Deleted member 1487
Well, that's what gun-howitzers are for like the Soviet 152mm corps level guns:There is no point to compare cannons and howitzers. One group 'chases' range, another 'chases' shell weight. Both are needed, neither can do other group's job well. Nobody used howitzers for CB if they had cannons around.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/152_mm_howitzer-gun_M1937_(ML-20)
The one thing though about the 127mm/128mm gun is that it could fire the lighter FLAK shells designed for fragmentation effect (IIRC with pre-grooved internal casing like a fragmentation grenade) which can get better range and still have strong anti-personnel effect even with reduce blast, but say use it with reduced charge at a higher angle against infantry targets and it would do a decent job at anti-personnel support fire.
I was wondering what an ideal employment of such a weapon would be...for the VAK I'm thinking 3 battalions of 127mm guns, 1 battalion of 210mm Mörser, and 1 battalion of 170mm heavy guns to be utilized at the army level as a combined firepower asset. For the corps level a regiment with 3 battalions, 2x 127mm and 1x mixed 210mm/170mm guns (6x 210, 3x 170) all towed pieces. For Panzer corps they'd get first pick of the self propelled versions, with second pick being the VAK at army level. Perhaps if there are enough to go around have 127mm SP make up one battalion, 105mm Wespe make up another, and 150mm Hummels the third.
That isn't really accurate in terms of Bohemian industry. They invested very heavily in Czech industry, as it was so useful. I mean look at how many Pz38(t) chassis they made in WW2. Czech workers were pretty pacified by SS terror policies implemented by Heydrich.Thanks for the numbers.
As for the Skoda's capacity, I think you've added 2 and 2 together and arrived at 5. Germans were reluctant to invest anywhere but Germany proper (with few exceptions), while encouraging their Allies to buy what was produced in Germany. Skoda was a premier exporter of artillery pieces between the wars, that is not achieved by having low capacity to produce, nor with outdated designs.
https://books.google.com/books?id=1...onepage&q=czech industry nazi germany&f=false
The Czech industries were unique except with Poland in WW2 in terms of German investments in their industry.
https://books.google.com/books?id=e...page&q=nazi investment czech industry&f=false
Well they had muzzle brakes IOTL.Churn out the Geshutzwagen III/IV as much as possible, it is a non-nonsense vehicle that can use powerful artillery pieces from 15cm sFh down. Since the 'G III/IV' handled the sFh 18 recoil, it will not have the problem with 12,7 cm.
Good idea might've been to outfit the big guns with muzzle brakes ASAP, though.
But in terms of the lighter, simpler chassis, if it worked make a bunch of them and invest more resources in their production sooner, put less into the Panther and Tiger until later.
