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The F1 Hand Grenade is a Soviet fragmentation hand grenade developed during the Second World War. The F1 Hand Grenade consists of an egg-shaped steel case notched into cubes and containing 60 grams of TNT. The F1 Hand Grenade is fitted with a 3.2 to 4.2 second delay fuse and has a killing zone of between 15 to 20 metres around the point of detonation, and can prove lethal at up to 200 metres from the point of detonation due to splinters emitted from the base plug and filler.
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The F1 Survival Knife is a Swedish small utility knife issued to Swedish National Defence forces. It is a small fixed blade knife with a 3.75 inch drop point blade of stainless steel with a flat-ground edge.
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The F2 Tear Gas Grenade is a French CS gas grenade that emits a cloud of orthochlorobenzalmalononitrile gas for about 60 seconds. The F2 can be hand thrown or propelled from a rifle fitted with a suitable adaptor.
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The Schwarzkopf F5 was a 450 mm Norwegian aircraft dropped torpedo used by the Germans during the Second World War. It had a range of 2000 metres and travelled at a speed of 33 knots. It was armed with a 200 kg Hexanite explosive warhead.
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The Schwarzkopf F5 was a 450 mm German aircraft dropped torpedo used during the Second World War, from 1941. It had a range of 2000 metres and travelled at a speed of 40 knots. It was armed with a 180 to 250 kg Hexanite explosive warhead.
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In fortifications, the face of a bastion describes the part between the salient and the shoulder angle.
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A fagot was a bundle of sticks, twigs, or small branches, used for fuel, for raising batteries, filling ditches, and other purposes in fortification.
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Falchions were short-bladed cutting side-weapons of the Middle Ages. The blade was usually straight, or occasionally slightly curved. The grip simple, and the whole thing shorter than an ordinary sword.
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A fascine was a bundle of wood, used to help tanks cross trenches in the Great War. The bundle was tightly wrapped on top of the tank and on arrival at a trench too wide to be crossed unaided, the fascine was released to fall into the trench. The tank then dropped into the trench, landed on the
fascine, and clambered out the other side. Where trenches were very wide or deep, several tanks would drop fascines and then all would cross at the same spot.
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In firearms, the feed is the portion of the small arm's cycle of operation in which the next round is taken from the ammunition supply and loaded into the chamber ready for firing. The path taken by the round being fed is known as the 'feedway'.
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The Fencible Light Dragoons were a body of cavalry raised voluntarily in various counties of England and Scotland in 1794, to serve during the war in any part of Britain. The force was disbanded in 1800.
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Fencibles was an early term for a sort of local militia raised for defence in case of invasion, and not liable to be sent to serve out of the country. The term volunteers is now used for this kind of service.
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The FFV 915 is a Swedish smoke grenade designed to be fired from a rifle. The FFV 915 has a range of 300 meters, with an operational range of about 250 metres. The FFV 915 is fitted with a 3.8 second delay fuse and emits a cloud of dense black smoke for 50 seconds after detonation.
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Field-Marshall is the highest rank in the British army. It was introduced by George II in 1736.
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The Fiery Cross or Crantara was, among the Scottish Highlanders, a cross made of light wood, the extremities of which were set fire to and then extinguished in the blood of a goat, and then sent from place to place as a summons to arms.
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The Fifth Alabama Infantry Regiment was organised at Montgomery on May 5th 1861, and at once moved to Pensacola.
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A fifth column is a group within a country secretly aiding an enemy attacking from without. The term originated in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War, when General Mola boasted that Franco supporters were attacking Madrid with four columns and that they had a 'fifth column' inside the city.
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There are two basic types of fighting knife: those designed for stabbing and piercing, such as the British 3rd Pattern Commando Knife (the Fairbairn-Sykes); and those designed for chopping, such as the Ghurkha Kukri. Perhaps because of their necessary bulk, most fighting knives are of the stabbing and piercing variety, and here there are numerous variations from the almost surgical precision of the 3rd Pattern Commando Knife, which was designed to delicately and precisely sever specific arteries or slip between the ribs into the heart, and the large menacing Bowie-types such as the American 1219C2 US Marine Corps knife. A further variation of the stabbing type fighting knife is the use of a triangular blade, such as the Delta Dart, which causes severe wounds, and when inserted into the chest can cause a lung collapse almost instantly.
With the advent of body armour, manufacturers have sought to develop a knife which can penetrate the armour - and surprisingly have succeeded with the tanto-type, which is a chisel tip rather than the more conventional spear-point or drop-point. Serrations on the back-edge of a stabbing knife can assist with its penetration, but if too large can act like a barb hindering the knife's subsequent withdrawal, which might prove fatal to the user if the first stab was not fatal to the opponent. To assist with the knife's withdrawal some models are fitted with a sub-hilt, which can be gripped with a hooked finger to help pull the weapon out. Many fighting knives suffer from a round handle. A round handle allows the knife to twist in use - not a problem with the precise use intended for some knives or where the blade is very narrow, where as a flattened handle offers far more control, for example when a deep insertion glances against bone.
Covert knives, designed to escape detection, are now made from hard or glass fibre reinforced plastic. These knives are invisible to X-ray equipment and metal detectors and may easily be smuggled onto an aircraft by a terrorist or hijacker for example. Their military use for remaining hidden after capture seems dubious, as a close search of the bearer would easily discover them.
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The fire-ball was an early form of incendiary grenade, certainly used in the 17th century and still in use at the end of the 19th century. They were comprised of an ovular canvas bag filled with a combustible compound, which after igniting was thrown into the enemy's camp to illuminate them like a modern flare, or to burn them. Fire-balls were sometimes loaded with shells to prevent the enemy from approaching them.
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A firing pin or striker is the part of a gun or rifle which detonates the cap in the cartridge. The firing pin is a pointed rod actuated by a strong spring, which, when the trigger is squeezed, forces the firing pin forward against the cartridge cap, thus causing detonation. In bolt-action rifles the firing pin and spring are contained in the bolt; when this is drawn back, pushed forward and turned down, the firing pin is automatically drawn back or cocked, ready for firing. In most shot guns and revolvers the firing pin is forced forward by a hammer which is drawn back against a spring to be cocked, and is released by the trigger.
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The flame-thrower or flame projector (Flammenwerfer) is a weapon invented by the ancient Chinese using hand operated double-bellows to spray burning fuel, possibly petrol. It first developed in Europe as a military blow-lamp for cutting barbed-wire entanglements and used by the Germans during 1914 and 1915. The modern flame-thrower consists of a chamber of air or nitrogen under high pressure and a container filled with inflammable oil which is propelled by the high pressure gas. During the German attack at Hooge in 1916, flame-throwers were first employed by the Germans against the defenders, and were afterwards regularly employed as a short-range weapon effective for trench warfare. They were shortly afterwards adopted by the allies, and were used by the American forces during the Second World War for clearing fortifications.
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A flaming sword is a sword with a wavy, or flamboyant edge, generally used for state purposes. Flaming swords were worn in Britain until the accession of William III.
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Flammenwerfer is the German name for a flame-thrower.
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A flash eliminator is a device, often comprising a slotted tube or several prongs, fitted to the muzzle of a small arm so as to cool the emergent propellant gases and thereby reduce the formation of sparks and flame (flash) which would otherwise assist the enemy in visually locating the operator of the weapon.
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A flash hider is a device, often comprising a conical metal shield, which is attached to the muzzle of a small arm so as to conceal or hide the flash resulting from the emergent propellant gases.
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A flechette is a small, arrow-like projectile, generally fired in bundles from a large gun.
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FLIR (forward looking Infrared) is a device used on aircraft that reads the heat signatures of ground items and is optimised to show ground detail and large objects.
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A Foreign Legion (such as the French Foreign Legion) is an irregular body of volunteers raised abroad to help a country at war.
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A Forlorn Hope was a body of men, usually volunteers, of different regiments selected to lead an assault, enter a breach or perform another perilous task. The name comes from the Dutch word hoop meaning a company.
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Fort Driant was a fort defending Metz in North-West France during the Second World War. In 1944 it was held by German NCO students from a nearby instructional school who kept the US 3rd Army at bay for about three months before it was finally surrounded and the defenders starved into surrender.
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Fortification is the science of strengthening positions in such a way that they may be defended by a body of men much inferior in number to those by whom they are attacked; and more particularly, the science of strengthening positions so that they may be held against the assault of troops supported by artillery. Fortifications are usually divided into permanent and temporary. Permanent fortifications are works required to remain effective for any length of time, for the purpose of defending important positions and cities, dockyards, arsenals, etc. Temporary fortifications are such as are designed merely to throw temporary obstacles in the way of the enemy, as field-works, etc.
The former are constructed on the principle that each part must by its fire support and be supported by some other part; that the works must protect the defenders from the enemy's fire as well as possible, and that the fire of the fortress must completely sweep all parts of the ground in front of the fortified lines. The more important details of a classical regular fortification may be briefly described as follows: Around the place to be defended was raised a mound or bank of earth called a rampart, on the upper surface of which, the terre-pleine, the troops and cannon were placed. The terre-pleine was protected from the enemy's fire by a breastwork or parapet, typically about 8 feet high, sometimes pierced at certain intervals with embrasures through which the guns were fired. Beyond the rampart was the ditch, usually about 12 feet in depth, but varying greatly in width. The ditch was sometimes filled with water; in other cases it was dry. The scarp or escarp was the inner wall of the ditch, and it was faced with masonwork or hurdles, sods, etc (the revetement) to retain the earth of the rampart in its place. The counterscarp was the opposite or outer wall of the ditch. From the top of the counterscarp outwards was a space about 30 feet wide (the covered-way, protected by a parapet, tle long superior outward slope of which towards the open ground formed the glacis. The use of the covered-way was to allow the troops to be drawn up on it unseen by the besiegers for the purpose of making a sortie; it also enabled the defenders to keep up a closer fire on the attacking forces. The slope of the glacis was so constructed as to bring the assailants in the direct line of fire from the artillery on the ramparts. At certain intervals there were often bastions or projecting works at salient angles, commanding by their fire the curtain or straight portion of the fortified line between them.
The use of the bastion has given name to what was called the bastionary system of fortification, which in the 19th century largely gave way to what is known as the polygonal or German system, which was considered to have various advantages in relation to the relatively powerful artillery of the time. The polygonal system has also been called the caponier system, from the use of powerful casemated caponiers constructed across the ditches and serving instead of bastions for their defence. The general plan of the works was polygonal, with the ramparts placed on the sides of the polygon. The connecting line of fortifications surrounding a place was called the fortified enceinte, and the works in a regular fortress formed a very complicated whole, including works to which such names as ravelins, demi-lunes, etc, were given. The fortified enceinte immediately surrounding a place was not considered a sufficient defence after the 18th century, on account mainly of the long range of the cannon then developed. Hence it was usual in the late 19th century to surround a fortress with a line of detached forts at some distance from the enceinte, or there may be more than one such line of advanced works. Later fortifications intended to ward off attacks by sea had their sea-faces commonly protected by plates of iron or steel. Scientific fortification may be said to have commenced with the great French engineer Vauban, who served under Louis XIV. He developed the bastioned system, which, as improved by Cormontaigne and others, was still the prevailing type of French fortification as late as 1905.
Field Fortifications varied much according to the time allowed for construction, and during which they may prove useful. Among works of this nature were the redan, which consisted of two parapets, with a ditch in front, forming an angle facing the enemy; the lunette, which was a redan with short flanks; the redoubt, a closed work with a ditch and parapet all round. As none of those works had a flanking fire in itself, they had to be disposed so that they flanked each other within rifle range. To do this effectually, and to strengthen the whole line, the plan generally adopted was to form an intrenched camp by a line of square redoubts, flanking each other, and also a line of simple redans in front of the intervals of the redoubts. When the time was not sufficient to throw up such works, simple forms of intrenchment, such as shelter trenches, were used to shelter troops or oppose the enemy's advance. A very shallow trench, with the earth thrown to the front, so as to afford shelter to one man lying in it, can be made in somewhat less than half an hour; more elaborate forms in about one hour. So that by placing a man at every 4 feet, active troops can make good shelter for themselves in an hour. Shallow trenches are still in use today, after most other traditional fortifications have become obsolete due to the nature of modern warfare. To impede the enemy's advance, traditionally an abattia of felled trees was used and later also wire entanglements, chevaux-de-frise, etc. Today wire entaglements are still used to hinder infantry and steel and concrete obstacles are used to hinder armoured vehicles which have replaced the horses of the past.
Traditional fortifications were found to be obsolete at the start of the Second World War, though conceret emplacements with steel doors were still employed by all sides with varying degrees of success, at best hindering the progress of an enemy and never proving impenetrable.
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The Forty-Second Alabama Infantry Regiment was organised at Columbus, Mississippi in May 1862, and was composed principally of men who re- organised, in two or three instances as entire companies, after serving a year as the Second Alabama Infantry. The regiment joined Generals Price and Van Dorn at Ripley in September, and was brigaded under General John C. Moore of Texas. A month later the Forty-second went into the battle of Corinth with 700 men, and lost 98 killed and about 250 wounded and captured in the fighting. It was part of the garrison of Vicksburg, and lost 10 killed and about 95 wounded there, and the remainder captured at the surrender of the fortress. The Forty-second was in parole camp at Demopolis, then joined the Army of Tennessee. It fought with severe loss at Lookout and Mission Ridge, and wintered at Dalton. General Baker of Barbour then took command of the brigade, which was in Clayton's (Stewart's) division, Polk's corps. In the spring the Forty-second fought at Resaca with a loss of 59 killed and wounded. It was then continually skirmishing until the Battle of New Hope, where its losses were comparatively light, as they were at Atlanta on the 22nd of July. On the 28th of July the losses were very heavy, and the ranks of the regiment were severely thinned by the casualties of battle. A few days later the regiment was sent to Spanish Fort, where it remained on garrison duty during the autumn, and until January 1865. It then moved into North Carolina, and its colours floated in the thickest of the battle at Bentonville, and were furled at the capitulation of that army.
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Fosse is a French word formerly used to describe a ditch or moat dug outside the walls, parapet or rampart of a fortification and sometimes filled with water.
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A fougasse was a small military demolition mine in the form of a well, 8 or 10 feet wide and 10 or 12 deep, dug under some work, fortification, or post, and charged with powder, or powder and shells, and covered with stones or earth, for destroying the works by explosion.
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Fox was a name given to the old English broadsword, perhaps because the swords were manufactured by Julian del Rei of Toledo whose trademark was a small dog, mistaken for a fox.
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A fraise is a fortification consisting of pointed stakes driven into the ramparts in a horizontal or inclined position.
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The Franc-tireur were a body of irregular soldiers organised in France during the Franco-German War of 1870-1871. They were sharp-shooters employed in guerrilla warfare, harassing the enemy and cutting off detachments. The term is still used for irregular troops armed with rifles, but not wearing uniform and usually not subject to military discipline.
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The francisca was an ancient Frankish battle-axe, often two edged, carried by infantry soldiers.
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The Free French were a movement formed by General de Gaulle in England in June 1940, consisting of French soldiers who continued to fight against the Axis powers after France-German armistice. They took the name Fighting France in 1942 and served in many campaigns, among them General Leclerc' s advance from Chad to Tripolitania 1942, The Syrian campaigns of 1941, the campaigns in the Western Desert, the Italian campaign, the liberation of France, and the invasion of Germany. Their emblem was the Cross of Lorraine, which was used by Joan of Arc.
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Free lances were groups of knights and other soldiers, who, following the crusades, wandered from place to place selling their services as mercenaries.
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The French Foreign Legion was founded in 1831 with foreign sympathisers for the conquest of Algeria. In 1884 it was divided into 4 battalions, and in 1891 a 5th battalion was added. The
French Foreign Legion has a reputation for severe discipline, and today forms one of the world's most elite fighting forces, however in the past it spent more time building roads and bridges than actually fighting.
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Frettage is a collection of metal rings that have been shrunk around the breech of a gun in order to give the gun additional strength.
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The FRG-RFL-40 BT is a Belgian 40 mm calibre fragmentation rifle grenade intended for both accurate direct fire against revealed targets and indirect fire against concealed targets. The FRG-RFL-40 BT is fired with any standard rifle live ammunition and detonates upon impact with a killing zone of five metres radius and a maximum effective radius of 30 metres from the point of detonation.
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The FRG-RFL-40 N is a Belgian 40 mm calibre fragmentation rifle grenade intended for both accurate direct fire against revealed targets and indirect fire against concealed targets. The FRG-RFL-40 N is fired with a special cartridge supplied with the grenade and detonates upon impact with a killing zone of five metres radius and a maximum effective radius of 30 metres from the point of detonation.
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Frightfulness (Schrecklichkeit) is a method of breaking down the moral and crushing the spirit of adversaries in war. It was practised by the Germans during the Great War and the Second World War, being advocated by such writers as Von der Goltz who wrote; 'Inexorable and seemingly hideous callousness is among the attributes necessary to him who would achieve great things in war.' Basically, frightfulness is systematic organised terrorism directed against the civilians of invaded countries.
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A fugleman (also known as a fugelman or flugleman) was a soldier especially expert and well drilled, who was formerly placed in the front of a regiment or company of soldiers as an example to the other soldiers upon which they could model themselves.
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A Fusilier was a soldier armed with a fusil.
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The fyrd was an Anglo-Saxon period English levy of free men raised from each hundred liable to serve in the English army for a period of two months annually. During that time they were paid and provisioned by the Shires, however if they're period of service was extended then they were charged to the state.
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Abbreviations
Warfare
