George MC

Hi @Attilaforfun thanks for the feedback. Good to see this being played. The map for this was a monster so pleased to see it still seeing action. Like the coop playstyle. Does sound like you are both doing well though given where you are and that amount of time into it. Thanks for playing this and a huge thanks for taking the time to post your feedback it’s much appreciated ta Good luck to you and your son for the next phase of your attack cheery!

Does depend on what you are doing I think. there are so many variables. So without any specifics generally there is a random factor - how much? That's the depends bit. e.g. spotting can be very variable but then other factors such as experience, morale state, equipment etc all play a part.

Nice screenies Good to see this being played. One of the largest maps I made in CMSF. Hope you enjoying it? Looks a blast judging by the smoke on the horizon!

Aye mines is very different. Thx for the kind words. Hope it lives up to your expectations The scenario map is based on the real life terrain. Map itself is around 4km X 3km map excerpt below bit larger (shave off 500m top and bottom) than actual CM map but give an idea of sector covered. This may morph into a mini campaign based on the whole map. The Rakow map I’ve done (for another scenario) covers another action just up river during the same offensive

Scouts/Advance Guard/main body/rearguard (and each part replicates this formation i.e. the main body would have a scout/advance guard and rear guard within it's formation). Scouts way up front and don't forget the flanks (to contact the enemy) followed by advance guard (but leading with it's own scouts) vehicles minimum 15s apart. Order in column depends on terrain e.g. close terrain I'd have infantry up front, open terrain more likely tanks with a few infantry riding the tanks to act as de-facto spotters.

Hi @Falaise That's cool you've been over there. Many thanks for the article, appreciate you sharing it thanks. I had a read through the article but I think they have pulled info from another version of the original battlefield.ru account. There is some doubt that both ambushing T-34s were 85s Some accounts say only Oskin's T-34 was a 85, whilst the other (Ivushkin) was a T-34 76. I can't find any info (in English) to confirm or deny this. Although Battelfield.ru gives the Soviet tank strength in the AO as: "It is worth mentioning that the Soviet 6th GTC did not have significant numerical superiority. Ready for the German assault were nine T-34-76's from the 53rd GTBr, 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." The figure of 10 operational Tigers is disputed by Scheneider's evidence in 'Tigers in Combat' he says 8 operational.Might be my very rusty French but the date appears to be the 11th Aug - the famous ambush occurred on the 12th. The IS-122s (note this account says ISU-122 which is incorrect the unit was equipped with Josef Stalin tanks, JS-2 or JS-122 as the Soviet reports refer to them as (link to translation of combat report of their side of this action). The JS tanks came into action on the 13th August when they moved into OGLEDOW (this appears to have occurred overnight/early morning of the 12/13th August). The Germans then counterattack and are engaged by the JS-2 tanks. Accounts (see Soviet AAR) state the Soviet heavy tank unit lost 3 x JS-destroyed and 7 damaged (although 3 were soon back in action). The Soviet reports state they KO'd 4 King Tigers (Ref above report and battlefield.ru account). I can't verify the German losses as Schneider for the 13th August only states one Tiger captured (Red 002 or 502 - there is a whole debate over the numbering!) and "heavy fighting and further losses". If you find yourself in and around Ogledow I think they are looking to create a wee museum commemorating this action. Might be worth checking out (assuming it's a reality now). Thanks for your interest and taking the time to post the photo and the article. Its a fascinating armoured action and I'm enjoying digging up info as much as creating the scenario in CM! Cheery!

I'm not surprised but there are also some glaring errors regarding timelines of this action that are reproduced in numerous articles as everyone copies and pastes the one before. After checking and double checking there is a mix up with dates (from the source article) and a corresponding time compression. The accepted narrative misses out what appears to have be a night infiltration attack by the Soviets into Ogledow (which could be how they captured intact Tigers in the village as it does appear the 501st had limited infantry support attached) followed by a ding dong tank battle the following day (which is described but all compressed into one day).

@Falaise I just did a reverse image search, and it threw up the same image but uncropped. Re this image, as we say in Scotland - "Ah noo hae ma doots!" This appears to show what looks like a tent(?) in the background and several crew chatting. I've also noticed that the guns of the Tigers appear to have muzzle covers - if KOd that would be odd. Checking back through my accounts one account mentions catastrophic ammo fires that saw the tanks explode and pop their turrets. On balance I'm now not convinced this image shows what it purports to show - two of the KOd Tigers from Ogledow. Be useful if you have the source for this please as doing the reverse image search it just throws up a lot of flickr accounts and such like?

It's still a work in progress. Very early days yet as I'm still checking OOBs, TOEs and then will have AI plans etc to do. This was a rough playtest to test some theories I've found on-line regarding the location of the ambushing Soviet armour.

That's an excellent shot thanks. I've not seen that one. If it is from this event then it's super interesting as it confirms the position of the ambushing Soviet tanks and ties in with the CO of 53rd GTb account. I saw some stuff which suggested the ambushing tanks were off to the Tigers left and concealed in the vicinity of a balka. This disproves that theory and defo places the T-34s in a field (or around/close to the farm buildings on that track exiting Ogledow). I'll check the aerial image as that stand of trees should serve as a spottbale landmark which would help support the veracity of the image, or not. I've read so much stuff that appears to be copy and paste from earlier stuff repeating the same errors and versions of events that I'm bit cautious about anything to do with this now

On August 13th, at 07:00 a.m. under the cover of the mist, the Germans started to advance on the unnamed hill with eleven King Tigers and a few armored personnel carriers with infantry. Ivushkin's voice was heard on the radio: "The tanks are gone. I can't see them, but I can hear them. They are moving through the valley." This is how the commander of the 53rd GTBr described the battle: "An enormous tank crawled from within the valley. It was jerkily climbing up and swerving on the sand. From the left flank, Major Korobov exclaimed on the radio: - They're coming! I replied: - Be patient! Open fire from 400 metres only! Behind the first tank, the second beast came from the valley, and soon the third tank appeared. The first had already passed Ivyshkin's ambush position. - Fire? - he asked. - Fire! I saw a part of the haystack over Oskin's tank move, and the gun barrel appeared. It fired, and then again and again: Oskin had commenced the battle. Through my binoculars, I could see black holes in the sides of the German tanks. At first I saw only smoke, but then I saw flames. The third tank turned to Oskin, but it was immobilized after it received a hit in its tracks, and then it was hit again for good. In this ambush two of the Tiger IIs hit by Oskin's T-34/85 suffered catastrophic ammunition fires causing many crew fatalities. In some follow up accounts of this action reference is made to the crews storing additional ammo within or on the turret floor which made the tanks more prone to ammo fires, with a subsequent order banning them from doing so, although it reduced the Tiger II's ammo loadout (Ref Schneider Tigers in Combat I page 46). There is also strong evidence that the battalion performed very poorly and subsequently took heavy casualties due to poor handling and tactics. Due to this poor combat performance the 501st battalion commander - Major von Legat - was relieved, and I've read, was also implicated in the 20 July plot to assassinate Hitler which may also have contributed to his being relieved of command. He was replaced by Major Saemisch who was KIA during counter attacks the following January to disrupt the Soviet Vistula–Oder Offensive. These also did not end well for the unit. Overall though the 501st HTB does appear to have have a less than stellar combat career during its formation - dating back to its first combat with Tiger Is. It lost the 501st designation in December 1944 and was renamed the 424th Heavy Tank Battalion.

Been spending the past few months working on a map of the village and surrounding area of Ogledow. Some of you will recognise the name as being the small Polish village where three Tiger IIs from the German 501st Heavy Tank Battalion were ambushed by T-34s from 53rd Guard Tank Brigade and destroyed in August 1944 . A very inauspicious start to their combat debut on the Eastern Front. There are multiple versions describing this engagement - the ambush being part of a longer and more sprawling armoured action - but this LINK has one of the more detailed based on Soviet primary sources (interestingly whilst researching this there is very little info about this action from the German perspective - both Jentz and Schneider have very little mention in their books about the Tiger IIs and their units). Zoomed out overview of the scenario map below - OGLEDOW is the large village in the rear background. Below, the view NW towards OGLEDOW from 53rd Guards Tank Brigade positions. The German 501st Tigers made their ill fated advance at the right hand background along a dirt track. The Soviet T-34s were camouflaged in a field to the RHS background. Image below is the view S along the route the initial German advance took. The three Tiger IIs drove along this dirt track which runs along the spine of a ridge. Looking at the 3D map and period maps you can see why they attacked here - the lower valley to the right has a small stream running the length - I'm assuming the bridges crossing this would not support a 68 ton Tiger II as they likely be light wooden bridges. To the left is the Czarna River across which is some hilly wooded terrain allowing flanking fire for anything moving along the main road to Szyldów.

Cheers for the kudos For added info to anyone following this - aye I used this trick on several missions in the campaign. You're right though. If you make units ‘spot’ objectives you can only get points fir spotting. Destroying them will not earn more points in itself. In a campaign this might not matter so much if your units are spot obj as losing your ‘stuff’ might impact on future battles. If the enemy units are spot objectives this may be less impactful if you don’t meet the same lot in a future mission. Depends how the designer scripts the follow on actions. You can account for destroyed units on the casualty parameters but worth noting that method is a bit binary. Ie you have to meet or exceed the parameters to get the points. Cheery!

This. Truth

Excellent I thought a couple of the screenshots the terrain looked familiar esp the one the chap in the rubble. Looking great - Gen Kill was/is a a brilliant series.

Shameless plug...

He! Good spot

My pleasure

Argh! Good catch. Don't know what i did there - hopefully should be correct version now uploaded...

A fairly complex map 4.8km square? hhmmm... if a historical based one could take me up to six months - depending on how much and quality of info I have on the location. If doing it from memory then couple of months plus (maps with villages always take aaaagggeeesss!!!). All really depends on my time available though. I'm bit constrained with free time now so everything takes longer!

Cheers ta - oooh that looks a grand map. I'm assuming that is one of your Vietnam maps?

Specially for you

Glad you enjoyed the original. This is a complete remake for SF2 - revised and updated map (water, all new terrain tiles as SF2) - new Red OOB and multiple AI Plans using triggers- so enough changes made to play like a new scenario I think. But maybe not right away if you just played the original.

https://spark.adobe.com/page/Sk6iKJAIvCQ1H/

Background This is an updated version of the popular CMSF scenario ‘Hammertime’. This updated version uses the NATO German ‘Halte! Hammerzeit’ map – which I remade for CMSF2. The updated map saw the orginal map receive a significant re-work mainly adding terrain elements that were available in SF2 – key one being water, but I also added a variety of trees and bushes, and made use of the new additional terrain tiles. For history buffs the original SF ‘Halte! Hammerzeit’ was in itself a different flavour of the original SF ‘Hammertime’ substituting NATO German units for the US units. Everything else remained the same (RED OOB; Orders; Victory conditions; AI Plans etc). So to turn the wheel full circle this SF2 version of ‘Hammertime’ substitutes the US units for the NATO German units from the SF2 ‘Halte! Hammerzeit’. Everything else remains the same (RED OOB; Orders; Victory conditions; AI Plans etc). This can be played either side vs the AI (but I’d suggest playing BLUE vs RED is the optimum for AI play) or H2H. About the Scenario The brigade has just conducted a deliberate attack against a stationary enemy Guards mechanised infantry battalion on Objective Anvil. The brigade's attack was a success, encountering less resistance than expected. However, Division intelligence reports indicate that there are strong enemy mechanised forces arrayed in and around "The Big Smoke" a large populated town just off "Route 66", situated on the east side of the canal. It is thought likely that this force has armour and AT support. You are "Hammer 6", the task force commander of mech heavy TF 1-40. Your task force consists of 'Charlie' company, and 'Panzer 1'. The battalion scout platoon - call sign "Hawkeye" has been attached to your task force for this mission. The Brigade TF commander wants to capitalise on the success of the earlier attack immediately - driving forward through Phase Line Bill and Phase Line Jane to seize the town of "The Big Smoke". Your task force is currently the spearhead of the brigade and is moving north along the axis of "Route 66" towards "The Big Smoke", with the line of the canal on your right flank. This sector, as you can see from the map, is moderately populated open mixed farmland with small bermed fields, wooded plots, and dotted with multiple farmsteads. Due to the area of marshland, and flooding in heavy rain the roads are elevated on berms. The town of "The Big Smoke" sits on the eastern bank of the canal. It is currently 0600Hrs. "Hawkeye" has just radioed that they have arrived in "Small Ville". No enemy forces have been encountered... Link to download