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Big Tanks & Big Guns Round Off June For Flames Of War
June 30, 2014 by brennon
Flames of War have some more offerings of both the armoured and armour-killing variety to round off the end of June. See what you think of these tanks and field guns that will be smashing apart the battlefield...
First up we have the tanks with the M4A3E8 Easy Eight which has also been uparmoured for the battlefield. This was considered to be one of the top tanks of the war and was kitted out for dealing with the anti-tank capabilities of the Germans. Not only was it more armoured but it also had dedicated infantry escorts to keep ambushers at bay.
Below that we have the T-26 obr 1932 which was an adapted version of the Vickers used by the Russians. The armour on the turrets was lacking but the tank itself was used to support infantry on the battlefield so hopefully it wouldn't end up going against another tank.
Next up we have some guns that probably wouldn't be facing off against armour as much as hitting emplacements and infantry on the battlefield. The first of these is the 107mm obr 1910-30 Gun and the second is a 152mm obr 1931 Gun-Howitzer which will be making craters all over the place.
Will you be picking up these for Flames of War?
Nice cannons. Makes me think of Baldrick’s poem from Blackadder Goes Forth.
Thank you! Thank you! The Sherman Easy-8! Just in time for “Fury,” and at last we Yanks have a FoW answer for the British and their beloved Fireflies!
I think the firefly was (Hobart) type stop gap tank just to stay in the game wasn’t it? At the start anyway.
From what I remember ( @lafayette and @johnlyons will probably know more about this), the British wanted a replacement for the 6-pounder ATG in the desert campaign. At the very end in Tunisia, they deployed the first operational batteries of 17-pounder ATGs (towed) and were very pleased with the results. Given the L56 8.8cm gun in the Tiger, the L70 7.5cm gun coming out in the Panther, and the even larger version of the 8.8 cm (L70) in the Nashhorn, Elefant, and others on the drawing board, it was clearly time to get this 17-pounder in an Allied tank, thus… Read more »
I am just speculating hear but the 17 pounder was a common gun with plenty of ammo so they could spare some to rearm the tanks with a heavier gun quickly?
Quite possible. I just remember the few towed 17 lbrs that made it into Tunisia performed amazingly well against PzKpfw IVs and even the newest Tigers, both in hitting power and range, at least in comparison to their ineffectual 6-pounder 57mms and (by that stage of the war) sad little 2-pounder 40mms. The challenge a lot of armies faced back then was how to get their great antitank guns into a tank. There’s not a lot of room in a turret. 🙂 The Germans struggled with this practically the whole war, their first half-attempt was the cut-down version of the… Read more »
The 8.8cm KwK36 in Tiger Ie had a 56 caliber barrel as did the Flak36 and both had near identical ballistics, so I wouldn’t call it cut-down half-attempt. 🙂
Lessening the barrel length changes speed, penetration, range, & probably accuracy lessening all off the advantages’ off the bigger gun to start with.
That’s like fitting an F1 car with the best engine out their then using standard fuel.
Yes, I know. But the 8.8 cm Kwk 36 didn’t have shorter barrel length compared to the 8.8cm flak 18/36/37! Both had barrel length of 56 calibers and nearly identical penetration values.
KwK 36 wasn’t some kind of a stop-gap solution that had to sacrifice penetration or accuracy to fit the gun in to a tank. It delivered the same ballistic performance as the 8.8cm flak guns using the same ammunition.
Granted, but the Tiger I’s 8.8 had to install a muzzle brake to reduce recoil. The FlaK 18 and 36 guns did not. So yes, same 88mm, same L56 caliber, but still a different (and at least for AP purposes, slightly diminished) gun, since reduced muzzle velocity means reduced range, accuracy . . . well, you guys know. 🙂 BTW, are those recoil tubes on the top and/or bottom of the FlaK models? I always wondered. Although to be honest, I’m also reading about FlaK 41s, which extended the same basic muzzle brake-less design to 71 or even 74 length… Read more »
Oh yes. On that point we agree. Despite its reputation 88L56 was by no means the pinnacle of AT weapons of WW2.
Some of you may find this interesting
http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Panzers.html
Bookmarked. Thanks!
Found this on the net for a bit of background. Before the QF 6-pounder had entered service, the British predicted that it would soon be inadequate given the increasing amour of German tanks. In late 1940 design of a replacement was started, and was largely complete by the end of 1941. A prototype production line was set up that spring, and with the appearance of Tiger I tanks in North Africa, the first 100 prototype 17-pounder anti-tank guns were quickly sent off to help counter this new threat. So great was the rush that they were sent before proper carriages… Read more »
Great info on the Pheasant, @zorg . I’d heard the name but never knew it came about due to a hybrid carriage design. I think I head “Tank God John” say something about the Firefly having to rotate its gun on its side “gangster style” 🙂 in order to fit in the turret. I’ve played Achilles tank destroyers in Panzer Leader, definitely one of my favorite British units. Believe it or not the Firefly does not get a very good reflection in that game, but not for any technical reasons. In that game, each individual playing piece is an entire… Read more »
The m10 the Ferrari of tanks the wildcat I thing was the name? with the open top turret.
I think the M10 was the Wolverine. The “Hellcat” was the M18, which was the next tank destroyer to follow the M10.
http://www.electric-image.co.uk/mv/armour/Hellcat/Hellcat.html
Ridiculously fast, armed with a powerful 90mm gun, but very thin-skinned. Like they say when designing tanks . . . protection, firepower and mobility . . . choose two. 🙂
Hellcat that’s the one! with the aircraft engine that froze the crew by sucking cold air through the open turret. as you say made for speed crews loved the open turret except when snipers were about.
In a lot of games they are difficult to use because of their thin armor. Also they came out late in the war so they aren’t featured in many strictly “historical” scenarios, and when they do, are usually up against the German zoo (Panthers and Tigers, oh my!) I don’t know too much about FoW or BA, but the one game I play that does them justice is Panzer Leader, where they can use the “split move and fire” rule due to their rotating turret. They fire from cover, and then quickly fall back or displace or relocate before the… Read more »
Are you talking about the M18 Hellcat?…It first saw service in 41 in the desert when it was armed with a 37mm gun, in fact the US supplied China
Eventually it got a 76mm gun but its high muzzle flash often gave them away to German crews
Personally I would use them in opportunity fire mode and then retreat like hell once they had fire
Well, hot damn. I did not know about the earlier versions of the Hellcat or its earlier track record in service. Awesome! Clicking around a few sites I found a little more information that I think explains the disconnect on my end. The 37mm version was the “T49 GMC” (gun motor carriage), in development when the US entered World War II and still in development by the middle of 42 when they realized that 37mm just wouldn’t cut it. They upgraded to a 57mm while still in development, and finally to a T67 75mm version and finally the 76.2mm version… Read more »
I saw a program about a museum rebuilding a hellcat. They went back to the bare metal found frame No followed tank through military records right back to the crew. Invited the last member of the crew to look round the museum then went on to show the tanks they were still working on for him to confronted with the finished working tank. He was speechless
Those must have been a blast to drive. I’ve read about road speeds up to 55 and 60 mph. You had it right earlier when you compared them to sports cars, fast and verrry fragile. 🙂