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Post by mikedski on Apr 23, 2016 20:00:50 GMT
(apologies to Scott Washburn if I screw up his alternate history)
Early in the invasion the US Government's defense plan took shape. Delay the Martians across the great expanse of the plains and mountain west and then hold along the mighty Mississippi River. The building of the greatest line of fortifications in military history would fall to William H. Bixby, Chief of Engineers, US Army Corps of Engineers. General Bixby was no stranger to the Chicago area or the Mississippi River as former Chicago District Chief Engineer and President of the Mississippi River Commission. With executive orders from President Roosevelt the Corps of Engineers was able to prioritize construction materials for the massive defensive projects from Chicago to Shreveport.
Huge walls were being built around the great cities of the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys but General Bixby was not content to leave the smaller cities and towns to their fate. Following the invasion the capabilities of the Martian machines were studied intensely to include their mobility. By 1910-1911 the US Army understood the movement limitations of the tripods during fighting in woods, cities, swamps, and canyons. His engineers had a good idea of the height and thickness of obstacles that impeded the basic assault tripod mobility. General Bixby supervised the construction of iron pickets across the country side that would later be nicknamed "Bixby's Barricades" . The obstacles just consisted of iron I-beams that were destined for planned skyscrapers and train track rails. While not as stout as a concrete wall the obstacles would require some effort by the Martians to blast, burn, or smash their way through.
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Post by mikedski on Apr 24, 2016 1:46:59 GMT
Primed with rust color paint and modeling clay to simulate hastily poured concrete anchors. Will base and dry brush.
will add more to the gate section and 3-4 more barricade sections. |
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Post by mikedski on Apr 25, 2016 1:21:37 GMT
Needed to make the gate bigger for a Mark IV. Can double as a gun platform.  |
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Post by loyalist on Apr 25, 2016 2:49:03 GMT
Awesome!
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Post by madmorgan on Apr 25, 2016 9:52:12 GMT
Those are great. Much 'quicker' construction time and doesn't need to be powered. Love the gate and gun on top. Over time, it could be upgraded with bigger calibre & possibly a turret, though a barette works fine. Good stuff!!
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Post by mikedski on Apr 25, 2016 12:22:51 GMT
The gate has the height to allow command mark 2 flag pole and all, mark 4, or the anticipated Goliath to pass through. But still low enough to block a tripod. The "saloon style" gate is not so much a defensive barrier but to block visibity down the road.
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Post by terrance on Apr 25, 2016 18:45:07 GMT
Very nice. I like the idea and appearance. Consider it added to my list of things to steal when I find the time.  I can also imagine this being the first stage in building walls. A quick defense followed by adding forms around them and filling them with concrete. Or built to temporarily repair breaches in fortress walls. |
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Post by Quendil on Apr 25, 2016 18:57:53 GMT
Great idea
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Post by mikedski on Apr 25, 2016 19:50:47 GMT
When based and painted will consider adding concertina wire to impede Lobos and drones. Also the wire could be the tripod equivalent of a "wait a minute" vine if placed higher up in the structure.
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Post by madmorgan on Apr 26, 2016 10:40:29 GMT
Yeap - could you post a picture from the 'front', ei the view the tripods have - I'd like a better look at your 'saloon style' gate. I heartly agree with the addition of the wire to counter drones/lobos. You might also add a row of dragonteeth directly behind the fence (not at the gate though) - these I use with explosive charges in them wired underground to a command tower or other unit. When any Martians are close, like if they get through the barricade somehow, you've got some Assault +3 explosions to hit them with - also alerting nearby by human units that the barricade is breached. Really like those and much more effect than trying to keep up an Edison Fence approach. Very good work on the paint job with that attention to the 'freshly poured cement'. Beautiful work all in all.
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Post by boxholder on Apr 26, 2016 12:15:39 GMT
A very nice adaptation of the "hedgehog" tank trap idea to the Martian problem. Good going! The Martians will find that the wreckage from bombardment is still an entangling impediment, much as humans discovered that artillery did not really remove barbed wire in WW-1. Bombardment usually just lifted it and the wire fell back even more tangled.
I would tend to place mines in front of the barricade for early warning, but I like the idea of some really big, command-detonated ones inside and behind the obstacle belt.
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Post by hardlec on Apr 26, 2016 14:46:27 GMT
Any defence would need to be a defence in depth, many layers of different things. Add some Edison Wire, some mines, Tesla and otherwise, anything to make Martin unwelcome.
I like the idea, well played. Give humans cover and thwart the Martians.
I love the execution. Beautiful job.
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Post by mikedski on May 2, 2016 0:50:34 GMT
working on individual elevated gun positions integrated into the barricade line. Guns are basically elevated barbets. I have more Plastruct material on order to finish more barricades (large bases) as well to reinforce the gun positions so they are obstacles in their way.  |
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Post by madmorgan on May 2, 2016 2:55:52 GMT
Nice look and feel to it. Suggest the gun crews have small parachutes or at least a 'firemans pole' on the back of their platform, so that they can make a hasty retreat once the tripods close (especially the Harvester & Reaper types!). A 'slide for life' situation. What size gun are you putting on those platforms?? 3", 4", ATg?? I'd use Old Glory's Command Decesion 107mm Recoiless Rifle (rocket launcher) on a barette mount. This would give you a powerful 4" rocket type without the recoil a normal gun has and also be 'expendable' in the scheme of things. With a well entrenched line behind the Edision wires support by Heavy and Field artillery (and a few ATgs or Ford Motors Conqueror 8" MAs you've got some serious holding power there. I envision the tripods taking fire coming in, with HFG support in prebombardment mode; finally reaching the barricades and getting punished whilst trying to get through those, whilst the gun crew slide down to run for safety. The few that make it through the barricade (probably Reapers) now have to contend with the Edison Wires, all the while taking further shots from the trench line beyond the fence. Any survivors face a fully intact trench and bunker line with foo-gas and minefields to make their advance further perilious. Did I mention the city walls behind all that with the various other guns? Good stuff.
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Post by mikedski on May 2, 2016 9:34:52 GMT
Two ATGs and spare mobile artillery howitzer. I considered using extra Mark II superstructures with 4 inch guns but just didn't look right too me. The gun positions themselves I'd like to be able use as stand alone towers on top the bunker pieces.
As far a details will add a spare HMG as an alternate weapon, ladders, and ammo storage.
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I can also imagine this being the first stage in building walls. A quick defense followed by adding forms around them and filling them with concrete. Or built to temporarily repair breaches in fortress walls. 
