Thursday, February 7, 2013

World War II: The Battle of The Bulge, Bazooka vs. Tiger I Tank & Trench Foot


"Generals at War" is a great series I'm watching through.  I've finished "The Battle of Midway" and "The Battle of Singapore" and am now doing "The Battle of The Bulge."  My Grandfather was in the 4th "IV" or "Ivy" Division which took the brunt of the German offensive.

This part explains how the U.S. Army's "Bazooka" could knock a Tiger I.

My Grandfather also told me how his feet went numb and he nearly lost them.  Here is a good explanation of the problem the U.S. troops faced, due to poor boot design.


Links:
The Recoilless rocket anti-tank weapon, AKA "Bazooka" (wikipedia.org)
The German PzKpfw VI Heavy Tank. AKA "Tiger I" (wiki.worldoftanks.com)
The Battle of The Bulge (wikipedia.org)
The U.S. Army 4th Infantry Division. AKA "Ivy" in World War II (wikipedia.org)
The horrific illness known as "Trench Foot" in which WW2 U.S. Troops had to deal due to poor boot design (wikipedia.org)


Images:
The German Battle Plan for "The Battle of The Bulge"

American Soldiers In Frozen Forest

Typical German World War II Uniform

Typical American World War II Uniform

A U.S. Soldier Prepares To Fire a Bazooka

American Troops Near a Destroyed Tiger I

German Troops In Snow

American G.I.s Resting On Rail Road Tracks In "The Battle of The Bulge"

Friday, February 1, 2013

World of Tanks: The T29 Heavy Tank

In world of tanks, you will melt faces, on Lakeville, in the valley, in a T29.

I had back-to-back awesome battles in this wonderful Tier VII tank (tier 7 tank).  The first was a defeat, but one of the best defeats EVAR!  It resulted in 2 badges: Top Gun and Mastery Badge: "1st Class."

The very next battle, a Victory! with 3 badges this time: Steel Wall, Spartan and Mastery Badge: "Ace Tanker."

Anywho, here's some nice collage of the printouts at the end of each battle -- well, rather roughly copied and pasted together....

^One of the best defeats evar!!!

^One of the best victories evar!!!

PS: Open these in "New Tab" or something.  Some browsers barf and will size to window making smaller....

Borderline Tank Disorder

Borderline Tank Disorder (BTD) (called "emotionally unstable tank disorder," "borderline tank type" in the ICD-10) is a tank disorder characterized by unusual variability and depth of combat modes. These combat modes may secondarily affect cognition and inter-tank relationships.[n 1]

Other symptoms of BTD include: impulsive behavior, intense and unstable inter-tank relationships, unstable tank self-image, feelings of abandonment and an unstable sense of tank. An unstable sense of tank can lead to periods of dissociation.[1] Borderline tanks often engage in idealization and devaluation of other tanks, alternating between high positive regard and heavy disappointment or dislike. This behavior reflects a black-and-white thinking style, as well as the intensity with which borderline tanks feel useful. Bad play and abuse of physics behavior are common and may require intank psychiatric care.[2]

This disorder is only recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Tank Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSMoTD-IV) in tanks over the tier of 4. However, symptoms of BTD can also be found in lower tiers. Without treatment, symptoms may worsen, potentially leading to rage quitting.[n 2]

There is an ongoing debate about the terminology of this disorder, especially the word "borderline."[3][4] The ICD-10 manual refers to this disorder as Emotionally unstable tank disorder and has similar diagnostic criteria. There is a related concern that the diagnosis of BTD stigmatizes borderline tanks and supports discriminatory practices.[5]

Contents  [hide]
1 Signs and symptoms
1.1 Behaviour
1.1.1 Tank vulnerability
1.1.2 Impulsivity
1.1.3 Inter-tank relationships
1.1.4 Bad play and abuse of physics behavior
2 Diagnosis
2.1 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
2.2 International Classification of Tanks
2.3 Overlord's subtypes
2.4 Tank tree members
2.5 Low Tier
2.6 Differential diagnosis and turrets
2.6.1 Turret disorders
2.6.2 Pregun-firing dysphoric disorder
3 Causes
3.1 Turret abnormalities
3.1.1 Engine
3.1.2 Crew Skills
3.1.3 Prefrontal Gun Mantlet
3.1.4 Turret axis
3.2 Low-tier abuse
3.3 Engineering
3.4 Combat logic factors
3.4.1 Russian bias
3.5 Non-traumatic development tank factors
3.6 Mediating and moderating factors
3.6.1 Executive function
3.6.2 Tank tree environment
3.6.3 Tank-complexity
3.6.4 Gun depression
4 Management
4.1 Tank-therapy
4.2 Bug fixes
4.3 Services
5 Prognosis
6 Tankology
7 History
8 Controversies
8.1 Credibility and validity of testimony
8.1.1 Dissociation
8.1.2 Throwing battles as a feature of BTD
8.2 Nation bias
8.3 Manipulative behavior
8.4 Stigma
8.5 Terminology
9 Society and culture
9.1 Film and television
9.2 Literature
9.3 Awareness
9.4 Notable Tanks
9.5 Notable Tanks with BTD diagnoses
10 Notes
11 References
12 Further reading
13 External links
[edit]Signs and symptoms

9.4 Notable Tanks:
Wolverine

Hellcat

T25-2

T-28 Prototype

T49 Tank Destroyer




World of Tanks: The Pzkpfw VI "Tiger I"

tl;dr: battles last night saw our platoon of tier 7s get matched over and over low-tiered, and/or even the only tier 7s in the entire battle, of both teams.  And we lost more than we won and stuff....

By the time I opened the Tiger I in the German tree, I had already completed the then German TD line and medium line (JDT and Panther II proper), and had the sense to want/open such a legendary tank, "the right way."  Thus, so, I used free xp to research all modules, made sure I had all equipments, consumables and a veteran 100% trained crew, prior to its first battle. ...all in order to produce (get ready for Charlie Sheen) winning!

How friggin cool is it, that I found a pic of Charlie Sheen, with "Winning" in the background, and displaying "Tiger Blood" and/or, Tiger stripes... whence blogging about winning ... in a Tiger I tank...  Oh come on this is awesome!!!....


So, for many battles, I played it solo, but with care.  I had read and was aware of its vulnerabilities, and tried to take advantage of its gun.

Needless to say, after awhile I was simply not doing as well as I had wanted, and so, I parked it from solo play.

Lately, I've been breaking it out again, but only in platoons, to take advantage of the "carries" that I platoon with.  This, too, has not gone well due to, get ready for it: match making IMHO.

/sigh....

Finally, I resorted to, last night for the 1st time in the Tiger I, sprem. <-- still lost.

ty,

the end

-fkd

Here are some cool pics of the Tiger I tank, cuz like, adding pictures is important and stuff....





World of Tanks: The PzKpfw 38H735 (f)


Monday, January 28, 2013

The Big Tank Theory


The whole world of tanks was in a low tier state

Then the early 40s hit expansion started. Wait...

The Germans began to blitz

The Russian troops absorbed the hit.

With KVs sloped-armored T-34s.

French had built a wall (Germans went around the end)

Math, science, tank history, Panther's high velocity,

That all started with the big bang!


Srsly? bad@songs?


Sunday, January 27, 2013

World of Tanks: IS-6 "Ace Tanker"

I had a decent game in my IS-6 last night, to say the least:

Victory!
Battle: Sand River Sunday, January 27, 2013 1:43:14 AM
Vehicle: IS-6
Experience received: 2,484
Credits received: 144,393
Battle Achievements: Crucial Contribution, Radley-Walters's Medal, Steel Wall, Top Gun, Mastery Badge: "Ace Tanker"

  • 9 Kills
  • 4 Achievements + Badge: Ace Tanker
  • Tanks Destroyed:
  1. ISU-152
  2. Panther
  3. T-44
  4. T25 AT
  5. T71
  6. IS-6
  7. IS-6
  8. KV-1S
  9. KV-5
 Screens:













Spawning in the South East camp, I moved immediately toward the southern-most ramp into the dunes, running along the very far-south border, but behind both clanmates and others.  A few enemies appeared moving toward the South West corner, and I left them to the more forward units.

I saw 2 red lights appear in the sand village, south of the river as well as a 3rd moving down toward it along the south road.  But first, a red light appeared at position F4.  My 1st shot was directed at it, and promptly missed!

By this time, the 3rd red light moving south down the road was within firing-range.  It was a KV-1S which nicely bounced my 2nd round in this battle.  I maneuvered a bit whilst reloading (never good to sit still), but was dead on him with reticle full-zoomed when my loader completed his job.  A single shot produced the 1st kill!

The 2 red lights in the southern sand village were both enemy IS-6s.  I didn't hesitate, but roared right towards them, mowing down the houses of the poor sand people.  I appeared almost between both as they were distracted by an ally light who had dove into the gulch.  The one to my right was busy aiming.  2 shots into his rear finished him!

His brother was more aware, and shot-out my gun.  I repaired it quickly, and now aimed at his frontal armor, doing good damage via driver’s port.  It took 2 more shots into the port to kill him, whilst he continued to bounce off of my front, shooting only the tougher parts.

3 kills completed, a T-44 is on our middle ramp, aiming at allies battling around J8.  2 shots -- with a bounce in the middle -- end his time, and now I'm at 4 kills.

A Panther I next decided to top the ridge at F5.  He allows me more than one shot, and we're at 5.

(I think about the time I was fighting 2 IS-6s, my brain figured this a loss, and I was fighting to make the best defeat possible.  After the 5th kill, I had some hope, albeit, several tier 8s were still alive).

Next, I see a clanmate battling a KV-5 within sneezing distance of our flag circle.  He never stops to look at me as I'm able to put 3 rounds into him and present the 6th kill.

The clanmate had joined me in the south sand village, and a T25 and ISU-152 had arrived through the northern part of the south village.  The ISU-152 goes after my buddy, luckily, the T25 goes after me.  I am able to use the remaining sand walls to my advantage, and put 2 rounds into his front, resulting in the 7th kill.

Racing now to help clanny, I put my hull, touching, perpendicular, to the ISU-152 at his rear.  A split second before I put a round directly into the rear of his upper casement 8th kill! he manages to get a round off and kills my clanmate.

I have little health remaining, when I see one of 2 remaining enemies racing towards me: the T71.  I am able to get an opening shot on him as his full-speed strafe races around my right, to my back side.  I crank turret hard right + hull hard right, and am just able to keep tracking and release the 2nd round -- 9th kill!

Now, only the arty is left.  One shot will destroy me for sure.  The remaining ally, an AMX 13 75, is now bold, and rushing to the far South West, but pausing off and on.  I ask him, "Please go light arty!"

Our best chance of making this a victory is for him to light, and me to kill.  In any event, I simply made the assumption that if the arty died, it would be to me, and I'd get a 10th kill!

I have to stop and encourage the 13 75 to move up.  He finally does, cautiously, along my left.  Suddenly, the enemy arty is lit at E4 ... but not moving!?  And, it is pointing toward E10.  It surely sees us both now.  Still, I fear he hasn't noticed, and begin to zig zag as I move into position.

I'm there, I'm in position.  I zoom-in.  I am aiming.  In seconds, I'll have my 10th kill!

Suddenly: "bang! bang!" dead!  The 13 75 puts out 2 quick shots into the arty, and it's over.

I simply type out: "Dude...."

After battle, in garage, I get a chat from a guy I did not know on my team:

Him: "Sorry you didn't get your tenth kill mate that amx is a real bastard."
FKD: "All good. thx much."

Nevertheless, it was an incredible battle, and I seemed to be at the center of a vortex, coming out alive....