DMS

I don't like history fiction books

It's a mistake to project modern political situation to history. I don't know much details about situation in Ukraine, but in the south of Russia, where many people died from hunger also, people blamed local party bosses and "saboteurs", not Soviet authorities in general and Stalin personally. It strongly depended on class. Wealthy farmers (so called "kulaks", means "fist" because they used to beat their workers) hated communists and blamed them for everything, poor farmers were happy that they stopped being depended from "kulaks" and forgave Soviets for mistakes. Of course poor people were in vast majority. In the South of Russia more cossaks were fighting for Red army, than served to Wehrmacht. Probably in Ukraine was the same.

NKVD were atheists.

Don't mix politics with history. You don't like Stalin, it is understandable, but if he was a bad person - it doesn't mean that all his decisions were stupid, he was hated by everyone e.t.c. "He had no plan for how to handle a German mobile offensive." It was no good plan while Germans had huge mechanised forces, 4 tank groups. (France was conquered by 1) Rifle units on foot would be outmaneuvered anyway. Defense in depth? They would be beaten by parts. And Soviet tank units had organisational problems, not enough trucks, artillery tractors. Industry couldn't produce enough of them. That's why Soviet tank counter attacks often lacked artillery and infantry support. Not because "oh, they didn't know that combined arms attack is more effective", but because of industry limitations. That's why German 88s could destroy KVs, T-34s and infantry easily throw charges on them. Everything has rational explanations, without this "ideology".

Some people think that they did want. Forced preparation to world war. Build plants or get smashed by Germany (or England with Polish satellites). To build plants you need to free working hands in villages, creating modern agriculture industry. But individual farmers din't want to, resisted, sabotaged the process. This a bit more complex than just "idiots with stupid theories made brutal experiments". No one gave a chance to peacefully and slowly build an ideal state.

"Intentional starvation by bolshevik government" is a conspiracy theory. It can't be proved, it can't be disproved. By the way, NKVD investigators did the same, they used any mistake or negligence to blame a person as spy and saboteur. It's fun that anti communists use same logic as NKVD.

You are nicely roleplaying German officer, talking to local peasants!

Does game engine allow to make gunner a squad leader assistant also?

German squads have a lot of MG ammo. You can just shoot forward randomly. MG team shoots, rifle team advances. Keep neighbour squads no more than 10-20 m away.

Shoigu finished exercises, units go back to bases. Cold war didn't go hot this time.

Let's imagine that Germany attacks Poland, but Polish ambassador stays in Berlin, German in Warsaw. Polish business sell goods to Germany, German to Poland. Germans try to sell military supplies, but have to cancel only because of public opinion. "Hybrid war" is comfortable for both sides. Soldiers fight and die for real, governments and business pretend to.

Guys, Ukraine didn't declare war to Russia. Ukrainian business trade with Russia as usual. Your government didn't nationalise Russian business. You buy Donbas coil, transit Russian gas to Europe. I can't understand you at all.

Yes! Thanks. Sorry for awful English, couldn't explain so long. As I understand, better stabilisation -> faster twist -> worse accuracy. Initially SVD had 320 mm twist, but than it was changed to standard 240 mm (to shoot long tracer bullets) and accuracy dropped.

No. Length of zone in front of target, where trajectory height is not higher that target's height. (Actually, just cotangent of descent angle х target height)

I'm just starting to reload x54 round! A bit expensive here, in RF, so I have small progress. It depends, how great is velocity and how good is BC! According to Soviet fire tables, PKM (7,62x54, 825m/s) outperforms AK-74 (5,45x39, 900m/s) after 600m. But RPK-74 (960 m/s) is better up to 1000m. (Has flatter trajectory) But wind drift is better for PKM already after 500m. For .303 relation must be close to this, I think. Wind drift must be better, as bullet is heavier. British could achieve 800 m/s, like Soviets did for "Д" cartridge with heavy bullet for HMGs and sniper rifles, but preferred to have low impulse (or better accuracy?). Interesting cartridge. Empty bullet nose for accuracy, high-tech of 1910-s.

Well, Mk.7 ammunition had 745 m/s velocity. 5,45 weapons had much better ballistic. Even 7,62mm RPK was close, having same velocity, but worse BC. May be Mujahideen used hand loaded ammo with light bullets? Or it is just a myth about "superior enemy weapons", that is always popular among soldiers.

Picture is better than words. In short, like beaten zone, but for rifles. (Without dispersion of shots, just mean trajectory) It is surprising that there is no equivalent English expression. At 600 m that "beaten zone" is 140 m long for AK-74. Man sized targets will be hit from 460 to 600 m. Shooter can make mistake on 100 m.

In Russian it is called поражаемое пространство. Applies to semi-auto fire also. May be danger zone? Zone where trajectory stays in target height. If you aim at 600m below target, you hit 1m height targets in 90 m long area. (From 510 m to 600 m)

Right. It is standard method of fire in Soviet/Russian army. (As I understand, because beaten zone is larger than if you aim at centre. And ricochets.)

I'm not sure are your sincerely mistaken or trolling. Really? Is that video with song "Дядя Вова мы с тобой" (boy sings "Vladimir Putin is a good guy") considered seriously in Russian internet? Cool song, nice boy, so touching words, like that? Isn't "lifting from knees" 2000-s era propaganda slogan (when relations with West were good, by the way) repeated with sarcasm nowdays? So you really think that people say or think that "Putin lifted Russian from the knees"? You must be well speaking Russian and should understand the sense. You must be intentionally "misunderstanding". I see there evolution of Bandera-like 1930-s ideologemes about spoiled moscovites with ugly culture. Sad that western powers pursue far-right ideologies in their own countries but don't demand from Ukraine to stop encouraging local rightists... Though, I should mention that Russia does the same, helping to right parties in Europe. Sorry for politics, but really, I can't just skip that nonsense about naturally autocratic, violence loving Russians.

Sure, but stress affects accuracy, not max fire distance. Unit will shoot as taught, but will miss more often. "П" sight was made to let soldiers forget about setting sight in stress conditions. Just shoot under the target. 400m is greater distance, than M16's 300m, but it has shortcoming - at 200-220m trajectory is higher than head sized target.

"П" sight (П - постоянный, constant or regular) for AK-74 is 400m, for AKM - 300m. (For targets with height 0,4m.) So, 400m is a regular fire distance for AK-74, nothing impossible or very difficult. Soldiers shoot at larger distances during training, 500-600m (but at larger targets, MG nest, ATGM e.t.c.)

I can't believe that you are serious. But you are, obviously. And western guys buy this.

Yes, I think so. HMG was only section with large ammo load, having own transport, having ability to sustain continuous fire for many minutes. But there was a problem, company formation often was tight and there were no large gaps between squads. So, it was a problem, where to place HMG so it could fire safely for own troops. In CM friendly fire is not modelled, it's good for players, or managing infantry formation in attack would be a nightmare.

3-rd platoon became SMG platoon (but with MGs and snipers), 1-2 were rifle platoons. In rifle company were 3 platoons. I doubt that "heavy squads" with 2 MGs were really widely used. With exception to summer 43 near Kursk, where Guard armies were well prepared to defence and really had many MGs (>400 for division). In the end of war platoons could have only 2-3 MGs. (With few magazines, by the way. With 1-2 47 round magazines for each DP in some "tired" divisions) So "heavy" squad was squad with 1 MG, not with 2 MGs. And few messengers, unlike German Company CO. So company usually acted as 1 unit, having all 3 platoons in 1 formation. And platoons didn't have their own transport, unlike German platoons. Soviet doctrine gave more focus to maneuver than to fire. Fire elements were MG and mortar companies at battalion level, HMG at company level. (50mm mortars were mainly dropped by 44-45) MGs usually had few mags and were not expected to perform long firefight. Company had to get as close as possible after hits of own artillery, in formation with other companies. Urban warfare doctrine was different, based around company level assault groups.