Ammo carriers

[DRG]

While we are on this topic in the next release........Ammo Containers/ Canisters are now classed as non-vehicle loads, so they can fit into transport planes for example even if it only has a personnel only lift capacity. In addition, the "crew" is not separated from them when loaded onto transport planes for a para drop, so they drop as a unit.

This was added more to allow scenario designers to be "creative" and allow isolated units to be resupplied by air or if you really want "historical accuracy" and want to make players crazy...

Fallschirmjäger dropped into combat armed only with a pistol and their knife. Upon landing they were expected to dash to drop containers which had been parachuted down along with them. There the would recover their fighting weapons, grenades and other items with which to carry out the mission.

The design of the German army parachute was very reliable but did not allow to control the direction of flight, and paratroopers often landed far from their weapons. At these moments, they could only rely on personal weapons - pistols and hand grenades, which stuffed the voluminous pockets of landing overalls. Many paratroopers were killed when they were trying to get to the containers with weapons.
"

We cannot supply weapons but you could supply weapon ammo and now you can drop a canister with your paras ( that could have only a bare minimum ammo for rifles/ SMG / Handgrendes and zero for any LMG's

[scorpio_rocks]

That would be sadistic...

[DRG]

Yep....... one good reason Fallschirmjäger stopped being used as paras. What I have never understood is an MP-40 and three or four mags of ammo is not that much weight and it would not be that difficult to rig a sling to make it secure and accessible.

The only reason this worked early on was their use was a surprise. When the other side expects an airborne attack and is ready for it things do not go so well for lightly armed troops

[scorpio_rocks]

I believe it was down to how a German parachute RZ rig (Rückfallschirm, Zwangablösung or “Backpack Parachute, Static Line Deployment”) was attached - one point mid back. The advantage was it could be used from a VERY low altitude the disadvantages were many (no steering, low weight, forced posture, etc). I never understood why the Germans, masters of efficiency, didnt develop / copy a better design...

[DRG]

"masters of efficiency" don't divert manpower and resources to create the Maus in the middle of raw material shortages......

By the time better harnesses were common the days of Fallschirmjäger using them and the Luftwaffe able to deliver Fallschirmjäger intact, were long over.

https://www.combatreform.org/hptll.htm

LESSONS FROM CRETE: JUMP WITH EQUIPMENT

EDIT.... The "glory days" for Fallschirmjäger jumping from transport only lasted 12 months -------May 1940 (the Netherlands, Eben-Emael etc) - May 1941 ( Crete )after Crete they were elite ground troops

[Imp]

Okay some errors here regarding how they work, from the guide & confirmed by playing

All Ammo units resupply to adjacent hexes & the hex they are in.
All 7 hexes are supplied at the same rate no advantage to being in its hex.

Ammo Dumps & Bunkers also supply to the next ring of hexes at a slower rate or put another way supply range is 2 hexes not just the adjacent hex.

Cannisters/Containers can only supply weapons up to warhead size 6.
Look at unit specs small arms mortars & light artillery as a guide.
These also supply at a lower rate I think never bothered to find out.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Resupply rate is reduced or negated if the unit being supplied fires or due to suppression. Larger the warhead the lower the supply rate.

They can supply multiple units at a time but top up the first unit till its full before starting on the next.
Units are supplied in purchase order B0>B1>B2 etc and topped up smallest armament to largest (warhead) before moving to next unit.

Example tank will fill its MGs then main armament. Once full it will start filling the next unit. Artillery normally has only fired main armament so tops off that & then starts filling next.

They provide a big advantage the AI does not have as limited ammo units can be topped up & returned to battle.

Hope that answers your question, as a note far safer to move the unit to the ammo supplier as a rule as part of relocating arty to prevent counter battery fire.

[DRG]

John

Just for the record which game did you test that showed "Cannisters/Containers can only supply weapons up to warhead size 6."
?
Because the code for both games is......

if (iscannister == SSI_TRUE && Warhead > 5) rounds = 0;

and I supposed "up to warhead size 6" can be interpreted as 5 but not 6.

so Cannisters will not ( theoretically....) supply WH greater than 5 which is a 120mm mortar round which may be higher than we intended many moons ago and there has been some "mission creep". 5 will get you a 120mm mortar round but not most ATGM. The // comment attached to that code is...

// cannisters will supply only WH up to 3

and Warhead > 5 is NOT "WH up to 3" ( and that //comment was probably written 20 years ago....)

The problem is WW2 GG and MBT game guide do not quite agree on this as one say "to WH size 3" and the other "to WH size 4" which is what I need to sort out with Andy but it would appear both GG's are wrong and need correcting ( or the code does......probably the GG )

fun-fun-fun......


EDIT...... confirmed both GG should read ( and will on the next release......to WH size 5 MAX

[Imp]

Sorry typo should have been to warhead to size 5

[calvins]

This is good info. One small disagreement. In my experience ammo is loaded in the weapon order listed when looking at the details for the unit. For a tank, the main gun is listed first, and will resupply first. A tank mounted 50cal AA machine gun is normally listed last and will load last.

When fighting zombie hordes of 3rd world light infantry, it sometimes pays to turn off the main gun so that during resupply the machine guns will get ammo faster. Otherwise you will need to wait for the main gun ammo to fill and main gun ammo may not be what you want in this situation. I'll take 180 rounds of machine gun over 15 rounds of HE against infantry.

Same sort of issue with helicopters. If you expect to really need anti-tank missile reload - you should turn off the other weapons listed above the missiles so that the ammo is not used and time isn't wasted reloading weapons that may not be useful.

Great game.