Hawthorne

My day job is a full-time gun writer... I'm currently the HMIC of the blog at Ammoman.com, and I'm in the midst of doing an article on the origin on what's now known as "Israeli style carry." This is where a semi-automatic pistol is carried with a full magazine, but the hammer is down on an empty chamber. Using this method, the slide of the pistol is racked by the support hand on the draw, a round is chambered, and the target is then engaged. Other articles I've seen on this subject say that empty chamber carry started with Fairbairn and Sykes seminal work, "Shooting To Live," and they're right, it does mention that type of carry in their book. However, those articles also state that empty chamber carry was the norm for armies in WWII. I have some questions about that, as this U.S. manual from 1940 states on page 19 that yes, you should carry your M1911A1 with magazine inserted but no round in the chamber when there is no chance of imminent action. However, when the you-know-what is about to hit the fan, it is recommended to charge up your pistol. Which makes me think that "Israeli style carry" was handed down to the Israelis from WWII British or Commonwealth training regimens. I can't find any definitive link that verifies this (yet), but it makes sense, given the Fairbairn-Sykes tie-in. Any ideas or links that I use to show how the Israelis chose this method of pistol carry? Thanks for your help, K

^^^^^ What he said. ^^^^^

Really enjoying this AAR because it takes one of the reasons why I like CM, namely the personal nature of playing it and cheering on my pixeltrüppen, and moves it to the next level. Well done.

On a related note, the Brits just wrapped up an joint exercise with the Poles. http://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2014/11/28/british_tanks_practice_for_war_with_russia_107576.html

They're snipers. We won't see them. Until it's too late.

I do enjoy reading the narrative, but agree that more context would help both the story and the larger point of showing us what the game will be like for us when we get our grubby little paws on it .

Count me on the story-telling side. One of the reasons why I like CM (and SL before it) was the personal nature of the missions. I grimace when one of my squads gets lit up by an MG42, I feel for the poor crew of the M4A3 that just got Ronson'd, and I cheer when a well-timed arty strike stops an attack in its tracks. So naturally, that makes for good storytelling. Heck, if Clancy and Bond can write "Red Storm Rising" based off a "Harpoon!" battle, why can't stories be written off of a Combat Mission campaign?

Beta AAR's are always the best part of waiting for the game to be released, and this one looks REALLY good.

Well, if we're going to do naval infantry and Marines, I'd LOVE to see the Ekranoplan join the fray, but considering a) there's only one of the suckers and the Russians aren't building anymore, that might be a pipe dream. On a non-pipe dream level, I'd love to see beach assaults modeled in some way, which is something that Battlefront could pick up and drop onto almost all of CM2 as an upgrade.

¡Oh frabjous day, callooh callay!

Ballad Of The Para-Legals Fighting counsel, from the sky litigate and jump and die Two undergrads will test today and only one will earn an attache Trained to leave no case unplanned Trained in trial, hand to hand They litigate by night and day And all are in the ABA With student loans, they are a-cursed These are men, America's worst Never meaning what they say Exorbitant fees, we have to pay Back at home a young wife waits Her lawyer has met his fate Sent to jail, he’s locked up away Shares a cell with an old OJ Power ties and business dress We are the folks you all detest One thousand suits we’ll file today We get rich while others pay! (from my friend Tam's blog)

Yeah, that's what I end up doing. Would be nice to have some element of the fog of war return to QB's, though. It's MUCH better in CMBN than what how it was in CMSF, where the fog of war applied to your force mix as well as your enemy's.

REALLY hoping they introduce some way to create more-realistic force mixes. I'm getting tired of battling four 88mm AT guns and a half-dozen HMG's in a CMBN "Mixed forces" QB scenario. Running up against computer-generated forces of nothing but ATGM'S and precision-guided artillery all the time could boring.

Those BMP's swimming their little hearts out just made my day.

Cry "HAVOC!" and let slip the crabs of war!