German logistics, purchase programs and war booty, reality and alternatives 1935-43 (1 Viewer)

[tomo pauk]

Possible German use of the Czech fighters powered by the HS 12Y:
- the most promising was the B.135, with performance almost as good as the 109E, D.520 or the VG.33
- the next best was it's fixed U/C sibling, the B.35, was a good deal slower, but still probably useful if bombed up
- the biplane fighter, B-534, was probably useful as a light bomber or, indeed, a trainer. I'd use it as a parts donor for the production of the monoplanes - 500+ engines removed from it would've come in handy for the production of the B.135

 

[tomo pauk]

marathag might've find this interesting: Hitler himself requested the development of a heavy steam-powered coal-fired tractor for 'heavy and heaviest payloads' in November 1944, with two possible designs being mooted in December. The 1st design was supposed to have a 40 ton a winch and a small crane, 18 ton class with 300 HP engine, while the other one was to be a 20 km/h fully-tracked vehicle.

Too late, buster.



(for some strange reason, the .jpg version does not attach)

 

[z42]

marathag might've find this interesting: Hitler himself requested the development of a heavy steam-powered coal-fired tractor for 'heavy and heaviest payloads' in November 1944, with two possible designs being mooted in December. The 1st design was supposed to have a 40 ton a winch and a small crane, 18 ton class with 300 HP engine, while the other one was to be a 20 km/h fully-tracked vehicle.

Too late, buster.

View attachment 858655

(for some strange reason, the .jpg version does not attach)

Is that a tractor as in agricultural machine, or some kind of prime mover for industrial or even military use? 18ton/300hp sounds very large, no huge, for an agricultural tractor in that time period?

In any case, yes, shows some remarkable detachment from reality for the leader of the country to concern himself with such matters in late 1944. In 1934 maybe it could have made a difference?

 

[tomo pauk]

Is that a tractor as in agricultural machine, or some kind of prime mover for industrial or even military use? 18ton/300hp sounds very large, no huge, for an agricultural tractor in that time period?

Military tractor, like the halftracks they used (or a fully tracked vehicle in the other example).

In any case, yes, shows some remarkable detachment from reality for the leader of the country to concern himself with such matters in late 1944. In 1934 maybe it could have made a difference?

Idea was indeed too late by many years.

 

[History Learner]

The Soviet Winter Offensive(s) of 1941-1942 would've thus found the Germans ~20% better equipped, and German production output would've reached its 1943 levels (i.e. doubled) in mid-1942 amid the onset of Fall Blau. It is extremely likely this is enough to knock the Soviets out and thus set the conditions for the Germans to force an armistice on the Western Allies as access to Soviet resources and Speer gaining total control over the German economy in ATL 1943 would result in output too high to be sufficiently overcome in a defensive struggle by the Anglo-American bloc.

Coming back to this because I found a graph that really illustrates the point well:

Basic idea is that by the Summer of '42, the Germans have similar fire rates as 1943 thanks to the earlier production increases that begin to make themselves first felt in the Winter of 1941-1942.

 

[tomo pauk]

Coming back to this because I found a graph that really illustrates the point well:

That is very interesting. I wonder what was the source for the data, as well as whether the mortar shells are accounted there, too. Both Germans and Soviets grew to love mortars even before the war, and the 'love' just increased during the war.

 

[tomo pauk]

The time frame when the Luftwaffe lost their French 75s that were repurposed into the Flak seems to be between the mid-April and mid-May of 1942:





The French 75 is denoted as the 'FK 97' in the tables. The Flak 14 is the ww1 relic, while the M27(B) is the war booty gun from Belgium. 'Sperrf. batt' - short for the 'barrage fire batteries'. 'Beutebatt.' is short for 'captured batteries' of AA guns that have some sort of modern fire control system.

The FK 97 is no longer present in the table from May. Comment in the lower right box of that table says, roughly, 'Decrease of number due the dissolution of 290 barrage fire batteries' - 287 of them were outfitted with the French 75 in mid-April.

Heer received 1000 of Pak 97/38 in May of 1942, and another 1000 in July. They received a lot more later.