Out of Mothballs: Obsolescent Weaponry on the T2k Battlefield

[3catcircus]

Besides antiquated kit in modern times, it's also extremely useful for alternate history WW2, Vietnam, Korea, British Malay, etc. past skirmish games.

More important than the kit - how about the music? One can't deny that wars are culturally defined in part by the music of the times (or that the time produces the music.) Likewise the food. Hawaii wouldn't know spam without war, for example ...

[Matt Wiser]

Just remember: if it can still kill you, it's not obsolete. A well placed 76-mm from an Easy Eight Sherman or an 85-mm from a T-34/85 can still ruin your day.

[Brit]

Originally Posted by Matt Wiser

Just remember: if it can still kill you, it's not obsolete.

Going way back...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_...rmoryLeeds.JPG
Seems the collection at Leeds, UK, opened in 1995 so late for the T2K period but it, or similar, must be elsewhere...

Are there any (large) collections of ACW period weapons 'that work' in US collections / museums? Even if the musket isn't working the bayonet would.
Maybe a re-enactment society could stay together for self-protection?

This could make a different Militia / Local Defence unit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atholl_Highlanders
"Although it has no official military role, this hand-picked body of local men are armed with Lee Metford rifles, and the regiment includes a pipe band".

[rcaf_777]

"To join the Atholl Highlanders, an invitation must be made from the Duke, who specially selects people with ties to the estate or the local area."

https://blair-castle.co.uk/scottish-...ade-gathering/

The 10th Duke of Atholl died on 27th February 1996. His funeral was held in the ballroom of Blair Castle. After the service, six Highlanders acted as pallbearers, others provided the carriage party and lined the route to the Castle graveyard at Old Blair.

It was feared that the regiment would be disbanded following the 10th Duke’s death in 1996, until his successor, JOHN MURRAY, 11TH DUKE OF ATHOLL, wrote to the estate trustees accepting an invitation to continue his traditional role.

[Raellus]

The design process on the T-10 began in 1944. It was officially retired from service in 1996.

https://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/c.../ussr/T-10.php

They were allocated to independent tank battalions.

According to Wikipedia, "It is estimated that some 6,000 Soviet heavy tanks were built after the end of World War II, of which 1,439 were T-10s."

Presumably, most of the others were JS-3's, mentioned up-thread.

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[chico20854]

Originally Posted by Raellus

The design process on the T-10 began in 1944. It was officially retired from service in 1996.

https://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/c.../ussr/T-10.php

They were allocated to independent tank battalions.

According to Wikipedia, "It is estimated that some 6,000 Soviet heavy tanks were built after the end of World War II, of which 1,439 were T-10s."

Presumably, most of the others were JS-3's, mentioned up-thread.

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In the 1980s T-10s were assigned to mobilization only tank divisions in the Southwest TVD. Presumably in the 90s they would either have remained there or been shuffled off to even lower priority M-O divisions, such as those in Western Siberia. (For example, the 80th TD, which fielded a mix of JS-3's and T-34/85s https://www.ww2.dk/new/army/td/80td.htm) Other T-10s (and other JS-3s that hadn't been exported, including to Syria and Egypt) were emplaced in fortified areas, including the Kuriles, the Chinese border and in the Caucasus.

Bear's Den mentions one outside the nuked remains of the Transcarpathian Military District HQ, it's barrel melted to the ground.

Overall, a T-10 is not much to worry about if you have a Leopard II or even M-60, but certainly enough to ruin your day if you're running around the woods with nothing heavier than a LAW!

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by Raellus

The design process on the T-10 began in 1944. It was officially retired from service in 1996.

From the side, it looks sort of like a lengthened T-62, except for that suspension.

[Raellus]

If it's coming back in 2022, it'd be back in T2k.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...-reserve-units

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[Ursus Maior]

Originally Posted by Matt Wiser

Just remember: if it can still kill you, it's not obsolete. A well placed 76-mm from an Easy Eight Sherman or an 85-mm from a T-34/85 can still ruin your day.

That's bit too vague for a proper definition. Can a Sherman still kill "you" personally? Yes of course. But can it fulfill the role of an MBT on a modern battlefield? Certainly not, as it was designed before the MBT role had been defined and is by now an 80 old design. That certainly makes it obsolete as a weapon on a modern battlefield. Otherwise, by your definition, sticks and stones would also still be non-obsolete weapons.

As for a Twilight 2000 setting: Well, if no-one has working tanks for dozens of kilometers than a Sherman in running condition, fueled up and stacked with ammunition is as good as it was in the 1940s. Rifles, handgrenades and automatic weapons haven't changed that much. But beware of someone pulling out a Carl Gustaf. It's from the same decade, but at 400 meters it's going to go right through that Sherman.

[micromachine]

I can see some of the more common antiquated vehicles being reactivated as there are few if any electrical components to be maintained, and most of the mechanical systems can be maintained by an automotive garage or a heavy equipment workshop. Both of these places will have the capabilty to custom fabricate parts, assuming of course they have people with the required skills.
Engines, running gear and POL will be a major headache as well, and the manuals for these vehicles will be long gone, so repacement and repair will be a major case of improvisation.
Ammunition will of course be a large problem, however, a tank with a coaxial machine gun and a pintle mounted machine gun is still something to respect if you have limited antitank equipment. I can see some real "franken weapons" coming into service as the modern spares and hanger queens are used up to make good on battlefield losses. Picture a demilled Sherman tank with a ball mounted M1919, Bofors 40mm gun in lieu of the 75mm gun, an M60 pintlle mount, and a M40 recoiless rifle mounted on the turret bustle as part of the rapid reaction force of a cantonment.

[Tegyrius]

Originally Posted by micromachine

Ammunition will of course be a large problem, however, a tank with a coaxial machine gun and a pintle mounted machine gun is still something to respect if you have limited antitank equipment. I can see some real "franken weapons" coming into service as the modern spares and hanger queens are used up to make good on battlefield losses. Picture a demilled Sherman tank with a ball mounted M1919, Bofors 40mm gun in lieu of the 75mm gun, an M60 pintlle mount, and a M40 recoiless rifle mounted on the turret bustle as part of the rapid reaction force of a cantonment.

Or as the centerpiece of a marauder formation. You don't need APFSDSDU for intimidating the peasants and making an example of the odd resister who tries to off the warlord with a hunting rifle. Put some 40mm into a few church steeples (and the snipers in them) and the rest of the subjects wise up real quick.

Enter the PCs, stage left...

- C.