Search found 3171 matches

by Reb
Fri Dec 24, 2010 1:28 pm
Forum: SS/Waffen-SS
Topic: Best division in the Waffen SS??
Replies: 253
Views: 122312

Re: Best division in the Waffen SS??

As an example: LAH had bee reconstituted several times and lost more men as cadres to HJ, when it got to Belguim in '44 for a refit. It then absorbed thousands of men and much new equipment. The core of the div was still good and did a remarkable job of pulling the new guys together to form units. T...
by Reb
Fri Oct 01, 2010 6:42 am
Forum: The Allies in WWII
Topic: Lorried Inf Bde in Brit Armd Divs
Replies: 5
Views: 6152

Re: Lorried Inf Bde in Brit Armd Divs

Great stuff. I love dry, boring organizational charts! My wife always checks the back of a book before buying it before to be sure it lots of that.

best
Michael (Reb)
by Reb
Sat Aug 21, 2010 10:33 am
Forum: Books and Reviews
Topic: A couple of excellent imminent Ostfront books
Replies: 50
Views: 24653

Re: A couple of excellent imminent Ostfront books

Marc I've climbed all over the Soviet tanks at Aberdeen Proving Ground and while they certainly have an ominous, almost asiatic look to them, they also come across as poorly constructed junk. I subsequently had the chance to serve in a tank unit with Soviet post war (barely) machines - T55. And yep ...
by Reb
Mon Aug 16, 2010 6:21 am
Forum: General WWII German Military Discussion
Topic: What if...
Replies: 86
Views: 40424

Re: What if...

They would still have lost. In Normandy, where the Germans actually had some pretty well equipped units, the allies had countered the German tactic of massing at the schwerpunkt for big attacks by inderdicting all movement with air and artillery so they couldn't really form up for big attacks like t...
by Reb
Sun May 02, 2010 12:37 pm
Forum: Books and Reviews
Topic: A couple of excellent imminent Ostfront books
Replies: 50
Views: 24653

Re: A couple of excellent imminent Ostfront books

Hey David - Howzit? So you refuse to believe that landing four allied divs in sciliy really saved those poor foolish soviets eh? I wonder how huge a difference LAH would have made, ultimately it was the only pz div of SS Pz Korps to go to Italy and it left all its panzers and heavy weapons with T an...
by Reb
Thu Mar 11, 2010 8:10 am
Forum: Weapons and Equipment
Topic: German view of the Sherman tank
Replies: 24
Views: 22124

Re: German view of the Sherman tank

lwd Correct. The early PIV had a short barreled infantry support gun. It was rapidly upgraded to first a better long 75 and then a much better one. (at work so can't look up the specs). The problem for Sherman was the 76 only appeared in quantity late in '44 and it lacked the punch the 75 had in inf...
by Reb
Wed Mar 10, 2010 1:20 pm
Forum: Weapons and Equipment
Topic: German view of the Sherman tank
Replies: 24
Views: 22124

Re: German view of the Sherman tank

I love debating with you Michael since you always come up with useful info! The fact that 60% of hits were from the side may be due to the fact that many tanks were only vulnerable from the side - at least, German tanks. As I noted, western allied tanks were vulnerable front, side and rear. cheers M...
by Reb
Wed Mar 10, 2010 8:22 am
Forum: Weapons and Equipment
Topic: German view of the Sherman tank
Replies: 24
Views: 22124

Re: German view of the Sherman tank

Michael Sorry - don't agree. Sherman had lots of good features but was drastically undergunned for anything but infantry suport work. The Pz IV had a weapon that could penetrate any western tank at that time (possible exception was Churchill from the front). Sherman was only just getting a 76 mm tha...
by Reb
Thu Feb 25, 2010 8:07 am
Forum: What's New
Topic: Welcome to the forum, tell us about yourself!
Replies: 168
Views: 143528

Re: Welcome to the forum, tell us about yourself!

Antonio

Welcome. Since you like the Eastern Front you'll find much to your liking here. Check out posts by Tigre (Raul) and in particular his work and pictures from the 250 Spanish Blue Div.

cheers
Michael (Reb)
by Reb
Thu Feb 04, 2010 8:33 pm
Forum: Heer
Topic: The 250 ID - Krasny Bor 1943.
Replies: 77
Views: 49615

Re: The 250 ID - Krasny Bor 1943.

Thanks Raul, Sebastion

It's a happy coincidence for me - I was just thinking a couple days ago - "where can one find some good info on the Spanish Div?"

best
Michael (Reb)
by Reb
Thu Feb 04, 2010 7:49 pm
Forum: What's New
Topic: Welcome to the forum, tell us about yourself!
Replies: 168
Views: 143528

Re: Welcome to the forum, tell us about yourself!

John My grandparents lived in Chambersburg which is right next to Gettysburg. The latter town practically oozes history and I try to get there every couple of years at least. Love the Dutch seven sweets and seven sours. (I assume Dutch is actually Deutch in this case). My grandfather took me to the ...
by Reb
Wed Jan 13, 2010 6:48 am
Forum: SS/Waffen-SS
Topic: SS topic of interest poll
Replies: 70
Views: 37285

Re: SS topic of interest poll

John Ringo's Posleen War SCI FI series has quite literally "resurrected" the Waffen SS. The threat from outer space forces them to rejuvenate a senile Mulhlenkamp who forms 8 SS divs to fight the cannibalistic aliens. Not a bad read - called Watch on the Rhine.

cheers
Reb
by Reb
Sun Jan 03, 2010 9:12 am
Forum: Weapons and Equipment
Topic: German view of the Sherman tank
Replies: 24
Views: 22124

Re: German view of the Sherman tank

Probably. A Time on Target can be pretty awe inspiring. They had cute codenames for different levels of mayhem and numbers / calibers of guns - the one that comes to mind immediately is 'serenade.'

cheers
Michael (Reb)
by Reb
Sat Jan 02, 2010 8:21 pm
Forum: Weapons and Equipment
Topic: German view of the Sherman tank
Replies: 24
Views: 22124

Re: German view of the Sherman tank

Carl Alexander McKee notes this in "Caen: Anvil of Victory." Shell shocked German prisoners ask to see the "belt fed twenty five pounders." McKee was on the scene and his book (still a classic - just bought a new copy) was way ahead of the curve for showing both sides. Cheers Mic...
by Reb
Fri Dec 25, 2009 8:26 pm
Forum: Weapons and Equipment
Topic: German view of the Sherman tank
Replies: 24
Views: 22124

Re: German view of the Sherman tank

History of course is time sensitive. At Gazala the M3 Lee/Grant was considered a new and terribly dangerous 'super heavy' allied tank by the Germans who were being hit from ranges exceeding anything the British had thrown at them previously. Sherman made a similar impression at Alamein. The Brits th...