MRLS and 88

[TankBuster]

Okay short and simple. With out a doubt the US army's MRLS rocket artillery system is my favorite artillery piece of today. Also a big tip of the hat to the Pak 88 ( flak 88) as a tank buster (yay) and an amazing AA gun for the jerries in ww-2

[Matzos]

I would go with the MLRS:

http://www.army.mod.uk/img/equipment/aad/images/aad_mlrs.jpg


The 227mm Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS)is a self-propelled artillery rocket system with a range in excess of 30 km. MLRS is self-loaded with two rocket pods, each containing six rockets. Loading is power assisted and a single round ‘fire for effect’ of 12 rockets delivers 7,728 bomblets or 336 anti-tank mines. Operated from hides, usually as a battery of nine launchers, MLRS avoids counter attack by ‘shooting and scooting’ – moving fast and frequently between fire-missions.
(www.army.mod.uk (http://www.army.mod.uk))

[Bombardier]

I have been present during the first Gulf War, when a Regiment of MLRS were firing at night. It was an awesome sight to see, let me tell ya

[TankBuster]

yep....too bad the boxes only contain a small ammount of rocketts........

[Bundu Basher]

I have been present during the first Gulf War, when a Regiment of MLRS were firing at night. It was an awesome sight to see, let me tell ya

Well, I can infamously brag that I survived a salvo from a BM-21 when I was in Angola with the SADF in 1987... not so awesome on the receiving end!

[TankBuster]

Jesus! thats gotta be like walking through hell. I've been to a firing of the Armies PLADIN artillery. Loud but packs a punch

[Bundu Basher]

Well to be honest I was crew commanding a Ratel 90 which was opened up on by a T62 and 'Stalins Organ' (BM21) - we managed to reverse up and over a hill (literally at full speed!) under the salvo but the accompanying Withals (a recovery vehicle) took at least one big hit. I was clearly heard to shout 'it's f***ing Star wars!' over the intercom before calling the contact in over the radio. Thankfully we never took any direct hits in the Ratel - although we were clearly marked from a few near misses!

Retribution came when we scared off the T62 and then shot up the BM21 with a 7.62 Browning until it burned.
Sadly the Ops Mechanic in our recovery vehicle took schrapnel in his stomach and never survived. We managed to rescue the Recovery Sergeant and his other passenger - an Ops Doctor along for a ride!

I can still vividly hear the screams and see the rockets as they launched and flew literally mere centimetres over us. Strangely it was both scarey as hell and yet hypnotically beautiful...

Our version of the MLRS in the SADF was called the Valkyrie and I now know why that was such an apt name.

[TankBuster]

Whoa, that would have made me sh** myself ten times. I know it isn't the real thing but my navy JROTC last year (04-05) got to participate in a small scale war game. The base assigned us to be loaders, spoters, and other smaller positions. I was assigned one of the three bigger jobs- a gunner on a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Two of my friends were in humvees as "medics". The game was played using real weapons with lasers and barrel blocks in place of ammo. Still, there were realistic explosions (smoke emmiters + loud speakers). the whole thing was a huge rush, but your ordeal is definately a thousand times worse.

[Bombardier]

MLRS (http://www.army.mod.uk/39regtra/multimedia/regimental_recruiting_flash_video.htm)of 39 Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery (Y)
Great Vid