Billy Boyle (Billy Boyle World War II, #1)

by James R. Benn

Hibernian

Hibernian /hīˈbərnēən/ I. adjective of or concerning Ireland (now chiefly used in names) • the Royal Hibernian Academy. II. noun a native of Ireland (now chiefly used in names) • the Ancient Order of Hibernians. – origin from Latin Hibernia (alteration of Iverna, from Greek I(w)ernē, of Celtic origin; related to Irish Éire, Éirinn ‘Ireland’: see Éire, Erin) + -an. Hibernianism /hīˈbərnēəˌnizəm / Hibernicism noun an Irish idiom or expression…

legerdemain

legerdemain /ˈlejərdəˌmān/ I. noun 1. skillful use of one's hands when performing conjuring tricks. 2. deception; trickery. – origin late Middle English: from French léger de main ‘dexterous,’ literally ‘light of hand.’.. Sleight of hand (also known as prestidigitation or legerdemain (listenⓘ) comprises fine motor skills used by performing artists in different art forms to entertain or manipulate. It is closely associated with close-up magic, card magic, card flourishing and stealing. Because of its heavy use and practice by magicians, sleight of hand is often confused as a branch of magic; however, it is a separate genre of entertainment and many artists practice sleight of hand as an independent skill. Sleight of hand pioneers with worldwide acclaim include Dan and Dave, Ricky Jay, Derek DelGaudio, David Copperfield, Yann Frisch, Norbert Ferré, Dai Vernon, Jerry Sadowitz, Cardini, Tony Slydini, Helder Guimarães, Tom Mullica, and Jason Ladanye. Etymology and history edit Further information: Timeline of magic The word sleight, meaning "the use of dexterity or cunning, especially so as to deceive", comes from the Old Norse.[1] The phrase sleight of hand means "quick fingers" or "trickster fingers".[1] Common synonyms of Latin and French include prestidigitation and legerdemain respectively.[1] Seneca the Younger, philosopher of the Silver Age of Latin literature, famously compared rhetorical techniques and illusionist techniques.[2] Association with close-up magic edit Further information: Close-up magic Sleight of hand is often used in close-up magic, where the sleights are performed with the audience close to the magician, usually in physical contact or within 3 to 4 m (10 to 13 ft).[3] This close contact eliminates theories of fake audience members and the use of gimmicks.[3] It makes use of everyday items as props, such as cards, coins, rubber bands, paper, phones and even saltshakers.[3] A well-performed sleight looks like an ordinary, natural and completely innocent gesture, change in hand position or body posture.[4] In addition to manual dexterity, sleight of hand in close-up magic depends on the use of psychology, timing, misdirection, and natural choreography in accomplishing a magical effect.[4] Association with stage magic edit Further information: Stage magic Sleight of hand during stage magic performances is not common, as most magic events and stunts are performed with objects visible to a much larger audience, but is nevertheless done occasionally by many stage performers.[5] The most common magic tricks performed with sleight of hand on stage are rope manipulations and card tricks, with the first typically being done with a member of the audience to rule out the possibility of stooges and the latter primarily being done on a table while a camera is live-recording, allowing the rest of the audience to see the performance on a big screen.[6][7] Worldwide acclaimed stage magician David Copperfield often includes illusions featuring sleight of hand in his stage shows.[7] Association with card cheating edit Further information: Card sharp Although being mostly used for entertainment and comedy purposes, sleight of hand is also notoriously used to cheat at casinos and gambling facilities throughout the world.[8] Common ways to professionally cheat at card games using sleight of hand include palming, switching, ditching, and stealing cards from the table.[8] Such techniques involve extreme misdirection and years of practice.[8] For these reasons, the term sleight of hand frequently carries negative associations of dishonesty and deceit at many gambling halls, and many magicians known around the world are publicly banned from casinos, such as British mentalist and close-up magician Derren Brown, who is banned from every casino in Britain.[9] Association with cardistry edit Further information: Cardistry Cardistry is closely related to sleight of hand Unlike card tricks done on the streets or on stage and card cheating, cardistry is solely about impressing without illusions, deceit, misdirection and other elements commonly used in card tricks and card cheating.[10] Cardistry is the art of card flourishing, and is intended to be visually impressive and to give the appearance of being difficult to perform.[10] Card flourishing is often associated with card tricks, but many sleight of hand artists perform flourishing without considering themselves magicians or having any real interest in card tricks.[10] Association with card throwing edit Further information: Card throwing The art of card throwing generally consists of throwing standard playing cards with excessively high speed and accuracy, powerful enough to slice fruits like carrots and even melons.[11][12] Like flourishing, throwing cards is meant to be visibly impressive and does not include magic elements.[12] Magician Ricky Jay popularized throwing cards within the sleight of hand industry with the release of his 1977 book Cards as Weapons, which was met with large sales and critical acclaim.[13] Some magic tricks, both close-up and on stage, are heavily connected to throwing cards.[14]…

off-piste

Backcountry skiing (US), also called off-piste (Europe), alpine touring, freeriding or out-of-area, is skiing in the backcountry on unmarked or unpatrolled areas either inside or outside a ski resort's boundaries.[1] This contrasts with alpine skiing, which is typically done on groomed trails benefiting from a ski patrol. Unlike ski touring, backcountry skiing can – and often does – include the use of ski lifts including snowcats and helicopters. Recent improvements in equipment have increased the popularity of the sport.[2] As the sport does confront the individual practicing it with the dangers of natural, unprepared alpine terrain like avalanches, it is generally recommended to carry standard safety equipment and to learn beforehand how to behave safely under such conditions. A set of backcountry ski runs in the Battle Range of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Notice a minor avalanche has occurred at the right of frame. Terminology edit Warning sign at the ski resort boundary of Stevens Pass. Many tracks leaving the ski area nearby indicate people enjoying sidecountry tree skiing. The terms "backcountry" and "off-piste" refer to where the skiing is being done, while terms like ski touring, ski mountaineering, telemark, freeriding, and extreme skiing describe what type of skiing is being done. Terms for backcountry skiing exist according to how the terrain is accessed, and how close it is to services. Backcountry can include the following:[3] Frontcountry: off-trail within ski area boundaries where ski lifts and emergency services are close at hand. Slackcountry: terrain outside of the ski area boundary that is accessed from a lift without having to use skins or bootpack. Usually this also includes area with access back to the lift as well. For purists, this could also include where people use a car as a shuttle. Sidecountry: terrain outside marked ski area boundaries yet accessible via ski lift. Typically sidecountry requires the skier to hike, skin, or climb within ski area boundaries to reach or return from the sidecountry area, or both. Backcountry: skiing in remote areas not within ski area boundaries…

Harz Mountains

The Harz (German: [haːɐ̯ts] ⓘ), also called the Harz Mountains, is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart (hill forest). The name Hercynia derives from a Celtic name and could refer to other mountain forests, but has also been applied to the geology of the Harz. The Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz with an elevation of 1,141.1 metres (3,744 ft) above sea level. The Wurmberg (971 metres (3,186 ft)) is the highest peak located entirely within the state of Lower Saxony…

Höhenweg

The Balfrin Höhenweg is a high level footpath in Switzerland between Grächen and Saas-Fee and is part of the Monte Rosa tour. It is also known as Grächen–Saas Fee Höhenweg.[1]…

Gasthaus,

gasthaus /ˈɡästhous / Gasthaus I. noun a small inn or hotel in a German-speaking country or region. – origin from German, from Gast ‘guest’ + Haus ‘house.’… A Gasthaus (also called Gasthof, Landhaus, or Pension) is a German-style inn or tavern with a bar, a restaurant, banquet facilities and hotel rooms for rent.[1] A typical Gasthaus in Austria Gasthäuser are typically found in smaller towns and are often family-owned. It is common for three generations of a family to work together in such an establishment, and many have been owned by the same family for generations.[2] Gasthäuser are common in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and other countries in Europe around Germany. Some are decorated with mural paintings (called Lüftlmalerei) depicting fairy tale stories or local legendary figures…

Unbekannter Russe.

"Unbekannter Russe" literally translates to "Unknown Russian" and can refer to an unknown person, a surname, or a documentary series. It might also describe a specific unknown soldier, as seen in cemetery records. As a general term: It simply means "an unknown Russian" person. As a name: There is a historical record of a surname, Unbekannter Russe, which means "Unknown Russian". For a documentary: "Unknown Russia" is the name of a television series that explores lesser-known places and people in Russia. For a specific person: It has been used in cemetery records for unknown soldiers of Russian origin, such as the graves of "1 unbekannter Russe" in Latvian war cemeteries, according to Find a Grave Memorial users…

Twenty years later, I have found a new layer of meaning in what I write. With the modern rise of fascistic tendencies and authoritarian governments, the challenges of a previous generation take on an unusually imperative urgency. Unchecked aggression and appeasement of dictators have become much more than historical curiosities from a bygone era. They are at our front door. Nazis brazenly march in our streets. The contributions made to victory in the Second World War by Black people, Native Americans, and women are being erased from the public record. All this is happening as I write, and I cannot help but imagine an elderly Billy Boyle in his final years. Does he wonder how things came to this? Do his thoughts linger on better times? Does his anger and rage lead him to do whatever his arthritic bones will allow and fight against the incoming tide of fascism? Or does he give up, and think there is nothing that can be done? If you’ve read any of the Billy Boyle novels, I think you’ll know the answer. SO, HERE WE are, back at the beginning, celebrating twenty years (and counting) of Billy Boyle. All because of a single incisive question. Thank you, Debbie. And you, dear reader—what do you want to do with the rest of your life?

“So what’s all this about gold?” I asked. I noticed several forkfuls of fish suspended in midair, just below pairs of widening eyeballs. Only the king continued eating, royally ignoring my question and me. “Don’t they report the war news in Boston, young man?” Cosgrove snorted at me. “The Norwegians smuggled their entire treasury of gold bullion out of the country in 1940, practically under the noses of the Germans. Hundreds of cases of gold bars and coins. A logistical feat, under any circumstances!” “So it’s all here, in England?” I watched for a reaction from Skak or Birkeland, but Harding cut in. “No, Lieutenant, the gold was taken to the United States on several different vessels, and deposited in banks to be at the disposal of His Majesty’s government.” He spoke quickly, as if to close the conversation. “That’s great. I must’ve missed it in the papers.” I turned to Skak and Birkeland with a gee-golly look that came disturbingly easy. “Were you fellows involved with this gold transport?” Skak looked straight ahead and drummed his fingers on the table. Birkeland spoke very deliberately. “We each were given different duties by the king. I was responsible for transferring the gold from ground transport to fishing boats and British warships, when they were available. We didn’t want the gold to be all in one place, in case a ship was sunk or captured.” “How did you manage it—all those fishing boats, I mean?” Daphne asked. I wondered if she was really curious or just trying...

“Never go after the truth; that’s a waste of time. Chase the lie, and let it lead you to the truth. And I know where the lie is here.”

I found her place easy enough and her, too, for that matter. She was sitting on a worn wooden bench in a small garden in front of her cottage. It looked like a house to me, but I figured it was one of those English things. I pulled the BMW into the drive and switched it off. The driveway was packed dirt with weeds sprouting out of it, wildflowers forcing their way through the hard surface. She looked over at me as calmly as if Americans on motorcycles showed up every day. I took off my goggles and Parsons field jacket, and attempted to make myself presentable. I brushed the dust off my pants, put on my fore and aft cap at just the right angle, and walked into the garden. She sat still, gazing at the flowers. “Nice garden, Mrs. Brey.” She nodded, ever so slightly, and looked up at me with moist eyes. She was twisting a handkerchief in her hands, limp and damp from her tears. “Yes, isn’t it? They’ll probably all die now . . .” “Now that you’re being transferred?” “No. Now that Richard’s . . . gone. He always tended them. Said a home needed flowers blooming around it first thing in the spring. He always looked forward to springtime.”

Her head swiveled back to look at the flowers. She dabbed at her eyes with the handkerchief she held crumpled in one hand. I could have jumped on a broomstick and flown away for all she cared. She was someplace else. There wasn’t another chair and I had to make eye contact, so I knelt down in front of her. “Mrs. Brey?” Her eyes wavered and finally found me. “Yes? Who are you?” That was progress. “Lieutenant Billy Boyle, ma’am. I’m investigating the death of Knut Birkeland at Beardsley Hall.” She laughed. The laughter seemed to break the spell for her and she focused on me as she smiled. “That’s terribly funny.” “What is?” I asked. “One old man dies and they send a lieutenant. Thousands die in the air, at sea, all over the world, and then who do they send? No one.” She laughed some more. At first, I thought she was crazy, and then I thought it over. It really didn’t add up, did it? “I’m sorry, Lieutenant Boyle. I’m not usually so distracted. I haven’t been back here since Richard . . . disappeared. The memories were . . . I’m afraid I’ve been rude.” She wiped her eyes and tried to smile again. There wasn’t a lot of happiness to work with, so it wasn’t a big smile. She was pretty in a plain English country-girl sort of way, and even that frail grin lit up her face. Her hair was dark brown and pulled back, showing off a long and graceful neck. Her skin was flushed from the heat and a tiny bead of sweat worked its way down her throat and vanished beneath her pale green sundres...

“Come inside, and tell me why you’ve traveled all this way.” She stood and walked toward the house, glancing over her shoulder at me. She caught me looking, and smiled. It was quite a change, as if she had awakened from a trance. She offered to make tea, but it was too hot a day for me. She poured lemonade, and we went into her front parlor. She sat in an armchair and I took the couch. I was nervous. I was thinking about her body and the look she had given me over her shoulder. I thought about Diana. I thought about getting the hell out of there. Instead, I got down to business. “Mrs. Brey, you’re in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, rank of subaltern, correct?” I tried to sound like your typical...

“Well, if I’m going to call you Billy, you must call me Victoria. But not Vicky. Only Richard calls me that.” I looked up on the wall behind her at the framed photo of a young man in an RAF uniform. He stood next to a bomber, a wide smile on his face, the RAF roundel showing in back of him. Both man and machine long gone. “Victoria, I don’t mean to pry into your private life, and I want you to know that I’m not compiling a written report or anything . . .” “My goodness, Billy, whatever are you going to ask me about?” “I understand that you were in Jens Iversen’s room early, very early in the morning on the day Knut Birkeland died.” She nodded. “Yes, I was.” Calm and cool. No embarrassment, no anger at the question. “And he escorted you from his room back to your room?” “Part of the way. He didn’t want to be seen, so he took me down his hallway, down the staircase, and then turned back.” “I should tell you, Victoria, that Jens didn’t tel...

“Weren’t you and he . . . close?” I asked. “All he wanted was sex,” she said disgustedly. “He pretended to be my friend and to comfort me, but all he wanted was to get his hands all over my body.” I had noticed that whenever women talked about some guy getting fresh with them, they would unconsciously put their hands over their breasts in a protective gesture, checking buttons or pulling at something. But Victoria sat there, one leg crossed over the other, with her hands resting flat on the chair arms. Something was really wrong here. “I got the feeling he was devoted to you.” “I thought so, too. But evidently not. Did you come here to ask me about Jens?” “No, no. I’d like to know who or what you might have seen on the way to your room that morning. Anybody or anything out of the ordinary.” “Am I a suspect, Billy?” “Did you kill Knut Birkeland?” I asked. “No.” “Then you’re in the clear. Did you see anything?” “I don’t remember. It was very early and I was tired. Do you like music?” “Yeah, sure, but think back . . .” She got up with a bored look on her face and walked to a record player. “Can you stay for dinner, Billy?” I hadn’t yet thought about dinner, but I got the feeling sh...

There was no us, and I didn’t intend on being part of her fantasy. But I also had the feeling she knew something, and wasn’t going to give it up easily. “Maybe. But we need to finish this first. Think about what you saw that morning.” “Do you like Irving Berlin?” “Sure, who doesn’t?” She put the needle down on the record. Hissing and scratching came out of the record player. This platter had been played a lot. “Let’s dance. Then I’ll tell you everything, and you can decide if you want to stay.” She held her arms outstretched in front of her, a slight innocent smile on her face. One little dance, I thought, in pursuit of the truth. Can’t hurt. “Okay.” I got up and held her as the music started. She folded my hand holding hers into my chest and rested her cheek on my shoulder. We danced slowly. Her body felt warm, and I could feel her breasts press against ...

She sang the words in a sad, quiet, high voice. A wish to see her man again, even in a dream. She looked up into my eyes, her eyes only inches from my face. Her cheeks were wet with tears, but she wasn’t crying right now. I could feel the heat from her whole body rising up, or maybe it was the heat of the room. Or maybe it was me. My heart was pounding and I felt her chest rise and fall with each breath, a thin layer of sweat glistening against her white skin. She canted her head and pushed her lips against mine, her mouth open and the dampness from her tears and sweat combining in an unholy alliance against the little willpower I had. My mind said no, my heart said no, but my body was saying, Go right ahead, boy, this dame’s delicious. “Victoria, I can’t . . .” “Call me Vicky,” she said in a...

I felt like she would break into a million pieces if I let go. If I didn’t, I’d break a promise I hadn’t even made yet. I had to buy some time, and I still had to get some answers. I tried to be a cop and think of her as just another civilian I needed something from. “Vicky.” “Oh yes, darling!” She smiled, her eyes still closed and her hips thrust against mine. “Vicky, tell me about the morning you left Jens’s room.” “I don’t want to talk about him.” “I don’t either. But we have to. Who else did you see, on the way back to your room?” “Another man.” “Who, Vicky?” “If I tell you, will you stop asking questions? So we can sleep?” “Sure.” “He was always very nice to me. Kind. He didn’t take advantage, like the others.” “Who was he, Vicky?” “Anders. Major Arnesen. I saw him on the main floor.” “In the corridor near the map room?” “Yes, I think so. We smiled at each other, but didn’t say anything. He must have a girlfriend. I’m glad.” “Did you see anyone else?” The music ended and she stopped dancing. The needle made a quiet hissing sound as the record went round and round and we both stood there, frozen. Her dreamy smile faded into nothing as she came back from that place she had re...

I let go of her hand. I was smart enough to not say anything else. She walked over to the record player and raised the needle from the turntable. “Get out.” “Please, Mrs. Brey, just tell me if you saw anyone else. Lives may depend on it.” “Lives? How dare you lecture me about lives! I’ve already given one life to this damned war! The people you’re talking about are still alive! They can walk in the sunshine, eat dinner, make love, hold hands . . . what do I care about them?” Her face crumpled as she tried to hold back a torrent of tears. She raised her hand to her mouth as she made an anguished noise, tears running over her hand and onto the wooden floor, clean little splashes on a thin layer of dust. She fell to her knees and I thought she might actually be sick. I knelt down beside her and put my hand on her shoulder. She trembled as she covered her face with her hands. “I’m not really a bad person,” she said between sobs. Her nose was running, too. “Me either.” “Don’t look at me, please. You must think I’m a hussy.” “Mrs. Brey, you just want to be with your husband, that’s all.” She nodded, but she wouldn’t look at me. We just sat there for a while. She shuddered a few times ...

“You shouldn’t blame Jens for the transfer, you know. I think he was trying to help.” “Jens?” She sniffled. “What did he have to do with my transfer?” “Huh? Didn’t he . . .” “No. Anders issued the order. He said he needed me at the Norwegian Brigade base in Scotland. I was glad to go. I just wasn’t prepared to come back here, to all this.” She gestured at the room, the house, the memories, everything. Anders. Anders had been up early in the morning and transferred the only person who had seen him far away from Beardsley Hall. Anders. That made me rethink things. He had been a distant third until now, but this put him tops in my hit parade. Leaving the key in his own room was a nice touch, I had to admit. I hoped Daphne had been able to get his orders to Norway canceled. That made me think of getting back to the hall. I looked at my watch. “Billy, please don’t go.” “I have to.” “I can’t stay here alone another night. I’m leaving for Scotland tomorrow; I don’t care ab...

I couldn’t leave her alone. I had pushed her, used her, shamed her. I couldn’t turn around and leave her, like a piece of rubbish on the floor, now that I had what I wanted. We got up, stood there a second, brushing off our knees and smoothing clothes that weren’t all that wrinkled. “Thank you,” she said, barely able to make eye contact. But she did. “Thank you.” She went into the kitchen and started puttering around. I had to admire her for pulling herself together, and I was more than a little relieved that she’d managed to. I got my stuff from the BMW and brought it inside. We ended up cooking together, talking about Boston seafood and English dishes. She opened a bottle of wine and we ate at the kitchen table. We didn’t talk about Beardsley Hall or Richard. I told her all about Diana, except for the secret mission part, and she told me it sounded very romantic. It was nice. I slept on the couch. She took the record upstairs with her, and I fell asleep to the faint sound of “I want to dream so I can be with you,” glad that my willpower had lasted as long as it did. As willing as she might have been at one moment, it wouldn’t have been worth it the next. I got up early, but Vi...

“You there, Yank! Are you our Joey?” “My name’s Billy,” I said. Laughter rolled through the crew until an officer showed up at the gangplank. “Welcome aboard, Lieutenant Boyle. I’m Lieutenant Harold Dickinson, Royal Navy Reserve.” He was tall, thin, graceful, and hatless. His head of thick blond hair blew in every direction in the freshening wind. He wore a soiled fisherman’s thick white turtleneck sweater, and could’ve been a Harvard kid getting ready for a sail, except for the twin-mounted .50 caliber machine guns he was leaning against. “Don’t mind the lads. We call all our passengers ‘Joeys.’ That’s what Aussies call a baby kangaroo, carried safely in its mum’s pouch. Don’t know if that’s where it got started, but there it is.”

picketboats.

A picket boat is a type of small naval craft. These are used for harbor patrol and other close inshore work, and have often been carried by larger warships as a ship's boat. They are usually 30 to 55 feet long. US Coast Guard 36-foot (11 m) open cockpit picket boat of the 1920s Patrol boats, or any craft engaged in sentinel duty, are sometimes referred to as picket boats, using "picket" in the generic sense, even if much larger than actual picket boats. Picket boats were indeed at first steam pinnaces deployed to patrol anchorages to protect them from enemy torpedo boats, thus acquiring the new name "picket boat".[citation needed] United States edit 38-foot United States Coast Guard Picket boat The Union's 45-foot (14 m) long steam-powered Picket Boat Number One sank the Confederate ironclad Albemarle in 1864. (Although named "Picket Boat", this craft has also been called a steam launch). The boat was armed with a 12-pounder Dahlgren gun and a spar torpedo, of which the latter was employed in sinking Albemarle.[1][2] The Union's Potomac Flotilla also purchased and equipped some vessels to serve as picket boats, such as the USS Alpha and five other similar vessels on June 3,1864.[3] A number of American warships of the 19th century carried picket boats, such as the USS Vulcan (her picket boat was heavily engaged by Spanish small-caliber shore fire during one incident in the Spanish–American War), and others.[citation needed] In the early 1920s, during Prohibition, the United States Coast Guard built a fleet of 103 picket boats to intercept rum runners, supplementing the larger and more seaworthy cutters and patrol boats. These boats were about 36 feet (11 m) long, had no main fixed armament, and cost about US$8,800 (about $161,459[4] in 2024 dollars) to build.[5] A later picket boat, built between 1932 and 1943, was 38 feet (12 m) long and also had no large main armament.[6] Britain edit A British 56-foot (17 m) picket boat, returning to its mothership (HMS Triumph) after participating in action on April 18, 1915 A long-serving 19th-century British picket boat, carried on capital ships, was a 50-foot (15 m) model introduced in 1867 which saw wide service in World War I and even some limited service in World War II. The typical main armament during most of this boat's service life was a Hotchkiss 3–pounder, adopted by the Royal Navy in 1886.[7] British pre-dreadnoughts, including HMS Majestic and HMS Triumph, carried picket boats.[8] The P1000 Class Picket Boat is a current British Royal Navy boat, 42 feet (13 m) in length, formerly carried on destroyers but now used only for training.[9] Germany edit Learn more This section does not cite any sources. (December 2015) The Königsberg–class cruisers of 1905 and 1915 carried a picket boat; the Königsbergs of 1927 carried two. The Dresden class of a similar era carried one, as did the Wiesbaden–class. Larger ships also carried picket boats: The Nassau–, König–, and Bayern–class battleships, the SMS Seydlitz, and the Derfflinger–class battlecruisers all carried one each…

Oerlikons

The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons based on an original German Becker Type M2 20 mm cannon design that appeared very early in World War I. It was widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others, with various models employed by both Allied and Axis forces during World War II. Many versions of the cannon are still used.[2][3] Oerlikon 20 mm cannon Oerlikon 20 mm cannon in French service Type Autocannon Place of origin Switzerland Service history In service 1937–present Wars World War II Production history Designer Reinhold Becker Designed 1935 Manufacturer Oerlikon Oerlikon Contraves Produced 1937−1995 No. built 124,734[1] Variants Oerlikon FF MG FF cannon Specifications Mass L70 Total gun barrel weight: 68.04 kilograms (150.0 lb) Minus breech mechanism: 20.865 kg (46.00 lb) L85 Empty: 92.0 kilograms (202.8 lb) Loaded with 200 rounds: 182.0 kg (401.2 lb) Barrel length L70 Overall: 2,210 mm (87 in) Barrel length: 1,400 mm (55 in) L85 Overall: n/a Barrel length: 1,700 mm (67 in) Shell L70: 20×110mmRB L85: 20×128mm Shell weight HE: 123 g (4.3 oz) HE/T: 116 g (4.1 oz) Caliber 20 mm (0.79 in) Barrels Single barrel (progressive RH parabolic twist, 9 grooves) Action API blowback Elevation Manual, -15°/+90° Traverse Manual, full 360° Rate of fire L70: Cyclic: 450 rounds per minute Practical: 250-320 rounds per minute L85: Cyclic: 900 to 1,000 rounds per minute Muzzle velocity L70: 820 m/s (2,700 ft/s) L85: 1,050 m/s (3,400 ft/s) Effective firing range Against low-flying aircraft (HE round) L70: 914 m (1,000 yd) L85: 1,500 m (1,600 yd) Maximum firing range HE round at 45° L70: 4,389 m (4,800 yd) L85: 6,800 m (7,400 yd) Feed system Cylindrical magazine holding 60 rounds, Later adjusted to be a belt fed gun References [2][3] Blowback-operated models edit History edit Origins edit During World War I, the German industrialist Reinhold Becker developed a 20 mm caliber cannon, known now as the 20 mm Becker using the advanced primer ignition blowback (API blowback) method of operation. This used a 20×70mmRB cartridge and had a cyclic rate of fire of 300 rpm. It was used on a limited scale as an aircraft gun on Luftstreitkräfte warplanes, and an anti-aircraft gun towards the end of that war. Because the Treaty of Versailles banned further production of such weapons in Germany, the patents and design works were transferred in 1919 to the Swiss firm SEMAG (Seebach Maschinenbau Aktien Gesellschaft) based near Zürich. SEMAG continued development of the weapon, and in 1924 had produced the SEMAG L, a heavier weapon (43 kg) that fired more powerful 20×100mmRB ammunition at a slightly higher rate of fire, 350 rpm. In 1924, SEMAG failed. The Oerlikon firm, named after the Zürich suburb of Oerlikon where it was based, then acquired all rights to the weapon, plus the manufacturing equipment and the employees of SEMAG. Oerlikon edit In 1927 the Oerlikon S was added to the existing product line. This fired a still larger cartridge (20x110RB) to achieve a muzzle velocity of 830 m/s (versus 490 m/s for the original Becker 20x70RB gun), at the cost of increased weight and a reduced rate of fire (280 rpm). The purpose of this development was to improve the performance of the gun as an anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapon, which required a higher muzzle velocity. An improved version known as the 1S followed in 1930. Three sizes of gun with their different ammunition and barrel length, but very similar mechanisms, continued to be developed in parallel. In 1930 Oerlikon reconsidered the application of its gun in aircraft and introduced the AF and AL, designed to be used in flexible mounts, i.e. manually aimed by a gunner. The 15-round box magazine used by earlier versions of the gun was replaced by drum magazine holding 15 or 30 rounds. In 1935 it made an important step by introducing a series of guns designed to be mounted in or on the wings of fighter aircraft. Designated with FF for Flügelfest meaning 'wing-mounted', these weapons were again available in the three sizes, with designations FF, FFL and FFS. The FF fired a slightly larger cartridge than the AF, 20x72RB, but the major improvement in these weapons was a significant increase in rate of fire. The FF weighed 24 kg and achieved a muzzle velocity of 550 to 600 m/s with a rate of fire of 520 rpm. The FFL of 30 kg fired a projectile at a muzzle velocity of 675 m/s with a rate of fire of 500 rpm. And the FFS, which weighed 39 kg, delivered a high muzzle velocity of 830 m/s at a rate of 470 rpm.[4] Apart from changes to the design of the guns for wing-mounting and remote control, larger drums were introduced as it would not be possible to exchange magazines in flight. For the FF series 45, 60, 75 and 100 (and a rarely used 150) drum magazines were available, but most users chose the 30 or 60-round drum. The 1930s were a period of global re-armament, and a number of foreign firms took licenses for the Oerlikon family of aircraft cannon. In France, Hispano-Suiza manufactured development of the FFS as the Hispano-Suiza HS.7 and Hispano-Suiza HS.9, for installation between the cylinder banks of its V-12 engines. In Germany, Ikaria further developed the FF gun as the MG FF, firing 20x80RB ammunition. And the Imperial Japanese Navy, after evaluating all three guns, ordered developments of the FF and FFL as the Type 99-1 and Type 99-2. The incorporation of the improvements of the FFS in a new anti-aircraft gun produced, in 1938, the Oerlikon SS. Oerlikon realized further improvements in rate of fire on the 1SS of 1942, and the 2SS of 1945 which achieved 650 rpm. However, it was the original SS gun which was widely adopted as anti-aircraft gun, being especially widely used by Allied navies during World War II. This gun used a 400-grain (26-gram) charge of IMR 4831 smokeless powder to propel a 2,000-grain (130-gram) projectile at 2,800 feet (850 meters) per second.[5] World War II edit A Royal Navy Oerlikon gunner at his gun mount aboard the Dido-class cruiser HMS Dido in 1942 The Oerlikon FF was installed as armament on some fighters of the 1930s, such as the Polish PZL P.24G. Locally produced derivatives of the Oerlikon cannon were used much more extensively, on aircraft, on ships and on land. In the air, the Ikaria MG FF was used as armament on a number of German aircraft, of which the most famous is the Messerschmitt Bf 109. The Japanese Navy similarly used their copy of the FF, designated the Type 99 Mark 1 cannon on a number of types including the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. Later in the war, they also equipped fighters including the Zero with the Type 99 Mark 2, a version of the more powerful and faster-firing Oerlikon FFL. Oerlikon AA Mle 39 AA gun at Fort de Fermont. The French firm of Hispano-Suiza was a manufacturer of aircraft engines, and it marketed the moteur-canon combination of its 12X and 12Y engines with a H.S.7 or H.S.9 cannon installed between the cylinder banks. The gun fired through the hollow propeller hub, this being elevated above the crankcase by the design of the gearing. Such armament was installed on the Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 and some other types. Similar German installations of the MG FF were not successful. Diagrams showing basic design and color-coding of British HE/incendiary, tracer and HE/incendiary/tracer shells for the 20 mm Oerlikon gun The Oerlikon became best known in its naval applications. Initially the Oerlikon was not looked upon favorably by the Royal Navy as a short-range anti-aircraft gun. In 1937–1938 Lord Louis Mountbatten, then a captain in the Royal Navy, advocated within the Royal Navy to set up an unprejudiced trial for the Oerlikon 20 mm gun, but was unsuccessful. It was not until the Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet, Admiral Sir Roger Backhouse, was appointed First Sea Lord that Mountbatten's efforts bore fruit. During the first half of 1939 a contract for 1,500 guns was placed in Switzerland. However, due to delays and then later the fall of France in June 1940, only 109 guns reached the United Kingdom. All Oerlikon guns imported from Switzerland, in 1940, were mounted on various gun carriages to serve as light AA-guns on land. Just a few weeks before the fall of France, the Oerlikon factory approved manufacture of their gun in the United Kingdom, under licence. The Royal Navy managed to smuggle out the necessary drawings and documents from Zürich. The production of the first British-made Oerlikon guns started in Ruislip, London, at the end of 1940. The first guns were delivered to the Royal Navy in March or April, 1941. The RAF Regiment made extensive use of Oerlikon guns in the anti-aircraft role. These were the principal armament for its light anti-aircraft squadrons in North Africa, the Middle East, Italy, and north western Europe, until the introduction of the Bofors 40/L60 40 mm gun from 1943, although many squadrons retained a mix of guns until the end of World War 2. Squadrons in the Far East were equipped exclusively with Oerlikons. 1945, a row of 20 mm Oerlikon guns aboard the Essex-class aircraft carrier USS Hornet The Oerlikon gun was installed aboard United States Navy ships from 1942, replacing the M2 Browning machine gun, which lacked range and firepower, and largely superseding the 1.1"/75 caliber gun, which was heavier and had less mechanical reliability. It became famous in the naval anti-aircraft role, providing an effective defense at short ranges (in practice up to 1.5 km) at which heavier guns had difficulty tracking a target. The gun was eventually abandoned as a major anti-air weapon due to its lack of stopping power against heavy aircraft and against Japanese kamikaze attacks during the Pacific War. It was largely superseded by the Bofors 40 mm gun and the 3"/50 Mark 22 gun. It provided a useful increase in firepower over the .50 cal machine gun when adapted and fitted to some aircraft. However, it had some problems with jamming in the ammunition feed. The Royal Canadian Navy popularised the use of the Oerlikon gun as an anti-ship and anti-submarine gun – while it was not effective against the armour of most larger ships, it was used extensively and effectively against U-boats, and on the decks of larger ships. A handful of corvettes were fitted with the weapon toward the end of the war, but it appeared more commonly on frigates and destroyers at the time. The Oerlikon was also used as the basis for the Polsten gun, designed by Polish engineers in exile in the United Kingdom. The gun went into service in 1944, and was used well into the 1950s, among other uses, on Centaur tanks[6] and early model Centurion tanks. Romania purchased 45 pieces from Germany during the first half of World War II.[7] Post-war edit It is still in use today on some naval units, nominally as a last-recourse anti-air weapon, but mainly used for firing warning shots or incapacitating small vessels. Vietnam War In the Vietnam War, the US Navy used a mix of 20 mm weapons. The original Oerlikons were still in use aboard some vessels early in the conflict, especially on Riverine patrol boats, but were increasingly replaced by the belt-fed Colt Mk 12 and Mk 16 cannons, which were derived from the Hispano-Suiza HS.404.[8] Tanker Wars During the 1980s Tanker war phase of the Iran–Iraq war, Oerlikon 20 mm guns were used by smaller Gulf navies & some Western escorts. These weapons were often mounted on fast patrol boats & used to fire warning shots or deter Iranian small-boat harassment.[9] Though largely obsolete against air threats by this point, the Oerlikon remained viable against soft targets at sea. Falklands War In the 1982 Falklands War, the Royal Navy found itself short of modern Close-in weapon system (CIWS). As a result, several auxiliary vessels, including some requisitioned ships, were hastily fitted with WWII era Oerlikon 20 mm mounts for defence.[10] Some Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ships also received twin mounts of gas-operated Oerlikon GAM-BO1.[11] Their limited ability during the conflict reinforced the Royal Navy’s urgent need for modern radar-guided defensive systems. Description edit The aiming sight of the Oerlikon gun Unlike most high-powered autocannons, the Oerlikon and its derivatives have a blowback mechanism: the bolt is not locked to the breech of the gun at the moment of firing. Non-locking, simple blowback designs are commonplace in much lighter weapons, such as small-caliber semi-automatic pistols. No locking is required, as with such low-power cartridges the static inertia of the bolt or bolt and slide - the physical tendency of heavy components to resist rapid acceleration - is adequate to ensure that the projectile has left the muzzle and the gas pressure in the barrel is down to a safe level before the breech opens (while the bolt spring also resists the opening of the breech, in practical terms its contribution is too small to be relevant).[12] In contrast, 20mm cartridges are far too powerful, and efficient autocannon barrels too long, for this basic system to be practical; so the Oerlikon uses Advanced Primer Ignition (API) to augment the resistance of the bolt. In API blowback weapons, the firing pin fires the cartridge while the bolt is still traveling forward so that the gas pressure has to overcome the forward momentum of the bolt as well, before it can push it to the rear. To facilitate this, the Oerlikon's chamber is longer than needed to contain the cartridge, and the front-end of the bolt, which is the same diameter as the case, actually enters this extended chamber behind the cartridge before firing. As a result when firing occurs, the forward force of the bolt and spring acts against the force of the propellant gases until the latter overcome the former and start pushing case, bolt and spring backwards. If the bolt had stopped at the mouth of the chamber as in a simple blowback gun, this momentum would have been neutralized; instead thanks to the continuous movement the momentum acts to counter the propellant gases and slow the rearward travel of cartridge and bolt.[4] Synergistically with this, a second advantage of this unusual arrangement is that after firing the bolt and case have a short, but significant, distance to travel rearwards before the bolt-end re-emerges and the case in turn begins to leave the chamber; and this in combination with the retardation of the rearward travel provides sufficient time for gas pressure to drop to the necessary safe level.[13] This system permits blowback to be used in far more powerful weapons than normal. Nevertheless, compared to guns with a locking mechanism, a fairly heavy bolt must be employed; while to give this heavy bolt sufficient forward speed, a large spring is required (and Oerlikons, distinctively, have this component wrapped around their barrels.) These features will limit the rate of fire of such guns, unless other steps are taken—as in the final model of the Japanese 99 Mark 2.[4] Difference of normal and rebated rim cartridge in blowback operation This unique chamber and bolt design necessitates the use of a characteristically shaped cartridge: the case has straight sides, very little neck, and a rebated rim. The straight sides allows the case to slide back and forward in the cylindrical chamber. The neck is not supported while this happens and therefore expands when the case is fired, and the rebated rim allows the face of the bolt, with its extractor claw hooked over the rim, to fit within the chamber. To ease the motion of the case, the ammunition needed to be greased, which was a drawback of the Oerlikon cannon. An alternative developed during World War II was the so-called fluted chamber, which had grooves that allowed propellant gas to seep between the chamber wall and the case, taking over the role of the grease.[4] Side view of the twin Oerlikon gun mount Rear view of the twin Oerlikon gun mount A twin Oerlikon gun mount from the Tribal-class destroyer HMCS Haida Ammunition feed is typically by a 60-round drum magazine on the top of the gun. During sustained firing, the magazine must be frequently changed, reducing the effective rate of fire. Belt-fed versions of the gun were developed to overcome this limitation. A trigger in the right-hand grip controls fire. Used cartridges are ejected from below the breech. Different nations and services operated a number of mounting types for the same basic gun. In a typical single-barrel naval version, it is free-swinging on a fixed pedestal mounting with a flat armored shield affording some protection for the crew. The cannon is aimed and fired by a gunner using, in its simplest form, a ring-and-bead sight. The gunner is attached to the weapon by a waist-belt and shoulder supports. For this reason, some mountings existed with a height-adjustment feature to compensate for different sized gunners. A "piece chief" designates targets and the feeder changes exhausted magazines. During World War II, twin and quadruple Oerlikon mounts were developed, both for army and for navy use. The British Navy operated a hydraulically operated twin-gun mount. The US Navy operated a quad mount developed for PT boats by Elco Naval Division, Electric Boat Company, called the Elco "Thunderbolt" mount. Prototypes were built and tested in late 1942 and operationally deployed on several Elco PT Boats in the Mediterranean.[14][15] It was also placed experimentally on the battleships Arkansas, Colorado, Maryland, West Virginia, Washington, Massachusetts, and training ship Wyoming. Variants edit Type F L S[16] FFF FFL FFS Caliber 20 mm Action API blowback Weight [kg] 30 43 62 24 30 39 Length [mm] 1,350 1,820 2,120 1,350 1,880 2,120 Barrel length [mm] 800 1,200 1,400 760 1,200 1,400 Rate of Fire [rpm] 450 350 280 520 500 470 Muzzle velocity [m/s] 550- 575 670- 700 835- 870 550- 600 675- 750 830 Cartridge type 20x 70RB 20x 101RB 20x 110RB 20x 72RB 20x 101RB 20x 110RB Shell weight 127g Feed system Box magazine 15 rounds Drums of 30, 45, 60, 75, 100 rounds or box magazine of 15 rounds Gas-operated models edit Learn more This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2022) Although guns with blowback action had played an important part in WW2, it was obvious that something better was needed, especially for the universal demand for a high rate of fire.[17] The blowback mechanism requires a careful balance between the force of the shell being fired and the operational timing of the mechanism. In the Oerlikon designs, these timing demands resulted in a relatively slow-cycling weapon. As a response to this demand, Oerlikon developed "power reserve loading" action,[17] introducing a gas-operated mechanism to unlock the breech.[18] The gun produced to this design after the close of hostilities of WW2, and was called the 5TG,[17] and shortly thereafter, the KAB.[19] It was the first Oerlikon gun design that differed radically from the original Becker design.[18] Shortly after the War, Oerlikon began development of another gas-operated autocannon, 204-Gk, presently KAA.[19] Both 5TG (KAB) and 204-Gk (KAA) uses 20mm×128 ammunition cartridge being developed by Oerlikon in 1943…

“The Edda. An ancient Norse poem. I studied it at university, and we had to read it in English as part of language class. I always enjoyed it, and picked up this copy in London. It seems to me to see into the future.” “How so?” He flipped through the dog-eared pages and began to read. The one who squats at the end of the sky is known as Engulfer of Corpses a giant in eagle form; they say from his wings comes the wind of the world. Brothers will fight and kill each other, siblings do incest; men will know misery, adulteries be multiplied, an axe-age, a sword-age, shields will be cloven, a wind-age, a wolf-age, before the world’s ruin. “Cheery,” I said. He laughed. “It’s also a story about the theft of gold. Sound familiar? There are many parallels to Europe today. We have our own Engulfer of Corpses, and this is certainly an axe-age and a wolf-age.” “And men certainly do know misery, some more than others.” “Some deservedly so, some not.” He gazed out over the fjord with a distant look in his eyes. “Well,” I said into the silence, “let’s hope tomorrow is Rolf Kayser’s ruin, not the world’s. Or ours.” Anders put down the book and looked at me. “Remember, Billy, I need Rolf alive. He has information to give me about the Underground Army in Nordland. It is very important. Once I have that, he’s yours.” “I understand. It should be easy if he doesn’t suspect anything.” “He may be very careful. He knows that this rendezvous is the only location anyone in England knows he will be ...

“Can you get up, Billy?” I tried to focus on him. It was hard to see. “I think so.” I rolled over, got to my knees, and let Anders help me the rest of the way. He sat me on the bench. “I’ll get you some water to wash your eyes out with. You’ve got powder burns on your face and dirt in your eyes, as well as cuts and bruises.” “How long have I been out?” I asked as he brought back a pitcher of water. “About twenty minutes.” “You could have been long gone by now. What if some of Rolf’s men came along?” “Waiting here is not as dangerous as what you did, Billy.” “Something had to give. I could see he was getting shaky. We were about to lose control.” I looked over to Rolf’s body. Things were clearing but still a little out of focus. He was a blurry mass of red. It was almost funny. He had come here to do the right thing, to be a good Norwegian soldier and save his country. Instead he’d gotten killed for doing the wrong thing, to the wrong person. I might have been tempted to let him get away with killing Birkeland, but I had to avenge Daphne. The weapons had all vanished except for a Sten gun slung over Anders’s shoulder. As he set down the pitcher of water on the bench, he let it hang there, like an afterthought.

much of the time joy and fear, life and death, decision and responsibility were jumbled together. Things were intense, awful, terrible, and then sort of majestic when it was all over and you forgot the dirt, smoke, and stink, and were grateful you were alive. I had never thought about being grateful for life before: it was just there, like air and water. Now, it felt like I owed it to the dead, even to those who had yet to die in this war, to be grateful for the simple grace of drawing breath.

“I have a toast,” I said, pulling out a tattered paperback from my pocket. “It’s from an old Viking poem, from a place like Nordland. I think it’s about the promise of justice.” I cleared my throat and read from the page words that had haunted me since I first saw them. I know a hall whose doors face North on the Strand of Corpses far from the sun. Poison drips from lights in the roof; that building is woven of backs of snakes. There heavy streams must be waded through by breakers of pledges and murderers.” I set down the book, the three Vikings with swords drawn still marching in the same direction, toward battle. “Let them beware,” said Kaz, with a dark look as he raised his glass.