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Ts4EVER

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  1. Of course it is a propaganda picture, but that doesn't mean it wasn't taken in Cassino. Considering the other weapons lying around it might even have been taken in some kind of ammo/material dump. However, it genuinely looks like the building they are in is destroyed and the equipment of the paratrooper fits for Italy.

    It's also clearly not a part of this series from the Gran Sasso raid:

    FG-42-9.png

    Or this one from Normandy:

    Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-720-0344-11__Frankreich__Fallschirmj__ger_mit_FJG_42_in_Stellung

    Now generally speaking, inclusion of an infantry weapon like this does not make a big difference gameplay wise, especially since it would be very rare. On the other hand, tons of different tank production runs are included, even if the difference between them is negligible. I think it would be nice to have some more obscure infantry weapons, just to mix things up and add detail. One of the great things about cm2 is that it simulates single soldiers and their equipment, so why not introduce some more randomization where applicable? The Italians could have the Carcano carbine, the Germans could have the occasional G41 in Sicily to add a semi automatic rifle to the mix or maybe a captured Beretta.

  2. No plans for the FJ 42 in Gustav Line right now. At this time period it was super rare on the front lines in Italy, if present at all. (Read: The front lines, not pictures of occupation units north of the battles or the Gran Sasso raid ;) )

    fg42-04-px800.jpg

    Fallschirmjäger in the ruins of cassino.

  3. thx for all the replies and the welcome honorably comrades!. So..the jagdtiger fought in the battle of bulge and not in the OP market garden.much appreciate for the quick response. I just finished the commonwealth campaign...im so exited! I want information of the upcoming module!

    no the jagdtiger did not fight in the battle of the bulge, only in operation nordwind and later.

  4. Some pointers about that Russian organisation above: The author is right when he says that smgs were not issued on a wide scale in the first few months of the war. At that time the PPsH41 had just started production and while it would soon turn into one of the most common infantry weapons, like, ever, initial production was slow. The Soviets had PPD34, PPD34/38 and PPD40 smgs, but not in nearly as large numbers as the PPsH41 later.

    After the winter war, the Soviets had decided to equip all their riflemen with SVT40 rifles. This proved to be a mistake, since they were expensive and unreliable (especially in the hands of relatively ill-trained conscripts). Because of that, production was all but halted in 1942 and replaced by the M91/30 / PPsH41 mix. It is quite ironic (and few games portray this) that the Russians had more semi-automatic rifles in the beginning of the war than at its end, in stark contrast to the Germans. Note however that even at the height of its deployment only a few elite units were fully equipped with the SVT40, while in most rifle units only the squad leader received one.

    The Russians significantly increased the fire power of their squads later in the war by issuing additional DP lmgs, up to 3 in some organisations I have seen. At the same time the average size of squads continued to decrease.

  5. slightly off-topic but there seem to be a lot more MP43 / MP44 / StG44 in the German ranks than were actually at Normandy?

    Yes, especially in units that are supposed to be Osttruppen (like in the demo). Generally speaking the only stg44s in normandy were issued on a trial basis, since no unit used there actually made the organisational changes for its employment.

  6. From Sepp Allerbergers autobiography:

    A soldier's chances for survival depend in no small degree on his feeling for what is possible. Here we were being asked to seek out and engage an infantry company that outnumbered us four-to-one and was occupying previously prepared positions, the locations of which we were not sure. I considered this to be a suicide mission and felt very bad about it. I went to the Waffen und Geraet Offizier or WuG (weapons and equipment officer) to exchange my Mauser carbine for a semi-automatic with optic and took another four magazines of explosive rounds with which I filled my tunic and trouser pockets. I then joined the others. That night an Opel Blitz lorry conveyed us to the endangered sector. We sat in the interior of the truck in silence, each man sunk in thought. We knew the dangers of what we faced. When the lorry stopped and the rear flap droppe d down to signal the beginning of the mission, we leapt down, got our bearing, the platoon sergeant issued a few brief instructions and then led us off into the darkness. I took up my position on the flank of the platoon to the rear, weapon at the ready. After an hour dawn began to show through the overcast sky to the each and we found ourselves ascending the gentle slope of a hillside. Suddenly a white star-shell hissed into the night sky and lit the area bright as day. At the same time our ranks received the continuous rattle of murderous MG-fire. The platoon sergeant and six Jager were hit, and fell to the ground groaning and writhing. Some eleven platoon survivors returned fire while five of the seven wounded were dragged out of sight into a shallow depression. The Russians now sprang up from their positions and attacked.

    Apparently unnoticed I had thrown myself down some distance from the two wounded Germans remaining in the open, playing dead and hoping to gain for myself the element of surprise. I watched the first two waves of Soviets leave their dugouts, then arose zombie-like from the dead and began firing round after round of accurate fire over open sights at a range of about 80 meters. To be sure of the hit, and for the explosive round to do its work, I aimed for the area just above the hip. With devastating effect each bullet found its mark inside a Russian stomach, destroying a range of inner organs and intestines. The Soviets appeared stunned by having an unexpected apparition firing at them from an oblique angle on the flank, and then became visibly annoyed. Things were not going to plan for them. In the meantime my ten comrades had gathered their wits and were pouring towards the Russians a blistering fire. The magazine of my semi-automatic held ten rounds. Once the first clip was empty, every shot a hit, I swiftly fitted the second and continued firing. I could see the ground strewn with twenty or more Russian dead or writhing in terrible agony. After reloading with the third clip I became the target of a few desultory replies, but the awful screams of their wounded comrades had unsettled them so much that they aborted the attack and, apart from some withering fire in my direction, retired to their trench. I leapt up again and ran in wild zigzags to the two wounded Jager, throwing myself down beside them in an unevenness in the ground which offered very little cover. So far I had come through the action without a scratch, but the dangerous sprint through the hail of bullets to render first aid to my wounded colleagues was of no avail. One was already dead and the platoon sergeant, whose torso had been raked by a machine gun burst, died a few minutes later.

    From their positions the Soviets were sweeping the foreground with small arms and light machine gun fire, pinning me down with no hope of escape. The corpses of my two former colleagues were now useful as a bullet trap. while the sergeant's thigh made an excellent rest for my rifle barrel. While the remainder of the platoon gave me supporting fire from the background, my hour had now come. The Soviet positions consisted of two light MG nests at either end of a long trench. I had the inestimable advantage of facing an enemy who seemed to have no idea how dangerous a sniper could be even the distance of a football field away. Through the rifle scope I concentrated on the nearer nest, which was about 100 meters off. They knew where I was, of course, and while MG-fire spattered into the two cadavers, with my first two carefully aimed rounds I exploded the heads of the MG-gunner and his belt-feeder. There seems to be no activity in the other nest, leaving the field clear for me to finish the rest of them at leisure.

    During a table talk at his headquarters on 25 September 1941, Hitler said that whereas he had nothing but admiration for the fighting spirit of the Russians, it was characterized by stupidity. How true that statement was, we were now about to discover. There were eighteen Russians in a long trench, and I could only see individuals within it if they stood up or moved incautiously at the parapet. Every so often a Russian would show his head and I would shoot his brains out. It was just like a shooting gallery at the local amusement park.

    .........After a few minutes the German infantry rose from their concealment and advanced with caution towards the enemy positions. Nothing stirred. Before us was a charnel ground upon which an entire Russian company had been wiped out to the last man. Over fifty dead littered the field, plus eighteen in the long trench and three machine gunners. It was a scene reminiscent of medieval impressionistic art depicting hell.

  7. Yeah that's what I mean. To give you an idea of how rare they were in Normandy:

    The 2nd SS Panzer (Das Reich), which is usually regarded as one of the better equipped units in the theatre had a whopping 41 in the whole division.

    The 12th SS also reports several "experimental rifles" which I took to mean MP44s or MkB42s.

    There is archaeological evidence that the Fallschirmjägers around St Lo had some (for example, some of the "Kurz" ammunition used by the rifle were found around Barquette).

    The MP44 only started appearing in notable numbers on the west front in October 1944, usually as part of the new "Sturmzug" concept that was implemented in the newly raised Volksgrenadier Divisions as well as some other new units like the Panzer Brigades. All weapons before that were mostly trial issues or prototypes. This also led to huge supply problems, since the ammunition needed for it was not yet widely available, making the relatively fast firing weapon useless after a few days of combat.

    To end the post, these are the only two photographs of MP44s in Normandy I know of:

    Save0002-9.jpg

    file.php?id=130302

    If anyone has more I would be very interested.

  8. Keep in mind though that the StG44, or rather mP43 at that point, was not commonly used in Normandy. Both Photos and divisional status reports show that only a few division had been issued with it. The 12th SS Panzer for example reports several "Experimental rifles" which may or may not be MP43s and the 2nd SS Panzer reports 49 MP43s, to give you an idea of how rare it was even in supposed "elite" divisions. There is anecdotal and archeological evidence about it being used by the 6th FjG Regiment and I know of one photo showing one in the hands of an US soldier near St Lo (possibly Fallschirmjäger) and of one mud find near Villers Bocage. Considering these low numbers, I could imagine ammunition supply being an acute problem.

  9. fh2_2.45_release.jpg

    Hi!

    The Forgotten Hope mod for Battlefield 2 (2005) releases a new version today (Friday 13th 2012, 1800 UTC). The focus of this mod is bringing historically accurate WW2 vehicles, uniforms and battles into BF2. It has been around since 2007 and is one of the most successful mods for the engine, winning the Moddb "Mod of the Year" award in 2010. It is completely free.

    You can play as the American, German, Italian, British, Canadian, New Zealand or Australian army in a variety of battles ranging from teh African campaign to the Ardennes counter offensive at the end of 1944.

    You can find more information about the new release and links to the installer here:

    http://forgottenhope.warumdarum.de/

    Even if you don't own BF2, you might be interested in looking at some renders of the mod's content on the site. A World War 2 connoisseur will find a lot of rare and well modelled vehicles and weapons ;)

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