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Re: HL Abrams detailing build
Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2015 7:33 pm
by greengiant
If the Mouse could be approved I guess anything could. Hitler was a bit crazy over the big is better idea throughout the war years.
Re: HL Abrams detailing build
Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2015 7:36 pm
by ALPHA
greengiant wrote:If the Mouse could be approved I guess anything could. Hitler was a bit crazy over the big is better idea throughout the war years.
So true...they had some really outrageous designs ...it's kind of interesting to think what could have come of them if they had enough resources
ALPHA
Re: HL Abrams detailing build
Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2015 7:49 pm
by greengiant
And if they would have developed them before they started WW2. History might have turned out completely different.
Re: HL Abrams detailing build
Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2015 9:26 pm
by ALPHA
greengiant wrote:And if they would have developed them before they started WW2. History might have turned out completely different.
True....but it seems at the time...strategies called for fast light tanks that could get in and get out quickly...to overwhelm adversaries with speed not size...Interestingly enough...as it got to where they got to being more on the defensive than offensive...the idea of "bigger is better" became the new order
Just glad we came up with the Bigger Bomb faster than they did
ALPHA
Re: HL Abrams detailing build
Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2015 11:36 pm
by greengiant
How true. The Russians and Americans with mass production of simple and quick to build lighter tanks simply overwhelmed Hitler's giant tank production capabilities. What's ironic is that all of Germany's initial successes on all fronts were made with light tanks with a mixture of low power and superior main guns. They kept making superior guns but insisted on building expensive, slow to build, and relatively delicately powered monster tanks instead of superior armed light tanks.
As for the big bomb I'm sure Hitler would have used it first, probably on the Russians, freeing up his forces to make the D Day landings impossible. Then we would have used ours, when ready, in Europe first.
Presuming he managed to make a small enough nuclear devise to fit in one of his rockets he probably would have hit England next and his victory in taking over all of Europe would have been next to impossible to stop.
Re: HL Abrams detailing build
Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2015 1:29 am
by ALPHA
greengiant wrote:How true. The Russians and Americans with mass production of simple and quick to build lighter tanks simply overwhelmed Hitler's giant tank production capabilities. What's ironic is that all of Germany's initial successes on all fronts were made with light tanks with a mixture of low power and superior main guns. They kept making superior guns but insisted on building expensive, slow to build, and relatively delicately powered monster tanks instead of superior armed light tanks.
As for the big bomb I'm sure Hitler would have used it first, probably on the Russians, freeing up his forces to make the D Day landings impossible. Then we would have used ours, when ready, in Europe first.
Presuming he managed to make a small enough nuclear devise to fit in one of his rockets he probably would have hit England next and his victory in taking over all of Europe would have been next to impossible to stop.
Had a discussion with Sass one day when he visited...at the time I just finished working on my Panzer IV ...and contemplating the L70...we got into the convo of why didn't the Germans just work with that platform...it would have just been more practical than moving on to the Tiger ...they could have probably produced an Equal amount of tanks to take on the Sherman onslaught ...though I think we still would have won the battle in the end...just because of air superiority
ALPHA
Re: HL Abrams detailing build
Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2015 6:08 am
by greengiant
That would be true if we would have been able to maintain air superiority had the resources used in Hitler's mammoth construction projects and ground equipment been used instead to build the jets and other improved aircraft.
I think we were lucky that Hitler was a bumbler as a strategic planner. Opening up new fronts as fast as he could in the east which was bleeding the German war machine dry on the ground while the US and English air forces were destroying Germany's ability to replace their lost manufacturing base by constant air attacks.
The allies had the best strategic plan to defeat Germany and we did it.
Re: HL Abrams detailing build
Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2015 6:18 am
by greengiant
Had to finish that loaders hatch Alpha.
After thinking about it even put a clear "glass" in the periscope hood as all the pictures I looked at seemed to have it there whether the periscope was mounted or not.
Pics a little fuzzy but its night and using the flash up close washes out the picture.

Re: HL Abrams detailing build
Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2015 6:22 am
by greengiant
I did find a pic of an Abrams loaders hatch without all the added stuff. It's a Abrams M1E1 on display somewhere.
Re: HL Abrams detailing build
Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2015 1:23 pm
by ALPHA
greengiant wrote:I did find a pic of an Abrams loaders hatch without all the added stuff. It's a Abrams M1E1 on display somewhere.
Thanks again Giant...

....but the photo I followed...the hatch handle was set a tad more in...and didn't have that "staple" style to it...reason it kind of freaked me out when I had to do mine...it was narrow at the base...flaring out to the wider grip...thought it was odd that the military would go through the trouble of manufacturing something with so many bends....doesn't sound frugal ....but in a way...liked that it was different...it was a pain in the rear to replicate...but it did make opening the hatch a lot easier
ALPHA