Cool pics

[Jimbuna]

Not when I was there but that was about thirty eight years ago.

[Mr Quatro]

Is that statue or image of a god made out of gold

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Mr Quatro

Is that statue or image of a god made out of gold

If it was I'd be a very wealthy man

Standing at 42.7 m (140 ft) high, the world's tallest statue of Murugan, a Hindu deity, is located outside Batu Caves. The statue, which cost approximately 24 million rupees, is made of 1550 cubic metres of concrete, 250 tonnes of steel bars and 300 litres of gold paint brought in from neighbouring Thailand.

[Schroeder]

Originally Posted by Mr Quatro

Is that statue or image of a god made out of gold

That doesn't really look like gold to me....

[Oberon]

The Battle of Zama in Playmobile form:

[fireftr18]

A little info on the battle
http://www.roman-empire.net/army/zama.html

[Oberon]

And now for a literally cool pic, dispersal exercises in Sweden at Vidsel:



Makes me think of the old dispersal exercises in West Germany with the Harriers.

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by fireftr18

A little info on the battle
http://www.roman-empire.net/army/zama.html

A little more info on the battle:

The greatest concern for Scipio was the elephants. He came up with an ingenious plan to deal with them.

[/QUOTE]

Scipio knew that elephants could be ordered to charge forward, but they could only continue their charge in a straight line. Scipio predicted that if he opened gaps in his troops, the elephants would simply pass between them, without harming any of his soldiers. Scipio created the lanes between the army regiments across the depth of his troops and hid them with maniples of skirmishers. The plan was that when the elephants charged, these lanes would open, allowing them to pass through the legionaries' ranks and be dealt with at the rear of the army.

Never mind the Hastati, Principes, and the Triarii it's those damned Velites! Reasonably resting on the assumption that a war elephant charge was the big weapon,... the damn Romans 'left it to the kids':

Velites were the youngest and usually the poorest soldiers in the legion, and could rarely afford much equipment. They were armed with hastae velitares, light javelins with tips designed to bend on impact to prevent it being thrown back., similar to the heavier pila of other legionaries. As backup weapons, they also carried gladii, relatively short thrusting swords 74 centimetres (29 inches) in length that were the main weapons of the hastati and principes. They fought in a very loose, staggered formation like most irregular troops and carried small round shields, 90 cm (3 feet) in diameter.In the legion, the velites were attached to each maniple of hastati, principes and triarii. They usually formed up at the front of the legion before battle to harass the enemy with javelin throws and to prevent the enemy doing the same before retiring behind the lines to allow the heavier infantry to attack. In a pitched battle the velites would form up at the front of the legion and cover the advance of the hastati, who were armed with swords, and were the first line of attack. If the hastati failed to break the enemy, they would fall back and let the principes, similarly equipped though more experienced infantry, take over. If the principes failed, they would retire behind the triarii, heavily armoured, spear armed legionaries and let them carry on.

Scipio opened his veteran three line ranks giving the elephants a corridor to the rear where the Velites, their front skirmishing over with could deal with the problem...effectively truncating poor Hannible's shock and awe pachydermic threat...

But among the ancients, the velites usually engaged them. They were young soldiers, lightly armed, active and very expert in throwing their missile weapons on horseback. These troops kept hovering round the elephants continually and killed them with large lances and javelins. Afterwards, the soldiers, as their apprehensions decreased, attacked them in a body and, throwing their javelins together, destroyed them by the multitude of wounds. Slingers with round stones from the fustibalus and sling killed both the men who guided the elephants and the soldiers who fought in the towers on their backs. This was found by experience to be the best and safest expedient. At other times on the approach of these beasts, the soldiers opened their ranks and let them pass through. When they got into the midst of the troops, who surrounded them on all sides, they were captured with their guards unhurt.
Large balistae, drawn on carriages by two horses or mules, should be placed in the rear of the line, so that when the elephants come within reach they may be transfixed with the darts. The balistae should be larger and the heads of the darts stronger and broader than usual, so that the darts may be thrown farther, with greater force and the wounds be proportioned to the bodies of the beasts. It was proper to describe these several methods and contrivances employed against elephants, so that it may be known on occasion in what manner to oppose those prodigious animals."

Sounds like tank warfare without infantry support c. 202 BC!

[Jimbuna]

Two regular visitors come for the bird seed feeders.

[Delanski]

Operation Redwing - Seminole at Enewetak Atoll 1956

[Jimbuna]

[fireftr18]

That's the first Spitfire I saw with a bubble canopy. When did the Spitfire get the bubble? I tried looking, but didn't find anything.

[Oberon]

The later marks, I believe that one is a Mk XVI, but basically it was a bit hit and miss which ones had a bubble canopy and which didn't. The Spiteful which was essentially a converted Mk XIV Spitfire had a bubble canopy, likewise the naval version the Seafang.
The Spiteful would have had more of a show but by the time it came into service the jet era was on us and prop aircraft were coming to an end. The Seafang, though, did act as a development aircraft for the Supermarine Attacker, the Fleet Air Arms first jet aircraft, and probably the jet aircraft with the briefest time in service, quickly being superseded by the superior Sea Hawk and Sea Venom.

[Jimbuna]

Can't better that response Jamie

[fumo30]

Originally Posted by Delanski

Looks one of those "Merlin-Messerschmitts" Where is this picture taken?