While waiting on my game....

[ottoramsaig]

I have found the T34 vs Tiger manual and reading through it, found myself interested in the Ranging utilized in the game. This is of great interest as I have commanded an M48A5 (1977) a non stabilized gun and sight. We were trained to roll to a quick stop engage and move out (a good driver never rocks the tank). Once completed we would pull into a defencive posistion "Hull Down". This would bring into play the Range Finder, a mechanical gear driven system that superimposed a mirror image of the target you looking at. Rotation of the mirror with a manual hand crank would place the Ghost Image over the target and provide the TC a range + or - 10 meters. Balistic Sabot, and HEAT-T actually compensated for the range discripancy while the high velocity and superelevation (Range) of the ballistic solution was feed through a mechanical link by the TC to the 105mm gun Ballistic Drive System. Easy Right?

During Tank Table 8 a crew is timed on all aspects of "Moving and Stationary" gunnery. On the offense engagement the crew is presented a stationary tank while they are moving. The command and order of events are graded by an evaluator. "Gunner Sabot Tank, Driver Stop, Identified, Up, FIRE! Target, Driver move out, Crew Report. At which time the Gunner inputs data to the ballistic Drive, selecting Ammo (normally Sabot) and a range of 1200 meters. As you can see a lot is happening and can take away the TC's ability to manage the moving engagement. The work around was a technique call "BATTLESIGHT" Gunnery. The selection of ammo detiremined the BATTLESIGHT range, i.e: Sabot 1200m, HEAT-T 1600, HEP-T 1800. The solution fed to the ballistic computer would be compensated by each different rounds flight caracteristics. The command is simple and effective: Gunner! Battlesight! Tank!. The gunner now simply applies his proper recticle for the engagement (Sabot or Heat-T) aims the 1200 meter aiming dot (1200 Meters in the sabot recticle) Yells Identified and "On the Way"!squeezing the triggers.

A good crew would would shave 10 - 15 seconds on the offensive enagement gaining the crew 1000 points towards qualification. In 1984 at Fort Drum, New York I was engaging the course (Tank Table 8) and had just continued to move out after my offensive engagement towards a defensive posistion. I knew that is would be a moving from a stationary battle posistion when a malfunction of the range equipment raise the moving tank target on top of a berm and was moving smartly, being so pumped up I gave the command Gunner! Battlesight! Moving Tank! Fire! My gunner without stabilization utilizing BATTLESIGHT gunnery hit dead center Mass. I have always believed in the Battle Ready Posture of a round in the chamber, ammo selected, predetirmed range indexed, weapon (105mm) on safe. We qualified "Top Gun" that year.

[Chucky]

Interesting stuff Otto.It's always nice to have 'real' tankers on a forum.

[ZeeWolf]

That's fantastic Otto! I would imagine you would appreciate the German
tank crew discipline on the Eastern Front as they fought against the overwhelming Red Army's armored onslaught using less sophisticated weapon
aids.

ZeeWolf

[ottoramsaig]

I have always believed that US Tank tactics were basically learnt from German dictorine, the great General Himself "Rommel". I would like to see this game flourish into more theaters of war i.e: Afrika Corps?

[ZeeWolf]

Originally Posted by ottoramsaig

I have always believed that US Tank tactics were basically learnt from German dictorine, the great General Himself "Rommel". I would like to see this game flourish into more theaters of war i.e: Afrika Corps?

It will and that is a major part of my vision for T34 vs Tiger. Of course I am
counting on much more individual support for "Project ZeeWolf " that will come
in as a direct result of the work going in to translating that vision into the best
WWII Tank Simulation possible. Although the Africa Corp is way down on
the list because of it being so well know. I tend to gravitate to the battles of
the more UN-known to most Americans. I believe Field Marshal Von Manstian
should be as well know as Rommel. As for my favorite tank actions go, it's
the battles that include the 2nd SS Panzer Corp. that I am in awe over.
In particular the SS Heavy Panzer Divisions 1-2 and 3. And of course Gross
Deutschland's Heavy companies too etc..

So the future of T34 vs Tiger looks good in my view

ZeeWolf

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by ottoramsaig

This would bring into play the Range Finder, a mechanical gear driven system that superimposed a mirror image of the target you looking at. Rotation of the mirror with a manual hand crank would place the Ghost Image over the target and provide the TC a range + or - 10 meters.

Reminds me a bit of the Leopard-1A5's range boxes that had to be adjusted around the target image, and by doing so then had precisely measured the range to target.

[ottoramsaig]

I mention the BATTLESIGHT Gunnery as I have watched on U Tube gameplay from T34 vs Tiger it seems to me that a lot of folks are maintaining an 800m sight picture and applying the Burst on Target "BOT" method. "ARE" Aim center mass, Remember your sight picture, End lay in elevation. FIRE!!!!!!!!!