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For those who haven't caught it yet, the History Channel has a new series "Lock N'Load With R. Lee Ermey" which airs on Friday nights at 8pm (If I remember correctly). First episode was the history of machine guns, this last Friday was the history of Tanks. Both were informative and entertaining. I look forward to more episodes.

Replay of tanks is on right now.

Unfortunately the show is filled with the same sort of little inaccuracies that bugged me about "Mail Call."

The Tiger tank was not Germany's primary tank in WWII, and he never mentioned the Panzer in that segment, leaving it until later.

One answer I got from Mail Call a while back was that they didn't have time, in a half hour show, to fully explain all of what they called the "minor details."

And then there is Ermy calling himself "Gunny" for a long time before the Marines finally decided to legitimize the title by honorarily promoting him, a point I brought up long ago.

I never did like him anyway. He is just a loud mouthed wannabe.

Overlooking him and seeing the Machine Guns and the Tanks was cool though.

I also saw an episode with him on some channel going up in a B52 and refueling. He acted like he took over in the Pilot's seat...... I believe a commentator said something about him being a licensed pilot. Big deal......just because he MAY be a licensed pilot does not mean he can fly a B52! I am sure the Co-Pilot had a good eye on him and the craft was on autopilot while he was in the seat.

Only thing I can see that is entertaining about him is that he is so stupid.

No offense meant towards the USMC or any other branch of service and the men and women who serve.

AEA wrote:I never did like him anyway. He is just a loud mouthed wannabe.

Overlooking him and seeing the Machine Guns and the Tanks was cool though.

I also saw an episode with him on some channel going up in a B52 and refueling. He acted like he took over in the Pilot's seat...... I believe a commentator said something about him being a licensed pilot. Big deal......just because he MAY be a licensed pilot does not mean he can fly a B52! I am sure the Co-Pilot had a good eye on him and the craft was on autopilot while he was in the seat.

Only thing I can see that is entertaining about him is that he is so stupid.

No offense meant towards the USMC or any other branch of service and the men and women who serve.

Actually, the B-52 is fairly easy to fly as aircraft go. Take-off and level flight are not that hard. I have never actually flown the real thing, but did do about 2.5 hours in a real Air Force simulator with a buddy who was B-52 instructor. I had NO fixed wing flight training at the time. Landing was a little harder, especially visual, but manageable. ILS landing is pretty easy. I didn't see the episode, but moving up under a tanker, then matching speed and flying an the exact speed of the tanker, while level and not moving too far forward, back left or right is a different story. I couldn't do it very well and never got into the correct position.

As for Ermey, he was entertaining and folks liked his character, so it made good TV.

A few things you have to remember about "Lock and Load"

1. Ermey is an actor.

2. He was a Marine and even a DI attaining the rank of Staff Sargent

3. The show is entertainment just like many of the other shows that are on THC now. (Ice Road Truckers, Axe Men, Monster Quest ad nausum.)

4. Did I mention it's entertainment not education?

jimlongley wrote:Unfortunately the show is filled with the same sort of little inaccuracies that bugged me about "Mail Call."

The Tiger tank was not Germany's primary tank in WWII, and he never mentioned the Panzer in that segment, leaving it until later.

One answer I got from Mail Call a while back was that they didn't have time, in a half hour show, to fully explain all of what they called the "minor details."

And then there is Ermy calling himself "Gunny" for a long time before the Marines finally decided to legitimize the title by honorarily promoting him, a point I brought up long ago.

I am guessing you meant the Panther tank, not Panzer. Or you meant the PzK I through IV in their myriad of versions. Panzer or more accurately, Panzerwagen is the German term for a tank.

MoJo wrote:A few things you have to remember about "Lock and Load"

1. Ermey is an actor.

2. He was a Marine and even a DI attaining the rank of Staff Sargent

3. The show is entertainment just like many of the other shows that are on THC now. (Ice Road Truckers, Axe Men, Monster Quest ad nausum.)

4. Did I mention it's entertainment not education?

Ditto... I find both him and his show tremendously entertaining... ...the operative word here being "entertaining." True gunny or not, that dude has got one of the best jobs in the world.

Keith B wrote: ... I didn't see the episode, but moving up under a tanker, then matching speed and flying an the exact speed of the tanker, while level and not moving too far forward, back left or right is a different story. I couldn't do it very well and never got into the correct position.

When I was TDY to support the E-3 Sentry (AWACS) in Saudi Arabia many years ago (any Elves reading this? ), I went on one of the missions. During air refueling, I was in the jump seat directly behind the aircraft commander. He WORKED HIS BUTT OFF during air refueling -- he had to muscle the yoke back and forth, broke out in sweat. I was much impressed with how hard he had to work to stay in formation for the 20 minutes it took to fuel up. I knew quite a few AWACS pilots, a few B-52 drivers, don't recall any of them saying refueling was easy! A buddy of mine who was an A-10 pilot also mentioned it took quite a bit of concentration to refuel. Air refueling is one of our military's key strengths, they do it regularly, but it is not a gimme to do...not to mention you are only about 20 or 30 feet away from mid-air collision if you mess up*. I didn't see Ermey's program, but seriously doubt he did any refueling...

elb

*Early in my service I remember seeing a picture of a B-52 parked on the ramp with a refueling boom sticking out of the fuselage just behind the cockpit...

Purplehood wrote: Or you meant the PzK I through IV in their myriad of versions. Panzer or more accurately, Panzerwagen is the German term for a tank.

Yes, I meant the Panzerkampfwagen medium tank, which was generically referred to as "Panzer" just as the heavy Tigers are rarely separated into their categories.

The Panther was also a heavy.

The way "Gunny" told it, the armored battles took place between Tigers and Shermans (in their various forms, also not delineated) and the only reason the US won was they had more of them and they moved faster.

jimlongley wrote:

Purplehood wrote: Or you meant the PzK I through IV in their myriad of versions. Panzer or more accurately, Panzerwagen is the German term for a tank.

Yes, I meant the Panzerkampfwagen medium tank, which was generically referred to as "Panzer" just as the heavy Tigers are rarely separated into their categories.

The Panther was also a heavy.

The way "Gunny" told it, the armored battles took place between Tigers and Shermans (in their various forms, also not delineated) and the only reason the US won was they had more of them and they moved faster.

I thought that the Panther was considered a medium by the Germans. It had the long 75mm. I love tanks.

EDIT: Sorry about leaving the "Kampf" out of my first post. My German sucks.

the next episode is about pistols .

USA1 wrote:the next episode is about pistols .

Now you're talking MY language! Thanks! ...and oh.

anyone catch the "pistols" episode" ?
that Smith&Wesson 500 is a bad bad hunka steel .

It was a great episode. I saw that .500 S&W. I wouldn't have one. It would break my wrist just to shoot it.

I like the ballistic gelatin tests they did. The .44 mag blew it off the table!