We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2007 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:54:27 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2008 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Heck, I've even given you a *size* referent *and* I haven't pulled in close to remove all context. In case it isn't obvious - that's a nickel.* It *is* completely consistent with Castle Artifacts. So, whatizzit - purpose, origin, etc. Yes it's on the net. You may begin. *I know at least *one* of you was going to answer "It's a nickel!" - so I took that away from you snarky bassids. Update: Some hints in the hunt for the Snipe. Seek a German Clark in Belgium. And destroy him.... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html Thu, 17 Aug 2006 07:52:02 -0600 This is the document Eric is referring to.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49301 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49301 Fri, 18 Aug 2006 10:24:34 -0600 look at that diagram of the 77mm Clark munition on page 2 of proceedings14.pdf, it actually shows the bottle! D'oh! Looks like the 77mm gas shell contained the glass bottle, stopper end at the base of the shell, surrounded (except for the stopper end) by TNT. I presume the phosgene was distributed separately, as only Clark I and II are listed as toxic agents for this shell. ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49294 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49294 Fri, 18 Aug 2006 09:39:56 -0600 arsines in Ypres?? (try saying that five times fast) http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49276 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49276 Fri, 18 Aug 2006 08:09:55 -0600 Eric shoots, Eric scores! Sneezy/vomiting agent, intended to be used in conjunction with phosgene by breaking the integrity of the mask so the phosgene could do it's nastiness. You're actually almost there. And you *do* have enough info now to google (sue me, Sergey) your way to victory! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49275 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49275 Fri, 18 Aug 2006 06:23:00 -0600 For a solution used to impregnate early gas mask? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49272 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49272 Fri, 18 Aug 2006 04:06:38 -0600 being mustard gas.... ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49271 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49271 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 22:27:34 -0600 Ammo for Bates 8-barrel bottle thrower. (What you were thinking, ibm) http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49270 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49270 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 22:16:38 -0600 Projectile from a Smith gun? No, not a Smith gun. There was another thing that threw something Ian Hogg described as a bottle filled with an incendiary mixture ( and no tin a nice way ). IBM http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49267 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49267 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 21:23:05 -0600 Mercury salts bottle for the irrigation of the Disease of Love? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49264 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49264 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 19:17:03 -0600 Ah... non-perforated glass stopper. A glass stopper suggests something nasty-corrosive, that would eat cork or rubber. Nitric acid for Sprengel explosives? (Binary liquids - how topical!) http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49263 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49263 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 18:13:52 -0600 It's Not Unusual. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49259 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49259 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 17:16:16 -0600 Were Petula Clark German songs played in Belgium by mistake??? They should fire that D.J. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49258 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49258 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 17:06:32 -0600 iocane poison (from Australia) http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49257 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49257 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 16:42:48 -0600 Fire the bottle snipe the bottle? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49254 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49254 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 15:52:14 -0600 Oh, and I should make something clear - what looks like a hole in the stopper, isn't. The stopper is also made of the same glass as the bottle. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49253 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49253 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 15:41:11 -0600 Karla's spanking you boys. Run with it, Karla! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49251 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49251 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 15:36:00 -0600 Very slender neck inside diameter and tiny, tiny dispensing hole in lid. This whole thing is only about 7 inches long, and the neck of the bottle is what 3/4 inch? That glass looks turn of the last century to me - like it's mold blown. Too small for grenade/moltov cocktail. Were mustard gas shells loaded in the field? Belgium and German make me think WWI trench time. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49250 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49250 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 15:27:34 -0600 Morphine container? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49247 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49247 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 14:15:02 -0600 traveling inkwell. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49246 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49246 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 14:07:26 -0600 Snerk. Um, inventive, Boq, but, sadly, along with MajMike's Recoil Booster (dude - you should make it and market it!), wrong. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49236 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49236 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 12:56:11 -0600 BOQ, Absinthe, perhaps... but where is the slotted and spoon and sugar cubes? And for heaven's sake, where would the French find ice water to go with it? I can't see making a proper louche of the absinthe without ice water.... yuck.... Absinthe, though, would explain a lot... particularly the French fascination with Zouaves when everyone else is in khaki or muffti..... Respects, AW1 Tim http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49235 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49235 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 12:40:41 -0600 Dispositif de Secours de l’Élan-et-Valour, it is better known in the Civilian World, as Good ol’Absinthe Wormwood Liqueur. They were standard issue to the French Poilu at the Western Front, and was employed in the vain attempt to create an artificial spine and will on to the French soldiers facing the Huns on No Man’s Land.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49234 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49234 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 12:30:52 -0600 OK, so it's a 15th century Turkish plague bottle. The fuse hole in the stopper is actually an air hole so the fleas don't suffocate. Think of "Fleas in a Castle" as being a precursor to "Snakes on a Plane." http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49232 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49232 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 11:11:26 -0600 Hmmm. A challenge. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49229 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49229 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 10:49:38 -0600 i'm leaning towards picric acid crystals stored under water.... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49228 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49228 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 10:47:07 -0600 So it's a veritas bottle? I think the main reason I keep checking this stuff is there is a slight chance (very slight) that one day I may see something I have actually used. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49227 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49227 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 10:44:52 -0600 duh. It's a bottle rocket.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49225 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49225 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 10:34:50 -0600 I suspect it's a mustard gas or white phosphorous container. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49222 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49222 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 10:09:19 -0600 In humor, veritas. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49221 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49221 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 09:56:04 -0600 Moonraker (the movie, not the book). ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49220 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49220 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 09:54:04 -0600 HDW: Nope. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49219 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49219 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 09:53:11 -0600 Nitroglycerin bottle? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49217 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49217 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 09:49:04 -0600 MajMike - 1. I wish that was true, that's hilarious! 2. You're closer than you think. Wrong century though. And you wouldn't have wanted to consume the contents. As if *that* won't give it away... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49213 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49213 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 09:27:34 -0600 dark glass, so some kind of liquid contents that doesn't behave well or degrades with exposure to light. slender bottle, so exposed surface area of the liquid contents is being minimized. probably due to volatility of said liquid at ambient temps. i'm looking at a Civil War era green bottle for battlefield use of Trappey's Bull Hot Sauce (makes hard tack edible). http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49210 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49210 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 09:15:03 -0600 Gun oil? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49208 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/and_now_for_something_completely_different_in_terms_of_a_whatzis.html#comment-49208 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 08:59:00 -0600