Illustration of the 20mm Oerlikon Mark II cannon with a breakdown of parts from Royal Armoured Corps Weapons, Military Training Pamphlet No.35. Part 5: 20-mm Oerlikon Machine-Gun 1943.

20mm Oerlikon Mark II

Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Pétain, Marshal of France, listens to "His Master's Voice" in a wartime cartoon.  Perhaps a bit unfair - but perhaps not very unfair.  Pétain was recalled from his position as Ambassador to Spain and appointed Vice-Premier by French Premier Paul Reynaud, 19 May 1940 - 70 years ago today.  This turned out to be a major step towards the the self-destruction of the French Third Republic, and the establishment of the collaborationist French "Vichy" régime.  Best regards, JR.

His Master's Voice ...

Romanian stamp from 1941.
The holy war against bolshevism.