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BATTLE DRILL - A CM Tactics Blog


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  • 2 years later...
On 5/1/2019 at 9:01 AM, Bil Hardenberger said:

For anyone interested, I just uploaded a blog post on Using Listening Halts.  This is a subject I have discussed many times before in my AARs, but have never really written at length about it.  Hope its useful.

Bil  

Good articles all.  Re listing for sound this works well in CM2 as (IIRC) the sound contact gives an accurate idea of the location.  When CM2 came out this took me a long time to get used to as in CM1, a sound contact gave only a vague idea of location.  Not sure if this is an example of things being less realistic in CM2 or if in RL, sound contacts do in fact provide a more accurate idea of the location than they had been in CM1.

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  • 4 weeks later...

In fact I just try everything as beeing taught in my numerous WW2 period manuals and advanced tactics books. Then compare with what´s doable in the game and then adapt if necessary. Thus far I found that 80-90% of that stuff actually work in the game, speaking for the high realism for the whole CM series. One the reasons I never got deleted any of them (CMX1 incl.) from my HD´s. :)

Edited by RockinHarry
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4 hours ago, RockinHarry said:

In fact I just try everything as beeing taught in my numerous WW2 period manuals and advanced tactics books. Then compare with what´s doable in the game and then adapt if necessary. Thus far I found that 80-90% of that stuff actually work in the game, speaking for the high realism for the whole CM series. One the reasons I never got deleted any of them (CMX1 incl.) from my HD´s. :)

I would love to do a series on German specific platoon tactics at some point.  Wouldn't mind seeing your library and picking your brain at some point.

Bil

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21 minutes ago, Bil Hardenberger said:

I would love to do a series on German specific platoon tactics at some point.  Wouldn't mind seeing your library and picking your brain at some point.

Bil

would be fun for sure Bil. :) Though my library is not that extensive as one might think, but it´s very very specific. See further down this thread: http://community.battlefront.com/topic/134729-real-world-tactics-that-work-in-cm/

Basically a german player interested in squad and bits of plt tactics is fairly well served with http://mudandblood.net/downloads/number09.pdf

Many my books tell actually the same, but give different examples for various combat situations and application of the basics.

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One thing I've been doing quite a bit recently is to use Quick Battles to set up randomised exercises, to focus on and experiment with platoon-level stuff.

I've been setting up a Probe or Attack on a Tiny or Small map, in varying environments, and giving the enemy a single element, usually an infantry squad (typically squad + HQ element in practice), and choosing an infantry platoon to deal with them.

This means having the opportunity to practice platoon movement, scouting and building an attack - with limited forces on a relatively large map.

As a "battle" it's far from fair, of course, but as an exercise it's useful, and only takes a few minutes, so you can iterate quickly.

Using Quick Battles for this will randomise the enemy starting positions somewhat, and the enemy may be stationary or moving. Usually will be in a fairly sensible position on or overwatching one of the objectives.

The same principle can be applied to armour platoons (vs a single tank), recon sections, whatever, and it's quite handy for examining things in isolation.

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Very good ideas @domfluff.  I think this type of testing and training is rare in CM.. many players just jump in and try to figure it out as they go.. best course of action is to start withthe basics, practice them, then add complexity to your toolbox as you gain experience.  

In other news, I have added a Blog post about the Hard-Cat Rules.. if you haven't been following along with my thread in the General CM Forum or with the CMSF-2 AAR where @IanL and I took an early version of these rules for a spin... now is your chance!

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 7 months later...

@Bil Hardenberger, I was wondering if you've touched on using Battalion Fire Support? 
61lv+n1JwXL._SX369_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

It's a great title by Osprey. I've really enjoyed their tactics series, but I'm struggling managing Battalion assets in CM. I was hoping for something that puts the lessons of this Osprey title into practice.

Edited by DougPhresh
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2 hours ago, wadepm said:

Ditto.  But haven't seen anything new for quite awhile.  @Bil Hardenberger, do you have anything in the works?

At the moment my time is being sucked into other projects.  Hopefully in the not too far distant future I'll find a hole to add some additional content.

Bil 

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1 hour ago, DougPhresh said:

@Bil Hardenberger, I was wondering if you've touched on using Battalion Fire Support? 


It's a great title by Osprey. I've really enjoyed their tactics series, but I'm struggling managing Battalion assets in CM. I was hoping for something that puts the lessons of this Osprey title into practice.

Using any off map artillery or air assets can be tough.. its all about timing and synchronization.  The Battle Command section of my blog gets into battle planning, decision points, estimation of the situation etc.  not exactly what you are asking for, but those posts are all at a higher level than most of the others.

Bil

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Hi Bil, sounds good, I´m really looking forward to new content; your battle drill is bookmarked in my browser. ;)

Thanks to "armor forward! but with intelligence" in your battle drill I became aware of two other interesting...eh..."small books". "Fibel" we´d say in Germany.

1. Panzer helfen Dir! (Merkblatt 18b/38 vom 15.9.´44. Was der Grenadier vom gepanzerten Kampffahrzeug wissen muß)

"Tanks help you! (Leaflet 18b / 38 from September 15th, '44. What the Grenadier needs to know about the armored combat vehicle)"

2. Taktisch richtiges Fahren mit dem Schützenpanzerwagen

"Tactically correct driving with the armored personnel carrier"

While "Panzer helfen Dir!" is in the style of the "Tigerfibel" / "Pantherfibel", the "Taktisch richtiges Fahren mit dem Schützenpanzerwagen" comes as a very specific instruction: therefore, two pictures are shown for each situation, a short rhyme per picture explains why and how to proceed (take a look on the last two pictures). Maybe this will be a future project of yours to process this content for the battle drill (like you did before on "armor forward!", sharing your personal thoughts on the given situations).

6721b1-1580224425.jpg

ee855a-1580224524.jpg

587f8e-1580224555.jpg

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3 hours ago, sPA505 said:

Hi Bil, sounds good, I´m really looking forward to new content; your battle drill is bookmarked in my browser. ;)

Thanks to "armor forward! but with intelligence" in your battle drill I became aware of two other interesting...eh..."small books". "Fibel" we´d say in Germany.

1. Panzer helfen Dir! (Merkblatt 18b/38 vom 15.9.´44. Was der Grenadier vom gepanzerten Kampffahrzeug wissen muß)

"Tanks help you! (Leaflet 18b / 38 from September 15th, '44. What the Grenadier needs to know about the armored combat vehicle)"

2. Taktisch richtiges Fahren mit dem Schützenpanzerwagen

"Tactically correct driving with the armored personnel carrier"

While "Panzer helfen Dir!" is in the style of the "Tigerfibel" / "Pantherfibel", the "Taktisch richtiges Fahren mit dem Schützenpanzerwagen" comes as a very specific instruction: therefore, two pictures are shown for each situation, a short rhyme per picture explains why and how to proceed (take a look on the last two pictures). Maybe this will be a future project of yours to process this content for the battle drill (like you did before on "armor forward!", sharing your personal thoughts on the given situations).

6721b1-1580224425.jpg

ee855a-1580224524.jpg

587f8e-1580224555.jpg

I'd love to have those so I can examine them closer.  Please PM me so we can work out how we can make that happen.

Happy my little blog has been of interest to you, Bil

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  • 4 weeks later...

With the help of @sPA505 I have posted a full translation with some commentary of the German pamphlet:  Tactically Correct Driving Armored Personnel Carrier (Shützenpanzerwagon (SPW) .  Enjoy!  And thanks for the translation Holger!  

Cover.png

 

Edited by Bil Hardenberger
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