Ship Prefix's

To Jon and all the rest

After reading mike's story I started wondering about the ship prefixes and
what ideas other people have for the other factions.

We already know that NAC ships have the ship prefix CNS. I am after other
ideas for the others groups E.G. ESU, FSE, and the omnipresent NSL?

> To Jon and all the rest

I've always reckoned the NSL use something like KRS, for Kriegsraumschiffe,
literally "Space Warship", but probably some native German speakers on the
list will be able to either correct my schoolboy German or suggest something
better. For the FSE, ESU etc, all suggestions welcome!

In a message dated 97-07-25 18:43:24 EDT, you write:

<< I've always reckoned the NSL use something like KRS, for Kriegsraumschiffe,
literally "Space Warship", but probably some native German speakers on the
list will be able to either correct my schoolboy German or suggest something
better. For the FSE, ESU etc, all suggestions welcome!
> [quoted text omitted]
My Suggestions:

ESU = USS (Union Star, or Space, Ship) FSE = FNS (Federal Naval Ship)

Trying to get away fron CNS,FNS,UNS,... etc.

> ESU = USS (Union Star, or Space, Ship)

As the ESU tends to be Russian-dominated, how about KKS, for
"Kosmicheskiy Korabl' Soyuza" i.e. "Space Ship of the Union"

cheers

> From: Rob Paul <rpaul@worf.molbiol.ox.ac.uk>

If they still cling to their cyrillic alphabet, it should appear to us as KKC,
kaneshna.

> At 11:26 PM 7/25/97 +0100, you wrote:

I seem to remember (as a kid, for a story I was writing) deducing that
"hovertank" in German would be "schwebepanzer" or (more accurately)
"schwebepanzerkampfwagen". I'd imagine that the NSL would use this term for
their GEVs.

Hmm, but we were talking ships weren't we. Never mind.

> On Mon, 28 Jul 1997, Allan Goodall wrote:

> I seem to remember (as a kid, for a story I was writing) deducing that

GDW's (when it existed) Traveller 2300 used "Luftkissenpanzer". With my
limited knowledge of German, I think it means "air cushion panzer", which
would be the correct term in *Finnish*. Now, many technical terms come to
Finnish from German, so it sounds logical to me.

Someone who actually speaks German might want to correct me.

I have just been informed (a.k.a. I bugged one of my native German
speeking co-workers) that "schwebepanzer" would be the correct term as
"schwebepanzerkampfwagen" contained a bit more information than needed.

S. Ford

[quoted original message omitted]

> On Tue, 29 Jul 1997, Mikko Kurki-Suonio wrote:

> limited knowledge of German, I think it means "air cushion panzer",

I dont know what the initial topic was, but since I speak fluent german
(because of being a native german) I will add my 2 copper coins:

The translation for hovertank would probably be "Luftkissenpanzer".
("Hovercraft" at least is translated as " Luftkissenboot") But "Schwebepanzer"
is valid to, since "to hover" means "schweben" in german. The difference
between the two terms is that "Luftkissenpanzer" describes a vehicle which is
gliding on a cushion of compressed air as todays hovercrafts do, whereas
"Schwebepanzer" is a more general term and can be used for gravtanks as well.

Regards,

> Allan Goodall wrote:

Thank God 'panzer' is an appropriate slang term. (My German is from a two
week trip to West Germany in 1987.  Schwebepanzerkampfwagen?  Gah.  (8-)
)

J.

> Stuart Ford writes:

@:) I have just been informed (a.k.a. I bugged one of my native
@:) German speeking co-workers) that "schwebepanzer" would be the
@:) correct term as "schwebepanzerkampfwagen" contained a bit more @:)
information than needed.

From my (limited but still it was my first language) knowledge of German, I
would guess that the term "Panzerkampfwagen" is used only by American devotees
of German military history.

> At 01:55 PM 7/29/97 +0200, you wrote:
describes
> a vehicle which is gliding on a cushion of compressed air as todays

Thanks, Steffen. Looks like Mikko and I were BOTH right. I'll use
"Luftkissenpanzer" for Hammer's Slammers style hovertanks, and "Schwebepanzer"
for grav tanks.

> At 03:33 PM 7/29/97 -0400, you wrote:

Well, I kind of like panzerkampfwagen (the rough German equivalent of AFV) and
I'm NOT American...

> PS also, it was still funny, but they knew he didn't mean to call

Question: would Kennedy have made the same mistake if he had been visiting
Hamburg?

> Allan Goodall writes:

@:) > From my (limited but still it was my first language) knowledge @:) >of
German, I would guess that the term "Panzerkampfwagen" is used @:) >only by
American devotees of German military history.
@:)
@:) Well, I kind of like panzerkampfwagen (the rough German equivalent @:) of
AFV) and I'm NOT American...

True, but you're not German either. If you really like AFV then I would think
PKW would seem more appropriate. You hear a lot about the APC here in the
states, but it's only rarely expanded to Armored Personnel Carrier because
that's a pain to say. On the other hand, "Panzer" is even easier to say than
PKW. I would suggest "Taximeter Cabriolet" as a possible English equivalent to
Panzerkampfwagen.

@:) > jelly doughnut.
@:)
@:) Question: would Kennedy have made the same mistake if he had been @:)
visiting Hamburg?

If he were visiting Hamburg he would have said "Ich bin eine Frickadelle", the
closest German culinary relative to our American hamburger (despite the name).
It has onion in it, though, and possibly bread, so he really would have been
saying "I am a fried patty of mostly ground meat, similar to our American
Hamburgers but actually a little closer to meatloaf", which probably would
have greatly confused the Communists.

Just to muddy the waters a bit more....."Luftpanzer"?

> Joachim Heck - SunSoft wrote:

Oh, the Wermacht did use Paznerkampfwagen (PKW) as a prefix designator for
many of its tanks, which was shortened to Panzer. The US Army, however,
adopted the nickname of Tiger for all of the Wermacht's tanks. (A little
inside humour there, sorry.  (8-)

Source: "Atchung! Pazner", Gen. Heinz Guderian

I also remember coming across it in those little $20 CDN books that describe
military hardware for Wargamers and Modelers. (God knows why they're so

bloody expensive though.  (8-) )

J.

> Mike Wikan writes:

@:) Just to muddy the waters a bit more....."Luftpanzer"?

WAAAAAAY too short. Panzerkampfflugzeug.

> At 09:51 AM 7/30/97 -0400, you wrote:

Panzerkampfwagen = 4 syllables (panzer kamph wag en) PKW = 4 syllables (pee
kay double you)

> On the other hand,

Panzer = 1 syllable. You win.

> @:) Question: would Kennedy have made the same mistake if he had been

It was a rhetorical question and a joke. I just find the idea of Kennedy
saying "Ich bin eine Hamburger" terribly hilarious for no apparent reason.

> Joachim Heck - SunSoft wrote:

For those of us who are linguisticly impared...what does those two german
words mean in english?

By the way...What does "farfignugen" (I can't spell it right. its from that
commersial a few years back)

> On Wed, 30 Jul 1997, Donald Hosford wrote:

> > WAAAAAAY too short. Panzerkampfflugzeug.

> For those of us who are linguisticly impared...what does those two

Literally translated (usually NOT a good way to translate):

Armor(ed) Battle/Fighting Aeroplane (Flying Vehicle)

> Donald Hosford wrote:
....
> For those of us who are linguisticly impared...what does those two

Panzerkampfflugzeug = armored fighter plane

und farfignugen is by no way a valid german word, even its sound doesnt come
close to any germany word I have heard (and I have heard them all!)

All right, this conversation is really getting seriously off topic now. But,
to connect it to FT, well, Full Thrust has syllables, and FT is an
abbreviation that we frequently use... oh, bugger, here's my reply:

> Allan Goodall writes:

@:) Panzerkampfwagen = 4 syllables (panzer kamph wag en) @:) PKW = 4 syllables
(pee kay double you)

I know British and American pronunciation is different sometimes, but I think
we usually agree on how many syllables a word has, right?
OK, class, repeat after me "Pan-Zer"!  Very good.  :)

As for PKW it would be pronounced pe ka veh, so only three syllables. Still
longer than Panzer and doesn't sound as cool.

@:) Panzer = 1 syllable. You win.

Or whatever.

@:) > If he were visiting Hamburg he would have said "Ich bin eine
@:) >Frickadelle",... <<snipped>>
@:)
@:) It was a rhetorical question and a joke. I just find the idea of @:)
Kennedy saying "Ich bin eine Hamburger" terribly hilarious for no @:) apparent
reason.

Of course it was but I think it would have been much funnier if he had said
Frickadelle. They're so fat and round and cute. Actually, I wouldn't be
surprised if Chancellor Kohl made that speech.

> Steffen Vulpius writes:

@:) > By the way...What does "farfignugen" (I can't spell it right. @:) > its
from that commersial a few years back)

(can't spell commercial right either Don)

@:) Luftpanzer = air tank or air armor
@:)
@:) Panzerkampfflugzeug = armored fighter plane
@:)
@:) und farfignugen is by no way a valid german word, even its sound @:)
doesnt come close to any germany word I have heard (and I have @:) heard them
all!)

Actually it comes pretty close to Fahrfergnuegen, which was a term VW used to
describe the "pleasure of the driving experience" or "driving enjoyment" which
comes from operating their automobiles.

Wait a minnit. How IS commerzial spelled across the pond? Never can trust you
guys with the letters c and s.

> Steffen Vulpius wrote:

Thanks! That isn't the first time advertizers have made up words!

Next question....If Panzerkampfflugzeug means armored fighter plane (IMHO
easyer to say), why not say it that way?

> Joachim Heck - SunSoft wrote:

What can I say...I wrote that at 2am...my internal spellchecker doesn't
work properly at that time in the morning :-)

I allways wondered what that Fahrfergnuegen meant! It used to drive me NUTS!

> Allan Goodall wrote:

> Panzerkampfwagen = 4 syllables (panzer kamph wag en)

Nope, Pay Car Vay. Auf Deutsch, that is.

> It was a rhetorical question and a joke. I just find the idea of

No worse that "Ich bin ein Berliner". Listen to the sound track some time.
There is a moment of stunned silence before the crowd realises a)

> Joachim Heck - SunSoft wrote:
 [Dear Joachim, I'm sorry but...]

Panzerkampfwagen == Armour Fight Vehicle or Armoured Fighting Vehicle. AFV is
the usual acronym. And although Panzer is used nearly universally( as Tank is,
when most people mean MBT or Main Battle Tank), there are occasions when the
full name is used. Usually when giving technical specifications.

One that sticks in my mind - and for that matter, in my mouth, is
"Schwerpanzerfluegzeugabwehrkannonerichtunggereat", which is the
 apparatus on the Gepard Anti-Aircraft Tank - er - AFV :)
 [Literally, Heavy Armoured Aircraft-Countering Gun Direction Apparatus]

Until recently I used to work for STN-Atlas Elektronik GmbH of Bremen,
Germany.

> > PS also, it was still funny, but they knew he didn't mean to call
As in "Ich bin ein Berliner." Ja, und du bist ein Viktoria, natuerlich...
> [quoted text omitted]
 [I am a Jam Doughnut.

> Joachim Heck - SunSoft wrote:

> Of course it was but I think it would have been much funnier if he