Hardtack (also known as pilot bread, ship’s biscuit, shipbiscuit, sea biscuit, sea bread or pejoratively as dog biscuits, tooth dullers, sheet ironor molar breakers.) The name hardtack has its origins from the British sailor slang for food, i.e. “tack”. And since the cracker is as hard as a rock, its name became hard tack (i.e. hard food.)
K Rations were developed in 1941 when the U.S. War department tasked Dr. Ancel Keys with designing a non-perishable, ready-to-eat meal that could fit in a soldier’s pocket as a short-duration, individual ration. Keys did his research at a local supermarket, choosing foods that were inexpensive but high in caloric content. He purchased hard biscuits, hard candy, dry sausages and chocolate bars. His initial k ration weighed in at 28 ounces and packed a whopping 3,200 calories. The rations were tested on soldiers who gave uniformly low ratings for their taste but said that they did relieve hunger and provide energy for the days tasks. Due to the lack of balance in these meals, they were intended for short duration activities only. In fact, they were recommended for a maximum of only 15 meals before the soldiers were to be put on the more balanced ‘A’ or ‘B’ field rations. Read the rest of this entry »
This early 1950s Oldsmobile commercial is introduced by Lucille and Johnny and features Mel Torme singing about the great features of the Oldsmobile 88.
For more vintage Oldsmobile video, visit the Vintage Oldsmobile page at The Historical Archive:
This commercial features the new 1952 Oldsmobile at the General Motors Proving Grounds. It has a test driver pull over and fill out a checklist pointing out its innovative features - rocket engine, hydromatic and hydraulic steering.
Be sure to check out these great vintage Oldsmobile DVDs at The Historical Archive. They are sure to please any vintage Olds fans.
The 1950s was an exciting time in car development. Lots of new models with great metalwork were being turned out by the Big Three automobile manufacturers. Take a look at a few Pontiacs of that era below.
The first video is the Pontiac Star Chief Custom Catalina:
The second is a commercial talking abou the Bonneville, Ventura and the Safari:
To learn even more about the early Pontiacs, check out the selection of vintage Pontiac DVDs at The Historical Archive.
The history of the submarine is a fascinating story - and like the story of many great mechanical achievement, the evolution of the submarine was driven in large part by its usefulness as a weapon of war. Let’s take a look at some interesting facts about the earliest military submarines.
The first military submarine was Turtle. It was created in 1775 and was a hand-powered egg-shaped device designed by the American David Bushnell to accommodate a single man. It was the first known submarine capable of independent underwater operation and the first to use screws for propulsion. The Turtle was used unsuccessfully during the American Revolutionary War to try to sink the British warship HMS Eagle in New York harbor on
During the War of 1812, in the year 1814, Silas Halsey lost his life while using a submarine. He attempted to attack a British warship stationed in New London harbor.
During the American Civil War, the Union was the first to use a submarine. It used the French designed Alligator - the first submarine to use compressed air and air filtration for its air supply. It was initially propelled by oars but was later retrofitted witha screw propeller powered by a hand crank. It held a crew of 20 but was lost in a storm in 1863 as it was being towed to its first combat deployment in Charleston.
The Confederates used several submarines during the Civil War. The first was the Pioneer which successfully sank a schooner using a towed mine during testing. It never made it to combat.
The most successful submarine of the Confederacy was the H.L. Hunley. For weaponry, it had a spar torpedo - basically an explosive charge on a large pole in front of the sub. The sub was extremely dangerous to its crew and sank two times, the first time killing half the crew and the second time killing the entire crew. In spite of these problems, the Hunley was the first successful wartime submarine - sinking the USS Housatonic off Charleston Harbor on February 18,1864. It sank shortly after this success.
Recently the Hunley was raised from its watery grave. This fascinating video features a documentary of the epic voyage of the Hunley as well as the technology used in the raising of the Hunley.
Since this time, submarines have become extremely capable vessels and are a fundamental part of every developed country’s military arsenal.