FkDahl

A situation where an 82mm mortar barrage would have made all the difference!

Interview with some captured jihadist by Sky TV's Sid Marshall. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RjNsUD4qdG0#! It is so bizarre that the west is sponsoring these guys

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/NG24Ak02.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6tjZT_AIjM&feature=plcp Gun barrel adjustment needed?

More red on red, or rather black on red, as the Al Quaeda uses a black flag with some scribble on... (yes, those same rebels US and Europe supports...seem eerily similar to what the US fought in Iraq, but I digress) Also of interest http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/neue-erkenntnisse-zu-getoeteten-von-hula-abermals-massaker-in-syrien-11776496.html : evidence points to the rebels committing the massacre in Houla and then blamed it on the government.

I wish there is a way to see how many kills off-board artillery has achieved post-game (and ditto for the enemy, may his rounds always fall short). Perhaps there is but I have missed it? I need all the feedback I can get to improve my play....

In terms of accuracy, I guess those are the numbers the tube is capable of in controlled, gunnery range conditions? All the powder charges are the same temperature ... and the mortar is on firm ground - where it will not dig itself deeper with every round. Maybe that will be modeled in a future Ost Front module, with real Russian Mud ?

I just started stalking Panthers ... and something said Ping (not the game) and my computer hung... do tell me there is an autosave!!!!? Aaargh!

Now this was a number of years ago, but it was normal for a squad to have 2 solders carrying AT-4's at the ready if the terrain was such that AFV's could be expected. From an ambush position more AT-4's would be at the ready and since AFV like all machinery are quite loud one knows when they approach. Normal procedure is for the squad leader to direct fire with 2 weapons per target at a time. A tank can be expected to require more than 2 hits to knock out. Back blast is a problem with these weapons and proper procedure has to be drilled into the soldiers ( I can still remember the rhyme : Behind clear, firing grenade!, with an involuntary twist of my head to check behind. My wife does not understand that part of me).

As for the license plates ... are you sure the car was from the US and not just the plates? When you move from one state to the other here in the US you can keep your old plates, and certain US plates are quite popular abroad ... like in US themed bars or with people who like to renovate classic American cars... Though driving around in Saddam's Iraq with US plates might have been really really stoopid...

Just a note: standard procedure for a Swedish infantry squad is to (or was 10 years ago.. ) have 1 or 2 guys advance with AT4's at the ready, rifle on the back, if the situation is such that enemy tanks/APC are to be expected. So the time required for a first AT4 shot would not be long for well-drilled soldiers (where his friends know not to stand behind him).

Now now. The AT4 (or Pansarskott 86) is a Swedish weapon. It is a recoilless gun: gives a frettin loud bang when fired. I have only fired the 9mm practice version (a 9 mm tracer bullet that has the same trajectory as the real grenade), and when you are not being fired upon hitting a tank at 100,200 or 300 m is easy. A T-80 or Abrams doing 70 km/h is a different matter. Now for the effectiveness. The AT4 is supposed to have 400 mm+ RHA penetration with nasty behind armor effect. That is against tanks ... and I am not sure if one has ever been fired in combat against tanks. On liveleak.com you can see it used in Iraq or Afghanistan against insurgents hiding in houses or behind some rocks... and if it is not so effective when used in that role I am not surprised. Now, with a carl-gustav firing HE you can time the grenade to explode above the trench or crevice ... or inside the house but for some reason I cannot fully fathom the US is not fielding the CG on a wide basis. -Has the AT4 been used by insurgents against US troops?

From a Syrian (defensive) perspective mines are, or should be, very important. Heavy use of anti tank mines is the only way an infantry force can significantly delay a modern mechanized enemy... coupled with good defensive terrain, good anti-tank weapons, snipers and mortars ... (think of Lebanon). During my military service the proper and generous use of mines was stressed ... including mines that explode after X vehicles have passed, mines connected with other mines 5 m back on the road (for the mine clearing vehicle), tamper proof AT mines, or side impact HEAT mines (could be an AT-4 or RPG-18 with a trigger ...). And also fake mine fields mixed with real... all that good stuff. I must admit I have no idea of the mine inventory of the Syrian army, but the Russians are quite fond of mines so I figure they have a bit... any of this modeled in the game? Cheers Matt

Will indirect anti-tank mortar and artillery fire be included? Let's assume Syrian special forces manage to acquire Swedish Strix 120 mm anti-tank mortar rounds (through bribes) or that Russian laser guided anti tank mortar round ... It opens up another tool for the infantry commander facing tanks ...