Artist's impression of an Avia B-5341, Czechoslovak Air Force, c. 1936.  Note the open cockpit.  Best regards, JR.

Avia B-534-1.

Belgian SAS paratroopers in their jeep with twin Vickers MG's.On the 15 th august 1944 eight paratroopers were dropped in the French Ardennes.Their mission was to advance into Belgian territory and prepare hiding places for new groups.They were the first Allied soldiers setting foot on belgian(occupied) ground.From 27 th august they were joined by the Allies and the paras returned to their base in England.They were then dropped again behind enemy lines from Gedinne(Ardennes) to Peer(Limburg).They did their job untill again they joined up with the advancing Allies.These were the operations named:Noah,Brutus,Bergbang and Caliban.
The Ardennes.One group landed by mistake behind the Siegfriedline and had to retreat back to Belgium to fulfill their mission(by mistake they were the first Allied soldiers on German territory).They attacked a German headquaters at Sart,killing a highranking officer.Other groups operated in the Ardennes in parachuted jeeps armed with the twin vickers MG's.One battle was fought in Luxembourg,Bois Saint-Jean on the 10th september were they held up a German armored column.During their raids behind enemy lines they gathered info on troop movements and troop strengths,very valuable information for their headquater in the liberated part of Belgium.In cooperation with the Resistance fighters they succeded in killing around 3000 enemy troops,destroying 100 vehicles and ammo dumps.
In Limburg.In the region of Peer a section of the group Caliban attacked an artillery battery,killing 52 and wounding others.The Germans had to retreat.Here they sent on information about the German positions and strenght on the Albert Canal,a German strongpoint.Greetz,brummbar

Belgian SAS

The Bob Semple Tank - New Zealand's response to the lack of supply of armour to secondary fronts in WW2.  I know that this ... masterpiece has featured in the discussion forums In Here, but ... I could not resist.  This vehicle attempted to make use of New Zealand's native strengths to produce an armoured vehicle.  Hence - it consisted of an agricultural caterpillar tractor, upon which a ramshackle sheet metal fighting compartment was constructed.  The result, unfortunately, was slow, unstable, and scarcely bullet-proof.  I particularly liked a snippet I came across recently in a New Zealand source - in the course of preparations for a parade including these vehicles, it was discovered that they had a distressing propensity to cut out in the event of a gear change; and that it was advisable to conduct such an operation only when the vehicle was going downhill, and then, only very carefully.  Fortunately, the Bob Semple tank was never used in action.  This fact undoubtedly meant that some New Zealand lives were saved.  Also, some Japanese probably avoided from dying with laughter ... Best regards, JR.