WW2 Warfare Discussion thread

Well IIRC there was the flakvering quad gun (IDK the technical name, the 38?) and that did AA work and also the 88 was soon changed to AT work.

Sir wrote:
Hey was the 88 flak cannon ever used as an artillery piece like a M7 Priest or was it simply confided to AT and AA work?

while the 88 was able to fire in a howitzer style fashion, the high velocity it shot at meant that it could not hold as much of an explosive charge as , for example, a 25 pounder (which is also 88mm). the lack of incremental charges like a dedicated howitzer had also was a disadvantage compared to a dedicated howitzer when it came to shelling a target.

and it wasnt just the 88 that was used in indirect fire, an interesting fact here is that m10's and m36's were also equipped with indirect sighting equipment which allowed them to be used in indirect fire as well

During the battle of Belgrade 1944 german defenders running out of artillery support.
In time of need german commanders ordered anti tank units equipped with the 7,5cm Pak 40
to support troops by indirect "artillery fire". So crews had to jack the gun to "play artillery".

Do you'all know if proximity fusing or time delay fuses were used for 88's or the Wolverine or Jackson TDs when firing indirectly.

Regarding  88s, 20mm and 37mm flakvierling two different regimes of fire are used for AA work. 20/37 mm have a range of ~ 1 mile. Their rate of fire is ~ 200-300 rpm They are effective by producing a cone of metal of relatively high density in the same place and time as the enemy aircraft. The 88 was used in large batteries, radio controlled to target zones or arcs of horizen at ~ 25000 ft - 5 miles elevation. They caused damage to aircraft by concussion from HE and secondary shrapnel. A little concussion can cause a lot of loss in lift that can cause all sorts of problems to a bomber flying in tight formation. THe cone of metal concept is frequently cited in articles on MG 34/42 if my exlanation is unclear.

@Otto. Yeah I recently learned that :P. Im not trying to be sarcastic. I seriously  watched a show recently about aircraft and AA guns and learned they used 5inch guns on ships in the Pacific that fire like a 88.

Sir wrote:
@Otto. Yeah I recently learned that :P. Im not trying to be sarcastic. I seriously  watched a show recently about aircraft and AA guns and learned they used 5inch guns on ships in the Pacific that fire like a 88.

Yep, and battleships used in the European theater, like the uss Texas, also used their 5 inch guns to great effect. In fact, the 5in guns mounted on the US battleships and destroyers were considered the best of their class, combining good rate of fire and packing a deadly punch. The US still has reserves of the ammo in case any of the battleships come back into service

What was the "correct" way to hold an MP40? Like if you are firing it. Where are u supposed to hold it to achieve maximum stability? Obviously it depends on preference but I was just wondering what are u technically supposed to do?

Basically I've deduced that there are 3 (typical) places to hold it:



If any of u have experience firing the weapon feel free to share.

Last edited September 6, 2012 at 3:01 AM by Sir Sharks Alot

Well the stock (the left most circle) unfolds and unless you are small enough (most Germans weren't) than it would be quite uncomfortable to hold it where the stock folds up, not enough room.

Most people held it by the magazine, which was bad as this caused the mag to rattle and sometimes even come out.

The best place is the top right most circle, the magazine well. Then again they had problems with holding that there too similar to the magazine holding problems

Holding by the magazine also could be really hot !

Sommarkatze wrote:
Holding by the magazine also could be really hot !

No, unless you are fighting in Africa and you forgot it in the sun then yes. The magazin always stays cool.

He means hot=smexy, that's what we call our chicks too, you know

Dann88 wrote:
He means hot=smexy, that's what we call our chicks too, you know

Well I certainly didn't view it from this angle but I guess they won't do it because it looks good. It's a weapon remember.

What if MP40 can hold as Center Axis Relock stance?

Walki wrote:

No, unless you are fighting in Africa and you forgot it in the sun then yes. The magazin always stays cool.

Well not the magazine itself. I mean the hand your are holding the magazine with. Especially if you are holding it like the top right circle.
Your hand is right under the shell ejector.

During the first year of the war on the eastern front the german army was ill equipped with winter equipment. Iam wondering during the rest of the year? What were the standards ? Did all units get winter equipment later on ( if we except units under siege like the poor souls in Stalingrad).