Project Artillery

[kato13]

I'm embarrassed to say that I never once considered smoke, CS/CN/BZ, or pamphlets when considering the acceptable uses for my pretty rare (36 total) project howitzers.

Thanks for those ideas. Up to this point I had only considered using HE to dislodge a stubborn military equipped enemy, to assist in taking an island or such, or crossing a river in force.

On a related note, this forum is not like other forums where posting ideas to old posts is frowned upon. To our new users, if you want to comment on an older thread feel free. New information is always welcome.

[ArmySGT.]

Originally Posted by kato13

I'm embarrassed to say that I never once considered smoke, CS/CN/BZ, or pamphlets when considering the acceptable uses for my pretty rare (36 total) project howitzers.

Thanks for those ideas. Up to this point I had only considered using HE to dislodge a stubborn military equipped enemy, to assist in taking an island or such, or crossing a river in force.

On a related note, this forum is not like other forums where posting ideas to old posts is frowned upon. To our new users, if you want to comment on an older thread feel free. New information is always welcome.

Personally, I am going with HEP over HE or HERA.

The HEP rounds have an anti armor effect without stating it loudly, however the HEP round also makes for an excellent demolition round.

So in recovery ops, the HEP round can be used to demolish structures dangerous to be around or impairing recovery such as damaged bridges or large sections of collapsed buildings.

[Project_Sardonicus]

I always looked at the project buying very little truly heavy military hardware.

It's conspicuos, raises all the wrong attention, not to mention it's big, bulky and hard to conceal,

More likely the project would set up specialised teams near, or possibly staffing military bases with the aim of stealing what they need when the time is right,

So they would use political influence to encourage the creation of depots in wilderness areas, poorly staffed, safe from the bombs and ready to be taken over.

Though I suspect they would be more interested in add on sensors and control fins for ordinary mortor rounds. Something like the Copperhead and Merlin systems that would take advantage of projects technological systems. To squeeze more value from smaller 81mm rounds or occasonal artillery rounds

[Gelrir]

Or ... near National Guard posts. For my 'classic era' campaign, I worked up the equipment near Santa Rosa, California as an example:

579th Engineer Battalion

* 579th Headquarters Support Company (Santa Rosa): about 30 M998 Humvees, couple dozen big trucks (including some M809 five-ton trucks), dozen or so cranes and other construction stuff, M728 CEV on display

* 579th Forward Support Company (Santa Rosa): shelter, food, utilities, and a couple dozen trucks

* 132nd Engineer Company (Mount Shasta and Eureka): multi-role bridge building; lots of trucks, construction vehicles, a couple dozen M998 Humvees or M151 Mutts

* 120th Engineer Detachment (Lakeport, on Clear Lake): concrete finishing; two big flatbed trailer trucks, truck with lowbed trailer for carrying equipment, one other truck, plus a couple of M998 Humvees or M151 "mutts"

On October 17, 1989, the 579th mobilized in response to the Loma Prieta Earthquake. The first mission was the construction of a parking lot for the Bay Bridge commuter ferry and the second was to assist in debris clearing and removal in the Santa Cruz area. They had just returned from those tasks and had not entirely demobilized when World War III took place.

Of course, nothing says all this stuff will be sitting around undisturbed 5 years after an Atomic War (let alone 150 years).

There's also the Sierra Army Depot, which has held hundreds or thousands of "the previous generation" of tanks in storage. M60s before the M1 came around, and now has the older M1 tanks.

http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/1...-but-no-tanks/

Of course, it's on the target list, but it's a huge, sprawling base.

--
Michael B.

[kato13]

In the T2k forum there recently was a post on the NATO rapid reaction force. They used a 105mm Pack howitzer until 1975.

OTO Melara Mod 56

The facts that they were retired at a perfect time for the project, and that they can be broken into 12 ~125kg parts makes them really promising as an option for my project.

The project just needs to buy them as scrap metal, perhaps manufacturing only the barrel (as I expect it would be tapped and replacements would be desired post oops).

I also had my project buy retired manufacturing equipment (as those jobs moved overseas) as scrap metal so that part of the cover story would match up nicely.

[ArmySGT.]

Originally Posted by kato13

In the T2k forum there recently was a post on the NATO rapid reaction force. They used a 105mm Pack howitzer until 1975.

OTO Melara Mod 56

The facts that they were retired at a perfect time for the project, and that they can be broken into 12 ~125kg parts makes them really promising as an option for my project.

The project just needs to buy them as scrap metal, perhaps manufacturing only the barrel (as I expect it would be tapped and replacements would be desired post oops).

I also had my project buy retired manufacturing equipment (as those jobs moved overseas) as scrap metal so that part of the cover story would match up nicely.

I like it. Probably for the MARS teams that have the Rocky Mtns, Sierra Nevada Mtns, and Cascade Mtns.

One civilian application of howitzers is avalanche control using HE to shake snow loose when you want it to fall.

[ArmySGT.]

Avalanche control with 105mm

[Project_Sardonicus]

The Projects military forces are quite modest. Most of its equipment are only slightly heavier than a well equipped SWAT team would be packing. Even MARS1 and SCIENCE1 vehicles are little more than mobile bases packing some good firepower into mobile packages.

The heaviest piece of artillery the project seems to have is am 81mm mortar with a range of 3 miles.

Meaning that if a local warlord or crazed politician helped themselves to the local National Guard Armoury and they had a few 105mm light guns or invaders from Cuba or Mexico crossed the border the project is finished. Even old versions of these sorts of weapons having treble the range at least and able to pound any Morrow encampment into dust.

The project can't just buy this equipment, where would you even store a dozen heavy guns, the vehicles to move them and tonnes of ammunition?

Not to mention the Project isn't a military endeavour. Investing in the capacity to pound distant targets feels like giving up before you started.

As such the project funded as was their usual want in sophisticated solutions.
If they couldn't get range and weight of power, they would go for speed and accuracy.

They invested heavily in the companies that produced the MERLIN and STRIX guided missile rounds. As well as a few 120mm mortars to fire the strix and trained a small elite core of MARS and RECON artillery operators. Also investing in laser range finders and light weight ballistic computers to make the most of this capacity. These guided rounds were also equipped with rocket based range extenders and given the option of laser designation as opposed to thermal seeker heads.

The idea being a project spots a potential target, say the purported warlord and his artillery park. They park a spotter with a laser designator on a nearby hill. Then drive up a couple of Hummers a few miles away get half a dozen rounds in the air and get away as fast as possible, while the observer guides them in. If possible only using expensive guided rounds for the first couple and following up with dumb shots.

It was an expensive, awkward compromise and only ever accounted for 10% of mortar shells. A similar tactic was tried with loading 120 mm mortars and counter battery radars onto 2.5-tonne trucks.

[ArmySGT.]

Originally Posted by Project_Sardonicus

I always looked at the project buying very little truly heavy military hardware.

It's conspicuos, raises all the wrong attention, not to mention it's big, bulky and hard to conceal,

More likely the project would set up specialised teams near, or possibly staffing military bases with the aim of stealing what they need when the time is right,

So they would use political influence to encourage the creation of depots in wilderness areas, poorly staffed, safe from the bombs and ready to be taken over.

Though I suspect they would be more interested in add on sensors and control fins for ordinary mortor rounds. Something like the Copperhead and Merlin systems that would take advantage of projects technological systems. To squeeze more value from smaller 81mm rounds or occasonal artillery rounds

Completely disagree.

Building a colossal project to rebuild the Nation, and restart the United States would really lose credibility for the project and the restored government if looting government facilities and military assets are necessary.

There is quite a lot of military hard ware directly fielded by the Morrow Project up to C-130 Hercules and CH-47 Chinook aircraft.

The MARS One while not conventional military isn't going to pass unnoticed.

I, admit I chucked that one out and the HAAM suit too.

Military equipment is a known quantity. It has been tested, people are trained to use it, and spare parts are found in quantity.