Duke71

I've just downloaded and installed the latest driver for my ATI Radeon 9600 graphics card. And that did bad things to CMAK. Most of the text is hidden with a white background. So I can't see most of the information on screen. I didn't know how to post an image on this forum. (although I have some screenshots) Duke71

The good thing about the Sten was that it could easily be taken apart and transported in, say air dropped containers, and then reassembeled again when the recievers got it . The Norwegian Resistance used a lot of stens and they praised it. But I've also heard that it was not one of the safest weapons around! Maybe I'm off here but wasn't it so that the sten had no safety catch???? Duke71

What is there to discuss? :confused: Duke71

That may be true. I've never heard German veterans talking specifically about the MP40, so I don't know their nickname(s) of it. Didn't the Germans refer to SMGs as MPIs? (Machine PIstols) Did they have other names for it? Duke71

The nickname of the weapon is "Schmeisser" so there can be no big deal about that. I am aware that the name is not technically right for this SMG but everyone with a faint interest in WWII knows what a Schmeisser looks like. Every WWII-veteran I've ever heard refers to this particular weapon as the Schmeisser, cool name btw :cool: , or as the MP40. Duke71

Hans: Remember it's Forsvarets Stabsskole... And the Armed Forces museums are good places to get information. A lot of old veterans work there and often they have a rather big network to turn to for more. Duke71

Another important factor here is the weight of the weapon. It's rather easy to fire the MP5 on full auto using only one hand. But you have to be close to the target and not be afraid of "wasting" ammo. I guess this is not easy with a Thompson or an MP40, although Clint Eastwood has a memorable scene in the movie "Where Eagles dare" were he uses two Schmeissers inside the castle. :cool: Duke71

[ April 22, 2004, 10:38 AM: Message edited by: Duke71 ]

Didn't the 37mm have a nickname? Was that the "potato mesher"? I recall reading something about the 37mm was so puny that the crews lost faith in it. It was okay in the Blitzkrieg-attacks of France and Poland, but afterwards it lacked the punch to kill enemy tanks. And now I'm adding another website to my favorites, great pics on that one Dandelion! Duke71

How large was the crew of the Pak 35? They can't be numerous begause there seems to be little cover behind that panzer-shield! Duke71 Cool pic btw!

The mini gun looks awesome and it has a great punch, but I would never had it if I had to use and move with it on a battlefield. It's great to suppress enemy troops from a fixed emplacement with it, I guess, but it looks way too cumbersome to be any good to carry and use in say a jungle or anyplace else where you don't have 500meters clear view in all directions. When it comes to reliability and modern weapons, all are good, and there are a lot of "true stories" about how good they are in adverse conditions. I've heard the same stories about the AG3 (standard Norwegian assault rifle, looks like the H&K G3) but I don't think it will perform well if it has been in a moor or the mud for some months or the like. All weapons have moving parts and if they are blocked, they remain blocked until you clean it. Duke71

In Norway this is the way to be an officer: Befalsskole: 2 yrs Rank: Sgt -> 2.lt Krigsskole: 3-4 yrs Rank: 1.lt -> Capt -> Maj There has been several of these schools in Norway during the years, now there are a Krigsskole for each branch in the forces. There are also separate Befalsskoler for each branch. From Krigsskole you have to go through Forsvarets Stabsskole. This is the "ticket" to get a post within the General Staff and in the end to be one of the highest rankin officers of the country. Don't know if this was what you asked for Hans, but do ask if there is something more you would like to know. Duke71

I enjoy reading your stories Dandelion. But I must correct one of your names: It's called Vinjesvingen. In fact that's not more than a 2 hour drive from where I live, and the Norwegian forces who fought there were set up at Heistadmoen, and that military base still exists, an it's in my home town Kongsberg. I got my officer-training there. Correct me here Dandelion, but at Heistadmoen two (?) battalions mobilized, but their commander decided to not fight the Germans because of threats of bombing the city. A group under a Captain Hannevig, scrounged weapons, ammo and uniforms and went to Vinjesvingen where they fought several successful battles vs. the Germans. And Hans you must remember that around Narvik the Norwegian 2. Division under Gen. Fleischer fought well against Gen. Dietl and his mountain division. The Norwegians got help from the British, the French Foreign Legion and some Poles. In fact, they pushed the Germans until they had their back against the border to the neutral Sweden. But at that point the war was lost for the Norwegians, because of the Allied retreat from the Norwegian Theater. That was a big disappointment to the Norwegian soldiers. And at last Dandelion; Ruge was a Colonel at the start of the German invasion, but he was promoted to General of the General Staff. He took command of all the Norwegian forces in Southern Norway and Fleischer had command in the Northern sector of the country. Duke71 (2.lt)

Cool! I have never used the MG42, but the Norwegian Armed Forces uses the MG3 and that's almost a copy of the MG42. I've fired several thousand shots with that, both on bipod and tripod. Once I fired a 200 rounds belt from the hip in one long 10 second burst. That was a *nice* experience! Duke71 </font>

I thought you needed to be an author to get acess to the archives, but you proved me wrong! As a German, don't you find it difficult to read Norwegian? Guten Abend! Duke71