Re: Field Marshal Games Pieces Project Discussion thread

Mosquito

Halifax and Lancaster, at the scale of A&A, would be darn near indistinguishable…

@reloader-1:

Halifax and Lancaster, at the scale of A&A, would be darn near indistinguishable…

They are very similar.

Besides, they both look like Strategic Bombers. I thought a Tactical Bomber was smaller than a strat. I play Hearts Of Iron II and just using that as a resource, it has another class of plane called ‘Close Air Support’ (what we think of as a Dive Bomber).

Now, it’s my opinion that a dive bomber and a tactical bomber are two completely different things, with the dive bomber being extremely precise in its execution of ground attack. For example, the German Close Air Support (CAS) is the Stuka JU 87, and the German Tactical Bomber is the Junkers JU 88.

Just my thoughts.

@reloader-1:

The only problem with that, Variable, is that the US is the only country in A&A that has already had 2 unique nation-specific fighters molded for it, in the F6F and the P-38. (I am ignoring Germany - the JU-87 is NOT a fighter!)

The problem would be that other nations would now have 2 fighter pieces (OOB and FMG), and the US would have 4!(2x OOB and 2x FMG) A bit much, eh?

I know, and I agree with you. It was a greedy pipe dream. I’d be happy with either the Corsair or P-51 for the new fighter. Either one would allow me to use the P-38 as the LR Fighter. That said, the B-29 can be the new LR Strat bomber if FMG uses that one. Now we just need to figure out what the best Tac bomber would be. We have a carrier based one so its still between all the 20 series bombers…

Here is my two-cents on the subject of bombers:

U.S. Tactical : A-26 Invader or B-25 Mitchell (I can re-create the Doolittle Raid!)
                    If possible, I would like the fixed nose versions bristling with machine guns!
U.S. Strategic: B-29 Superfortress

U.K. Tactical: The Typhoon
U.K. Strategic: The Lancaster

German Tactical: Henschel 129
German Strategic: Heinkel 111

Again, these are only my suggestions on the subject. I’m confident that Jeremy & the others at Field Marshal Games will make the best choices in the end.

I agree with IL +1000!

My idea was that, barring any obvious choices (IL-2 for Russia, etc), try to make an early-war/late-war compatibility. In other words, the German tank is a Panzer IV, so make a Panzer III or a Panzer 38(t) for early war (1939) purposes.

Using this logic, US fighter would probably be a P-40.

Sorry to correct you guys, but the OOB German tank is the Panther, otherwise known as the Panzer V. The Tiger is known as the Panzer VI & the Panzer IV was the workhorse medium tank.

Attached is a profile diagram for a Panzer IV

I know the P-40 saw plenty of production and action, but I just don’t feel it’s “iconic” outside of its use in China. I’m still voting for P-51 or F4U.

I put up a poll for everyone to vote.

http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=17858.0

@C_Strabala:

U.K. Tactical: The Typhoon
U.K. Strategic: The Lancaster
Field Marshal Games will make the best choices in the end.

I personally would like to see the fairey swordfish used as the tactical bomber for the UK

I think the original question from FMG was;  Which US strategical bomber would we like?

I vote for the B-29 Superfortress

@reloader-1:

The only problem with that, Variable, is that the US is the only country in A&A that has already had 2 unique nation-specific fighters molded for it, in the F6F and the P-38. (I am ignoring Germany - the JU-87 is NOT a fighter!)

The problem would be that other nations would now have 2 fighter pieces (OOB and FMG), and the US would have 4!(2x OOB and 2x FMG) A bit much, eh?

After further consideration, I wanted to respond to this again.

There are only two countries in the game that are FULLY involved in both theaters of war, the US and the UK. The UK got a whole separate power and color with the ANZAC pieces. If we’re looking at all the game pieces together, there are also some very light tan ones from D-Day, plus the mint green ones from Pacific 41, I use for my Canadians or Indians. The US deserves more sculpts because of its global involvement. They built specific weapons depending on what theater of war they were used in since the conditions were so different.

What do you guys think? I’d give up something to have an extra fighter sculpt for the US.

Okay then, I guess we are now moving onto German bombers:

German bombers

Junkers 88 (15700) - a medium range medium bomber during the entire war, carrying up to 3 tons of bombs. Also excelled as a night fighter and in other roles.

Heinkel 111 (7300) - a medium range medium bomber. Although it was already becoming obsolete when World War 2 started, it remained in production and in service until the end of the war.

Junkers 87 Stuka (5700) - a single-engine dedicated precision dive bomber for tactical support during the entire war, carrying up to 1.8 ton bomb. It was the airborne element of the German Blitzkrieg tactic.

Dornier 217 (1900) - medium range heavy bomber since mid 1941, it carried 4 tons of bombs and since 1943 was the world’s first guided weapons bomber, carrying two radio-guided 1400kg bombs or two radio-guided Hs-293 air-to-ground missiles.

Arado 234 Blitz (210) - In late 1944 it was the world’s first jet bomber. An advanced single-seat light bomber, at 460mph it was almost impossible to intercept, but it came much too late to affect the war.

Junker 88

Heinkel 111

Junkers 87 (Stuka)

Dornier 217