Drilling AA half track

Question on the SdKfz 251/21 'Drilling'

3x15mm, does this count as a Multiple AC Mount, or Multiple Medium MG Mount for the small arms . I think it should be Multiple AC, but it just seems off that 3x15mm counts the same as a quad 2cm.

Either is correct as both 15mm & 20mm MG 151’s were used in the SdKfz 251/21, so go with what you have in your model, scenario or army list

German 15mm is a hmg like the us .50 Cal or Russian 12.5mm. rules for would be the same as any multiple mount weapon. RoF 10 and 2 chances to pin.

Yes, both multiple HMG and Autocannon mounts have an ROF of 10: the difference is the autocannon has longer range and an AP value.

It's about it's penetration and ammo types. With the 15mm it's ammo was for anti-aircraft and had garbage penetration 15mm of penetration even with AP rounds. The US .50cal was way more powerful.  So the 15mm should be at least equal to it in game terms if not worse.

The British 15mm BESA does indeed have an AP value of 1, but the .50 Ma Deuce does not....... BTW the British gun  although it was capable of automatic fire, actually doing so filled the turret with toxic fumes so badly that it was mostly only  used on single shots.  The BESA was a gas-operated gun with two unusual features. Firstly, the piston left the gas cylinder on its rearward stroke, so that the gas—and the powder fouling—were exhausted to the outside, giving a high degree of reliability. Secondly, the barrel recoiled within the gun body and the gun actually fired while the barrel was still returning to its forward position. This meant that the recoil force had to stop the forward movement before it could begin to force the barrel back again, and this, in turn, reduced the recoil force on the gun mounting.  All this is fine on a field carriage (as originally intended) or AA mount, but in a small enclosed turret......  Food for thought for all you Blitz era light tank and armored car jockeys!

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9a/97/94/9a979449d052e63d649ac2e820a27f24.jpg

What???? What does that have to do with anything? An AP round from a .50cal can pen 25.5mm at 200m . The 15mm ac of the drilling is 19mm at 200m. That's why I say it should be a hmg and not a cannon

The 15mm is an HMG - no argument there, but so is the Browning and the BESA. I was pointing out that in the rules as written, the Browning doesn't have an AP rating while the (effectively) single shot British gun does.

Ah...ok I gotcha now. Lol. I was all kind of confused, but understand now.

Officially, the 15mm HMG of the Drilling is an Autocannon with a penetration vlue of "1".



Pg. 158 of "Fall of the Reich" rulebook.

And also officially, multiple autocannons have a ROF of 10, and roll twice for area fire (Multiple MG¨s DO NOT have that benefit)

And yes, it is the same effect as a quad 20mm Flakvierling. Many things in Battlegroup are not as granular as one may want. But that´s the price for having a great working wargames rules system

It is lame that the US .50cal is so weak. In all ways it should be leasted as an auto cannon and not a HMG via game mechanics. Then have the weak ass German 15mm as a better weapon is cringe worthy.

Nino: Once you bought the rules they are your rules. If you feel so, make US 12,7mm autocannons with penetration 1. To be used only when you play in your group.

We do, just like every else. So far not a single person that post on here plays the game the same way. Everyone changes the rules to fit how they play. So I didn't purchase a rulebook but a guideline on how to play a miniwargame.

Wargamers have been doing this since Donald Featherstone (PBUH) was in boot camp It is quite interesting to see how other players modify the book rules to suit their own situations, and so long as we're all having fun, all is good!

IIRC Warwick said in a post some time ago (probably on the Guild) that in the first draft with Ma Deuce was originally given an AP of 1 but that was changed as it was felt to be too powerful in game terms (?) That really didn't become an issue until Wacht Am Rhein when we ran the Stoumont Halt scenario where the single .50 is the only heavy weapon available apart from the US 90mm AA Gun and it was unable to hurt the armored halftracks of the SS Grenadier platoon.