USMC Information Thread

[chrisswim]

essentially, there may be metal bracket and base plate, but it exploded.

[Op_Paperclip]

cool!

thanks

-chris

[ShortRound70]

Hi Guys:
I'll vote for a LAV-AD as well. No new info, just want to save this thread.

[ShortRound70]

Ping, Bam, or Wham, Save. BTW, I need a crew for the M-198 155mm TFH. Any suggestions?

[Devildog]

How do you feel about headswaps at this scale? Use the WWII U.S. artillery crews and replace theur heads with Modern U.S.

[Hauptmann6]

How do you feel about headswaps at this scale? Use the WWII U.S. artillery crews and replace theur heads with Modern U.S.

You are a sick sick sick man.

[ShortRound70]

Devildog:
That is a possibility. I could then put th WW2 heads on the modern bodies and make "Cold War" types. I'll have to think on it. Then again, maybe GHQ might put them on the production list someday. As you can guess, I'm not trained in micro surgery. Lack of eyesight. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Devildog]

Yeah, that is a pretty twisted idea - talk about needing steady hands

That is one thing lacking from the modern range though - towed artillery and crews, especially for a modern USMC force.

[voltigeur]

That is a possibility. I could then put th WW2 heads on the modern bodies and make "Cold War" types

You can also cop out and use the regular Artillery crews. i was in the Corps when the new Helmets came out. It took a good year and a half to get everyone in the new helmets. First to get them were the high ranking REMFS that had to look cooler thatn the rest of us. Then the infantry units, Then everyone else Artillery being a Combat Arm probably got them 9 months into the conversion. So late 84ish? If you pick the right time for your scenario 83 to 85 you can always legitimatly make that case.

But yes I'd like to see US artillery in new helmets. But right after WW2 US airborne. lol

[1ComOpsCtr]

Gentlemen,

In reality only you and the other fanatics playing will care if the crew of that 155mm gun has the correct helmets for the era you are simulating.



You will note in the picture above as the Marine Company commanders are receiving their allocation of troops (1 to 1 ratio I must add) for the exercise in progress, none of them are paying too close attention to the uniforms or helmets... "just need to know if they can fight, Sir, and how to use them?"

The picture is from a Marine Battalion CPX conducted right before this Battalion deployed to Iraq. All phases of the exercise were conducted, though I must admit some of the convoy and Air Ops portions were conducted on a map, but every encounter, every ambush, was conducted in miniature with live inter-actors playing the part of every civilian, UN official, enemy or friendly commander they encountered. Lots of work, but great fun, for the gamers involved. We even had real media people asking stupid questions along with the required camera persons, real VIPs for the Battalion CP to deal with including a real live Marine 3 Star, a USAF 2 Star, and a real live congressman from the units congressional district.

What a great job...

So, in the heat of a game (simulation), most participants will not notice which helmet the gun crew is wearing... as long as the system works and the game keeps moving.

Will
ComOpsCtr

[Devildog]

"fanatics" seems a little harsh For the type of simulation pictured above, exactly, play with cardboard counters, who cares, the point is giving an accurate simulation that may save lives on the battlefield.

For those who play simply as a hobby, it is sometimes the hobby itself that gives enjoyment. The aesthetic pleasure of doing the research and then putting a miniature on the table top that is accurate.

Sure, I could use WWII green plastic soldiers from Wal-Mart for a Napoleonic "simulation," but I enjoy the research into the uniforms and I enjoy painting the correct uniforms for the force I am collecting and fielding.

[1ComOpsCtr]

I don't want to offend you but I must disagree based on several years experience working in table top simulations with the Marines and the Army from Quantico to the NTC.

And besides: I use the word "fanatic" lovingly... since I am one.

The more real the simulation looks, the more the participants get into it. That is why we do our simulations/terrain in 3mm per meter scale. Horizontal and vertical scale is the same so you are dealing with as close to real as possible in this size within the space constraints of a large conference room or gym (drill deck). We can usually get a click and a half long by a click wide in scale in some place in Bosnia/Afghanistan complete with 400+ meter mountains/hills.

When a Marine Major (reserve Company Commander) is squatting down beside the table looking at the line of site available to his weapons platoon's HMGs you know you have them hooked, and they will do pretty much what they would do in a real situation, not to say the simulation can approximate every situation, specifically incoming fire, but we have been able to get most everything else covered realistically.

We have had a couple of radios explode (internal gas vent problems) that the Marines accused me of setting up.

Don't get me wrong. Accuracy is important, but modern uniform accuracy is not as important in 1/285 scale as for those of the Imperial Guard, or the Tuirilliers du Corse (sp?)in 10/12/15/25/30mm scales. My 1/300 French 1805 Infantry is very detailed and in the proper uniform because for anyone playing Napoleonics uniforms are an intergal part of the game...

Let me pose a question to you.

If you were going to host a modern micro-armor game and you did not have the proper figures for 155mm battery crew you needed to make the scenario work would you not use the battery, or would you use what you had that was close...? Or would you modify the scenario so you didn't have to use the battery?

Weekend after next (second weekend in June) I am playing in a 30mm Austerstadt game where I know we will not have enough Prussian cavalry to duplicate all that was available to the D of B. It just so happens that Bavarian cavalry is organized under the rules the very close to Prussians so parts of a couple of Bavarian cavalry regiments will take the place of the missing Prussians. Is that wrong?

I guess it depends on what is more important to each of you... the game, ...or the figures?

Here is another look at detail.



Note the cammo nets on the vehicle to the right... In this scale cammo nets really work.

Many of the figures we use during our simulations are mounted on 1/2 inch square metal bases, though usually fire teams are on one 1" X 1" metal bases.

be safe...

Will
ComOpsCtr

[jb]

Thomas McCafferty has a battery of 155 USMCs that I did for him. I made the crew out of Mod US infantry. I cut the weapons out of the advancing figs and replaced with arty round (looking) stock. Even though the figs are larger scale they looked good next to the guns. Ask Thomas to post pics of them
BTW 1ComOpsCtr, nice looking stuf that you have been posting...PS I take pride in being a fanatic

[ShortRound70]

Hey Guys:

I didn't mean to start a ruckus over artillerymen. I just want to crew up my M-198's.

JB: your idea seems promising. I can probably handle that conversion.

Voltigeur: My MEU is for current ops, so I need a current crew. Nice idea, though.

Devildog: you're just plain cruel.

1ComOpCtr: I enjoy researching and building accurate units for any gaming system. From micro armor to the Boxer Rebellion 25mm's I have, I try to get things right. I owe myself that much. BTW, I applaude the service you provide the USMC & USA. It seems like an excellent training tool. We could have used it in my day. Do the average grunts get to participate, or is it restricted to the "O-Club"? Just wondering, not being critical.

Semper Fi All!