Joachim

There are two campaigns I know of: Biltong's campaign rules (BCR) hosted at SuperSulo's site covering 6/41 till 7/42, with 8/42 to 12/42 in beta testing process. Current BCR thread here and RobO's Quick campaign (ROQC). Dunno much about that campaign. Using the search function in the CMBB board should get you more info on the latter. Gruß Joachim

Hull down = Lower hull down... Joachim

Yes, a younger cousin. link in german brief link in English Usually any "von XYZ" is a relative to another "von XYZ". The first one given that title (it denotes nobility, like "Sir" in the UK) is usually the common ancestor. Titles like "Baron von XYZ" are unique. Usually only one person holds it, and it is inherited. As the Red Baron had no children, the title went to his younger brother (who died in 1922). Title then transferred to cousin. Gruß Joachim

IIRC the rank of the commander does not influence the commanded units. The bonusses do. I try to keep my units in command if possible. Do the usual tests (set up lots of FOs (I suggest a sample of divisional level or above and another one of battalion mortars, add several different HQ ranks with different bonusses) Gruß Joachim [ October 17, 2003, 05:27 AM: Message edited by: Scarhead ]

If "Order" means "being there where they were planned to be". Yes, no plan survives contact with a battle. The "bad" thing about CM are those command delays once you are out of command range. Leaving your HQ behind when the plt dashes forward is not good as the forward squads react to slow. Having the HQ running forward with the plt might result in all squads pinning except for the brave HQ. Now that is the time for the Coy HQ. Pick up and rally, then send the squads forward withput command delays. First plan the moves of your force as a whole "I want to achieve the following:...). Then plan considering each plt as a single unit (Plt 1 goes to that stretch of cover, plt 2 takes that house, plt 3 does overwatch). Where are the best rallying points for my Coy HQs? Then give commands to each squad in a given plt. Then the next plt. If the move of one plt forces changes for another plt, check the whole plt again, not just the squad that you just detoured. This might still result in complete disorder, but the chance of recovering is better. Using transport for plts is usually a recipe for disaster. Once I had to move a btn across a river. 500m on two bridges close to each other. 20 turns to clear the hvy weapons on the other side. Then 4 HTs and 12 tanks brought the whole btn across the river. (4 tanks had to help secure the bridgehead). The MP won that day with strict traffic control. Gruß Joachim

But those all looked suspiciously like M3s [/QB]</font>

Completely understood. IMHO the intentions of your original post were purely information and in no way looking for a debate. However ...</font>

More Western Allies: Italian motivation: Nil French motivation: Some had to prove they were no collaboratuers, but looking at Torch, I'd say the French were unreliable to commit to the cause. German motivation: Vets had enough. Grandpa voted for complete disarmament in '45 and against Adenauers joining of the NATO. I doubt many could be persuaded to continue the fight in '45. Maybe pack those few in well-equipped Panzerdivisions. In mid-44, maybe more would join. Some might fight for the USSR. (Remember that in the last free elections in '33 it was 33% for the Nazis and 17% for the Commies). It will be very hard for the East Europeans to accept the Germans as allies... Poles: Initially fighting on both sides. Most would tend wo fight along western allies. Ukraine: If the Germans had accepted them as allies and treated them well... In '45 probably most of them will fight for an independent state. If guaranteed by the western allies, they will join. OTOH Stalin is closer and much more ruthless. Tech: '45 situation: US got most of the optics specialists. If they don't retreat fron Jena - good.. Gun factories are important. Some Pershings with an 88L71 and Carl Zeiss Optics might hold their own vs IS3. Jet fighters: Probably both will get some scientists. OTOH you need scientists who are able to understand what the Germans researched. US has more scientists that left Germany pre-WW2. Advantage for the Western Allies. Mid '44: All tech to the Western allies. Conclusion: '45: Issue in doubt '44: The whole westfront plus italy plus the ex-DAK from POW-camps plus US/UK divisions plus ample supplies and the RAF/USAF bombing Soviet suplly lines and factories might just be able to stabilize a front in Septmeber. Winter of '44 in Poland (harsh!!) will accustomize Western allies to Winter of '45 at the Leningrad-Moscow-Stalingrad line, where the battle is decided. 80:20 for the Western allies. 90:10 if Patton does not take command. Russia is too big for Patton, just as it was for the Wehrmacht. Gruß Joachim

You're welcome. With large battles it does not apply anyway . The only good thing in the winter were ATGs - and my 150mm sIG. Vehicles or armor were useless... Great. This is one big unsolved mystery in the auto-rules spreadsheet I'm doing. I finished the battle parameters, will use Jim Lowerres Battlegroup sheet - but I don't know how to do an automatic optimal emergency reorganization yet. Maybe it is best to allow for some manual input and offer an automatic solution that starts with the most depleted units (attachments first, of course). </font>

That's not quite correct. *YOU* can see how many posts I've made, but I can not see my own. Kinda backasswards if you ask me.... COG </font>

We are amused. Do no misunderstand the performance of the Italian maidens as an audition. They are dancing 'cause they party with our Italian friends. They were probably to happy they did not read the next sentence. It will be a rude awakening for them! We are not amused. To bad I read this sentence before starting the party. Gruß Joachim

Actually, I don't think it was a bad idea at all. It has costs, it has benefits, it has alternatives, and it is reasonably based in historical practice. Cost: if you crawl all the way across the map, you'll run out of time and will probably lose. Benefit: if you crawl all the way across the map, you should find any mines in your path that are there to be found and will probably save some vehicles. Alternatives: just search for mines where you think they might be. Or, say 'the heck with it' and charge your vehicles forward anyway. Basis: there were/are lots of different ways to find mines, but crawling and prodding is certainly one of them. It should probably only be for pioneers/engineers though. Regards JonS </font>

Yeah. I want to thank all level designers. Gruß Joachim ... and the award for the top level goes to "To the Volga"!!!

May I be the first to point out that the nation that is foremost responsible for CMBO and CMBB has the right to be represented among those 4 horsemen. Andreas was the one guy not to take one step back when it was "volunteers one step forward" over here (actually he did it but he forgot the time lag so he was 1 hour late). As we all know there is always that one guy. Thus we have positive proof of his existence. This somehow disturbs my philosophical view of the universe, as until now any proof of god existing proved that god did not exist, as belief and proof do not match. So I either have to change my vast comprehension of the universe - including this dogma - or Andreas is no god. OTOH the existence of somebody who can disturb a dogma is ... well... ahem... a go... a damn bugger. Andreas - could you please leave the forum and clear any evidence of your existence to make sure my dogma is still valid? Gruß Joachim

Guess many of us have and celebrate their superstitions. It's part of the fun in the game. Extensive tests usuually don't prove the superstitions. But WTF - the felt data of thousands of games says they are true, so don't bother me with your tests. Gruß Joachim

Gods are not always lenient on their prophets. They offer heavy burdens and tough ordeals on the way to to the true faith. Show mercy! At least offer him too choose any tea he likes! Guess soon you'll start a new plague of biblical dimensions, letting a fifth column of riders pour English coffee onto the realms of the unfaithful. I see it is already raining - but I don't dare taste it. Gruß Joachim [ October 08, 2003, 11:38 AM: Message edited by: Scarhead ]

Bogging is not just "bogging in mud" but an abstraction for anything that brings the vehicle to a halt. Mechanical breakdown like engine failure, throwing tracks etc is included. A hot day will even increase jamming of MGs! Gruß Joachim

Me likes those grogs. Never giving an easy answer... a few links even beat JasonC, who would have written the content of the whole page in his post. Well, let's agree it is definitely not a major. Maybe a mayor (Achtungpanzer "burgomaster" Based on Arnie's pronounciation.). BTW: Your links are particularly meaningless as I found no table of equivalent ranks on them. But from what I read in your links, you probably can't compare (NCO) ranks anyway, as in the different armies there are different ranks serving as plt HQs. So maybe we should resort to the function instead of the rank and compare those. Gruß Joachim

Guess you mean Volksdeutsche (ie Ethnic Germans living in other countries)? "Ostdeutsch" is a post WW2-term. Sure there was a class system in the society. But you could enter the upper class with academic grades (or money) and in the field the officers were encouragead and expected to lead by example instead of "dig my foxhole first, then dig yours". The Reichswehr had the first assessment centers to recruit their officers - they could not afford to have somebody in just because he knew somebody. Is it normal for a Brit enlisted man and an officer to go for a beer? What about the Germans? That's why I offered a system to categorize the nations. Guess the US score would not be on the low end. Airborne are always a good example for average units. Abandon "nations", use armed forces (From LW Inf to SS, paras to mech) They fought to the death in the place were they were. Huge command delay. What did they do in offensive operations without leaders? What did they do when they had to quickly adapt to an attack cause they were not dug-in? You'll find extraordinary leaders in many armies. No doubt about that. The question is "how many?". Is there a measurable difference in numbers? Now we are talking about a "class system". It wasn't the Italian soldier. It was the "Handpicked" officers (upper class) often not caring for their men, men neither motivated for the cause nor for their officers. IF a unit had a special spirit, the unit could perform differently. And what about QBs? The problem with differences is that there are so many, and nation is not the only cause. Gruß Joachim [ October 07, 2003, 08:29 AM: Message edited by: Scarhead ]

Even on this side of the pond? Gruß Joachim

When did he enter the service? Counter-example of my grandfather, who managed to get himself promoted from Obergefreiter to Unteroffizier (big freaking whoop) in six years of war, while receiving EKI&II. Then again, he was in a branch where people rarely had to do really silly stuff that can poke your eye out. </font>

Something like (Ober?)Scharführer. Equivalent to Sergeant. Gruß Joachim

Killing? Gruß Joachim

Well, guess I should not have used a nick. Would have at least halved my number. :mad: :mad: BTW: Is it possible to count the posts outside the Goodale Challenge? Gruß Joachim

Good example - because IMO it shows the dangers of the approach. You are assuming that because it was a good system, it stayed unchanged. Which is a fair assumption to make, until you consider the changes in conditions in the late 1930s. While the Reichswehr managed to do this, I am almost 100% certain that the practice, if not the principle of the training 'one rank up' went out of the window with the massive expansion of the Wehrmacht in the late 1930s. While they would not have liked to change the running system, I am pretty certain they abandoned it. German infantry, officer and NCO training almost certainly declined as the war went on, based on what I have read. </font>