Schuetzen and DAK Kradschuetzen feedback
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North Africa isn’t flat and certainly no flatter than the Russian steppe or a French field, but Kradschutzen would stick mainly to roads anyway, which in France would be paved highways, in North Africa rough tracks.
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I can just repeat: Different writing teams.
The France team did it historical.
Not like: It would be cool…….. .
Mark (Author of Battle for France) is an author that likes to have it historical, not just from books but even getting the facts checked in archives in Germany and France.
So no Kradschützen driving around with guns blazing. There was a reason why Kradschützen units got later converted to recce units with other vehicles. (Those getting Schwimmwagen still not racing around with MG blazing)
That some units are more economic than others is historical. Even more if you compare early, mid and late war ones. They will not meet in Campaign based games.
All German mot. firing tactics are based on the Schießhalt. In SPW with MG or with cannon in Panzer. The advantage in hitting was such that any theoretical gain from speed was neglectable.
You can shoot in moving but hitting is a different story.
Circus trick shooters (like Little sure shot A.O.) use to kill baloons riding fast. Impressive???? No, using dust shot instead of bullets. A trick.The MG firing from Krad was tested in pre war manoevres. And found to be useless. It looks good but did not pay.
Sitting in an open car or on a bike is a good way to get killed in a firefight against well aiming men on the ground or in cover. Everybody able to kill a running deer with a Mauser will be able to kill the poor boys on bike. “Vorhalt” is it named in German Shooting, aiming by taking the move into account.
In Kradschützen and lorry born German infantry tactic was like old dragoons. Dismount and let one man bring the valuable mounts out of the firing zone.
Even in SPW firing was from standing vehicle. In 1944 the typical Panzergrenadier attack was on foot with the SPW giving covering fire from behind.
They did it on move in breakout situations in Kesselschlacht. Not expecting to hit but to make the enemy keep the head down.The K 98 had a flat trajectory. The 1903 amo with “Spitzgeschoss” was designed in a time still dreaming of cavalry charges, so it was intended to be able to meet moving mass targets up to 600 meter with good effect.
Setting the sight at 700 meter the bullet will fly in a “curve” not going higher than 2 meter or under 1m between 50 meter and 650 meter. (But Reglement 1909 still stated starting fire at cavalry with visor set at 900 meter, Ok against the over 2m rider)
The 2000m iron visor settings of K98 are a relic of that time. The bullet flew 4500m. Something hunters shooting around should never forget.
In WW II that was academic. Normally fighting enemy infantry that did short rushes of a few meter before going down again. At longer distance of ca. 300 m they are fought with LMG in short bursts of 3-5 rounds. Waiting for the men to rise again. So never do the breaks between rushes the same number of seconds.
You can hit these rushing men on foot at 300 m with K 98 but following Wehrmacht tests the chance to hit them was 9 times bigger at 100 meter. (Against an immobile target well trained hit at 300m with every round, 10 a minute)
So the Landser was tactical trained to start firing with K98 at 100meter or less. Not wasting amo and risking to get hit by enemy attack support MG.
That was against Western army style attacks. Against the mass attacks of Soviet soldiers, not going down, driven forward by commissars, fire was started on sight. To break them every round that could be fired counted. That explains the extreme difference between German and Soviet losses.
K98 snap shot fire chances against running infantry in street fighting had been poor. First man crossing a street was normally safe if he was not expected. For the rest of the Gruppe it was a bit different…….
Photos and Wochenschau movies are often staged. Like the MG blazing Panzer I in pre war manoevres in front of spectators and camera.
Better are the training movies like Lehrfilm 480 from summer 1944. Panzergrenadiere in coordination with AT and artillery in counterattack. The SPW firing on the move are the flamethrower ones, driving along Soviet trenches.
At Eastern front the wood and straw farm houses had been easy targets, easy to set on fire with tracer amo. MG fire, not expecting to hit the men inside. Targets bigger than barndoors, easy to hit even on the move.
Suppressing fire was done a lot. And also recce by fire, trying to get green troops in ambush to fire back
Not to forget firing to boost own moral. The guys in German SPW used to call the vehicles “Rollende Särge” / moving coffins. The rear doors had been prone to jamming and leaving over the front side was highly dangerous under fire. The SPW reduced the losses but had been no impregnable fortresses. So a bit of banging around……BA is a fun game and a lot of real war can’t be simulated. But that should be no excuse for things that “would be cool”. Like firing an MG from running bike against men. Hardly having effect in real world and being rarely done.
One will find sources for many surprising events. That happened. Once or twice. Like the infantry officer on a stroll with his girlfriend in Themse area at ebb time 1940. A HE 111 circling for curiosity. The angry officer used his .380 and hit the pilot by chance through the open window . The plane went down. I hope few will claim that makes the Enfield .380 an AA weapon. 😉
Fortunately there is no BA police. If the gaming friends like to have moving MG bikes or pink Panther tanks, why not. Have fun.
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I have some practical firing xperiance.I first fired a K98 on range in my early tenths. Static and moving targets. Learning from old soldiers and hunters. Hunting with older family members some years later, using Mauser system rifles among others.
Hmm, my shotguns are British made, shame. No, just the best.I’m the first in family that became no soldier. But was trained as Heer guest days and nights with pistol, G3, LMG and Leo 2 120 mm gun. (Live amo, not simulator) Being professional military historian with good connections has some advantages. Like eating in officer’s mess and free sleeping in barracks in single bed room. No wake up by NCO.
😉
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