Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => The Great War => Topic started by: Wyrmalla on February 13, 2019, 12:15:22 AM
-
Out of general interest, and I don't expect to find all of this information in one place, but I'd be interested in finding out more about proposed changes and trends in military technology had the war continued.
Specifically on subjects like the massed tank battles planned for 1919. Where there were many designs for new vehicles being developed, from APCs to Super Heavy tanks. Some of which would be built post-war, others didn't.
Or with small arms technology we would see a higher proliferation of Sub-Machine Guns (particularly in German service), as well as silly designs like the Pedersen Device (which whilst looking fancy, would have been awful in service).
I'm picturing a wargame set in say an alternative history world where the Treaty of Versailles was more lenient, and things followed the German ideal plans that they could re-enter the war at a later date. With games involving a higher proliferation of various types of more specialised armoured vehicles, and infantry outfitted in armour with shorter ranged weapons, grenade rifles, light machine guns, etc.
Youtube Channels like The Great War, Forgotten Weapons, and The Tank Museum, and of course websites like Tank Encyclopedia, go into some depth, but any more resources would be appreciated. Among the various projects I'm working on, and thinking about starting, a "Plan 1919" setting is something I'd considered, with a focus on the more theoretical technologies of course (for the sake of looking weird, instead of just more of the same WWI figures which are already available).
-
I seem to recall some time in the distant past hearing that there was a plan to re-arm and supply the Germans to help fight off the Bolshevik peril.
If you took that as a starting point for plan 1919 it would also give you the option of French & British alongside Germans against hordes of Russians (possibly alongside mutinous Germans)
-
The Landships website is possibly a good place for what you are after.
http://www.landships.info/landships/tank_articles.html#
USA in particular had a large tank production programme planned up to when the war ended. There are articles on this website about the tanks they were going to produce. I like the steam tank they built. Black Army Productions does a nice model of it that has often tempted me.
Also articles on the British Mark IX troop carrier and other British Tanks developments
I like your thinking. Interesting possibilities as to how warfare on the Western Front would have changed if all these tank projects had come to fruition and been deployed en mass.
-
For the moment I'm considering a Skirmish sized game. So in particular would be looking for ideas about smaller tanks. For instance the Germans had the LW II - which Empress Miniatures now make in 1/56 (formerly HLBS stock). My main resource for tanks has been Tank Encyclopedia, but that site that armchairgeneral links has just what I'm looking for. For instance the Americans could field say the Ford 3-ton Tank (which conveniently was built on the Renault FT-17 chassis), though I'm not sure exactly what I'd be doing with this other than well, at least Germans.
Currently I'm just feeling out future projects and trying to see if the idea would be viable. If I were to do this alternative history setting it would have to be different enough from just a regular late-war force to set it apart. As I said, with say the Germans fielding more close quarters unit, or the proliferation of semi-automatic conversion devices (though flawed) which could be added to existing models with bolt action rifles. ...Which is to say that as a "what if" setting, I'd rather play up the silliness of some of the ideas, but if an actual game was to be made out of it half the figures would likely have to roll on a mishap table every turn for their weapons breaking. :)
-
Shapeways do the Ford 3T here
https://www.shapeways.com/product/9SLPED9EX/pv16-m1918-ford-3-ton-tank-28mm?optionId=42405905&li=marketplace
-
The Liberty tank would have been used for one.
-
Since I really like the looks of interwar/early WW2 armoured cars I'll follow this with great interest.
I could see german, russian and british armoured car squadrons, with some cavalry and small tanks or tankettes mixed in, fighting a very mobile war somewhere in europe with the appropriate geograpy*.
All infantry would be mounted in trucks and mainly used to hold areas after the mobile squadrons have driven the enemy off.
A few planes could work too, biplanes for dropping small bombs and strafing armoured columns, maybe even some early parachute activity?
*I'm thinking plains and flat farmland mainly. I like the sound of Plains of Poland, but I know nothing about polish geography...
-
For the moment I'm considering a Skirmish sized game. So in particular would be looking for ideas about smaller tanks. For instance the Germans had the LW II - which Empress Miniatures now make in 1/56 (formerly HLBS stock). My main resource for tanks has been Tank Encyclopedia, but that site that armchairgeneral links has just what I'm looking for. For instance the Americans could field say the Ford 3-ton Tank (which conveniently was built on the Renault FT-17 chassis), though I'm not sure exactly what I'd be doing with this other than well, at least Germans.
Currently I'm just feeling out future projects and trying to see if the idea would be viable. If I were to do this alternative history setting it would have to be different enough from just a regular late-war force to set it apart. As I said, with say the Germans fielding more close quarters unit, or the proliferation of semi-automatic conversion devices (though flawed) which could be added to existing models with bolt action rifles. ...Which is to say that as a "what if" setting, I'd rather play up the silliness of some of the ideas, but if an actual game was to be made out of it half the figures would likely have to roll on a mishap table every turn for their weapons breaking. :)
The Type C was to supplement/ replace the Whippet and thousands were to be produced. IIRC Copplestone/HLBS did the female version in 28mm. Mark VIII Liberty was to be the main heavy tank for all the Western Allies, joint production facilities were built in France to that end, probably the first multi-national, collaborative arms venture. The closesxthing I know of is the Indiana Jones tank, available as a Copplestone/Empress item but there’s also a toy version.
Someone on LAF ,might have been Tobsen, makes a K-wagen.
-
You might be interested in the book 'Tank Hunter World war One' by Craig Moore.
ISBN 978 0 7509 8246 7. The Works has copies at the moment reduced from
£20 down to £6. It has a lot of information on late war stuff that, previously, I
knew nothing about.
The A7V Uberlandwagen, Gun carrier Mk1s being used as supply wagons, The US
designed Holt Gas-Electric Tank, The US Steam Tank, Ford 3-Ton light tank,
US Skeleton Tank, The Killen-Straight Tractor & the Russian Tsar Tank.
You also might want to take a look at Miniature Figurines (yes they are still around)
because they do 28mm between the wars tanks & armoured cars.
-
I've actually done some plan 1919 type games, but they are mainly based on late 1918 practice. Combined groups of Whippets, Armoured cars, cavalry, motorcycles and motorised infantry and artillery with aircraft in close support.