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And now for a particularly silly notion... TANKS!!!

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And now for a particularly silly notion... TANKS!!!
Post by River Monster   » Wed Jun 24, 2015 3:46 pm

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It occurs to me that there's now nothing preventing Charis from fielding at least crude armored fighting vehicles. We have plate armor, an engine capable of propelling it, and breech-loading guns. Certainly something like a TOG or British Mark 1 is achievable. Or perhaps something like the German A7V would be a better, for some troop mobility.

(Mind you, I'm still holding out for steampunk hydrofoils.)
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Re: And now for a particularly silly notion... TANKS!!!
Post by Duckk   » Wed Jun 24, 2015 4:04 pm

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Getting them to the front in sufficient quantities would certainly be an interesting problem in transportation. And the amount of steel required to build an effective tank corps would be substantial enough that it would impact other projects.
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Re: And now for a particularly silly notion... TANKS!!!
Post by Theemile   » Wed Jun 24, 2015 4:14 pm

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Duckk wrote:Getting them to the front in sufficient quantities would certainly be an interesting problem in transportation. And the amount of steel required to build an effective tank corps would be substantial enough that it would impact other projects.


Besides, we would really need to have diesel engines available for them to be effective. Steam would be possible, but a much higher % of said vehicle would be dedicated to propulsion. - that and I would want to be inside a tank whose steam engine just took a hit.
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Re: And now for a particularly silly notion... TANKS!!!
Post by John Prigent   » Wed Jun 24, 2015 4:54 pm

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An A7V for mobility? You must be joking, 'immobility' would be nearer the mark. The A7V was regarded by its own operators as completely useless on anything but flat ground with no awkward obstacles like trenches, trees or houses. It got stuck with alarming regularity!
Cheers
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River Monster wrote:It occurs to me that there's now nothing preventing Charis from fielding at least crude armored fighting vehicles. We have plate armor, an engine capable of propelling it, and breech-loading guns. Certainly something like a TOG or British Mark 1 is achievable. Or perhaps something like the German A7V would be a better, for some troop mobility.

(Mind you, I'm still holding out for steampunk hydrofoils.)
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Re: And now for a particularly silly notion... TANKS!!!
Post by Henry Brown   » Wed Jun 24, 2015 6:23 pm

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It is not as silly a notion as you think. There have already been threads on steam tanks. Furthermore, it has been awhile but from what I recall RFC commented favorably on the subject of steam tanks in the old thread.
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Re: And now for a particularly silly notion... TANKS!!!
Post by Charles83   » Wed Jun 24, 2015 8:08 pm

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Oh come on, if you are going to do it, do it right, DEPLOY A MAUS.

:)
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Re: And now for a particularly silly notion... TANKS!!!
Post by OJsDad   » Wed Jun 24, 2015 9:21 pm

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William R. Forstchen had steam power tanks in some of the later Lost Regiment series.

As for needing a corps, no you wouldn't. Unless the AoG had artillery that could punch through the armor, one could roll through the enemy lines with no issues.
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Re: And now for a particularly silly notion... TANKS!!!
Post by doug941   » Wed Jun 24, 2015 9:35 pm

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If something was needed fast, how about something based on the Hussite War Wagons. Dragon inside the wagon, timberclad with thin iron plate and infantry firing from inside.
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Re: And now for a particularly silly notion... TANKS!!!
Post by n7axw   » Wed Jun 24, 2015 11:08 pm

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doug941 wrote:If something was needed fast, how about something based on the Hussite War Wagons. Dragon inside the wagon, timberclad with thin iron plate and infantry firing from inside.


This is an intriguing idea. I'm trying to visualize the thing. Would you build the thing around the dragon? It would seem to me that it would be a bit restrictive for the dragon to do it that way. Maybe a system whereby it could be mated with the dragon right before combat would be better...

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Re: And now for a particularly silly notion... TANKS!!!
Post by Charles83   » Thu Jun 25, 2015 12:12 am

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Tanks are a complicated proposition, I do not think that they are far enough the technology tree to be able to do reliable tanks, at best i think the level of technology they have right now is between 1850 to 1880, with very certain and specific areas that are up to world war 1 to world war 2 era, tanks and the industry to support them and make them is not yet there, a lot of pieces needed for the engine are not fully there yet.

So no I do not think they can make tanks yet.
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