Slog - Comments on Rubber Wars http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars One of my favorite anecdotes about World War II involves condoms and cooperation between nations. I think my father first told it to me. The story goes like this: During the war, Russian soldiers would place condoms over the barrels of their rifles to prevent water damage. As the war grinded on, condoms were in short supply, leading Stalin to send a request to president Roosevelt for a shipment of "standard small U.S. condoms." Roosevelt agreed, with one request of his own: The condoms were to be extra large in size and stamped with the words "Standard U.S. Size."... Copyright 2008 Thu, 25 Jan 2007 14:45:36 -0800 Fri, 26 Jan 2007 10:57:34 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by longball OK, this requires checking snopes.com. I can't at work because it's blocked, but when i get a chance...

]]> longball http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c597933 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c597933 History Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:15:44 -0800 Comment by SeMe The soviet PPSh 41 ( below) which was standard for world war 2 Soviet infantry couldn’t possibly be fitted with a condom or if it could, it wouldn’t really help with the push in Stalingrad and the freezing winters when the Soviet Army pushed forward. Rain wasn’t really a concern in Stalingrad, I’ve fired the PPSH 41 before ( long story, the 80’s Central America) it tends to jam a lot and it’s a lousy gun, prolly one of the worst in world war 2, thus it was quickly replaced in the 1950’s with the Kalashnikov 47, which mos def can not take a condom over it. The only one that could arguably hold a condom would be the Simonov, which is the standard soviet sniper rifle for that era, but it was replaced by the tokarjev when the Russian army made its push. The M-1 Garand which US soldiers used in world war 2 could take a condom, and probably would have been helpful in the Pacific. Most likely another story told by North Americans to try to hide the fact that if it wasn’t for Stalingrad and the 20 million Russians that died in world war 2, Germany would not have been defeated as quickly as it was. Not to say that US sacrifices and push from France were not huge in determining the war, but very small compared to the Russians’ lost in human life and battle field victories. .


http://www.a-human-right.com/ppsh.html

]]> SeMe http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c597957 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c597957 History Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:30:08 -0800 Comment by The_Pope_Of_Chili_Town Goddam right the sailors needed the condoms. Those guys will put their wieners anywhere (said as the proud grandchild of a WWII Navy-man).

Secondly, SeMe, you're kind of scaring me.

]]> The_Pope_Of_Chili_Town http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c597989 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c597989 History Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:47:24 -0800 Comment by SeMe Nah pope, its all good, you know that life be taking you places.

BTW, From the account of German women who were brutalized by the Red Army in Berlin, the Soviets didnt use condoms.

]]> SeMe http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c597991 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c597991 History Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:52:25 -0800 Comment by elswinger I tried snopes and came up with zilch using "condom." Weird because I've heard the story too (the Texan version).

]]> elswinger http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598014 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598014 History Thu, 25 Jan 2007 16:08:11 -0800 Comment by The_Pope_Of_Chili_Town Yeah, I understand. Maybe I'm just jealous because me life hasn't taken me to a place where I get to fire automatics with revolutionaries/terrorists (tomato/to-mah-to).

And I’m not being sarcastic here, I'm sure there is a great story behind that.

]]> The_Pope_Of_Chili_Town http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598016 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598016 History Thu, 25 Jan 2007 16:09:40 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle In actual practice, there was a standard issue rubber cover for rifles used for WW I and WW II - if you had to fire it and needed a replacement, you used your standard issue condoms.

This could be the "origin" of the story. They're fairly thick rubber covers - a condom would tear way too easily for long duration usage, however, based on my field experience with them.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598049 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598049 History Thu, 25 Jan 2007 16:30:58 -0800 Comment by kerri harrop brad, it's still a good story, and a genius marketing scheme. not to mention a fine example of why most wars are started in the first place -- it all comes down to cock waggling.

as a responsible single woman, i have a fine assortment of condoms in my War Chest (nightstand drawer). i've noticed that gentleman callers almost always go for the magnum.

unfortunately, it is rarely a necessary choice.

]]> kerri harrop http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598078 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598078 History Thu, 25 Jan 2007 16:41:30 -0800 Comment by SeMe Interesting Will. Never heard or seen pics of such rubbers from WW2. I of course beleive you, but now Im curious. Links?

]]> SeMe http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598079 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598079 History Thu, 25 Jan 2007 16:41:34 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle what, the rubber covers? they used WW II vintage rifles in Canada for militia training and those had standard issue rubber covers for field exercises. even had some for some WW I rifles (used mostly by people who liked Lee-Enfields) for the local gun clubs found in each city.

I presume if they existed for multiple models that the same would also exist in the US market. Condoms just work as a makeshift field repair - if you fire it you blow out the end part, and then cover it with a rubber or cram it down the barrel but not below the flash supressor slots.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598150 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598150 History Thu, 25 Jan 2007 17:26:34 -0800 Comment by j-lon Um, just for the sake of clarity, the Naval condom debate was from WWI not WWII. Roosevelt was undersecretary of the Navy during that war. He was obviously president during WWII.

]]> j-lon http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598161 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598161 History Thu, 25 Jan 2007 17:38:29 -0800 Comment by Fnarf Excellent research on this urban legend (note, urban legends do not have to be false; this is a UL because there are so many variants of the story.) Fascinating how it changes. Good luck finding actual confirmation from a reliable source on such a delicate topic!

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598207 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598207 History Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:26:37 -0800 Comment by gnossos so this story raises a question: just when did condom manufacturers actually start producing different size condoms?

I was never much of condom user prior to AIDS, but my recollection of those days was that variety was incredibly limited (Trojan or Trojan?) and that it was only after the AIDS inspired explosion in condom usage that different colors, flavors, sizes, etc. became common.

Or was I just oblivious?

]]> gnossos http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598282 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598282 History Thu, 25 Jan 2007 19:49:10 -0800 Comment by Boomer One of my favorite anecdotes about World War II...

And that's exactly where I stopped reading.

]]> Boomer http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598471 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598471 History Thu, 25 Jan 2007 22:33:02 -0800 Comment by gnossos and yet, you still had to post. poor boomer.

totally cracking up at kerri back @ 8...a couple of sex worker pals were lamenting this same issue over drinks one evening. One said something about how all her tricks insisted they needed magnums when snugger fit would've been perfectly adequate.

The other pulled out a regular old Lifestyle, opened it and fit it over her hand and most of her forearm. She said she did this one night w/a guy who said he couldn't use condoms cause they were too tight...she told him unless you're bigger than this there's no problem. Poor guy couldn't get it up after that.

]]> gnossos http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598531 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598531 History Thu, 25 Jan 2007 23:28:57 -0800 Comment by Blacksheep If you send this to snopes.com, they wuill investigate it.

]]> Blacksheep http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598982 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/01/rubber_wars#c598982 History Fri, 26 Jan 2007 10:57:34 -0800