[TML] Molding Ships

[James Ramsay]

Charles Prevatte wrote:
> Think about operation Market Garden.  What would a dozen Huey's gunships
> with gatlin guns have done to hold the "bridge to far"?  Each helecopter
> could have brought in 12 new soilders and equipment per trip and provided
> close air support on the way out.  Add to this that they could have deployed
> combat engineers behind the enemy to take out bridges that allowed
> reinforcement to reach the bridge and overwhelm the partroopers trying to
> hold it.

If they had enough transport aircraft Market Garden would have been a 
lot closer to success. The main issue was lack of momentum early in the 
battle due to low numbers of troops (of course if the game _Close 
Combat: A bridge to far_ is to be believed, I can hold off whole 
companies with two MG-42's). But I don't think a dozen helo's would cut it.

In a situation like WWII when you generally need things *now*, would it 
be worthwhile to make high tech boondoggles, or increase the manufacture 
of already proven (though sub-par) equipment? Especially when plain bad 
luck (rifle fire, engine failure etc) could take out a rare high tech 
toy.  The Soviets won WWII with masses of cheap weapons and simplistic 
tactics. Making the T-34/85 a few years earlier would achieve more then 
a few super tanks.

The best use of high tech to improve WWII would be satellites (or high 
orbit UAV's)  and networked logistics. Market Garden failure was down to 
poor logistics.

-- 
the_raptor
"As for sniping... Dude, I was a freaking sniper!
 It's what I do!" - Doug Berry