Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Rebel Minis 15mm Alien Greys


Mike says these are about 15mm to the top of the head, so slightly shorter than Rebel Minis current modern range of miniatures. This pack includes 24 15mm scale Alien Greys, sculpted by Martin Baker, and they look great!
http://dropshiphorizon.blogspot.com/

Monday, January 19, 2009

T90S Main Battle Tank


The T-90S is the latest development in the T-series of Russian tanks and represents an increase in firepower, mobility and protection. It is manufactured by the Uralvagonzavod Plant in Nizhniy Tagil (Potkin's bureau) of the Russian Federation.
http://www.fprado.com/armorsite/T-90S.htm

Type 98 Main Battle Tank


(From Armour Magazine: The Chinese Type 98 Main Battle Tank. Caption: "Chinese Type 98 MBTs on parade in Beijing in October. Note new hull skirts, rubber padded tracks, and the raised turret roof." {{PD-USGov-Military}})

Dan Becker's Flames of War Early War French Infantry Company


Update 2004/07/11: More photos were added in this article.) In March of 2004, I visited my local game store Great Hall Games in Austin, Texas, and saw some members of the Lone Star Historical Miniatures group playing a World War II miniatures game. From my familiarity with Avalon Hill's Squad Leader board game and Atomic's Close Combat computer games, I enjoyed seeing the 15mm miniature tanks and guns and platoons on the table. With their rulers and dice and loads of miniature scenery, the players all looked like they were having a fun time punctuated with good-natured, somewhat intense historical debates over which were the best tanks (T-34 or Panzer V?), machine guns (MG42 or BAR?), and tactics. They were using the Battlefront Flames of War rules.



http://www.io.com/~beckerdo/games/FlamesOfWar/FrenchInf/index.html

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Katyusha Rocket Launcher



The Katyusha was originally a World War II-era Soviet rocket. During the Great Patriotic War the BM-8 and BM-13 rocket launchers [some times confusingly called rocket mortars] got their famous name "Katyusha". In March 1941 the first successful fire tests of BM-13 rocket launchers were carried out and 21 June mass production order was sign. Originally this system was based on standard ZIS-5 but this experience wasn't successful. Afterwards ZIS-6 was chosen. At last the BM-13 was mounted only on Studebaker-US6 (BM-13N). The BM-13 could fire 16 130mm rockets simultaneously.

The Katyusha, or Little Kate, was a rocket launcher mounted on a heavy truck that fired volleys of up to 48 rockets nearly four miles. The Katyusha was infamous among German troopers who quickly learned to dread its distinctive scream. They named the Katyusha “Stalin’s Organ.” Soviet guards mortar units were equipped with multiple rocket launchers, the famous katyushas, named after the title of a popular song of the time. Some military scholars credit the Katyusha for the relief of Stalingrad.

The word Katyusha is the tender diminutive of the female name Ekatherina (Katherine). For example, the diminutive for Natalia is Natasha, and the tender diminutive for Natasha is Natashenka. In the case of Ekaterina, Katya is the nickname and Katyusha, a tender diminutive. Katyusha is a Soviet song about a girl longing for her beloved, who is away on military service. The music was composed in 1938 by Matvei Blanter and the lyrics were written by Mikhail Isakovsky.

Soviet Tanks In City Fighting :From Intelligence Bulletin



In the battle for Berlin, a large city converted by the Germans into a fortress for a last ditch stand, the Russians used massed mechanized units in street battles. However, Soviets do not recommend that tank units be sent into the city, where movement is usually restricted and channelized, barricades and obstacles easily prepared, and every building becomes a potential strongpoint and direct-fire gun emplacement, but the lessons learned during the battle of Berlin are worthy of attention.

http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/sovtanks/index.html

OUR URBAN OPERATIONS!







One of our test games with a walker unit Vs Light Infantry!

URBAN OPERATIONS






Throughout history military planners have viewed cities as centers of gravity and sources of national strength. Cities are population centers; transportation and communication hubs; key sites of industrial, financial, and information systems; seats of government; and repositories of wealth. Because the US has worldwide interests that directly relate to global security, deployments into urban environments are likely to become more frequent. The SBCT infantry platoon and squad are uniquely equipped and manned to deal with the wide range of tactical situations that are normally found in the conduct of urban operations. The primary role of the SBCT platoon and squad within these urban operations is to close with and destroy enemy forces through the use of overwhelming fire and precision movement. This chapter describes techniques, procedures, and special considerations that platoons and squads will use throughout the planning and execution of operations in an urban environment.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/3-21-9/chap6.htm

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Riverine Squadron One



North Carolina coast (Dec. 5, 2006) - Sailors assigned to Riverine Squadron One (RIVRON-1) prepare for their final exercise and evaluations near Camp Lejeune, N.C. Sailors from RIVRON-1 are preparing for deployment in support of Maritime Security Operations and the global war on terrorism.

http://www.strategypage.com/military_photos/military_photos_200612202241.aspx

Riverine Warfare



In July 1965 the staff of the United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV), teas drafting the campaign plan for 1966, the purpose of which was to help the government of South Vietnam establish control over the people. The staff concluded that it was possible to secure government control over the I, II, and III Corps Tactical Zones, a conclusion largely based on the presence of American and other Free World Military Assistance Forces in these corps areas. In the IV Corps Tactical Zone, however, where there were no U.S. ground forces to bolster the efforts of the Vietnam armed forces, the staff questioned whether the objective of the campaign plan could be attained. The armed forces of Vietnam were considered capable of maintaining their position in the IV Corps, but not of reducing Communist control over significant portions of the population and terrain in the Mekong Delta. While additional American and other Free World Military Assistance Forces were planned for the other corps areas, none were planned for the IV Corps area. In the opinion of the staff, there could be no substantial progress in the IV Corps Tactical Zone unless U.S. ground forces were introduced.