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WWII training film on weapons/effects


Gpig

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Do you guys think they're really nailing that MkIV with those AT guns? Or is it simulated for the film?

Gpig

Simulated, I think. The close-ups of hits look like a painted piece of free-standing plate. But looks like they really did wreck that Pak 40.

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The close-ups of hits look like a painted piece of free-standing plate.

True, but I think the wide views of the weapons firing at the moving tank are authentic - the concussion and dust plumes look 'right', not like a black powder charge.

On the other hand, the (Russian?) tank that the 105mm fires HEAT at looks like it's made out of thin sheet metal, rather than armour plate.

The concrete bunkers and walls didn't look terribly well constructed, either. The concrete mix looked too brittle (not enough aggregate?), and there was hardly any steel reinforcing.

Then again, given that it's basically a propaganda piece ("Look how great your weapons are!"), stuff like that isn't too surprising. Overall it's rather good :)

But looks like they really did wreck that Pak 40.

And the trucks, and the uniforms, and some small arms by the look of it.

In other news: sod running around as a rifleman with a glass bottle filled with nastiness in your webbing. That's just asking for trouble. :eek:

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The visual of the beaten zone of a machine gun was absolutely fantastic, by far the clearest I've ever seen. The WP round for the 81 mm mortar created a much quicker cloud of smoke than expected. I did have a few issues with the film:

I think the concrete in the film is seriously undermodeled. I don't believe the big flak towers or much of anything else could have possibly been built with this powdery stuff.

Is the best use of infantry to have them stand tall and blast away with rifles at strafing aircraft?

I wonder if the same people who made this film extolling the power of American infantry weapons made another training film demonstrating how the armor on US halftracks would protect soldiers from German machine guns. :mad: :mad:

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The WP round for the 81 mm mortar created a much quicker cloud of smoke than expected.

Did you notice how quickly it plumed though? Basically, at ground level, the WP smoke was all but useless within about 5 seconds.

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Great stuff. I'd never heard of the frangible grenade or the 81mm demolition round.

Later on they describe it as the heavy HE shell. Either way, it's pretty redonkulously awesome.

Great stuff. But, er, shouldn't the film have mentioned that the Germans have similar training films showing them how easy it is to kill Americans with similar weapons? :D

Steve

I also noticed the toned-down ROF out of the MG42s they showed.

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Then again, given that it's basically a propaganda piece

Not quite a propaganda piece, that's what instructional film reels looked like back in those days. Imagine the recruits were as green as grass and grew up in tenaments in Yonkers. This was propably their first glimpse of the difference between a carbine and a proper rifle. I doubt modern bootcamp introductory videos announce "This is the M19 40mm grenade launcher. Its prone to jamming, is dangerous to unjam, and is widely disliked by the troops in the field".

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I also noticed the toned-down ROF out of the MG42s they showed.

actually from the look of the round barrels they were MG34s, which did have a lower ROF the the Teutonic Buzzsaw.

I was personally amused at the narrator throughout the film, but especially at the "the 57mm will destroy any german tank at any angle" line.

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Not quite a propaganda piece, that's what instructional film reels looked like back in those days. Imagine the recruits were as green as grass and grew up in tenaments in Yonkers. This was propably their first glimpse of the difference between a carbine and a proper rifle. I doubt modern bootcamp introductory videos announce "This is the M19 40mm grenade launcher. Its prone to jamming, is dangerous to unjam, and is widely disliked by the troops in the field".

I've come to like Mark a bit more after going through one range session with a 8" high, 24" wide (yes, I mean that) target placed in a grassy field about 450m down. Meant to simulate a muj laying prone. Difficult to see, near impossible to hit with anything without area effect.

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