Vark

Surely target shooting is different to effective combat range? Before it was decided, in the UK that pistols could corrupt all those who fired them, I shot 9mm, 45, 357, and 38, both target and full power. I could regularly hit, centre mass of a man sized target at 25 yards, grouping was 3-4 inches. I am under no illusion than in a combat environment I'd be able to hit probably 5-10% at half the distance! The Red Army re-enactors said that they could hit targets at 200m with their Ppsh-41's, which surprised them and an after war survey by the British found an average infantryman was as accurate with a Sten as a rifle at 200 yards. which either reflects well on the Sten, or poorly on the average rifleman! I have a BBC 2 documentary on the invasion of Crete, where the reporter is given a vintage MP-40 to fire at a target (man sized rock) at 80-100 metres. He hits it with his second short burst, again though if in combat how accurate would he be? Jason, though you might have a laugh with this one.

I remember there was big internet debate (webdeb?) about whether the Jihadist blew the Bradley up or an IED did. As for Jihadists laughing at death, some may, but there are an awful lot of frightened faces in videos. One I remember well, and pretty harrowing, was a young Taliban fighter who had been mortally injured by a Northern Alliance mortar bomb. Lying on the deck of a BMP he was surrounded by his obviously upset friends, as his life slowly drained from him. Was he shouting God is Great? Was he extolling the, soon to be had, 72 virgins? No, he wanted his mother and didn't want to die, and his friends were not all shouting triumphantly, but trying to reassure him by saying he was ok. This laughing at death, is not universal, but is often hideously exploited by people who use it as yet another demonstration of their 'superiority.' Historically suicidal tactics have been the hallmark of a losing force, not winning, something rarely pointed out in the media.

Could you use the historical tactic for such a major armoured push, just TRP and shell it into extinction, or is that gamey? From what I've heard, regarding aircraft, they seem far too powerful, pity, the very threat of them constrains an attacker. Don't also forget, you don't have to kill the Sturmpanzers and Elephant, just immobilise them, they are then just bunkers.

That 'quote' can only be said one way Note the correct way to pronounce crush, it's Klush and women, it's whimmin.

Sorry, jihadist propaganda, that tank is not manned, it's turret is stationary (most footage of SA tanks, have their turret's twitching like a Daleks on amphetamines). There is an RPG team present and the men do not look like they are taking any cover, until the T-72 explodes. What it does perhaps unwittingly show is the jihadists have not had enough deserters from the SA army, proficient in mechanical repair or how to operate such vehicles, even when they are sitting abandoned. Assad is probably making sure his armoured crews are well looked after, as they are crucial to his plans to keep power. As for the main gun firing, what would the result of a 125mm shell hitting a grenade be? As soon as the explosion happens the gun rapidly elevates and sinks down, rather like the footage of the tank hit by the RPG-29. Whereas the footage of 'live' tanks firing does not show that drop, the barrel rises, as the auto loader engages and then drops in a controlled way. Islamic Deutsche Wochenschau, I think, showing the heroism of jihadists, but also showing key vulnerabilities.

I would think about counter-recon, forcing him to use more and valuable assets to achieve his purpose. Don't just deceive, blind him, win the recon battle, which is often least sexy but most important battle, perhaps some AC's to take out his and some jeeps for mobility and modest anti-armour capability. I'd also second the platoon of TD's, to set up rolling ambushes, with info from the screening forces and some P-47's might be nice!

Easy, just wait for his Elephant to breakdown on the hill or get a top deck shot from a high elevation TD or AT gun, if he hangs back. If you do follow C3k's advice going downhill should make your troops charge faster! Good luck, I'm rooting for you in this one, kick the Kraut sumbitch all the way back to his start lines! I'm looking GAJ, I see MMG hog heaven and kill zones a plenty, of course if you can only buy a platoon of green troops with just a donkey mounted bazooka and a pre-war field gun, I see rifles, barrels embedded, helmets resting on upturned stocks or 2 years in a POW camp! Think Sun Tzu, battle won before..... You will defeat him, visualise those posters messages of congratulations as you kick him in the pants. To paraphrase Patton. No pixel-bastard ever won a scenario by getting a casualty marker. He won it by giving the other poor dumb pixel-bastard one.

Shame in reality it could loose a track if the driver attempted anything more than a mild turn, even on roads! Always like the shape of it, especially if accompanied by a Sturmpanzer IV, roll on BF Kursk. Will be checking in to see the carefully plotted mayhem, watch out for those pesky tank hunters, and can he buy mines? Elephants seem to attract them!

Well look what we have here! http://news.yahoo.com/us-expected-increase-aid-syrian-rebels-124543804--politics.html It's Yahoo, so mostly wire scripted with a generosity not given to other administrations (ahem) but interesting the US are flagging it up now, toe in the water to gauge reaction. Love the way night-sights and body armour are classified as non-lethal, sure only medics will use them to hunt for casualties after dark, cough, cough! Now we wait for Russian response, or lack of it, suggesting either using this news as a fig leaf for something they have wanted to do, but were holding back because of bad PR, or maintain the status quo. either way I doubt Putin will reduce his support. AQ, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, World Tour, 2001-2013.

AQ, the gift that keeps on giving, especially if you are a beleaguered ME despot. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22095099 Jihadists have a fatal flaw, hubris, and here it is in spades. Think Russia is going to cut Syria's lifeline now? Think the West will stop them? They'll be the usual guff about targeted resources towards non-extremists, but soon we will be talking about targetting our resources onto Assad's enemies. Strange world, but the rules have never changed. Edited; Storm clouds brew, again another chance for Assad to divide and rule? Or is the expectation he will fall? Will we risk him falling and hope, with Western military aid, we can uses the FSA as a surrogate against AQ? http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/in-syria-some-brace-for-the-next-war/2013/04/09/284fa018-a11d-11e2-82bc-511538ae90a4_story.html?wprss=rss_world

It's a novel, suffers from all the faults of such works, written at the time, but is still a powerful story. Doubt there would be much of an audience, outside of Russia though. http://www.amazon.com/Days-Nights-Konstantine-Simonov/dp/B0006AQQOI

I'd also like a system that shows where teams, from a broken down squad are, in respect to each other. Sick of trying to find where A/B team, 1st squad is, makes the game a bit of a tedious click-fest, when in reality the squad/ team leader would have a good idea where each was, in relation to his own position.

Yes, agree. Read between the lines and the tankers reply about the 'plumbing' of the T-72, and their field modifications could quite easily be seen as a veiled comment on the failing supply system. With diminishing fuel supplies, logistical support also suffers and then, the Syrian inability to control territory, without reliance on massive firepower, will be brutally exposed. I think it depends on Russia, if she continues to support and critically, supply Syria, then the war will drag on, if not, Assad's looking for a new foreign residence. I also agree about spare parts, but don't also forget what an insatiable monster modern warfare is regarding ammo, just how many 125mm HE/Heat rounds do they have? Again, if Putin is allowing Rapira rounds on credit that will help. Don't forget, Syria is killing large numbers of Muslim extremists, as well as FSA combatants, which suits Russia, and by extension the West, quite nicely. Again historical parallels with the highly ambiguous measures taken by the West, during the Iran/Iraq War, where Saddam was used as a way of controlling Iranian extremism.

Or it could just be a salutary warning about such regimes buying Western equipment. Just how long would such MBT's last as supplies dwindled? Their qualitative edge in technology comes at a very high price, requiring an equally sophisticated logistical system. T-72's might seem to be crude, in comparison to M1's and Leopards II's, but they can be kept running with a fair amount of bodging, due to the inherent simplicity of the equipment, as can be seen by this interview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFF4Gc9Mb5c Some of his comments are obviously directed at internal consumption but overall the T-72 seems a typical Soviet design, fit for purpose, nothing more nothing less. Far more worrying for the regime and the West (petro-funded terrorism and not of the Saudi variety) is this http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/syrian-rebels-capture-of-oil-fields-increases-economic-pressures-on-assad/2013/04/06/bc171194-9edb-11e2-9219-51eb8387e8f1_story.html No matter how crude your tank, it still is a POL resource hog, so when you see fewer SA tanks and those that are present are dug in, you will know trouble, and imminent regime collapse, is around the corner (rather like Germany in 45).

Sorry, its only an ersatz PzIII, the chassis is an FV 432. Nice job though, more realistic than the SPR Tiger, and the Stugs look good. https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=fv+432+as+pz+III&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&biw=1920&bih=955&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=ie5hUeWxDebM0QWEgIGwBw#um=1&hl=en&tbm=isch&q=fv432+as+pz+III&spell=1&sa=X&ei=N-9hUYn_OK-U0QWWhYD4BQ&ved=0CE8QBSgA&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.44770516,d.d2k&fp=6bb43c9ae868d507&biw=1920&bih=955

Might be also nice to have the seriously over-stressed transmissions, of some notoriously under-powered German tanks, fail when they are pivoting and be immobilised.

Don't forget any object, even a cinder block, will have an impact on the HEAT warhead, as it causes a premature initiation of the jet and thus reduces penetration. Hence the stuffed sacks and caged rubble seen on videos, against a dual warhead though, it's another matter.

Ah, that cover takes me back to the war comics I read as a youngster, each SMG doubled as a flamethrower! Also the poor composition makes it appear as though the second soldier is about about to start dancing, using his extra-long right leg.

Highly realistic, I'd say and better than Commander: 'Gunner target ahead' Gunner: 'Can't see it, my views blocked' Commander: 'Driver advance, gunner call out when you see him. Driver: No can do, we might get hit' Commander: Driver, for FU**s sake ADVANCE'! Driver: Nope, if you want the tank move, so as to engage the enemy directly to my front, you'll have to drive it yourself!' Commander: Please his turrets traversing in our direction! Gunner: 'Still can't see him, driver please!' Driver : Nope, too dangero............ Tank 3, I see smoke on the ridge..... Tank 3 come in please..... is the smoke from the target? Over.

I'm sure a veteran crew were aware of the parallax view problems and would take it into account, when moving into hull down positions hull down. Even if it meant using the open breach to check for no obstructions.

Commander: 'Gunner target ahead' Gunner: 'Can't see it, my views blocked' Commander: 'Driver advance, gunner call out when you see him. Gunner: Wait... wait, got him!' Commander: 'Diver halt' Gunner: 'Firing now' Shame the engine cannot move tanks forward so gunners can spot targets their commanders can see.

I'd like the smoke for my infantry grenade launchers, their capability now is pretty haphazard, and the range negligible.

An activity log might be nice as well, clicking on a unit could display recent spot reports, actions and casualties. It might be nice as well for an MG symbol to not just turn into a question mark, after contact. As you said, a section leader is not going to forget the former position of an enemy MG. Perhaps, for that unit an MG? not just a ?.

I thought one of the benefits of being proficient was better ammo discipline, not profligacy.

Apocal, some early Soviet NOD's actually burned out if subject to too much white light, don't know about more modern varieties. Whilst playing yesterday I had to faff around, with waypoints and facings, to make a MGS fire one round into a target structure. Why not have ROF like artillery, maximum, medium, slow etc, which could be overidden if a threat target appeared?