Rick Berry of Michigan Toy Soldier has received a photo of the box art for the new Mars Vietnam U.S Marines. You can see how the different figures look painted . Rick and other dealers will have these figures.
Rick also noted that . Sergey from Mars has told me US Army Vietnam will be done next.
Just. Wow. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Marines-in-Hue-City-A-Portrait-of-Urban-Combat-Tet-1968-by-Eric-M-Hammel-/131762586663?hash=item1eada98427:g:21EAAOSwHaBWloG1
Paul,
This is a great book.
Have you read his “Fire in the Streets ” ?
I need a new copy.
Denver
Bad place x a tank in that pic.
Hope they made it it.
If the infantry continues to guard the flanks like they are, that tank will do a fine job in an urban environment. Big boom-booms kill bad guys fast and makes the others scared. They run or surrender.
Greg that is the problem. Your observation and points are valid ,theoretically and technically should be that way but history had proven total opposite in many cases.
In urban warfare as Hue-1968 ,tank did not get the good point because marines could not guard/flank around with so many snipers and else plus civilians and cross fire. Recoils riffles and few RPG claim many armors and (3 tanks) in first 3 days out 8 used. The battle was halted using tank in two occasion because of this and the issue with bridges(another obstacle x tanks )in the marines united only. The ARVN suffer worst. The battle was hard won after clearing house to house work by marines and ARVN plus massive last day air support in the temple palace x most part.
Main cities IF are to be taken in correct and not indiscriminate way should be by using well armed with light support artillery infantry/troopers and close air support with direct fire support such (helicopters ) .
If not, then building could easy obstruct tanks, or hide a very close antitank personal enemy that could take entire tank crew in fractions before the infantry supporting could get chance spot it first.
Sample
Berlin :After so many chaotic air bombardments by massive allied rides and soviets later ,them massive 4000 plus artillery barrage was a death trap for soviet massive heavy armor guard units,suffering staggering 62% losses=(armors destroyed or heavy damaged) in 10 days of all united that enter the city.
Even after soviets had developed squad of 10 men armed with light machine gun to clear building per every two tanks/else, the task was very bloody and costly for them. And they were fighting against most undertraining units inside city.
At Stalingrad German armor staff constant denied armor support because of it, and they were less in number and heavy too plus soviets were less well armed in personal antitank weapons them. Most Stalingrad CITY fight in German/Soviets side was taken men to men by all books and personal accounts. Their9German) losses in tanks inside city fight were very minimal.
At Caen/1944 after suffering heavy outside armor losses the British/allied forces suffer again losses inside because the big rubbles and bomb holes in ground made tank slow in progress and easy target x Germans.
Unfortunately either u use very well armed foot forces and support by armor light carriers to get wounded and bring troopers in quick, with tanks only used once entire near area ,(two blocks around least) are clear as artillery direct fire support plus close air constant support.
Examples .Battle of Fallujah and Ramadi
Or u use massive indiscriminate bombardment that take all together out x good but we all know the consequences .
About particular pictures I can see all men are back ,not see any in roof or side, so the buildings in side ahead are easy concealment ,so is the wall in side that has not view to others.
and debrides in street ahead. Easy for mines
They most be lucky not few with RPG or else are near. None appear to had clear ahead either. But just what I can see from the single picture.
Tanks in urban conflicts attract direct heavy fire, infantry been in sides and near is dangerous too unless moving fast around.
Tanks are meant for field/terrain battles, if used in jungle ,cities, hills ,they loose 70% of their potential capability and advantage even with supporting infantry.
With all respect and not doubt your knowledge at all please Sir.
My views and thoughts.
Best regards…
Tmi
Tanks are supposed to be for open fields, yes, but as a support by fire weapon for cities they are valuable. Erwin, you talk about armor losses in these urban environments, but compare the infantry losses, too. If you can bring fire on strong points to support infantry attacks, you reduce them faster and easier. Having said that – there is a right way to do it and it must be rehearsed or it’s just amateur hour in the city. I was at the second siege of Fallujah and I’m telling you, that wasn’t going to happen like it did if we didn’t avail ourselves of the firepower that Abrams and Bradleys provided. Did we lose some? Yeah. Does that mean the tactic failed? No. There would have been a lot more dead infantry without them and it would have gone on for probably another month. Close air and artillery are good for some things, but it can’t replace fire on the spot when you need it. It also causes roads to be clogged with debris (as you mentioned) from the over-kill effect of throwing loads of HE onto a target. As you pointed out; if you strip away the infantry, the tank is vulnerable. IF. Every tactic has a counter method to defeat it.
Greg. Yes of course I’m referring specific to tank losses as I was referring specific to the picture/photo of tank bad supported in the specific war documentary photo link.
Infantry losses is another talk.
Now there is something in your comment that I guess is a miss understood.
I do not imply strip way infantry, on the contrary, referring the above issued photo link, I said first(the tank is in bad spot) as infantry had not take enough close coverage front, rear and sides/up of area,)-again base in the picture only angle I can see of only!!
So I do not know why you mention take infantry off. All my goal was to indicate armor need to be secured to advance first or good antitank will kill it. Infantry need to risk more unfortunately all time till droids or robots soldiers are created.
Now back to discussion in your points.
Tanks and armor only can bring direct and good support IF infantry support do clean near areas treat x vulnerable antitank attacks and in modern close air warfare as today Air close support destroyed those target before if is need too.
Air machine gun and small rockets are very close support with out inflicting heavy debrides in many cases ,it has been used and is used all time. I was referring to close infantry air support of today. Not WW2 or Korea or heavy bombing please…
Minor rockets ground fire or VMG fire by helicopters will not do much more damage to a building that those BIG BOOM BOOM from a tank will do ,yet inflict as many casualties as a tank could/would do and harder to avoid as passing flying wile tank once shoot keep moving slow and very vulnerable still.
I’m glad you survived and participated as Veteran in there and appreciate once more time your services for the nation. I admire your expertise and experience been brought to us and will love to heard more…
However regardless excellent training as infantryman and strong support in armor. What count more in Fallujah was the very poor and lack of antitank weapons by enemy count in the armor losses point only I’m referring ..
The 70’s RPG(most used by insurgents) do not take any Abraham unless a very lucky=almost suicidal very close range in a non well covered by infantry tank. And those ragtag fighters unless use sneaky holes or overwhelm the tank infantry supporting would not get close to it at all.
Bradley M2 are suppose to and x delivery and recollect only AND momentary support fire power using their excellent main weapons ,not as a fire advance support armor in city ,that is (more x the M3 variation), so their time in front action is very limited unless ask to do so and not theatrically advised at all, because is a light armor carrier and scout assault track vehicle. Still it suppose to field with tanks as main carrier infantry and heavy supports as was done in 1191 and 2003 invasion dessert battles.
It has been used in Afghanistan and Iraq because main only vehicle to do task and the well know lack of enemy strong antitank fight capabilities. But it is been gradually replaced since 2007 as found weak in the cities warfare environment because strong IED could damage or destroy it easy versus the much better MRAP. Wile RPG had not been much concern x Bradley as it is been upgrade with the Tank Urban Survival Kit
Armor few losses in Fallujah were do more to those poor armed antitank enemy capability and add to excellent well training of soldiers/marines supporting the armor of course. On top ;all units in ground had a very well coordinated all time eyes drone and satellite view of many enemy ahead movement that tell them what to expect in many cases. Plus more accurate than before close air support fire and observation. None that enemy had. Not to add that every modern Marine and infantry had great body protection, gear/communication ,medical kit,night vision,else that enemy lack as well.
A very different war compere to Viet Nam few cities fights. On Viet Nam enemy antitank weapons were close and many cases better match against most US tanks used and US ground had cero satellite ,computer and else data available to get eyes eagle view of battle front per unit engage.
Every time a tank appear near corner unless area secured it got hit hard .It happen a lot and that is why infantry had to do the nasty work as I mentioned.
Fallujah-The main advantage of the insurgent was the shield back civilian and mix with them as all guerrillas had done in urban warfare , they did against Germans ,against French in Indochina/else , against soviets and US coalition all time.
Guerillas and insurgency used civilians and civilian building to hide, fight and run, making targets very hard and often imply in a lot civilian casualties as Standard armies are force to use heavy fire power from tank, artillery/air to take then out there. That was their advantage, as many were not veterans and plenty boys farmers and elderly in the firefight. Yet incredible and with all overwhelming odds ,many manage to scape infiltrate as civilians else from city. Typical partisan tactic, blend with civilian to scape and fight another day. They are lucky they were fighting US and coalition forces under the rules of engagement!!
One again my thoughts and glad see your comments and personal experiences all time.
Best regards.
This pic has already been shown in a link from Denitz previously and it actually shows the back of the box. The front of the box is the Artwork, if this box follows those already issued by MARS.
In the original link Rick Berry sent in (from his Michigan Toy Soldier website) the photos showed the new MARS U.S. Marines set up next to the new MARS Viet Cong, which really was a new image that hadn’t been posted on this site before.
I guess Admin removed it because it was linked as an advertisement for the figures.
But if you go to Rick Berry’s Michigan Toy Soldier website, you can see pretty neat comparisons of the figures.
All images on Michtoy s website have already been shown here except for the ARTWORK, box front.
Les
Thanks for the correction
Don asked and Sergey who owns Mars replied….Hi Rick. The US Marines will made in green color, thank you for the feedback.
Rick
Thanks for the update.
That will make much sense and hope right green tone color, not too dark OD color.
Thanks x update.
I am looking to buy some boxes of these Marine Figures.
All these figures do not wear Flak Jackets, but that is a minor detail.
When will they be available to purchase ??
Conversions will increase the number of poses.
My intention is to build something similar to the camp where I served.
The bunkers are being constructed first.
Denver,these set had not been released yet I think.
once they come out most US dealers will have them x sure.
Any rumors when these will be available ?
I had not hear any new info yet about it.Maybe some one else know??
So I guess we still wating!! 🙂 🙂
Best…
You can found US.Marines in USA shops at first part of September.