I had no idea about the indirect fire capability. Was it used much?
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I had no idea about the indirect fire capability. Was it used much?
It was certainly used occasonal and late in the war in some very extreme ways. Such as mounting 14 of them on a Windser carrier! see post 2740.
Sorry but any weapon you have to stand up straight on a battlefield to cock and has a round that travels so slowly you can see where it came from is deeply flawed. Even if the lack of back blast is useful.
Standing up to cock the PIAT is a bit of a Myth, If used correctly the PIAT self cocked after each shot using the recoil, Also IIRC there was a technique for cocking the weapon lying down on you side and with your feat on the butt plate using your leg muscles to compress the spring. The PIAT was also used for mouse holing in Urban warfare.
The PIAT did give the poor infantry some anti-tank capabilty, and I think to the guys on the ground the fact they had some way of tackling tanks was more important.
Story 0559
April 20, 1941 1900 Albania
The Greek army surrendered to the German invaders. They had been flanked after holding Italians in place.
Several hundred miles away, the Commonwealth forces fell back to another blocking position near Athens even as the decision was made to withdraw the corps. Ships were already loading ancillary personnel from the RAF and the Army and leaving for Crete.
Too close to the Poleski Oil fields. They have to take it or bomb the hell out of it continually.
More AA and fighters around Ploesti is "cheaper" than trying to take Crete. Taking Crete is great if it looks like it can be done easily and on the cheap with forces at hand. ITTL the conditions that made it possible (barely) to take Crete at an acceptable (barely) price do not apply here.
If the Germans had more victories like Crete the allies would have won the war much sooner.
When's he NOT at the morphine? And as always, excellent updates, damn fine writing and web weaving.
We the readers know that Germany can't afford to try and take Crete, but the real question is do the Germans in this story know that?
While the Germans have had a harder time they've still accomplished everything they set out to do apart from getting Britain to the conference table. The men at the top have the Victory Disease.
Story 0560
April 20, 1941 1900 Ramadi, Iraq
The call to prayers ended. Men and women had stopped what they were doing and unrolled their mats. They aligned themselves to Mecca and repeated their devotions. For the troopers of the Royal Wiltshires, this was an easier posting than keeping the peace in Jerusalem. They had arrived in Iraq a week ago along with most of the Arab Legion and an infantry regiment. Those units were either back at Habbaniya or in Fallujah. Up ahead, the general in charge of the battle group along with a small escort was negotiating access for the rest of the 4th Cavalry Brigade to Baghdad and then Basra. But until then, the men looked at the town folk of Ramadi and wondered where they could find a cold drink.
The call to prayers ended. Men and women had stopped what they were doing and unrolled their mats. They aligned themselves to Mecca and repeated their devotions. For the troopers of the Royal Wiltshires, this was an easier posting than keeping the peace in Jerusalem. They had arrived in Iraq a week ago along with most of the Arab Legion and an infantry regiment. Those units were either back at Habbaniya or in Fallujah. Up ahead, the general in charge of the battle group along with a small escort was negotiating access for the rest of the 4th Cavalry Brigade to Baghdad and then Basra. But until then, the men looked at the town folk of Ramadi and wondered where they could find a cold drink.
Story 0561
April 21, 1941 Liverpool
HMS Basilisk limped into harbor. She had been escorting a slow convoy from Halifax. They had lost three ships. As the heavily laden ships entered the Mersey, the destroyer shook. A bottom laid mine detonated yards from the destroyer. It had been placed by a night bomber a few days ago. The destroyer’s port side was ripped open to the sea. A few men were able to escape into the brackish estuary and they were picked up by the numerous light craft that served any major port. More men were trapped in their hammocks. Damage control teams were able to allow some to escape but flooding threatened to capsize the ship unless it was contained. Hatches were dogged and as the damage control teams struggled to stay afloat, they heard their shipmates first scream and then go silent as the water rose in the open to the sea compartments.
Three hours later, a tug boat brought the destroyer to a pier where additional pumps and more men were brought on board to dry out the ship. She would need to be in drydock for months.
HMS Basilisk limped into harbor. She had been escorting a slow convoy from Halifax. They had lost three ships. As the heavily laden ships entered the Mersey, the destroyer shook. A bottom laid mine detonated yards from the destroyer. It had been placed by a night bomber a few days ago. The destroyer’s port side was ripped open to the sea. A few men were able to escape into the brackish estuary and they were picked up by the numerous light craft that served any major port. More men were trapped in their hammocks. Damage control teams were able to allow some to escape but flooding threatened to capsize the ship unless it was contained. Hatches were dogged and as the damage control teams struggled to stay afloat, they heard their shipmates first scream and then go silent as the water rose in the open to the sea compartments.
Three hours later, a tug boat brought the destroyer to a pier where additional pumps and more men were brought on board to dry out the ship. She would need to be in drydock for months.
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