Reckall Posted July 30, 2000 Share Posted July 30, 2000 ...But expecially for anyone who wishes to play the game but has trouble remembering what a Lynx exactly was. Today I was putting some order on my WWII books shelf when I was hit on the head (literally) by a falling copy of HPS Simulations' "Encyclopedia of Land Combat" Volume 1. It is a thick spiral-bound book that describes weapons, vehicles, equipment and even different types of infantry squads from 1936 to 1945. It includes all major and minor countries which fought during WWII and even short sections about airplanes and ships. Every item is described by a short entry, often accompanied by a drawing or even a picture. The text is clear and informative, with comparisons with other items, strenght, weakneses etc. The amout of data is impressive, and even obscure vehicles that never actually reached production are described (like the Panther II). A short appendice even gives some TO&E for the main powers (detailed to the number men composing a platoon). Unfortunately there are not many diagrams included. The book may be bought online from HPS site, and now it is resting near my computer as companion for CM! Just to give an example, this is the entry for the unfamous Lynx: "This vehicle fulfilled a 1942 requirement for a light reconnaisance tank. Weighting 11.8 tons, it had the 20mm KwK 38 gun with an improved mounting and an MG34 coax machine gun. The tank had storage for 330 rounds of ammunitions for the 20mm. It also carried more fuel and was faster that the earlier Pz II models. One hundred of these tanks were produced. The last 31 were built with a 50mm L/60 cannon as the maing gun. They were used on both the Eastern and Western Fronts". Happy playing! Vincenzo Beretta Milan - Italy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OberGrupenStompinFeuhrer! Posted July 30, 2000 Share Posted July 30, 2000 "The book may be bought online from HPS site," Vincenzo, do you have the URL? Can you post it please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leclerc Posted July 30, 2000 Share Posted July 30, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by OberGrupenStompinFeuhrer!: "The book may be bought online from HPS site," Vincenzo, do you have the URL? Can you post it please? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> www.hpssims.com then go to products, it's at the foot of the page. [This message has been edited by Leclerc (edited 07-29-2000).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jowa Posted July 30, 2000 Share Posted July 30, 2000 I just ordered one, thanks. I have another good one, 'Closing with the Enemy' by Michael D. Doubler. It tells how GI's performed differnt kinds of missions/Op's during WW2. A very good read. Any other suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Formerly Babra Posted July 30, 2000 Share Posted July 30, 2000 I had this argument before. I believe it was with Fionn (before whose untapped depths of arcane lore I bow ) It seems the 31 50mm armed variants were never produced. The source of that bit of mis-info is von Senger und Etterlin and a number of others (including myself) have propogated the myth. ------------------ It's a mother-beautiful bridge and it's gonna be THERE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kestrl Posted July 30, 2000 Share Posted July 30, 2000 I just got done reading The Road to Arnhem by Donald R. Burgett and i couldn't put the book down for a week it was so good. The book is about the 101st Airborne in Operation Market Garden and goes till the end of the operation. I just got Seven Roads to Hell, A Screaming Eagle in Bastogne which should be really good. I guess if you like Airborne units this is a pretty good read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mortiis Posted July 30, 2000 Share Posted July 30, 2000 My bible for ww2 is "The complete encyclopedia of Weapons of World War 2" this baby has everything and plenty of stats for every weapon used(armour,planes, ships, small arms, artillery,submarines) all weapons have at least one illustration and a bit on where the weapon in question saw action and its performance. Great reference material. a bit pricey but lucked out and recieved it as an xmas present isbn 1-894102-22-3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hundminen Posted July 30, 2000 Share Posted July 30, 2000 "My bible for ww2 is "The complete encyclopedia of Weapons of World War 2" I agree this book is astounding, jam backed with info, and it is big and comprehensive. Best of all, this one has been available in the bargain section of most Canadian book stores (Chapters, Coles, WHSmith), for the past 2 years, and is only $30 canadiian ($20US). Get it if you can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark IV Posted July 30, 2000 Share Posted July 30, 2000 When the Gold was released, I dug out the camo-covered version of FM 71-2, "The Tank and Mechanized Infantry Battalion Task Force", circa 1977, that stuck to my fingers when I left HHC 3AD some centuries ago (tanks were horse-drawn then). Amazing how helpful this still is, provided one adjusts the ranges for WWII era systems (and no ATGMS!). It has cool fold-out pages with terrain and battle drawings, and was prepared by the experts for the guys who would have to do the real thing. If you can lay your hands on a copy of this, or others of its ilk, it will repay you many-fold. [This message has been edited by Mark IV (edited 07-29-2000).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grognerd_Fogman Posted July 30, 2000 Share Posted July 30, 2000 Thx for ur post, I jus got one too. If only I could change the "e" to an "a" in my handle I would know all this stuff by heart! ------------------ Thanks for Athskin! Grognerd_Fogman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarhead Posted July 30, 2000 Share Posted July 30, 2000 Im aware the book im bringing into this topic will not help much as a ref for CM. But i felt compelled to add my two cents. i've read my share and more on ww2, as well as a number covering US Marine history. (Admit it, your not surprised) My Fav book on Marine history is "The Battle History of the U.S. Marines. A FELLOWSHIP OF VALOR" Author: Col. Joseph H. Alexander, USMC (RET). If anyone has or does read this book, please let me know how you liked it. ------------------ Semper Fi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GI Tom Posted July 30, 2000 Share Posted July 30, 2000 Tossing in my 2 pennies, I just finished reading "Hitler's Traitor, Martin Bormann and the Defeat of the Reich". It is written by a two time Pulitzer Prize winner by the name of Louis Kilzer. A very interesting read if your interested on some of the "undercover operations" performed against the Reich and more specifically, how it affected the war on the East Front. Some very interesting accusations made in the book. Also, my wife just got me "Blood, Tears and Folly, An Objective Look at World War II" by Len Deighton. I have only just begun, but it looks to be very promising. GI Tom ------------------ To a New Yorker like you, a hero is some type of wierd sandwich. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hakko Ichiu Posted July 30, 2000 Share Posted July 30, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by GI Tom: Also, my wife just got me "Blood, Tears and Folly, An Objective Look at World War II" by Len Deighton. I have only just begun, but it looks to be very promising. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Tom, Please post a report on the book when you're done. It is on the discount rack at my local B&N, and I am considering buying it. I'm currently reading Featherston's "Battle for Mortain." It describes how the 30th Inf. Division (a NC National Guard unit, go Heels!) held off the 2nd SS Panzers, among others. Lots of interesting info on life at the sharp end to be gleaned in this one. ------------------ Ethan ----------- Das also war des Pudels Kern! -- Goethe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windstarz Posted July 30, 2000 Share Posted July 30, 2000 I read Blood, Tears, and Folly a couple of years ago. I found it very interesting a good read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OberGrupenStompinFeuhrer! Posted July 30, 2000 Share Posted July 30, 2000 I have "Blood Tears and Folly" on my shelf, I started reading it a little while back but got distracted. :^) A good little Penguin book I recently finished is "Six Armies in Normandy" by John Keegan. In it he "describes the massed armies - American, Canadian, English, German, Polish and French - at successive stages of the invasion." It covers D-Day up to the liberation of Paris. Well written I think and worth a read. Another book I have on my desk right now is "Road to Berlin - The Allied Drive from Normandy" by George Forty. Bags of photos along with a week by week summary of the "Beyond Overlord" period of the war. Again, this one covers a broader spectrum of the Allies than only the Americans or the Brits. Good pictures of various guns and light / heavy armor in action. BTW Vincenzo / Leclerc, I ordered the HPS book from the web site. Thanks for the tip. OGSF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckeye Posted July 30, 2000 Share Posted July 30, 2000 On the fiction side of things, I'd suggest "Disaster at D-Day," by Peter Tsouras, a senior analyst at the US Army National Ground Intelligence Center. He makes small changes in some of the circumstances of the invasion, and shows how things could have turned out disastrously different. Very interesting, and not sensationalized. ------------------ "Don't lie to me, Gustav! You're a stinkin' Mac user!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GI Tom Posted July 31, 2000 Share Posted July 31, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Hakko Ichiu: Tom, Please post a report on the book when you're done. It is on the discount rack at my local B&N, and I am considering buying it. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> No problem. I'm only 50 pages into it though and it's a 600 pager. So it may be a week or so. GI Tom ------------------ To a New Yorker like you, a hero is some type of wierd sandwich. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Michael emrys Posted July 31, 2000 Share Posted July 31, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by OberGrupenStompinFeuhrer!: A good little Penguin book I recently finished is "Six Armies in Normandy" by John Keegan. In it he "describes the massed armies - American, Canadian, English, German, Polish and French - at successive stages of the invasion." It covers D-Day up to the liberation of Paris. Well written I think and worth a read.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I'd second that. He pulls no punches that I noticed. Right now I am reading /Cross Channel Attack/ by Gordon A. Harrison. It's a bit more rarified perhaps than the other books mentioned on this thread since it deals with the top level planning that went into D-Day. He also covers the early fighting through the capture of Cherbourgh. It's great to be able to put the grunt-level fighting into a larger context. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaffertape Posted July 31, 2000 Share Posted July 31, 2000 "The complete Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II" is my nightly bedtime read. Good thing I don't have kids, eh? It was discovered (as mentioned) in the Chapters' bargain bin for about thirty bucks Canadian. GAFF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guachi Posted August 2, 2000 Share Posted August 2, 2000 I picked up the aforementioned Encyclopedia last September. The book is definitely worth the $25 I spent on it. The 'Encyclopedia' is attractively laid out and has nice color pictures as well as photographs. The book gives a great overview of most of the various weapon systems of WWII - from handgrenades to battleships. The book is worth it for the illustrations alone! I picked a book up about 12 years ago by the same folks entitled 'Combat Guns' in the same format and I was quite impressed by it. Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General_Longstreet Posted August 2, 2000 Share Posted August 2, 2000 Another good WWII book is Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley. It is about the 6 Marines that raised the flag over Iwo Jima. A must read for all poeple that enjoy the Pacific Therator. Mark ------------------ "It is well war is so terrible; we would grow too fond of it." Robert Edward Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19 Echo Posted August 2, 2000 Share Posted August 2, 2000 "Six Armies in Normandy" is also one of my favorites. I also highly recommend Keegan's "The Second World War." One of the finest one-volume short histories of the war that I've ever read. For that matter, I highly recommend anything by Keegan. I'm currently reading "A Time For Trumpets" by Charles MacDonald, and recently finished "Company Commander." I'm hoping to make some CM scenarios based on the latter. Both books are absolutely first-rate. People like to bitch about Stephen Ambrose over-emphasizing the Americans (why shouldn't he? I don't begrudge the Brits for all those books on how Monty won the war ), and I don't think he's the best writer, but "D-Day" is a fine account of that battle (and does cover all the Allied armies). I didn't like "Citizen Soldiers" as much, although Ambrose makes some very interesting observations and pointed criticisms of the American command style. I just found his "Pegasus Bridge" in a B&N, and I'll probably get that one soon. 19 Echo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Michael emrys Posted August 2, 2000 Share Posted August 2, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by 19 Echo: People like to bitch about Stephen Ambrose over-emphasizing the Americans (why shouldn't he? I don't begrudge the Brits for all those books on how Monty won the war ), and I don't think he's the best writer, but "D-Day" is a fine account of that battle (and does cover all the Allied armies).<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Have you read Cornelius Ryan's The Longest Day yet? I bet you'd like it. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GI Tom Posted August 2, 2000 Share Posted August 2, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by General_Longstreet: Another good WWII book is Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley. It is about the 6 Marines that raised the flag over Iwo Jima. A must read for all poeple that enjoy the Pacific Therator. Mark <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Yes, this too is a good book. It is written by the son of one of the men that raised it. His son had no idea, and when he found out, he decided to write the book. (That's not a spoiler in any way) A very good book. GI Tom ------------------ To a New Yorker like you, a hero is some type of wierd sandwich. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geier Posted August 2, 2000 Share Posted August 2, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Hakko Ichiu: Re: "Blood, Tears and Folly" Please post a report on the book when you're done. It is on the discount rack at my local B&N, and I am considering buying it. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I would recommend it, I found it a very interesting read about "the Grand Scheme of things" in WW2. I am an avid Len Deighton fan though so my view is certainly biased. Blood Tears and Folly won't help you in CM but it's a great compliment to "Blitzkrieg" and "Fighter" by the same authour. He's certainly not pulling any punches against the British either, the chapter on the air war is interesting as it stretches back to WW1 (a favourite subject for me). Also one should note that it is his view of how, why and what, his points seem valid to me but others may have differing opinions. While I'm on the subject, here are some great novels from Mr Deighton: Bomber (RAF night raid, seen from all affected sides. Best WW2 airwar novel imo) Declarations of War (A collection of war short stories, from Hannibal to Vietnam) Winter (A German family from 1899-1945) Regards, ------------------ Geier "The succesful execution of a well devised plan often looks like luck to saps." Dashiell Hammett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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