George MC

Brilliant! My Grandad served at El Alamein with the 51st Highland Div. I like the mystery of the KO'd PzIII and body - interesting read. Cheers fur noo George

Hi All Many thanks for your replies - my apolgies for the late reply but I've been away the past week. I actually built the PC myself, but I will not profess to being a PC wizz - I can however bolt bits together! Redwolf: thanks for the comments - I dragged the spec off my PC system details bit. I fitted the PSU but I'll have to go and check what it is. I'm sure I did install a biggie though as my long term plan was to upgrade bits as and when I had the money and new stuff came along. Thanks for the comments guys about the other graphics cards - I'm trawling throuhg the net now to see what is what and at what price. Thanks gain one and all for your excellent advice Cheers fur noo George

Hi Jack Thanks for the prompt response - I'll start the hunt right now! Hhmm, not sure about the processor. Checking the info that came with the processor it is a Pentium P4 that supports hyper threading. I can't find any mention about whether it is an extreme P4 :confused: Still it does the job and let's me design and play HUGE scenarios Thanks again for the advice Cheers fur noo George

Hi I'm looking to upgrade my graphics card but I'm a bit confused - not to difficult either I'm running on my PC: Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 Motherboard: ASUS P4S800/800Mhz 1GB RAM Intel P4 3.6GHz/800Mhz/512Kb cache Nvidia GeForce FX5200/128Mb PCI Card (Driver version 6.14.10.5673) The confusion arises from my thinking about getting a graphics card that will run in the one AGP 8X slot I have on the motherboard. However, the voltage given for the AGP slot is 1.5V only. All the AGP graphics cards I've seen suggest I need 4V on the AGP slot. Am I stuffed then in getting an AGP card to run on this motherboard or am I missing some fundamental and obvious bit of information? Many thanks for the anticpated help Cheers fur noo George Mc

Hi Kingfish That map. Is is based on a scenario called Tankovyi Desant? I've a scenario by that name so I could send him if he likes the actual plain map to check out? Email address in my profile. Cheers fur noo George

I've a couple of late war scenarios check out Tankovyi Desant and Railyard Blues at the website address in my sig line below (I think both are also at TSD II). Enjoy! Cheers fur noo George

GOBSMACKING!!!

Fanbloodytastic! Excellent work cheers Guys! Cheers fur noo George

Hi I've just started to upload some of the maps used in scenarios both Charlie and I designed. The maps are freely available for players to use in QBs and new scenarios. All we ask is the original designer is credited in any new scenario. First one up is Charlie's excellent map of the city of Kharkov in the winter of 1943. (It's an operation map but that is easily changed using Pyewackets Map Convertor). You can get the map at CMBB Kharkov Map More to follow soon... Cheers fur noo George

Jason wasn't bashing anybody. He was just singing a Dead Kennedys song. Right, Jason? By the way, I posted some more details on 1SS at 0115 at The Proving Grounds. </font>

*Bows* Thank you Bigduke! Praise indeed. It's always reassuring to her comments like that. If I can I use an actual map of an area to design the CMBB map from. In this case definitly looks like I've succeded. Glad they were not any nasty armoured vehicles laying in wait for you on your drive Be keen to hear how you get on. I played it not so long ago as a PBEM (as the Soviets myself) and it utrned out to be some battle. Hope you have the same fun I had Thanks agin for your feedback - always great to hear. Cheers fur noo George Mc

Mr Picky says the photo does not show LSSAH. They are soldiers from "Das Reich" "Der Fuhrer's" Panzergreandier Regiment who are tending to the Russian. The photo was taken by kriegsberichter Gronert. There are several in the sequence and they are reproduced 88 - 90 in volume 2 of the Waffen SS: Kursk 1943 published by Remy Spezzano. IMHO a fascinating series of books by the way which have some stunning combat images covering II SS Panzer Corps operations duruing Kursk. Worth checking out. Mr Picky now sits down Cheers fur noo George

BigDuke6 - spot on mate - I'd echo your comments wholeheartedly - and thanks for the info about the ATRs! Your right the Soviet info is out there it just takes a bit more digging and in many places is not as complete as corresponding German accounts but it is still there, and ceratinly accounts like your mans above deserve to be read and due respect given. Cheers fur noo George Mc

A few years back I recreated this actual scenario. I mind some feedback criticising the AT ditch - but it was there and it did affect the attack as you can see above. If you want to take a look at it and see exactly the point JasonC is making, you can get it at this link - http://www.blowtorchscenarios.com/born_again_near_prokhorovka/born_again_near_prokhorovka_details.htm You can play as either the Germans or the Soviets. It's a smallish map but with lot's of units, and surprise surprise a heck of a lot of fighting. Cheers fur noo George

Big Duke, you might be interested in this. I've not long got this book published by Schiffer. There is an account in the "SS Panzer Artillery Regiment LSSAH" by Thomas Fischer, which tends to back up Ribbentrop's accounts. Two accounts the first by Helmut Franke who commanded a battery of Wespes in the arty regiment. His battery is lined up behind Peiper’s SPW battalion. They are preparing to attack and Franke’s battery is firing in support of the battle group –“…The attack was delayed at the tank trench. Everything gathered around a few crossings built by the engineers. The Soviets got ready for a counterattack…” In the resulting melee his Wespes takes out a T34 at 30m range then is promptly damaged with one crewman killed immediately after. The other account is from the battery Chief (Heinz Bernhardt) of the “Hummel” (6th battery) who is a PzIII command tank. He writes –“Early on the morning of July 12th we drove along the road left of the rail line in the direction of Prokhorovka. Beyond the tanks it was 300m from the tank trench southwest of Oktyabirski to the railway line…. Infantry fired purple smoke signals. Scarcely had we closed the hatches when the brand new, unpainted Russian tanks came on in packs. Before our driver could make a left turn, two T34s passed us. We hurried up to the tank trench (Note: he is attempting to head back across the ditch and safety). Thus we drove as the third tank in the line and headed for our own tanks. The machine pistol bursts of the Russians sitting on the following tanks could not bother our good Panzer III. The first T34 before us took a hit and went off to the left making the road free. The same happened to the next but we got through…” Bernhardt and his crew had a close escape, as the gunner in Martin Gross’s tank was the one who had KO’d the two T34s. Gross himself knocked the loading gunner’s hand away at the last minute when he saw the German cross on the panzer III. I’ve no idea how accurate the accounts are and none of the accounts speak of the Soviet tanks driving headlong into the ditch. I guess what it does prove is the ditch was there – so perhaps your theory that they knew the ditch was there but could avoid it is perhaps the likely one? Cheers fur noo George Mc

Hi Jason You have feedback over at TPG for the 0115Hrs recce. Guess you might have to postpone the assault as those Ivans are stubborn SOBs! Cheers fur noo George

Hi! The research is going well - what Charlie has dug up so for confimrs that the Count was an extraordinary character in many ways - but more of that anon. Our first scenario will be an early Barbarossa action - expect some pretty desperate fighting with tin cans! Cheers fur noo George

A Marshal's Promise Schwere Panzer Regiment Bäke attacks Hill 239 during the Battle of the Cherkassy Pocket. Map size: 2000m x 2300m Total points combined: 11000 This is a joint authorship project between Travis ‘Shmavis’ McCoy and George McEwan You can grab it here

Hi Sergei Praise indeed!! Thanks for that Cheers fur noo George

Well I did that just waiting and see the AI, not the coorect thing to do I guess. In any case it was wonderful scenario worth of playing [/QB]</font>

All the infantry should be carrying magnetic mines. It was pointed out by Rockinharry that carrying petrol filled bottles in the back of a halftrack might not be the best move, and anyways molotovs are more a field expedient weapon. I'll go and check out the Editor and sort that. My apolgies... Cheers fur noo George Mc </font>

Hi Spartan 1 Thanks for playing this and equally pleased you enjoyed it. Regrading the slowness of the AI attacker. That's an AI/game engine issue I'm afraid. The AI is not the best of attackers although in this scenario that slow cautious approach it uses works realistically. Mind the Soviets are pushing deep into the German rear area so are expecting trouble at every turn. However, in this scenario, as the German player Vs Soviet AI (or indeed as either side in H2H) you really do need to go looking for the AI (enemy) and find out where the attack is coming from. It can be a slow burner but sitting tight and waiting for the AI to appear is not what this is about. I guess the main aim was to compare how German and Sovier recce units operated and their respective strength and weaknesses. In that respect the German player needs to go out and recce. By doing this you do make contact with the AI and stand a better chance of stalling the attack. That's another reason there are so many turns for when playing the AI due to it's slow and cautious approach. When playing H2H this is not a problem in the playtesting I've done Thanks agin for playing the scenario and glad you enjoyed it Cheers fur noo George Mc

All the infantry should be carrying magnetic mines. It was pointed out by Rockinharry that carrying petrol filled bottles in the back of a halftrack might not be the best move, and anyways molotovs are more a field expedient weapon. I'll go and check out the Editor and sort that. My apolgies... Cheers fur noo George Mc

He! He! That's how we like em in Scotland I guess the actual scenarios are large due to the nature of the terrain and the actual unit. I've produced smaller scenarios which are easier on the old processor. If you like I can email you them (also sent you an email by the ways). With regard to the other comments in this thread. Many thanks to all those who expressed support for the scenarios and for my own efforts - never knew there was that level of support for what I, or Charlie my co-author do. It's nice to be loved For the record I did'nt take offence at JasonC's comments, in fact it is a comment a lot of people have made. But as Panther Commander says we all make scenarios for our own reasons - Both Charlie and I just happen to like doing biggies Lots of other designers do create smaller ones so i guess there is something for everyone. Mind variety keeps the gene pool healthy, and I should know living in the Highlands of Scotland I also happen to like JasonCs training scenarios and have had my head handed to several times! Cheers fur noo George

Hi Zmoney Glad you enjoyed it! Peiper's Race is full of surprises and takes a lot of luck. It is possible to make it to Belgorod in the first battle - just Glad you liked the air liason bit. We had thought about actual air support but given the rather random and uncontrollable nature of it in CM having a FOO serve as the liasion officer made more sense. However, this is the last Peiper action though. The next series is going to be based around Count Von Strachwitz's ("Der Panzer Graf" and a fascinating character he is but more latter)combat career. Its still in the research stage, but as they say, watch this space. Both Charlie and I would love to do a series on a Soviet commander or unit. I guess the bottom line is there just does not appear to be enough info out there, at least in English, to the same level of detail we can aquire about the German units etc. For the Peiper series were were meticulous to ID the actual Soviet units that were involved in the actions. But beyond commanders at Divisional level IDing any other personalities is beyond our research capability at the moment. in saying that if anyone was to point us in the right direction... Thanks again for the positive feedback. It certainly fuels the desire to do more. Cheers fur noo George Mc