Joint Task Force Pope

[panzergator]

M113 did a lot of journeyman stuff besides carrying infantrymen. Maybe that's what they meant.

It seems to me that, with remote turrets like Dragoon, more space can be made available in Bradleys for dismounts. That may be the path I will take - just buy Bradleys and Dragoon turrets so I can carry more troops. Maybe at least one J series pure battalion. The 11-man infantry squad from my ROTC days beckons as a better idea. I do have reservations about conveniently packaging them in one vehicle, to be taken out by a single round, though. I maintain a vivid picture from a book on the Israeli '67 War of an entire squad sitting in a half-track , every man burnt to a crisp by a single artillery round that took out the track. That image has really stayed with me. I just don't know how we double a platoon of dismounts without adding more vehicles to a platoon, otherwise. I think the remote turret is the way to go to get just a couple more dismounts. Never having been inside a Bradley, I don't know. (M2 came after my time). I don't see how Stryker fits into a war with near-peer opponents, either, though. We can't really afford the Soviet approach, where a regiment has half assault troops in BMPs and tanks with the other half in BTRs as follow-up forces. Apparently, AMPV was not intended for a basic troop carrier role, though. Maybe the approach is "It's my army. I'll do what I want.". Make 'em troop carriers, anyway. Squeeze 9 or 10 men in 'em.

[redleg]

Just for clarification, when you say 11-man squad, is that 9 dismounts and a 2-man crew for the APC?

[panzergator]

I actually would like 11 dismounts. Likely 9 is the best that could be done. Even for an M113, 11 was a tight fit with kit. Probably have to go back to the M44.

During the Pentomic experiment, APCs were found in the division's transportation battalion, enough to move two battalions. The APCs came with TC and driver. They came by, picked up the battalion, and taxi'd them into battle. The APC carried the 11-man squad. M59s at the time, N113s later. It wasn't until ROAD came along, after Pentomic failed, that battalions got apcs and we had mech battalions and divisions.

A Youtube I watched this morning had what appeared to be an AMPV-mounted infantry company.

[panzergator]

Today I succumbed and the M10 company joined 1st Battalion, the Stryker Regiment, in its motor pool. There remains only to add a Stryker AT company and some engineers, I think. Should a second battalion join us, the M10 company will become a brigade asset, but for now, it helps form the Stryker Task Force, part of the fast response brigade.

[redleg]

PG, do you include the Stryker MGS in your Stryker infantry battalion org? I seem to recall some org chats showing 3 MGS in each rifle company, but then I think other org charts have omitted them.

Do you paint the Bookers straight green like the Strykers, or are you going camo on them?

[panzergator]

Initially, I had 3 Stryker MGS per company, IAW the early TOE. The Army has discontinued and withdrawn MGS, so I have, as well. I may look at putting the guns on M2, as Chris has done, because I think that's a reasonable idea. Then, I'll have to look at what can be done with the hull. A 90mm turret, such as mounted on Scorpion 90 might be a useful alternative and better suited to the chassis. It could still fulfill its intended function and avoid being called upon to perform a tank mission.

I haven't really changed my opinion that the M10 was a needless waste of time and resources. It may be that it can be made useful. The Sheridan kinda was.

We should have a medium-level ACR or two capable of accompanying a Stryker or Marine expeditionary force when it deploys, although I don't think M10 is it. Maybe it could plug the gap. Now, what did I do with that HSTV-L turret?

I was on active duty in Hq, Ft. Knox when the XM723-become-Bradley was going on. I think the only thing wrong about Bradley was the limited dismounts. With a Dragoon turret, that could be corrected. And opening a hatch to reload the TOW wasn't cool. The Bradley was initially to have a one-man turret, but in order for Armor branch to use it for a cavalry scout, Armor insisted on a two-man turret, similar to what was on ARSV. The ARSV prototype had a 20mm, but the production model was to have the 25mm chain gun as on the M2. It just wasn't ready, yet. The 20mm kinda sucked. See XM723, the early iteration of Bradley. And Congress would not pay for ARSV AND Bradley.

[redleg]

I just finished refurb and repaint of some vehicles last night. A tank platoon and a scout platoon, both for E Troop. They reported to Eagle Troop this morning and now the regiment is up to 22% overall strength. It's coming along, slowly but surely!





And then there is this guy. As I was stripping tanks, adding MGs, and repainting them I noticed that this one M1A1 didn't have a bustle rack. so I started investigating and found that it was an M1, not a M1A1! LOL I don't think I ever purchased M1s, so I must have picked it up in an ebay lot or something. It still got painted and now I need to figure out what to do with it. I also need to go through the rest of my tanks to make sure there aren't any other M1s in where I think I have M1A1s!

[panzergator]

Get a small piece of wook, paint it off white, glue the tank on it, and post it at the gate to your motor pool.

[panzergator]

Painting. I have a tremor in my painting hand, which is frustrating. So not doing much painting. But considering a dark OD overall, or a forest green. If camo, my own which would be forest green with gray sticks. When I look at armor in scrub and forests in Germany, that seems to be what I see. But camo isn't for the local eye. It's for cameras and sensors. It needs to be simple. I know exactly what I would use in the old Humbrol, but everything has changed since.

[chrisswim]

That is an M-1.
The previous M1 model had a thicker barrel, so I use thos as M1A1, the M1A1 that GHQ produces, I use as M1A1 HA.
These tanks might illustrate.
The tank on the right is the M1 that I use as M1A1



The two towards the left are the M1A1 that we love, that I use as M1A1 HA. Representing DU in the armor mix.

[redleg]

Painting. I have a tremor in my painting hand, which is frustrating. So not doing much painting. But considering a dark OD overall, or a forest green. If camo, my own which would be forest green with gray sticks. When I look at armor in scrub and forests in Germany, that seems to be what I see. But camo isn't for the local eye. It's for cameras and sensors. It needs to be simple. I know exactly what I would use in the old Humbrol, but everything has changed since.

I use Tamiya paint now and I have ben pretty happy with Field Gray (XF-65) for my base green color.

Nice tanks, Chris!

[panzergator]

See new topic.

[redleg]

Just finished some vehicles for E Troop! This is 3rd platoon and a pair of wheeled vehicles for the maintenance section.

[chrisswim]

They look very nice, well done.
Thank you for your post and sharing.

[foxbat]

I like the way you texture the bases of your infantry. When I get back to 6mm, I will try something similar. However small the scatter material I use, it still doesn't good with the tiny figures.