Andreas

It makes me wonder about how the rarity factors are calculated. There were certainly more 150mm howitzers than KV1s. Aaron </font>

Now replace all the Zis-2 with 45mm guns, on platoon of Zis-3 with ATRs, and then come back to tell us what the result is.

Don't know about your copy, but in mine the 1940 KV1 is only at 30% rarity (AG South June 1941). Which, incidentally, is less than the rarity for the German sIG33 you bought two (IOW a regiment's worth) of.

If you would like to do the Russians the honour to refer to them by their unit designations, instead of the good old Carellian 'Hordes', drop me an email.

Quite well, but you need a few - ask Elvis Regarding death-clock, don't think so. I am just playing a game with Nolloff where his Tank Brigade is held up by a single Stug, merrily shrugging off numerous frontal 76mm hits at <500m. The crew does not even flinch. Find another way.

I would like to take this opportunity to offer Mr.Blue terms of his surrender. 1) He may buy me a beer 2) I will not shoot all of his men out of sheer spite 3) All your tanks are belong to us 4) w00t! I expect the surrender file fortwith.

Mark, since you still have so many doubts, why don't you get the documents yourself? Simon did provide the full reference. I somehow fail to see what more can be done to deal with your queries and preconceptions regarding HE deliveries and existence? To my knowledge Valentine bridgelayers operated in NWE as well, but my memory may play tricks on me.

Simon, thanks for providing the figures. I was hoping you'd come across this thread

Valera Popatov is the interviewer. The mention of the Matilda was not to say it had a 57mm gun, but that it was a crap tank. Loza was on lend-lease armour before the Shermans became available. Regarding the sources - this is an interview with a Soviet battalion commander that happens to be posted on a website. I think there is a difference between that and some data on another website relying on secondary sources, in many cases. If we are comparing websites however, here is one that differs from the info you have. Soviet Union Factbook

Nidan, if it helps, the Wehrmacht did not use the term 'rifle' (Gewehr), but 'gun' (Geschuetz).

Sorry, totally forgot about that. Etterlin gives the maximum elevation level as +45 degrees on the 75mm LG (working from memory here). The range is slightly higher than that given in the website, IIRC. The range of the 105mm LG is quite a bit higher with 7,800m (elevation level similar). He states they were intended as infantry gun replacements for specialist applications, which also implies that while expected to fire directly most of the time, they would need indirect fire capability. Etterlin mentions another LG which from the picture looks like the US RR, and that has a range of 2,000m, which clearly would put it in the direct fire only camp. Edit to add - they all had just one charge. [ February 25, 2003, 09:05 AM: Message edited by: Andreas ]

Just a reminder - London drinks this Thursday, at this pub In other news, hostilities will kick off for real, after some email troubles, and I look forward to kick Mr. Blue's fascist stormtrodders quite decisively into the family jewels.

*cough* *cough* I'd trust a tank battalion commander who was in charge of these machines during a shooting war over a website most of the time. You also probably have not looked very hard if you can find no evidence that the 6-pdr made it to the SU. Here is some, from one of Valera's interviews. If you had read on in Loza's interview, it would also have become clear that he probably knows a bit more about tanks than your average grunt, just look at his discussion on the Sherman.

They did not - remember who won the war?

I am considering London Drinks for next Thursday from 1830 in The Chandos near Trafalgar Square. Anyone interested?

Comrades, rejoice. Through the wisdom of our esteemed Comrade-in-Chief Iosef I.Stalin, we have received new, shiny tanks, new, shiny guns, and new, shiny boots, all of which shall be employed to give the Rodina-occupying scum a nice hard kicking. Soviet set-up completed, and orders to liberate another vast swathe of the Rodina have been given. To achieve the goals espoused in Declaration No. XVII, sub-point c) line 3 of para 193 of the declaration of delegates from the machinery plant 357 in Gorky we fight. All soldiers have sworn an oath to over-fulfil their quota of arse-kicked fascists today. 27 applications for the Communist Party have been received. Things could not be better! [ February 23, 2003, 03:57 PM: Message edited by: Andreas ]

Jaegermeister was the tutorial scenario, IIRC.

Sir Humprhies-Smythe-Picky DSO, DFC, ABC, BSE, AC/DC, ret. dec. would like to point out that His Majesty's 17-pdr does not need any of this new-fangled Tungsten stuff to insert a nice clean hole into Jerry's armour, even if it is on a Tiger.

a) you will lose 50% of the chaps you buy due to random losses no - where would the fun be then? I for one look forward to my nightbattle with unfit Soviet conscripts.

You must be talking about the Panzjaeger I which is definitely partially open.

Does not look very open topped to me: Panzer I

Have a look here, you can see how the mount allowed swiveling to quite steep angles. Range for both versions is given as 6,500m.

US RRs in the 60s, okay, don't know anything about this. Wehrmacht LGs did not come with .50s I'll post the data from Etterlin on Sunday or so. [ February 21, 2003, 09:47 AM: Message edited by: Andreas ]

That sounds odd, considering the poorer range the recoilless rifles had, when compared to standard artillery pieces of the same caliber. But since you mentioned airborne/mountain units, I take it that the overall weight of the weapon is an important factor? </font>

Not quite correct in all cases - in the Wehrmacht they were called 'Leichtgeschuetze', and initially served as organic artillery in airborne and mountain units. I.e. they would most of the time be used in indirect fire mode.