Preview of Soviet Vehicle Guide 1.5
 

While Jason is the lead for the DC Group's new version of the v1 Soviet Vehicle Guide, I recently put together a small piece on the tanks of the Soviet Army during the war.

It's very graphics-heavy, too large to post directly here. It's located at http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeedox4/s...viet_armor.doc

I hope you enjoy it!

As always Impressive Work.

Outstanding work, Chico. Very cool.:cool:

More than anything I've ever seen or read, your captioned photos make the Twilight War seem real. I'd LOVE it if you would put them all together (your home page pics, Czech vehicle guide pics, Naval War pics, all new pics, etc.) and create...

An Illutstrated History of the Twilight War 1995-2000

Just pictures and captions. Easy (easy for me to say, at least). Please? Pretty please?

I've already mentioned this elsewhere, but I'd like to mention it again before you go to press with your SVG 1.5. It seems that, as far as Soviet/Russian tank design goes, v1.0 canon and the real world (henceforth, TRW) line up pretty well. The respective designations may differ somewhat, but based on the v1.0 SVG descriptions, and real world developments, the parallels seem really clear.

The v1.0 T-90 is described as an entirely new design with a "very low profile turret". Based on the color plate, it looks like what many western observers have dubbed the T-95 (in TRW). The T-86 is a dead ringer for TRW T-90. Similarly, the T-74 could stand in for TRW T-80. The T-80 mentioned in canon is described as an imporved T-64. It can get a bit confusing.

A simple T-chart showing TRW equivalent for each v1.0 designation would be helpful to GMs seeking additional info on the various platforms.

Once again, great work Chico.

QUESTION: What are TRW tanks in the photo captioned "T-64BVs in Iran"? If they're really T-64s, that's the best photo I've ever seen of them. The cammo scheme looks like a modern Polish one. What was TRW context of the photo?

Wow, Chico! What an impressive investment of time and effort! What a superb product! This will be an invaluable addition to the ongoing Twilight: 2000 effort.

Webstral

Very nice chico, with a lot of very interesting thought on the various tanks deployment.

I found this, and thought i would share it with everyone... pictures of a tour of a Typhoon-class Submarine!

http://community.livejournal.com/ru_...ine/17486.html

Well done, Chico. Excellent work!

Glad you guys enjoyed it!

Maybe something for the new album feature here! I was actually just looking into setting up my website with a "slideshow" feature so it had multiple images (with captions) scrolling actively. Actually, the images were the most time-consuming part of the document, and they're giving Jason fits as he tries to combine the documents into the master Soviet Vehicle Guide.

I agree on the T-90/T-95 matchup. TRW T-90 is a T-72 chassis with a T-80 fire control system & new turret, originally designated T-72S before Desert Storm destroyed the sale value of anything designated T-72. T-74 was a western intelligence system guess as the identity of the uparmored T-72B that came out in the mid-80s. There are numerous versions of the T-80 in TRW (the earlier , I wanted to use T-86 to distinguish the more advanced versions (TRW T-80U, Ukrainian T-84, Oplot) from the earlier versions (TRW T-80A and B versions).

Ukrainian T-64BV on exercise in the last few years. I can't find the reference in the 125+ page discussion on tank-net.org (which revolves around the T-64/72/80/90 distincions).

Very good work Chico
 

Impressive...

Keep up the good work.

I got that fixed Dan! I am right now adding the Soviet MRDs in blocs...and simply adding unit, army subordination, and home district. Some, I am doing stories for if we're not going to game with them in TWW (so far, just one, a Machinegun Artillery division that was pretty much stuck in the Soviet Kuriles..though I had it pulling security at some of the outlying Soviet Pacflt Naval Bases, and losing subunits when the places got nuked).

Great! So whipping up An Illustrated History of the Twilight War should be no problem!;)

Seriously, Chico, I would pay good money for such a thing. You gotta hook me up!

Sounds like we've got an addict on our hands.... ;)

Good work, guys!

And now the long-delayed successor, the guide to Soviet Artillery of the Third World War.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&p...thkey=CPqkv5YO

It's on google docs for now. I'll see about getting it on my website some time in the next few days.

Let me know what your preference is for the next piece: Soviet APCs, light AFVs, infantry weapons or a look at NATO armor and/or artillery.

Enjoy!

Great stuff, as always. Good to hear from you Chico! Keep up the excellent work.

Chico, amazing work. I'd like to see Soviet light AFVs. I am already working on Pact Small Arms (see other threads) - feel free to use.

Hell Yes!

Finally finished! https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1i...0RaeXBIektWUVU

It will be up on my web site shortly too.

Enjoy!

Chico Rocks
 

Chico, you sir, are the man. Thanks!

P.S. I know that you are a busy man and I respect your time. That said, would your consider, for your next T2K-related project, creating/finishing a Polish Vehicle Guide?

good stuff, you rock!

Many thanks! :)

Awesome....just awesome.

Lovely work, Chico. I'm suppressing a nagging feeling of guilt, as though I've obtained a quality published T2K sourcebook without having had to pay for it. Wait... that's exactly what I'll have done as soon as I can download the complete product. I hope it becomes widely distributed and referenced.

Thanks for the support! I hope you enjoy it!

I've started a Polish Vehicle Guide, but had been intending to wrap it into a more general Warsaw Pact Vehicle Guide type publication.

Our original intent was to generate unit histories for all the combatant nations by wargaming the 1996-97 campaign. That seems increasingly unlikely for a number of reasons, so I'm not sure if/when I'd be able to generate something credible for unit histories. I've got the beginnings of the Polish army done, the Czechs are obviously finished (but would have to be revised if we wargamed it), and the Hungarians, Bulgarians, Greeks, Italians and loyalist East Germans are nowhere near even started. (Jason has the lead on the Soviet unit histories, about 300 divisions and he isn't planning to even touch the independent Army and Front-level regiments and brigades. Plus I'm gradually pulling together the MVD, which is something like 15 divisions and still growing!)

Even with that said, it took me 9 months+ to get the Light AFVs piece together. I wish I had more time and energy for this stuff, but I just don't these days.

Nice work! When does it show up on the site, Chico? Long time, no see, I might add.

Excellent work as ever Chico, I always look forward to anything you post. You have my sympathy regarding time!

It's up now (along with the Soviet Strategic Rocket Forces orbat).
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeedox4/index.html

We really need to start a letter writing campaign to Far Future Net and show them the interest there still is in the game and convince them that there is a market for fan based guidebooks and modules for the game.

Between this, the Czech, Mexican, Polish guides, what I am working on for Kenya, and others we could possibly really get the game started again with new modules and a revised canon.

And with a new speed record, Soviet APCs! https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1i...FJSeUgwTkoySlE

I'll probably work on air defense systems next...

The APCs will probably be up on my web site sometime in the next week.

Enjoy!

Very nice work, Chico. Your stuff always rocks. I especially love the pics you dig up and the captions you add- they give your work such a high level of verisimilitude. It's like I'm reading about an actual RL WWIII!

If I may offer a very modest suggestion, for the photo of the BMD in the Lithuanian village, you might consider changing the caption to some place in China. Those thatched-roof buildings just look like something you might see in village in the Chinese countryside.

Chico -

Excellent work as always. I look forward to everything you share with this great group. Keep up the great work.

As of right now, I haven't put too much work into the main project as we have to game out the Twilight War. We're working on ways to accomplish that. Also, I am working on another Twilight 2000 related project inspired by canon. I don't want to say too much. I sent an unfinished copy to Frank Frey to see what he thinks of it. Other than that, you'll all see when the time comes. It's closer to fruition than it was just a month ago. I'd say, expect something by August/September on THAT front.

Nice job, Chico! When's the piece coming to the web site?

Thanks for the suggestion. I thought that since the infantryman was carrying an AKM and appeared to be wearing a khaki-colored jacket, it was likely later in the war, when the elite airborne forces would most likely have been re-deployed from the Far East. The picture was actually taken last year in Ukraine.

It's up now. Due to space limitations, the document still resides on Google Documents but the web site has a direct link to the file. I also cleaned up the web site a little bit...

And after several months, here's Soviet Air Defense systems, including guns, man-portable missiles, tactical missiles and the systems used by the PVO:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1i...WJQSVpVTzhEeVk

Next up... Soviet Helicopters!

Enjoy!

Looks good so far.

Not sure if its my computer or if there is something up with one of the google doc pages - looked really good but one of the first few pages didnt read clearly. Anyone else have that issue?

And here it is https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1iW...hPb0xrRms/edit

Next up (and about 2/3 done so far): Soviet unarmored cargo vehicles.

Hope you like it! Feedback is always welcome!

I really dig your work, Chico. I know that I've mentioned this before, but your photo selection and the captions that you write to accompany them really bring the Twilight War to life. Each caption is like a little story starter and I find myself filling in the blanks with my imagination.

I am really looking forward to your article on Soviet unarmored cargo vehicles. We've discussed Soviet truck shortages before on the forum; I pointed out that Soviet satellites would probably be counted on to ramp up truck production to make up shortfalls so that Soviet factories could concentrate on producing AFVs. It'd be great if you could include a blurb on PACT-made trucks in Soviet service (TATRAs and STARs for example) in your article.

Ok, I've finished the next segment, on Soviet Unarmored Cargo Vehicles.

Its at https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1iW...it?usp=sharing

Raellus, I included trucks from East Germany, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Jugoslavia in the document. Take a look for a LOT of details on the situation as far as trucks goes. I took into account your discussion "In Defense of the Red Army" and Webstral's work on the War in China, plus found a handy declassified CIA report that provided a lot of great background information.

Next up, probably, is a change of pace... the MVD Internal Troops orbat (completed) and unit histories (not really started).

Enjoy!