Arctic Tracks

To me this vehicle looks like a Soviet MTLB.

I have not been able to determine if this model is based on a real vehicle.

It too will join my group of Arctic vehicles.

Maybe they are counting polar bears, or doing astronomy in the clear air.

A pretty good vehicle I think.

Video Research

YouTube - Tiger ?:Propaganda Film

In surfing YouTube I have found a huge variety of videos that are military related. Almost any subject from World War Two to the present time can be found there in a video. Many of the most famous photos of the Second World War are actually stills from movie film. Looking for specific vehicles, nations, or battles seem to be the best way to find worthwhile videos.

The other technique to find good videos is to follow the links from video you do find to see videos posted by the same person, or that are viewed by people who view that same video. Period films are great sources of information. Markings on vehicles are original and sometimes films will show a line of vehicles moving past and you can see how they are applied to several of the same kind of vehicle.

Films also show how vehicles and soldiers looked in actual combat operations and training exercises. The WWII Germans and the Americans since at least 1940 produced large number of training films for their armies. Training films can show you what the army planned on doing in specific situations. Go watch a video.

US Army D-Day Training

D-Day Rehearsals

Recently they discovered some photos from the US Army training for the D-Day landings. The troops are shown with bazookas and other weapons, marching, and looking at dioramas of the landing beaches. One of the things that is remarkable it the great uniformity of the soldiers. The same uniforms, the same gear, they all look the same.

Research into historical topics never seems to end. Just this week they discovered what is probably a previously unknown photograph of President Lincoln. They also discovered an inscription on the inside of President Lincoln's watch.

The fall of the Soviet Union and the reunification of the two Germanys brought us all kinds of new information about World War Two and the Cold War. It seemed half of my book collection was out of date overnight. Information we were told for 40 years turned out to be inaccurate. Part of the fun of wargaming is the historical research. Watch the news to keep up with the past.