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Any port in a storm
| Морской словарь |
This metaphor, which equates to “beggars can’t be choosers,” obviously has a nautical origin.
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Anzio landing, английский
The allied amphibious assault on anzio, italy in 1944 was code-named shingle. the invasion force arrived without detection and landed with virtually no opposition. however, as was demonstrated at calamita bay in 1854 and gallipoli (suvla bay) in 1915, a strange lethargy sometimes comes over the commanders of unopposed landings. only two understrength and exhausted german divisions were nearby and the road to rome lay open, but u.s. generals clark and lucas decided to wait for heavy weapons, tanks, supplies, and reserve troops to land. churchill was exasperated, saying “i thought we were hurling a wildcat onto the shore, but all we got was a stranded whale!” by the fourth day, the panicked germans had rushed reinforcements from northern italy, southern france, yugoslavia, and germany itself. although aware of this, lucas was still intent on building up his own force. when supreme allied commander, british general alexander, urged him to advance, he replied “i will not be stampeded.” it was not until the ninth day that he launched his offensive, and by then it was far too late. counter-attacks drove the anglo-americans back to their beachhead where, for three months, they suffered the privations of trench warfare, under continuous observation, swept by gunfire, and pummeled by aerial bombardment.
Antisweep mine, английский
A small explosive device designed to make minesweeping more difficult. when the sweep wire makes contact the mine slides along it until it strikes and is detonated by the sweep. anti-torpedo net device: a net suspended from booms on british merchantmen during world war ii. it was intended to catch or explode torpedoes at a safe distance from the hull (the author can confirm that it worked, if not this book might never have been produced!). usually known as and gear.
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