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DA is an abbreviation for Di-phenyl-chlor-arsine, a nose irritant gas used during the Second World War. It has no smell and a delayed action, but causes sneezing, a burning pain in the chest, nose, throat and mouth after a few minutes.
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Daks was a one-time codename for the KGB spy, Iosif Grigulevich.
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Damascus-steel was a kind of steel originally made in Damascus and much prized for making swords. It was a laminate of pure Iron and steel comprising higher than normal quantities of carbon and produced by careful forging, doubling and twisting.
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Dannewerke (Dannawirke) is a series of almost impregnable earthworks stretching across the long narrow peninsular of Schleswig, Holstein, and Jutland. It was constructed during the stone-age and rebuilt in 937 by Thyra, queen of Gormo the Old, for which she was named 'Dannabod', the pride of the Danes.
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In fortifications, a dead angle is a plot of ground before an angle of a wall which can neither be seen nor defended from the parapet.
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The Cold Steel Special Projects Delta Dart is an American stabbing weapon made entirely of Zytel glass-reinforced nylon so as to avoid detection by metal-detectors and X-ray equipment. The Delta Dart has a 3.5 inch triangular-section spear point blade capable of penetrating deep through clothing and leaving a serious wound which causes rapid blood loss.
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In November 1977 the Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta - Delta Force -, the USA's specialist anti-terrorist and hostage rescue unit came into being. The driving force behind Delta Force was Colonel Charles Beckwith, a Special Forces officer who had been extremely impressed by Britain's SAS during an exchange tour in the early 1960s. For several years he badgered the Pentagon into setting up a similar unit in the US Army. Selection for the new unit was very much SAS style, with hard physical, mental and psychological challenges weeding out nine out of 10 applicants. Once selected, the successful candidate is sent on a five month 'Operators' course, where he is introduced to the many and varied skills; than an anti-terrorist commando is expected to master. These include assault tactics, hostage management, communications, observation using the latest high-tech equipment, climbing, small boat work and parachuting. Since the majority of Delta Force candidates are from Special Forces or Ranger units they already possess many of these skills, but even so they learn a lot before moving to their operational troop.
Delta Force is organised into operational squadrons, each squadron is broken down further into troops. Marksmanship is a prime requirement in Delta Force and Force members train up to four hours a day, five days a week. Such intensive training leads to very high shooting standards: Delta snipers are expected to make nine first-round hits out of 10 at 1,000 yards, and score every time at 600 yards. Like other elite counter-terrorist units, Delta Force has built its own 'House of Horrors' which simulates various kinds of combat situations, from hostage taking to aircraft hijacks. Hijacks are a favourite terrorist activity, so Delta Force has practised assaults on airliners, and regularly runs training exercises at New York's Kennedy Airport and at other large international gateways. Delta receives terrorist intelligence from US Government organisations such as the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the FBI, and from contacts with other anti-terrorist units around the world. Its members also make exchanges with the British SAS, Germany's GSG-9, the French GIGN and other similar units.
Delta was set up in less than a year, becoming operational in the middle of 1978. Just over a year later, the Force was alerted to a possible rescue mission as the US Embassy in Teheran was seized and the embassy staff held hostage. This was far from the mission they had trained for: penetrate hundreds of miles into hostile territory, making an assault in the middle of a major city and then getting clear with 100 or more freed hostages. Months of intensive training went into 'Operation Eagle Claw' as the rescue mission was called, planned for the 25th of April. It was to involve Delta Force, Special Forces units from Germany, US Marine Corps helicopter Pilots, US Navy helicopters and ships and US Air Force air support. The mission was a disaster, although through no real fault Of the men who took part. Command and control of the many disparate parts of the rescue operation were shambolic. The big MH-53 helicopters could not cope with the desert sand, and there were not enough of them. After three had broken down the mission had to be aborted. To add to the whole affair, a collision at the 'Desert One' airstrip deep inside Iran killed eight men and destroyed a C-130 and a helicopter.
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In fortifications a demi-bastion is a half bastion. The term is also applied to that part of a bastion consisting of one face and one flank.
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A demi-greave or schynbald was an armour shin-pad protecting the front of the lower legs of a mediaeval knight.
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In fortifications a demi-lune is a type of ravelin work constructed beyond the main ditch of a fortress, and in front of the curtain between two bastions, intended to defend the curtain.
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Depth charges were an anti-submarine bomb invented by the British in 1916 and consisting of a steel drum, about the size of an oil drum, packed with TNT and dropped over the side of the ship. A preset timer would detonate the charge at a desired depth and damage or destroy the submarine.
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The Desert Rats was the nickname of the British 8th Army in North Africa during the Second World War. The name came from their uniforms having a shoulder insignia bearing a jerboa (or desert rat).
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Detecting set L4A1 was the British Army designation for the Plessey P6/2 Metal detector range.
The P6/2 equipment consisted of a waterproof electronic unit and a set of operator-interchangeable waterproof probes. The operating mode was pulsed induction. Target detection was indicated audibly by a loudspeaker or plug-in earphone(s). Switched sensitivity and response times were provided. Power was supplied from internal batteries or an external source via an adaptor. An in-built battery check was provided. The function switch, loudspeaker, probe and earphone sockets wee located on a control panel at-the top of the electronic unit. The electronic unit was carried in a slung webbing haversack for manpack operation.
Four types of probe were provided as standard, each for a specific purpose. A connection cable terminated in a quick release plug is integral with each probe.
- P6A/2 was a tubular ferrite probe suitable for searches in bushes, streams and rugged urban and rural environments.
- P6E/2 Open Loop Probe was a lightweight probe, for ground search applications.
- P6F/2 was a short robust probe for general searches in restricted environments.
- P6G/2 was a light easy-to-use probe designed for the searching of persons.
Plessey could also supply special probes that could be designed for particular applications e.g. the P6C/2 sledge probe.
The P6/2 equipment was designed to perform over the frequency range 50 to 500MHz. When fitted with a P6A/2 or P6F/2 probe and an MDA7/2 earpiece the P6/2 was capable of operating within four metres of a 1W, handheld radio transmitter or within six metres of a vehicle-mounted 10W radio transmitter without malfunctioning, blocking, or causing interference to the receiver in the radio station.
Typical detection range for the P6E/2 Probe was approximately 220mm with a 2p coin or 250mm2 copper, 18 G and approximately 400mm with a pistol
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A detonator is a contrivance containing a very sensitive explosive, used to fire a larger charge of a less sensitive and more manageable explosive.
Detonators commonly contain mercury fulminate, lead azide and tetranitroaniline.
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The Regiment was founded in 1958 from the amalgamation of the former Devonshire and former Dorset Regiments. The Regiment traces its history back to the forming of the 11th Regiment of Foot (known as the Bloody Eleventh), later the Devonshire Regiment, in 1685, and the 39th and 54th Regiments of Foot, later to become the Dorset Regiment. From its first Battle Honour of Dettingen in 1743 the Regiment has seen action in all the main campaigns, and many smaller ones, fought by the British Army over the past 300 years. A selection of its 141 Battle Honours give an idea of these campaigns all over the world - Plassey, Salamanca, Pyrenees, Sebastopol, Afghanistan, South Africa, Mons, Ypres, Loos, Somme, Gallipoli, Mesopotamia, Normandy, Arnhem, Rhine, Sicily, Italy, Mandalay, Burma. In the Great War the Regiment raised 35 battalions and 20 in the Second World War who fought in all the major areas of conflict.
Today its 1st Battalion, a regular army unit, is stationed in Paderborn in Germany, and its 4th Battalion, a territorial army unit, is based in barracks in the Regiment's two counties. Since 1945 the regular battalions have seen active service in Malaya, Kenya, Cyprus, Guiana, Belize, Northern Ireland and in 1995 served with United Nations forces in Bosnia. The present regular battalion is an armoured infantry one equipped with Warrior armoured personnel carriers in the 1st (UK) Armoured Division part of NATO' s Allied Rapid Reaction Force. The Regiment has strong links with its home counties of Devon and Dorset which is its main area of recruitment. The majority of soldiers in the Regiment come from the two counties and, besides having the Freedom of 12 cities and towns, the Regiment maintains close affiliations with many organisations in the counties, and with the Cadet Forces and also runs a flourishing association to keep all who have served in the Regiment in touch with each other.
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Dimethyl sulphate is a toxic gas that was used in the Great War by the Germans (who called it D-Stoff) and the French (who called it Rationite). It is a powerful irritant in low concentrations, and is fatal in higher concentrations and after long exposure, and has a peculiar caustic action on the skin. It decomposes readily in the presence of moisture, even damp air, and so was little used.
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A dinort was an extension rod fitted to the nose of various German free-fall aerial bombs to detonate the bomb just above ground level, thereby maximising the blast effect.
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Diphenylchlorarsine is a toxic gas that was used by the Germans (who called it Clark 1) in the Great War. Inhaling the gas causes nausea, vomiting, headaches, and chest pains but it is rarely lethal and then only in extremely high concentrations rarely achieved in field conditions. It was introduced simultaneously with mustard gas as the agent to be used on offensive operations, since mustard was too persistent to be used against areas toward which German troops were advancing. It was specifically aimed at penetrating Allied gas masks, by distributing the substance as a fine dust which could not be neutralized by the chemicals or stopped by the coarse filters in the masks. However, a technical error in the design of the shells used to fire the gas meant the dust was too coarse to penetrate gas masks.
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Diphosgene (trichloromethyl chlorofomate) is a poisonous gas used in chemical warfare. It is a colourless liquid with a smell of musty hay and a delayed action, effects taking place some three hours after exposure when it causes oedema of the lungs resulting in death.
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A dirk is a dagger or poniard worn as part of the equipment of a Highlander.
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The Dirty Shirts was a nickname given to the 101st Regiment of Foot (then known as the 1st Bengal (European) Fusiliers) after they fought at Delhi in their shirt-sleeves in 1857.
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The Distinguished Conduct Medal (D.C.M.) is a British military decoration instituted in 1862 to be conferred upon non-commissioned officers and men for distinguished conduct in the field. Since August 1918 it can be earned only by services in action.
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The Distinguished Flying Cross (D.F.C.) is a British decoration instituted in 1918 for gallantry displayed by officers and warrant officers of the Royal Air Force while on active service.
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The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a British decoration established in 1901 as the Conspicuous Service Cross, and given its present title in 1914 and extended to include officers up to the rank of lieutenant.
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The Distinguished Service Medal (D.S.M.) is a British medal instituted in 1914 for chief petty officers and lower ratings in the Navy and non- commissioned officers and men in the Marines, and awarded for acts not quite deserving the award of the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal.
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The Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) is a decoration established in 1886 and bestowed in recognition of distinguished services in action on the part of commissioned officers of the Army and Navy. The decoration consists of a white enamelled cross edged with gold, with the imperial crown on one side and the royal cipher on the other. It is suspended from the left breast by a red ribbon with a blue edge.
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The DM 15 is a German smoke grenade which can be propelled either from launching tubes on an armoured vehicle or thrown by hand. The DM 15 produces a dense cloud of smoke some 2.5 seconds after detonation which lasts for 150 seconds.
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The DM 19 was a German incendiary hand grenade. It was replaced during the 1970's by the DM 24 incendiary smoke hand grenade.
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The DM 24 is a German incendiary smoke hand grenade, being an improved model of the earlier DM 19 incendiary hand grenade. The DM 24 contains 255 grams of red phosphorous, and no explosive charge. Upon striking a hard surface the plastic grenade case breaks and upon exposure to the atmosphere the incendiary charge ignites with a blinding flash and emits a cloud of dense, choking smoke. The incendiary charge burns for about five minutes at a temperature of 1200 degrees Celsius, sufficient to ignite any combustible material it comes into contact with.
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The DM 51 is a German dual-purpose hand grenade comprising a high-explosive offensive hand grenade body and a fragmentation jacket which can be placed around it for defensive use. The DM 51 is a plastic hexagonal prism-shaped hand grenade containing compressed nitropenta explosive, the fragmentation jacket is barrel-shaped and contains 6500 steel balls. The explosive grenade can be joined together to form a cluster, or joined end to end to form a Bangalore torpedo for engineering work such as blowing holes in barbed wire fences or paths through mine fields.
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The DM 58 is a German practice grenade version of the DM 51 hand grenade.
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The DM2A3 is a torpedo supplied by STN Atlas Elektronik. The torpedo uses wire-guided active homing to deliver a 260 kg warhead at a maximum speed of 35 knots to a target range of over 13 kilometres. Using passive homing and a lower speed of 22 knots the torpedo has a range up to 28 kilometres.
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A do is a Japanese armour chest plate worn during kendo.
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Doppler radar is a type of radar used to determine information on moving objects. Doppler radar emits a constant stream of signals at a constant frequency. The emitted signal, reflected off a moving object returns at a higher frequency if the object is moving towards the transmitter, and a lower frequency if it is moving away.
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The Dorset Regiment is a British army regiment which was formed by the merger of the 39th Foot and the 54th Foot.
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Double-action is a classification of firearms in which squeezing the trigger first causes the hammer to be raised and cocked and - in the case of a revolver - the cylinder rotated before the hammer is then released and the shot discharged, all within a single squeeze of the trigger. This differs to single-action in that the firer does not need to separately retract the hammer before squeezing the trigger.
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The Draconarii were Roman horse-mounted soldiers who bore a dragon as their emblem.
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A Dragoon was a mounted soldier who carried an infantry weapon such as a 'dragon', or short musket, as used by the French army in the 16th century. The name was retained by some later regiments after the original meaning became obsolete.
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The Dragoon Guards were six mounted regiments raised at the time of Monmouth' s Rebellion in 1685, and a seventh raised in 1689. Following the Great War the 3rd and 6t, 4th and 7th and the 5th and 6th Dragoons were amalgamated to reduce the number of regiments to five.
The 7th Dragoon Guards were nicknamed the 'Black Horse' on account of their black facings. They were also known as the 'Strawboots' and 'The Blacks'.
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The DT 11B1 is a German offensive hand grenade consisting of 200 grams of TNT packed into a cardboard cylinder with an attached detonator and 4.5 second delay fuse. The grenade is designed for use by infantry who need to advance quickly after detonation, and as such the killing area is small without fragments which could injure the advancing troops.
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Dualin is an explosive composed of varying proportions of cellulose, nitro- starch, nitro-mannite and nitro-cellulose. It was invented by Carl Ditmar in 1870.
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A dudgeon was a tyope of small dagger with a handle made from the timber of the root of the box-tree (dudgeon).
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The dum-dum bullet was a British military bullet developed in India's Dum-Dum Arsenal and used on India's North West Frontier and in the Sudan in 1897 and 1898. It was a jacketed .303 cal. British bullet with the jacket nose left open to expose the lead core in the hope of increasing effectiveness.
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Duncan was the codename of Francesco Constantini, the first Soviet agent to penetrate the British foreign service. He worked as an Italian messenger at the British embassy in Rome, and was recruited in 1924 by the OGPU to pass diplomatic secrets to which he had access to the Soviets. By 1928 it was apparent that agent
Duncan (who worked exclusively for money) was also spying for the Italians, but he continued to work for the Soviets until the 1930s.
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Dunnite was an American high explosive named after its developer, Major Dunn and also called ' Explosive D'. It was made of ammonium picrate powder, was relatively insensitive, and was widely used in armour-piercing shells as it withstood the shock of impact against armour without detonating, allowing the shell to pierce the armour before the fuse initiated the explosive.
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DW 1 (Directional Wireless 1) was the RAF codename for a magnetically energised (degaussing) ring some 50 ft in diameter, fitted to some Wellington bombers and used to sweep by detonation magnetic sea mines. The aircraft flew low over the sea, the mines detecting the magnetic field of the DW 1 and exploding accordingly. The idea was conceived by Bolt of the Royal Navy and first tested in January 1940. The Germans adopted the idea and fitted similar degaussing rings to some Junkers JU 52 aircraft.
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The Dynamit Nobel RW702 is a German irritant grenade. The RW702 contains 15 g of CS dust, which is released over twenty seconds following a two or three second delay after firing.
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Abbreviations
Warfare
