[WoTB] 3 Days Remaining

World of Tanks Blitz is going live worldwide for iOS later this week on June 26 with 1.1 update.

Some major things from 1.1:

• Ability to view other player's profile/stats via chat. 
• New post-mortem camera
• Ability to upgrade GameCenter account to full WG account.
• Graphics improvements - new lighting effects on tanks, water shader (mostly for new devices).
• Audio improvements - new sounds for both battle and UI.
• Friend invitation from Facebook.
• Bug fixes and stability improvements.

Propaganda!

First off apologies.  This article is a bit of a short one, as I've been rather busy this week doing research for a well known tank computer game.  Next week we'll be back to normal with the story of a Squad vs a Battalion.  So here's a funny little thing that I recently found out about.

Its safe to say that every country carried out propaganda during the war, and its a fact of human nature that most of the propaganda produced worked really well at home, but failed utterly on the enemy.  The Japanese had the strongest hand in this regard, showing themselves as liberators of Asia from Western occupation and liberators of countries from being oppressed by the various Empires.  However it all went a bit wrong when backed up by the Japanese military's actions in those countries.  This lead to things like the Philippine Resistance, which grew to such a size that one guerilla band formed part of the US Army’s forces on the Philippines, and it amounted to a division in size.

Across the Pacific in America, Disney was also churning out propaganda.  We've already seen how Disney's thinking influenced the weapons of war, equally Disney was used to help with training films, such as "Stop that tank!"

However his main forte was propaganda. The studio's turned out about five times their normal peacetime production.  Some of the productions like "Der Fuehrer's Face" were rather crude and simplistic.  But other pieces had a much greater impact.  A third of Americans who watched "Spirit of 43" later said that it got them to start saving their taxes.

In Germany the Nazi's are often considered to be the masters of propaganda.  However their propaganda did on occasion turn round and bite them, two little things combined in 1942 to score an own goal.  In 1935 Leni Riefenstahl produced the instant hit Nazi propaganda film "Triumph of Will".  Then in 1939 a unknown Nazi official was giving a speech about the revolution of private life, and pointed out that one dance craze that was currently sweeping the country was "[...]a piece of Jewish mischief and animalistic hopping".

In 1942 at the British Ministry of Information (an entity that has only ever existed during both World Wars, and controlled all British propaganda) Charles A. Ridley edited Triumph of the Will, and put it to the soundtrack of the Lambeth Walk, the dance tune that had so outraged the Nazi's.

The Germans got hold of a copy of the film, and showed it to Dr Goebbels.  The Nazi Propaganda Minister stormed out of the room screaming and cursing due to its effectiveness.  Despite being uncredited on the film the Germans found out who had made the work, and added Mr Ridley to a Gestapo liquidation list should Britain ever be conquered.

Jewel of the Yangtze

Part One
Part Two

The escape plan for the battered HMS Amethyst presented a great many risks.  First of all, she would have to navigate an unknown river at night.  Normally the ship would take on a local pilot who knew the river. Without a pilot HMS Amethyst was vastly more likely to run aground or hit an obstacle.  Either would be disastrous, if she wasn't out of the river by dawn, she wouldn't stand a chance and the Chinese batteries would send her to the bottom.

The other concern was time.  HMS Amethyst had to wait until the moon had set, however that barely left enough time to make the journey.  If it came to a fight the sloop would be unable to fight free.  The earlier casualties had left the ship without much manpower, only one gun turret, and one of the AA guns could be crewed.

At 2209 Lt Cdr Kerans got a stroke of luck.  Another vessel glided past.  It was a passenger ship called Kiang Ling Liberation.  Seeing his chance Lt Cdr Kerans gave orders to hoist the anchor, three minutes later she slipped in astern of the passenger ship.  HMS Amethyst started showing the normal lights for a civilian ship at night, she also had panels of black cloth in place to disguise her shape.

After shadowing the passenger ship for about 15 minutes a volley of flares sprung up from the bank, casting a flickering light on the scene.  The lights also illuminated a Communist gun boat to port.  The gunboat opened fire at HMS Amethyst, but its tracers flew over the bows of the ship, and landed amongst a gun battery on shore, which responded.  With all this firing going on, the Kiang Ling Liberation doused her lights.  HMS Amethyst opened fire with her puny armament, and opened her throttles to maximum.  She passed within a mere 18 inches of the passenger ship as she steamed past.  In the course of the three way firefight, with confusion and tracer flying everywhere the Royal Navy sloop took a single shell at about the waterline.  However as she surged ahead into the darkness the crew looked astern and saw the Kiang Ling Liberation was a burning inferno and sinking fast.

Making a respectable 22 knots HMS Amethyst carried on down the river, at one point the Chinese spotted her and opened fire again, although several near misses splashed the decks with river water no further damage was sustained.

As she approached Kiang Yin a new hazard loomed.  The Chinese had created a blockage in the river by sinking several ships.  There was an opening, which was normally marked by two lighted buoys.  However as HMS Amethyst approached only a single light could be seen bobbing in the swell.  As Lt Cdr Kerans pondered what to do his hand was forced.  Out of the darkness a line of tracer spurted as another Chinese gunboat moved out to attack.  Again HMS Amethyst raced forward, narrowly missing the speeding gunboat as it tried to block her course.  Lt Cdr Kerans placed the buoy to starboard and the crew grimaced and waited.

 In the engine room the temperature was over 120 degrees and it was even hotter in the boiler room.  The crew slaving in the oven like heat wouldn't stand a chance if the sloop struck one of the blockade ships at 22 knots.  The side of the vessel would be torn open and they'd likely drown.  But again luck was on HMS Amethyst's side, and she passed through the opening in the blockade.

By 0242 in the morning HMS Amethyst was a mere 42 miles from the open sea, but her speed had dropped to 19 knots.  Suddenly out of the darkness an unlit Chinese junk appeared.  Unable to alter course in time there was a sickening crash.  After the shudder of the impact spread down the ship she carried on as if nothing had happened.  The unfortunate junk was sheared in two.

Finally at about 0500 HMS Amethyst began to approach Woosung.  Sited there was a fort with shore batteries to cover the entrance to the river.  The fort had several 6" guns emplaced, the fire-power of a cruiser!  One hit from those and it'd all be over.  The fort was obviously alert and awake, as its search lights were sweeping the river, hunting for HMS Amethyst.  To make matters worse the first cracks of light were beginning to appear in the east as dawn began.

At one point a beam passed close by, the peripheral light illuminating the ship, however there was no reaction from the fort. Suddenly HMS Amethyst was speared in the centre of a spotlight, glittering like the jewel she was named after.

HMS Concord

There was still no fire from the fort, although spotted and illuminated the fort at Woosung watched the battered sloop head out to sea. Backdropped by the morning dawn another ship could be seen ahead, the HMS Concord which was a Royal Navy destroyer.  At the sight of the destroyer Lt Cdr Kerans was able to signal:
"Have rejoined the Fleet south of Woosung. No damage or casualties. God Save the King."

Damage to HMS Amethyst

At Hong Kong a escort party had been formed and dispatched.  However Lt Cdr Kerans wasn't going to let the fact he only had 9 tons of fuel oil left stop him.  So he took on fuel from HMS Concord, and set off to meet the escort party.  At 1000 on the 3rd of August HMS Amethyst sailed into Hong Kong to wild cheers from all.

The Ships Company parade in London

 The story doesn't end there.  HMS Amethyst returned to the UK afterwards, and as all animals entering the UK are required to do, Simon was sent to quarantine.  However, despite the best possible care, he contracted an infection and died.  Simon was awarded the Dickens Medal for his service.

Able seacat Simon in playing with a vet in quarantine

In an odd twist I was chatting to some World of Tanks players from the North American server, and I mentioned what I was working on, expecting none of them to have a clue.  One did though, their grandfather was in command of the battery that first opened fire on HMS Amethyst!

Hot in Tobruk

Well the event is over, and much fun was had. The ratio of British to Germans was about 4:1, so it was rather fast getting in as Germans, and the British Cruisers. When I tried my Matilda it took over three minutes. So let that be a lesson, if there's a huge number of one side, go play the other team!

The highlights were a huge medium tank battle in the sand dunes when the British team got no Matilda's on our side.
Equally after about 40 minutes of playing I decided to dust off my Panzer II again...

Well nuts.

I was surprised that the Vickers MKVIC light tank was missing from the British line up. I was looking forward to that.

Still was fun chatting to you all. I look forward to seeing you next week.
Thanks

Ice Cold in Tobruk

 As you are aware Historical Battles were added a couple of patches ago. But at least on my local Server no one is playing them. Well patch 9.1 brings us the Historical battle Tobruk!

In an effort to jump start more people playing Historical battles from now on, every Saturday, starting on the 14th of June, I will be playing Historical Battles. The time will be 1500 until at least 1600 (if not later) British Summer Time. The server will be EU1.

However I'm not the only attraction there. So far we have a few others confirmed to be playing Historical Battles. At the moment Jingles and Silentstalker will be playing as well as me.
I'm hoping more famous names will be showing up... Will you?

For those that don't know, to get to historical battle mode:
1: Bellow the battle button, there's a pull down menu, that by default says "Random Battle". Click that.
2: Select Historical Battles
3: Pick your tank from your garage. You'll get charged some credits for the ammo load out, but don't worry you'll get the money back for any shells you don't fire.


You will of course need an appropriate tank to be brought and researched, but don't worry if you don't have the modules unlocked, they're provided free of charge.

As a Final note, if you queue up in a Matilda Senior it'll take a very long time to get into game, as they're very powerful machines. However the other tanks will get into game much quicker. So my advise to you is: Don't use the Matilda Senior!

Listy, Jingles and Silent driving a tank?

[WoT] 9.1

Update 0.9.1 for World of Tanks is now live for EU region (NA update is pending due to E3 event).

Give your thoughts on the most recent patch in comments.

1. Tech side - performance, bugs&glitches, stability, network/connection
2. New city map - Kharkov
3. Marks of excellence
4. New historical battle - Battle of Tobruk. The only battle available.
5. Anything else

[WoTB] Release Date Announced!!

World of Tanks Blitz is going live on June 26, 2014 which is about two weeks from now. The game will be available worldwide for iOS devices (iPad 2 and newer, iPhone 4S and newer) following standard iOS AppStore rollout procedure.

Just finished 1.1 update.

The Guarded Gem

Part one of the story is here.

HMS Consort had taken a battering, and nearly suffered the same fate as HMS Amethyst as her wheelhouse had taken a hit which caused her to veer towards the shore.  She retreated from under the Chinese guns and silence fell on the area.

Inside the badly damaged HMS Amethyst 1st Lt Weston was propped up against a bulkhead.  He had shrapnel in his lungs and liver.  Despite this and with the aid of a drug cocktail of morphine and benzedrine 1st Lt Weston stayed in command.  The casualty toll was tremendous, even the ships cat, Simon, had been injured.  Simon had been asleep in the captains cabin when a shell detonated a mere three feet from him.  Heavily burnt and pebble dashed by splinters Simon was not expected to survive.

Able Seacat Simon

The ship herself was in a terrible state, with over fifty holes below the waterline and run aground.  The much reduced crew worked hard and made an attempt to get her re-floated, but she was stuck fast.  Overnight the crew continued to work in the pitch darkness until 0115 on 21st April, and after lightening the bow, HMS Amethyst came free.  The crew had sighted two of the batteries that engaged both her and HMS Consort, and they managed to identify a location that would beyond the range of both Chinese batteries.  She anchored there, out of immediate danger, but unable to limp back to safety.

As luck would have it Vice-Admiral Charles Madden was en-route to Shanghai for St Georges Day celebrations.  He was aboard the Cruiser HMS London and had HMS Amethyst's sister ship HMS Black Swan with him.  He immediately sailed both ships down the river to rescue HMS Amethyst.  When the armoured bulk of London appeared on the scene at 1130, the Chinese guessed what Vice-Admiral Madden's intentions were.  The Chinese gun batteries opened fire.  HMS London should have made short work of the emplaced positions, however the Chinese were perfectly camouflaged.  HMS London was hit twelve times, with twenty wounded and multiple killed, including the London's Captain.  Unable to locate the enemy, and taking serious damage the relief force had to withdraw to safety.

London class cruiser

Later that day a Chinese Nationalist doctor called Chu Wei offered to help, and boarded HMS Amethyst.  However as the opening salvoes of the battle had wrecked the sick bay, and Dr Wei had almost no supplies there was little he could do.  But at 1600 an RAF Sunderland appeared on the scene.  She touched down near the anchored ship, loaded with supplies and an RAF Medical officer called Flight Lieutenant Fearnley.

The Chief Gunnery Officer of HMS Amethyst obtained a sampan,  and crossed over to the Sunderland. When he boarded he started heaving the boxes of precious supplies into the sampan, while Flt Lt Fearnley stowed them.  Suddenly a burst of firing broke out as the Chinese Communists opened fire on the plane. The RAF pilot immediately rammed the throttle home and surged away, taking off while the Chinese fire chased the lumbering aircraft.

Flt Lt Fearnley was stranded in the boat, with bullets whistling past him.  The Chinese boat crew had no intention of closing with HMS Amethyst while the Communists were shooting at the ship.  Flt Lt Fearnley pulled out his sidearm and convinced the sampan crew otherwise.
Dr Wei then arranged for the wounded to be unloaded to the Nationalist controlled river bank, and they were treated and shipped onto Shanghai.

Overnight HMS Amethyst moved another ten miles closer to Shanghai.  Here Lieutenant Commander John Simon Kerans (the Assistant Naval Attache from Shanghai Embassy) arrived on the scene.  Upon hearing of HMS Amethyst’s fate he had immediately borrowed a Jeep from some Australians and departed on an overland trek of 72 miles, only to find that overnight Amethyst had moved, and he had to chase her down stream.  Upon arriving he took command and practically had to throw 1st Lt Weston off the ship, who didn't want to be evacuated.
However the Chinese Communists had attacked the Nationalists, and forced them back. This left both banks of the river in enemy hands, and HMS Amethyst utterly surrounded.  The Communists then began to emplace further batteries of guns all around her.

Over the following months diplomatic exchanges between the Communists and the British continued.  The British were seeking safe passage, the Communists were trying to get the British to admit they opened fire first and invaded China.

On board ship fuel and food was getting scarce.  The men were on half rations, and the ship was often shut down, the sailors having to lie in the stifling heat in utter darkness as the ventilators were switched off along with the lights.

To make matters worse the ship became infested with rats.  Often the sailors could feel the rats nibbling at them as they lay down.  This plague threatened to destroy what little food supplies the ship had.  It was then the heavily wounded ships cat, Simon, came into his element.  Despite the odds he had survived the shell that hit next to him.  Before he'd been taken on board he'd been a feral cat in Hong Kong.  He set to work on the infestation of rats and very quickly got the situation under control.  He also acted as a pet to keep the crew's morale up, with the assistance of the ships terrier named Peggy.  During the period of virtual captivity the crew worked hard to repair the damage as best they could.

Peggy and HMS Amethyst's crew

Then at the end of July Lt Cdr Kerans began to issue odd orders, such as wrapping the anchor chain in blankets and greasing everything.  At 1800 on the 30th of July Lt Cdr Kerans informed the crew that they would be making an escape attempt in four hours time.

Part three is here.

[WG] At E3 2014

My personal excitement is a major announcement on WoT Blitz which is due at E3 next week. 

Make sure your idevices are ready for mobile tank battles everywhere and everytime. 

While we are awaiting more substantial and ground-breaking updates for WoWP, here is the next step - 1.4 with HD client, matchmaking improvements and a number of minor but still important enhancements. Check out the trailer and give your feedback (on the update).

As for WoT PC, there is a 0.9.1 update which is heading for release. 

The Consorts Stone

From the late 1920's a civil war broke out in China between Nationalists and Communists.  It rolled on for decades, even the Japanese invasion and Second World War only slowed its fighting.  After the Japanese forces in China had been defeated the civil war erupted back into full swing.

Before the Second World War most international governments maintained large contingents of diplomats and merchants in China.  After the Boxer Rebellions these needed protection and so sizeable forces were stationed there.  When the Japanese forces were defeated the international community again deployed its diplomats, but in much smaller numbers.  In 1949 as the war became more frantic the British began to make preparations to evacuate.  At Nanking a British destroyer called HMS Consort was stationed as guardship.

HMS Consort

 As HMS Consort began to run low on fuel, HMS Amethyst was ordered to replace her.  She left Hong Kong on April the 12th 1949, and presumably arrived at Shanghai on the 18th.  She departed from there on the 19th.  Arriving towards dusk at Jiangyin, she was approached by a Nationalist gun boat and ordered to drop anchor.

HMS Amethyst

To keep the nationalists happy, who had forbidden anyone from navigating the river at night, and to avoid the hazards in the river HMS Amethyst heaved to and spent the night off the city.  Further up river the communists held the north bank, and the nationalists the south.

HMS Amethyst got under way again early the next morning.  About 0800, as the ship passed Low Island, a salvo of fire landed near the south bank.  It was assumed to have been directed at nationalist positions, the captain of the Amethyst, Lieutenant Commander Bernard Skinner ordered large Union Jacks to be unfurled over the side of the ship, and the speed increased.

Lieutenant Commander Skinner

At about 0920 as HMS Amethyst steamed past Xou An Reach a second and then a third communist battery opened fire. The first shell was long, the second smashed into the wheelhouse, killing or injuring everyone apart from a single person.  Leading Seaman Leslie Frank wrestled with the heavy wheel trying to keep the ship on course.  Seaman Frank had no idea what had happened as both his gyrocompass was destroyed, and all communication had been severed with the bridge and for all he knew the ship was sinking.  But with carnage and smoke all about him he stayed at his position.  However with no way to tell what his course was the ship began to veer, until it was steaming at full speed for Rose Island.

Picture by Dennis Andrews

Having the communication system working wouldn't have made a spot of difference.  Another one of the shells had hit the bridge, again causing devastation and massive casualties.  Another pair of shells hit the ship shortly afterwards.  At some point in the confusion someone threw the engine room telegraph in to full astern.  The roaring engines slowed the ship, so that when at 0935 she hit a sand bank off Rose Island she did so at a low speed.

Lt Cdr Skinner, despite being almost unconscious and bleeding heavily from multiple fatal hits ordered the ship to return fire.  Heavily wounded himself with a chest wound First-Lieutenant Geoffrey Weston passed on the order.  The gunnery directors laid their guns and fired.  However nothing happened, the firing circuits had been hit.

1st Lt Weston managed to get a frantic call for help over the radio before it too was destroyed.  It simply read:
"Under heavy fire. Am aground in approx. position 31.10' North 119.50' East. Large number of casualties"

With director control off line the guns were ordered into independent action.  However only the X turret at the rear of the ship could be brought to bear, after a few rounds it was knocked out.

For the next hour the Chinese pounded at the ship with 122mm howitzers, from what was practically point blank range.  After the sick bay was hit the ship’s surgeon operated on the deck of the ship.  Then a shell killed both men.  The scuppers ran red with blood.

1st Lt Weston had by now assumed command, realising the gravity of the situation he ordered the ship evacuated.  Those that could swim were ordered to do so while the ships boats evacuated the rest.  When about 60 men had made it ashore the Chinese started shelling their position on the south bank.  Meanwhile machine guns began to rake the decks of the ship and had killed several of the swimmers.
Of the 60 that made it ashore all reached safety at a local nationalist hospital and eventually Shanghai.

 After an hour the Chinese batteries stopped firing.  Unable to move on deck without drawing small arms fire, the crew worked inside.  Scurrying around the ship the remaining sailors attempted what damage control they could.  Stuffing the many shell holes below the waterline with hammocks, they did what they could to attempt to refloat the ship.

Then between 1400 to 1430 HMS Consort steamed into view.  A huge bow wave foamed at her front, for she was steaming at an unbelievable 29 knots down a river, her guns were laid to port, and from every masthead fluttered a White Ensign or a Union Jack.  It is said that HMS Consort has the record for the fastest speed ever recorded on the Yangtze.

As HMS Consort came into view the Chinese opened fire on her.  Immediately she responded.  Under director control and against non-moving targets she began to smash the artillery batteries that opened fire on her.  She signalled 1st Lt Weston that she wanted to take HMS Amethyst under tow. 1st Lt Weston knew that would mean HMS Consort would need to come to a dead stop under the Chinese guns, and likely suffer the same fate as HMS Amethyst and thus he refused.

HMS Consort passed on by, slowed and turned around a mile down stream.  As she steamed past again she came under fire from anti-tank guns.  Unable to silence the pesky dispersed weapons, and with mounting casualties HMS Consort was forced to withdraw. Leaving the smouldering, bloody remains of HMS Amethyst aground and at the mercy of the Chinese guns.

Part two will be next week.