Capitaine Vengeur

Confirmed for some Corsicans, it happened in moments when examples had to be made. The Republican school could have made unsufficient work in the scattered hamlets of mountainous center island. The same may have happened to Breton soldiers or African indigènes, also both known to speak few and not display own feelings, and for whom lack of understanding or obedience could not appear that clearly. But I have no confirmation of death sentences. I've read such a dramatic story in WW2, from an Ukrainian Jew, former medic in the Red Army, who decided to desert to West at the end of the War by making himself out to be one of the many French POWs liberated by the Soviets and to be repatriated. The committee evaluating his level in French was merciless, but he prevailed. But the man behind him, that he identified as a Breton for whom French was clearly not his native language, was rejected, arrested as a potential Soviet aspiring defector, and probably met his end in Siberia.

Regional quirks, huh? In France, we wouldn't have this problem with Corsican builders. They don't talk at work. And anytime. Er, and don't work either, actually... (Just joking, please don't blow up my family!)

The Canadians gave another nice charge on October 10, 1918 (Canadian Light Horse at Iwuy), but the honour for the last cavalry charge of WW1, Western Front, goes to the Belgian 1er Régiment de Guides (Burkel, October 19). In both cases, with heavy losses facing machine-gun fire. But in non-motorized armies, the cavalry could still prove strategically useful, when taking advantage of her mobility to optimze major breakthroughs against a withdrawing enemy, without MG heavy opposition. That's the way the French Cavalerie d'Afrique captured Uskub (Skopje) in September 1918, bypassing far behind the disorganised Bulgarian lines through unthinkable mountain trails. The Italian cavalry could also achieve deep advances in November 1918, taking advantage of the complete collapse of the Austrian Imperial army in the aftermath of Vittorio Veneto.

How should a Monty Pythons lover take it upon himself? Answer: Easier to say under the sun of Palestine, of course!

Now that's flying low !!! The next pilot to catch a mole wins the contest!

Another interpretation at the Simpsons':

I've never smoked but since the last years, and only one or two flavoured nargileh a month. Certainly not to pose as the manly kind like the young pimple-faced trendies in front of the schools; on the contrary, it emphasizes my sybaritic nature. No addiction, I could stop at will, anytime (I'd like to say the same about my addiction to Italian cheeses, but that's another story...). There are very few things that can make me sick of a girl without appeal; but besides racist conversation, compulsive smoking is on top of my black list. Smoking is as expensive, disgraceful, pathetic and stupid as alcohol as a way to commit suicide on the long term; but besides, it's a stinky way.

Hail to the Dragon ! Merry fireworks !

In the latest comics book by Romain Hugault, "Le pilote à l'Edelweiss", already discussed in this forum, the main French character Castillac has painted a very offensive motto on his Nieuport: "J'honore les dames, j'enfile les Boches". "J'honore" can mean "I honour", but also "I respectfully make love to the ladies", while "J'enfile" can mean "I string" or "I thread", for an ace stringing kills like pearls, but also can have a much more obscene signification, in a much less respectful manner!

Besides HMS Furious for a while in 1917, there were few such attempts to convert a noble battleship into a hybrid monstrosity rather than to a full aircraft carrier. The Japanese battleships IJN Ise and Hyuga, converted as seaplane carriers with big guns, proved useless in this role.

... just the way Texas does, stuck between the barbarian hordes of Rio Grande and the atheistic Leftists of Washington?

The Nazis used the most weird and desperate solutions by the end of the War. The comics series "Le Grand Duc" by Romain Hugault has already been discussed about here. The last mission of the main German character Wulf is almost a suicide mission: flying a freaky 'Mistel' combination made of an unarmed outdated 109 and a Ju-88 full of 4 tons of explosives to be dropped on the Soviet bridges over Oder, April 1945. A disgusting barbaric mating, Wulf's superior describes it.

Olham, the two German machines display the Swastika, so I guess the meeting doesn't take place other Germany. Such markings are probably forbidden there. UK, I wouldn't say all Italian machines look crappy. Actually, my favourite biplane all times could be the Fiat CR.32. A sesquiplane with very pure shapes...

Yet, it was Alexandre Dumas himself, actually about the alleged historical inaccuracy of his "Three Musketeers", who stated: "No matter you violate History, as long as you give Her nice children". The same could be said about a handful of fine films. But to some extent only...

Remember the old classical joke about the Hollywood producers. A producer has a walk in his studios and stumbles on one of his biblical shootings: - Who are those twelve shabby dudes? - They are the Apostles, sir. - Pathetic! Put at once sixty more of them on stage!

Firm tone, but clearly unsufficent to rally a panicked yellow-belly. Perhaps the Coast Guards should have threatened to shoot him, and fired a warning burst? Desperate situations require desperate measures... Too late, now what could they do? Apply on his ten fingers the good old Roman decimation for cowardice in the face of danger? Too late...

No intention to hurt any people who didn't deserve it, to make excessive generalizations, or to promote derogatory clichés. Truly. Apologise if interpreted as such. Anyway, I know I would never venture on these giant floating metropolises whose international crew can embody the worst of the Tower of Babel regarding communications and efficiency; whose staff can embody the worst of human imperfection in big structures regarding internal promotions and string-pulling; and which themselves embody the overconfidence in modern expensive technology over the human element (simple common sense, for example). Well, maybe one more excessive generalization... But I will always reserve my confidence to smaller ships, low on water, aware enough of their own fragility to remain cautious in any maneuver, and whose reduced crew of nationals behaves as a tied family.

Theo Osterkamp, highest-scoring ace of the German Imperial Navy with 32 kills, also scored 6 more during WW2. His first kill was one of these very few Dutch G.I on 11 May 1940 while flying a Bf 109E, and as a WW1 veteran pilot, he was very surprised by the way some 20mm rounds could volatilize an aircraft ("Now we use guns to kill sparrows!")

Several articles I managed to read indicate that this day could be remembered a day of infamy for Italy on many other concerns than just Captain Runaway. Many passengers, often old people, report that most of the crew were too busy saving their own lives to manage the evacuation; and many report that the only crewmen they saw take care of them were the Indonesian waiters, modern sea slaves left behind in the same way themselves had been. Another matter of shame could be the disgusting behaviour of the Inhabitants of the island of Giglio. Some frozen and traumatized survivors report that the doors and windows there closed at them; that when they tried to warm themselves, the coffee was sold for 3 euros; and that the islanders refused point-blank to serve those who had lost their money in the sinking. Those Mediterranean islanders are usually prone to attend church, but evade as soon as they have a practical occasion to behave as true Christians...

Beware, we're venturing on a battleground where for once, the Czechs or Ukrainians may have the most invincible army in the World...! (Please read as: further pics expected from our proud Slavic members!)

In some way, yes, CA is: it always gives me the boiling greed to f**k MiGs, filling some hot nozzles with streamlined heat-seeking stuff!!

Including J.L. Burke's famous detective Dave Robicheaux. I have also noticed Devereaux as a common name in several American movies.

About ancient black and white movies: "Wooden crosses" (1931), the French matching film to "All quiet on the Western Front". Original version mostly in Poilu slang; no heroism but camaraderie, duty and death; and touching scenes like the final long, desperate, solitary agony of the young attaching main character in the no man's land. Actually, I've not seen it since decades, but old jewels with patina can't get older...

I had read an interesting short story in comics about the unit, with interlude pages depicting the racist thoughts of the Nazi supermen they were tangling with ("They have downed some of the Sturmbock... The beginners luck... Apes can learn many things... But not everything..."), as well as the racist thoughts of some Dixie gunners who had heard of absurd rumors about a unit of "flying darkies", and couldn't imagine that these were the Red Tails fighters covering their asses. Contempted as well by their friends and foes, the Tuskegees prevailed nonetheless.

I'd like to have a winged chimp as WSO to do all that sniping for me around while I still hold the stick!