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  • Between 1924 and 1929 the democratic Weimarer Republik built two very similar classes of Torpedoboote. The Type 1923 ~ Raubvogel class  and the type 1924 ~ Raubtier class.

    The first all named to birds: Möwe / Seeadler / Greif / Albatros / Kondor / Falke, the other to carnivores:  Wolf / Iltis / Luchs / Tiger / Jaguar / Leopard

     

    Design was in…[Read more]

  • I was asked about the role of the vessels up to Zerstörer size and decided to write some notes on historical KM tactics. The Kriegsmarine tactics got dictated by the strategical situation. From the start it lacked the numbers to fight the RN on an equal footing. The Commonwealth fleets had more cruisers than the Kriegsmarine destroyers.

    In…[Read more]

  • PM sent.

  • The attack on Tarento was far away from completely successfull.   Six Battleships in harbor, only  three hit. Two back in service in 4 and 6 months.   Two = a third of the Italian battleships ready for action,   are not affected.

    They tried bombing the oil depot too and failed totally.

     

    Well, with a, attack on Toronto they might have…[Read more]

  • As usual the scratch built Model is made from balsa, cardboard and metal foil, some wire and a lot of glue.

     

    A pity that Warlord is not doing new model types in the moment.  Add snail speed UPS and ….

  • The first came to the front 1942, T 22.  The type was built until end of war, the last getting  ready was T 36.   In Biscaya and Channel they became the main type, often encountered by the British MTB and other small attack craft.  Often successfully fighting Destroyers and Cruisers, the cruiser HMS Charybdis being sunk by torpedoes.

    In Bisc…[Read more]

  • Following the Torpedoboot 1935 and 1937 classes Kriegsmarine changed the tactical design to a Flottentorpedoboot. No longer a Super S-Boot for hit and run but a larger vessel that could operate with the fleet and serve in attack and escort.

    Speed was just 31 knots, not 33 as designed. Even at that the range was just 765 sea miles, at economic…[Read more]

  • You compare training results with real life ones.   In reality the British Aerial torpedo had no bigger chance than other nations. These had own systems, mostly optical ones.

    In the many attacks by British torpedo planes against the Kriegsmarine in Channel and Biskaya the hitting rate was not impressive. Similar  to Luftwaffe pilots most got ne…[Read more]

  • Well Nigel, reality.    All German guns, even the very big 17cm , got used in direct fire against vehicles.

    The muzzle velocity plays no role against ground vehicles, only planes. The Geman 10,5 cm LeFh had one of 470 meter per second on slowest round. 56° angle to each side with fast traverse.   The crew of 10,5 LeFH was also able to raise the h…[Read more]

  • Fire is difficult in writing  gaming rules.

    In hot sommers woods can burn from the smallest spark, in winter or wet weather they will not burn at all. Even if a plane crashes there. And jungle……

     

    Or take the pics of Russian villages burning. Often with captions like Burned by Soviets on retreat or by German attackers. (That wanted to…[Read more]

  • At last my book arrived. Sent by Warlord 21st January, delivery 7th April.   Inside Western Europe, normally 1 week DHL transport time.  Not opened by customs and no sign of custom treatment at all. (Normally a green sticker with  note)

    So UPS had the packet all the weeks in a depot.  I got many notes with intended delivery dates but until last…[Read more]

  • They got what was available. Begging and stealing.   In general those with Vorposten units had more and heavier than those with minesweeping ones.

    It was a slow process. Even the large Vorpostenboote had to wait long for better guns and steel shields.

  • A never ending story ?    Fools day I received a new UPS info:   Passed Customs.     OK, sounds well, but I had the same notice at the beginning of march. Postition is 3 days later still the same, just inside  Germany, not a step nearer to Prussia.

     

    Over 2 months…… .    (It’s no true Brexit  problem, DHL too is slower now but needs 3 weeks…[Read more]

  • The Austrian Landwehr Jäger are of similar quality to the Prussian Freiwillige Jäger.  Similar background, being middle class volunteers. Including some Jewish officers and men.

    The ordinary Landwehr was brave but long not trusted by the authorities. They feared insurrection.But 1809 the Landwehr  did a good show. Good enough that Napoleon dem…[Read more]

  • “Professional Carriers” ?   They are not better. I’m still waiting for a book sent by Warlord via UPS to Germany.  In January!

    UPS gives daily new notes. In depot, at custom,  left cutoms, in depot, on transport , at customs………   Like an ape hitting buttons . I got so many delivery dates…….  Like the Allies post Arnhem it does not mo…[Read more]

  • Many also fought in Channel, for example single ones used with MTB to back them. In October 42 a mixed force of 8 MTB, tw Hunt I and three Hunt III (with 2 TT each) attacked the German raider Komet, escorted by T 4,10,14 and 19.  RN attributed the sinking to a torpedo from MTB 236 but the Torpedoboote noticed no torpedo hit but a fire caused by…[Read more]

  • With UPS / Customs still blocking my book sent in January I will still not order anything from Warlord.

    So scratch building. This time a typical vessel of East coast and Channel fights., a Hunt I. The type had many clashes with German S-Boote and Torpedoboote.

    The original design asked for a small AA destroyer with 6x  4” guns, a quad 2pdr Po…[Read more]

  • If you like painting  (or like me love it) 28mm has no alternative but 40mm.    But if you are one of those that  dislike it 15 mm, 10 or even 6 mm are good options.

    I have 28 mm Napoleonics and 6 mm. In that later small scale I can field large armies in a 1/10 ratio and can use the table size better. But at the end, nothing better than the view…[Read more]

  • In Peninsula the Cuirassiers give you some problems. The 13th rgt there was formed 1808  from 1st provisional rgt de Cuirassiers, a marching regiment from 1st,2nd,3rd Cuirassiers and 1st and 2nd Carabiniers.   Nobody knows about a change of dress by the Carabiniers. Did they get Cuirassier stuff before leaving France?  In 1809 the ragged uni…[Read more]

  • I agree 99%.

     

    But would rate the Jäger much higher than Voltigeurs. They are the original Riflemen, not the Sharp copy.  😉

     

     

    Voltigeurs are equal to the Light infantry battlions- And the Grenzer are a mix etween Light and Line.  By 1814 all the areas lost to France and the new recruits hated the French a lot.

    Not to forget, 1813/14 th…[Read more]

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