tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post3591245338492941631..comments2024-03-27T20:37:08.065+01:00Comments on Defence and Freedom: Things that won't come back ... because they already did (Part I)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-61755929574106650522016-09-16T18:43:39.662+02:002016-09-16T18:43:39.662+02:00To be honest the bit about infantry and it's M...To be honest the bit about infantry and it's METT-T specific equipment sounds a bit simplistic. Obviously the proper mental framework with enough decision latitude for officers and NCO and good, diverse and intensive training are necessary to make mostly good and smart decision for the specific circumstances.<br /><br />Training abroud, for example in said Baltic swamp forest in different season, scenarios and opponents thanks to rotations and NATO exercises should help to show that different tactics and TO&E are needed. Light mountain boots are great in the Dolomites in Summer and more so in the Appenines but for snowy mountains and swampy forest you need different footwear. A delaying action in defence might we fought with two MG per squad and two or more Panzerfaust grips plus plenty munition. A dismounted deepish recon mission in wet spring one the other hand could be better executed with rubber boots and just one Pzf, no MG, few grenades, a good deal of ammunition and maybe no bodyarmour.<br /><br />Key is to train in different places differently and come up with a couple of TO&E to have something written backed up by official excercises and (local) experience to better fight for when it comes to procurement. That would actually be the take-away. <br /><br />FirnAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-28820171287630270872016-09-15T21:46:04.390+02:002016-09-15T21:46:04.390+02:00Well I was indeed thinking about the adopted but d...Well I was indeed thinking about the adopted but de-facto artillery planes L-2 and especially the L-4 'Cub' and not about the specific interwar ones. With air supremacy and well-organized counterflak* but long flying hours and little rotations operational losses (pilot errors, artillery shells) were two times bigger then combat ones. <br /><br />For me the big take-away a couple of years ago after reading that stuff was that various, often fairly cheap UAV could work well in conjunction with artillery power if smartly integrated.<br /><br />Not a novel insight by any means but which helped me to questions the lack of many smallish and cheap UAV for Italian forces while controversial heavily armed ones were bought at high prices. Different assets, of course, but one approach obviously suited much more to a conventional war.<br /><br /><br />* According to one FAJ article one Cub brought more firepower with it then any other and just for counterflak it was protected by a 155mm howitzer battalion...<br /><br />FirnAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-40788376621874376802016-09-14T23:34:37.513+02:002016-09-14T23:34:37.513+02:00Read again. I wrote about the L-2 and other small ...Read again. I wrote about the L-2 and other small planes. The Inter War years' artillery planes were different in ambition and style. Planes like Hawker Hector or Henschel Hs 126 were unable to cope with the fighter threat. STOL aircraft and aircraft flying with benefit of air supremacy were working in niches.S Ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03359796414832859686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-77458616217495255952016-09-14T21:01:39.653+02:002016-09-14T21:01:39.653+02:00The Carl Gustav seems to be indeed the modern West...The Carl Gustav seems to be indeed the modern Western infantry gun for direct fire. It's other role is of course anti-vehicle work although that depends of course on METT-T. <br /><br />I did recently think a bit more about infanty and their weapons and came to the conclusion that due to the variety of roles and tasks and good old METT-T flexibility is truly a must. Especially when it comes to AT weapons, HE projectors, MG, sniper rifles etc. <br /><br />A light/mountain infantry platoon in some Baltic swamp forest with thin trees in winter might profit a lot from leaving the MGs,GC and heavy bolt-action rifle in the Hägglunds and instead taking a good deal of Panzerfausts. <br /><br />In open mountain terrain optics in autumn (binos, scopes, etc) to observe, detect and geolocate targets become relatively more important as well as the long-range (sniper) rifles. And so on <br /><br />Money neither transport should be, within a sensible degree be a big problem. <br /><br />Firn<br /><br />P.S: I'm curious when we will have the first guided (rocket-assisted?) Gustav round. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-81883646637402316422016-09-14T20:13:32.459+02:002016-09-14T20:13:32.459+02:00Love the old stuff like the AEG helicopter, shows ...Love the old stuff like the AEG helicopter, shows once again that few approaches are truly new but that (technological) progress allows for new possibilities. I disagree somewhat about the American artillery aircraft as I have read too much articles and stats from the artillery journal. Before that I had greatly underestimated their use. Part of the virtous cycle for the Allied forces was the rapid anti-flak work by artillery to defend their eye in the sky from afar. October 1946 has some overview but I have to find again the % of fire missions.<br /><br />UAV in general and their integration in specific are of high interest.<br /><br />BTW you might want to check out their article on ground radar employment*.<br /><br />Firn<br /><br />*Employment of Radar by XV Corps Artillery<br />By Brigadier General Edward S. Off, USA<br /><br />August 1946 Field Artillery Journal <br /><br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-71153678863192368532016-09-14T18:19:40.371+02:002016-09-14T18:19:40.371+02:00I think ATGMs with FAE warheads like the one for t...I think ATGMs with FAE warheads like the one for the Kornet play a role similar to heavy infantry guns.Battlespacioushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02529924356085339125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-45981980094714200712016-09-14T03:30:37.987+02:002016-09-14T03:30:37.987+02:00In indirect fire - no. Its pinpoint indirect fires...In indirect fire - no. Its pinpoint indirect fires can be done by regular artillery nowadays because of better radio communications, better navigation and reduced shell dispersion. The mere (up to) six 15 cm sIG 33 per division weren't terribly important during WW2 already.<br /><br />15 cm sIG 33 was almost perfectly irrelevant for direct fires due to its weight. 120 mm HE and HESH exceed WW2 15 cm in direct fire by AFV.S Ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03359796414832859686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386077914312449748.post-2320893056889517962016-09-14T02:18:26.361+02:002016-09-14T02:18:26.361+02:00I think there is still gap for replacement of heav...I think there is still gap for replacement of heavy infantry guns like 15cm sIG-33.ömerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01089565139374086253noreply@blogger.com