base in England. And more... much more.
That's him with the Thompson:
 

Iron Coffins - Part 1 | Commanding a German U-Boat during WW2 | Trench Diaries​

Jun 3, 2023

14:20


In this next Video series, I bring you the memoir "Iron Coffins" written by German U-boat captain Herbert A. Werner, who served in the Kriegsmarine from 1939 to 1945. Join me, as we explore the incredible experiences and harrowing challenges faced by this naval officer during World War II.

Part 1 - We learn how Herbert trained as an officer candidate and how he later - as an Ensign - got onboard his first U-Boat

"Iron Coffins" offers a unique perspective from the other side of the conflict, providing an intimate account of the intense life aboard a German U-boat. Based entirely on his personal notes, the author paints a vivid picture of the dangers, triumphs, and sacrifices endured by U-boat crews in the treacherous North Atlantic Ocean.

Through this book, we gain insight into the immense pressure faced by German naval officers, the tactical maneuvers they executed, and the extraordinary camaraderie that developed within these submerged vessels. From tense encounters with Allied warships to battling the unforgiving elements, this gripping memoir takes us on a thrilling journey beneath the waves. Through the captain's eyes, we witness the complexities of command and the moral dilemmas that arose in this deadly conflict.

The German U-Boat force suffered immensely during World War 2. Of the 35.000 men who went on patrol, 28.000 would remain at sea, never to return. The chances of survival were extremely slim, especially during the later years of the conflict. It is exceptional to accompany Herbert for the duration of almost the entire war.

This series is based on his book "Iron Coffins". I have transcribed and re-translated parts of this book to make them accessible to you in this format. Enjoy.

Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TrenchDiaries/videos
 

467. Classic Planning Holism as a Basis for Megacity Strategy​

[Editor’s Note: Regular readers of the Mad Scientist Laboratory know that human migration into ever growing urban centers is one of the key trends we track regarding the Operational Environment. Half of the world’s population migrated to urban areas in the last 10 to 15 years and estimates project 60 percent of the planet’s population will be living in urban areas within the next decade and a half. Per LTG Theodore Martin (USA-Ret.), former DCG/CoS, TRADOC, in his Foreword to TRADOC Pamphlet 525-92-1, The Changing Character of Warfare: The Urban Operational Environment, dated April 2020:

Read the rest:

467. Classic Planning Holism as a Basis for Megacity Strategy | Mad Scientist Laboratory

madsciblog.tradoc.army.mil
 
Adm. Lisa Franchetti was sworn in as the 33rd Chief of Naval Operations on Thursday in a ceremony following her Senate confirmation.

The Pentagon ceremony followed her confirmation by the Senate in a 95-1 vote. Franchetti had been performing the duties of CNO while waiting for her confirmation. She will be the first woman to serve as the head of the Navy and the first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

 

CIA Safe Houses - Dan Fesperman​

Aug 9, 2018
52:37

Helen Abell is in charge of maintaining CIA safe houses in Berlin in the 1970s—a city still in the grips of the Cold War. When she overhears a secret meeting, the impact of the clandestine conversation changes her life and becomes the key to a horrific 21st century mystery.
Dan Fesperman, award-winning author of Safe Houses, interviewed women who worked at the CIA to bring into focus an era when women were trying to break free of the clerical roles they had been relegated to and enter into field work. This evening, join him for a discussion of Safe Houses and the world it recreates with some of the trailblazers who helped him give his novel authenticity and accuracy.
Guests include, Karen Cleveland, former CIA analyst and bestselling author of the thriller Need to Know and Francine Mathews, also a former CIA analyst and author of six espionage novels, including Jack 1939 and Too Bad to Die.

*Nothing to see, can listen in one tab, play around the forum in a different tab.
 
Aspiring airmen and guardians now have until the age of 42 to join the Department of the Air Force.

Department leadership quietly upped the age limit for new enlisted and officer recruits by three years on Oct. 25. The change arrives around a month after the Air Force missed its recruiting target for the first time since 1999.

Air Force, Space Force raise max enlistment age to 42

The change arrives around a month after the Air Force missed its recruiting target for the first time since 1999.
www.airforcetimes.com
 
Stephen “Shorty” Menendez has a piece of advice for Israeli troops faced with clearing out Hamas tunnels in Gaza: Don’t. Don’t volunteer to go down there. You will never get over it.

Tunnel Rats Redux

A Vietnam veteran tunnel rat has some thoughts about the battle for Gaza
www.spytalk.co
 

The Beer Hall Putsch - 100th Anniversary Special​

18:23

Nov 9, 2023
Today marks the 100th anniversary of Hitler's attempt to seize power in Munich. In the special, we examine the coup attempt and visit the sites to see what they look like today.
 
Start this one at the 1 min 15 sec mark.

 
NOVEMBER 9, 2023 BY USER

468. The Operational Environment’s Increased Lethality​

[Editor’s Note: During the past decade, we’ve witnessed several conflicts around the globe that are shaping our understanding of the contemporary battlespace. Combat operations in Syria, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Ukraine have seen the convergence of battlefield transparency, autonomous systems, and massed and precision fires that have resulted in the Operational Environment’s increased lethality. Inexpensive, expendable, man-portable munitions in the hands of dismounted infantry are attriting exquisite, expensive, and finite combat systems — i.e., main battle tanks, capital warships, and strategic bombers — once the “gold-standard” of global military strength and dominance.

Army Mad Scientist is pleased to publish the second in our series of posts exploring the evolution of the Twenty-first century’s battlespace, how our pacing threat China is responding to it, and what the U.S. Army can do to prepare our Warfighters to fight and win decisively in it — Read on!]

468. The Operational Environment’s Increased Lethality | Mad Scientist Laboratory

madsciblog.tradoc.army.mil
 

Guest Post: Recommended readings, real and imagined for Military Leaders—Part I. Timothy R. Furnish, PhD​

May 30th, 2021
Zen here – today we start a series by Dr. Timothy R. Furnish, a longtime friend of ZP blog. Timothy Furnish is an Army vet and former civilian consultant to Special Operations Command with a PhD is in Islamic history. He’s written five books and runs the website Occidental Jihadist.

Guest Post: Recommended readings, real and imagined for Military Leaders—Part II. Timothy R. Furnish, PhD​


Guest Post: Recommended readings, real and imagined for Military Leaders—Part III. Timothy R. Furnish, PhD​

 

CITIZEN SAILORS: THE MISSING LINK IN MARITIME FORCE STRUCTURE​

The U.S. Navy confronts a generational challenge: The Chinese Navy now eclipses it in number of ships, with a shipbuilding capacity that outpaces it 200 to 1. While the U.S. Navy’s shifting battle fleet requirement gets the most press, the attendant manpower shortfall gets significantly less attention. The force structure of the Army and Marine Corps expanded to meet the challenges of the Long War. But, despite significant investments in unmanned technology, the Navy’s current projected need for 3,000 to 10,000 additional personnel over the next 30 years seems woefully inadequate given the prospect of high-end naval combat in the Western Pacific. The Navy’s Reserve Component is reforming to enhance its responsiveness, but it remains significantly undersized. And right now, it is only designed to provide full operational fleet capabilities and manpower 90 days after a mobilization order.

Put simply, the Navy does not have enough personnel to man the ships it has, much less the ones it wants to build, and is now missing its recruiting goals. And this does not even consider the need to replace trained and experienced sailors who would be lost in the event of war with China.

Citizen Sailors: The Missing Link in Maritime Force Structure - War on the Rocks

The U.S. Navy confronts a generational challenge: The Chinese Navy now eclipses it in number of ships, with a shipbuilding capacity that outpaces it 200
warontherocks.com
 

Capturing Himmler's Car​

Nov 20, 2023

9:29

On 4th May 1945, US forces captured Berchtesgaden, the Bavarian town where many Nazi leaders maintained homes. One of the houses captured belonged to Heinrich Himmler, leader of the SS. In the garage, GIs made an astounding discovery - a stunning armoured limousine used by Himmler when he lived at the house.

Special thanks to the following kind people for sharing photographs with me: Pierre Begley; Noah Simonis; Eduardo Ludi; Daniele Secci; Christoph Seidel; Claussrk95; Bert Terpstra; Timothy Cox; Thomas Gase; Admir Memic; Mike Long; Andrew Stacer; Chris Randazzo; Kalle Max Zebisch; Matej Srb; Daniel Schill; Eric Winkler; Johannes Koch
 

Why the trusty Land Rover remains vital to the British Army​

Nov 20, 2023
3:17

It has been a sturdy servant of the British Army for more than 70 years.
The Land Rover has been a vital part of the force since it first came into service in 1949.
Simple, dependable and a workhorse of the British military, it's a vehicle that still has a key role to play after all these years.

More: https://www.forces.net/technology/lan...
 

How Warships Hunt For Enemy Submarines From A Veteran Submariner Who Has Been Hunted Many Times​

UPDATED NOV 27, 2020 6:13 PM EST

Anti-Submarine Warfare, or ASW, is an evolving practice that requires patience and coordination as much as skill and technique. The tools today's navies use are much farther reaching and more capable than the simple Cold War-era sonars. Artificial intelligence helps alert operators to potential threats. Advance oceanographic modeling of sound propagation and ray trace help plan highly effective searches across vast stretches of ocean. Complex acoustic pulses at incredible power levels push back the veil of uncertainty before a fleet.

It is in this ASW environment we will review the fundamentals of a basic submarine search, not from another submarine’s perspective, which you can read all about here, but from the point of view of a destroyer or another anti-submarine warfare-enabled surface combatant cruising atop the waves.

Searching for a submarine happens using two basic methods: active sonar search or passive sonar search. Both ways are capable techniques, but they have vastly different strengths and weaknesses.

More:

How Warships Hunt For Enemy Submarines From A Veteran Submariner Who Has Been Hunted Many Times

The cat and mouse game of anti-submarine warfare is very high-stakes. Heres's how modern navies go about it with their surface fleets.
www.thedrive.com
 

The YAG-37 Project​

Built during World War II, Liberty cargo ships were versatile and could be modified as training ships (Z3-EC2-SC1), tankers (Z-ET 1-S-C3), freshwater distilling ships (two modified Z-ET1-S-C3 tankers designated as AW-1 and AW-2 by the Navy), colliers (EC2-S-AW1), boxed aircraft carriers (Z-EC2-S-C5), tank carriers (Z-EC2-S-C2), repair and maintenance ships, animal transports, troop transports, Army aircraft repair ships, and hospital ships. Many were converted after the war to serve as surveillance radar ships supporting the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line or as missile range instrumentation ships with a variety of high-tech antennae.1 One Liberty was even converted to a floating nuclear power plant (the former SS Charles H. Cugle renamed the USS Sturgis [MH-1A]).2 Perhaps the most unusual modification was a little-known proposal by the U.S. Navy to convert a Liberty ship into an experimental minesweeper equipped with aircraft engines for propulsion and buoyancy material to clear underwater mine fields after the war.

More:

 

A MISLEADING METAPHOR: THE NUCLEAR “ARMS RACE”​

There is an emerging threat to the United States that will “endanger everyone,” one that can cause “escalation and misunderstandings” and even increase “the risk of a crisis or conflict that might turn nuclear.” No, these descriptors are not about Russia’s latest doomsday nuclear weapon or China’s provocative military behavior toward its neighbors. Instead, these are the purported consequences of a three-way nuclear “arms race” that some analysts believe the United States is about to ignite.

The Joseph R. Biden administration is currently considering whether and how to adapt the U.S. nuclear posture to China’s rapid nuclear buildup and Russia’s steady increase in its regional nonstrategic nuclear weapons. There is an emerging bipartisan consensus among longtime U.S. nuclear policy officials that the United States will need to adjust and potentially increase its nuclear forces in response to growing threats. Critics believe that such recommendations will increase nuclear dangers, and they frequently employ a metaphor to illustrate how: an “arms race.”

A Misleading Metaphor: The Nuclear “Arms Race” - War on the Rocks

There is an emerging threat to the United States that will “endanger everyone,” one that can cause “escalation and misunderstandings” and even increase
warontherocks.com
 

US Navy Sued After Alleged Rape Of Senior US Merchant Marine Officer​

by John Konrad (gCaptain) The U.S. Navy is facing a lawsuit over allegations of a senior engineering officer’s rape by the captain of the USNS Carson City, a Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport ship operated by the Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MSC). The complaint, filed in federal court in New Jersey by Sanford Heisler Sharp and Maritime Legal Solutions, accuses the US Government of failing to protect US Merchant Mariner Elsie E. Dominguez, the 1st Assistant Engineer, from sexual assault. This lawsuit brings to light serious concerns about safety and accountability within the Navy’s ranks, particularly regarding the protection of US Merchant Mariners from sexual violence.

The lawsuit alleges a harrowing incident that occurred on December 18, 2021. According to the complaint, Dominguez, while off duty and ashore, had her drink spiked with a drug, leading to her blackout. Incapacitated, she was carried back to the ship by fellow crew members and taken to her stateroom. The complaint further details that Ms. Dominguez awoke the following morning to find herself being raped by the Captain of the ship.

More here:

US Navy Sued After Alleged Rape Of Senior US Merchant Marine Officer

by John Konrad (gCaptain) The U.S. Navy is facing a lawsuit over allegations of a senior engineering officer’s rape by the captain of the USNS Carson City, a Spearhead-class expeditionary...
gcaptain.com
 

Six Years Under Hitler: The Story Of The Polish Resistance | Europe's Secret Armies | Timeline​

Dec 2, 2023

47:19
 
(Bloomberg) –The US and two of its closest parters are set to test a new way to track Chinese submarines using artificial intelligence.

Crews flying Pacific missions on the US Navy’s top maritime surveillance and attack aircraft will be using AI algorithms to rapidly process sonar data gathered by underwater devices of the US, UK and Australia, the defense chiefs of the three nations announced Friday.

Navy Will Test AI System To Track Chinese Submarines

By Tony Capaccio (Bloomberg) –The US and two of its closest parters are set to test a new way to track Chinese submarines using artificial intelligence. Crews flying Pacific missions on...
gcaptain.com
 

Inside Wagner: The Rise of Russia's Notorious Mercenaries​

Dec 5, 2023

44:22

Inside Wagner is a gripping and definitive look at the group's presence across several continents with a deep dive into the group's operations, personalities, and modus operandi.
 
Commentary from RUSI

The ‘Ukraine Model’ for Intelligence Disclosure May Not be the New Normal​


The war in Ukraine heralded a new era of public engagement for Defence Intelligence. However, the Israel–Hamas war has demonstrated that it is not a silver bullet for countering disinformation.


In the days and weeks following Hamas’s attack on Israel, and as the Israeli counteroffensive began, no daily intelligence updates were made public by Defence Intelligence in the UK’s Ministry of Defence. This sort of disclosure would not have been expected at all a few years ago. But during the build-up to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, then-Chief of Defence Intelligence Lt Gen (now Gen) James Hockenhull began briefing publicly that Russia was not drawing down its troops as the Kremlin had claimed. Public commentary on ongoing crises from within the UK’s intelligence establishment was unprecedented at the time. It placed the UK in clear defiance of Russian disinformation, and strongly signalled the UK’s resolve to counter Russian narratives surrounding the war.

More:

The ‘Ukraine Model’ for Intelligence Disclosure May Not be the New Normal

The war in Ukraine heralded a new era of public engagement for Defence Intelligence. However, the Israel–Hamas war has demonstrated that it is not a silver bullet for countering disinformation.
rusi.org
 
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