Brazos Evil Empire: August 2015

Monday, August 31, 2015

WWII German Twin 8.8cm Flak 37 Railway Car

Just picked this up.....you can never have too many 88s!

Breakthrough Assault: Team Yankee Preview - Tanks and Anti Air

Breakthrough Assault: Team Yankee Preview - Tanks and Anti Air: Hello All Welcome to the final model preview for Team Yankee (but not our final Team Yankee preview!). This week we are looking at ...

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Tanker's Tuesday: JAGDPANZER IV

A new generation of tank hunters

The long development of tank hunters, at first based on whatever chassis were available, Panzer-I, II, Panzer 38(t), then STUG-III and IVs, ended with a significant battlefield experience in 1943. But at that time, this experience led to devise yet another generation of tank hunters, purpose-built, well armored, with a very low profile. This last generation encompassed the Jagdpanther, the Hetzer, and the Jagpanzer-IV. At first, the new tank destroyer was named «neu Sturmgeschutz» («new assault gun"), still for the ordnance a self-propelled (AT) gun. By mid-1943 Vomag AG has proposed a new tank destroyer based on the chassis of a medium tank Pz.Kpfw. IV. The only version to emerge for production was the Jagdpanzer IV Ausf F, Sd.Kfz. 162 for the ordnance, with a 7.5 cm Pak 39 L/48 main gun. The decision to not built a tank hunter on the Panzer III chassis was dictated by practical considerations. The latter was not tough enough to carry more longer guns and massive armour, whereas the former was then well-produced and thanks to Albert Speer's production management, simplified and cheaper.
JAGDPANZER IV

A running Jagdpanzer IV

Monday, August 24, 2015

Breakthrough Assault: Team Yankee Preview - Artillery

Breakthrough Assault: Team Yankee Preview - Artillery: Hello All Welcome to the third Team Yankee model preview. This week it's the turn of the artillery. The artillery is broadly fitte...

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Tanker's Tuesday: Ausf L "Luchs

The VK 13.03 prototype was a Panzerspahwagen, studied by MAN and built afterwards by MAN and Henschel under the name of Panzerspahwagen II Ausf. L "Luchs" (Lynx) from September 1943 to January 1944 (104 units). The Sd.Kfz.123 was the final version of the Panzer II, largely based on previous models. It was up-armored and fitted with the interleaved wheels and new tracks developed for the semi-experimental Ausf. G. It also had a new, more powerful (180 bhp) Maybach HL66P engine, coupled with a ZF Aphon SSG48 gearbox, which gave this model excellent performance, achieving 60 km/h (37 mph) road and 42 km/h (26 mph) cross-country. The new rearranged hull was fitted with bigger fuel tanks. Range was increased to 290 km (180 mi). The hull superstructure, chassis, drivetrain, turret, were all modified. Armour was raised to 30 mm (1.18 in) on the sides and front. The weight soared to 11.8 tons.
The crew-size was now four. This meant the commander could focus on his own tasks, and he also had a newly designed cupola. The radio (FuG12 MW receiver and 80-watt transmitter) had a greater range and intercom was fitted. The gun was still the 20 mm (0.79 in) KwK 38 L55, but with 320 rounds, including many AP rounds. The secondary MG-34 was relocated in the hull. The Luchs fought until the end of the war, both on the Eastern and Western front, in Panzer-Aufklarungs-Abteilungen (armored reconnaissance units) affected to Wehrmacht and SS units.

panzer II ausf L "Luchs" (Lynx)

Monday, August 17, 2015

Breakthrough Assault: Team Yankee Preview - Air Support

Breakthrough Assault: Team Yankee Preview - Air Support: Hello All Welcome to the second update looking at the models coming out for Team Yankee. This week we are going to look at airpower. ...

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Tanker's Tuesday: M36 Tank Destroyer

The M36 tank destroyer, formally 90 mm Gun Motor Carriage, M36, was an American tank destroyer used during World War II. The M36 was essentially an up-gunned M10 tank destroyer, replacing the former's 3 inch (76.2mm) M7 gun with a powerful 90 mm gun.
The M36 first served in combat in Europe in September 1944, where it proved to be a match for any of the tanks being fielded by the Germans. It also saw use in the Korean War, able to defeat any of the Soviet tanks used in that conflict. Some were supplied to the Koreans as part of the Military Assistance Program and served for years, as did re-engined examples found in Yugoslavia, which operated into the 1990s. Two remained in service with the Republic of China Army at least to 2001.
American soldiers usually referred to them as TDs for 'tank destroyers'. The US Army assigned it the nickname Jackson in 1944, but this name did not see use during the war, and only became popular decades later in the 1970s.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M36_tank_destroyer

M36 Jackson tank destroyer

Monday, August 10, 2015

Breakthrough Assault: Team Yankee Preview - Infantry and Transports

Breakthrough Assault: Team Yankee Preview - Infantry and Transports: Hello All A few weeks ago we posted up the name of the new Flames of War period, Team Yankee, but we haven't finished with showing som...