14243c65   
   From: tkoenig@netcologne.de   
      
   Wolffan  schrieb:   
   > German AFVs encountered severe problems due to mud in the autumn of 1942 and   
   > snow in the winter of 1942. Older vehicles (PzKw III and IV, and any vehicles   
      
   I assume you mean 1941.   
      
   > basic vehicle: 5-10 tonne, six-eight wheels, armor good enough to stop small   
   > arms and machine gun to 15mm,   
      
   I don't think you can do that within the mass limitation.   
      
   Wikipedia tells me that there is a round for the 12.7 mm machine gun   
   (Saboted Light Armor Penetrator) which can penetrate 19 mm of armor   
   at 1500 yards (~ 1350 m).  I will assume that this is at 90°.   
   Sloped armor will give you less penetration, but you will need   
   more than 20 mm to be safe from heavy MGs.   
      
   So, at least 200 kg per square meter of armor.   
      
   With the capabilities you describe, you are closer to 20 tons.   
      
   > Limited anti-vehicle/anti-personnel capability.   
      
   A 20 mm gun will do that quite efficiently, I think.   
      
   > Rifle-caliber machine gun co-axial with main armament. One/two additional   
   > machine guns, hand operated, on external mounts.   
      
   Not very good if you have to stick your head outside to fight.   
      
   >Crew of four: commander/main   
   > armament gunner,   
      
   The commander of the vehicle should not be the gunner.  This is a lesson   
   learned in WW2.   
      
   > driver/tactical navigator,   
      
   You need that, I agree.   
      
   >electronic systems/air defence   
   > operator (laser gunner),   
      
   Really necessary?  German tanks had a radio guy in WWII, but I   
   think the laser systems should be automated.  It is not possible   
   to attack incoming anti-tank missiles with human reaction time.   
      
   > mechanical systems/loader.   
      
   Not necessary for an auto-fired cannon.   
      
   So, a crew of three:  Commander, driver, gunner.   
      
   > Four-six dismounts.   
   > Dismounts operate the hand-held machine guns, which can be removed from the   
   > external mounts.   
      
   Depending on the threat scenario (do the other guys have APCs   
   or tanks, too?) a squad with the functions of squad leader,   
   machine gunner, sniper, RPG guy, radio operator (unless that is   
   not needed due to miniaturized radios).  If your main opposition   
   is infantry, you might take one small-caliber machine gun (to be   
   able to carry a lot of ammunition) and a large-caliber MG.   
      
   Support from mortars should come from other APCs.   
      
   > A line platoon would   
   > need five-seven, probably six.   
      
   Nothing wrong with four armored fighting vehicles per company.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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