John Kettler

Found this extremely informative and will, because it spans years, have broad application as the CM time coverage of the GPW continues to expand. As it is, there is much here applicable to CMRT. Regards, John Kettler

How cool is this?! Also this one? Regards, John Kettler

Here's a super detailed video on the BMP-3M. The information content is off the charts, and the maker, KBP of Tula, Russia, offers three different upgrade packages for the BMP-3. KBP has managed to cram vast new capabilities into an already superbly armed amphibious IFV, including the ability to fire CLGMs while moving! Regards, John Kettler

It appears been a GUI change recently, and it's not working well on my end with my 5K Retina iMac. Has 8 GB SDDR RAM & 1 TB Fusion Drive and runs the latest version of Sierra (Version 13.1.2 (13609.3.5.1.5). The problems are: the header is cut off in the vertical, and everything's dark in the icons except the one bearing the "J" on a green field, my present avatar. Have restarted, but the problems remain. Regards, John Kettler

The missing info has been restored! Of particular note are the gunnery tables and trajectory plots. There are also firing tables for HEAT for some weapons. If memory serves, firing Charge I upper register (High Angle) the le IG 18 has an Rmin of 500 meters, meaning indirect fire is eminently doable on even a small CM map--provided the necessary things are in place under the hood to allow for this to be done in the game. Regards, John Kettler

Guys, Things to consider 1) Units which are designed to fire TOW-2 can see through normal battlefield obscuration and mortar/artillery smoke, just not the broadband obscurants. This is a major advantage against a foe not having thermals. Exploit this! 2) Using M2 CFVs static from the get (not rolled into position on call), using Cover Armor Arc and in keyholed positions, have frontally gotten the drop on and defeated T-90AMs. In the first case outright with no loss, in the second, was spotted in time to engage and destroy the CFV, but the TOW2 arrived overhead as the launch vehicle and still killed. ER 2 x T-90AM K=Killed for loss of 1 x M2 CFV K-Kill. Was back in the trees a bit, and the T-90 AMs were engaged while just inside their tree line on the other end of the map. Having better sensors, I saw them before they saw me. Don't know whether any hulldown state applied for me on the hilltop, but what I'm certain of is that this fight was played very soon after the game released, since I was a pre-order. Would say pick a good position initially and stay put until after the engagement concludes, then reposition. Don't count on moving into position undetected, then fire, see what happens, then retreat or shift. 3) Don't know whether the M901 ITV, though certainly capable of firing TOW-2 (any TOW launcher could just like a Gen One TOW), had the thermals to enable the missile to operate through battlefield obscurations and non-broadband smoke. 4) Shturm-S is daylight only, since it relies purely on optical tracking for SACLOS operation. Regular mortar or artillery smoke will blind it. Shturm-SM is day/night capable. Interestingly, it appears the Shturm-S is not even on par with the T-62 when it comes to optics, for the T-62's TKN-1 had/has both an integrated daylight channel and limited capability (400 m range vs a tank sized target) image intensifier channel (greater with benefit of flares). MikeyD, If you were in the Fulda Gap, that would be more like 750-800 meters. Regards, John Kettler

This 1943 doc is similar to some US stuff but seems considerably more detailed and covers weapons not addressed in ours, while leaving out mortars altogether. This pub is strictly about standard tube artillery of the gun and howitzer types. For reasons unknown, the listed 10.5 cm Gun, 15 cm sIG-33 and 15 cm s.FH 18 aren't shown. https://www.facebook.com/alexey.tyuzhin.7/media_set?set=a.3429407957109518&type=3 Regards, John Kettler

Sgt.Squarehead Your characterization of that monograph masquerading as an article is about on par with calling War and Peace an overgrown novella of some small merit! Read that microtype (got so swept up in the piece that I forgot to go to higher mag) until my eyes couldn't handle it and my brain broke from treadhead info overload, yet only got as far as the Commander's station. The NERA was news to me, and even brother George (20 yrs as Army Scout) was shocked to learn the Leopard 1 lacked gun stabilization. How bizarre not to fit one of the major tank engineering developments of the century! Posted out link to Alexei Tyuzhin's OP on FB. Now, of course, I'm going to have to see what else is on that. If the T-62 article was a fair sample, I'm doomed! MikeyD, True, for such ballyhoo would've been used to drive FMS. Appreciate insights on T-62M modeling in CMSF series. Any idea in whether this critter is in CMA. Afghanistan is where I first saw imagery of the T-62M, and at the time, it was being described in Jane's Defence Review as being a solid chunk of armor, not what it really was. Regards, John Kettler

Since I believe this may have applicability to CMx2, I'm posting it here, but I'm pretty sure that it's CMA relevant as well. The T-62M is evidently more than just a T-62 with horseshoe shaped armor added to the turret, but I don't know what those differences might be. One that would make sense is a beefed up suspension to take the additional weight. There might also be a stronger engine and drive train in order to maintain previous mobility levels, but if track width didn't also increase, then ground pressure would increase and thus potentially impede mobility when operating in mud and such. There is, of course, an absolute total tank width limit imposed my relative narrow Russian railroad tunnels. Am hoping Haiduk, IMHO or one of our other Russophone colleagues can shed some light on what makes a T-62M a whole different model of the T-62. https://www.facebook.com/alexey.tyuzhin.7/media_set?set=a.3413783268671987&type=3 Regards, John Kettler

John D. Salt has passed the word about a real historical grog treasure--the War Office Bulletins sent to every British officer and sensitive enough to say Not to be taken to the Trenches. This book is the entire wartime set of these training bulletins which track the British understanding of the foe, changes in TO&E, measures adopted to deal with these and more. The price is attractive, and the site proper is awash in grog gloriousness from all periods--sometimes at as much as 75% off! https://www.naval-military-press.com/product/army-training-memorandum-no-28-1940-war-complete-to-no-52-1945/?fbclid=IwAR1fQbadS9AJCRolAxJBXcPsgRmsUd9XgzabA6yyNmSJJCZukLUBpS-K7bQ Regards, John Kettler

Though this doe shave a few early war items, it's mostly mid-late but heavily late, including Battle of Berlin and AUGUST STORM. Some real stunners await, but why spoil your fun? See especially 2:30, where something we've been always told never happened apparently did. Regards, John Kettler

Vacillator, Welcome aboard! Your remark about Kursk photos completely threw me, for I had no idea they were there below the Canadians. Agree that a fair number of Kursk pics shown are far from unknown, but many others were new to me. Was especially intrigued by the WEspes at POkrova, having recently read Zamulin's excellent Destroying The Myth, which covers action there in the context of that whopping chunk of the entire battle. Regards, John Kettler

This has a wealth of information on a unit type you've seen many times on Battle of the Bulge footage. Lots of combat clips, too. Regards, John Kettler

Enormous variety, but to get to the pics, you'll first have to scroll past write-ups about overlooked/forgotten WW II films. https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/look-8-overlooked-wwii-movies-that-are-really-good.html Regards, John Kettler

This is the translated (with comments from a military historian) handbook from mid 1943 on how to run a Panzer Grenadier Company. Though oriented to the main German Theater of Operations (Russia), this was the book, if you will, for all the PG units at that time. Though it's CM heresy, the German tactics evolved from early war dismounted attacks as the norm to fighting mounted while on the evasive more and using short halts, save in exceptional conditions. Regards, John Kettler

Lucky_Strike, No joy so far in IDing the film/s "Erika" is in, but I did learn the title is both a common German female name and means heather, specifically, its flower. Lyrics follow in German and English. Belly drum, eh? Good one! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erika_(song) Warts 'n' all, Who are Charlie and his Orchestra? theforger, That first title seems suspiciously English. Regards, John Kettler

If your ears are bleeding from hearing Panzer Lied too many times, and you don't care any more about Lilli Marlene and meeting her under a lamppost, here's the antidote, in a record of dazzling audio clarity. Besides, where are you ever going to find find the great song title Mit Bomben und granaten for a martial topic? Here's music to listen to while playing CM or maybe build into a scenario to share with your fellow addicts. Found this while trying to find the PG Lied. Regards, John Kettler

This is wonderful, but I would've far preferred hearing the tanks to the exciting (but still can't compete) soundtrack. Regards, John Kettler

Today is Buffalo Soldiers Day, commemorating the creation ofthe first black cavalry unit in 1866 on this day. https://www.sofmag.com/buffalo-soldiers-fought-served-in-the-u-s-army-from-1866-to-1951/?fbclid=IwAR3PBlJZ04rHUpgzwAkw7X39x2vlCb_zTkwECUjLm_ukv1pNEdlphBf9Dig On a stupendously disparate note, we have this stop motion martial marvel. Regards, John Kettler

The same guy that provided that T-64 doc I posted on CMBS put this up, and it looked like something I should pass the word regarding. Regards, John Kettler

StieliAlpha, Believe you're misinterpreting what you read. Had this discussion back then with kohlenklau, who was quite clear as to what the mod was and how it worked. All that's really going on here is that what looks like a T-34 is armed, armored and has all the other military-technical characteristics of whatever Panzer IV version he used. As far as the game engine is concerned, it's exactly the same as any other Mark IV of that type, but it doesn't look that way. By contrast, in PE, it was possible to get under the hood and change the weapon, armor and other characteristics. Know this not just theoretically but because I was directly involved in the PE Discussion Group doing exactly that. Worked with some top ordnance grogs to improve the fidelity of this tank sim. I do not refer to the later (barf) arcade game version. Regards, John Kettler

He sure did. Unfortunately, it was a skin only, in that whatever the tank really was, it remained so, there being no ability to tinker under the hood to give it the correct technical characteristics. Regards, John Kettler

Ref the unexplained link, I completely dropped the ball by failing to explain it was about the famous/notorious Irish outlaw Ned Kelly and his also heavily armored colleagues, the story of the armor and what was learned as a result. Regards, John Kettler

Thanks to a CoC colleague with wide gaming interests, have been watching a bunch of Waterloo videos covering archaeology work at Hougomont Farm. As a result, YT served me this tasty morsel. It's in French, but it won't matter, for all the pertinent information iss easily discernible. The unauthorized, unplanned swarming of French infantry on Hougomont is plainly in evidence, as is the devastating blow delivered by Blucher's Prussians to Napoleons's right flank. After watching that play out, am much inclined toward the view that Blucher broke the French and defeated them in detail, but Wellington got the credit. For best viewing, recommend you go into Settings and make playback speed 0.5 or less. Regards, John Kettler

Haiduk, Helpful and informative as ever! Much appreciate the info and insights you gave here. Regards, John Kettler