Machor

Thank you; I found out that this photograph has its own Wikipedia article in several languages including English; linking to the Russian one as it's the most detailed: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Комбат_(фотография)

Finally got to learn about this iconic image I knew from the cover of the Advanced Squad Leader rules: http://visualrian.ru/ru/site/gallery/#543 "Младший политрук Алексей Еременко ведет солдат в атаку." [Junior political commissar Aleksei Yeremenko leads troops into battle.] Taken on July 12, 1942. Also available in 1/72 scale :

No wish to advertise, but you guys are making me want to try Desperate Glory (at least I'm advertising CMFB as well ): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/04/01/the-flare-path-sitting-bull-hovering-hind/#more-357367 " If When things get desperate, a cornered Custer can order his men to slay their own mounts and use them as fleshy breastworks in a desperate immobile last stand."

It's the Otokar Akrep (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otokar_Akrep ).

Trump "trusts" Putin, willing to lift sanctions on Russia - no mention of Ukraine: "Donald Trump says Merkel made 'big mistake' on migrants" http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38632485 "Asked about a possible deal with Russia, he said nuclear weapons should be part of it and "reduced very substantially", in return for lifting US sanctions. ... He also stressed that he would "start off trusting both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mrs Merkel" on taking office, but would "see how long that lasts"."

OK, the article has been updated with the following info: "The questions were based on the life of the famed American poet Maya Angelou, but many parents complained the subject matter was not appropriate for young teenagers or a maths equation. The same assignment surfaced two years ago in a Florida school, sparking similar controversy." My bad for not knowing that Maya Angelou worked as a prostitute.

Well, further down the article it says: "The homework worksheet in question was downloaded from a website that allows teachers around the world to share educational resources." The original question might well have originated from a coordinated teaching project [Though WTF with the prostitute single mother - The Catcher in the Rye?] and ended up in this school due to an underfunded school district slaving it out with supply teachers.

Whoa! - Friday the 13th is going strong: "Pennsylvania school set maths homework on sex abuse of girl" http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38613255 "A US school has apologised after setting a maths questions that asked students about a girl being sexually abused by family members. The homework asked: "Angelou was sexually abused by her mother's _______ at age 8, which shaped her career choices and motivation for writing." Pupils in Perkasie, Pennsylvania, were given an algebra formula with the assignment to solve the problem. Parents complained to Pennridge High School officials about the homework. A subsequent question in the same homework asked about a single mother who is trying to support her son by working as a pimp and a prostitute. It asked what was her third means of support, including another formula for the options, bookie, drug dealer and nightclub dancer."

While most members of this forum probably have an interest in AFVs that goes beyond their instrumental use, composing songs for them seems to be taking it too far - though the Matilda II was of course nicknamed the "Waltzing Matilda" after the song: "Singapore sings for return of Terrex army vehicles" http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38592060 "In late 2016, a cargo of Singaporean military vehicles was stopped in Hong Kong. They're still there and as the BBC's Heather Chen writes, Singaporeans have adopted a creative approach to demanding their return. "Our island [is] very small, macham kuaci [like dried melon seeds]. No choice, we have to train [in] other countries," goes a jaunty number by Alvin Oon. "Why you take my Terrex Chia [car]?" Sung in a mixture of English and the Chinese dialect Hokkien, the song was intended to "express how the average Singaporean views this ongoing deadlock," said Mr Oon. ... The second song that became an instant hit among Singaporean netizens came from local social and political blogger Lee Kin Mun, more famously known as mrbrown. Written by Lee and Marc Nair, Give Us Our Terrex Back was sung in Singlish to the tune of Lunar New Year favourite Gong Xi Gong Xi, heard everywhere at this time of year. "Only transit [in] Hong Kong, kenna stuck there long long (Ended up being stuck there for a long time) Don't know why you buay song (Not sure why you became unhappy) Terrex now bah long long (How long do you need to check?) Give us, give us, give us back, Give us our Terrex back.""

My pleasure. Varlam Shalamov had far more thorough insider's knowledge of the Stalinist prison system than Solzhenitsyn did. Shalamov is supposed to have commented wryly on One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich that the prisoners there had it far better than the camps he had been in as reflected by the rats in the sleeping quarters, which would normally have been hunted and eaten down to the last one.

That article has completely changed my vision of daily life in North Korea. I think the 'North Korea' that we see in our heads is a vision that has been successfully projected by the regime, but which in reality ends on the outskirts of Pyongyang. On second thought, I shouldn't be surprised, as the USSR under Stalin was seen in a similar light at the time, whereas we now know it was teeming with gangs and was in borderline chaos outside the capital cities. The NKVD and MVD even stoked the 'Bitch Wars' after WW2 to gain some control of the situation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitch_Wars

Did someone say "avatar"?

Thank you for the, as always, informative post. This thread has made me experiment with foxholes and trenches, and it seems to me that this is one area where the infantry TacAI in 4.0 needs further tweaking. While I love the self-preservation of the new TacAI, it seems to abandon foxholes and trenches way too easily, and it only adds insult to injury when they get taken over by attacking enemy infantry and used against you. In CMFB, I've had an entire infantry company routed out of trenches by six 81mm mortars. I think the TacAI could be tweaked to accept higher casualties at least before withdrawing from trenches, if not foxholes.

A fascinating biography: "Fighting for survival on the streets of North Korea" http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-37914493 "As a young child in the capital of North Korea, Sungju Lee lived a pampered life. But by the time he was a teenager, he was starving and fighting for survival in a street gang. It was one of many twists of fate on a journey that has led him to postgraduate studies at a British university." Especially recommended for @Sublime.

I just checked the manual (no time to fire up the game now) and BMP-2M in game has Kornet. Here's from the manual: "Two different versions of the BMP-2M are being produced by different factories. The version currently in Combat Mission is the "Berezhok" version, while the other version is the "Kurganmashzavod", named after the factory that is producing it."

Thank you for this info - I infer from this that the vehicles would not likely be repainted before being sent to depot maintenance, which I assume should not be necessary anytime soon for these vehicles just arriving in Europe. Which means that if they were to go into action within the timeline of CMBS, they would still be in desert colour. I looked in CMMODs III and didn't find a desert skin for the Abrams - skinners' work would be appreciated with this. *cough* Dunkelgelb Ami *cough*

Just had to add images to the previous post - this one's strong in WTF:

Why weren't the new Abrams in Europe not given a temperate paint job stateside - or will they not get one? (And what's that blue on the turret front?) "US tanks arrive in Germany to help Nato defences" http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38537689

This is how I wanna go! "Taiwan politician's funeral features 50 pole dancers" http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38528122 "A Taiwanese funeral featuring 50 pole dancers has become the talk of the Chinese internet this week. Videos of the funeral procession, which took place on Tuesday, have been circulating online showing skimpily-clad women gyrating on top of jeeps in the southern city of Chiayi. The funeral was for local politician Tung Hsiang, who died last month. His family said they wanted to honour Mr Tung, who loved "having a lively fun time", local media reported. The procession, featuring the convoy of colourful jeeps blasting loud music, brought traffic to a standstill in the city centre." @BletchleyGeek Thank you for the link, and I also owe you for introducing me to Children of a Dead Earth. Can't wait to see that game get H2H.

This is from Gordon Rottman's US World War II and Korean War Field Fortifications 1941 – 53 (Osprey, 2005; p. 25): "Exceedingly hard, rocky, or frozen ground proved to be virtually impossible to dig in with infantry hand tools. Blasting was necessary. A small starter hole was hand-dug and a small charge inserted. This created a small crater in which progressively larger charges were detonated until a hole of the desired size was obtained. Loose spoil was shoveled out, the hole’s interior squared off, and firing steps added. Standard charges included 0.5 and 1 lb TNT (the latter not available until 1943), 2.5 lb M2 tetrytol, and 2.25 lb M3 or M4 C2 or C3 plastic explosive. In Normandy the assault troops were issued 0.5 lb TNT blocks (pictured) to quickly blast foxholes and withstand counterattacks. These were provided with a 6in. safety fuze with a blasting cap crimped on one end and an M1 friction fuze igniter on the other; the assembly was waterproofed with a condom. The fuze assembly was carried inside the canteen carrier beneath the canteen while the TNT block was taped to bayonet scabbards or pistol holsters or carried inside the pack. M1 and M2-series 10 lb shaped-charges, intended for destroying concrete structures, were sometimes used to create deep starter holes in which to insert cratering charges." I know you have to be careful about avalanches in the mountains, but why can't they just blast through the soil in eastern Ukraine? As a proverb of the US Army's Combat Engineers supposedly goes: "There ain't no problem which can't be solved with enough C4." (I don't have a source for this - I read it on an Army forum while hoping to enlist through the MAVNI program, when I was warming up to 21B.)

I should note that I had not given any target orders in any of the instances that I witnessed.

Recent post from the CMBS forum mentioning Javelin use against infantry:

I've seen this - with raised eyebrows - happen regularly in pitched, knifefight range infantry battles without any vehicles in CMFB 3.0 (haven't tried playing the Germans in 4.0 yet). It seemed to happen when the soldiers were getting low on ammo - but that was normally the time for the most pitched fighting as well. I do have endgame screenshots with soldiers out of all ammo proudly cradling their fausts, so it's not like they're programmed to expend them without a reason.

In response to this and digging frozen ground - does Ukraine issue explosive charges for this purpose?

And the most striking example that I can think of from history to illustrate the strategic significance of a minor operation for psychological reasons is the Doolittle Raid. This will be my last post for 2016 - Happy New Year to everyone!