George MC

Same.

Truth

A vignette from a PBEM game of the Combat Mission Battle for Normandy game. Survivors from a British infantry section make a break for it.

Yeah. Me neither. I lost one Panther to an ambush but before it died I got hard spots on two IS-IIs that has taken it down. So the surviving two Panthers hard tailed it around the small wood block to catch the two IS-IIs from the rear. [Narrator: he didn’t. There were three IS-IIs]

I’m in a PBEM just now myself and ended up trying to take down several IS-IIs at point blank range…

“Your only supposed to spot em! Not blow the bloody turrets off!”

Day of Wrath

Ah grand ta. Cheers fir the update. It’s late here so will check in again in the morning. Cheery!

@BFCElvis Hi John I've just started getting this error message when trying to sign into CMSF2 PBEM +++ Any ideas what's up? I can log into my Slitherine account no probs using the same Username and P/W.

Aye the weather during the action was misty with very much reduced vis. This is a good English language source about the actual action - though based heavily on a Russian language source and repeats a date error contained in that account : https://www.tankarchives.ca/2013/07/king-tigers-at-ogledow.html Overall the combat debut 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? So possible contributory factors to its poor performance: • 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 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 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, crucially and in marked contrast to their German opponents from the 501st, crews were seasoned and experienced armoured combat veterans. This 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.

He! So Mr Bond - "The Only Question Remains: Will You Yield, In Time?" Great DAR - enjoyed reading it thank you. Though does sound like you've made a large dent in the Soviet armour in that sector! Good effort

This do?

Only hit ceasefire when a grim quiet descends upon the field of battle and I can hear the lamentation of my slaughtered enemy's women... Or when my oppo and I agree the fight is a done deal.

IIRC you have a set amount of activations that can be used on and across your devices e.g. laptop etc. Upgrading components on devices e.g. HDs, MOBOs etc can cause game to reactivate and/see it as another PC. I've pinged @BFCElvis - he'll be able to sort you out I'm sure.

Sorry can't help with first question as don't use a Mac. However re tagged mods:

Yeah…. That’ll bite you in the arse… ATRs do several things to light armoured vehicles (and done tanks with thin side armour). The behind armour effects are generally small BUT if the round intercepts with any crew it’ll generally KIA them. This causes disruption to the crews morale with the vehicle often panicking. That can be, and is very, disruptive to an attack. They’ll easily pick off gunners in SPW and I have had ATRs nail support half tracks. Empty SPW are mainly big empty boxes so unless the hit is the front - where can kill driver or gunner it’s less likely to do significant damage though May degrade subsystems eg radio antenna, wheels and tracks. So they’re not an existential threat to empty SPW - though things like 251/9 can have a really bad day - but a real irritant that can disrupt a mounted SPW attack. This AAR might give some insight into other players approaches. https://kriegsimulation.blogspot.com/2022/11/combat-mission-red-thunder-battle-pack.html

Whilst it’s a ‘recce’ style mission it’s combat reconnaissance. Ie point squad leading the platoon. The platoon’s aim is to secure the bridge. Yup reading the briefing and being super clear what the objectives are is super important to creating a course of action - the farm is relevant but not important - the bridge is relevant and important . Re the lesson aim - well to get used to the issues you’ve highlighted in your initial post and some tips for how to use the SPW units both doctrinally correct and ditching the constraints of the CM game engine. So game engine stuff like splitting squads, overwatch, MG gunners being bullet magnets. Oh and try not to go into woods head to head with Soviet SMG gunners! Yeah playing as AI against the Germans. Yup never really intended it played that way but BFC releases have scenarios playable both sides. Don’t mean they work playing both sides… let’s face it if you can’t beat the Soviets then the German AI has even less chance!!

This series of three missions are based on the concept lessons contained in a period German manual titled “Combat Instruction For The Panzer Grenadier” created by Major Helmut von Wehren who was the commander of a training unit and also some principles contained in the 5 August 1944 Manual ‘Panzer Grenadier: Instruction Manual for the Panzer troops: Leadership and fighting of the Panzer-Grenadier’. Whilst direct translations of the exercises don’t translate that well to a CM environment, I used the concept to create three ‘lessons’ to help players use German armored personal carriers (or as the Germans themselves referred to them - SPW (Schützenpanzerwagen, or armored infantry vehicle) in a more doctrinally ‘correct’ manner within the limitations of the Combat Mission game engine. Each Lesson has a ‘Tactical Top Tips’ at the end of each briefing (under ‘notes’) which may help the player new to using SPW in Combat Mission get the most out of them.. The issues you highlighted and the top tips in the briefing are meant to help you avoid em. In truth if you were frustrated in this one the others won't be much better so might be worth applying the old Kolb learning cycle to your playthroughs. Just in case you missed em: Tactical Top Tips for Lesson 1 In this first lesson the player starts off with one SPW and associated gruppe (squad) on the map as the ‘point’ element, closely followed ten minutes later by the rest of the zug (platoon). Good practice would be to send at least two vehicles on such a mission. If one breaks down the other can at least take it under tow; if moving tactically the other vehicle can at least provide ‘overwatch’. In Combat Mission SPW gunners are prime targets and if ‘opened up’ will attract fire. At anything under around 500m this incoming fire will stand a high chance of killing the gunner. Having the gunner (and hence all occupants) keep their heads down reduces the chances of them coming under fire and suffering casualties. However, having them buttoned down comes at the cost of them having reduced spotting ability. If moving through close terrain consider dismounting the squad, split off a scout team and send them ahead to scout ahead. If ambushed, then you ‘only’ lose two riflemen. However, the ‘scout team’ lack binoculars. If you split the squad into an assault configuration the A section will have the squad leader and the binoculars so may be a better option if scanning the terrain at distance is desired. Panzer-grenadier squads often have smoke grenades. Whilst you cannot use them from the vehicle, they are useful for when they are dismounted to provide cover. With practice you will find you can position a SPW hull down where the gunner is less exposed and using a short cover arc means they will not engage a target and less likely to be spotted and in turn be engaged. This only works at distance – 300m plus being ‘safe’ against rifle fire but up to around 500m against MG fire. If attacking with SPW and infantry mounted you MUST ensure that you suppress the enemy. Launching an attack against unsuppressed enemy forces in Combat Mission will not end well for the attacking SPW. So, ensure enemy/defenders are SUPRESSED. Not firing back but cowering and hugging the dirt. SUPRESSED! If you want a deeper dive then check out the attached PDF. These two videos give a CM-specific view which might also be of interest? “Tactically Correct Driving with the Armored Personnel Carrier” by @Bil Hardenberger https://battledrill.blogspot.com/2020/02/tactically-correct-driving-armored.html Combat Mission Units: Summary and overview of German Halftracks SKDFZ 251 in CMRT and advice on their pros and cons in game by @Usually Hapless https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQrOjrJKoJI Hope you find it clicks but feel free to ask questions here. Cheery! SPW Training Missions Tactics and Lessons_FINAL.pdf

That sounds like a core units file issue. ALL the missions in a campaign will need to be synced with the core units file. Anything else you'd never be able to compile and it would give you an error message. So reckon it's an easy fix. Happy to take a wee look if helps. A lot of time and effort to throw oot the windae...

Yeah not much more I can suggest. I’ve tagged @BFCElvisas he might not be aware or have a possible solution to the issues you describe.

Which games? BFC or Steam? Assume you tried running the games by tight clicking ‘run as administrator’? Common reasons are borked install, and anti-virus interference.

Check out @37mm’s all in one mod packs. https://www.mediafire.com/folder/izmk6muctniv5/Combat_Mission

If we don't finish the scenario then we don't get penalised for not exiting stuff. But exiting stuff = not removing targets and not letting your oppo kill em! It's all about killing more of his guys than he's killing your guys...

Is it not showing up in your BFC orders section on the website?