John Kettler

This is a great nonfiction, non-paranormal story. https://www.facebook.com/groups/GPSML/permalink/4069623836443821/ Regards, John Kettler

A guy I know from my former wargaming group posted this most enlightening long interview with former corporal in the 712th Tank Battalion (Separate) Robert D. Gladson. Before going overseas, his entire armor training was four weeks, none of it involving tactical training in the field--just training learning the Sherman tank, all the jobs except TC, weapon use, maintenance. Shocking! John Irwin, of Another River, Another Town had two full weeks of dedicated Gunnery training, making Gladson a tyro by comparison. By war's end, Gladson was on his fifth tank! The 712th is the same unit that forms the subject of Eilson's Tanks for the Memories, and here is the story of the first day of the 712th in combat. In the comments to the below video, his grandson tells about grandpa, in remarks that touched a bunch of folks. Regards, John Kettler

Yesterday, I was introduced by my youngest brother, Charles, to the incredible soldier figures in 1/35th scale by an outfit called Live-Resin. Any of you who builds 1/35 scale models is going to be blown away by the dazzling quality and poses of these figures. Additionally, I believe that the meticulous attention to uniforms, kit, positioning of gear, etc. would make them valuable references for modders. The pics my brother sent were the crew and dismounts for a Night Stalkers MH-6 Little Bird, but the firm also does Russian soldiers from several modern periods. As a result, I discovered the Russians had a capability I never heard of before--a radar equipped HMG for ground combat! Other goodies include every sevice version RPG projectile, even the latest vehicle mounted Russian EW system for defense against IEDs and such. The radar system is called FARA by Live-Resin's ad and, though likely designed for the 12.7 mm NSV HMG, it can also be fitted to a Dushka. This is the first I've learned of such a thing, and back when I was a Soviet Threat Analyst, there was precisely zero mention of even a Soviet interest in such a capability, much less hardware. The Red Army did, though, have several different models of GSR (Ground Surveillance Radar). (Fair Use) Pics are from the firm's FB page. https://www.facebook.com/LiveResin/ Here's the real deal on a Dushka. Same source. Here's what I turned up. If it's not already in the game, here's enough information to model its capabilities. The correct designation is Fara-1, and it is explicitly called a Weapon guidance Radar, It can be used on AGS-17, Kord and Pechenga HMGs. Entered service in 1999! Resolution is good enough to detect and engage a single moving man at effective range of the weapons named. http://gunrf.ru/rg_pricel_Fara-1_eng.html Regards, John Kettler

Mods, This seems like a good place for this video, but if not, by all means move it. 9K115 Metis-M vs Syrian T-72 (flank shot). Note that the tank continues moving and apparently turns on its smoke generator, too. Am classifying this as a K-Kill. FX modders will find this video of interest, both visually and acoustically. Regards, John Kettler

After cross posting from Military History Club Za Oboronu's FB page to CoC Wargame FB group a piece showing showing an impression of a well turned out partisan (turns out there's direct photo proof of the outfit being worn, one of my CoC colleague, whom I believe knows Russian, posted this incredible VK link---757 pics of partisans! https://vk.com/album-76803965_214675057?fbclid=IwAR1pKh9tXauyQtv6O4Bywfl0BZ561A9OcSOO49swTzq8GZrsbV4YLv2MYpY Regards, John Kettler

Pics, because they did happen! https://parential.com/uncategorized/times-people-coincidentally-wore-right-shirt-perfect-time-tw/?utm_campaign=PerfShirt GA2906 V1 En - Desktop USA TW&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=WC&psl=i_d3c8f8 Regards, John Kettler

TSA's list of things its officers caught in walk-on bags is quite the read, but it's clear form thi there's an issue with checked bags, too. Regards, John Kettler

Though not a manual per se, this is a site devoted to markings for British tanks of World War II. All the images expand. This treasure was created by one of my CoC colleagues. https://tank-markings.blogspot.com/?fbclid=IwAR0nMjZLUYC7GWynfseaG_hpjN170FKfFZoPyEqHioHrVI454JhmMhU56EQ Also of real interest is this research site on German AFVs, unit organization and certain weapons. Has quite a few free manuals (need the StuH/42 manual?) in PDF and offers other information for a few bucks per document. www.sturmpanzer.com Regards, John Kettler

t appears that India and China are adhering to a no shooting treaty clause by instead having the soldiers throw stones and bash each other with sticks and such. https://www.sofmag.com/opinion-chinas-undeclared-war-on-india/?fbclid=IwAR3drcp4cRasJiZGrA1J9wiMLcQ6VMP2xoyc4TT_7cbnzi6BUTO0vPKNfzs Regards, John Kettler

Too good and interesting not to share! Regards, John Kettler

That was supposed to read frontal arc, not frontal arm. Regards, John Kettler

This documentary would've been worth millions to the west in the early 1980s, but while it lacks English subtitles, it is rich with previously unseen by most imagery and tech data. It's particularly apt in that it shows the original T-64 was fitted with the 115 mm (U5TS), but the T-64A debuted the revolutionary 2A46 smoothbore cannon. Later, the T-64B added the CLGM (Cannon Launched Guided Missile) we called AT-8/SONGSTER. Note the tank was originally fitted with gill armor (panels pivot out) creating a considerable obstacle to HEAT rounds fired at flanks from frontal arm to either side of the front hull, Regards, John Kettler

MIkeD, Back during my Soviet Threat Analyst days in military aerospace, I believe the Soviet crew height limit was 5'5" and may still be so today. This makes it possible to build a lower height tank than the west can, provide substantial armor protection for a smaller volume, meet narrow gauge rail dimension limits and be able to use the same bridges earlier tanks used. By contrast, the US tanks are designed for the 90th percentile man. In round numbers, a guy 6'1".That's an 8" height difference, which has massive impact on size, height and weight, presuming identical technologies, but the US armor array is much heavier for any given volume protected, than the Russian armor array, never mind the dramatic disparity in volume to be protected. US tanks are designed to operate worldwide, but the first criterion of a Russian tank design is low height, an absolute necessity on the steppe. But what's great for there causes problems elsewhere, notably in depression limits roughly half that of US tanks. For example, the M60 A1 could depress to -10 degrees, but the T-62A could manage only -5 degrees. In order to shoot from a hilltop position downward, the American exposed only the turret front, but from that same position, the Russian had not only the turret exposed but a significant chunk of the glacis, too. Regards, John Kettler

There is precedent for a new Russian tank model to be delivered with an older gun design. This is exactly the way it went on the T-64, in which the first version was armed with the T-62's 115 mm U-5TS gun, not the then revolutionary 2A46 smoothbore 125 mm. Have eyeballed the relevant then SECRET (with additional control markings) images, so I know exactly what I'm talking about. The 2A46 is a mature technology, and the 2A46M5 builds on that, but now we have the original 2A82 which isn't the all-up version (but is producible with current tooling and materials), versus the 2A82-1M specifically designed for the T-14 Armata and intended to give the Russians tank primacy (but apparently can't be produced for want of proper tooling and high tensile steel). Suspect the latter deficiency may have something to do with huge drop in Russian submarine production, but would think, given the relatively minor amounts needed, relative to as little as a single submarine hull, the necessary high tensile steel could be made available. Do I have things right regarding producibility of the baseline 2A82? IMHO, Can well understand why you'd prefer to avoid an FSB interview, to use the FBI term here in the US. Regards, John Kettler

Several KBP weapon videos in one: RPO family of weapons, Shmel and Shmel M. Even has English subtitles, a big improvement from the earlier Russian only Shmel and Shmel M video I saw, I believe, a couple of years ago. Shmel M has the firepower equivalent of a 105 mm HE shell, but in open ground, has a kill radius of only 7 meters. Mind, if it happens to blow off a chunk of the target, that can go quite some distance. Regards, John Kettler

Erwin, As I indicated in the OP, and the article clearly stated, those men were from a unit intended to do what Skorzeny's Panzer Brigade 150 was supposed to do during the Battle of the Bulge, but he was so effectively ignored or even blocked by units holding American equipment, his entire real US armored force amounted to two M8 armored cars. Also, he had very few English speakers, often not good, either, in the Einheit Steilau where 150 fake GIs were. The Eastern Front unit was called Jaguar and operated not only captured T-34/85s but T-34/76s, even a IS-2! From what I can tell, Jaguar tanks and crews were intended to be able to pass unnonoticed as Soviet, which is why the men wore tankisti attire. Since the unit was composed of Germans fluent in Russian, Hiwis and Hungarians, Jaguar had not just vast advantages in having real tanks and the right kinds, but also men with the enemy language fluency Skorzeny's Einheit Steilau couldn't begin to match. Unlike Operation Greif, Jaguar ops were entirely successful and cover was never blown. Wish I knew more. https://panzerworld.com/panzer-brigade-150 Regards, John Kettler

In a thread discussing equipment realism in the indie film "The Eastern Front", one of my CoC colleagues made a snarky comment about how the Germans shouldn't have been using T-34/85s then. This intrigued me, so I went looking, and it turns out the Germans did use captured T-34/85s and not only used them but used them successfully in Operation Greif type ops. This cries out for at least a Mark Felton doc but a book would be grand, too, since there are apparently veterans' accounts. http://www.beutepanzer.ru/Beutepanzer/su/t-34/t-34-85/t-34_85_jaguar.htm Regards, John Kettler

Erwin, Those men are merely there as size references. As for fighting from on top of oil tanks. Have read an account of a US sniper in Iraq doing that to obtain the benefits of an elevated firing position. Regards, John Kettler

One of my CoC colleagues, Peter Wal, did some marvelous oil tanks for his game table, and I thought that his reference pic was from Stalingrad. He assured me it wasn't but said he didn't know the location. A search on Google Images found the location was the Ploesti oli fields in Romania, the site of a famous and horribly high loss low level B-24 Liberator strike. The crew is Luftwaffe according to the caption. The pic's part of a meaty and well-illustrated article on the Romanian Air Force and which covers much more than that. Here is the model, done in 20 mm/1/72 scale. If you look closely, you'll see a few men on top of the tanks. Regards, John Kettler

The French didn't use the experimental (as in never cleared for human use) anthrax vaccine the US did, nor the pyridostigmine nerve gas protectant tablet, and no French troops developed Gulf War Syndrome. This was from research compiled by former military nurse Joyce Reilly of Gulf War Veterans of America. It's been a long time, but my recollection is that US troops were definitely in areas where WMDs had been opened up by Allied bombing (have seen multiple reports from veterans of chemical detector alarms going off) and there was also considerable exposure to DU, chiefly when units operated in or drove through areas in which DU munitions had been used, but am unsure about the French. Apparently, GWS was also transmissible, for Joyce Reilly was never in theater and yet caught it, and my understanding is that some families of affected veterans also developed it. Believe something may've been said about pets getting it, too. Regards, John Kettler

Erwin, Loved "Foyle's War" and was deeply saddened to learn it was prematurely ended by the head of ITV, depriving us of a great deal of earlier events not yet told. Believe your analysis is correct, and what England became on the one hand and ceased to be on the other after WW II must've been outright traumatic to many of her veterans. Something else most people don't realize is that the quality of life dropped substantially after the war, because the US was no longer sending over the vast quantities of food it had provided under Lend-Lease during the war. This made the food supply situation far worse, reflected in already unpleasant ration scales being further reduced, coupled with rationing being extended, I believe, into the mid 1950s. Regards, John Kettler

Blood's now been shed on both sides! https://www.sofmag.com/20-indian-soldiers-killed-in-border-clashes-with-china/?fbclid=IwAR0d_K-AwXtyQo50krB3Kk3UZkJUt9PlKy1EULa56b_0UKomfyo2eimCBqE Regards, John Kettler

A (there are always multiple plans) Soviet war plan for Europe was recovered after the Berlin Wall fell. My recollection was 200 tac nukes to reach the English Channel in six weeks. Absolutely shocked me when I read about that. But if such a notion seems far fetched, the self same Rotmistrov of 5 GTA notoriety wrote after the war (circa late 1960s, I believe) of a carpet of nuclear strikes paving the way for the tank armies, which would advance through the strike zones in tanks and BMPs equipped with radiation liners and NBC protective systems for these AFVs. Also, after the Cuban Missile Crisis thankfully ended with the planet intact, the US learned there were 200 tactical nuclear weapons on Cuba and no PALs (Permissive Action LInks) installed at all on the weapons. The general in charge could've used them if he felt threatened. Regards, John Kettler

Though the part with the actual operation is not yet out, not only does this set the stage for that, but goes into quite the discourse on Soviet Deep Battle doctrine, the differences between Soviet and German warfighting philosophies, even correlation of forces. The guy who did this has a most interesting YT channel loaded with all kinds of heavily Soviet military goodies, and he's got some impressive credentials. He's also made a full blown map of Operation Bagration in poster size and provides the link. Sure hope we get Part 2! Regards, John Kettler

akd, Considering I mentioned three separate and distinct weapons, technically four if we consider the straight KE Hellfire variant as being different from the R9X version, which one do you mean? My guess is the R9X, but you tell me. Regards, John Kettler