WinSPMBT

[RecruitMonty]

From now on the finished icons will be available in this post as an attachment. When the mod is finished, some time in the Fall of 2008 or Spring 2009 it will be posted here too. All other icon files (those which are subjected to constant chages) will be appended in later posts the older ones deleted.

Finished items include:

#All German aircraft.
#"Tsarist" T-34s.
#US heavy tank M104 and Paladin.
#Bergepanzers.
#Jagdpanzers.
#US and German APCs.
#Helicopters.
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Anyone who recently checked out the Cold war mod thread by Plasmakrab will have noticed some rather curious posting from me there. Some of you, four to be precise. Have even got a chance to check it out.

What is it? I hear you ask; well it is first and foremost a combination of the late war (WWII) German OOB and the West German OOB in the place of the Danish OOB. It is compatible with the latest version of Winspmbt and all the shp files provided are up to date as well. Thrown into the mix are speculative designs (including some of the "E" Series tanks) and Plasmakrab's late cold war German units. This is topped off with some interim units that are purely speculative.

The late war units present are as follows:

# Panzer IV G
# Panzer IV H
# Panzer IV J (I also created a variant with the initial K, Pz. IV K, as a replacement for the earlier Pz. IV series and to simulate an attempt at a stop gap measure to upgrade the tank fleet just after the war ended).
# Panzer III J
# Panzer III M
# Panzer III N (all Panzer IIIs are presently maintained until 1960 as light tanks for policing actions, they have undergone mild improvements so duplicate vehicles that have been improved replace the ones listed here in the 50s).
# Panther D
# Panther G
# Panther F
# Panther II (E-75 replaced by Leopard series).
# Loewe (A forerunner of the Kingtiger).
# Koenigstiger (replaced later by Kaisertiger and Mammut E-100 based vehicles).
# Stug. III G
# Stug. IV
# Hummel
# All the Jpz IVs (I think).
# Jagdtiger and Jagdpanther.
# Hetzer (PAK and Flamethrower).
# Flammpanzer III
# Wirbelwind
# Ostwind
# SdKfz 7/2 FlaK
# SdKfz 7/1 FlaK
# SdKfz 10/2 FlaK
# SdKfz. 251 (Mortar, Camo, Grey, Stuka zu Fuss, light Pak, heavy Pak, Stummel, flamethrowing, Speculative late war turreted variants).
# SdKfz. 250 (250/1, 250/9, 250/10).
# SdKfz. 222
# SdKfz. 221/2
# SdKfz 234/1
# SKfz 234/2 Puma
# SdKfz 234/4
# Opel Blitz (+ speculative improvements).
# Buessing-NAG (+ speculative improvements).
# Kubelwagen and Schwimwagen variants.
# Luftwaffe: #Me 109
#Stuka (JU 87 G Kanone)
#Me 262
#HE 111H
#JU 52/3m.
Additional planes will be added in later. Most of these are based on the stuff the Germans were working on just before the war ended. Already two, or three planes have been created by me that represent these planes. In addition all the planes inthe old West German OOB are still there (with some minor exceptions). There Icons have, in some cases, been changed and their names altered (e.g. "Falke"). The Aiforce will need to be overhauled as some of the units within were stop gap measures.

In addition to those wwii units already mentioned. Many of the late war PAK and FLAK have also been added including 88s, the PAK 40 and PAK 44 as well as the Nebelwerfers (41 and 42). Both Austrian and Swiss units have been incorporated into this OOB as well. Only some transport units and AA from the Austrian OOB and a number of light recon cars (The MOWAG Adlers) from the Swiss OOB.

The engineering vehicle section has also undergone enlargement with the incorporation of new Engineering tanks (Minenpanzers) fromthe Leopard family of MBTs (3 in total).

Airmobile and light (colonial/border) infantry as well as heavy and guards units have also been created. Extensive work has been done on sounds and new weapons have been "cooked up" for the late era infantry units. All the weapons, unit and formations now carry German names or abreviations where possible.

That is a fairly brief summary of the work that has been done so far.

[RecruitMonty]

Any suggestions and drawings data on planes you would like to see in the game would be appreciated.

[Marcello]

If you are into german experimental planes this is a good place to start:
http://www.luft46.com/

[RecruitMonty]

Ok, here are some Messerschmitt designs I think you will all love. These will be in the mod too. I just made them a few hours ago.

[RecruitMonty]

Ok, this is a question for Don and the devs. Where can I put new planes?

[RecruitMonty]

I estimate it will take about two weeks to overhaul the OOB, by that I mean take out old or unwanted units and put in new/better units. I am also waiting on some feedback from testers.

[oragus]

So may I ask for a bit more detail into what this actually is? Is this a "Germany has some how extended WWII out past 1950?" If so interesting. If that actually happened, who knows what crazy thing the Germans would have ended up producing. You doing a total mod or just Germany? Because the Allies would have developed a bunch of new things too?

[RecruitMonty]

Ok, you are partly right. I did start out wanting to create an extended WWII mod and so a lot of what you see within, at least in the late 40 and 50s is all about that.
As for extra OOBs, well as it happens I did do some OOB work. A lot of the stuff I did in my Icon thread (the one where I ask for suggestions) had something to do with that. The Soviet tanks I made are supposed to equal or at least be capable of holding their own against the German heavy tanks. The JS VII, the heavier KVs and the Soviet tank with 4 tracks are all supposed to do just that.

At the moment the later models of Kaisertiger and Mammut (E-100 based vehicles) are matched by the soviet stuff until we reach the late 60s. When the tank with four tracks is set up and when a few more heavier tanks are available this disparity should vanish or decrease long enough for the Soviets to develop the later T70s etc.

As for the USA, well all I could find is that heavy SPG of theirs. I found an icon that is. Asside from that the other M60 variant is all I could come up with. The T95 (USA not to be confused with the Soviet one), that is what it is called, will be an interim vehicle in my mod. It will have a bigger gun earlier on so that, if a battle is fought between the USA and the Germans, it won't be a total cake walk.

In short, both the US and the Soviets have enough good equipment to deal with the bulk of the German equipment. The heavy stuff is expensive as are the high end infantry units. The new German OOB is a fairly expensive one.

Both the USA and Russia do not need better planes or infantry to deal with the German units. Some bigger and better AT-guns wouldn't go a miss, but right now I don't feel like making them.

Speaking of airforces, I have just over hauled my Luftwaffe for the early post-war period.

I am fine tuning dates and such since, as we know, the German companies had a habit of producing great designs at around the same time. All of the ones here are plausible, the only problem is picking start and end dates for them. If I use the predicted entry dates then I will have about six or seven, really amazing planes flying around while everyone else is still flying around with one or two decent jets tops. That seems stupid.

Instead I decided to slow down and stagger German aircraft development so I could fill the gaps out evenly and so the more futuristic designs can crop up later (A couple are popping up in the late 50s and will stay in service till the late sixties and so on). This is also done to simulate a war weary and somewhat complacent German Empire more interested in keeping pace and consolidating colonies rather than going nuts on the whole aircraft and tank development front. They would have had a sizeable advantage anyhow.

Although a lot of what the Soviets and Americans built after the war had its roots in pilfered German technology or plans, I will leave the 40s 50s airforces etc untouched. As Britain has been knocked out I will transfer some of their late war designs to the USA OOB at a later date. I will shift the rest over to Canada later still.

[RecruitMonty]

~~##Time for the Plot:##~~

The Germany I present to you here is a culturally very different one than the one of the real post war era. It retains its militarism although it is decidedly less Anti-Semitic and more oldy worldy imperial than before.

The real Germany as we know in the 30s and 40s was run by Adolf Hitler etc and lost the war. The USA and the USSR then initiated the Cold War yadda yadda yadda. Well here is the change. Replace Hitler and the nazis with an Emperor (Kaiser if you will), his various cronies (Barons and so forth) and the Ultra-Conservative (Nationalistic) party that keeps the Reichstag etc functioning.

That is the only change. Pretty much. The Germans still lost WWI, they still had years of strife etc and the Weimar Republic still colapses. The only difference is that the Germany that all this is taking place in is a little different to the historical one.

The roots of this lie far back in the disjointed Holy Roman Empire at the time of the reformation. As we all know a sizeable chunk of the German nobility, the French and the Danes (I think it was them) got embroiled in a nasty war (30 years war) which, at its end saw the demise of a large part of the Holy Roman Empire.

Well, in order for this whole plot to work the results need to be a little different. Germany still falls to bits etc but crucially the lower bit and a hefty bit of what would later become Prussia stay loyal to the Emperor and Pope. Much like the West Prussians and Bavarians and Austrians.

By the time Bismarck etc decide Germany needs tobe one country again both Austria-Hungary and its territories and Prussia are similar and cordial enough to join together. This was the other model touted by German nationalists in the 1840s. So we hve a Grossdeutschland instead of Deutschland.

WWI happens, it drags on a little bit longer (1919 or 1920) and the result is the same. Commies in Russia, no colonies for Germany and bye-bye most of the Eastern German territories (including those of what was Austria-Hungary).

Fast forward again to the 30s and the Germans are doing the Nazi thing only this time they are led by a "1st Reich revivalist" who wants to restore the territories of the Holy Roman Empire (at its zenith) to Germany. Appeasement etc function the same way except in this case the anschluss is not with Austria but with a portion of Hungary. The Jews are left by and large to their own devices as they were in the Kaiserreich. WWII starts the same way too with an invasion of Poland.

In 1941 the Germans invade Russia and by late August/september the Soviet capital is under German control (laregely because the Germans don't muck about as much as they did in reality). 1942 sees German movement towards the Urals and the Caucuses. Stalingrad, although a bloody battle ends without the envelopment of he 6th Army. In this timeline the Soviets lack the forces to mount a winter offensive there as last year's in the centre fell hard on dug in and reinforced (Army Group North was no longer engaged in Leningrad as Moscow's fall left the city without much needed logisitcs). No declaration of war on the USA leaves Japan quite busy and the USA out of Europe and Africa (well they are there in spirit and are bank rolling Britain's war effort). 1943 sees the defeat of the British in Egypt and the establishment of a defendable border, near the Urals, with the Soviets. A bloody battle in the Atlantic picks up the pace as the USA and Germany declare war on one another because of the German penchant for sinking US esscorts (vice versa). The comonwealth nations are still largely involved in protecting British colonies from the Japanese (by now they are being captured back) and the Germans (The Afrika Korps and the Southern forces in Russia are quite a problem). In 1944 the Germans begin preperations for the seizure of the UK. Blah Blah...

By 1950 the Germans and the USA have signed a truce and the Soviet's new border is in Siberia. Not too far in though as they were able to rally and push the Germans back marginally. The Allied remnant retains control over its Colonial territory in the Far East and Southern Africa. The USA is the dominant partner in this coalition. French colonies are reapropriated to the Germans.
Including those in Southeast Asia. These are quickly given away in much the same way as they were in reality.

A Tsarist "puppet" State exists on the small sliver of ground between the Soviets and the Germans. From the 50s to the 70s this State is slowly eroded by the Russians and Germans, the Russians through conquest, the Germans, through the ruse of extending security for the regions closest to hand. The Soviets and Chinese gain strength, the USA gets embroiled in Vietnam along with the British and comonwealth nations (the comonwealth is more like the Empire in this scenario) and the Germans spend most of their time jumping on Arabs and other unruly colonial subjects.

Across North Africa and the German Middle Eastern frontier small and large colonial wars rage. By the mid 60s all is well in Africa (by well I mean the rebels are no longer in the Capital) but in the Middle East the Empire, due to its misguided restructuring of the regional map, is facing a doozy of a war in an area that encompases bits of north-eastern Syria, some of southen Turkey, some of northern Iraq and some of north-western Iran. This province and everything south of it are a big problem for the Germans.

Both Israeli and Arab history has also remained largely unchanged, although this time there are more Israelis as a lot of them were shipped to Israel or headed there after the war had ended. (Israel was created a little later).

Germany was just getting involved in the Middle East by the late 50s so the Israelis and Arabs still had numerous cracks at one another in the mean time. Israel receives aid from the USA and increasingly from Germany too. The Arabs get aid from the Allies (this aide is not meant for the war against Israel but the one against the Germans) and the Communists.

The world is divided along these lines: The USA and the "Allied Remnant" control North America, southern Africa, Southeast Asia and a large chunk of the Pacific (including Australia, New Zealand etc).

South America is contested between German sympathisers (Fascists and Catholics), Communists and other revolutionaries and the USA.

The German Empire eventually controls all of Europe, Western Russia, the eastern coast of Greenland, parts of Eastern Russia, nominally the whole Med. and its coastlines, Turkey, all the former French colonies in Africa as well as the Italian ones, the Suez Canal (partially), most of Syria, Lebanon etc etc. It holds sway over bits of the Congo, its former colonial holdings (Pre 1914-18), bits of South America and later Israel.

The Muslims, who only really come into their own later on, control, well everything they control now except the bits that the Germans pinched.

Finally, the Communists hold sway over all of China, eventually the whole of French Indo-China and of course what remains of Russia. Wherever German troops are under attack you can be sure the Communists have despatched arms or advisors.

[RecruitMonty]

I also have done a lot of work on the Mujahadeen OOB to create the various Islamic forces encountered in the Colonial conflict mentioned above.