Incongruous Weapons and Equipment Thread

[George Eller]

Originally Posted by Rising Sun*

George,

Good to see you back.

We've missed you.

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Thanks RS

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Originally Posted by Panzerknacker

Japanese -americans with german equipment, that was weird. welcome back dear Jorge.

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I thought the same thing PK, very unusual.

Thanks for the welcome back

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[VonWeyer]

Hey George it's good to see you're back.

[George Eller]

Originally Posted by VonWeyer

Hey George it's good to see you're back.

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Many thanks VW

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[flamethrowerguy]

Somebody just posted this one at the photo section and called it an armoured trolley...



What the...?

[Nickdfresh]

Originally Posted by flamethrowerguy

Somebody just posted this one at the photo section and called it an armoured trolley...



What the...?

Or maybe they're just "Team Biathlon" contestants?

[Panzerknacker]

I remember that photo from "Deutsche Panzer raritaten 1935-45".

[tankgeezer]

And here I thought they were out wassailing..

[Panzerknacker]

Agreed. This is a german small boat with some kind of machinegun wich is not german.

[Rising Sun*]

Originally Posted by flamethrowerguy

Somebody just posted this one at the photo section and called it an armoured trolley...



What the...?

If you were going to go to the trouble of constructing what looks like an armoured sled, why wouldn't you add another foot or so of armour with gun ports instead of leaving the riflemen's heads fully exposed? As it is, a shot from one side can hit riflemen on either side.

[pdf27]

Is it actually armoured? It looks like it's intended for snowy conditions, in which case the ground pressure would be critical. Anything heavier than splinter plate would probably be too much.

[Deaf Smith]

Originally Posted by Rising Sun*

If you were going to go to the trouble of constructing what looks like an armoured sled, why wouldn't you add another foot or so of armour with gun ports instead of leaving the riflemen's heads fully exposed? As it is, a shot from one side can hit riflemen on either side.

And an airburst from a mortar or AAA gun would just cream them. It would be a death slead. Even a thrown grenade exploding over them would be awful.

Deaf

[Rising Sun*]

Originally Posted by pdf27

Is it actually armoured? It looks like it's intended for snowy conditions, in which case the ground pressure would be critical.

On closer inspection in light of your post, you may well be correct.

Originally Posted by pdf27

Anything heavier than splinter plate would probably be too much.

But why bother using a tank to push a sled with about a section of riflemen aboard when a similar firepower, and tactically more flexible and better, result could be achieved more easily and cheaply with two or three Bren carrier type vehicles adapted for snow with suitable MGs with a tank independently in the rear? Or forward, or anywhere else it wants to go for tactical advantage without being bound to the sled?

[Panzerknacker]

They had no an equivalent ot the bren carrier, the most close was the KFZ 2 Kettenkrad, but it was unarmored. The trolley was armored to withstand mg fire.

And they way the Bren carrier was also unarmored in the top so a mortar would cream the crew too.

[Nickdfresh]

I imagine that this was no battle-sled, and was only a way of ferrying troops around behind, and to, the lines...

[pdf27]

Originally Posted by Rising Sun*

But why bother using a tank to push a sled with about a section of riflemen aboard when a similar firepower, and tactically more flexible and better, result could be achieved more easily and cheaply with two or three Bren carrier type vehicles adapted for snow with suitable MGs with a tank independently in the rear? Or forward, or anywhere else it wants to go for tactical advantage without being bound to the sled?

Because something like that can be knocked up quickly and easily with some scrap steel and an arc welder, and can then be towed by any available tracked vehicle. Specialist vehicles (which as PK correctly notes the Germans didn't even produce) would often be unavailable - hardly a surprise given the appalling state of the German supply lines in Russia, where any such sledge-type arrangement would presumably be used.