Feldgrau.net

I am working on a novel in which Hitler is assassinated in November, 1938. I was very interested in using Georg Elser to do the job (a year early). Maurice Bavaud was a clueless amateur. But I have justed finished reading parts of "Target Hitler, the Plots to Kill Adolf Hilter" by James P....

I recently read a ne biography of Stalin from Russian sources. The Russian author, who had full access to many Russian archives and who had for example met Molotov before he died, concluded that OF COURSE Stalin planned to invade the West. And when those plans were upset ALL record of them was SYSTE...

I also believe that in the heat of battle EVERY gunner fired center of mass. Battle hardened veterans might wait for the angle to change (and the range to decrease), but a gunner couldn't SEE the vision slit on the bow machineginner's position, etc. If you fire 10 rounds aimed at the center of mass,...

The best measure of comparison is the weight (and type) of explosive filler. As mentioned, this varies a LOT, even within 75mm shells. For purests, there is a LARGE increase in effective burst radius for high angle firing. Actually, there is a LARGE increase in burst area for high "angle of fal...

First, the Bf-110 had the same armament as a Bf-109. The 2 or 3 extra MG-15s being inconsequential compared to the 2x 20mm FFM. It was NOT "heavily armed", considering that several countries already had "heavy fighters" with 4x20mm in 1939. Second, the Bf-110 is the most successf...

The key quote from Hitler is commonly misrepresented. What Hitler meant was that Crete demonstrated that airborne forces would not SURPRISE anyone again, not that they had lost their effectiveness. There were more German airborne troops available in June 1941 then there were in May 1940, perhaps 2 o...

The CEP for the Luftwaffe in 1940 was perhaps 1/2 mile, under the best optical conditions. I think CEP for X-Gerat was something like 1 mile. So if you made enough bomb runs, dropping 1 bomb each run, the odds of hitting any particular square meter will eventually build up to 50% or so. Of course af...

It is supposed to be possible for a division to mass all of the division's artillery anywhere along the front line. Assuming that the division is in a defensise posture, the artillery should be positioned with perhaps 50% of its range forward of the Main Line of Resistance. From this position the ri...

Nomonhan is very overrated. The Japanese had previously beaten the Russians in a battle at the Khasan Lakes, and even at Nomonhan the losses to the Red Air Force were tremendous. The Russians only won at Nomonhan because the Russians had greatly superior numbers (especially artillery) and because th...

This is from "Soviet Field Artillery in World War II" by Michael Foedrowitz. "One of the most successful Soviet guns (Serial No. 2464) was a 122-mm (Model 1938) gun, which fired a total of 6,541 shells while covering a distance of 4,605 kilometers from Moscow to the Baltic coast. Duri...

There is a neat little paper back book translated from the German and sold in the US as "Russian Artillery". I have a copy somewhere, but can't find it in the mess. In this book they quote specific Russian numbers for 1 or 2 of the most famous 76mm field guns in the Red Army. I think the w...

Some years ago I saw in a book store a simply wonderful book on the Paris gun (which Americans call Big Bertha). It was expensive, I didn't buy it, and I've never seen it again. Sigh. From other sources the Paris gun was a true wonder, but the Germans were pushing the state of the art. The shells fo...

I don't know any sites devoted to German artillery, but if you have some specific questions about artillery and things, I'll try to answer them.

A good number is something like 1,000 rounds EFC. I understand that the modern tanks (T-62, etc.) have such hot rounds that the main gun tube is worn out in perhaps 200 rounds. Or perhaps enough for 1 war. Battleship main guns were good for something like 500 EFC rounds, and several US battleships t...

Assuming the Halder plot to depose the Nazis went ahead in 1938 around the time of the Munich crisis ... And that civilianized Germany did not invade Poland in 1939 ... What happens if General von Seekt, advisor to Chiang Kai-Shek asks for aviation support from Germany instead of Captain Chennault g...