An interesting fact of military history. Secrets and facts of the XX century Where there was a tax on childlessness

Great secrets that a person still cannot explain. With what this is connected, no one can confirm, although almost everything is connected with a person. Who are they, the chosen ones or just random people ?! " There is a great power dormant in the mind of every person until it is awakened by a burning desire and determination to act. " Edgard Roberts

1900 - Eileen More Lighthouse on Flannan Island. The entire watch of the lighthouse keepers disappeared without a trace.

1902 - "Parisian glitch". On the night of December 29-30, at 1:00 05 minutes, clocks stopped in many places in Paris.

1908 - The fall of the Tunguska bolide (meteorite).

1911 - On July 14, a pleasure train departed from the Roma railway station for a "cruise" arranged by the Sanetti firm for wealthy Italians. 106 passengers visited the sights surrounding the new section of the road. The train was approaching a super-long tunnel. And suddenly something terrible began to happen. According to the testimony of two passengers who managed to jump out on the move, everything suddenly became covered with a milky-white fog, which thickened as they approached the tunnel, turning into a viscous liquid. The train entered the tunnel and ... disappeared.

1911 - The birth of the fortune teller Vanga, who received the gift of prophecy after she was carried away by a tornado.

1912 - The giant ocean liner Titanic collided with an iceberg and sank. In this case, more than 1,300 people died. But this tragedy was predicted by several people.

1913 - A sailing ship "Marlboro" with reefed sails was discovered off the coast of Tierra del Fuego. The remains of 20 people were found on the bridge and in the premises. According to the records in the ship's log, the ship left New Zealand at the beginning of 1890, but did not call at any port.

1916 - In the summer, during the melting of glaciers on Ararat, the pilot Lieutenant Roskovitsky and his co-pilot on a reconnaissance aircraft of the Imperial Air Force found an ark on Ararat.

1918 - Execution of the family of the last emperor Nicholas II. Until our time, the remains of all family members have not been found, which led to the appearance of several Anastasias and heirs.

1920 - Alleged find of an ancient Slavic monument - "Veles Book", the authenticity of which is disputed in our time.

1922 - On the Paint River (USA), a huge animal with a snake-like neck and a large head was seen, resembling a relict lizard.

1924 - Not far from the village of Taung (South Africa), a "skull of the Taung child" was found, the age of which is estimated at 2.5 million years. Hypotheses attribute it to extraterrestrial origin.

1925 - In the quarry of a brick factory in the city of Odintsovo, a petrified "human brain" was found, perfectly conveying all the details. But the find dates back to the Paleozoic era (about 300 million years ago), when there were no mammals yet ...

1928 - Above the village of Shuknavolok near Vedlozero (Karelia), a flight of a cylindrical ten-meter body was observed, from the tail of which a flame emerged.

1933 - First sighting of a monster in the Scottish Loch Ness (Nessie). To date, there have been about 4000 observations and meetings with him. A sonar survey of the entire volume of the lake in 1992 found 5 giant dinosaurs.

1943 - In October of this year in the United States, in an atmosphere of special secrecy, an experiment unparalleled in history was carried out to create an invisible warship.

1945 - Massive UFO invasion in Queensland (Australia).

1945 - The mysterious disappearance of the leaders of the Third Reich (Müller, Bormann and others).

1946 - In Bridport, Australia, on the ocean, the corpse of a giant hairy animal was found.

1946 - An unknown aircraft crashed in the United States (New Mexico). Among the debris were found six corpses of creatures similar to humans. To investigate the incident on September 18, a commission was formed, headed by CIA Director Admiral Hilencooter. The moment of the official birth of ufology.

1948 - On September 8, a "river monster" - a "large, bluish-black, with two triangular growths on the back" animal was seen on Lake Bays (Ontario, Canada).

1955 - In Hopkinsville, Kentucky, USA, after a UFO explosion, a small glowing man with huge eyes was seen for a while.

1955 - Death of the battleship Novorossiysk. The explosion that struck under its bottom on the night of October 29, 1955, claimed the lives of 608 sailors and officers. The huge ship capsized and sank in the Northern Bay of Sevastopol - in front of thousands of townspeople.

1956 - In August, at a British airbase, a UFO chased a fighter for 20 minutes, after which it disappeared.

1958 - On December 14, the newspaper "Youth of Yakutia" wrote about a giant monster that lives in Lake Labynkyr.

1963 - During the maneuvers of the US naval forces off the coast of Puerto Rico, a mobile object was seen, developing an unprecedented speed for a ship - about 280 km / h.

1964 - On August 29, in the Pacific Ocean, a 4200-meter section of the bottom was photographed from a research vessel. A complex configuration object resembling a radio antenna was discovered above the silt.

1967 - In Bluff Creek Valley, a female "Bigfoot" was captured on film (by Roger Patterson).

1968 - The official date of Gagarin's death. In fact, few believed in his death. The soothsayer Vanga claimed that the first cosmonaut did not die, but "was taken."

1969 - The landing of the Americans on the moon. The very fact is still disputed.

1977 - "Petrozavodsk Marvel". On September 20, at 4:00 am, a UFO in the form of a bright star (then - a luminous jellyfish), from which red rays departed, was seen above the main street of the city - Lenin Street. Later, large holes with very sharp edges were found in the glass of the upper floors.

1979 - On July 27 at 23.00 a very bright "star" was observed in the sky over Baikonur, making a chaotic movement across the sky. A persistent trail remained behind her. The observation lasted almost 40 minutes.

1982 - In Tsemesskaya Bay, on one of the ships of the Black Sea Fleet, all the watches stopped on board.

1987 - Suicide of 2000 dolphins - they threw themselves on the coast of Brazil.

1989 - 140 whales died off the southern coast of Chile. Mass suicide occurs for the fourth time.

1991 - An explosion on April 12 in Sasovo (Ryazan region), when UFOs were observed over the city. Anomalies near the funnel are still recorded - reprogramming of calculators and failure of electronic devices.

1993 - For 10 months in the so-called "Pacific Triangle" near Western Micronesia, 48 ships and more than 200 sailors disappeared.

1994 - Near the Czech town of Chelyakovitsa, a "vampire cemetery" was found - the corpses of ritually murdered men of the same age.

1994 - A-310 passenger airliner crashed near Mezhdurechensk. There are many versions of what happened, and the results of the official investigation have not yet been announced.

1996 - In Movile Cave (Romania), for the first time, a closed ecosystem, not related to the terrestrial one, was discovered. Found 30 species of plants and animals living in isolation for 5 million years.

And although the war is mostly filled with special cruelty and a lot of not very pleasant twists and turns and moments, but absolutely charming and touching stories also happen, which are completely atypical for this time of troubles.

The US Air Force bombed Berlin ... with candy

For a while, Germany had a hard time. In 1948, after the victors divided the country among themselves, Russia decided to cut off all transport routes to Berlin in the hope that food deprivation would convince the democratic part of the city of all the delights of communism; a turning point that almost led to another war. The United States and other allied nations remembered they had planes when they launched Operation Small Provisions, also known as Berlin Air Bridge, when warplanes dropped sweet democracy in the form of food into the city for about a year.
Berlin got everything it needed, except for one important thing - sweets ...

Utah-based American transport pilot Gail Helvorsen was so shocked by the sight of the Berlin kids being left without candy that he gave them a pack of chewing gum, promising to return the next day with sweets they could eat. Helvorsen began to drop the chocolates with handkerchiefs like little parachutes. To make children recognize his plane, he wagged his wings, for which he was nicknamed "Uncle Wiggly Wings", "Uncle Wiggly Wings". Everything was like in a children's book.

Of course, such "magic from a children's book" was not according to the charter, and Helvorsen was ordered to stop amateur activities until his superiors realized how much Germany liked it. The Air Force then deployed several planes whose only mission was to bombard East Berlin with tons of candy donated by the American Confectionery Association.

Even after the end of the air bridge in 1949, when the Soviets finally gave up, the kids in Berlin today have not forgotten Uncle's swinging wings. Helvorsen is still known throughout Germany for his candy landing, and several schools were even named after him. And so the legends about Santa began ...

George Washington returns the dog to a British general

If George Washington had his own nemesis, it would surely be British General William Howe. During the American Revolutionary War, Howe's forces defeated Washington several times, forcing the future president to retreat from New York to New Jersey and then to Delaware.

In October 1777, Washington and Howe met again in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Both sides fought diligently, but Howe, who led the British and Hessian forces, destroyed Washington's forces, killing 100 and taking over 400 prisoners, thereby winning the battle.

But, despite the losses, the Americans still managed to take a prisoner ... a dog ... To be more precise, General Howe's terrier escaped during the battle and ended up in a rebel camp. For two whole days Howe worried about what these barbarians could do to his pet.

But, two days later, the dog ran out of the woods with a note attached and straight to General Howe. The note read: “Best wishes to General Howe from General Washington. He is pleased to personally return the dog, which accidentally fell into his hands, and, judging by the inscription on the collar, belongs to General Howe. "

The fact is, Washington was a great dog lover, and although Howe killed hundreds of his men, he didn't have the courage to take advantage of the situation. Washington even ceased fire to bring the dog back to the touching moment of showing love for man's best friend. Then everyone proceeded to kill each other.

England rescued a dog by recruiting her to serve in the navy

Just Nuisance, or Nuisance, is a Great Dane who lived at a British naval base in South Africa during World War II. He got this nickname because of his habit of lying on narrow bridges between ships and berths, where it was not so easy to get around him.

The sailors loved him anyway and took him on local trains. Sometimes Trouble would lead them to base when they got drunk, or intervene in a fight between them. The problem was that the local train workers did not share the sailors' love for the big, noisy sack of fleas. The sailors usually tried to escort him onto the train unnoticed, but apparently it would be easier to carry a torpedo there.

Despite the advice of passengers to simply pay for the dog, the train workers categorically demanded that this horse be removed. It got to the point where they threatened to put him to sleep if they caught him again.

To solve this problem, the Royal Navy simply recruited him as a person. This meant that the train workers not only could not kill one of His Majesty's sailors, but also gave him the right to free travel as a member of the service. The nuisance even "signed" the contract with his paw, passed the honey. examination, and slept in a sailor's bed.

Later, during the Falklands War, he served as an admiral and was buried with all military honors.

U.S. Navy opens ice cream fleet

In 1945, the US naval forces in the South Pacific faced three big problems: a hot climate, erratic morale, and Japanese soldiers trying to kill them every day. It was then that US Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal found a solution to the first and second problem. The solution was free ice cream. Literally tons of free ice cream.

Forrestal was well aware of the importance of these calories. He once said, "In my opinion, ice cream is one of the most neglected morale boosts" (after pornographic magazines and alcohol). It was so important to the course of the war that Forrestal somehow managed to convince the government to allocate $ 1 million for ice cream.

In developing the barge, the Navy practically made a floating ice cream parlor with huge refrigerated chambers on board, ready to sail anywhere in the South Pacific. The servicemen ate all 40 liters produced every 7 seconds. It became so successful that a whole ice cream fleet soon emerged in the Pacific, like a fast food chain.

The cat received a medal for the extermination of communist rats

Simon, a dachshund cat, lived aboard the British warship Amethyst, a frigate of the Royal Navy, after World War II. Simon was adopted by the kind captain of the ship, who allows him to sleep on his cap when it was not on his head.

But then something terrible happened. On April 20, 1949, a ship was sailing along the Yangtze River in Asia, suddenly caught in the middle of the Chinese Civil War. Communist shells pierced the carcass, killing 22 people, including the captain. "Amethyst" ran aground without the possibility of retreat under communist shelling. The survivors were trapped for more than three months.

On top of all this, the ship saw an invasion of rats when it moored to the shore. Little bastards very quickly spread throughout the ship, trying to eat all the supplies that were there. This was a really serious problem.

And then Simon came into play. Despite serious wounds after the shelling (the whole body was covered with burns and wounds from shrapnel), the death of his friend and the fact that the new captain unceremoniously evicted him from the main cabin, Simon recovered and began tirelessly to destroy all the rats on the ship.
Between the extermination of rodents and the company while the new captain was sick, Simon saved the ship's crew from starvation and won the favor of an unapproachable man.

The captain wrote that Simon "was on top" and raised morale. On the recommendation of the captain, Simon was awarded the Maria Deakin Medal (something like the Medal of Honor for animals) and became a celebrity.

Ganner Learning To Be An Air Siren

When the Japanese bombed the city for the first time, Ganner, the dog of the lead aircraft soldier, Percy Leslie Westcott, was wounded by one of the explosions, which greatly affected the dog. But no one even suspected that this explosion could give the animal superpower, just like in the comics.

One day, Ganner began to rage for no apparent reason, trying to get Westcott to go with him for cover. On duty, Westcott couldn't just drop everything and take a break until the Japanese showed up and started bombing again. A few days later, the same thing happened. Gunner began to go mad for no reason, like the last time, and soon overhead Japanese planes appeared again, dropping bombs.

That's when Westcott understood everything. Ganner heard Japanese planes approaching 20 minutes before instruments could detect them. It would be impressive if the dog didn't live in the middle of the airbase. Ganner had an extremely receptive hearing that did not react at all to the non-enemy planes scurrying back and forth. Or the wretch had some kind of psychic powers.

Convinced of the dog's abilities, Westcott told his superiors about them. Ganner proved his skill and Westcott was given a portable alert system that he had to activate when the dog spoke, saving many lives.

Part 1.20s - 40s

What was called a subbotnik before the arrival of Soviet power?

Before the advent of Soviet power, the word “subbotnik” had a different meaning. This is how the gymnasium students called the collective flogging, which was arranged for them by their superiors for misdemeanors committed during the school week. The very same corporal punishment in Russian schools was used until the second half of the 19th century.

Which Russian city in the 1920s lived in two time zones at once?

In the early 1920s, Novosibirsk consisted of two parts on different banks of the Ob, between which there was no road bridge. And since the meridian of the hour passed right along the river, there were two times in the city. On the left bank, the difference with Moscow was 3 hours, and on the right - 4. Although this situation did not give Novosibirsk residents much inconvenience, because each half lived separately, and even marriages between residents of different banks of the city were rare.

When were attempts to translate the Russian language into the Latin alphabet carried out?

In the 1920s, a large-scale campaign began to translate the writing of the peoples of the USSR into the Latin alphabet. By the end of the 1930s, 66 languages ​​were romanized, including even those that already had a written language in Cyrillic - Yakut and Komi. Several schemes of the Latin notation for the Russian language were also developed, but business did not come to the realization of the plan. And then the solution for other Soviet languages ​​was reversed, and by 1940 almost all of them had received a written language based on the Cyrillic alphabet.

Where were the experiments on crossing chimpanzees and humans carried out?

In the late 1920s, Professor Ilya Ivanov conducted experiments on crossing chimpanzees and humans, but did not achieve results "for" or "against" this hypothesis. The experiments were supposed to continue at the Sukhumi Zoo, and even women volunteers were found to inseminate with monkey sperm. However, due to the arrest of Ivanov in 1930 and his subsequent death in 1932, the experiments were interrupted.

When and where did the Red Army and White Guards fight on the same side in the same uniform?

In 1931, an uprising of the Turkic-Muslim population broke out in the Chinese province of Xinjiang. Russian émigrés were mobilized into the government troops - both the White Guards who lived in Xinjiang since the Civil War in Russia, and those who fled from hunger and collectivization in the USSR. Two years later, the provincial governor-general Sheng Shicai managed to negotiate with the Soviet Union on assistance in suppressing the uprising. The 13th Alma-Ata regiment of the OGPU was transferred to China, the soldiers of which were dressed in White Guard uniforms. In addition, the USSR directly financed the already fighting units made up of Russian emigrants. Thus, the "reds" and "whites" participated in this conflict on the same side.

Which Soviet city was the capital of two republics at the same time?

The city of Vladikavkaz from 1924 to 1934 was the capital of two autonomous republics at once within the USSR - North Ossetian and Ingush. At the same time, the city itself was an independent administrative unit outside the composition of these republics.

Where did the word "zek" come from?

Labor armies were created in the young Soviet state. The soldiers who committed the crimes were called "prisoners of the Red Army", and in the documents this phrase was abbreviated "z / k". Later, during the construction of the White Sea Canal, this abbreviation was deciphered "prisoner canalist". From "z / k" the word zek also came from.

What kind of blue ball is spinning and spinning over your head in a popular song?

In a popular song that sounded in the 1934 film "Youth of Maxim", there are lines: "A blue ball is spinning and spinning, spinning and spinning over your head." The obvious inconsistency of the text (what kind of ball can spin over your head?) Is easily explained. In the original version of this song, which arose in the middle of the 19th century, it was not a "ball" that was sung, but a "scarf". But since the letter "f" at the junction of words at a fast pace was sung very difficult, it was subsequently reduced.

Who were initially going to be treated with a doctor's sausage?

In 1936, a new sausage variety was developed - Doctor's. The name of the sausage was explained by a special honorable "mission" - it was intended "to improve the health of persons who suffered from the tyranny of the tsarist court.

Why was Stakhanov forced to change his name after setting a record for coal production?

The famous Soviet record-breaking miner Alexei Stakhanov was not actually called Alexei. Just right after his record in coal production, an article in the Pravda newspaper mistakenly called him that, and he had to urgently change his name and passport. It is not known exactly what Stakhanov's real name was - some researchers believe that Andrei, others that Alexander.

What happened to the parents of the girl who was photographed in Stalin's arms?

The parents of Gela Markizova, sitting in Stalin's arms in the famous poster "Thank you Comrade Stalin for our happy childhood!", Were repressed.

Why did the T-28 tank, according to the technical assignment, have to overcome the lunar landscapes?

In the technical assignment for the T-28 tank, which was created in the 1930s, there is a point according to which the tank must overcome the lunar landscapes. There is no mysticism or fantasy here: the fact is that at that time the lunar landscape was called the area that suffered from bomb and artillery strikes. (from me - you need to think about the drawing)

Where and when was the flying tank designed and tested?

During the Second World War, work was underway in the USSR to create an aircraft based on the A-40 tank. During flight tests, the tank glider was towed by a TB-3 aircraft and was able to climb to a height of 40 meters. It was assumed that after uncoupling the towing cable, the tank should independently plan to the desired point, drop its wings and immediately engage in battle. The project was closed due to the lack of more powerful tugs, which were needed to solve more important tasks.

How did the "Molotov cocktail" come about?

During the 1939 Soviet-Finnish war, Foreign Minister Molotov said that Soviet troops were not dropping bombs, but food supplies for the starving Finns. In Finland, such bombs were dubbed "Molotov bread baskets", and then they began to call devices with incendiary bombs against Soviet tanks "Cocktail for Molotov." We have reduced the name of such a weapon to simply "Molotov Cocktail".

How were Soviet tractors used as combat units in World War II?

At the beginning of the Second World War, the USSR experienced a great shortage of tanks, in connection with which it was decided in emergency cases to convert conventional tractors into tanks. So, during the defense of Odessa from the Romanian units besieging the city, 20 such "tanks", sheathed with armor sheets, were thrown into battle. The main stake was made on the psychological effect: the attack was carried out at night with the headlights and sirens on, and the Romanians fled. For such cases, as well as for the fact that dummies of heavy weapons were often installed on these vehicles, the soldiers nicknamed them NI-1, which stands for "Fright".

When was the childlessness tax introduced?

In the USSR, since November 1941, there was a tax on childlessness, which amounted to 6% of wages. It was paid by childless men from 20 to 50 years old and childless married women from 20 to 45 years old.

Why is the story of the feat of 28 Panfilov heroes just a legend?

In Soviet literature and textbooks, the story of 28 Panfilov heroes was widely presented, who, during the German offensive on Moscow in 1941, performed a feat, destroying 18 enemy tanks at the cost of their own lives. Later, the military prosecutor's office of the USSR recognized this version as a literary fiction, since not a single documentary evidence of such a battle was found, although the fact of heavy battles of the 316th rifle division against two enemy tank divisions in this sector of the front is beyond doubt. The legendary phrase of political instructor Klochkov, who was one of the 28 Panfilov members, “Russia is great, and there is nowhere to retreat - Moscow is behind” - also turned out to be an invention, composed by a journalist of the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper.

Who tried to sail on a submarine and when?

In 1942, the Soviet submarine Sch-421 was blown up by a German anti-submarine mine, losing speed and the ability to dive. To prevent the ship from blowing the enemy to the shore, it was decided to sew a sail and raise it on the periscope. However, it was no longer possible to sail to the base, just as it was not even possible to tow the submarine with the help of other ships. After the appearance of German torpedo boats, the crew was evacuated, and the submarine was flooded.

Why did Stalin give Roosevelt a copy of the film Volga, Volga?

In 1942, Stalin invited the US Ambassador to watch the film Volga, Volga with him. Tom liked the film, and Stalin gave President Roosevelt a copy of the film through it. Roosevelt watched the film and did not understand why Stalin sent it exactly. Then he asked to translate the lyrics. When a song dedicated to the Sevryuga steamer sounded: “America gave Russia a steamer: / From the nose of steam, wheels from behind, / And awful and awful, / And terribly quiet running”, he exclaimed: “Now I understand! Stalin reproaches us for a quiet move, for the fact that we have not yet opened a second front. "

Whom did Hitler consider his main enemy in the USSR?

Hitler considered his main enemy in the USSR not Stalin, but the announcer Yuri Levitan. For his head, he announced a reward of 250 thousand marks. The Soviet authorities carefully guarded Levitan, and disinformation about his appearance was launched through the press.

On whose side in the Second World War, besides the Third Reich, Hitler fought?

The Red Army machine gunner Semyon Konstantinovich Hitler, a Jew by nationality, took part in the Great Patriotic War. A list of awards has been preserved, according to which Hitler was nominated for the medal "For Military Merit" for the feat. True, in the "People's feat" database it is reported that Semyon Konstantinovich Gitlev was awarded the medal "For Courage" - the surname was changed by accident or deliberately, it is not known.

Why St. Isaac's Cathedral was hardly damaged in the war?

During the years of the Great Patriotic War, St. Isaac's Cathedral was never subjected to direct shelling - only once a shell hit the western corner of the cathedral. According to the assumptions of the military, the reason is that the Germans used the highest dome of the city as a reference point for sighting. It is not known whether the city's leadership was guided by this assumption when it decided to hide valuables from other museums in the basement of the cathedral, which they did not manage to take out before the blockade began. But as a result, both the building and the values ​​were safely preserved.

Why at the Victory Parade on June 24, 1945, one dog was carried in his arms on a Stalinist overcoat?

During the Second World War, trained dogs actively helped the sappers to clear the objects. One of them, nicknamed Dzhulbars, discovered 7468 mines and more than 150 shells while clearing areas in European countries in the last year of the war. Shortly before the Victory Parade in Moscow on June 24, Dzhulbars was wounded and could not pass as part of the military dog ​​school. Then Stalin ordered to carry the dog across Red Square in his greatcoat.

How did the gift of Soviet schoolchildren to the American ambassador in 1945 help our special services?

In 1945, Soviet schoolchildren presented the American ambassador with a wooden panel made of precious woods depicting the coat of arms of the United States. Neither the schoolchildren nor the ambassador knew that a listening device was installed in the panel, the design of which was developed by Lev Termen. The "bug" was so successfully hidden that the American special services did not notice anything, and the Soviet ones listened to the conversations in the ambassador's office for another 8 years. After the discovery, the device was presented to the UN as evidence of the intelligence activities of the USSR, but its principle
the action remained unsolved for several years.

Which village is home to two marshals and twelve generals?

Located in Azerbaijan, the Armenian village of Chardakhly is the birthplace of two marshals, twelve generals and seven Heroes of the Soviet Union.

Which military leader was a marshal of two different states?

Konstantin Rokossovsky, a Pole by nationality, had the titles of Marshal of the USSR and Marshal of Poland.

Original- http://polemika.com.ua/news-105141.html

The Danish king Nils, who ruled from 1104-1134, had the smallest army ever in the world. It consisted of 7 people - his personal assistants. With this army, he ruled Denmark for 30 years, and at that time Denmark also included large parts of Sweden and Norway, as well as some parts of Northern Germany.

In England at the time of James I, in order to become a soldier, it was enough to drink a glass of beer at the expense of the king and take an advance from the recruiter - one shilling. Recruiters went to pubs, treated them to beer, and at the bottom of the mug lay the mentioned shilling. After a while, any Briton who was treated to beer first examined the mug for a long time at the light.

One of the worst embarrassment in world military history.
At the very beginning of the Spanish-American War (1898), the USS Charleston was ordered to seize the Spanish island of Guam. The operation was given only two days, considering the road - nothing at all.

When the Americans approached the island, expecting desperate resistance, they fired 13 volleys at the Santa Luz fortress and waited.

The Spanish response was highly unexpected. No cannon volleys or selective curses. Instead, they dispatched one small boat with an officer who politely asked permission to board. Intrigued Americans gave permission.

Once on American soil, the Spaniard invited the Charleston to Guam in the most sophisticated terms. Then he thanked for the salute that the American guests had arranged ... and very much apologized that they could not give a return salute, because on the island, as a matter of misfortune, all the gunpowder supplies had run out. But if the Americans are so kind to lend the islanders some gunpowder, they will be happy to greet the foreign ship properly.

It was one of the worst embarrassments in world military history. It turned out that Spain had forgotten to send a message to Guam that they were now at war. Therefore, on the island, by the way, they were not particularly worried about how to replenish their stocks of gunpowder.

German helmets on Soviet soldiers

Probably many have seen on the Internet a funny photo with Red Army soldiers dashingly marching in German helmets.

According to the veteran of this division V.V. Voitsekhovich, in the first days after the Victory the leadership of the regiment decided to hold a review.

Artillerymen of the 144th Rifle Regiment of the 49th Guards Rifle Division.
In the foreground is the artillery commander of the 144th Rifle Regiment, Alexander Monakhov, and two platoon commanders.

Medics of the 144th Rifle Regiment of the 49th Guards Rifle Division.
On the far left is the chief physician of the Aserzon regiment, in the center is the political officer of the division Miralevich.

Inspection of the 144th Rifle Regiment of the 49th Guards Rifle Division.
At the head of the training company is its commander, a participant in the 1945 Victory parade in Moscow, Vladimir Anfinogenov.

Command of the 144th Regiment of the 49th Guards Rifle Division.
The photo was taken in Austria in the first days after the Victory.

Officers of the 1st Battalion, 144th Regiment, 49th Guards Rifle Division.
Standing from left to right: Chekalov - battalion commander; deputy. on drill; battalion chief of staff; orderly of the battalion commander.
Company and platoon commanders are sitting.

The command staff of the artillery of the 144th regiment of the 49th Guards Rifle Division.
Standing from left to right: howitzer battery platoon leader; Monakhov - commander of a howitzer battery; Zhaglo - chief of artillery regiment.
The commanders of batteries and platoons are sitting.

Bactrians - two-humped camels, were pack animals, they were used in many military campaigns of Russian troops across the Central Asian expanses. Historians know several cases of their use in the troops of those states in which the Bactrians were not at all.

According to historical facts, war camels, the so-called Bactrians, as animals created for riding, used in cavalry were not often observed, dromedaries were used much more often. The Russian army of the 18th-19th centuries had this detachment in only a few units, consisting of some Kalmyks.

Bactrians - two-humped camels, were pack and draft animals, they were used in many military campaigns of Russian troops across the Central Asian expanses. Historians know several cases of their use in the troops of those states in which the Bactrians were not at all.

A batch of camels with one or two humps on their backs was brought to the United States at the turn of 1855 for use in military clashes with local Indian tribes. They created the Camel Corps, numbering at the end of its activity about 66 Bactrians, located in the small town of Camp Verde in Texas. However, the drivers did not gain popularity because of their wayward disposition and because their presence frightened the horses very much.

When the civil war began, and Camp Verde was captured by the southerners, the Camel Corps finished its work, some of the camels were sold, the rest fled and became wild. Voentorg stopped providing troops consisting of these exotic animals, wild, they caught the eye until the beginning of the XX century.

Two-humped camels as a pulling force were often exploited in 1939 by the troops of the USSR and Mongolia during the clash with Japan near Khalkhin Gol. An interesting historical fact - camels helped to ensure victory for the Soviet-Mongolian units because the Japanese truck tractors were not so reliable and often fell into disrepair when the animals completely completed their assigned tasks.

Adapted to life in the desert, they perfectly navigate the sands tirelessly. Ordinary cavalry would have to carry not only the provisions allocated by the military organization for the military, but also fodder for the cavalry army, which would be difficult, given the terrain conditions. In addition, camels can do without food and water for quite a long time, and during the battle they served as "living fortresses" behind which the fighters took refuge, and from their height, a beautiful panorama opened up for inspecting the adjacent territories.

Today the city of Akhtubinsk has a monument erected to two Bactrians, who made up the harness of the weapon, which was one of the first to fire a shot at the Reich Chancellery.