When I was down at Winter War in Champaign, IL. the other day there was
a vendor unloading a bunch of old micro-armor, mostly odds-n-ends. I
picked up some towed artillery, thinking their guns would make nice additions
to scratch built defensive emplacements... but with them sitting in front of
me, they look really good as traditional artillery. I want to keep 4 of them
for a battery of light guns, it should be fun.
:)
Questions that come up:
First, have any of you that play Dirtside used towed artillery? Any lessons
learned?
Second, I need something to do the towing. Any vehicle/figure
suggestions on that front? I thought about the civilian/MP GEV van by
GZG, but it seems too large for the role. And I think a tracked or wheeled
vehicle may go better with the guns.
And finally, any mounting suggestions to identify when they are limbered
> On Sat, 10 Feb 2001 13:37:04 -0600 Noel Weer <nsweer@ice.net> writes:
<snip>
> And finally, any mounting suggestions to identify when they are
Gun behind and gun base touching tractor base, gun pointing away from
the rear of the tractor - limbered
Gun separate from tractor (within integrity) unlimbered
*or*
tractor behind gun (gun pointing away from tractor) and tractor facing
forward - towards rear of gun equals unlimbered
> First, have any of you that play Dirtside used towed artillery? Any
Watch out for Counter-Battery fire. It's very, very effective against
towed artillery. Either MAK or HEF will kill the unit, either by destroying
the gun or killing the crew. The Towing vehicle should be very cheap, like a
softskin truck. Ideally, your resupply trucks and your towing trucks should be
the same size and so be multipurpose.
On Sun, 11 Feb 2001 12:37:58 +1300 "Andrew Martin" <Al.Bri@xtra.co.nz>
writes:
> First, have any of you that play Dirtside used towed artillery? Any
Good idea, Andrew!
Then would you go further and make them interchangeable - both capable
of hauling Ammo markers? Since there is an intrinsic supply in SPArty I assume
there would be a need to have the towing vehicle (soft skin) loaded with
ordinance? Or would you have assigned 'ammo haulers' intrinsic to the unit?
I'm drawing a blank - all I can remember is Napoleonic Artillery where
there was 'some' shot/etc. in the arty limber most of the ammunition was
in the arty supply wagons - did WW2 and later towed artillery have
shells in the haulers also or did they depend on attached ammo haulers for
initial fire supply? I mean when on the mobile attack, I know they
stockpiled shells nearby when in fixed positions - there is several
pictures in the Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Edition Pictorial History of
World War Two, Volume Two, The War in The Pacific, showing 'towed' Artillery
in position. About half the pictures only show the gun and crew but on 43
there is an 80mm Mortar in action and there is what appears to have been a
case of shells (the four sides are folded out) and there is a several neat
layers of shells awaiting use. One is being
dropped down the tube in the picture. The pile appears to be about 2-3
feet from the leg/foot of the person dropping the shell in the tube.
Also, on Page 47 a mortar crew is 'setting up shop' and there appears to be a
pile of rounds piled about two strides away from a mortar pit. On page 276
there is a night action shot of the 90th Field Artillery, 25th Division gun
and as they shoot (flames are in the picture around the gun barrel opening)
two men hold a shell between them, two more appear to be holding a rammer to
assist the process (?), and another is crouched down by a stack of at least 16
shells plus the one in his two hands (butt of the shell resting on the stack)
for him to lift and pass to the other members of the team. The shell stack
appears to be a few steps from the position the men holding the next (ready?)
round are positioned at. (Maybe on the line joining the two ends of the 'Y'
the trails (is that the term for the parts that come together and connect the
gun to the prime mover?)) which appears to be less ten feet.
For those interested in soft skin RL's there is a picture of U.S. Marine
mobile rocketeers in action on Iwo Jima on page 304.
Oh, copyright is 1951. Wish I had a scanner... This, along with the Korean War
book, has a ton of great pictures. Great, unless it's you in them, I
suppose...
Oh, I would put a sign on my prime movers (soft skin) also hauling shells
around - 'Fireworks optional.'
> Second, I need something to do the towing. Any vehicle/figure
A friend of mine gave me a pack GHQ minis that I use as ammunition carriers
for my self propelled artillery that might fill the bill for towing Artillery.
They are the 548 cargo carrier based on the M113 hull. They are tracked
vehicles that IMO look appropriate for a low tech DS force that would be
towing artillery around. An image is at
http://www.ghqmodels.com/modern/n50.html
If you want to go with wheeled vehicles then GHQ's modern German transport
vehicles might be the way to go. I have some MAN 7.5 ton truck miniatures that
I use for my low tech Dirt Side army.The people I have played Dirt Side with
don't recognize them so they pass as futuristic. But then again I
don't live in Germany. Image: http://www.ghqmodels.com/modern/n83.html.
I want to get some of the MAN 10 ton trucks because they look cool too.
Image: http://www.ghqmodels.com/modern/n84.html.
Good hunting,
> Ndege Diamond wrote:
> Second, I need something to do the towing. Any vehicle/figure
> GZG, but it seems too large for the role. And I think a tracked or
I like these. They look a bit more like something you may see in a combat
zone, and less generic than the actual trucks do.
You got me poking around and I found
http://www.ghqmodels.com/modern/n54.html. This one _may_ work, as it
looks bulky enough to be hauling could protect the gun crews a bit...
> If you want to go with wheeled vehicles then GHQ's modern German
http://www.ghqmodels.com/modern/n83.html. I
> want to get some of the MAN 10 ton trucks because they look cool too.
Though, I do like the trucks. They may be worth getting for scenarios of
convoy escort or breaking through to rear areas.
Thanks for the links.
> Good hunting,
> I like these. They look a bit more like something you may see in a
> You got me poking around and I found
Yes, I like the FUCHS as well. I was going to use them as Command and control
vehicles for my Merc force. They are nice figures.