Aco4bn187inf

In terms of ammunition supply, crew training and maintenance, at least, it would have made sense for captured tanks to operate as platoons or larger units. In some cases enough of certain types were captured to refit, modify, or base whole new vehicles on them in a standard way. There's a discussion of the SU-76i somewhere in these forums, for example. I think the Germans fitted a fairly standard cupola of their own design onto T-34's. Others will know more...

The best way to deal with a King Tiger is to hide until strategic bombing causes the German economy to collapse. Barring that... I once had a captured Panther KO a KT with a front turret penetration at weak point. It was at about 200 or 300 metres. Unfortunately, the KT killed the Panther at the same moment! Rare simultaneous kill. What are the odds of that?

The AI seems poorly equipped, mentally, to use its artillery in any but the most obvious situations. It may be that the sort of planning, intuition, and educated guesswork that makes for proper use of artillery in the game is simply beyond its capacity. It took this human player long enough to learn it, after all. I often find, after I've beaten the AI, that he has healthy FO's with a full stock of ammunition sitting twiddling their digital thumbs in the rear of the map. Kind of a let-down.

I once had an SU76 kill 4 (or 5, I forget) Panzer IV and StugIII's by charging at them out of the fog and quickly retreating. (Can't remember why I was taking such risks either. Perhaps I was just having too much fun!) I figure the SU76 is so lightly armored it can be considered an underdog. Or for operating under such dubious orders. It finally "bought the farm" though. Collective farm in his case I guess.

I read an account of a german 20mm flak gun firing in desperation at a T-34. The impact of the shells on the (cast) turret caused it to reverberate like a giant bell and the crew bailed out. It was in War Without Garlands by Robt J Kershaw.

Regarding the possibility that it was a penal battalion sent through the minefield- I think I read that if you were wounded while serving in a penal battalion, you would be pardoned of your crime. Under those circumstances, the possibility seems a bit more plausable.

Like Bill Murray in the movie Stripes: "I'm not parking it. I'm abandoning it!"

There were other problems apart from flash and smoke. In Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut (who was captured in the Bulge) writes that US AT guns (37mm, 57mm?) left a big black smear in the snow after they fired, giving away their position.

Yes, the author seems like a genuine independant and creative thinker. Just when I thought the Army had some sort of prohibition against that kind of thing. Especially interesting about reaction to contact in woods. Also (not CMBB related) his idea about getting off the LZ really fast.

The Naheverteidigungsaffe isn't half as dangerous as the Luftaffe! Or the Affen SS.

It might be a bit gamey, but an alternative use of tank hunter teams would be as mortar or gun or FO hunters. Or mini-ambushers. Two guys with submachine guns could cause a little trouble even if they aren't much good against tanks.

Regarding the above post about fougasse: it was also a weapon used by the Germans in WWII. They had remote controlled one shot flamethrowers buried in the ground with a nozzle to direct the blast forward. They called it fougasse. I saw it in a book at Barnes & Noble, can't remember the title.

Great photo. Note the teeth attached to the tracks, probably for extra traction.

Also kind of interesting are The Cranes Are Flying and Ballad of a Soldier. Soviet films made in the 50's as I recall. Not technically accurate but a possible insight into the Soviet experience. I highly recommend Come And See, about partisans in Byelorussia. Definitely NOT for the faint of heart. The DVD includes a short propaganda film on partisans.

"I wonder why builder didn't noticed when test fire FG 42 that go out of balance due to heavy side of magazine? I wonder if happen to me on battle field, I may hold FG 42 sideway where magazine point down when hip shooting. Maybe, it will jam easy due to spent bullet upward. ' Snow Leopard- The problem is that hot brass would probably fly up and hit you in the face. I know that happens if you fire an M-16 with the ejector port facing upwards. (Don't ask me why I know this)

I think it looks pretty good, although the shapes in the camo on the turret side kind of look more like camoflage fabric, rather than photos I've seen of German tanks. That is just my personal impression. I like the damaged zimmermitt, showing the steel underneath. The tank looks pretty dark overall. That may just be the screenshot. Sometimes it is interesting to have a tank look very dark and scary. Keep up the good work!

JasonC's excellent post reminds me- when working around the fields of fire of "keyholed" defenders, beware of mines and enemy arty TRP's. Those would be the standard way to deny you the "deadspace" you need to move through.

Oops, I mean "operation", not campaign.

When playing in a campaign, if there is no suitable use for flamethrowers in the current fighting, I use them to torch abandoned enemy vehicles. Prevents them being used against you in subsequent battles if the enemy has good repair and recovery. Use available cover, though, because the explosion of the vehicle can be dangerous to the FT crew.

Dude, you are totally out of control! All your T-34 mods are awesome.

A few quotes about Russian use of (undoubtedly pre-planned) artillery from In Deadly Combat by Gottlob Herbert Bidermann trans Derek S. Zumbro pub. University Press of Kansas 2000 p.261-262 At exactly 0600 on 21December 1944, our sector of the division was enveloped in a firestorm... It was confirmed that within the sector of Grenadier Regiment 438 alone, more than eight hundred barrels -consisting of a deadly combination of heavy artillery, rockets, and mortars- fired multiple salvos on our positions... Machine-gun nests, earthworks, bunkers and reinforced fire positions along our front collapsed in dust and smoke... First the heavy fire was directed on the foremost positions; it then careened over the Stedini heights, after which it advanced into the wooded area to our rear to descend upon the regimental headquarters... ...entire trees sailed into the sky... ...Ivan had broken through...concentrations of tanks piled high with infantry had been sighted. Suddenly the barrage on our position lifted. In the distance, to our right and left flanks, the shells and rockets continued to fall with indescribable fury...The silence in our sector was an ominous sign, which I had experienced in battles past. The Soviet artillery had lifted in our area and was now concentrating on our flanks. We were occupying the corridor through which the enemy armor would attempt to thrust toward our open rear sectors. Bidermann writes that tanks and fighter bombers arrived right behind the barrage. If I remember correctly, he earlier stated that the method of sealing the attack lane's flanks with artillery fire was originally a German one. The action described took place in Courland.

My dad was in the Navy from '41 to '47. Served in Aleutians, Hawaii, Puget Sound, as radioman. In the Aleutians the weather was so bad that trucks would be blown right off the island into the ocean. I have his diary from early '42. My uncle was in a field artillery unit in the ETO. Unfortunately I never saw him much, but we have a German Mauser pistol which probably probably was a souvenir of his. Mum is an Aussie from Brisbane and worked for Americans during the war, and on Okinawa afterward.

My dad was in the Navy from '41 to '47. Served in Aleutians, Hawaii, Puget Sound, as radioman. In the Aleutians the weather was so bad that trucks would be blown right off the island into the ocean. I have his diary from early '42. My uncle was in a field artillery unit in the ETO. Unfortunately I never saw him much, but we have a German Mauser pistol which probably probably was a souvenir of his. Mum is an Aussie from Brisbane and worked for Americans during the war, and on Okinawa afterward.

My dad was in the Navy from '41 to '47. Served in Aleutians, Hawaii, Puget Sound, as radioman. In the Aleutians the weather was so bad that trucks would be blown right off the island into the ocean. I have his diary from early '42. My uncle was in a field artillery unit in the ETO. Unfortunately I never saw him much, but we have a German Mauser pistol which probably probably was a souvenir of his. Mum is an Aussie from Brisbane and worked for Americans during the war, and on Okinawa afterward.

From- Battle Experiences HQ ETO US Army consolidated 15 April 1945... in the Town and Village Fighting chapter... Comments of a BAR man. "The BAR should be in the leading echelon and every likely target should be treated to a generous dose of fire--especially before entering a house. Often there is not sufficient time to get a clear sight picture, but fire must be delivered to cover the riflemen. More training should be given in hip shooting and in the use of the BAR asd a close-in weapon."--Pfc Hadash.