Bil Hardenberger Posted February 23, 2014 Author Share Posted February 23, 2014 The ISU-122 v Panzer action was a side show.. the real action was elsewhere. However regarding the enemy panzers, all three of them have left the area now and are re-deploying. Gee, I wonder where they might be going.. the thing is.. that with them leaving the area.. Axis Red becomes a viable avenue of approach again... I need to think about that for a bit. My OT34 opened up on the barn with its flamethrower with devastating effect. Watch The Video of the action! At least two known dead in that barn, but several more screams were heard throughout the turn. Note that I am now crossing several teams to Objective Blue.. another spotting round fell about in the same place as the previous one.. this one causing one casualty. Let me know what you think of the new flame effects. The cost of war... these three dead German soldiers were the casualties from last turn's OT34 main gun action. 5th Company In the 5th Company sector I am considering the deep strike as outlined in the following image. This would entail me driving the T34 platoon with the SMG platoon straight to Objective Gelb (yellow). I wonder.. does he have anything on Gelb or is he planning on defending the route to Gelb? I don't know.. might be worth the risk. I have not finished the turn but am considering it. Note where the enemy grouping is located.. I am area firing with a couple T34s in to the trees as shown to cut off any retreat.. I would love to bag this German unit which I think must be Platoon in size. Meanwhile my other 5th Company platoons continue to bypass this area. I am only using 1st platoon to hold this German platoon in place. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offshoot Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 The flame effects look good - much improved from the blobby look from the first video. I wonder though, why do buildings seem to be so porous to flame? A similar effect seemed to happen in the video posted by Chris. I can understand it if it is an abstraction representing fire entering through an opening into a confined area, but are sides of buildings with no openings similarly susceptible? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barkhorn1x Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I do like the new flame effects. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyD Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Wow. I have had the pleasure of playing with flamethrowers a bit but I didn't realize OT-34 had that reach! Flamethrower man packs you practically have to get so close that you could hit the enemy over the head with a shovel as a combat alternative. About flamethrowers and building walls, the two facades hit had a big door and two windows. Plus barns have always been treated an porous as a sieve in the game. I frankly don't know if anyone's tested flamethrower versus a big windowless modular building façade. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vark Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I like the way the flame rod sometimes curls in flight, but perhaps smoke at the point of impact? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baneman Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I did see smoke at the barn when the flame hit in the video - not very dense though. Scary stuff that. Re. Deep Strike plan - sounds very Russian. Go for it ! ( disclaimer : I never said that ! ) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinnart Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I think the flames look improved from the last build. More stream like than before. That looks like a very bold plan to deep strike Bil, but you never know. No guts, no glory as the saying goes. Sometimes rolling the dice, and being bold can certainly pay off. Other times, well the cowboy gets shot from the horse. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttorneyAtWar Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Whats the phrase? "Fortune favors the bold!" GO FOR IT! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Childress Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 When the OT34 fires are the flames subject to Fog of War? Or are they visible to both players regardless of where it opens up? Inquiring minds... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dadekster Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Looks much better than the other one, more fluid. Does this effect morale on nearby troops by chance? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macisle Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 The little patches of flame lingering on the ground are a nice touch, indeed. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I'm surprised the walls of the building didn't offer more protection. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepster88 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 First off I have to thank Bil Hardenberger for the OT-34 video. It just made my day. The flames look awesome. I definitely think a couple T34's in place of one assault gun was the right way to go. Cant wait to see more... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Childress Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I'm surprised the walls of the building didn't offer more protection. Yeah, seemed rather extreme. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bil Hardenberger Posted February 24, 2014 Author Share Posted February 24, 2014 I'm surprised the walls of the building didn't offer more protection. I have a theory.. remember last turn the OT34 did not fire its flamethrower.. only its main gun.. this turn it fired the flamethrower with very few main gun rounds, I think only one or two were fired. My theory, and I have not tested this, is that the tactical AI knows to use whatever weapon is most effective for the target... the building last turn was masonry... this time wood... seems like it chose correctly both times. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heinrich505 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Bil, Most excellent stuff. Can't wait to get my hands on RT. Have been enjoying your AAR. Always top notch. I double checked the video on the flamethrower tank. Who was the bozo that had to run in front of the OT-34 after it flamed the barn? Was that Sergei again? Geez, there's always gotta be one wise guy...he's the one with the marshmallows, right? Thanks for sharing this AAR with us. It is excellent. Heinrich505 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 MikeyD - some penalty for being out of command, check. But the right one would be ceasing responding to orders temporarily, while continuing to fight rather than running. A version of pin that allows firing in place perhaps? It is coordination that should go, not willingness to stand and deliver. Just a thought... Same thought I had with my suggestion to give them a low Leadership rating but with high Morale. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Childress Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 tested this, is that the tactical AI knows to use whatever weapon is most effective for the target... the building last turn was masonry... this time wood... seems like it chose correctly both times. In the video the jet has the effect of a liquid nerve agent like sarin gas. Common sense suggests that enemy near the window would be roasted. The survivors flee and jump out windows as the flames then spreads eventually consuming the building and tuning it to cinder. One can understand that simulating a ground/terrain fire that spreads, based on combustibility, the time of year and the velocity and direction of the wind is very challenging. Surely depicting a burning structure would be simpler. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSTK Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Am I the only one who feels like he's watching a re-enactment of "The Three Little Pigs", where Bil's OT34 plays the wolf? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cirrus Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 This is excellent AAR and real fun to read. I had to plow trough this thread as whole last night. Thank you Bil and other contributors. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankster65 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Great AAR! Clearly, in our future scenarios and PBEM play the flamethrower AFVs, infantry-engineer teams are to be "priority" targets for the defenders. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
para Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 The dark smoke plumes generated look rather good. I would like to see this fx mix on knocked out AFV's instead of just the towers of smoke we get now. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bil Hardenberger Posted February 25, 2014 Author Share Posted February 25, 2014 5th Company This turn I sent both squads that were in KT 5 forward to overwhelm the lone team in the hedgelined field (I only ever saw this as a lone team, never more than one contact).. however as I closed on the hedge I noticed that this team had already been killed.. a few turns ago I had dropped some mortar fire at the end of the field to cut off any retreat... must have worked. As my 1st platoon moves forward I notice that the enemy in the trees down the slope has bolted and is starting to run frantically for the KT6 trees. I am hoping I can pin them and eliminate them before they can escape. They have a long way to go and I am closing the noose with 3rd squad over the ridge making its way around the flank and 1st and 2nd squads will start to push the enemy into the open where my T34s can better deal with them. 4th Company On the outskirts of Blau the body count becomes clearer... there are 4 enemy dead in the barn (that I can see) and I can now tell that there are 4 enemy dead in the collapsed shed... two members of the team that was in the barn last turn surrendered this turn. There is a dead HQ team in the barn, so that's good, and a few more teams ran from this area to the left back to the other buildings in Blau. Also there is an enemy HMG team in a building covering this area that I need to take care of, and a flamethrower team in another building that I need to keep an eye on. Zooming out you can see that I have pulled several squads back in anticipation of the incoming enemy artillery.. I am going to keep slight pressure on Blau from the right edge.. though I will not advance too hard as long as those three pieces of armor are driving around this area. My ISU-122 crew has recovered and will re-mount their tank next turn.. then I will drive these two vehicles towards Blau.. if nothing but to keep Elvis's armor busy and interested in this front. Casualties A quick comment on casualties.. I have taken quite a few, but really one or two from a team at a time, I have yet to lose a full team while Elvis has lost around seven full teams that I can think of (the two scout teams in KT3 early in the game) + one more that ran into my SMG team in the southern end of KT3 + the three teams (one HQ and two infantry teams in the buildings at Blau) + the one full team in the hedgelined field... he MUST have taken more casualties in the platoon that I am trying to cut off... plus? I am satisfied with this exchange rate so far... his casualties must be at least equal in men to mine.. though mine are spread out amongst my teams, while his have been total team losses. My big concern is the armor disparity... lose that and Elvis can indeed make my infantry suffer, which is why I want it concentrated around Objective Blau and not interfering with the happenings in the 5th company area. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepster88 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I was waiting to see when you would find his flamethrower team but if he's in that shed he's in a bad way. On CMBB and CMAK the flamethrower teams had varrying ranges depending the country but I think there distances ranged from like 25 to 35 meters. Use to make for awesome hidden ambushes though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c3k Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Soviet OT-34 flamethrower had a range of up to 60m. If they added more diesel to the flame mix it could go up to 100m. (Mix was done before the battle, not on the fly.) Impressive use. Not good to be downstream of that thing... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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