Rumour has it...

[Sublime]

His memory is astounding. Along with his honesty about his personal fears about leading experienced men into combat, breakjng down thinking he was a failure on day one of the bulge not realizing it was a major offensive, and his fear of his first attack finally.  Great book. Any comments about Coopers book?

[Michael Emrys]

 Any comments about Coopers book?

Haven't read it myself. Comments by others leave me with an impression that when he writes about what he personally experienced, there is a lot of good information there, but when he tries to write about larger issues, he goes off the rails. But now I see I am just gossiping...

Michael

Edited January 30, 2016 by Michael Emrys

[BLSTK]

Gimme a "Schwalbe" any day.

[Sublime]

Id think you heard right Michael.for example he squarely places the blame for m36 Jacksons not being in Europe in large numbers by the summer of 1944 on General Patton and his rigid adherence to doctrine. Maybe its true but it rang a little hollow to me.

As far as the Schwalbe and its effectiveness - what about the AR 234? Did they ever hit anything or was pilot quality just too poor by then anyway?

[Michael Emrys]

...what about the AR 234? Did they ever hit anything or was pilot quality just too poor by then anyway?

There was an article in one of my magazines a couple of months back on the 234 and I got the impression that the guys who flew them were of good quality. That it did not have much of a bombing record was due to the fact that the bulk of missions flown were for recon, a task at which it apparently excelled. And I suspect that there simply was not enough time this late in the war to work out precise techniques for dropping bombs from high speed planes. Even in Korea 5+ years later the USAF was having problems accurately delivering bombs from fast movers.

Michael

[Aragorn2002]

There was never a single Maus completed by the Germans, or so goes what I read in my high school days. The supposed complete Maus at Kubinka was created when the Russians married a turret from one vehicle under construction with the hull from another. But don't take my word for it...

prototype https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PTFnl316ug

But there is apparently new information that the Germans sent two working prototypes from Kummersdorf Proving Ground in Germany to the Berlin, but one broke down en route, while another fought near Wunsdorf (was supposed to go to Zoessen), but was destroyed to prevent capture. No Austria in the story anywhere--other than the Big Boss's birthplace.

Be sure to sign Release, Indemnify and Hold Harmless Agreement before going here for a simply stupendous piece on the German super heavies, an extensive article replete with blueprints, line drawings, artist renderings and pics. 

http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/PANZERKAMPFWAGEN VIII MAUS.htm

The Maus is behemoth cool, but I'd rather see BFC do other things with all that time, effort and money: Panther IR and Uhu IR target searchlight for night fighting, Wanze, Jagdpanther 88s dug in practically flush with the ground on improvised field mounts, proper street barricades, log cribs, fortified buildings and large blockhouses, etc.
 

Regards,

John Kettler

+1

[Sgt Joch]

Cole in his book on the Ardennes (1965) on p. 178 mentions that the 2nd Panzer division had Panthers with Infra red sights for the offensive, but I have not found any other source that confirms that.

The initial penetration by the corps' right was charged to the armored infantry of the famous 2d Panzer Division (Colonel Meinrad von Lauchert), a unit that had fought the Allies all the way from Normandy back to the German frontier. When the 2d Panzer Division was relieved at the end of September its tanks were gone, but there remained a large cadre of veterans who had escaped to the West Wall on foot. In the weeks that followed, the division rested and re-formed in the Bitburg-Wittlich area, its units moving constantly to escape Allied observation. Replacements, generally better than the average, were brought in from Austria (the home station for the 2d Panzer Division was Vienna), and new-model Panther tanks, equipped for night fighting with the new infrared sighting apparatus, arrived fresh from assembly plants near Breslau. On the eve of commitment the two tank battalions were about full strength, with 27 Mark IV's, 58 Panthers, and 48 armored assault guns in the division tank parks. Sufficient trucks were available to motorize most of the division, but there was a shortage of tracked cross-country vehicles. One battalion of armored infantry was given bicycles, and would move so slowly through the mud and over the hills that its function during the drive to the west was simply that of a replacement battalion, feeding into the more mobile units up ahead

http://history.army.mil/html/books/007/7-8-1/index.html

Edited February 1, 2016 by Sgt Joch

[Sublime]

If you really want me to I can cite the page in a Time for Trumpets that specifically mentions the Germans having IR equipped Panthers for the Bulge offensive. Ita fairly early in the book. Want the page?

[Sequoia]

Btw I'm interested in hearing more about the myth that Hitler delayed the ME 262 by insisting on bomb racks. Where can I read about the origins of the myth and how it was debunked?

[Michael Emrys]

Btw I'm interested in hearing more about the myth that Hitler delayed the ME 262 by insisting on bomb racks. Where can I read about the origins of the myth and how it was debunked?

One of the early popular sources is Adolf Galland's The First and the Last where he vehemently inveighs against Hitler's order. I think this attracted a lot of readers' attention to the subject and was taken as gospel. But Galland is not always a reliable source in such matters. At the time he wrote the book, he was hoping to get command of the new postwar Luftwaffe and so was distancing himself from the Nazi command clique as much as possible.

Michael

[Sgt Joch]

Hitler having delayed the introduction of the ME262 by asking for a bomber version is apparently a myth. Tooze discusses it in "Wages of destruction" at p. 620 and following.

http://www.amazon.ca/The-Wages-Destruction-Breaking-Economy/dp/0143113208#reader_0143113208

Seems the Reich Air Ministry and Milch pushed as much as possible to have it come out quickly and go into mass production, but to simplify, Messerschmitt had technical issues and Speer diverted raw material/resources to other projects.

Again, according to Tooze, the myth was constructed after the war by Galland, Messerschmitt and Heinkel to place all the blame on Hitler. Again that is not unusual,  there were a lot of self serving biographies that came out right after the war where important figures in German business/Army blamed Hitler for all of their mistakes.

p.s. - Tooze "Wages of destruction" is essential reading for any WW2 nut.

Edited February 3, 2016 by Sgt Joch

[MOS:96B2P]

Did not post correctly.  

Edited February 3, 2016 by MOS:96B2P

[MOS:96B2P]

Cole in his book on the Ardennes (1965) on p. 178 mentions that the 2nd Panzer division had Panthers with Infra red sights for the offensive, but I have not found any other source that confirms that.

http://history.army.mil/html/books/007/7-8-1/index.html

 

If you really want me to I can cite the page in a Time for Trumpets that specifically mentions the Germans having IR equipped Panthers for the Bulge offensive. Ita fairly early in the book. Want the page?

Okay, I will try this again. 

I remember reading this in A Time for Trumpets.  It said Mark IVs and Panthers were equipped with new infrared night sighting devices and were used in the attack on Task Force Harper.  

I read this in the Kindle e-version so it is kind of difficult to give an exact page number.  It was 35% into the book and in Chapter 13 - The Race for Bastogne: The Second Phase.  I was so surprised to see that they had infrared that I highlighted it.       

 

Edited February 3, 2016 by MOS:96B2P

[Sublime]

Yep that was what i was going to quote theyre also mentioned when Mac discusses the German preperations  

[Sgt Joch]

On the ME-262, re-read what Tooze had to say on it.

The protoype first flew in the summer of 1942 and Hitler gave it top priority, although that did not mean much in the Third Reich since he seemd to give top priority to a pet project every month or so.

Messerschmitt had been burned on the ME-210 project when he hurried into mass production so he dragged his heels on the ME-262, presenting other alternative projects instead. To be fair, there were also massive technological challenges in getting the first jet fighter in the air, not least of which was a serious lack of raw materials .

However the real problem was Speer. He had been expanding his authority over armaments production, but could not get authority over Luftwaffe procurement because of Goering. When he found out the V1/V2 program was an "Army" project and therefore under his authority, he used that to try to get authority over the Luftwaffe indirectly. Speer got Hitler to give the V2 rocket program "top priority" in the summer of 1943 and then used that to siphon resources to the V1/V2 program. So in 1943-44, the V1/V2 and the ME-262 were all competing for resources with the results that we know.

OTOH, even if the ME-262 had been given top priority, it is doubtful it would have appeared more than say 6 months before it did. The ME-262 first flew in july 1942 and became operational in July 1944. The British jet, the Gloster Meteor, first flew in march 1943 and also became operational in july 1944.

[BLSTK]

[BLSTK]

Please, BFC, make it so.

[MikeyD]

There is a rumor, started by Steve, and I can find you the post if you insist, that the final module for the FB Family may include the Maus or E-100.

I recall reading that from him too. It would be a big break from CM precedent of being rigorous in historical detail, but there's such a big 'paper panzers' cult out there that its awfully tempting just to throw them in for shts & giggles, to use an old phrase. Not just Maus but schmalturn Panther as well. Real 'World of Tanks' craziness. Of course CMFB final module is a loooooong ways away, they haven't even released the basegame yet!

[Vergeltungswaffe]

Just give us the E-10, -25, -50,-75, and -100 plus the appropriate Allied tanks and that would be the greatest CM gift ever.

[Sublime]

Like a Black Prince and T12?

[Placebo]

and the IS-3 and Landkreuzer P. 1000 "Ratte"!!

Ok the P1000 is going a bit too far!!

[AttorneyAtWar]

and the IS-3 and Landkreuzer P. 1000 "Ratte"!!

Ok the P1000 is going a bit too far!!

Too far...?

...Nahhh.

Edited February 15, 2016 by Raptorx7

[emccabe]

needs more guns 

[Michael Emrys]

needs more guns 

And a much larger turret to allow for recoil and ammo handling/loading, as well as a larger, more voluminous hull to accommodate a useful load of ammo. Half measures are the road to failure.

Michael

[Sequoia]

Reminds me of the board game Ogre.