Kanonier Reichmann

Just an interesting observation when I set up a meeting engagement between a Tiger and 4 T34/76's of the 1943 vintage on a pretty flat battlefield with some foliage around but not much cover overall. Sure enough, the Tiger won the day in my one play through due to the difficulty in getting all 4 Soviet tanks into firing position at under 400 metres without getting picked off in the process of advancing. However, the thing that amazed me was that the Tiger managed 2 front turret hits on a particular T34/76 yet the first one only caused internal armour flaking while the 2nd also failed to obliterate the tank but caused 1 crew casualty instead. This from a hulking great 88mm AP shell. Goes to show that there's still hope if you're lucky. Perhaps I will try with 5 T34's this time & see how we go. Regards KR

I think we can all agree that the Stug IIIF8 is not properly modelled in CMBB with a much better than expected resistance to 76mm AT shells despite the disadvantage of only having bolted on additional armour to augment the original 50mm plate. However, the later model Stugs with 80mm armour as standard would be problematic for a marginally over matching AT round such as the one associated with the Russian 76mm gun due to the unusual angles the front of the Stug presented, especially when they're hull down. When firing at that low profile upper hull there are a myriad of angles to contend with such as the highly angled upper part of the upper hull and the curved Sauerkopf gun mantlet (where applicable). It's not as if it had that very vertical upper hull plate that the Pz IV always presented with its earlier designed hull that conformed with traditional design philosophy prior to the T34 coming onto the scene and revolutionising most tank designs thereafter. I contend that it would still be a tough nut to crack even with the 76mm shell being modelled without any manufacturing defects. The way I see it, Battlefront should have kept everything roughly the same (F8 excluded) except for one crucial element, being the modelling of increased weak point penetrations similar to the earlier Panthers which suffer from shot trap effects. This would not be unrealistic as there were certainly a few areas on the frontal aspect of a Stug that were actual weak points such as between the gun mantlet and the hull as well as the drivers periscope area. Regards KR

It's interesting with all this angst about how the Russian side has been unfairly treated with allegations of "German physics" etc. yet I have just done a statistical analysis of all the battle results reported at the We Band of Brothers website. What may astound you to know is that the Russians (and yes, I have excluded all the Minor Axis losses to them) have an average winning percentage in all their battles (excluding draws) of about 52.3% while the favoured Germans (also excluding the Allied Minor losses) win, on average, 48.7% of the time. This is from a total sample of 1,679 battles. So, does this mean that the Russians are somehow favoured in another vital area within the game that, interestingly enough, has not been the subject of such a lengthy and strident debate? Things that make you go hmmmm...... Regards KR

Certainly was. From the Wikipedia article on Hugo Boss... Regards KR

That is a classic website. The drawing of Hitler riding a bicycle is priceless! BTW, I simply must get hold of a couple of T-Shirts Hitler is wearing...."You make me feel like Danzig" & "1941. A race odyssey". BRILLIANT! And the link to the uniform cartoon is so actually true. Remember that, whenever you purchase your Hugo Boss suit. Regards KR

I have read enough threads over at Band of Brothers complaining about the incompatibility of CMBB (especially) with their newly purchased computer systems to know it's not imagined. Why the snarkiness with your cereal box comment? Not really. As I said, I know of enough people who have had real problems with running the old CMx1 games on their brand new computers to put in me in no doubt the problem exists and then, all of a sudden, I'm unable to access the BFC website from home using my older model laptop running XP & Explorer v6 that runs CMx1 like a charm. It's not too far of a stretch to presume that there may be an agenda to have people update their computers using the latest hardware but, in the process of upgrading, find out they can't run the old CMx1 games anymore. But hey.... there's this brand new CMx2 game coming out soon that we guarantee wont have any problems with your hardware! It's not exactly up there with Nazi flying saucers I agree, but still a plausible hypothesis from where I sit. Regards KR

Not the 29th of February? Regards KR

What.... the head or the round? Regards KR

Yes, very much browser problems!!! For some reason since about late September I haven't been able to access the Battlefront website via my laptop at home (the only computer I have left working there) which runs Microsoft Explorer ver. 6. It appears that BFC have decided to not allow such users of older computer equipment access anymore and one is forced to upgrade their computer with a later version of Explorer (the laptop can't be upgraded to a later version as everything is based upon Windows XP running version 6). The only problem with upgrading ones computer with say a Windows ver. 7 type (apart from cost obviously) is the well documented problems with being able to run games such as CMBB hassle free on such whizz bang computers. One could almost suspect the change in settings that doesn't allow access to the BFC site using an older version of Explorer could be tied into active discouragement of continuing to play CMBB & CMAK in favour of the soon to be released CMN that has no problems with the latest computer gear. Call me a conspiracy theorist if you like but at the very least its bloody annoying. Regards KR

For piston engined airdraft I'm guessing the Pfeil (a really unique and clever design with a push/pull in-line engine design) and for Jet aircraft I'm guessing the Me262. Assuming this question applies to the entire war I would have thought the Me262 would be right up there with its 4 x 30mm cannon. Regards KR

Fair enough. But how long can one remain faithful to the mantra that CM.N will be ready when it's ready if there's absolutely zilch released about it that's tangible for what... almost 6 months now since the previous visual bone? It just seems bizarre to the uninitiated! Regards KR

ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzt...Kerching!...[PAUSE]......Flap, flap. Regards KR

I found the above quote from Steve in March 2009 particularly interesting. If the models for the Commonwealth forces were "pretty far along" in March 2009 (well over a year ago) and this is for the first module and not even the base game where it would be safe to assume would be even further advanced, then what has been the reason for the incredibly long delay to release the base game? Then only a few posts later there's mention by Steve how much easier it is to work with the CMx2 code compared with CMx1 so one would assume that there should be even less hurdles to get over for the release of CM Normandy. Link here: http://www.battlefront.com/community/showthread.php?t=86583&page=2 Something isn't adding up here and I don't like where it's heading. Regards KR

And it's still what they use as their pursuit vehicles in NZ as the fastest cars they have to chase after in that land that time forgot are Morris 1100's! Regards KR

As a matter of interest. Who was the sole player in the German World Cup squad that played overseas? Regards KR

Should it turn out to be a track from a Bren Gun Carrier the question on everbody's lips will be.....would it be the model that also came with its own tripod? Regards KR

Interesting graph that SO linked to showing the ratio of debt to GDP for each presidential term. What was particulary illuminating was that under the Reagan, Bush & Dubya regimes the ratio increased significantly with the trend continuing ever upwards each time, when their reign finished. This is for Republican presidencies where the free market is king. Things that make you go hmmmmmm. Regards KR

Here's a very recent example of the 'infallibility' of DNA evidence, ensuring a conviction despite the complete lack of any other evidence to back up the verdict. Imagine if this was a murder case and a conviction was achieved in similar circumstances! http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/legal-affairs/how-the-csi-effect-sent-an-innocent-man-to-prison/story-e6frg97x-1225866316936 Regards KR

Hmmmm, lemme see.... Wolfpack! B17 Queen of the Skies Achtung Spitfire! Ambush! Gung Ho! Pattons Best ... to name but a few. But now that I've spotted your smiley I assume you were being fecetious! Regards KR

OK, I'll play. To the Volga at night time! At least the time it takes to process each turn should speed up with the more limited lines of sight. Regards KR

Not quite right. As for the elected part... there was no ballot taken at the Labor Party leadership meeting because Rudd threw in the towel when he knew he didn't have the numbers. So Gillard becomes Prime Minister with the Australian public having absolutely no say in who should lead the country. It's a somewhat different system to what you're used to in the United States! Regards KR

Suddenly, in the space of a day, he looks 10 years older in that photo. Regards KR

Originally Posted by JonS Notsoserious: Maybe not a close relative, but I understand Emrys was - and still is! - a tad upset about what happened to his girlfriend Joan. I assume Jon meant Joan of Arc! Regards KR

Just remember...Real Men don't eat quiche! Mind you, egg and bacon pie is just fine. Regards KR

And the hottest of them all is a Croatian bird, roughly half way down the list. Very nice! Regards KR