My Tank is Fight! by Zack Parsons

[Cassandra]

My Tank is Fight! by Zack Parsons is a 2007 book featuring the real life secret weapons programs of World War Two. They ranged from the ahead of their time to the completely idiotic. This thread will feature some of the weapons adapted for the Hero Game system.

[Cassandra]

The Vampire IR Night Vision system was developed by the German Army during the war. The scope was mounted onto a rifle, and powered by a battery backpack that weight about thirty-five pounds.

In game terms

ES: IR Vision, OIF[Bulky]: Rifle Mounted Scope and Backpack. 2 Points.

The system was used exclusively on the Eastern Front.

[Redmenace]

I loved that book. Looking forward to your write ups. Are you planning on doing the whole book or just selected items?

[NanDispute]

Where did he come up with the name? Japlish? Germlish? What?

[Ian Mackinder]

Haven't read the book, but it sounds very good. Ceretainly most wars have had their "What were they thinking?" type of ideas. Of course, success is the only real guideline here - there have also been a few off-the-wall and out-of-the-box successes as well. Plus a few might have beens. needless to say.

One of my personal favourite stories in this general theme is also from ww2.

Early on in the war, some ... experts in one corner of British Intelligence worked out a complete psychological profile for Adolf Hitler. They came to the conclusion that it would be possible for them to drive Der Fuhrer totally insane. Yeah, I know. Hitler was supposedly nuts anyhow - but this was all about reducing him to padded cell accomodations and the jacket with the tie-down sleeves.

So, how was this to be achieved?

Basically, the plan was to overdose Hitler with pornography.

Yes, you read that correctly. These spy-guys carefully amassed a gigantic collection of (mostly German) smut and porn, and the plan was to crate it all up, then airdrop the lot onto Hitler's estate at Berchtesgaden. Adolf would start reading through it, and at some point his brain would presumably melt.

The plan was kyboshed when a senior official basically said, "That is the stupidest idea I have ever heard". No indication as to the final fate of British Intelligence's Germanic porn collection.

[Markdoc]

These spy-guys carefully amassed a gigantic collection of (mostly German) smut and porn, and the plan was to crate it all up, then airdrop the lot onto Hitler's estate at Berchtesgaden.

Or so they said, when they were caught with gigantic collection of (mostly German) smut and porn :D

cheers, Mark

[Cassandra]

I'll be trying to do most of the items in the book.

The Aircraft Carrier made of ice might be the exception.

[bubba smith]

is it just me or does the books title seem like a bad translation?

[Redmenace]

I'll be trying to do most of the items in the book.

The Aircraft Carrier made of ice might be the exception.


When I was reading "MTIF?" for material in my G Age campaign, I thought of Habakuk as more of a semi mobile base. It's almost a mobile island.


Are you planning on statting them out as functionally useful or straight as is? The reason I ask is that when I made a pass through, the various projects kept falling into three broad categories: The plausible ala vampire scopes and sub cruiser, the crazy, the flying tank, and great plot device, ala the Landkreuzer, superguns and Silbervogel.

I'm looking forward to your take on the flying tank.

[Theron]

According to the author, the title is actually from a song by The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets (one of the greatest geek bands in existence, BTW). It really doesn't have anything to do with the subject matter except in a most tenuous way.

[Lucius]

According to the author, the title is actually from a song by The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets (one of the greatest geek bands in existence, BTW). It really doesn't have anything to do with the subject matter except in a most tenuous way.

To me, that is annoying enough to constitute a reason not to read a book (or see a movie, etc.)

Lucius Alexander

And an untitled palindromedary

[Narratio]

The book is a minor classic, sitting on my shelf at home. I appreciate the way the author splices in little stories showing the described devices in use. The space station in particular has that nice Werner Von Braun / Rocket to The Moon feel.

[Bloodstone]

I actually misread the title as "My Tank In Flight", which may very well have made just as much sense...

[Markdoc]

I actually misread the title as "My Tank In Flight", which may very well have made just as much sense...

Actually the Russians experimented with flying tanks (about as successfully as you'd expect) :D

cheers, Mark

[L. Marcus]

It went down like a lead balloon. :yes:

[Markdoc]

It went down like a lead balloon. :yes:

Well, to be fair, it actually did work. Ladies an' jemmemumm! I present ..... the Antonov A-40!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/AntonovA40.jpg/300px-AntonovA40.jpg

The idea was to tow it aloft with a heavy bomber, then release it and let it glide to its target. Once landed, it could just drop the glider and cruise off. The one time they tried it, the tank actually did fly. But the problem was the lack of heavy bombers that could tow them safely: they were so heavy and had so much drag, that the towing aircraft was on the verge of stalling and had to cut the tank loose.

If I was running a Golden age campaign, I would so include working versions of these guys! :D

Edit: Oh, and "My Tank is Flight!"

cheers, Mark

[Ian Mackinder]

Well, to be fair, it actually did work. Ladies an' jemmemumm! I present ..... the Antonov A-40!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/AntonovA40.jpg/300px-AntonovA40.jpg

The idea was to tow it aloft with a heavy bomber, then release it and let it glide to its target. Once landed, it could just drop the glider and cruise off. The one time they tried it, the tank actually did fly. But the problem was the lack of heavy bombers that could tow them safely: they were so heavy and had so much drag, that the towing aircraft was on the verge of stalling and had to cut the tank loose.

If I was running a Golden age campaign, I would so include working versions of these guys! :D

Edit: Oh, and "My Tank is Flight!"

cheers, Mark

It would probably go well with the paratrooper horse cavalry battalion that one European nation fielded pre-ww2. Forget which country it was but, yes, the plan was that both men and horses would be sent into action via parachute.

As is so often the case, this unit was never actually used in its intended mode.

[Markdoc]

It would probably go well with the paratrooper horse cavalry battalion that one European nation fielded pre-ww2. Forget which country it was but, yes, the plan was that both men and horses would be sent into action via parachute.

As is so often the case, this unit was never actually used in its intended mode.

Yeah, the soviets never gave up the idea of airborne cavalry (armor). By the cold war they actually had a working airdrop system where they would drop light AFVs with a combo parachute/retrorocket system that essentially turned the AFV into a crudely steerable paraglider and progressed so far as doing live drops with crew inside the vehicle. Of course, it was never used in combat, but still ...

cheers, Mark

[Ian Mackinder]

Yeah, the soviets never gave up the idea of airborne cavalry (armor). By the cold war they actually had a working airdrop system where they would drop light AFVs with a combo parachute/retrorocket system that essentially turned the AFV into a crudely steerable paraglider and progressed so far as doing live drops with crew inside the vehicle. Of course, it was never used in combat, but still ...

cheers, Mark

Hmmm. Definite possibilities - Fill those suckers with explosives, get some disposable pilots, and turn them into the world's toughest kamikazes.