kverdon

Sounds like a winner. I'd love to give it a try. Thanks, Kevin

The Alabama is a South Dakota class Battleship. If you want to see some good shots of her, rent the movie "Under Siege" about Steven Segal fighting off Terrorists taking over a BB. Check your brain at the door and have fun with it. The movie is supposed to be on the Missouri and alot of the 'at sea' shots were filmed of a Iowa class BB but the closeup shots were all filmed on the 'bama. Kevin

Xavier, BB's useless in Lebanon in the 80? Hold on a second. You may recall that we sent an Airstrike to take out some Syrian Arty and lost a A-6 and an A-7 to SAMs/AAA. Very bad PR and nice PR for the baddies showing off the wreckage plus we had to negotiate the return of a wounded aviator. Sooo, They send over BB-62 to pay the Syrians a visit. The Jersey shelled those Arty positions into rubble. The Palastinians and the Syrians HATED the Jersey becase of the firepower she could drop on them and they couldn't do ANYTHING about it but move further inland. Later there was a meeting of Syrian commanders who put together a meeting in a Underground Concrete Bunker in range of the New Jersey. They thought themselves pretty safe. They ran the Jersey right up to the shore and let fly. Unfortunately the Syrian's hadn't counted on the fact that a 16" round from the Iowas' can penetrate 27 FEET of reinforced concrete. BOOM! Meeting's adjourned . The only wreckage they got to show off was the target! Now BB's may not be so useful now and certainly can't replace the Aircraft Carrier but the Jersey DID do the Job in Lebanon. Same was true in Vietname. A friend of mine had a Platoon Sgt who was in Vietnam while the Jersey was there. His Platoon was pinned down by group of VC up on a ridge. He called for fire support and got the Jersey. When he called for fire they hesitated as it was "Danger Close" for the 16". He didn't care at that point as if SOMETHING didn't happen they were toast. The Jersey opened fire and after what he described as a visit to Hell with the explosions and the fire arround him. The VC were gone. So was the ridge!! P.S. The hundred mile range comes from an experimental rocket assisted 8" saboted shell that was to be fired from the 16" guns of the Iowas. Don't know if it ever got off the drawing board though. The normal range of the Iowa's 16"ers is 27 miles. P.P.S. It had to be the secret wet dream of every modern captain of an Iowa to get a Kirov in 16" gun range. "Engage Target Main Battery" "JAM THIS" BOOM!! Kevin [This message has been edited by kverdon (edited 01-08-2001).] [This message has been edited by kverdon (edited 01-08-2001).]

Howdy, I'll throw my 2 cents into this discussion. In my collage days I did a paper on the design and reactivation of these ships. I found out a few interresting things. On the Firepower of an Aircraft Carrier vrs a battleship: An Iowa class BB CAN deliver a higher volume of fire on a target per time than can an aircraft carrier. If you wish references to this I could did up my paper and give you the numbers. On their protection: Yes, it is true that the Iowa's only had a 12" belt of armor but it was STS Steel and sloped. The Belt armor was actually an internal armor belt that angled in at, I think, 19 degrees from the verticle. Now I don't think I have to educate anyone HERE on the efficacy of angling the armor . The Naval Institutue Press book on the Iowas lists the EFFECTIVE vertical protection of the Iowas at 18". The turrets are protected by about 19" and the Control tower about 18". Most German and Japaese designs had vertical or almost Vertical horizontal armor. Comparing the Iowa to the Bizmark or Yamato is like comparing a Panther to a Tiger (mkVI). The analogy is almost perfect. Compared to the Yamato for example, the Iowas had guns of a smaller size (16" vrs 18") but with a longer caliber (50 vrs 45. Thus the Iowa's carrier a smaller main gun but had equal or superior penetration and a higher ROF. The Iowas carried a thiner belt armor but it was sloped and the Iowas were faster. All in all, the Iowas were probably the best balanced Battleships ever built. The problems with them now are they are tough to justify having arround. Yes, they can deliver devistating firepower and absorb mucho damage but there currently not many applications you can use that type of firepower on, it tends to creat lots of collateral damage . I really wish we could keep one arround as it, as Oddball would say, it "can give you a definate edge" when you need it. KEvin

Nice factual explanaion of the z-buffer problem but did you first upgrade to the new Detonation 8.09.346.66343.456a3.34dd4.88.89e10 driver? Kevin

I tried the smoke and go method again, this time with good results. I used the 105 spotter and smoke mortar to lay down a pretty thick screen and then ran my 1rst company and engineers, M4(105) and M5 accross the bridge and into the woods. They made it ok and took out the 75mm Pak40 in the woods. They then dug in the woods and held off a German counterattack. When the next set of re-inforcements showed up I used the rest of the 105 spotter to lay down another smoke screen and rush the M4's, M-8 and the new company and halftracks accross the bridge and behind the woods that I now controlled. The M4(76)'s got the Tiger as it tried to envelope the woods and won a Gun duel with the MKIV. From here on it was just a matter organizing the new troops, Laying Down a Heavy fire screen from the AFV's and mopping up the town. Tough Scenario!! Kevin

Warning Spoilers Below**************** * * * * * * * * Ok, I'm up for suggestions on this one. I'm getting creamed. I really don't see how you can take out the pillbox before the armor shows up. I've tried a flanking move by crossing the river at the ford and then advancing up the far bank. I can get to and capture the house across from the pillbox ok but either the Tiger on the Hill or MG team can easily prevent my Platoons from getting to the pillbox and knocking it out. I've tried to get a FT unit over there as well but he keeps getting shot up and panicking as he crosses the ford. Even if I could get him over, it would take him about 15 turns to get to the house. This forces a wait till the armor arrives and essentially wastes the first 15 turns of the game. Even if you could knock out the pillbox, there is NO way you are progressing past it until the armor/Arty show up. Onto problem #2, getting to the woods. With the pillbox out of action, it is time to clear out the woods that stradle the road loading from the pillbox. Problem is that you have 1 Tiger planted on a hill overlooking the road to the Woods, A 75mm PAK in the woods and a #$#$# 20mm somewhere that are more that happy to knock out or disable your armor if it pokes its nose out on the bridge. Add in a nice MG nest and getting inf over the bridge and into the woods is a problem. The best chance is smoke. I tried using the nicely provided mortar with 52 smoke shells and the 105s to lay down a smoke screen and try to rush the forrest. I got the 75 PAK but lost my 105 sherman, M20, M5 and a halftrack in the process. Did manage to knock out a previously unknown MkIV but arrived in the woods pretty shot up. Anyone got any better tactics than this? Personally I think the scenarion is beatable but I feel the only you could realistically beat it is to replay it a few times to learn the location of the hidden Guns. Anyone who can beat this scenario on the first try deserves a gold medal. Kevin [This message has been edited by kverdon (edited 10-27-2000).]

Wild Bill, If you need any playtesters for "Blood and Bocage" I'd be happy to give it a try. Always have liked your scenarios!!! Kevin

Unfortunately the 115th Inf of the 29th had neither halftracks or any armor available to them in this battle. What is really the killer to me is the large set of reinforcements the Germans get right at the end of the battle. This fresh set of troops against your battle fatigued vets is pretty hard to weather as the amis. Kevin

Steve, Any Chance that the US AAA vehicles may get added at a later date? Please <G>, Kevin

Willhamer, "Japan could of avoided war, but fortunately Yamamoto was a poor strategist" I think you should rethink that statement. The fact of the matter is that Yamamoto was a pretty good strategist. He had served as Naval Attache' in Washington in the 20's and knew all too well the industrial might of the United States. He argued against war with the United States and referred to this country as a "Sleeping Giant". He also told his superiors that if he started a war with the United States he would be able to run free for six months and that if the war was not over by that time they should consider making peace. His whole strategy was aimed at that goal, the big win. This explains the bold move of Pearl Harbor and later at Midway. He had to risk it all because he knew the consequences of a prolonged war. His statement was pretty much right on. The attack on Pearl Harbor was on Dec,7 1941 and the turning point of the war against Japan occurred almost exactly 6mos. later at Midway (June 4, 1942). Another point is that if you think that he was a bad strategist, then why did we go so far out on a limb, risk a lot and go to such extremes to assassinate him? best, Kevin

Sounds like my cup of tea. Send it my way please. thanks, Kevin

I'd like to add my vote. I think that the Tac AI should bail troops out of a house that hits ** the same way it does when a house catches on fire. This should not be too hard to implement. thanks, Kevin

In an OLD Avalon Hill General that discussed the design on Advanced Squad Leader, there was mention that the .50 got such a high Firepower rating because not only was it a very powerfull weapon (a nick can take your arm off) but the demoralizing effect of the large .50cal slugs ripping thru and destroying the cover you are in is pretty impressive. Kevin

Tom, If I may ask, Where did you fine the map? Does it cover LaFiere as well?. I am looking to do an opperation based upon "No Better Place to Die" and the battles for La Fiere. Thanks, Kevin

I've read all of Burgett's books so far (Curahee, Road to Arnhem and Seven Roads to Hell). He is the one who got me interrested in The US Paratroops. His books give a good feel for what it was like for the trooper on the ground. If you liked his books and want to know more about the 101st in WWII, I would recomend you pick the 3 books written by George Koskimaki: D-Day With the Screaming Eagles Hells Highway The Battered Bastards of Bastonge His books are well done compilations of personal accounts from the 101st's 3 major opperations. For other good Books on the US Para's I would include: Devils in Baggy Pants by Ross Carter Drop Zone Sicily by William B. Breuer Night Drop by S.L.A. Marshal Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose No Better Place to Die by Robert Murphy On Time, On Target by John D. McKenzie best, Kevin [This message has been edited by kverdon (edited 09-14-2000).]

S[poilers Below*************************** * * * * * * * * * * Well I've played Moon's L'Elle River crossing Scenarion and I've come to conclude that this is the Scenario from H$LL. I really don't see how the Allies can expect to get more than a minor/tactical Victory out of this one. I did get a decisive once but it was a fluke. The other dozen times its been Tactical or minor. The problem comes with the company sized German Para counter-attack at Le Mesnil at the end of the game. If you played anywhere near honestly, you will have suffered some casualties by then and will not have the firepower to stop the counterattack I once managed to get 5 Mg Teams and at least two platoons of 12 mem squads with plenty of ammo dug in the town along with a 105 arty spotter with 58 rounds left. There was still no way I could keep the Para Counterattack from neutralizing the Victory Flag for the town and thus sticking me with a tactical victory. This mind you was really cheating as I knew the attack was coming. Even then I could not kill enough of them to keep them from contesting the Victory Flag. I've given it my best shot and concede that the best I'll ever see is a Tactical Victory. In the last attempt I took out all the German flanking Mg positions on the approach, smoked the Bunkers and made a fairly painless river crossing. I was able to capture the chatuea pretty handily and got my troops into Le Mesnil by about turn 27. I then garisoned the town with the fresh two platoons of reinforcements along with 5 mg teams and a few other good order squads. I felt confident I could hold off the German Para counter-attack with this. Wrong!! The only consolation I can take is that perhaps this is how Moon designed it. From reading "Beyond the Beachead", the actual battle was a bitter fight for the 115th of the 29th and they tood heavy caualties. If anyone can consistantly get better than a Tactiacal/Minor victory in this one I tip my hat to you and would appreciate the tips. Thanks, Kevin

Of COURSE!!!! At last NOW i know why the Germans suddenly started naming new tanks after Large Cats!!!!! Kevin ******************************************* I've heard about this too. The idea came up after some rats (or was it mice?) had gnawn off wires in some Soviet tanks, causing short circuits and engine fires. After some experimentation and training they got an escadre of AT rats that were air dropped over German tank laagers. It was quite effective until the Germans came up with the ultimate anti rat weapon; cats...

Jeff, I tried Son as the Germans. Is there a way to get the Para's to move to the bridge faster. The Para's did not make a play for the North Son Town until Turn 6. With both groups of Panthers deployed to the North of Son Bridge and covering the open spaces of approach it was a slaughter. The AI tried a double envelopement move with most of the tanks in the east and the majority of the Paras in the west. By the 6th move, Almost all the allied armor is KO with me loosing just the two marders to mortar/arty and 2 of the Wirblwinds. What about placing objective flags at the ends of the bridge? Can you do that in an OP?. Played it again as the Paras and it played out very nicely. Got a bridgehead by the end of turn 2 or 3. This let me depoly all my armor on the South side of the Bridge. This is where playing the op before came back to bite me <G>. I was sure the AI would enter all their armor to the east of the Eindoven road so I set up all my armor their to meet it. Boy was I suprised when the AI decided this time to mass his armor way to the west, over near where you used to have the Pillboxes. I had to repositon in a hurry. Made for a great armor fight after the AI routed out the 2 Para platoons and 2 tanks I'd placed over there to "mop up" hehe. All in all, this really makes for a fun opperation when played as the paras. As the Germans, its no contest. Still would like to see how it PBEM's. Kevin

Sign me up!!! thanks, kverdon@teleport.com

Jeff, >>Hopefully, the new version I put out tonight will balance things out. But, Let's put your theory to test. How bout I play as US and you play as Germans in a PBEM with my new version , starting tonight?<< I would really like to take you up on that offer but I'm leaving out of town for a week this afternoon. I'd be game when I get back though, Kevin

Pak 40 PPS. If you liked Burgett's books, Have you read George Koskimaki's books. He put together books comprised mostly from personal accounts of 101st Paras for the 3 major Opps, Normandy, Market-Garden, Bastonge. I've read his books on Normandy and Bastonge and they are very good. Looking forward to "Hells Highway", his book on the 101st in Market Garden.

PAK 40, SPOILERS BELOW******************** I'm retrying the opperation with the turn limit set to 20. I exchanged on Cromwell for a Firefly and game the German's another 88. According to Burgett's Book there were 4 88's in the vacinity of the bridge. This seems to work pretty well. I got the paras accross the river by turn 3 and established a solid bridgehead. On turn 5 I then tried to attack on the far side of the river out towards Best while holding against the Panzers at the road to the bridge and the forrest on the road to Eindoven. This worked OK. I managed to hold on the road line, loosing two tanks while getting 3 Panthers and almost all the half-tracks. Things on the other side of the field did not go as well. I allotted a Sherman and Cromwell as well as the two Daimlers along with a platoon of Inf and a MMG. I backed them up with the 81's and 75's Arty. This turned into a bloody fight. Well placed German troops pinned down my squads pretty well with a 'schrek team getting both tanks. This is with both the 81'and 75's falling on the German positions. Though the Germans held me up, I'm pretty sure they also took some heavy casualties. Some notes: 1. I WISH I could get the 88's to stay put, the AI seems to like to move them. Did you mention that you could accept the default setup and this would happen?. How do I do that? 2.Did the Panzer Bge really have that many Panters?. I would normally expect a few MkIV's in the mix. This could also be a playbalance consideration. 3. while this a fun opperation playing the allies against the AI. I don't think that it would make a good PBEM scenario. I don't see how a allied player could force a bridge crossing and hold the far side of the river against a competant German commander. thanks for putting this together. Kevin

***********SPOILERS BELOW******************* Pak 40 I played thru the Son Opperaton and did enjoy it. HOWEVER there were some problems I encountered that I wonder could be addressed. Both on Turn 2 and Turn 3 of the Opperation I managed to get my troops accross the river but at the begining of the scenario, I had a white setup zone on the far side of the river but could not setup any units there. This was especially troublesome the turn the German armor Bge showed up. The only hope I had and the only thing that worked was to lay a massive smoke screen on the bridge and rush most of the Brit armor accros and into the hollow to the right of the bridge. Took a bit to get this timed right. The town also suffered in the process as there was maybe one building in the vicinity of the bridge that was not flattened. Looking at the scenarion editor, I can see that the system puts a few limitaions upon what can be tweeked. What needs to happen is that the Brit armor needs to setup on the Eindoven side of the bridge. This would be correct as that is the direction XXX Corps was attacking from. The trick is to how to get the system to let the US Paras establish a brigehead before the German Armor hits. The only things I can see to tweek are to expand the turns to 20 instead of 15. I'm thinking that you set it at 15 to make the allied player feel a sense of urgency as you can't really blow the bridge. 20 turns would get you a better historical setup I think. I don't know if setting the No-man's land setting would help or not (I'm thinking not). I might play arround those two settings and see what happens. The only other things I can thing of is that the Forrest needs to get renamed from "Son Forrest" to the correct name (I've got it just have to find it.). and there needs to be more 88's near the bridge. CC2 had an 88 on the far side of the bridge and Don Burgett's account seems to back that up and makes me thing there should be a few more 88's in the town near the bridge. I'll see if I can find out more on this. I've got Burgett's "Rode to Arnhem" and Koskimaki's work on the 101st in Market Garden. I'll let you know what I turn up. Thanks for the work, Kevin [This message has been edited by kverdon (edited 08-20-2000).]

Thought we could use some brevity here, I'm reading Don Burgett's "Road to Arnhem" and he relates the following story: A trooper in Zon by the name of "Slick" gets caught in the middle of a firefight between group of German infantry, a German Panther and his 101st buddies. The Panther gets hit with a 57mm round which does no apparent damage and the Panther TC pops up to see where the shot came from. As he pops us he see's Slick close by and drops back down his hatch. Seeing an oppertunity to knock out the tank, Slick jumps up and tosses a grenade down the TC's hatch. The Panther crews bails out upon seeing the grenade just as its hit by two more 57mm rounds. Slick dives under the Panther to avoid the small arms fire of the supporting German Inf. Slick reaches for another grenade only to realize that all he's got left is one of the numerous apples that the gratefull Dutch had tossed to their para liberators. Using exagerated motions, Slick sits up from under the tank, pulls the stem on the apple and tosses it at his German tormenters. The Germans, thinking that the incoming object was a grenade hit the dirt while Slick hightails it for the American lines. Wonderful imagery with this: Shultz: ACHTUNG GRENADE!!!!!! (or whatever grenade is in German..) Fritz: Nicht Grenade, ist ein Gravenstein!!! Kevin