The last battle

@superbattleshipyamato

Turns out I already posted this some time ago:

https://www.axisandallies.org/forums/topic/37704/biggest-gun-battle-ever

@all-encompassing-goose

Thank you for responding!

The Monster was not a tank-it was a planned self propelled gun, with the main gun being the Schver Gustav, the largest artillery piece ever, requiring 2000 people to use. It was only ever used as a railway gun. The Monster would have allowed it to move anywhere. This is why I did not put “tank” in the title.

Your post was awesome! Keep up the good work!

@CWO:

@Wolfshanze:

Amazing research, btw… Armschwimmfahigkeitgeratsamt…

One of my favourite non-invented German words is the term that Germany used in WWI to designate tanks: Schutzengrabenvernichtungspanzerkampfwagen, or, roughly, “trench-destroying armoured fighting car.”  German tanks of WWI were physically as cumbersome as that term, so in preparation for WWII Germany devised more practical tanks and a more practical designation (“Panzer”).  Unfortunately for Germany, the American, British and Russian words for this type of weapon – “tank” – consists of only one syllable, whereas “Panzer” has two syllables, so the US, UK and USSR armoured forces in principle had a 50% advantage over the German armoured forces in speed of pronunciation.  On the other hand, the French word “char” only consists of one syllable too, so in principle the French and German armoured forces should have fought each other to a draw in May-June 1940…so clearly this theory doesn’t hold up in reality as well as it ought to on paper.

ROFLOL :lol: :lol: :lol:

It is early yet Garg.
The Civil War was lost in the West, starting with Nashville and Vicksburg was a greater loss than Nashville.  I agree that a Southern victory at Gettysburg would not have equated to the fall of Washington or an armistice, despite Lee’s hopes for one.

Thanks Clyde. Really was a big event and the town getting involved too, is great.  Working WW2 vehicles and the noise makes for a realistic experience.
Suppose you could visit Gettysburg afterwards!

They still make unit books for combat tours, the Units themselves do it, usualy an S2 function, however nowadays they are usualy much less dramatic…  I have two…

This poll did not generate the interest that I assumed it would. I have locked the voting as it is time to move on to another subject. There were many different types of aircraft involved in this battle but I will confine my thoughts to the torpedo planes as that is what I voted for. The first single engine torpedo planes to attack the Japanese were six of the new TBFs from Midway. No hits were registered. One made it back to Midway. The first of the carrier torpedo planes to attack were Sixteen TBD Devastators from USS Hornet. (VT8) Because of confusion and inexperience they attacked without fighter cover. One man survived. Again no hits. The next group to attack were fourteen TBDs from USS Enterprise. (VT-6) Again no hits and eleven were lost. The last torpedo attack was made by thirteen TBDs from USS Yorktown. (VT-3) Once again no hits were scored and twelve planes were lost. But by this time ALL of the Japanese fighter cap was down to the deck to stop all of these torpedo planes. By chance this is when the dive bombers made their attack which lasted only about three minutes and left three Japanese carriers burning. Of course there were many others who gave their lives on Midway, on Enterprise and on the destoyer USS Hammann who never even got to see the enemy fleet. But those young men in the torpedo bombers gave their lives without even knowing the outcome of the battle. Can we even begin to imagine what their last thoughts were? They all contributed all that they could for this country. It is a shame that so many young people today have no clue what those men did for all of us.

Midway without doubt.
The beginning of the end for the Imperial japanese navy.