Jump to content
Special Upgrade 4 Tech Tips

George MC

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    7,417

  • Joined

  • Days Won

    43

 Content Type 

Posts posted by George MC

    Combat Mission Red Thunder Battle Pack 1 pre-orders are now open

    in Combat Mission Red Thunder

    Posted

    58 minutes ago, sttp said:

    Hasn't George said that his part was basically done, but that (apparently) the Battlepack's not going to be released until the new multiplayer features were complete? I may have misinterpreted something though.

    Aye that's correct. I've completed my part but as the Battlepack has to be incorporated into a patch/new exe for CMRT its in the pipeline whilst (I suspect) other work relating to a patch etc is completed. As the battlepack will available on steam I'd expect that there is most likely also work to do in this regard on Slitherine's side. All of this behind the scenes stuff is beyond my paygrade though :)

    1

    RT Unofficial Screenshot Thread

    in Combat Mission Red Thunder

    Posted

    44 minutes ago, RockinHarry said:

    that´s what I suspected. 😁 And maybe adding (ice) climb ability to CM engine. 😎

    Yeah - TBH I've not had much success with ice climbing in the digital world! I mind played (think it was CoD) and there was a mission where you climbed this icy rock face. I thought "piece of piss" as i shortly fell to my my digital death after a few blows of my ice tools which then promptly ripped out... I then bitched it was not like climbing the real thing...

    0

    RT Unofficial Screenshot Thread

    in Combat Mission Red Thunder

    Posted

    5 hours ago, RockinHarry said:

    With George beeing more of the EF armor kind of guy I think forests will still play a minor part. But we´ll see. 😎 Though nothing to compare with my projected hurtgen forest and ardennes type maps. 🤪 Will be interesting to see my next  "map stops loading near 50-80%" occurance. Though I don´t hope these will happen. Fingers crossed! 🤞😜

     

    Yeah being a mountaineer I prefer wide open spaces 🤣

    Nane oh this jungle/tree bashing stuff!! <shudder>

    2

    Armor Spotting Q

    in Combat Mission Red Thunder

    Posted · Edited by George MC

    Grand :)

    Are the infantry moving or stationary? Do they binoculars?

    Re the AFVs - were they set to hide at set-up as that’s where in my understanding you get a camouflage bonus. 

    Are the tanks hull down relative to the spotters?

    With tanks though I always assume if they can see out, then the enemy can see back…

    1

    Combat Mission Red Thunder Battle Pack 1 pre-orders are now open

    in Combat Mission Red Thunder

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Aragorn2002 said:

    According to Werthens Geschichte der 16. Panzer-Division only 8 Tiger II's took part in the attack on the 12th (or 13th?) of August. A typical example of German overconfidence in their own skill in armored warfare. Although the losses were not uncommon for that period of the war in the East. Do we know which supporting elements (from 16. Panzer Division) were available?

    The action the Ogledów covers is very specific to in and around Ogledow. There was a great deal of fighting in the whole sector but the campaign focuses on a few square km around Ogledów.

    Numbers were hard to pin down as both sides do not tally. However the following extracts from the designer notes and their source I've listed below:

    From the designer notes:

    "One of these units, the 501st Heavy Tank Battalion, commanded by Major von Legat, was a source of German great expectations.  After being destroyed in fighting during the earlier stages of Operation Bagration, it had been reconstituted at Ohrdruf on 14th July 1944 and equipped with the new Tiger IIs. On the 5th August 1944, the 2nd and 3rd  companies totalling 31 Tiger IIs (the 1st company with an additional 14 Tiger IIs did not arrive at the front until the 12th August 1944) of the 501st entrained bound to join Army Group North Ukraine. Their combat debut proved very inauspicious, as after detraining, most suffered final drive breakdowns while on a 50 km road march. After a supreme effort by the mechanics twenty Tiger IIs were available for immediate combat. This mechanical unreliability was to plague the unit throughout its future combat operations ." 

    ‘Tigers in Combat I’ by Wolfgang Schneider

    "For this operation 16th Panzer Division, with the 501st and 509th Heavy Tank battalions attached to it, was divided into two main kampfgruppen - Kpf.Gr “Bloemecke” (reinforced Pz.Grn.Rgt 64 – I Bat (mot) and II Bat (gep)); and Kpf.Gr “von Busse” (reinforced Pz.gren. Rgt. 79). "

    Source ‘Fire Brigades: The Panzer Divisions 1943-1945’ by Kamen Nevenkin

    "The 501st Heavy Tank Battalion (consisting of 2nd and 3rd companies) was now down to only eleven operational Tiger IIs out of the twenty it went into action with twelve hours before - due to on-going mechanical issues with the new vehicles.2 However this did not affect the morale of the Tiger crews of the 501st who were very confident that their new Tiger IIs would be more than a match for the Soviets in their lighter armoured and armed T-34s. "

    Source: ‘Germany’s Tiger Tanks – Tiger I & Tiger II: Combat Tactics’ by Thomas L. Jentz

    At this point I should stress and note that when reading through these accounts there are some discrepancies that can be troublesome to reconcile with other sources (although detailed German accounts of this action are scarce to non-existent it would appear). The key one is the date in the Battlefield.ru account is incorrect – this is then repeated in other versions/retellings of this action. To confirm - the action/ambush occurred on the 12th August 1944. This is confirmed in several Soviet sources, including Guards Junior Lieutenant Oskin’s commendation for ‘Hero of the Soviet Union’ which states that the date of the action he was famously involved in was the 12th August 1944. 

    The reference you mention most likely pertains to this action on the 13 August 1944.

    At 0900Hrs on the 13th August the 2nd TBn, the 2nd Tank Company of the 71st Independent Guards Heavy Tank Regiment, and the 289th Rifle Regiment from the 97th Guards Rifle Division3, began moving toward ZARAZ (just over 1km north west of OGLEDOW). King Tigers which were positioned west of Ogledów, blocked the attacking infantry with gunfire. A platoon of JS-2 tanks, led by Lieutenant Klimienkov, advanced and joined in the battle. Soon one of the German tanks was on fire, and another one was knocked out. The infantry, without opposition, then moved into Ogledów, where tanks of the 3rd TBn were already eliminating the remaining Germans.

    Later in the day seven Tiger IIs moved in from the direction of Mokre. An IS-2 belonging to Guards Senior Lieutenant Udalov opened fire at 800 meters, destroying two Tiger IIs, one of which also caught fire. The German tanks retreated, regrouped, and advanced on PONIK. Lieutenant Belyakov's IS-2 was in ambush in that direction. Opening fire at the column from 1000 meters, he set fire to one Tiger II. The rest turned back.

    Thats most of what i found. As I said reconciling numbers of tanks etc at specific times and places was nigh impossible. So educated guesses were made where exact/differing numbers were given.

    Hope this helps?

    Cheery!
     

    3

    CMRT Campaign - Kampfgruppe "von Schroif"

    in CM Red Thunder Maps and Mods

    Posted

    44 minutes ago, Hilts said:

    I think we might have discovered why I don't have the mortars. I'm playing v3 of the campaign (which I downloaded ages ago). I didn't realise there were later versions till I saw Erwin's post. I think the best thing would be if you could send me that shortcut to get me onto v6-2a, George. I only lost 8 men in the first mission, so re-starting 2a intact won't make that much difference but it will save me having to play the first mission again. I'll pm you with my email address. Thanks very much for your help! 

    Cheers

    Whew! Aye there was an issue with off-map mortars (from the core file) not appearing. i fixed it by adding em as on-map assets.

    My pleasure - the fix I just PM and emailed you should work for you and get you back on track.

    Cheery!

    1

    CMRT Campaign - Kampfgruppe "von Schroif"

    in CM Red Thunder Maps and Mods

    Posted

    5 hours ago, Erwin said:

    I found that I have versions 1-5 in my camp folder.  Are they now completely obsolete and should be deleted?

    (Thank you for keeping this camp up to date btw.)

    Aye... at the risk of me sounding like a complete cock... Convention with version control is later versions address issues found in previous versions...

    So I'd suggest junking the older versions cos reason i put out other versions was to fix issues/errors players kindly told me about.

    So at the moment version 6 is the best there is. IMO :)

     

    0

    CMRT Campaign - Kampfgruppe "von Schroif"

    in CM Red Thunder Maps and Mods

    Posted

    22 hours ago, Hilts said:

    Thanks for looking into it George. TBH I'm more concerned about the fact that I don't have the on-map mortars, than the off-map Wespes. What's the likely explanation for that IYO? I'm running the latest version of the game and the only explanation I can think of is that they have been deleted in some way by the addition of a patch or the 4.0 upgrade. I remember something like this happening with a missing ATG in the KG Engel campaign after the addition of an upgrade and BF had to fix it and re-release the campaign. I'll try and battle through this mission. Do you remember if the on-map mortars show up in any of the later missions? If so, hopefully they will make an appearance then.

    Cheers.

    Hhmmm...thats really odd. I double checked and the on-map mortars (in their tracks) are in campaign version 5. I recall there being an issue with earlier versions using off-map mortars so i 'fixed' that by adding the on-map mortar tracks (251/2). This seemed to fix the issue.

    I just did a ceasefire in cam_v6 and though i ended up with mission 2b (its the same one as 2a just with date change and more assets) the on-map mortars appeared. So at the moment I'm not sure what caused the issue you are seeing but I'd tentatively (i say this as I checked 2a in the editor and it defo has on-map mortars) and then checked 2b in the actual campaign as noted above) say it appears fixed in cam_v6...

    As said if you don't have the assets in your 2a I'd be hesitant about battling through and taking casualties (or leats heavy casualties). In truth the way the campaign is designed if you ceasefire in your current 2a that'll take you onto an alternate timeline but with same missions just different times and Soviet oppos. Alternately you could restart using the cam 6.

    One other option is I could create a quick short cut so you don't have to replay mission 1 and go straight to mission 2a. I'm happy to do that and I'd send you it via PM to avoid confusion! That way you keep on the campaign track you won out on. Obs you'd have taken no casualties in this replay, but if you won Mission 1 I suspect you did pretty well cas wise.

    Let me know what ya think please?

    Cheery!

    0

    CMRT Campaign - Kampfgruppe "von Schroif"

    in CM Red Thunder Maps and Mods

    Posted

    22 hours ago, Hilts said:

    Yep, I won the first battle and am on 2a

    I've checked through the scenario files. It.s a mistake on my part with the briefing map.

    Mission 2a has KG von Schroif capitalise on their previous success. So given the desire to do so means no off-map arty support. However the organic company mortars should be there as they are.

    I've amended the incorrect briefing tac map (which seems to have cause the confusion) and updated the master briefing document PDF accordingly.

    So Mission 2a sees no off map additional arty support, you should have your organic company mortars - but you face a less prepared and weaker opposition.

    @Bootie would you be able to update the zip file and campaign title at this link please? please? https://www.thefewgoodmen.com/tsd3/cm-red-thunder/cm-red-thunder-campaigns/kampfgruppe-von-schroif-cmrt-campaign/ 

    I'm on version 6 cam file

    Many thanks!

    873500575_CMRT_KGr_vonSchroif_v6.rar

    0

    Combat Mission Red Thunder Battle Pack 1 pre-orders are now open

    in Combat Mission Red Thunder

    Posted

    5 hours ago, Aragorn2002 said:

    George, what are in your opinion the most objective accounts of the fighting for Ogledow?

    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?

    7

    CMRT Campaign - Kampfgruppe "von Schroif"

    in CM Red Thunder Maps and Mods

    Posted

    3 hours ago, Hilts said:

    Hello George,

    Thanks for making this excellent campaign! I'm 20 minutes into mission 2. It states in the briefing that I should have 2 x 81mm on map mortars and 6 x off map Wespe. I don't have either of these and I have got to the stage now where they would be immensely handy. It doesn't say they are meant to come as reinforcements. Is it possible that they may have been deleted with the 4.0 upgrades? It wouldn't be the first time something like this has happened after an upgrade....

    Hi Hilts

    Ah not sure why that is. I'd have to double check. They should come on. I know there were some issues with core unit arty modules. TBH I'd have to go and double check this in Engine 4. Not much help for you though in your current playthrough...

    Hope it goes well for you. On the plus side you don't get booted out but just go onto an alternate path (which you can then rejoin the main path) so if things get tight don't blow your men - ceasefire and head into the next fight. You can convince yourself that support promised was foobarred by the higher ups who couldnae organise a piss up in a brewery!

    Thanks for the heads up though I'll check it out.

    Cheery!

    0

    New Mission - Chervone

    in CM Black Sea Maps and Mods

    Posted

    27 minutes ago, Combatintman said:

    I even used a stack of flavour objects mate 'cos I know you love 'em ...

    I saw that - I'm well impressed :)

    Really works at this level. I'm dodging about amongst your village. Interesting tactical challenge - though some of the close combat scenes are grim and reflect footage from the war.

    All kudos to you mate.

    0

    New Mission - Chervone

    in CM Black Sea Maps and Mods

    Posted

    12 minutes ago, Combatintman said:

    Village mate and not much of one at that - I've lived in two that are four times the size of Chervone ... I know to a lot of map makers four structures = a village, 8 = a town and 12 = a city but not this callsign.  One of my particular scenario bugbears and why in the main all of my maps are based on real places as this avoids such schoolboy errors.

    I'm in - map is impressive - weel done sir! :)

    0
×
×
  • Create New...