von Lucke

Supposedly the counter-weight on the rear of the turret weighed 2500lb's all by itself! Not the sort of thing easily cranked around by hand.

True, it works in the Editor. However, not when setting up Quick Battles --- which is how most people play the game. No, you can't. CMAK's beginning date is limited to Dec '40 --- can't go back any farther than that.

True --- put this would not be actually adding, so much as switching over an already existing model. Not as difficult, I would think (hope).

The only captured vehicles in use in CMAK are by the Germans: Matildas and Valentine III. Would like to see the Aussies get M13's in 40 / 41 --- but don't know if it will happen in a patch, or not.

I think it's supposed to represent the area of most action on the second day of battle (6 Feb). Emphasis is mine, but this is quoted from the MagWebEuropa WW2 site, from an article by David H. Lippman: 1/RTR was 7th Armored Div reserve, mounting Cruiser tanks and Mk VI's --- all the Matildas being with 7th RTR up north with the Australians. As for the odd orientation of the map, yr guess is as good as mine there... Is it just me, or are Cruiser tanks no match for M13's? Seems like the M13's can take a few hits, but the Cruiser's go down with just one pop. And speaking of odd scenarios, try the Bir el Gubi battle: I was expecting the Charge of the Light Brigade, and ended up with a standard combined-arms attack. [ December 16, 2003, 06:40 AM: Message edited by: von Lucke ]

I think it's supposed to represent the area of most action on the second day of battle (6 Feb). Emphasis is mine, but this is quoted from the MagWebEuropa WW2 site, from an article by David H. Lippman: 1/RTR was 7th Armored Div reserve, mounting Cruiser tanks and Mk VI's --- all the Matildas being with 7th RTR up north with the Australians. As for the odd orientation of the map, yr guess is as good as mine there... Is it just me, or are Cruiser tanks no match for M13's? Seems like the M13's can take a few hits, but the Cruiser's go down with just one pop. And speaking of odd scenarios, try the Bir el Gubi battle: I was expecting the Charge of the Light Brigade, and ended up with a standard combined-arms attack. [ December 16, 2003, 06:40 AM: Message edited by: von Lucke ]

To re-quote myself.

...point!

...my...

Exactly...

Yes, yes, all very good --- but most of the actions you cite involve paratroopers, commandos, or Young Fascists. Units formed of volunteers, given more intensive training, indoctrination, motivation than your average line infantry. It's the same in all armies --- but we're only talking about a small percentage of the overall force. Even the regular division you mention most frequently, the Trieste Division, spent most of it's time in the shadow of the DAK --- which, no doubt, provided the Italians with more in the way of training, supplies, motivation, etc. For instance: This was 22nd Armored Brigades' first action, and the Yeomanry regiments went into battle using simple fire-and-move tactics, with no infantry or artillery support --- basically a cavalry charge. Even so, the Italians lost 34 tanks (and 15 damaged). More relevant to my point, some of the defenders (the right-hand line being overrun fairly easily) gave up early in the action, but finding no follow-on Brit infantry to surrender to, re-manned their guns, and commenced to shooting at the backs of the green tankers. And British sources say only 25 Crusaders were lost to enemy fire --- mostly thanks to those 102mm naval gun portées --- though about 30 more of the new Crusader tanks suffered mechanical breakdowns outside the battle area. Really? My sources show that 22nd and 4th Armored retired to the area of Gabr Saleh on the night of 19 - 20 Nov, and that they would be engaged there (and later, in a running battle back to Sidi Rezegh) for the next three days by 15th and 21st Panzer. While this is going on, the Ariete Division stayed put at Bir el Gubi, screened by 5th, then 1st South African Brigades; and finally 22nd Guards Bde. 23 November --- Tottensontag: The Brits began with little over 100 tanks to begin with (22nd with 30 / 7th with 10 / 4th with 75), and most of them (the 4th Armored Bde) were reorganizing in the desert to the east of the coming battle. That leaves a whole 40 tanks --- hardly "over 200". Anyway, it was mostly the 5th South African Brigade (infantry) that ended up being cut to ribbons that day, with the DAK doing the cutting. The Ariete Division was meant to take part, yes, but their infantry had been pinned at Bir el Gubi by the 22nd Guards --- leaving the M13/40's to move north alone. The tanks then had to take a wide detour around 1st South African Brigade, so arrived on the western flank of the battlefield too late to do more than aid in mopping up what was left of 5th SA. The Trieste and Savona Divisions are nowhere to be seen during all this. IIRC, Trieste was SE of Tobruk, and what was left of Savona was way over on the Egyptian frontier, facing off with 4th Indian Division. To put a capper on it, when the Ariete Division did finally catch up with what was left of 4th Armored (with a meager 37 tanks) on 26 November near Taieb el Esem, all the Italians could muster was a little desultory long-range artillery fire, before breaking off contact and withdrawing once night fell. [ December 15, 2003, 07:16 AM: Message edited by: von Lucke ]

Now that COG has put the CMAK page into operation (sort of), it's time for some real mods. I want --- no, need! --- that Matilda!

So, how does it play with the tweaks from CM mk3?

Or the Savoia Division at Dongolaas Gorge, or the Folgore Division's fighting retreat after el Alamein, or the actions of Italian Navy commandos, etc., etc. Didn't say they were cowards. I am saying they were less than interested in laying down their lives for the cause. Big difference in running away in fear and panic, and just deciding you don't want to fight anymore.

Hmmm... Sounds a lot like what the typical landser had to endure in Russia in '43, but they weren't exactly surrendering in droves... ianc </font>

Ach, zo. I Right-Clicked on the left-hand panel, chose "Cached Snapshot of Page", et voilà, she is done!

AAAARRRGGGHHH!!!! I have my nose pressed to the glass, but I just...Can't...Get...In! Even up-loaded a little something --- which I can edit, etc. --- but I can't get past the whole Log-in / Upload page to see what anybody else has added.

Yup. Only thing I can do is "Log in" or "Add a CMAK Mod".

Hmmm, let's see: A repressive Fascist dictatorship sends me to an empty wasteland, with inadequate weapons and limited supplies, then my incompetent officers place me in indefensible positions with no support, and then people wonder why I surrender to the first Tommy to wander within 500m of me? Uh-huh. Then there's the Bologna Division that, during the retreat from el Alamein, marched through the desert for 2 days without water, beating off several attacks by Brit armor and infantry, before forming a square with the remaining survivors and taking on all comers for most of a day before surrendering --- and then only because they'd run out of ammo and water.

The Commonwealth Vickers HMG (1934.bmp) never shows up in-game. Every water-jacketed HMG shows up as the 1917 Browning (1943.bmp). Somebody transpose a number? The hard-coded tripod for the .50cal is too small for the gun --- there's a big gap where they should meet. The US sniper always has a M1 Garand (1915.bmp) instead of the '03 Springfield (1942.bmp) --- even though the French, once they start using US kit, do have the '03. (Oh, and that was cute using 1911.bmp for the 1911 Colt). [ December 12, 2003, 05:46 PM: Message edited by: von Lucke ]

Ummm, I may be mistaken (happens all the time around here), but isn't 1909.bmp a PPSh? Only found this out because I'm importing several .bmp's from CMBO / CMBB, and 1909 corresponds to the Thompson in CMBO. Who would be using a PPSh in CMAK? Haven't seen one yet, but I suppose some Axis soldats fresh in from the Ostfront...?

My opponent and I are still going at it in Round 4, so AFAIK, it's still on-going.

According to this site (which also reflects what I've read elswhere), there were a couple of Italian para battalions in Libya from the start of hostilities in 1940. However, they didn't see combat until January '41: In CMAK, Italian paras first arrive in July '41 --- which coincides with the arrival of the 1st (Carabinieri) Para Battalion in Libya --- and then goes straight through until the end, May '43. However, the 1st Para Batt was wiped out between 18-20 December '41 --- leaving an almost seven month gap before the Folgore Division arrives in July '42. And the remnants of the Folgore Div (all 200 of them) were wiped out at the end of April '43, at Takrouna, Tunisia. So, in conclusion: Add paras in from Jan - Feb '41; take them out between Jan - June '42; remove them from May '43. Thank you for your attention. PS: Any of you Eye-Tie CM players out there care to throw in yr two lire worth?

According to this site (which also reflects what I've read elswhere), there were a couple of Italian para battalions in Libya from the start of hostilities in 1940. However, they didn't see combat until January '41: In CMAK, Italian paras first arrive in July '41 --- which coincides with the arrival of the 1st (Carabinieri) Para Battalion in Libya --- and then goes straight through until the end, May '43. However, the 1st Para Batt was wiped out between 18-20 December '41 --- leaving an almost seven month gap before the Folgore Division arrives in July '42. And the remnants of the Folgore Div (all 200 of them) were wiped out at the end of April '43, at Takrouna, Tunisia. So, in conclusion: Add paras in from Jan - Feb '41; take them out between Jan - June '42; remove them from May '43. Thank you for your attention. PS: Any of you Eye-Tie CM players out there care to throw in yr two lire worth?

[sound of rustling papers, turning of pages of Panzertruppen] Scheiße! I stand corrected. You are correct Rune. Before Rommel left for Germany he planned an assault on El Agheila with the 5 Light Division and on 24 March it was successfully accomplish. I was doing research on Operation Sonnenblume-1941 and on the Panzer-Regiment 5 and that is when they went into there first battle in North Africa. </font>