Hello, hello!
We return with another glorious Reinforcement Pack #17 - War Reserves preview. Today’s the day a trio of Western Allies’ units will receive their (flying) spot in the sun.
Let’s roll.
War Reserves In Brief
What’s the deal with this upcoming free DLC? The Eugen designers have found extra time to update a host of Steel Division 2 units across the base game and its various expansions and Nemesis DLCs. In total, there will be 15 to 20 new units, including a dozen brand-new 3D models. The free Reinforcement Pack #17 - War Reserves is being worked on as we speak and shouldn’t take too long to release.
Western Allies
It’s the turn of the Western Allies. What can you expect?
The new A-36A APACHE fighter-bomber will make its mark. Under this designation hides a stopgap fighter-bomber variant of the famous P-51 fighter. This was done to keep the P-51 assembly lines open in the early months of 1942 due to the US Army Air Force already having received all the P-51 fighters ordered. Soon, with military budgets skyrocketing, the North American Aviation was able to turn back the factories to restart the P-51’s production. The A-36A APACHE differs from its air superiority fighter cousin by the shape of its nose, air intake, bomb racks, three-bladed propellers, and (especially so) its distinctive air dive brakes, used in ground strike missions. Although rendering good service in the Mediterranean campaign, including dogfights, by mid-1944, most of these fighter-bombers had been replaced by P-47s. The last of the A-36As in Europe operated in Italy's theatre of war.
- The new A-36A APACHE will be assigned to the American Task Force 45, where it will replace the P-51B-10. This division is part of Tribue to the Liberation of Italy expansion.
On to new British plane variants of existing aircraft.
- Part one is the MUSTANG Mk. I, which the United Kingdom received first. This is an earlier variant of the MUSTANG Mk.III. Using the same airframe as the A-36A APACHE above, except for the dive air brakes. One of the first fighter variants to spring forth from the restarted P-51 assembly lines in 1942, the P-51s (not even with A designation then) were delivered to the British armed forces as part of a lend-lease program. By mid-1944, that old yet trusty fighter had been restricted to air recon missions only.
- The MUSTANG Mk. I will be assigned to the United Kingdom’s 15th Scottish Infantry Division. This division is featured in the Back to War expansion.
- The second new variant is the TYPHOON FR Mk. IB, an unlucky attempt at creating a dedicated tactical recon fighter out of the heavy-weight TYPHOON. Its port inner cannons were removed, leaving it with four 20mm guns (out of six). These were replaced with forward-facing cameras. The plane was disliked by its pilots, who preferred the older MUSTANG I (see above). This recon aircraft only really served with one unit - the RAF’s 268 Squadron - doing duty over Normandy. By January 1945, all recon Typhoons had been phased out of service.
- The TYPHOON FR Mk. IB will be featured in the British Guards Armoured Division. This division was featured in the Tribute to Normandy ‘44 expansion.
See you on the battlefield
That’s all for now. We’ll be back next week with another Reinforcement Pack #17 - War Reserves unit preview.
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See you on the battlefield!