Mg42 Range

[Rabidchild]

That was a beautiful AAR, thank you for sharing. I only wish the pictures were bigger, but wow. A game like that really shows off the strengths of FOW's system. Nice.

(for those that can't see it, you have to log in to the FOW forums first)

 

[DM]

and a 12x6 boggles the mind.

Try doing it on a 25' by 120' table

We used to have access to a wargames "table" (actually a floor) at BAE in Bristol that was used for an ancient flight simulator. It was an incredibly accurate model of a piece of central Germany modelled at 1/300 on whicj we coudl paly micro armour games where the ground scale matched the figure scale. It was quiet instructive, especially trying to spot ATGW-carrying helos firing from a scale 2,500 metres away! It was so big you had to walk (very carefully) on the terrain to move your models (good job the terrain model was extremely stoutly built!)

It was a great pity - the building in which the model was based was demolished (along with the model) to make way for a mundane housing development

 

[Rabidchild]

:shock: Any pictures? :shock:

 

[MajerBlundor]

FWIW:

@ The WWII Technical Database http://www.tarrif.net/

Bren Mk 1 = 550m
M1919 = 1000m
MG42 = 2000m

so if this is true (and it is only one source) and we take the MG42 @ 48", then strictly speaking:

M1919 = 24"
Bren Mk I = 13.2"

In the 15mm game I play, the Bren fires 16"

Agis has the numbers on his side....

...this time :lol:

2000m is roughly the effective range for area targets for tripod-mounted MGs. 800-1100m is effective range for area targets for bipod-mounted MGs.

When using internet sources to research weapon data you need to be very careful, especially in this case since the sources don't specify how the weapon is being used.

For example, the wikipedia entry for the MG42 shows a very reasonable effective range of 1000m and shows a picture of the weapon with a bipod (but still fails to cite mount configuration in the range data.) So, now you have two sources showing the MG42 as having an effective range of 1000m or 2000m. Which is right? Both are! It's about 1000m with a bipod (squad-level configuration) and 2000m with a tripod (as in the company-level support platoon).

Another good reference point are modern derivitives and successors of the MG42 such as the M60 and M240. Both are typically quoted as having effective range (area targets) of 800-1000m with a bipod and 1800-2000 with a tripod (which includes a T&E mechanism and provides a more table firing platform).

It's also important to note type of target. That 550m range for the Bren looks like a point target range for that sort of weapon. Area target range for the Bren is probably close to 800m+ although I've seen tripod-mounted ranges for the Bren of 1500m+ (though it's my understanding that it was rarely used that way).

Another factor is muzzle velocity. The M1919 actually had a higher muzzle velocity than the MG42.

Looks like the data cited in the OP is comparing apples to oranges.

MB