ARCHANGEL

Tom W, I take it you haven't WON CE as the German's yet??? It can be done. (Total Axis Victory)

Thanks for finding that... The "Sad Sack Affair" (page 601) makes for some interesting reading, as does the EPILOGUE which compares the various weapons used. Well done, KRM.

Extremely well done. A doff of the old tin pot to you both...S!

Wow, PK's story is a damn good one...my compliments. "Archangel" was a personal callsign of mine during the Southeast Asian War Games. It became a nickname after that.

Well, I have until March 8th, 2023...just about what I figured... I better get going...

I'd have to agree with JH and Foobar. I remember being trained in AT warfare as an Infantryman where they told us flank shots were the best. Later, when I spent a year (mid Seventies) in an Armored Bn, with M60A1's (I know, different gun than we are using) they STILL said flank shots were the best. Having had several M4 shots "break up" upon hitting a Stug and several TD shots break up upon hitting a Tiger, I'd say flank shots are still the best. Not necessarily full flank, but even a few degrees off allows for easier access to the turret. Look at all the K'O'd shots from WW2,Korea,Arab-Israeli, Gulf etc....most that I have seen (tho I admit to not studying the matter) have been turret shots.Hard to do on a Stug, I know Yesterday in LD I had a really "hull down" TD over by the church on the road smoke the Tiger...it took a few shots, but the Tiger was overshooting me and I stayed put...the Tiger angled around and opened up his flank just enough to get killed. In the interests of full disclosure I didn't expect him to do that, but I knew I was so hull down he would have a hell of a time hitting me...so I thought we'd slug it out...(this took the last three turns of the game). It worked. While you are angling around for a few degrees advantage on a front slope shot, the other guy (AI) will be looking for your flank.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Madmatt: I have no idea how I stumbled on this site as I was looking for web-backgrounds but it looks to be VERY cool and they have some neat stuff including, books, models and some nice period manuals and those cool action figures I have heard all about before. Check it out! http://www.jjfpub.mb.ca/ Madmatt <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Great site...thanks!

I hope SSI will get around to finishing Silent Hunter II and Destroyer Command. They are rather behind time now...

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Big Time Software: Hehe... well, it sounds like a fair reassignment. However, when you get the final version you might want to see if the two men in question might be able to reedeem themselves. I have a feeling that if you give them another shot, in a brand new Sherman (with better fire control) they might just be able to regain their former glory. Then again you might want to just toss their butts into the brig Steve<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> If you say so Steve, I'll do it...but I gotta tell you, I hadn't encountered that problem so badly before..ignoring a StuG at 68 meters with a totally clear flank shot to shoot at an MG42 across the grid square is crazy. The Stug made a 90 degree turn (not even a FAST turn) and hit Sgt. Albin's M4 in one shot...Oh Brother ! I was so frustrated I thought I'd re-assign them...but in May, I will give them one more chance...

This is to notify all members of the command that SGT ALBIN and his platoon mate, SGT XAVIER have been reassigned to the Tank Repair Center at Charmount, France. The Bn Commander has determined that even another cycle of the gunnery course will not be sufficient to re-train either of these service members. At Charmount they will both be assigned in the hull repair shop where they will begin said repairs fixing their own vehicles. Both of the aforementioned service members recently took part in a firefight (CE) for a German crossroads. Both individuals chose to ignore flank shots at StuG's that were available to them (Sgt. Albin at 68 meters-CLEAR!) and instead concentrated on MG42's that were 300 meters away. Two members of Sgt. Albin's crew were killed. Sgt. Xavier took part in a blunder akin to that of Sgt. Albin,resulting in two crew deaths as well. The other vehicles in Sgt. Albins platoon were similiarly suffering the affliction of the inablilty to select the most appororiate target. Those that survived were sent to gunnery re-training, also at Charmount. Due to their previously good service record, the Bn Commander elected not to bring charges against the service members involved. Capt. Hammarabi Regt. JAG

I will (sigh!) pass fifty in 23 days. (51 months of which was spent in ground combat) Feel more like 35... BA,MA,JD,1/2 of the course work on a PhD.(since abandonded) I join Major Tom in thanking BTS for what they have done here. S!

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by tss: Regarding innocent victims, TSS, how is it that Serbia was "innocent"? Well, as far as I know the Serbian government didn't have anything to do with the assasination of Ferdinand. The conspirators were all ethnic Serbs but not Serbians. Gavrilio Princip who fired the shots was from Bosnia and if I remember correctly the rest were from Montenegro. - Tommi<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Right you are ...I didn't understand the context in which you were writing ...agreed. Thanks, Archangel

Hey Bazooka, I would also suggest THE GUNS OF AUGUST for an examination of how the war started...it scares the hell out one to see (and now know) how easily and stupidly these things can get going. TGOA is by Barbara Tuchman (sp?)... Archangel

US dead in Vietnam was 58,000 odd. I don't recall the numbers of wounded, even tho I am amongst them. US dead in WW2 was something over half a million if memory serves. One could say that the war was rather "miss-managed" strategically. Regarding innocent victims, TSS, how is it that Serbia was "innocent"? [This message has been edited by ARCHANGEL (edited 03-30-2000).]

"Thank You" is insufficient, but thank you just the same.

I got it...it took almost two minutes to download...Jeez!!! ...(thank God for cable modems.. My problem is that it is in REAL PLAYER format and my dammed Windows 95 will only play in it's player...it won't even recognize the Real Player that I have on here...so I guess I don't get to watch it. after all. Thanks Mr. Gates !!!

In addition to what COE posted, I also noted that KO'D vehicles don't seem to exist as cover...THAT would be helpful as well.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Snark: For what its worth. US AA 20m weapon (towed, or track mouted on an APC) was called in the Viet Nam era a Vulcan. After some modifications renamed an Excaliber. Fire rate of 3,000 RPM HE, AP, TP, and tracer rounds Fired in bursts, rate set by gunner 100rnd bust max. And a 'Low no burst' rate of fire too. A 100 round burst of HE would demolish 3 cars stacked on top of each other leaving no piece larger that 1 sq.ft. AP could penetrate Tanks (So we were told) This is the gun that was mounted in "Puff" in Vietnam. One round per sq. ft., I recall them saying, was "Puffs" delivery rate w/ two Vulcans mounted on the plane. I personally wouldn't want one fireing at me. My experiance was with the Vulcans in the early '70s.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Right on target Snark. I saw the old track mounted Vulcan used in RVN for ground defense. As I recall, there weren't many ADA units there, but they were sometimes put to good use against ground attacks. I also saw track mounted twin 40mms (called "Dusters") used that way as well. Puff, Spooky and the early Spectre has the Vulcans as well as (later on) the 7.62 mini-guns. I actually had them in fire support in combat...they were beyond amazing and extremely welcome. Later in the war(post 1970),105 cannons were mounted in Chinooks, which were used at AnLoc quite abit...I am pretty sure Spectre had a 105mm in it as well.

That was an interesting little bit about SPR that that guy wrote. I assume that he didn't mean "by accident" quite the way he wrote it...but the rest of the story is worth reading just for info purposes. The writers point that Amistead had historical glitches is also correct. I think this guy, like many of us, doesn't like history being "filtered" by Hollywood. Personally, I agree with him on that issue. Thanks for pointing that out, Black sabot.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by bret: My search for anything on the topic was unfruitful, and I was wondering if any smaller high ROF infantry guns (such as the 20mm one in SPR which kills the Americans on top of the german tank) is modeled. Maybe its there and I just missed it! Thanx<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> The 20mm in SPR was an anti-aircraft gun used in a ground support role. This wasn't uncommon in WW2. (Additionally, I have personally seen AA guns used that way in Vietnam too) I would guess that the highest ROF "INFANTRY" gun you would find will be either an SMG or MG.

Regarding item # 4. I would suggest leadership. The leadership in 1944 was no longer made up of old men who were still fighting with a Great War pov. Love 'em or hate 'em, DeGaulle and LeClerc and some of the others were young Col's. and low ranking General's in 1940. In 1944 they ran the show and employed the different idea's, along with "lessons learned" to great advantage. Having the US/UK support didn't hurt.

OH boy! This is a tough one. As part of a "battle study" I went over most of the AO where the entire Market-Garden operation took place, (even jumped there) part of it with US vets in the AO in which they actually fought. Later I met two British vets who had been in and around Arnhem during the fight. As a vet myself, I remember thinking to myself that I was glad as hell I wasn't having to fight over that ground. Personally, I think the British COULD have held the area long enough for the tanks to arrive IF the tradegy of errors and bad luck hadn't happened early on...i.e., the DZ being too far away, the motorized recon elements not reaching the bridge, bad commo, the fight for the DZ's, the fog keeping the Polish ABN Bde. out of the fight for a few crucial days...the slowness of the advace over the 101/82d bridges...etc., etc., etc. Fighting an enemy is one thing, fighting terrain and Mother Nature is a big complicating factor. Although the risk/reward factor was deemed appropriate by Ike et al, it looked like SUCH a longshot to me...although I wasn't born until five years after the fight... So, I would say YES !!! They could have done if one or two lesser things had gone the Allies way...(My .25 cents worth. ) (Archangel dons his nomax fire-retardent suit)

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by All American: Thanks Archangel. They had the book at Amazon.com for $18.17.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> AA, Glad to hear it. I hope you enjoy it.

Regarding a track with attacked rockets...I vaugely recall a Tamiya model in 1/32 back in the mid-seventies that fit that description. I haven't the slightest idea what it was other than a 251 with three rocket-type or rocket-looking things on each side. Does anyone have a reference book on German ord ??? How about variations of the 251 ??

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by All American: Archangel, where can you get the book THOSE DEVILS IN BAGGY PANTS? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> AA, Just for you I went to Barnes and Noble yesterday and looked for it. Nada! I got my copy more than thirty years ago..I am pretty sure I got it at the Eighty-Second Ariborne Division museum at Ft, Bragg, N.C. when I was stationed there. The book was published in 1947 or so because Carter died of cancer not long after he returned from the war in 45 or 46. He had been badly wounded in the latter days of the war...if I recall, he was hit by a 20mm AA gun being used in a ground defense role. Anyway...try Ft. Bragg...then try Amazon and Ebay. The suggested readings by Howitzer and Servo are also wonderful choices and probably more easily available since they were only recently published. I am pretty sure Amazon or B&N will have them. Pls let me kow how you fare.