[FirearmsNews] Very few inventions have had the impact on warfare as the Maxim gun. In a relatively short amount of time Hiram Maxim’s famous machine gun design not only became a staple of armies around the world but it helped change the face of modern warfare. Its distinctive tat-tat-tat-tat-tat brought an end to 19th Century tactics, and proved time and time again out-of-touch staff officers, ineptly led conscripts, courage and élan were no match for interlocking machine gun fire. Perhaps the greatest cinematic tribute to the effectiveness of the Maxim machine gun is the 37-second scene in Lewis Milestone’s 1930 film “All Quiet on the Western Front”. For 37 seconds the viewer is given a barbed wire view as multiple German MG 08 machine guns, with their distinctive staccato chattering on without end, effortlessly cuts down an endless stream of courageous French infantry. In reality, the carnage was much worse than what could be shown on the silver screen. The Maxim gun, and quick-firing field artillery, forced even the bravest of the brave to burrow deep into the earth to escape their wrath.
Maxim guns were fielded by both sides during the Great War and one notable early adopter was Imperial Russia. By the time the Guns of August sounded, Russia had considerable practical experience with the Maxim, and perhaps some of the best gun crews in the world. Russian gun crews had been stacking bodies ten years earlier while most of Europe was still trying to figure out what exactly to do with the new contraption. The Maxim gun would go on to live a long life in Russia, and served through many wars both large and small. To begin our look at this famous design’s life in Russia though, we must begin our journey on the other side of the Atlantic, in rural Maine, the home of its inventor, Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim.
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [REGNUM] Ingushetia issued a memo for tourists with recommendations on how to dress and behave so as not to offend local residents and not cause them an unwanted reaction. The rules are published on the official page of the Dzheyrakh district administration in Instagram.
In the rules of conduct, guests are advised, first of all, to monitor their appearance, not to drink alcohol, and women not to smoke, and men not to try to talk to unfamiliar women, and even more so not to touch them with their hands. A separate piece of advice concerns visiting the houses of local residents and inviting them to food. It is not customary to reject such a traditional sign of hospitality in Ingushetia in order not to offend the owner.
"Do not try to talk to unfamiliar women, do not stare at women, and even less point your hand or finger in their direction. In case you are officially introduced to a woman, do not reach out. To avoid an awkward situation, just tilt your head slightly as a sign that you are pleased to meet you," they advise men in the memo.
As for the appearance of a tourist, here women are advised not to wear tight-fitting, open and transparent clothes, "no open bellies and deep neckline." Men are warned against wearing shorts, which "in Ingushetia are only worn by children," and they are not advised to "bare their backs, let alone their breasts."
"When visiting absolutely any region of our country, it is important to know about local customs and rules of conduct. This will help to avoid embarrassing situations, as well as enjoy the trip and communication with the local population without fear of offending anyone," summarizes the recommendations in the memo.
#4
A Turkish cafe in old new Munich.
"I once again lifted my tunic --
Yes, just as before! --
At the Sultan's back door,
And last year I retired as Head Eunuch."
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
