George MC
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Days Won
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Posts posted by George MC
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Just uploaded new version (v.5) with couple of minor tweaks.
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I’m hoping it’ll be an interesting challenge either way
Look forward to hearing how it pans out.
Awra best!
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Even doing things ‘correctly’ bad stuff still happens. I thought I’d eliminated all enemy units in this vid clip. Moved up a BIFV to dismount some guys to clear woods. A key holed unsupressed, unidentified RPG 29 team did their job.
sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. Doing saves to eliminate poor decisions or unlucky events teaches bad habits IMO - which will bite you on the arse the first PvP game you play.
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On 12/16/2023 at 10:54 PM, Chibot Mk IX said:
Finished mission 2
Assault into the town center turned into a very confusing close quarter battle
Spoiler
Sorry for tardy reply - been busy few weeks.
Aye nicely done - I’m proud of that part of the battle
Yeah the later part of this action does become very CQB. Will be a contrast to mission 3 for sure.
thx for sharing the AAR much appreciated thank you
Tìoraidh!
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53 minutes ago, Phantom Captain said:
That's how I'm seeing it right now, being in the middle of it. Green crews and falling victim to their own propaganda. Still, the King Tigers are very cool to play with and to see. I haven't used them in any scenario in such a long time, I'm amazed at how fast the turret rotates! I was expecting heavy and slow but that's not the case at all. Maybe it's just really noticeable in this one because it's nice to have when you are pretty much blind. Maybe it's a little advantage?
In respect to your last point, it is true that history is full of examples of leaders of certain units making horrible decisions, to not only their own detriment, but usually also leading to horrific casualties of their men who have to carry out those orders. I can think of many.
I like scenarios like this as you get to really be in the heads of those who were there and then have to determine what to do with the lousy circumstances. Good times.
Oh aye for sure. That was a key reason for creating this action. Great to see it being appreciated
Oh yeah - the 501st’s record through August 1944 was so poor that on the 22nd August 1944 Major von Legat was relieved of his command. It is was also reported that he had links to the 20th July 1944 conspiracy to kill Hitler. I can't find out anything else about him post event, though guess somewhere there might be his service record if it was not destroyed during the war. Oh the 501 was later reformed as sPz. Abt. 424 45 Tiger IIs and some Tiger Is, and was under the command of Major Saemisch. he led his whole unit into an ambush at Lissow in January 1945 most likely due to poor prior recce and/or misleading intelligence. The village was already occupied by JS-2 tanks and anti-tank guns. The result was that the majority of Tigers were either destroyed or lost to bad terrain. Terrible of echoes of the action in and around Ogledow four or so months earlier...
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8 hours ago, Phantom Captain said:
@George MC I will say this, the map is amazing! That being said, the ground is horrible!! The fog makes it even worse! George, why in the 9 hells would the Germans attack blind, over this ground, in the fog!!! Arrggghhh!! What a cool historic scenario to recreate.
Yeah 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?
Oh and overconfidence in the new vehicle...
Its worth noting that whilst this event figures highly in Soviet reports - due no doubt to meeting the Tiger II for the first time and giving the wunderwaffe weapon a kicking - German accounts are very scarce. there are reports from other units but nothing specific to this event from the unit involved - least as far as i could find in available English sources. The Soviet side has loads of versions based on the original Soviet reports (all of which repeat the incorrect date change so assume no-one repeating this has bothered to doubel check....).
Why did they attack? Well at the tactical level it is an odd decision for sure - no recce prior so they drove straight into an ambush. Some infantry support but they seem to not figure at all in Soviet reports and would appear did not even engage in any patrol activity. Its an interesting event which poses more questions that it answers for sure
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29 minutes ago, PEB14 said:
Is this tip obsolete?
Yes - there is a face direction option available now in AI plans. Sorry I forgot to remove that bit from what is an old aide memoire...
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Aye you have to hit the 'GO' button for the AI controlled units to shift their position. Also AI units will only shift position if a/ they have been allocated a AI group and b/ that AI group then ha s new set-up position painted in the AI plan under 'set-up'. Oh and also check the AI plan is activated...
Yup if to be played H2H you will need set-up zones for both sides.
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Jings! These T-34s have sure evolved...
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8 hours ago, Phantom Captain said:@George MC's video even reinforces it a bit. I mean it was the Soviet tanks that had intel and a contact and the Tiger didn't have a clue they were where they were. I meant to ask you George, did you have firing arcs on the T-34s or was it the AI itself slinging those turrets backwards?
No target arcs on the T-34s. They reacted on their own volition.
As my opponent sent the Tiger that route I can only assume he was unaware they were there, and hence so was the Tiger. -
18 minutes ago, Vacillator said:
Strange behaviour there George? Why did the Tiger not see/fire at the T34s? I assume the Tiger traversed along behind the T34s and at some point they swiveled their turrets? But I would have thought that would make them far less likely to see the Tiger than the Tiger seeing them?
Only explanation I've come up with is the Tiger was out of ammo or more likely had the dreaded 'main gun damage'.
The Tiger did see them but only after he'd past the, The trees are switched off but both T-34s were in reverse slope position hidden in trees. The Tiger appears to have not known they were. he's moving at full speed. Once he's level he starts to spot them but there are two and it takes time for the Tiger's turret to traverse - all the time he's rolling along in the opposite direction the gun is traversing. I don't think its not odd spotting BTW more showing how slow the Tiger turret traverse it. The RHS T-34 got the first shot off which bounced. Just takes time to swung that but old turret around.
EDIT: The T-34s knew he was coming - shared radio info and then they had a sound contcat. I assume the Tiger had no such knowledge. In fact I'm certain he had no info they were there.
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Live action combat film from the front lines.
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33 minutes ago, Vacillator said:
We had a great time in our PBEM, we both more or less ignored GeorgeMC's instructions
and just went for each other. I was Soviet of course. Great game @George MC!
Yeah I ignored myself as well when I played it as a PBEM. I went hunting for the IS-IIs.
Narrator: don't do this kids.
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On 11/12/2023 at 6:00 PM, Falaise said:
After weeks... months without having posted on this forum and even if I remain an avid reader via my tablet. I finally found time for myself and I even have the luxury of playing up to three scenarios a day.
I replayed and played @George MC entire series on the SDKFZ and tanks.
What pleasure, what interest, what information
The sdkfz that I didn't know what to do with have become indispensable to me, even if as a passionate CM Normandie player, they rarely have the opportunity to show their full potential.
Lesson 3 spw is simply orgasmic, the example of assault with the spw in film that you showed, I have done it several times!!!
TTp n3 The attack against pak is a must
On the other hand, I had to replay the TTP n2 attack against the city several times, without listening to George's advice, I suffered a lot (I couldn't help but imagine him watching me play, shrugging his shoulders eyes towards the sky muttering, they don't listen to these French.)
just a big thank you GeorgeAh excellent! Appreciate your feedback and appreciation. Its grand to hear these wee training scenarios are appreciated. Aye I think TTP No2 is the hardest one as the fighting ends up being close range, so more of a 'dice throw' as in 'he who spots first fires first' sort of thing.
I have a few French pals so think I'd go more Gallic! Probably more -"Qu'est-ce-que tu fais!" As I once heard a French Guide say repeatedly to his hapless client as they grovelled their way up a sport climb at Orpierre. He 'said' it a few times, getting louder each time, but the poor chap at the other end didnae grasp the meaning!
Thank you again for your kind feedback!
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5 hours ago, Phantom Captain said:
In the final 30 minutes, I used my Panzergrenadiers on their halftracks to conduct two quick infantry assault and grabs to secure two of the required VPs. @George MC, you would appreciate these assaults. Under cover of armor and as much suppressing fire as possible I rushed two platoons right up onto the Soviet VPs with MGs manned and blazing. My troops dismounted and immediately started advancing and putting more fire on the defenders who succumbed to the incredible and sudden pressure of my assault! My casualties were far lower than if I had tried to advance on the position through my enemies clear fields of fire.
Success! The enemy dead and wounded mark their defensive positions and once we closed on them from multiple angles with the halftracks speed and armor support, they fell brutally quick.
Way to go - excellent and nicely executed
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4 hours ago, Aragorn2002 said:
Still a great little movie, George. Damn the translation.
He! Cheers ta
I've gone in and edited my Word dictionary cos I'd the wrong spelling in that...
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13 minutes ago, Aragorn2002 said:
Great movie! Thanks, George!
It's Panzer helfen Dir! Btw
.... bloody spelling and languages....
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3 hours ago, PEB14 said:
Thanks for this new video. Instructive as ever. End your video editing gets better and better!
Just a minor note: SPW means "mittlerer Schützenpanzerwagen", not "mittlerer Schützenpanzerwagon".
Our German native speaking Kameraden will confirm, but I do believe the word "Wagon" doesn't exist in German.
Cheers ta! Yeah it's a learning curve!
Aye just spotted the typo. Doh!! Yeah I'll live with that and try harder next time... My spelling is rubbish in English never mind German...
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This video covers the translation of one section (Section IV) from a larger pocket-sized booklet, printed by the German military during the later stages of the Second World War titled 'Panzer Hilft Dur!' translates as 'Panzer Helps You!'
Section IV in ‘Panzer Helps You!’ covers the mittlerer Schützenpanzerwagon (Sd.Kfz.251), known as the m.S.P.W. or just S.P.W. To provide context I have included a couple of primers regarding the Sd.Kfz. 251 and German SPW advice on correct use and deployment of SPW.
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10 hours ago, Phantom Captain said:
Good stuff. I love it when the mounted MG is manned and then guys start standing up and shooting over the sides of the halftrack as it charges in. It's worked pretty well for me many times, as long as I'm not taking too much incoming...
Yeah I was surprised it worked. They key was totally supressing anyone and everything that could possibly engage the incoming SPW. The attack on the left flank did not fair as well but still succeeded. The enemy had a position on a reverse slope I'd not clocked or supressed so flanking fire did knock some gunners down at close range. But as all good propaganda films do I only showed the good bit!
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9 hours ago, danfrodo said:
That's the assault of my dreams. I always have one crazy ivan w a ppsh that just won't quit that kills 5 of my guys
Yeah TBh I was tad surprised as more often than not I lose guys to the lone hold out... If you look closely you'll see the LH SPW MG gunner nearly gets nailed by an ATR round. The assault group on the far LHS flank was not fairing as well though. You can see the guys in that position are up and firing back (near end of the vid when it pans to the left).
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I like it when a plan comes together!
I was rather chuffed that this close assault by my SPW mounted panzer grenadiers worked.
Took some previous suppression fire and ensuring I'd KO'd any enemy AT guns, then drive at full speed onto the position, all guns on board blazing.
It does not often go quite to plan like this... -
6 hours ago, Rob2020 said:
Having played the original trio of games, some 20 years ago, I vaguely remember something about BFC having given ownership/copyrights/distribution rights of scenarios to players who designed them. Someone correct me if I'm wrong on this, or elaborate - and, is this still true for the newer games?
Typically, of course, publishers/developers reserve all rights to anything made for their games, so I'm wondering what BFC's policy is in regard to user-made scenarios, maps, and so on.
From the manual under 'License'. This section refers specifically to user made content.
"User-created scenarios and other materials like graphics or other mods may be distributed free of charge, but shall not be sold, licensed, or included as part of any package or product that is sold or licensed, without the prior written consent of Battlefront.com, Inc.. You may not rent or lease the Software or related materials."
How the 'Tiger-fibel' and 'Panther-fibel' came about - a short history
in Combat Mission Red Thunder
Posted · Edited by George MC
I fell down this rabbit hole when doing some research on panzer crew training for my panzer tactics series.
Its interesting this approach still resonates in more modern military manuals, guess attention spans of teens has not changed that much in 80 odd years...!