[CDAT]

Originally Posted by aspqrz

Ah, sorry, Lake City.

No problem, just thought would let you know they are different.

Originally Posted by aspqrz

So, 'war stocks' are???

War stocks are the ammo on hand so a unit can go to war with out having to wait for ammo. It is different than training ammo in some things. Like the Tanks will not be using target practice ammo, but full up Sabot, and or HEAT rounds. The MG ammo will be the AP type not the ball (most likely). How much is on hand depends on the unit, I would expect the 82nd to have more per soldier than 91st troop command. My first unit was an enhanced brigade with standing orders to be ready to fight in Korea, the plan at the time was that if war broke out we would be the first heavy unit there and expect to fight for at least two weeks before the next unit could show up, so our war stocks was what they expected we would need for two weeks of combat. I would guess (and it is only a guess) after they started to let plans like that slide (and going to central supply) that there would still be at least one full combat load, but maybe not much more. No this next part is just my thought so could be very wrong. But my thought is if they did it smart, they would have each unit have it, but going up would still include there lower units, as about the only thing that can be said for how much ammo you go through is that it is more than you think. So using my old unit as an example the brigade would have there two weeks, but then the division would still include that brigade in its plans for how much to keep on hand, so if the divisions plan is that it will be resupplied within a week, and it has four brigades it would keep four brigades worth for a week, or one brigade for four weeks.

Originally Posted by aspqrz

So, I am guessing, bases have (on or nearby) at least one UoF (for long term training rather than combat) and an unspecified amount additional to that for 'war reserve' ... but, presumably, not on the base itself (if in or near a populated area) or one some out of the way part of the base?

Some would depend on what training could be done at the base. For example I was sent to Camp Rilea OR once, they have a demo limit of .25lbs so they do not need much demo for training, but I also know that they have a guard engineer unit there. They would have full demo load for war, but not training. Training ammo is usually allotted at the start of the training year, and then issued out as needed over the year. In the event of the zombie hoard I think that they would use it as well, but depending on how much has been used there may not be much or could just have gotten it. It is normally stored at the AHA (Ammo Holding Area) or ASP (Ammo Supply Point) in special bunkers.

Originally Posted by aspqrz

Which would be what would be burnt through at least once in any ZA scenario, a la The Walking Dead ... I can't see a lot of aimed headshots (except maybe Marines, if you take their assertions seriously) but one hell of a lot of spray and pray, especially as Zombie numbers escalate.

I think that you may have some spray and pray early on, but the ones who did it would die early on. It would be the ones who took the head shoots would live, the Marines may take it at a longer range than the typical Soldier, but even with the Marines saying that everyone is a rifleman first, that does not mean that they are going to be taking head shoots at 600 meters. I think that automatic weapons (IE. crew served) would still be used in full auto mode, as most are not supper accurate if used as semi-auto, so use them to thin the herd at longer range, even if you do not drop them you may slow them down.

Originally Posted by aspqrz

I would guess that artillery units would be mostly useless by the time the need for them was realised ... they require a rear area to be placed in, but pretty much everywhere would be 'front line' ... as Zombie numbers increase, they'd need more troops defending them than they would contribute firepower to distant units. Unless they can (and do) fire over open sights ... which requires flechette or canister or whatever they call it these days, and I understand that there's never much of it, if it is even available for the caliber weapon in question.

Towed artillery I would agree would be mostly useless, self-propeld guns would not depending on the ammo they have on hand. Dropping an HE round at what would be danger close to dismounts does not hurt the armored vehicle, does it kill very many zombies? I do not know but does damage them, is that good or bad? Again I do not know, they are likely going to be slower now, but also may be harder to see. They did have canister rounds for the 105mm, and the 155mm, what is on hand that is a different story.

Originally Posted by aspqrz

Mortars would, of course, be useful, but run into the resupply problem and, to a lesser extent, the need for a rear area.

I would say that they would be a lot like artillery, the ground ones would be less useful, the armored ones more. However they are going to be in some ways less useful than the artillery as they are open when firing, so zombies could get in.

Originally Posted by aspqrz

Airforce bases? Well, they would have to be defended and, apart from Helicopters (Attack or merely armed), wouldn't have much utility because of lack of the right sort of ordnance, I am guessing. Standard HE/Frag would be worse than useless ... you'd need napalm or massive overkill with something like bomblets, and I suspect they are in relatively short supply,.

I agree that I think Airforce bases would be more or less useless. But not for the same reasons. As I was saying under artillery I am not sure that HE/Frag would be useless (or worse), they may not be the best, but I could see them having some use, the larger the group the better. ICM (bomblets) would be good, and yes I am guessing that they do not have as many as HE bombs, but we use lots of them so I would guess they have a fair number on hand. Napalm I would guess is the one they have the least of and it could work but I see so side affects, once the zombie is on fire how long tell it dies? What else is it going to set on fire? Now the reasons that I think it would be more or less useless, I do not think that they have enough troops to secure the base, they probably have the lowest trained ground troops of all, and they are the highest maintenance of all. How many spare parts do they have on hand? On my second trip to the sand box, we got delayed for a week as they did not have a simple (what the crew said) part on hand at the air base. It took them the week to get it shipped to them, and then about ten minutes to replace the part. Could they have flow with out it? I am guessing yes, but as it was a common part (again according to the crew) what about the parts that they can not fly with? So my guess is that within a week of the Zombie Outbreak taking over they would be out of parts and grounded, if they had not already been overran.

Originally Posted by aspqrz

Naval bases would have an advantage in that they can simply pull up the gangplank and watch the Zombies mill around on shore ... assuming the base has enough lift capacity to put everyone on ships. And assuming that the infection doesn't get aboard the ships ... at which point they become the venue for a nasty real-life version of a Hollywood slasher flick.

I am guessing that they do not have enough space for all, and like all bases could not be defended, but I could see some of the ships being a good starting point. It would take some planing and moving of supplies, but for some time a very good option.

Originally Posted by aspqrz

And the Navy's problem would be that, aiui, ships carry only a small number of smallarms, only enough for a tiny fraction of the complement, and, likewise, don't carry a heck of a lot of smallarms ammo for those weapons. Unless, of course, you have a MEF or MEB stationed there, along with its 'Phibs and support ships.

The bigger issue I think would be the lack of guns (not small arms) on the ships. If you are sending troops to the shore for supplies and have already used your missiles (very small number with no reloads for most) then what.