Armdchair

Thanks - I really appreciate it.

Hey, I'm not tech-savvy at all. Been out of the CM scene for awhile - no CMSF for me on my old Mac. I want to get a laptop. I've been looking at HPs; I want to get one that's good for CMSF and for the next couple of years. I've been looking at the following model( can you tell me if it 's good enough for that purpose?): HP Pavilion DV6-1280US 16-Inch Entertainment Laptop Technical Details • AMD Turion X2 Ultra ZM-87 Dual-Core Mobile Processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 with up to 1 GB dedicated memory • 6 GB DDR2 RAM (2 Dimm) (8 GB Max) • 500GB (5400RPM) Hard Drive (SATA), SuperMulti 8X DVD±R/RW with LightScribe and Double Layer Support • Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit edition with Service Pack 1 • 16 inch Diagonal High Definition HP LED BrightView Display (1366x768) -------------------------------- thanks in advance

Nox, here's a link to a thread "Help with infantry": http://www.battlefront.com/cgi-bin/bbs/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=30;t=001181

Franko, I hope you or someone else will cover the German counterattack at Anzio, February 16, 1944 up Via Anziate towards the Allied positions of the British 56th Division and the US 45th Division. I've been re-reading "The Rock of Anzio: From Sicily to Dachau: a History of the US 45th Infantry Division" by Flint Whitlock just so I post requests to cover the 45th Division's battles in Italy. </font>

Franko, I hope you or someone else will cover the German counterattack at Anzio, February 16, 1944 up Via Anziate towards the Allied positions of the British 56th Division and the US 45th Division. I've been re-reading "The Rock of Anzio: From Sicily to Dachau: a History of the US 45th Infantry Division" by Flint Whitlock just so I post requests to cover the 45th Division's battles in Italy.

The battle of San Pietro

If you want to place wire on a bridge simply place land tiles where you intend to place the bridge, emplace the wire, padlock it, then go back to editor and replace the land tiles with a bridge. You now have a bridge with a barbed wire obstacle.

I opened up my CMBB folder and tried to drag the game icon away from the clutter of various other CMBB-related folders. The game icon disappeared and I am unable to load the game or find the missing icon. If I click on a scenario file, it reads "application file cannot be found". Do I re-install off my disk? do I download the last patch? I'm on a Mac,btw.

[ May 11, 2003, 11:20 PM: Message edited by: Armdchair ]

Rune - thanks for asking for opinions. The briefing and links are informative, educational. Mike -I am not telling anyone to do anything. Rune asked for opinions - I gave him mine. Rune expressed concern people might be offended - I suggested why they might be. Rune will do what he wants to do, so will everyone else. My approval is not required. I am not telling people what they should do or how they should think. I expressed my opinion, others expressed theirs. Considering I was the lone dissenting voice, I’m impressed that everyone was civil and that no one flamed me. Let’s agree to disagree.

What distinguishes the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising from being just any other WWII battle is that it was a battle of extermination. The partisans were trying to resist being exterminated, the Nazis were bent on killing them all, sooner or later. That’s the connection to other historical massacres. Obviously, trying to convince wargamers - on a wargame board - not to play a wargame - is a hopeless cause. I thought people should know why others might find this particular subject in bad taste.

Maybe I’m too close to it. I lost family in Poland in the death camps. I personally knew a Polish Resistance fighter who lost his father and brother in the Katyn Forest massacre and who fought in Poland during the Warsaw uprising. I was a member of this forum when a Neo-Nazi was banned for posting atrocity photos. I hate to imagine some unknown little Nazi punk having his own little ghetto pogrom for kicks. Again-I don’t see any malice from other posters who simply see this as just another war scenario but if no one else was raising any objections I thought I should point out why Rune questioned releasing the scenario at all

It’s in bad taste the same way that a Katyn Forest, Baba Yar, Malmedy, and Dachau scenario would be in bad taste. Why not Andersonville, Wounded Knee, My Lai? Maybe we could do a Dresden scenario - a huge map of flaming city tiles with thousands of German units with “low ammunition” to represent German civilians and tons of Allied fighter-bombers overhead. We could call it “Nazis in Hell”. I’m sure the Germans on this forum would love it. I am not accusing anyone of anything but merely trying to point out that, yes, it is crossing a line that should not be crossed.

Rune, I don't know you but I know you're one of the top designers and well-respected within the CM community so this is not a reflection on you as a person but yes, I think a “Warsaw Ghetto Uprising” scenario is in bad taste. Some people might argue all wargames are, etc but what I find truly disturbing about this particular scenario is the idea of people playing as SS troopers liquidating the Warsaw Ghetto. It borders on creating a concentration camp scenario. What was the fate of the partisans in the Warsaw Ghetto? Think about it. The other bitter irony, of course, is using Russians as Jewish/Polish partisans while it has been asserted that the Red Army deliberately halted to allow the Germans to kill off non-Communist partisan forces. I think the fact that you asked the question tells me that you yourself don’t feel entirely at ease about doing this scenario. Thanks for soliciting opinions on the matter. [ December 04, 2002, 03:37 PM: Message edited by: Armdchair ]

Posted elsewhere: Me and a buddy have been setting up urban QB maps. I noticed that units within factory tiles (even deep within, like 3 tiles) seem to spot and be spotted pretty easily. It's not unlike a big greenhouse with glass walls. Ok, so factories are large fairly open structures. My question is are there any benefits of cover for troops inside factory walls? I haven't found anything in the manual about it.

Me and a buddy have been setting up urban QB maps. I noticed that units within factory tiles (even deep within, like 3 tiles) seem to spot and be spotted pretty easily. It's not unlike a big greenhouse with glass walls. Ok, so factories are large fairly open structures. My question is are there any benefits of cover for troops inside factory walls? I haven't found anything in the manual about it.

Is there a particular side that should be played first in the two demo scenarios, "Citadel Schwerpunkt" and "Yelnia Stare"? I was only able to successfully download demo yesterday. Played the tutorial- ouch. Now on to the next two scenarios. I don't see anything in the general briefings to indicate which side to play first. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Here's another: http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/wwii/smallunit/smallunit-fm.htH

An evil-minded scenario designer who's a friend of mine placed a circular minefield in a scenario of his. I stumbled into it with devastating results.

If your scenarios include assault boats you cannot play as Axis vs. the computer because the AI cannot handle assault boats.

30 turn ME Map was mountainous, 1000 meters by 1000 meters. Movement difficult. Heavy fog, dense forest, poor visibility. Road curved from N.east corner down through center of map. A large hill on each side of road w/ a VL flag. Started off in SW corner of map w/ coy of Gebirgsjagers and 2x 81mm onboard mortars. Briefing said reinforcements would arrive at unspecified times and locations. Not knowing when and where to expect reinforcements, thought it would be good idea to push out on either flank, expand perimeter and safeguard possible reinforcement locations. I would send a full platoon( off to the northwest of the VL hill; a full platoon(D) off to the southeast, turning north towards the road about halfway across the map. Platoon ©, less a squad I would send to the base of the hill w/ the VL on my side. The Coy HQ (A-0), the 2 x 81mm mortars and a squad I would send to hold a hill to the right of the VL hill. It would have LOS to the VL on my side and the road between the VLs. I was concerned about trying to hold the VL hill in strength less I become outflanked and heavily shelled. Turn 4: reinforcements in the form of another Gebirgsjager platoon(E) arrived - only on the other side of the map, deep w/in enemy territory. Since tournament games tend to have mirrored forces, etc., it was safe to assume there was an enemy platoon now operating in my rear area as well. My opponent would also be alerted to that possibility - I resolved to move this platoon very stealthily to the rear of his VL hill. Turn 6: reinforcements arrive in a little valley just below the road, a Gebirgsjager platoon(F), 2 x 81mm onboard mortars, a 150mm artillery spotter (w/ 50 rounds) and a Coy HQ(A-1). I have to assume my opponent has just received the same right across the way. I am going send the Coy HQ, the 2 x 81mm onboard mortars to their right and rear up a small hill, hoping to get LOS to the enemy VL hill. I detach a squad to provide security. The rest of this new platoon (the 2 squads and Platoon HQ) I will send towards the road to scout, ambush, etc. Turn 7: first contact. As Platoon B moves in the open towards the n.west side of my VL hill, a squad draws fire, takes 3 casualties. An enemy infantry icon is visible on a hill to the rear. Turn 8: now 2 enemy icons are visible, including a possible MG. I move Platoon B out of range below a ridgeline. The 2-squad Platoon C holding the base of the VL hill I move back towards this enemy threat. In order for the enemy troops to move directly towards my VL they will have to cross 80 meters of open ground. Turn 9: I send Platoon B back towards their attackers through a dense patch of woods. It is my hope that my opponent will rashly assume the way is clear to cross the open ground. I will then catch them in a crossfire from Plt. B, Plt. C, and the detached squad from C (that is providing security for coy HQ (A-0) and 2 x 81mm onboard mortars) on the hill to the east of the VL Hill. Turn 10: reinforcements - another platoon (G) arrives, fortuitously on the edge of the map right behind the hill held by Coy HQ (A-0). Turn 11: an enemy icon, overwatched by other enemy infantry icons, crosses the open space to the rear of my VL without drawing fire. I have Plt. C in “Hide”, I don’t want half a squad, I want the whole platoon if I can get it. Turn 12: more reinforcements; a platoon (H) of Gebirgs Pioneers, w/ 2 flamethrower teams, arrives on the edge of the map to the southeast. This means the other side just got a platoon of engineers as well. I must move the platoon (E) in enemy territory very carefully. I have platoons D & G moving north towards the road on the right side of Coy HQ A-0’s hill. Another enemy infantry icon crosses in the open towards the rear of my VL. This time they draw fire. Both enemy teams (ID’d now as US paratroopers) are eliminated. Turn 13: Platoon B seems to have the enemy on the run in the woods to the rear. I am under the impression that close combat will favor my men. Turn 14: Platoon E that I have in the enemy’s rear area, makes contact w/ a paratroop team and MG team. I see this as a good thing and resolve to overrun this enemy force quickly. A fatal assumption. Platoon F near the road to the n.w. makes contact w/ unknown enemy element. Turn 15: Platoon E eliminates a paratroop team, kills one of a 3-man MG team, whereupon they are ambushed by the US Engineer platoon and flamethrower teams. Platoon B is engaged in a firefight with the enemy platoon in my rear area. Turn 16: Since Platoon E is in varying degrees of morale, I believe any kind of useful withdrawal is out of the question. I have read anecdotally, that sometimes the best way out of an ambush is to attack your attackers. At least, I can take as many of the bastards with me as I can. This proves not to be terribly successful as Platoon E is almost slaughtered to a man. Shades of Custer. And it just gets worse: Platoon B is seeming to get the worst of it in close combat to my rear. A squad is killed, the Plt HQ is killed, another squad panicked. My frustration is compounded by my opponent’s next e-mail. He asks ”You do know what sets fire to things in the woods, don’t you?” Turn 17: Platoons E & B have both been reduced to 4 routed survivors each. Meanwhile on the road to the right of Coy A-0’s position on the hill, an enemy icon has been spotted moving. I have a Platoon D lying in cover on the right side of A-0’s hill. Platoon G is moving west to intercept the enemy force in my rear. Turn 18: my 150mm arty spotter targets the rear of the enemy VL hill. No LOS and a 3-minute delay. Maybe I can get some revenge on the engineer platoon that wiped out Platoon E. A firefight breaks out between Platoon D hiding in the woods on the forward slope of Coy HQ A-O’s hill and at least a platoon of enemy troops on the road above them 76 meters away. My guys seem to be getting the worst of it. What else is new? Turn 19: Coy HQ A-O, while in command of 2 x 81mm mortars, doesn’t have LOS to the enemy troops on the road. He crawls forward to get it. Platoon G heading west towards the enemy in my rear is halted and turned back to reinforce Platoon D that is drawing all the fire. To the south and east of the enemy troopers on the road, my Pioneer Platoon is moving north to outflank them. Turn 20: Coy HQ A-O, targets the enemy on the road for the 2 x 81mm mortars. They fire with what looks like devastating effect. Enemy troops fall back. At the same time, enemy icons appear on my side of the map in a patch of woods between the pinned-down Platoon D on the forward slope and the Pioneers moving north and west. If all goes right, maybe I can ambush my opponent with flamethrowers. Elsewhere, an inconclusive firefight rages far to the n.west between Platoon F and an enemy platoon. Platoon C holds my VL, 2 squads at the base of the hill, facing enemy troops in my rear, one squad on the forward slope as an OP. Turn 21: Enemy troops move back on the edge of the road into range of the 81mm mortars and are greeted again in the same way. Enemy troops (a platoon?) open fire on my side of the map in the patch of woods between Platoon D and the Pioneers. Turn 22: My 150mm arty spotter re-targets the road between the VLs. If there is some massive direct assault by my opponent, it will be a bloodbath. But again, no LOS, and a 3-minute delay. Turn 23: Enemy troops on the road fall back and west to the enemy ‘s VL hill. This is great because my 81mm mortars are out of ammo. My Pioneers ambush the US Engineer platoon w/ flamethrowers, The engineers are caught in a crossfire between Platoon D and the Pioneers. Turn 24: The ambushed enemy dead are ID’d as paratroop teams and one Engineer squad. The 150mm arty clock reads: one minute. Turn 27: I send the Pioneers north to the road, hoping to catch some fleeing enemy. I’ve learned a little bit: 2 Pioneer teams lead the way. The 150mm arty clock reads: 3 seconds. Turn 28: I re-targeted the arty fire to the enemy’s VL hill where lots of icons are visible. In doing so, I lose time. The 150mm arty clock now reads: 35 seconds. I’m an idiot. Let it fall, then adjust. Turn 29: arty falls, it’s huge! It looks like King Kong is stepping on his guys. Turn 30: A Pioneer team is routed by an engineer flamethrower team. But-only a Pioneer team, not a platoon, not wiped out either. The flamethrower team is killed by the rest of the Pioneers. A last-minute attack at the rear of my VL fails. Arty pounds his VL with devastating effect. Ricola AAR Axis: 111 cas. (27 KIA); 1 mortar destroyed; men OK: 169; score: 59 Allied: 138 cas. (34 KIA); men OK: 152; score: 41 -Axis minor victory- A catch-as-catch-can kinda battle, sloppy, not pretty, no shining examples of tactical know-how. Hard to sum up because there was no grand scheme, mostly just reactions. The detailed account probably obscures rather than clarifies what happened. Not the best battle I ever fought, not the best AAR I ever wrote, either. Kudos to Ted for his work and his patience.

You're a good man, Sarge Saunders.

"Meeting" was designed by a friend of mine, Michael " Gonzo" Gonzalez. I'm sure he'd appreciate some reviews of it at the Scenario Depot by satisfied CM'ers.

From Michael D. Doubler's "Closing With the Enemy: How the GIs Fought the War in Europe, 1944-1945", (Lawrence, Kansas, University Press of Kansas, 1994), pp.68-69: "Fighter-bomber pilots attacked German armor from the rear so that machine-gun bullets entered a tank's hull through exhaust portals and damaged its engine. Ground units found disabled German tanks with little external damage, but with a dead crew and extensive interior damage. Investigation revealed that machine-gun bullets had entered the tanks through open hatches, then ricocheted around inside, destroying equipment and mutilating crewmen."

It's a good link. For a link to other US Army Combat Unit Histories: http://www.grunts.net/army.html