Re: OT[DS2]TD Design

John Skelly wrote:
> 
> I'm a big WW2 buff when it comes to history so I gotto jump in.  I
once read
> that one reason that assault guns were made was due to the difficulty
in
> manufacturing turret rings.  I've only read this in one text (the name
> excapes me) It even mentioned that they (Germans) would salvage the
rings
> off of damaged tanks to be sent to the rear for use in new tanks.
> 
> Now, if this is true, I can imagine colonies having the same
manufacturing
> restrictions.  I know we're talking 2300AD here but for a DS scenario
the
> colonists could be forced to use Assault guns rather than full fledged
> tanks.
> 
> If anyone else has heard of this I'd appreciate the source.
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Barry Cadwgan [SMTP:bcadwgan@fl.net.au]
> > Sent: Thursday, September 10, 1998 5:12 PM
> > To:   FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
> > Subject:	  Re: [DS2]TD Design
> >
> > Mikko Kurki-Suonio wrote:
> > >
> > > On Thu, 10 Sep 1998, Barry Cadwgan wrote:
> > >
> > > > It was more a case of being able to fit a bigger gun (and
actually
> > > > useful) on a chassis you already had a production line set up
for.
> > >
> > > Yes, I fully agree. But some designs (e.g. StugIII, Hetzer) were
> > actually
> > > good AFVs unlike stop-gap measures like Marders.
> >
> > Well, good defensive AFVs anyway.  Putting in an attack is a little
more
> > difficult.
> >
> > In games like Spearhead, open topped vehicles like the Marder have a
> > firing order advantage over fully enclosed vehicles.  But then,
given
> > their armour, they need all the help they can get!
> >
> > > > The Pz 3, likewise obsolete as a MBT gained a new lease on life
as an
> > > > assault gun.
> > >
> > > Except that StugIII production started long before PzIII became
> > obsolete.
> > > Long barrel Stugs did help with T34's before PzIVf2 came out,
though.
> >
> > True.  My point was that by 1943, the Pz3 as a MBT was not a going
> > proposition.  The Stug was still useful.
> >
> > > > The Jagdpanther on the other hand was just plain _mean_..
> > (Sillynesses
> > > > like the Jagdtiger don't count.)
> > >
> > > The Jagdtiger was simply a propaganda weapon. I don't think they
ever
> > got
> > > any to the front (or maybe something like 5 of them).
> >
> > Oh, they did run one battalion (two operational companies), 512th,
which
> > was wiped out on the western front in 1945 (Ruhr pocket) and was
> > reformed in 1945 and again wiped out in the attack on Paderborn.
> >
> > All in all it was not a significant weapon.  (Scary if it was
shooting
> > at you though.)
> >
> > > > The point is, it takes time to set up a production line, and if
you
> > can
> > > > get more use out of an existing one, and even remanufacture old
tanks,
> > > > so much the better.
> > >
> > > Yup. The germans actually used quite a lot of
captured/remanuctured
> > AFVs.
> > > Not as MBTs, but for SP arty, recovery vehicles etc.
> >
> > Heh.  Lots of french stuff... the Lorrain-schlepper (sp) is a
> > particularly clumsy looking beast.
> >
> > --
> > Barry Cadwgan ( BCADWGAN@FL.NET.AU )
> > http://www.users.fl.net.au/~bcadwgan/homepage.htm
> > "The end does not justify the means.
> >  The end is the sum of the means,
> >  as the road travelled determines the destination."
> > Valijon Starbringer (Hellflower Trilogy, Eluki bes Shahar)

I agree that the costs to build turreted vehicle must be expensive and
that a colony, specially primarly farming or mining, would not have the
factories to build the needed vehicles where as the SP guns would be far
easier and cheaper.  David