Commanderski

Reading about the Wessex Division right now and it strikes me how often Artificial Moonlight is mentioned in the later campaigns. I wonder if this could be a good inclusion in the new FB model, maybe even as just another "weather setting".

@fireship4
This is mockery meme ) Russians, who positioning themeselves like "defenders of Russian language" often in real show own terrible analfabetizm. They often write on the walls "For DoMbas!", insted "Donbas". Also Russian propaganda all time was repeating "Ukraine bombed Donbas", so because of words "bombed" and "DoMbas" sound similar, the twisted meme "Dombed Bombas" has appeared ) 

Captured fighter of Wagner PMC, enlisted from jail - you can see his dog-tag with ID, begining from K-letter. All "usual" PMC merceneries have ID with initial M-letter, but former jailed fighters have IDs with K-letter, so among UKR militaries they also named "Kashnyky" (derived from "Ka" - the letter and "-shnyky" - plural form, meaning "belonging to some group")
This guy tells he was jailed for murder, but he claims for "murder becuse of self-defense excess". He also told from his group in 50 men only 12 already left. They all live in one house under total control of Wagner troopers and can't walk away more than 100 m from this house.
 
 

Shakhtarsk town, Donetsk oblast (occupied since 2014), something hit Russian military train with fuel on local railway station
 

Something large is expoloded this night on Kinburn spit, Kherson oblast (long peninsula oppose to Ochakiv), probably in area of Pokrovske village

 
 

I have it, read it and used it for my Tank Battle of Lisow scenario. It's really a decent book.  It does cover some aspects of the battles from the German side. The main reason for having more Soviet information is that there isn't much information from the Germans due to incomplete records from them.

Pilots suffocated. Likely either mistake of personnel, which charged much more nitrogen into breathing system or system failure. Reportedly two Su-30SM have conducted test flights (one sources claim after repair works, otehr that were new produces jets.) - one landed, but other didn't get in touch. First jet was took off again, and approached to second jet - pilots have seen that crew of second Su-30 sat with heads down withough any reaction. After second Su-30 wasted fuel, it fell on the city. 
@sburke
I don't know if it worth to include crew of this Su-30 in your list, because Orix doesn't include it for now yet in Russian losses, because this happened far from theater of operations. Both pilots were test-pilots:
- Maksim Konyushin - rank unknown, was employee of Irkutsk aircraft factory, civil aviation rank - honored test-pilot.
- Viktor Kryukov, major, civil aviation rank - 3rd class test-pilot
 
   Also:
Lt.colonel Vladimir Strelchenko, deputy commander of flying training of 487th separate helicopter regiment (Budyonovsk airfield, Stavropol' region) of 4th AF/AD Army. Got lost on 14th of April. The writing on rocket in memory of his name appeared on 23rd of April, now it confirmed
 
Lt.colonel Grigoriy Khudik, battalion commander of 237th air-assault regiment of 76th air-assaulr division, Western military district. Was killed on 6th of Sep after command post near Bilohorka, Kherson oblast was hit during the battle.
 

I have it, read it and used it for my Tank Battle of Lisow scenario. It's really a decent book.  It does cover some aspects of the battles from the German side. The main reason for having more Soviet information is that there isn't much information from the Germans due to incomplete records from them.

Didn't want this post by @Hubato be washed away... that's so interesting! In any case, if all this "Cold Winter" story ends up being just burning bullcrap smoke vented by the Russian propaganda machine (and its knowing or unknowing accomplices) I think that the resulting massive push for solar (up to a year waiting list in Spain for subsidized home solar installations) and basic things such as improving home insulation will be a net positive contribution to the welfare of the World.

some pics from the 3rd battle of cassino, march 1944... comments, critiques, etc. welcome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
cheers,
rob
 
 
 
 

For those, who havn't own twitter account and can't see a video - Russian Su-30 crashed in Irkutsk. It has fell on two-storey building, but without losses among civilias. Both pilots are dead. The jet belonged to Irkutsk aircraft plant and reportedly was under test flight.
 

POV: getting hit and ejecting at low altitude.
 

In short no objective account.
I found  numerous on-line accounts of this action. Many of them would appear to be based on, or heavily reference, an account published on Battlefield.ru which could be found at the link below though it appears its now broke...
The Soviet view of the Ogledow action referencing primary sources:
http://www.battlefield.ru/royal-opponent.html
A slightly more detailed overview of the Ogledow engagement and includes some original sketch maps showing the locations of KOd tanks. It appears to be heavily based on the original Battlefield.ru account
http://tankarchives.blogspot.com/2013/07/king-tigers-at-ogledow.html
Discussion querying loss rates in this action:
https://www.feldgrau.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11435
 
This link takes you to an account which attempts to debunk the whole action, I’ve added it here for err, ‘interest’:
https://elgri.livejournal.com/10845.html
What happened to the captured Tiger IIs from Ogledow
http://www.battlefield.ru/was-tiger-really-king.html
My own notes and summary:
German tank losses in this action – three Tiger IIs destroyed - on the 12th August are confirmed by German records, but further losses in the next day or so are more challenging to reconcile with Soviet claims. That’s not to say the Soviets did not KO or capture the tanks they claimed they did, just from my research it is difficult to corroborate these claims. Thomas L. Jentz (‘Panzertruppen Vol 2’) states that 501st had 45 Tiger IIs on strength by 7th August 1944 and in ‘Germany’s Tiger Tanks – Tiger I & Tiger II: Combat Tactics’ page 153 gives a situation report that shows by the 21st August the unit had ‘only’ lost six Tiger IIs as total write offs, whilst 12 were in need of repair. Schneider in ‘Tigers in Combat I’ on page 46 confirms that the 501st lost three Tiger IIs on the 12th August 1944 and indicates that on the 13th August – “Heavy fighting and further losses. 1 tank – Tiger 002 – is captured intact by the enemy.” The German losses are noted and challenged in the Battelfield.Ru article where the author notes –“Jentz's figures are doubtful. On the battlefields near Ogledów, Mokre, and Szyldów, twelve King Tiger tanks were left behind. From the [Russian} archive records currently available, it appears that the 501st Battalion was routed…”
It is worth noting that the German records for the 501st would appear to be contradictory as several authors provide slightly different numbers for the 501st for the end of August 1944. For example, Dennis Oliver in Dennis Oliver (‘Tiger 1 and Tiger II’ page 5) gives 501st as having 41 Tiger IIs on strength with 26 combat ready by the end of August 1944 having lost 4. Whilst Thomas L. Jentz (‘Panzertruppen Vol 2’) states that 501st had 45 Tiger IIs on strength by 7th August 1944 and in ‘Germany’s Tiger Tanks – Tiger I & Tiger II: Combat Tactics’ page 153 gives a situation report for the 31st August 1944  as 13 complete write-offs; 14 operational; and 18  in need of repair for  total of 32 Tigers. Reconciling kill claims and operational tanks is always a challenging (futile?) exercise given the various factors common to both sides such as over inflated kill claims, incorrect reports, vehicle accounting systems combined with different definitions of when a tank is ‘knocked out’.
 
What is clear is that the combat record of the 501st during this and subsequent actions in the Sandomierz bridgehead was generally unimpressive. Possibly due to the original battalion being all but destroyed attempting to hold back Soviet attacks during Operation Bagration. Such catastrophic events would mean few of the experienced crews would survive to help form the cadre for the new unit to be rebuilt around. 
The 501st was reconstituted on the 14th July 1944 with the new Tiger IIs but this only gave the whole unit around a month to reform and train on the new vehicles, and as a combat unit, before being sent into action – perhaps therein lays the reasons for the lacklustre performance of the new tanks and their crews through August 1944: 
•    after the heavy losses in June 1944 the reformed 501st  consisted mainly of new recruits without combat experience and lack of thorough training due to the short time between being reformed and sent into combat;
•    serious technical problems with the new Tiger IIs (final drives in the vehicles being especially prone to failure, especially if the driver was inexperienced);
•    lack of experience with the new tanks and their strengths and weaknesses combined with overconfidence and overestimation of what the weapon system could achieve, especially the thick armour, often resulted in poor reconnaissance measures and a resultant poor tactical handling.
The 501 st’s record through August 1944 was so poor that on the 22nd August 1944 Major von Legat was relieved of his command. It is also reported that he had links to the 20th July 1944 conspiracy to kill Hitler. On the 21st December 1944 the battalion was redesignated as schwere Panzer-Abteilung 424.
It is worth mentioning that the Soviet 6th Guards Tank Corps did not have significant numerical superiority during this action. Referencing Battlefield.ru’s account – “It had the following operational tanks to face the German III Panzer-Korps assault: nine T-34-76's from the 53rd GTBr (GMc Note: Oskin’s tank appears to have been a T34-85 according to most accounts), and nine T-34-76's and ten T-34-85's from the 52nd GTBr. The 51st GTBr, positioned to the north, had eleven T-34-76's and four T-34-85's. At Staszów there were eleven JS-2 heavy tanks, and one JS-85 heavy tank from the 71st Independent Guards Heavy Tank Regiment.” 
Crucially and in marked contrast to their German opponents from the 501st all their crews were seasoned and experienced armoured combat veterans. The high level of professionalism of the Soviet tank crews ensured they made excellent use of reconnaissance, took full advantage of the terrain and the tactical opportunities it afforded and ensured excellent tactical handling at all levels of the unit. 
Hope this helps?

All my old stuff was lost, so I restarted from what existed as a hybrid of somebody grabbing what I had done back in 2015. Juju still had what he did for me for UI images and sent it to me. I finally sat down and cranked through the voice file renaming using a bulk renamer utility. etc etc Still making some related mods in Blender. Trying to make a Kiraly SMG.
 
 

By the way, this can be useful on the front line. A wonderful maneuver to dodge enemy bullets, I imagine how hard it is to hit such a target. Excuse my sarcasm, but I'm in a great mood. I just got electricity after 5 hours of blackout😂

sorry if this was already shared, but I just saw it and thought it was good.  BBC news video w some small arms combat.  
 

A few more words about Ukrainian super weapons in our echo chamber😁

I preordered this and will be wriggling in my chair with nervous anticipation until it is released.

If I remember correctly from the time when you were waiting for Fire and Rubble, you were so annoyed about waiting for that DLC so people got annoyed by your complaints of being annoyed about the long waiting time. When the DLC finally arrived you promised not to complain anymore. But it seems that you almost are about to break that promise now when you're annoyed about waiting for this new DLC.
Just relax and take some deep breaths and all will be fine.

On the moment that, Lucky and Harry are working hard, (Greeting guys), I am on holliday, so I cannot work on CM, but happy, I have some crazy moments for now.
 
We have all a capacity !
 
@sbobovyc Created a key on github and very kind, give it to us, but on the moment, nobody find the door that can be open.
@Aquila-SmartWargames Turn the key in the door and let us discover a treasor.
@Mord The guy with thousend faces, let us always with open mouth,... hope to see his, one day again.
@umlaut Go and back but never let us without a big welcome job.
@Lucky_Strike Made us the nature better as the Nature itself.
@RockinHarry Destroy buildings and put things, to block us the way.
@Falaise Working with his wonderful time machine, and Seasons.
@Frenchy56 Find always something, that ours eyes never saw.
@kohlenklau Oncle Koh, open his history book and created us in scenars, with a touch mods, we have only one Phil.
@Erwin Is drowned in megabytes, but, comments very kind and answer to everybodys all the time. 
@Kieme(ITA) Build and build buildings of every sauce.
@Warts 'n' all Come and go from another galaxy, but give us very welcome comments... when we understand it...
@NPye Was probably present himself in Berlin, I doubt...and let us some pictures from his past.
@Aragorn2002 Dream to created a master map, something that he has really in his heart.
@LongLeftFlank Prepare us sometimes something from his magic potion.
@chuckdyke @waffelmann @Bubba883XL talk about all and everywhere.
@Bulletpoint Share his time always between us on the forum, and the Fgm.
@benpark Let us always with a knowledge more day by day very appreciated every time.
@Bootie Check with his open eyes all what we are doing, and be happy to keep all in his pocket.
@Artkin Like to created and grab and grab... always today.
@JM Stuff Try to find something that nobody were thinking about, but not always with a good result... 
@37mm Think about all what we are doing, created himself and make a collage with all, to let us a smile.
@Combatintman @Phantom Captain@The_Capt Are always happy and impatients and smiling already to tests new things on the forum.
@Baneman Go and back, but his presence is always welcome.
@Bud Backer Let us stop to play a CM game, to watching his books.

@Haiduk @kraze and more... Talk about a better Russian Ukrainian moment.
 
@Battlefront.com And Steve is happy to have all his little members, that can make his game, living for a long long long time...
 
Sorry to all members that I could forgot to let a presentation.
I want to added that, my text is in no way a form of criticism, and hope to don t have hurt anyone, is not my art to be, but let only a smile on the forum.
 
JM

If you expect it to come by Christmas, you will get positively surprised when it actually shows up a bit earlier than that.

A Panther tank weighs about 45 tons or so and was about 10 feet, 9 inches wide.  The bridge may hold up to wheeled traffic but not to tank traffic. I don't think this would hold up to a Panther crossing over it.

Close impact probably of mortar shell, but soldiers are lucky
 

After I've seen aerial attack on Brovary Feb 26th from my balcony and heard the terrible howl of jet, passed on low-altitude in the night, I twitch to this time from any loud howling sounds, which similar to jet %) And hate bikers on their damned Sudzukies and Hondas, which fly along the street before curfew or even during it.