Methodological Question: Researching a Vehicle

[Spencer Armstrong]

Guys:

Super novice question here, but I haven't done historical research since college and never of this sort. If you stumbled on a particular odd vehicle (let's call it the T-21.5 to avoid getting bogged down in particulars and not tip my hand), how would you go about researching actions the T-21.5 participated in? Thanks.

S

 

[Kevin Kenneally]

Guys:

Super novice question here, but I haven't done historical research since college and never of this sort. If you stumbled on a particular odd vehicle (let's call it the T-21.5 to avoid getting bogged down in particulars and not tip my hand), how would you go about researching actions the T-21.5 participated in? Thanks.

S

Depending upon the nationality of the AFV would depend upon the sources that migh thave your information.

Chamberlain & a few others helped to produce American, British and German AFVs during WWII in some very detailed books.

There are a few good Russian vehicle books aout there as well.

These all migh tbe able to be found in your local library; there is a program where libraries can share books with other libraries. This should help out as well.

Also, some internet searches may help, but be leary of some. They might be bogus websites or just plain "Bull-sh*t".

Lastly. Paul Weir is a very knowledgable individual that may help you out (for a nominal fee or your first born male child).......

 

[Thunderchief]

Guys:

Super novice question here, but I haven't done historical research since college and never of this sort. If you stumbled on a particular odd vehicle (let's call it the T-21.5 to avoid getting bogged down in particulars and not tip my hand), how would you go about researching actions the T-21.5 participated in? Thanks.

S

Contacting the designing/owning nations national armour museum or national war museum might be a good start - eg Bovington for the Brits, Munster for the Germans, Aberdeen for the Yanks (?)

 

[witchbottles]

Depending upon the nationality of the AFV would depend upon the sources that migh thave your information.

Chamberlain & a few others helped to produce American, British and German AFVs during WWII in some very detailed books.

There are a few good Russian vehicle books aout there as well.

These all migh tbe able to be found in your local library; there is a program where libraries can share books with other libraries. This should help out as well.

Also, some internet searches may help, but be leary of some. They might be bogus websites or just plain "Bull-sh*t".

Lastly. Paul Weir is a very knowledgable individual that may help you out (for a nominal fee or your first born male child).......

Contact the following Gs forumites; hat very muchly in hand, and with as much humility and poor sad whipped puppy dog expression as you can acheive after lots of practice in the mirror. They will of course help you out: but one must pay the price....


Paul Weir- treadhead a la none more extraordinaire. His emails are infrequent due to the balkiness of his internet machine. The data is impeccable. Well worth the wait for a response if needed whilst he researches.

Kevin Kenneally- Owns more than a few very useful line drawing overhead, front and side view references for AFVs. Comparing the details, as Paul would acknowledge, is the first step in identifying verious sub - marks as OP tanks, command vehicles, etc. His services are quite expensive , however. Prepare to grovel shamelessly at the feet of one so well supplied with AFV data.

Von Markowitz- a very useful European connection for researching the various nuances in translating such titles as "OberBefehlSpahPanzerWagen" into exactly what such a vehicle was supposedly designed to do. In addition; his ability to view a few not available to us american upstarts of various AFVs located in Europe maens he has provided more than one very useful up close actual photos of AFVs on display for assistance. At least he won't desire your first - born child in payment.

The Pitmonster. - Yeah I know; I know. Fact is, he can, with a bit of gruffness, guide one towards good resources to cross - check and verify the details of exactly what may have been where when and commanded by whom and in what condition of supply. It is worth the rubbing the bristles the wrong way to get the assistance in tracing / verifying primary source documents. He won't do the work for you. He will help you find your way through the minefields of B.S. out there while you do the work. The price will be a littoral "pound of flesh".


Good luck, Spence! the guys here are all helpful. but these 4 are over and above the rest vis a vis AFV data.

KRL, Jon H

 

[Ronnblom]

Super novice question here, but I haven't done historical research since college and never of this sort. If you stumbled on a particular odd vehicle (let's call it the T-21.5 to avoid getting bogged down in particulars and not tip my hand), how would you go about researching actions the T-21.5 participated in?

First you need to know to which units this vehicle was issued. If you're lucky, you'll find this information in the various reference/encyclopedia-style AFV books. Most however tend not to cover the operational history of the vehicles, but rather the technical side of things.

Then it would be a matter of finding some unit histories on that unit or those units, or their parent formations. Google book search often a very useful tool to find such books, although the text itself is not always available.

If you in that unit history find an action you would like to depict in ASL, you will often want to get a book or two on the operation to fit the action into a large whole (and a less biased version than that of the typical unit history), and potentially get some more information on the enemy side.