Towed Artillery

[GrimWulf]

I would love to see towed or air dropped field artillery. I know that has been said eleventy billion times in this forum but here are some ideas, from MilitaryFactory.com.
"M1A1 Pack Howitzer
The versatile and lightweight PACK 75mm Towed Howitzer.

The M1A1 Pack Howitzer was the standard howitzer for American forces in World War 2. The Pack design actually traced it's roots back to the howitzer development of World War One, standardized in the American Army post-war as the M1. The M1A1 of the Second World War featured a short barrel, could reach a sustained rate of fire of 3 to 6 rounds per minute with a capable crew, and had a range of roughly 9,610 yards (8,790 meters). The system was purposely engineered to be light, easily transportable and operated by a small crew (which worked well in the favor of light divisions such as airborne units as evident in the M8 variant of the Pack). The high explosive shell of the M1 Pack Howitzer weighed 6.3 kilograms. The weapon system could be used for suppression, assault, defense and limited anti-tank duty. Further developments enabled better cross-country mobility.

Pack howitzers garnered their 'Pack' designations by the idea that pack animals could tow the lightweight system (most common in World War One but not uncommon in World War Two for either side). The system was designed to be easily taken apart in multiple pieces (the M1 carriage could be taken down to a total of six parts while the gun system could be taken down to nine parts) for this very purpose. The M1A1 first utilized the aforementioned M1 Carriage, which featured wooden spoke wheels. Later versions implemented into the follow-up M8 Carriage utilized rubber treaded tires on metal wheels.

The M1A1 saw action in Arnhem with the British, being dropped by glider in Operation Market Garden. British troops also trained Yugoslavian partisans in the use of the weapon system (seeing some success in the mountain warfare role). The M1A1 saw action in the far east jungles of the Pacific Theater. The ability of the system to be able to be broken down made it most advantageous in mounting amphibious assaults needing artillery support immediately upon landing on the beaches.

M1A1 Pack Howitzers were also trialed on halftrack chassis and utilized to great effect in this role as well. Overall, the M1A1 became a classic piece of American artillery design. Portable, potent and very versatile, the system went on to see a great many years of frontline service as the standard light artillery weapon system. "

[GrimWulf]

From MilitaryFactory.com
"M3
The M3 was another World War Two era mobile artillery piece.

Designed for air transport during WWII, the M3 105mm towed light howitzer was used by the 320th Glider Field Artillery Battalion. It was originally designed in 1941 and started production in 1943.

Barrel length measures in at 16 caliber (1.68 meters) and the breech operates out of a horizontal sliding system with recoild handled hydro pneumatically. The tow carriage system is an M3A1 split-trail type and can be towed by a variety of vehicles. Elevation for the gun system is at +30 degrees and the unit can traverse plus/minus 22 degrees. Muzzle velocity is reported at 310 meters per second. The M3 105mm towed howitzer can fire a variety of munitions with the standard being the HE (High Explosive) type."

[GrimWulf]

From MilitaryFactory.com
"sFH 18 15-cm
The standard 149mm howitzer for German Divisions in World War 2.

The 15-cm schwere Feldhaubitze 18 (sFH 18) became the standard 149mm howitzer for German divisions through World War Two. The gun was originally developed to be horse-drawn (as all German artillery at the time was) but was later modified to be towed by mechanized means. A compromise was met to fit the Rheinmetall gun on the Krupp carriage after several outstanding submissions for trials were submitted by both sides.

The sFH 18's were found to be out-ranged by their Soviet counterparts, yet modifications were made to the charges to help increase range. This provided an ill-effect on excessive wear to the barrel and recoil mechanism. Thus the modification program was abandoned. These modified sFH 18's were designated 15-cm sFH 18(M). The sFH gun system was also mounted on a motorized chassis and became the 'Hummel' - or Bumblebee - and became a self-propelled artillery weapon system. sFH 18's were also present on the Atlantic Wall - Germany's massive fortification project on the French coast between France and Britain to thwart an Allied invasion there."

[GrimWulf]

I would like to add that there should be an amount of time it takes to set-up this field artillery, say a couple of minutes, before the artillery is ready to fire. In trade for this "Warm-up" time, the artillery should have field camouflage netting, so that the icon for the artillery does not show up from the air. The artillery can still be found from the air by watching where the shells are coming from, or from just spotting it. Also every time the artillery is moved from location to location the same "warm-up" time should still take affect. Also the same Targeting system found on CV guns should be used.

[glock89]

Get the Pak 128 and i be happy.

[**CLONE155**]

I wish we had artillary, just spawn up and start shooting town

Think of it, 5 guys with artillary pieces, shooting at a town, a high target for any con in the area. It would bring in a whole new target on the battle field

[Scherf]

Will we need a reamdomizer?

[Wyld45]

           Along with that,(Did 3yrs with 3rd ACR 1/3rd How Btry out of Ft.Bliss) a "Forward-Observer"
        Jeep. It would have to be close enough to have a good visual of the target area. Mouse-click
        and it gives the FO the coords,but he has to call it in to his Arty guys in the mission.
             This would give the game something besides "Fly&Shoot" or "Drive&Shoot".

                  Ive noticed alot in the forums here latley. Seems theres a plague of "Xtreme-Boredom"
                going around. Whatever the next idea off the wish-list, it needs to appeal to the
                Long-Timers as well as the Noobs.

[GrimWulf]

           Along with that,(Did 3yrs with 3rd ACR 1/3rd How Btry out of Ft.Bliss) a "Forward-Observer"
        Jeep.

I completely agree with you Wyld45. In fact I do that from time to time when a Friendly CV is offshore. I will either spawn in with a jeep, or fly a spit to the top of a hill or a place where i can see the target and ditch out and call in adjustments to the triple 8inchers. When i used to be a rook, my friends and I actually got pretty accurate with this technique. It is pretty fun to be able to completely shutdown a base with just 8inchers.

[442w30]

Agreed. Bring arty to the party.     I would prefer self propelled versions though.

[LilMak]

As a former towed artyman this would actually get me in a GV.  Three or four jeeps towing some 105mm guns behind a hill and leveling a town with the assist of a spotter would be a blast. Might also be fun to try and hit CVs from the shore when some tard is "sleeping" in the shore batt. Would great to have a little 1/2 battery (3 jeeps towing 1 gun each) you could roll like a bomber formation in a little convoy. Get to your desired location and have a 30 second set up time before you can start launching shells. If you need to move you have to take 30 seconds to pack up your mini battery and convoy to the next location. You could use the jeep .50s to fend off air attacks and tie them into one another like bomber formations. 

Artillery has killed more combatants (friend and enemy alike) than any other form of warfare. Maybe it's time to add it to the game.

2/320th FA
Ft. Campbell, KY

[bigrich]

yeah i want to bombard a field non-stop with arty 

[JHerne]

I've requested field artillery since I started playing...start out with a Pack and a Jeep, small perk for an M3 with a M1 105mm, bigger perk for (but would require a new vehicle) M5 HST with a 155mm.

On the German side... 10.5cm towed by a 251, Sdkfz 9 towing a 15cm sFH 18...

Then we enter the realm of GMCs... M7s, Hummels, M12s, JSU-152, etc...

We also have the 88mm option as a DP mount.

What I like most is the FO idea...brilliant... It would obviously require a supply element as well, another aspect we need to consider.

 

[SmokinLoon]

The smaller type arty or field guns would fit perfectly.

The German SdKfz 251/9 would be ideal for multiple reasons: It has a 75mm infantry cannon that can be used in both direct and indirect fire modes and we already have the SdKfz 251 troop trasport so the platform is already done.  Minimal work needed to add it to the game.  The same can be said for the M3 as well, since it had multiple versions w/ the 75mm and 105mm cannons.  These would be used very much like the LVT4.

Also, if there were a way to aim more efficiently, adding mortars would also be a good.  Perhaps a "land mode" type aiming system like the 8in cruiser guns?  The 251, M3, and a few other trucks all had versions with mortars. 

[Oleg]

Yes to artillery, both towed and self propelled. No to long range howitzers, "land mode" and anything what allow you to shell tower/field right from spawn point.