CRACK AND THUMP

Question and opinion regarding Living History / Reenacting.
Post Reply
Joe Gopan
Jeep Heaven
Posts: 49841
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:37 pm
Location: Proving Ground

CRACK AND THUMP

Post by Joe Gopan » Sun Oct 11, 2020 9:57 am

Anyone remember the Crack and Thump Coarse?
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO


Joe Gopan
Jeep Heaven
Posts: 49841
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:37 pm
Location: Proving Ground

Re: CRACK AND THUMP

Post by Joe Gopan » Sun Oct 11, 2020 1:39 pm

Train Fire?
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

Joe Gopan
Jeep Heaven
Posts: 49841
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:37 pm
Location: Proving Ground

Re: CRACK AND THUMP

Post by Joe Gopan » Sun Oct 11, 2020 1:57 pm

Anyone know what the caused the "Crack" and the resulting "Thump"?
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

Joe Gopan
Jeep Heaven
Posts: 49841
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:37 pm
Location: Proving Ground

Re: CRACK AND THUMP

Post by Joe Gopan » Mon Oct 12, 2020 8:38 am

No one here attended Infantry Basic in late 50's-early 60's and learned how to shoot a Garand via the mid 50's-mid 60's "Train Fire" method?
I fired Expert.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

Wolfman
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 6863
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 5:25 am
Location: Tipton,In.

Re: CRACK AND THUMP

Post by Wolfman » Wed Oct 14, 2020 7:12 am

Yeh !. I know !!
And it wasn't during training.
Bullitt's made a crack when they went by. They were traveling faster than the speed of sound.
The thump was when the Bullitt hit something. Hopefully not yourself or one of the other guys.
The running joke ( battle field humor ) was you wouldn't hear the shot that killed you !! :twisted:
In training, we lined up in a slit trench, looking out at a huge sand pit full of sand bag bunkers with high explosives in them and lots of barbed wire.
On the far side of the sand pit was a D.I. with an M-60 machine gun, with live rounds. Not blanks. Aimed right over our heads.
On command, the D.I. opened fire and we crawled out of the trench, through the sand pit, with explosions all around, through the barbed wire, to the far side.
The order was, Under no circumstance stand up !!!
We did this during the day and then came back and did again in the dark of night.
This was just training.
Having fun yet.
That came later !
Mike Wolford
CJ-2A
VEP GPW
Comm./Inst. SEL
AOPA ( 50 yrs)
EAA ( 49 yrs)
4th Inf. Div. - 5th Inf. Div. - 2nd Armor Div. - CIB

Joe Gopan
Jeep Heaven
Posts: 49841
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:37 pm
Location: Proving Ground

Re: CRACK AND THUMP

Post by Joe Gopan » Wed Oct 14, 2020 8:50 am

Fun, wasn't it?
The way I learned it was the "thump" came after the "crack". The crack was the bullet passing by and the thump was the report from the weapon. The distance of the shooter was done by counting the seconds between the crack and the thump.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

Wolfman
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 6863
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 5:25 am
Location: Tipton,In.

Re: CRACK AND THUMP

Post by Wolfman » Wed Oct 14, 2020 11:46 am

Maybe it should be called Crack. Thump. Bang. :D
The crack was the Bullitt passing by, Hopefully !, at supersonic speed.
The thump was the Bullitt hitting something near by. Again hopefully not you or one of your buddies.
And the bang, the sound of the shot that finally arrived at your location because it was farthest away and moving at the speed of sound. Much slower than the Bullitt.
Counting the seconds. Like counting seconds until you hear a clap of thunder after you see the lightning flash.
The source of that famous statement. " You won't hear the shot that gets you !".
Fun ???
A lot better talking about it in past tense !! 8)
Mike Wolford
CJ-2A
VEP GPW
Comm./Inst. SEL
AOPA ( 50 yrs)
EAA ( 49 yrs)
4th Inf. Div. - 5th Inf. Div. - 2nd Armor Div. - CIB


Post Reply

Return to “Living History / Reenacting Knowledge Base”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 15 guests