Hammer's Slammers....
- Thread starter DM
- Start date
I think I have been reading the books more recently than the rest of you (I got volume two of the collected editions for Christmas and have only just finished The Sharp End (again).
The power guns, whether small arms, tribarrels or the main guns on the tanks were incapable of indirect fire. The energised ions, plasma or whatever it was took off in a straight line, more or less attenuated by atmosphere until they hit something. They were not energy weapons but they might as well have been.
The 20cm (I think) weapons on the panzers could kill satellites in orbit – and presumably make life pretty unpleasant for starships as well [1]. The tribarrels were dandy for incoming arty and aircraft [2]. The artillery pieces with their rocket assisted rounds were the only pieces capable of indirect fire apart from the smaller jeep mounted or towed mortars and grenade launchers.
Notes
1. It would be interesting to speculate about starship combat in this setting if anyone is up for it? Powerful (but poor penetration – why am I thinking of the Japanese shimose shells in the Russo-Japanese War), near lightspeed direct fire weapons with pretty near unlimited range in a vacuum. The only limit is target acquisition (and even with today’s technology stealth spaceships are very, very unlikely (from the Traveller mailing list I think)) fire control and accurately predicting the movement of the target. Missiles would seem to be not survivable in space combat.
2. Combat aircraft are extinct, if it flies it dies except for NOE craft such as the drones used by the slammers for recon. They might be great against a low tech force but if they can afford to hire half-way capable AAA then they are toast, and expensive toast at that.
The power guns, whether small arms, tribarrels or the main guns on the tanks were incapable of indirect fire. The energised ions, plasma or whatever it was took off in a straight line, more or less attenuated by atmosphere until they hit something. They were not energy weapons but they might as well have been.
The 20cm (I think) weapons on the panzers could kill satellites in orbit – and presumably make life pretty unpleasant for starships as well [1]. The tribarrels were dandy for incoming arty and aircraft [2]. The artillery pieces with their rocket assisted rounds were the only pieces capable of indirect fire apart from the smaller jeep mounted or towed mortars and grenade launchers.
Notes
1. It would be interesting to speculate about starship combat in this setting if anyone is up for it? Powerful (but poor penetration – why am I thinking of the Japanese shimose shells in the Russo-Japanese War), near lightspeed direct fire weapons with pretty near unlimited range in a vacuum. The only limit is target acquisition (and even with today’s technology stealth spaceships are very, very unlikely (from the Traveller mailing list I think)) fire control and accurately predicting the movement of the target. Missiles would seem to be not survivable in space combat.
2. Combat aircraft are extinct, if it flies it dies except for NOE craft such as the drones used by the slammers for recon. They might be great against a low tech force but if they can afford to hire half-way capable AAA then they are toast, and expensive toast at that.
-Daniel-
Emperor Mongoose
Well let’s see. I just reread Volume Three of the Complete Hammer’s Slammers last week (8 days ago to be exact). How did I do? :wink:klingsor said:
They are true plasma weapons.klingsor said:
One of the things that makes Drake’s stories so good is the man understands true combined arms warfare. In the original books and in Vol 1 of the complete volumes a very basic TOE is given for the Regiment. This includes “Sec V: Artillery” that is three batteries of SPA using 20cm rocket assisted howitzers. Each Battery has six howitzers, two ammo haulers, and a command car.
In any case for anyone who has not read these stories, and likes realistic SciFi, I say get them and read them.
Daniel
Good news,
Categories: Announcements, by Matthew SPRANGE
Travelling the Cosmos. . .
Okay, I have teased CTA players enough this week - now it is time to hit the Traveller players!
First off - today, we have just signed the contract with a certain Mr David Drake to produce a new line of books based on Hammers Slammers. If you don't know what this is, report to Amazon now! However, if you are in the know, expect to see them done as a new Traveller setting, likely appearing early next year. They will certainly force us to get cracking on the advanced vehicle rules! We'll make a big announcement on this closer to the time, but consider this a heads up for those of you who visit Planet Mongoose. .
I guess we can end this thread, now that the wish is in the pipeline.
Categories: Announcements, by Matthew SPRANGE
Travelling the Cosmos. . .
Okay, I have teased CTA players enough this week - now it is time to hit the Traveller players!
First off - today, we have just signed the contract with a certain Mr David Drake to produce a new line of books based on Hammers Slammers. If you don't know what this is, report to Amazon now! However, if you are in the know, expect to see them done as a new Traveller setting, likely appearing early next year. They will certainly force us to get cracking on the advanced vehicle rules! We'll make a big announcement on this closer to the time, but consider this a heads up for those of you who visit Planet Mongoose. .
I guess we can end this thread, now that the wish is in the pipeline.
dorward
Mongoose
That was a big chunky announcement, wasn't it? Producing that little lot should keep the boys in the tower busy for a little while at least.
I shall, however, be ignore Matt's advice and not reporting to Amazon.
I started out with Wikipedia (which is usually a good way to find out what order books in a series are supposed to be read in) and the style of cover shouted Baen at me.
Baen happen to be my very favourite publisher of novels, not least because they have a wonderful system for letting people sample their books - giving some of them away for free in electronic form, especially those which are the first couple in a long series.
So, I've just added The Tank Lords to my holiday reading list, and it isn't costing me a thing (yet ... the problem with Baen giving away books like this is that I almost always seem to end up spending money to get the rest of the series. C'est la vie.
Anyway, linky linky: http://www.webscription.net/p-624-the-tank-lords.aspx
I shall, however, be ignore Matt's advice and not reporting to Amazon.
I started out with Wikipedia (which is usually a good way to find out what order books in a series are supposed to be read in) and the style of cover shouted Baen at me.
Baen happen to be my very favourite publisher of novels, not least because they have a wonderful system for letting people sample their books - giving some of them away for free in electronic form, especially those which are the first couple in a long series.
So, I've just added The Tank Lords to my holiday reading list, and it isn't costing me a thing (yet ... the problem with Baen giving away books like this is that I almost always seem to end up spending money to get the rest of the series. C'est la vie.
Anyway, linky linky: http://www.webscription.net/p-624-the-tank-lords.aspx
Traveller-61
Mongoose
And I'm next in the "Waiting Mode" line :lol:
As a long time Slammers fine I am really looking forward to this! And with B5 coming as well it's making the new Traveller look very intertesting indeed....
DW
As a long time Slammers fine I am really looking forward to this! And with B5 coming as well it's making the new Traveller look very intertesting indeed....
DW
My copy of the third anthology volume turned up this morning. The picture on the cover is interesting. An M4 hull and turret with a new barrel and wider blower hull added around the existing one presumably using some sort of Photoshop trickery beyond my ken. At least though it suggests the artist is at least familiar with the stories or was properly briefed.
Aragorn300
Mongoose
Hammer's Slammers is one of those series that seems to travel by word of mouth. I started reading it when it was being reprinted for about, Oh, the 3rd series of reprints. Got turned on to it by former tank commander in the US army I met.
One good thing about the tanks in slammers is that you can always tinker with them to enable a whole crew to have something to do. One guy on the tri-barrel topside, one on the main gun, maybe add a co-axial for the driver etc. The tank stats were consitant overall but rules could enable them to be customized.
Of course, I want to see how an effeminate homosexual assassin/aide-de-camp who can shoot someone at a 100m with a pistol will work...
One good thing about the tanks in slammers is that you can always tinker with them to enable a whole crew to have something to do. One guy on the tri-barrel topside, one on the main gun, maybe add a co-axial for the driver etc. The tank stats were consitant overall but rules could enable them to be customized.
Of course, I want to see how an effeminate homosexual assassin/aide-de-camp who can shoot someone at a 100m with a pistol will work...
Just a few Dollars in a few month's time wil do 
