Picture of the day

[sail32]

The use of the reverse slope and lying down was used by Wellington at Waterloo.

" French troops also attacked the British at La Haye Sainte, and Wellington ordered troops to lie down behind the ridge, meaning they were shielded from the worst of the bombardment. They then drove the attacking French off from an advantageous position at the top of the ridge ".

From; http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...-when-was-it-and-who-were-the-casualties.html

The American had learned little from the Crimean War and the introduction of the rifle-musket. The American Civil War was was fought with very similar tactics to the Napoleonic wars, with developments such as repeating cartridge rifles.

The worst example of the past being Pickett's Charge.

 

[purple]

The Germans developed many fine weapons and were very effective at the tactical and operational levels, but their strategic abilities sucked. They won lots of battles, but lost lots of wars.

Some of their chronic weaknesses; a continental, instead of a global view, trying to fight a war on 2 fronts, lack of industrial capacity and raw materials versus their opponents, finite reserves of manpower and incompetent political direction.

 

[diopter]

If you want to go back further into history....

 

[AP]

If you want to go back further into history....

Yes thats very interesting ... and of course those 'Moops' were a persistent lot!

 

[Gibbs505]

That 6 pounder looks small. How effective was it on tanks?

it would out-penetrate the shermans 75mm, it was quite heavily loaded. I once saw a video of one firing, and the wheels jump off the ground while every nut and bolt on the carriage undoes it self and then does itself back up again.

I thought that it was replaced by the 17 pounder.

 

[donor]

ZiS-2.Sibling AT gun of famous ZiS-3.Like 6pdr also 57mm.Good gun but according to some Russian memoirs quality of the barrels was iffy at times and crews had to be trained to forger ZiS-3 tactics to avoid wearing them down.

Also getting proper AT ammo was a hassle in some sectors-reason why many crews preferred to have ZiS-3 or captured German guns close by.

 

[fraserdw]

I thought that it was replaced by the 17 pounder.

Not til after the war. During the war 17 pounders served in divisional AT regiments. 6 pounder was declared obselete in 46. AT regiments were mechanized and the infantry got the 17 pounders.

 

[sail32]

The British had the Sherman Firefly armed with the 17 pounder gun, but they were in short supply.

http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/gb/Sherman_Firefly.php

The British also had the Archer, a Self Propelled 17 Pdr anti tank gun.

http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/gb/Archer_17pdr_SPG.php

 

[fraserdw]

The British had the Sherman Firefly armed with the 17 pounder gun, but they were in short supply.

http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/gb/Sherman_Firefly.php

The British also had the Archer, a Self Propelled 17 Pdr anti tank gun.

http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/gb/Archer_17pdr_SPG.php

There is also the Achilles (a M10 TD with the 17 pounder). AT Regiments tended to be half SP and half towed due to shortages, which is a good balance of defensive ambush towed guns spread out at key points for AT defense for the infantry and offensive SP guns to block a panzer attack at the point of penetration in the main line of resistance.

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

A nice study of an M10 in an odd place - the Philippines!

 

[Gibbs505]

The Bob Semple tank, made in New Zealand.

Total production : 3

6 x .303 calibre Bren light machine guns with 25,000 rounds, (1 in turret, 1 rear, 1 left hand side, 1 right hand side, 2 forwards)
37 mm cannon (proposed but not fitted) with 5 machine guns

http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/NewZealand/Bob_Semple_Tank.php

 

[RRCo.]

The Germans developed many fine weapons and were very effective at the tactical and operational levels, but their strategic abilities sucked. They won lots of battles, but lost lots of wars.

Some of their chronic weaknesses; a continental, instead of a global view, trying to fight a war on 2 fronts, lack of industrial capacity and raw materials versus their opponents, finite reserves of manpower and incompetent political direction.

And most importantly a attitude of racial chauvinism and complete contempt for all so-called lesser races and their rights which made bitter enemies of potential allies in the unthinking presumption that they could afford to trample on everyone else.

 

[grelmar]

A retired Cold Warrior left out in the elements at the Avtovaz Technical Museum in Tolyatti (numerous ways of spelling that in English).

Tango Class Submarine
B-307

The Tangos were the largest diesel-electric attack subs ever made. The size was to accommodate the massive battery banks, which would allow it to operate for over a week on battery power before snorkelling to run the diesels and recharge. Replaced by the Kilo class subs, which are smaller, and with better endurance, due to improvements in battery technology and engine efficiency.

 

[purple]

And most importantly a attitude of racial chauvinism and complete contempt for all so-called lesser races and their rights which made bitter enemies of potential allies in the unthinking presumption that they could afford to trample on everyone else.

They certainly were lacking in the "hearts and minds" aspect of things, except for appealing to ethnic German minorities in other countries.

The one that they really blew was the Ukraine where they were initially welcomed as liberators from Stalin's savage oppression.

 

[Cdn303]

Firing the 6 pdr in the desert was a PITA. After a few shots the gun would have moved and they would need to be re-laid.

 

[CV32]

The last remaining de Havilland Sea Vixen, Foxy Lady, makes an emergency wheels up landing at Yeovilton, UK on 27 May 2017.

 

[RRCo.]

Would it have been better to perhaps to have put it down on the grass

 

[CV32]

Would it have been better to perhaps to have put it down on the grass

I suppose one of the problems there is the uncertainty of the terrain (e.g. bumps, hollows, foreign objects, etc).

 

[Ganderite]

Firing the 6 pdr in the desert was a PITA. After a few shots the gun would have moved and they would need to be re-laid.

I know nothing about artillery.

If it is an anti- tank gun, is not the sight used to aim directly at the target, so it would not matter if the gun shifted on the sand?

 

[Brookwood]

The last remaining de Havilland Sea Vixen, Foxy Lady, makes an emergency wheels up landing at Yeovilton, UK on 27 May 2017.

Here's the story -

https://theaviationist.com/2017/05/27/sea-vixen-does-wheels-up-emergency-landing-at-duxford/