Bil Hardenberger

I just noticed I accidentally posted that in this thread.. sorry about that.... not sure how that happened.

rocketman, The gridded terrain? Yeah, sorry, that too is in the works.. I hope to finish that soon as well.

Scout team? Yes it too is represented.. the Recon symbol in my key is I believe what you are asking about.. it is represented by the small diamond topped with the infantry arrow.

I have been busy converting my CMBN period icon set (based on WW2 US tactical symbols) for CMFI. I am almost finished with them and hopefully should have them uploaded in the next few days. Here is a screen shot of them in game: And here is a key for the icons:

I have almost finished the period (based on period US map symbols) floating icon set for CMFI. Here is the key so you can ID unit type as the AAR progresses.

I have about finished the floating icon set. Here is a key so you can ID unit types as this AAR progresses:

Here is where the CMBN set is located: http://www.battlefront.com/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=314&func=fileinfo&id=1142 I never did a CW set (that I released anyway)... and the CMFI set should be ready in a week or so. Bil

No problem Erwin... I looked at Lt. Smash's set on the Repository... and while similar his isn't strictly period... while mine is (he has a smattering of NATO symbology as well). The more choices the better I think. Bil

snake_eye, the floating icons are my old CMBN mod that I am in the midst of converting to CMFI, adding new units etc. The CMBN mod can be found on the Repository, look for the Period based icon set. These are based on WW2 US tactical symbols. Nope they are mine! ALL MINE!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Bil

The Twenty-Sixth Minute Looks like ND moved his T30 back into position... whats interesting though is that this is the T30 that was on the other side of the Villa.. so I can probably expect to see the other one join this guy soon. There is a difference this time... I have an MG that can see him and that is placing fire onto this vehicle. Next turn I also plotted some area fire from my Brixia mortar onto the location where this thing is sitting. There are other moving pieces as well, but no guarantee they will be ready to be effective next turn. My OP identified a few new players this turn. There are two squads in the trees at the bottom of the slope leading to the Orchard objective. I suspect there is an entire Platoon in these woods. He also spotted another Sherman as well... so in the trees on that ridge sit the Platoon HQ tank and tank #3.. so he probably has four Shermans in total now. Great. ND is definitely un-assing the Hill objective.. I spotted four or five teams running from the Hill to the Villa.. obviously trying to avoid the impending artillery. Heh... Oh, and I have been working on a few mods, they are still WIP. I have really missed my icon and gridded terrain mods.

I will only say that I need to be very careful with them.. and I'd rather use them direct fire if I can do that in relative safety.

Depends on the situation... i tend to think infantry, especially small teams get spotted too easily.. but with vehicles its often a roll of the dice.. you never know what you are going to get.

Snicker. That must have pissed you off

Thanks. Well I do think the spotting issues I have been having with the T30s, especially the one does not seem normal.. I wouldn't go so far as to say buggy. But they do seem awfully stealthy to me.

Yeah that old wives tale is bunk... the only race winners I've seen have been fast risk takers on the edge of disaster.

Bit slow on the draw there Tex.

Until it takes a mortar round through the open crew compartment.

That's very interesting... Me too... that thing has been pretty damned accurate for a weapon firing over basically iron sights at a small target over 500m away. I will have to check the number of available rounds for you tonight. I'm committed to an HE strike at this point anyway.. which will do better than smoke IMO... it will 1. force the defenders to take cover, and 2. If ND follows his normal SOP he will evacuate the Hill objective before it starts to fall which could give me a chance to get a foothold there. I'm setting up for a big push on the Villa and the Hill in the next several turns... I have a lot of motorized infantry now and hope to use the speed of the trucks while the artillery is falling to deploy as close to the objectives as possible. Either I'll get toe holds or I'll lose the battle right there.. we shall see soon enough. Bil

The Twenty-Fifth Minute Quiet turn.. soon to get noisy I think. Final reinforcements finally arrived. I now have a pretty good selection of equipment, here is a layout of my reinforcements up to this time: One thing I know how to handle is Pz-IVs against Shermans (see my CMBN AAR).. so I was happy to see five of them come in. Also the Grilles will be fun to play with.. very limited ammunition load outs though so I need to pick and choose their targets carefully. Orders for the next turn.. I am taking advantage of the one T30 being out of position and the other maneuvering, to redeploy one of my Pz-IIIs. I am pushing it very far forward into Key terrain 4 (KT4). This will hopefully get me better visibility on the slopes surrounding the Villa and will pave the way for my mounted infantry who are also moving into KT4 and setting up for an assault, which will follow very closely on my artillery striking the Villa and Hill. I have adjusted my 105 battery to delay their strike a few turns.

Fenris... well pretty long range for small arms to have any effect. An MG for sure could help and I am setting up on the hill with a few MG teams that will be able to cover that area. Really its the spotting, or lack of it, that is killing me here.. I need to increase the odds of getting a spot on those things, my mind is working on how to do that. Stay tuned. Bil

Hey John, abut 500m separated the T30 from my Pz-IIIs.. a little farther to the Semovente.

The Twenty-Fourth Minute ND was able to pull his T30 out of position without my units spotting him (of course)..and my 81mm mortar rounds fell on empty ground. Good use of Artillery there Bil. I did spot his other T30 turning around and seemingly heading for the other side of the Villa.. perhaps to work in conjunction with the one he just pulled back? They would be a tougher nut in pairs that's for sure. On my right, again it appears I have not really pulled my Pz-III back far enough... again it will be moving backwards.. hopefully the Sherman hasn't seen it... I think it might have though. Now that the T30 is out of position I think I am going to start maneuvering my infantry next turn... I will lay out how I am going to deploy them in my next post. I have to start making something happen... this game is turning into a slogging match that I am losing.

Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.

The Twenty-Third Minute Okay this is really getting frustrating. All I can do is position my assets in the best possible locations and give them a chance to spot that damned T30. But what is happening, is that he is spotting me immediately and getting a couple shots off and I never do spot him. This is a huge boxy object spitting flame.. I now have multiple weapon systems with eyes on his location and none can spot him. The T30 is not hull down to my Pz-III by the way.. it is sitting fat and happy in clear view.. or what should be clear view. My Pz-III was partial hull down (moving back to hull down after a 30 second pause), it was hit once before it moved, and again after it was in a true hull down position. That T30 is performing way over its head and even my Pz III can't spot him. My Brixia mortar never spotted the hulk either. Luckily damage was minimal. Good news is that I now have another Pz-III in a good partial hull down position with eyes on the T30's location. So that gives me four weapons systems with a chance to take that bastard out... two Pz-IIIs, the Brixia, and my indirect 81mm mortar fire. Bad news is that this turn the 81mm mortar again only fired a spotting round, and this one much closer to the T30.. so I'm afraid that surprise has been blown... hopefully though it will cause ND to un-ass the area with the T30 thus making it easier to spot. We shall see... On the other side of the map not much happened... my Pz-III pulled back safely into the treeline out of LOS from his Sherman. I am starting to get nervous with my entire infantry squad online in this woodline, so am slowly pulling two teams back and only leaving one on line to provide eyes on the rear slopes leading to the Orchard and the Villa. I can pull them back up quickly if needed. I'm afraid ND might have spotted me and I don't want to lose the entire squad to either fire from his Sherman or to artillery. Until I can kill at least one T30 I am not comfortable making the decision to throw my infantry into the fray.

Hate to be a niitpicker, but I just have to put my ex-instructor hat on for a second.. you have been reading too much British literature, as someone who lives in the US you should be using the correct acronyms... OOB is used by British and Commonwealth countries.. in the US military we use OB Same goes for FOO (Brit) and FO (US) Got it Troop? Bil