Destruction of Weapons.

[jester]

Here is the question though.

How many weapons are you going to hump? Okay, you are a member of a rifle squad. You set an ambush and it goes as planned. You end up with a dozen AKs. You have another four or five days on patrol. Are you going to hump that spare weapon and ammo and other gear? And then you encounter more enemy forces and capture more equipment. So, by the end you end up with four AKs plus your own weapons. It isn't practical at the small unit level.

Now, if you are dealing with a mass surrender then it is possible, as the enemy stacks their arms and either marches out back to their own lines per an agreement, or they march off to captivity. Then you have a large supply of weapons in a central location where your logistic network can take them into the supply system. But, again, how many are you going to actualy use?

Someone also asked about the wear if I am not mistaken, that was the original question.

We should also figure into the calculation that ALOT of personel will be killed and wounded which will also free up alot of weapons and personal equipment. Yes, some weapons will wear out, some will break, some will be lost. But, will these numbers outstrip the casualties?

[Targan]

Originally Posted by jester

How many weapons are you going to hump? Okay, you are a member of a rifle squad. You set an ambush and it goes as planned. You end up with a dozen AKs. You have another four or five days on patrol. Are you going to hump that spare weapon and ammo and other gear? And then you encounter more enemy forces and capture more equipment. So, by the end you end up with four AKs plus your own weapons. It isn't practical at the small unit level.

True. I suspect that T2K PCs always have a tendancy to hoard far more than soldiers would IRL. I bet that in many cases captured weapons and equipment would be cached in the vain hope that it might be useful and able to be retrieved at a later date. All through the battle zones of T2K Europe there are probably stashes of captured weapons slowly rusting into uselessness because the people who stashed them are either dead or far away.

[copeab]

Originally Posted by Targan

True. I suspect that T2K PCs always have a tendancy to hoard far more than soldiers would IRL.

To be fair, though, soldiers in most T2K campaigns face a far worse resupply problem than soldiers in RL.

[Legbreaker]

Originally Posted by copeab

To be fair, though, soldiers in most T2K campaigns face a far worse resupply problem than soldiers in RL.

This is true, however it's really only since around mid 98 that mentality would have begun to change significantly. Even during, and for a period after the nukes, collection and storage of enemy weapons, vehicles and other materials would be far from the norm.

With most major military operations occuring before this, it is highly likely that normal operational proceedures would have been followed resulting in the distruction of the vast majority of captured equipment.

[copeab]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

With most major military operations occuring before this, it is highly likely that normal operational proceedures would have been followed resulting in the distruction of the vast majority of captured equipment.

Before the nukes, probably yes. After the nukes, I see destruction of enemy equipment as much less likely. Given that the nukes killed about 80-90% of troops, there will a lot of equipment left (even after accounting for battle damage).

[Legbreaker]

A lot of allied material....
Enemy material, in the first few months anyway, will have little to no worth unless supply lines from the rear have been cut/decimated, and then only until "normal" (for want of a better word) supply operations can be reorganised.

Once those supply lines run dry, then will enemy material other than food, fuel, etc become important. Weapons, clothing and vehicles will be amongst the last things saved and used on a wide scale.

[Abbott Shaull]

With modern mobile warfare, it is very easy to get ahead of your supply chain. Even with the most secure supply lines, one well place raid can throw you in the world of hurt, especially if you are active in fighting.