Will Katiushas be able to direct fire in CM2?

[Gyrene]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> Other rocket launcher regiments (4th, 5th, 79th, 86th, 51st, 93rd, 99th and 85th) also delivered massed direct fire (emphasis mine) in full (or battalion) strength to repel the massed armoured attacks of the enemy

at Stalingrad, on the Kursk Bulge and in a number of other operations." <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

14" Naval guns would have nothing on that as far as the "Oh Sh*t!!!" factor goes!

Gyrene

[Michael Emrys]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JunoReactor:

Just what is the advantage of the Katyushas?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

They weren't very accurate (rocket artillery of that period generally wasn't) but they didn't need to be. They were used to bring down a huge amount of HE in a given area over a brief period of time. They were area saturation weapons. Anyone or anything caught out in the open when they landed was toast. Even if they didn't do a lot of destructive damage, they sure rattled the Germans' cages when they landed. It must have been like having the whole world erupt in a gigantic explosion. Prior to the introduction of nuclear weapons, they must have been the ultimate blunt instrument.

:eek:

Michael

[Michael Emrys]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by John Kettler:

"Other rocket launcher regiments (4th, 5th, 79th, 86th, 51st, 93rd, 99th and 85th) also delivered massed direct fire (emphasis mine) in full (or battalion) strength to repel the massed armoured attacks of the enemy

at Stalingrad, on the Kursk Bulge and in a number of other operations."<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

How do you read that, John? To me it sounds like you'd need a whole battalion to get much effect since their accuracy was not good enough to hit point targets individually.

Michael

[PzKpfw 1]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Michael emrys:

How do you read that, John? To me it sounds like you'd need a whole battalion to get much effect since their accuracy was not good enough to hit point targets individually.

Michael<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well they were more area saturation wpns the ammount of ordinance they could put on an area target was stagering as they usualy operated at Regt level & strength only. An example of the ammount of ordinace delivered by launcher type in a single salvo at Regt level was:

BM8/24 - 3.9 tons

BM8/36 - 5.8 tons

BM8/48 - 7.8 tons

BM13/16 - 10.0 tons

So in essense an Regt would be more correct in terms of the effectiveness in that original post.

Regards, John Waters

[Skipper]

Katyushas were indeed used to fire at area targets - batch of forest, hilltop and such. Not to KO a particular MG bunker - that was a job for the normal artillery.

[John Kettler]

Okay, let's look at this MRL issue through the lens of CM. A CM artillery battery consists of four guns. Firing sixteen rounds thus takes four battery volleys, and there is an appreciable time between volleys when dealing with roughly 150mm artillery (BM-13 is 132mm).

This allows a smart foe to try to clear out of the impact zone.

By contrast, a single BM-13 launcher fires off sixteen powerful rockets in a matter of seconds, and there is no telltale spotting round or rounds. There is a lot of screeching, followed by enormous explosions. For a given size, MRL detonations are significantly more powerful than equivalent bore tube artillery projectiles. This is because the G forces on a rocket are much less than those on a cannon shell, which translates into more explosive in the rocket warhead than the artillery shell.

As the U.S. government's official studies and planning documents all point out, the first volley is the one which does the most damage, since after that the foe drops prone and takes cover. So, would you rather hit the foe with four rounds initially or sixteen, even if accuracy isn't the best? Now imagine that you're leading an attack and that all of a sudden the horizon lights up and you're looking at hundreds (288 from an eighteen launcher battalion) of banshee howling rockets close to the ground headed right toward you. The next thing you know, the very ground seems to explode, shattering men and equipment left and right, the concussion of successive almost simultaneous detonations a hammer blow to body and mind alike, creating confusion, chaos, panic or even stunned immobility. Trucks loaded with infantry and halftracks are history if hit directly, as are most tanks. Softskins and halftracks within the blast radius are also lunchmeat, for the fragments are heavy enough and moving fast enough to pierce light armor. Tanks would be subject to

blast damage to tracks and running gear (also optics and other delicate equipment not modeled in CM) and would suffer lots of damage from rounds which landed to the sides or behind. Of course, there'd be fire and exploding vehicles everywhere, the smell of roasting flesh, a radio net useless from all the screams and shouts, and your tidy formations would simply dissolve into ruin.

To get some idea of how much damage we're potentially talking about think of what six 150mm rocket FOs could do to a mixed formation

of Stuarts, M3 halftracks and trucks (both loaded with infantry) and some scout cars. A single Nebelwerfer battery essentially blows up one end of the board. Imagine six firing into the same area, except the terrain is flat or gentle slopes, and there is almost no tree cover. You're in the open, and your area's going to be hit by six batteries of Nebelwerfer fire. In reality, it would be worse, for the low BM-13 trajectory greatly improves the odds of a direct hit as the round skims through your formation. Good luck on your new assignment!

Regards,

John Kettler

[Michael Emrys]

Gee, John, you certainly have a way with words.

I for one am convinced!

Michael

[Mr. Johnson--]

hehehhehe