Major Tom

Well Penghead, it would have helped if you would have sent me that PBEM game in REALITY instead of in your TINY MIND. I have received THREE e-mails from you and only ONE of them had a PBEM turn in them. You really like to talk a lot MrTalker. How about putting some actual GAME behind your big words.

Hey, uh, Peng, if you are too tired of playing and losing @ CE, we could just start off another game in any one of the plethora of two scenario's left? I know that they are predictable, but, from what I understand, so is your playing style, so, it shouldn't really matter too much, eh?

Colin, where in Canada were you able to fire such weaponry? The Cadets?

You could probably state that ANYONE entering combat has to be in some sort of frenzied state, or partially berzerk. Bayonette charges, correctly timed, can be devestating tactics. Rarely in WWII were bayonette charges (mostly British/Commonwealth) done in a Banzai type manner. Much of warfare is psychological. If you see someone charging at you, yelling, with a big knife on the end of their gun, you are going to be pretty un-nerved. Sure, charging over a distance of a Kilometre is just plain rediculous, but, in close quarters a bayonette charge can throw off even a more powerful enemy. In CM, what works really well is rushing your enemy, getting in close, and nailing him. You can litterally "bounce" squads out of position this way. They get a bad rap from WWI, so do a lot of sound tactics, it is just that they were used at the wrong times.

Well, I'll add my bit. From what I know of the event regarding the end of the attack on the Convoy was that it was too successful. The appearance of a BRUITAL coalition of Allied nations was not what they were after. The main point of the operation was the liberation of Kuwait, not the destrouction of Iraq as a military power. Also, lets say, they did make it all the way to the Capital, destroying every military unit in sight, this would result in Iraq becoming a sub military power, instead of the centre of power in the Middle East. This would have thrown off the balance of power so much you could have been experiencing MULTIPLE aftershock wars. Iran might see this as their time to strike back, from the war in the 80's, other nations might try their bid to become the dominant power at the expense of others. Iran is still a more fearsome nation to the West than Iraq will ever be. There is a bigger picture that many military commanders do not, or chose not to see (Patton in 1945-46). The death's of minorities within Iraq is a compromise to the deaths and the instability that would have erupted after the total defeat of Iraq. Or, the US could station an army of occupation of a few hundred thousand for the next 50 years in order to keep the balance of power. But, then wouldn't this appear to be exactly what Iraq did to Kuwait? Bulldozers? War is war, kill them before they can kill you. (note: I still do not condone the use of nuclear or biological warfare, it is an entirely different topic) On the topic of Nukes. I say Nuke every Nuke on the Goddam planet! We have NO use for them. Same with biological weaponry. I don't see why military organizations would be so stupid as to think that they needed any more effective way in killing people than the Gun or the Bomb. Tell me why the US and USSR had to have tens of thousands of Nuclear weapons?! It was/is just plain idiocy! Creating such small and individual things that can do so much damage is just asking for trouble.

Well, in order to sucessfully modify a HMG-42 to a LMG-42 you must meet some criteria. Firstly, the Tripod MG42 must have a Bipod already attached to it, so, when you remove it you will have some sort of support to fire the thing. I am not sure if all MG42's were issued with Bipods if they were the Tripod model. Possibly so. Next you have to deal with the Ammo problem. Carrying more than a few belts of ammo, the Gun, plus any extra barrels would be too much even for the supposed supermen of Nazi Germany (they still only have 2 shoulders:). This gun has a STUPENDOUS firing rate and could go through the few belts in a couple bursts. The Tripod HMG's were not issued the Drum magazines that the LMG's were. I don't think that I ever said that they were different guns, just that the two gun classifications (HMG and LMG) are specifically modified to fit certain roles. You don't have the tools on the battlefield to sucessfully modify a HMG42 to a LMG42, nor would you have the time to gather them.

Hey look! A bean that looks like the leader! I'll put it with the rest!

Uhh... Seems to be an awful lot that the one MG42 person would have to carry around with himself. The Gun, Boxed Ammunition, Spare barrels... It would be EXTREMELY complicated to program in another squad or body of troops to take up the positions of the gunner's dead comerades. How much ammo could one carry over one's sholders? A few 100 round belts? That's a bit much for one individual to tote around a live battlefield and move at a reasonable pace. They would also have to set up the gun, in a good position. It is just too much for a lone individual to do, especially in such a situation. If indeed they were allowed to move, they would lose SO much of their ammo, and their efficency that he would have been better to remain where he was. Also, I am pretty sure that these HMG's on tripods weren't issued with the drum ammunition. The LMG version was, this is why they can move it around with little impediments.

I have read of examples of this, such as the soldier getting ripped drunk, strapping on a bunch of Grenades and telling everyone he is on a mission to Berlin. The next day they find his corpse a few hundred metres from where he started off. Fionn is right about the berzerkernesstupidity thing only overcoming one person at a time. Fanaticism can be represented by the quality of troops. Elite Crack troops are bound to never panic, and, they will more than likely partake in bloody yet important manuvers.

I just said up yours baby!

Yeah Germanboy, you will have many immobilized HMG and MMG's pretty soon

Gee MrPeng, you sound like those other scenario's really gave you some trouble there. Why else would you hate them so? I suppose you like CE because there are a lot of trees in which your forces can hide and cower in fear.

Like Fionn says, never attack a large building from just one side, you have to flank it, give fire from 2 or more sides (ideal would be 4 sides). In one of these large buildings you can only do one of these rear defenses if the attacker comes in only one direction. In my spectacularly bloody (and the only game, PBEM or AI that actually ran the entire 30 turns) game against Germanboy in Reisenburg there were many times where he sucessfully assaulted buildings, I held him off, my counterattacks failing, counterattacks suceeding. We must have each threw away a total of 6 squads each within the timespan of 2 minutes assaulting and counter assaulting eachothers large buildings with only Infantry. The best way to clear a building, however, is to knock it down.

Actually, this is based in fact, sort of. (the ambushing of foxholes). During the Commonwealth advance into Burma 44-45 the Japanese tended to hide themselves in foxholes in areas they thought that the British would send tanks and troops. In the foxhole sat, under brush and twigs, a sole Japanese soldier, a hammer, and a HE shell. They would wait for someone to get near, and just like Bugs Bunny when he tested shells for the army, he was hopping for a dud

Here's a bear story, my cousin, living out in the boonies in BC, was playing in her back yard as a kid, and a black bear wandered in. Spent the afternoon in a tree, guess the bear wasn't happy. Bear tip #1 If you are being chased by a bear, run down hill. Their small upper legs/arms/beating tools tend to cause the bear to lose it's footing and tumble head over heels. Result = you get away to tell the story how you beat a bear with it's bare bear hands. [This message has been edited by Major Tom (edited 02-28-2000).]

One of my most brilliant tactics, resulting in a BITTER defeat by the hands of Teutonic. I had my tanks and halftraks on the Left flank, but, I left 2 Platoons of Motorized infantry on my Left flank through the forest with the last Platoon of Panzergrenadiers in the centre forest. Lost 2 empty halftracks to mortor fire before the enemy saw my Right Infantry flank move in. I crawled my troops in intervals and by turn 7 they were in position at the far end of the forest way on the Right flank. All the while they were under heavy mortor fire which caused NO casualties to my force, however, I lost 2 Halftracks I drove over to provide covering fire. My 2 Platoons made it to the enemy buildings in 1 turn, reached the outskirts of the main blockhouse, but, due to the fact of too much smokescreen, the destruction of my Tiger, and the eventual loss of all my StuG's my troops were eliminated Squad by squad as they were cut off by the 2 surviving Hellcats. Teutonic had a good rear defense setup and the mortors delayed me 4 turns, otherwize I should have taken the houses on the Right side of the road and would have had my tanks in good positions to take out the incoming Hellcats. I am currently in a game as the Allies in LD, and have made a blitzkrieg player regret sending up all his weak skinned vehicles too close (even killed a halftrack with a 50% strength squad! One lucky grenade!)

Over my multiple AI and PBEM games I have learned how to move troops. Sometimes I can get away with charging across an open field with only sustaining a few casualties (due to suprise), but, in most cases I wait until I can manuver with sufficient cover (beit Forests, Smoke Screen, Artillery, or small arms). German SMG Platoons are the best for cover firing. Use the 2 SMG squads for close assault, while having the Heavy SMG squads as covering fire. The HSMG squads aren't good for close assault, but, they keep more power as the range goes on by the 2 LMG's. American Squads are fairly well rounded. Good for long, medium and short ranges. Sometimes I have seen PBEM players (and I have done this also) using SMG squads as cover fire, and HSMG squads as assault, not maximising firepower. The Volksgrenadier squads are also good for Cover fire. Set up VG and HSMG squads for cover fire, and SMG squads kept back ready to charge and take the enemy in close combat. I have actually used this very sucessfully in a PBEM against Germanboy in Reisenburg. Have the SMG's up in Foxholes in forests with HSMG squads at the top of buildings firing supression fire. When my front positions became untenable, I was able to withdraw them with little loss due to supression fire. Sometimes the covering squads decide to fire on other units, but, they probably posed a greater threat to this single unit. Remember, the TacAI regards self preservation above that of any other order. One question, are there going to be different types of squads for the British other than just the typical squad of 10 men armed with Lee Enfields, a Bren and a Sten? Did the British have SMG, or other types of squads? (Other than Airborne)

All the fotage I have seen of WWII, say for a few movies, have troops fleeing from any vehicle that they were riding on once the enemy opened up on them. Not too many were thinking of firing while on a moving halftrack, 10 guys, all bunched together, 1 grenade and BOOM, -10 guys. Nobody would be that stupid to take the risk of speeding around a battlezone, guns blasing while riding a tank. It only happens in the movies. Vehicles only get the Infantry from place to place, the armour is so that they won't get nailed outright in an ambush.

I have to say the Australian Criminal has his moments. He managed to wipe out an entire platoon of Veteran SS Panzergrenadiers with one well placed US squad while suffering no casualties, but then he transmogrofied back into that annoying little talkshow host. I smashed his Hellcats with no losses and am bombarding the little punk into oblivion with my tanks and 105mm Arty.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Goanna: PS: I left Major Tom off the top bitches list because he doesn't even rate a rant. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Why's that? Is that because I am mopping the floors with your troops, er, soon to be POW's, for the umpteenth time? At least you are able to beat MrPeng, Berlichtingen, and Elvis fairly easily. That should give you some comfort at night when you cry yourself to sleep after seeing your troops in Last Defense get another thorough pummeling!

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by SS_PanzerLeader: time to respond - I'm hoping to rectify this in a few days again my sincerest apologies BURIED IN SHOOL <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Heh heh heh, he said rect... heh heh heh...

It would have been even more crantastic if you blew up the bridge with your Tiger on it.

Troops get killed if they are walking through an artillery barrage, it is modled in CM. Remember Moon and Fionn's AAR, when Moon retreated from the forest by the town and was caught in a relatively light bombardment, he lost MANY troops. This was even in a more primative version than the demo we have. Also, the artillery we see in CM is not the devestating bombardments that you see in WWI or even WWII documentaries of bombardments saturating an area. The Artillery modled in CM is TACTICAL close support artillery, not softening up artillery. Basically, what is being argued here is some technicalities which even if changed will not effect the game much at all.

Here's an exerpt dealing with the relatively small, yet most efficient artillery arm, that being the British and Canadian 21st Army Group in 1944-45 "Prior to Veritable, back in November 1944, the British 43rd (Wessex) Division had mounted a small attack on Geilenkirchen. ONe of the objectives was the village of Bauchem, which was to be assaulted by the 5th Battalion of the Dorset Regiment. Bauchem was defended by about 150 men in entrenched positions around the village, and they were bombarded for ten minutes by artillery, delivering 49 tons of shells in that time. Then, without a pause, mortors opened fire for three hours, dumping 44 tons of bombs, plus the addition of a small Pepper-Pot from 20mm, 40mm and 75mm guns - another 19 tons of ammunition - and finally the artillery weighed in again for a further half hour, delivering 73 tons. The whole bombardment added up to 185 tons of projectiles falling in three and three-quarter hours, averaging 1.8 tons on every 100-yard square in the defended area. When the attack went in there was absolutely no resistance by the defenders..." German casualties were 14%, British casualties were 3. HOWEVER, this is one of the only known instances of total demoralization by artillery alone. Also, casualties were only 14%, not 50% or greater. AND, this was over more than 3 hours of bombardment. Imagine a 180 turn game of just artillery falling on your position, and there you would have a typical artillery bombardment that those stories are most likely talking about. In CE, I was able to inflict casualties equaling 1/3 of 2 platoons by just using all the 81mm mortor shells on their position while engaging them with troops to keep their heads up. My troops were slaughtered, and didn't get many shots on the enemy as they were pinned most of the time, but, by the end of the game (these 2 American platoons didn't move from this area all game, so, only the 81mm mortor could have caused the casualties. Other instances I was able to crawl through the forest in LD as the germans under constant 60mm Mortor fire, and lost NOT ONE SINGLE TROOP. The heavy pre-battle bombardments aren't mirrored, as, you wouldn't want to spend half the game bombarding the enemy. Plus, there were MANY instances where areas were rained down with shells, and still were relatively unscathed. Not all of these were in deep concrete bunkers. Artillery is powerful in CM, if you know how to use it, you can also learn how to avoid high casualties from it. I believe that BTS has modled artillery farily accurately, better than any other wargame I have so far seen.

Sometimes when tanks are spooked, usually when a big threat appears and fires a few glancing blows off your armour, they fire smoke to cover and move to retreat. This is what probably happenes when you see the AI doing this and being able to fire afterwards. Your tanks do it as well, trust me It is a little annoying, having the Area fire and the Smoke fire for tanks taking up the full 60 seconds of action. Possibly your enemy will decide to sneak a tank, or a lone Schreck to attack your tank while it is busy doing an order which is now obsolete after the first 10 seconds of the turn.