Andreas

There, spoken like The Bold One. Where? The George Pub, near London Bridge When? Saturday, 5/1/2 @ 1800 Who? All who want to come. Email me for directions. Happy New Year to all on the board, and good luck to you all.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Hiram Sedai: Edited again to mention Andreas. It's called a theme, people! Imagine being German, living in England, and looking Japanese.<hr></blockquote> Well, not much longer. My New Year's resolution is to leave these sodding shores and go back to Germany by this time next year. In the meantime, many of you may want to strive to be like me, but the success rate of that will be even less than that of the Taliban AA weaponry. I do feel sorry for you.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Hiram Sedai: Happy New Year, Cesspool! I type it, but I don’t believe it. I hope that each of you never move to New Jersey. That is the nicest thing I can wish. I’ve studied this state for some time and I see how unworthy we feel compared to so many other states. Remember the Cleveland, Ohio jokes? They were the brunt for such a long time but the NJ jokes outnumber them. The average NJ citizen feels trapped here. We live with the traffic, pollution, and crime. With it comes certain bitterness. The job dictates where we will live. I have my usual disclaimer that I wasn’t born here, so therefore I can’t be totally carnal. I’ve live in other states and remember the sad look I received when I mentioned I’m lived in NJ for much of my life. They look at it as a social handicap. “What exit on the turnpike?” they ask. As if all of us are near a turnpike. They think that all of our vehicles broke down generations ago and we stupidly chose to stay here instead of moving to a more illustrious state. So, the average dweller of the Garden State absorbs so much criticism for living here. You forget the importance of this state in the context of history. It was this state that was so key in the revolutionary war. Remember that one? I know that I have many of you retching and groaning by now. That is assuming that you’ve read my apathetic rant. Maybe I’ll bold some words to help out those of you who merely peruse these posts for usernames. Looking for game updates? Look elsewhere. My internal clock tells me that it would be wise to end this mewling diatribe soon. I waste your bandwidth once more but without anything clever or amusing. As I wish you a happy new year, let me also wish you a life that does not emulate mine. May your familial dysfunctions be few and your reception of mouth music be plenty. May your cars be Saturns and your mates be understanding of your addiction to Combat Mission.<hr></blockquote> You did not edit this - getting aspirations beyond your station now, are you? Must be all the unwarranted attention by ShewhoismuchtoogoodwithPhotoshop.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Scott B: Personally, I think just adding TRPs (and as a step further, giving a player 'orders' to conduct certain fire missions in a player made scenario) for attackers would be the fast solution for scenario designers. <hr></blockquote> I have been experimenting with this - the way to enforce the order is to make the spotter a Conscript (if present at the start) or give him a higher quality rating if he enters late in the scenario. With a TRP you then essentially force the player to fire the plan, instead of using the FOO flexibly. In theory at least, I have no idea if it works in practice.

It is difficult to make a scenario where you are hugely outnumbered at first playable for the AI, because in some way you are relying on it putting in a decent counter-attack. Since attacking is its weak point to start with, it is a bit tricky. For H2H play though you can easily accommodate that feature, and I have used it in some of my scenarios.

Silly sods.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Brian: Mk.III components were also utilised in several other chassis, most notably the Nashorn/Hummel (usually referred to as a Panzer III/IV chassis), Andreas. While production of hulls/turrets had ceased, other pieces of equipment continued, well into 1944 by my understanding. It was also most unusual by normal German standards, as they were notorious in not producing sufficient spare parts for their vehicles.<hr></blockquote> Learn something new every day - I always thought the Nashorn/Hummel was exclusively Panzer IV. I am not too surprised about the spare parts though, since production of the Stug III on the chassis continued right to the end in very high numbers, I believe, so the assembly lines were probably never fully retooled from 1937/8 (or whenever they started churning them out) to 1945.

Having been with Kip on the Ardennes trip, I just second what he said. Here are some pictures, for those who missed them on the General Forum: Ardennes Trip

Unlike the case with most of you bunch of low-life barely sentient scum, there are at least some pictures of the handsome diwil that is me abroad, and I shall leave it up to others to draw conclusions from the absence of your pictures. Went to see Lord of the Rings last night. Bloody good movie. Go see it if you have not done so. If you have, go see it again. Keeps you lot occupied and out of (more) trouble. Tossers. Crappy new year to all of you.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Michael Dorosh: Andreas, your review is finally up at amazon.com.<hr></blockquote> Thanks, seen it - it was difficult to add something after yours anyway, but I copied it through to Amazon.co.uk too too, to help the Pommies get good boks

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Brian: According to one source I've recently recieved, Andreas, there were about 500 Mk.III's on strength for the entire German Army in January 1945. These were Ausf M/N's not specialised vehicles (the source lists Flammpanzer III's seperately), as far as I can tell. 500 spread across two major fronts, one secondary one (Italy) and several other regions (ie Norway, Balkans, etc) isn't very many IMO.<hr></blockquote> Yep, although by German standards that is a huge number The N version is the one with the 75L24 howitzer, IIRC. According to Lexikon der Wehrmacht, in March 1945 there were 16 Panzer III in the East, 58 in Italy, and 90 in Denmark/Norway. A further 105 with training units and 328 with the Ersatzheer (territorials, I think). Which comes close to your number of 500, if you exclude the training versions. The final significant production run of 50L60 equipped Panzer III was 1942 (1,907 units), in 1943/4 only 75L24, Flammpanzer, Bergepanzer, and the OP version was produced, with none produced in 1945. Which makes sense, since the Panzer III chassis was used for the Stug III, which was altogether a more desirable weapon on the late-war battlefields. At some point 435 command tanks based on the Panzer III were produced. BTW - it looks to me as if most of the surviving 50L60 Panzer III were turned into 75L24 (450 out of 650 L version, and 215 out of a to me unknown number of M versions). A lot of repaired tanks were turned in unarmed Bergepanzer, Engineer, Bridging, and munition carrier versions too, i.e. not just repaired and sent out again with the marvel weapon that is the 50L60. All numbers from LdW, therefore handle with care. Based on this, I agree with you Brian that it is not very significant, and I somehow fail to see how a horde of 75L24 equipped Panzer III could be decisive in the Ardennes.

I always thought that the Panzer III that are on strength in the West in 1944 were command tanks, and would not appear in the frontline. Where in the Ardennes were they so decisive?

I was lucky enough to see it the first time I went to Bovington. It is a great machine. I just hope they manage to turn it into a runner and bring it out at the half-turn events. It is parked next to a Panzer III, and just dwarfs it.

Well, the 'never did see fighting in the desert' bit at least is true, since it was not introduced before early 1944, according to this site.

Can someone go over to Stuka's and bash him over the head with a Koala or a very unripe Mango? The scenario is called 'To the last man' for arse's feckin' sake, and has nowt to do with some abomination called 'Last man standing', which reminds me of a bad Bruce Willis movie. Well, it seems that reading is not his strongest area (given that the name of the scenario is written in the interface screen), probably much like writing, thinking, taunting, common decency or any other positive attribute you care to mention. Oh well, what can one expect from a product of the Australian school system, where convicts are heros. I guess he has his personal Crocodile write his posts. Anyways, merry sodding Christmas to you all, and remember, there is a special place in hell for those who have BBQs on Christmas or New Year.

Well, different strokes for different folks, but I would not do that. Nobody will stop you from it or ever find out though.

It is Hacker Pschorr and Apfelkorn, you bloody twat. I feel compelled to fill you with a dose of Uzi, 9°. Jesus Christ in a barn.

This will probably end up in the General Board very soon anyways.

Working on it - see you got lucky there. Will email it when I get back home in the new year. Enjoy the Christmas in Stuttgart - had your share of Glühwein yet?

Girraway Joe, and stop being nice, alright. The reason I don't come to visit here more often is that the amount of vitriol needed to sustain a presence here that is worth having needs time to build itself up. I hate the all clubby atmosphere, and personally would advocate machine-gunning the kneecaps of the lot of you, if only I could find the energy to do so. So there. Oh yes, and in case you have not noticed, I just finished reading 'Quartered safe out here' and it is a grand book, awreet. Get it and read it. MacDonald Fraser certainly knows what to do with the Hun and the Jap. Made me laugh. Good man, I am impressed.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Michael Dorosh: The ebay seller who does them up (or gets them in, whatever...) is murrayhous@aol.com He seems to sell them regularly; if not, email him and he will probably sell you one. Let me know how you make out.<hr></blockquote> Great, thanks a lot!

We are. They are a Der Kessel invention (well the nifty branding is anyway) courtesy of Greg.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by tero: Not one instance was provided where a single deliberate ground attack with infantry, armour, artillery and other assets before the Germans were willing to give up the positions<hr></blockquote> I provided you with a list a while back - please repost your analysis as to why this was wrong, if indeed you have posted a reply here, since I don't feel inclined to wade through this thread to find it (alternatively, just tell me which page it was on). Here is another one BTW - Nijmegen Bridge. The Germans did not intend to blow the bridge, but were forced back when the paras crossed.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Michael Dorosh: C'mon Germanboy, I know you're out there....<hr></blockquote> You are a bully, but I did it. Now where is the promised info on where to get that carrier platoon pamphlet?

Aye, a setup by your's truly. So, I wondered what could ever be so bad about it, until I realised that it has little to do with me designing the marvellous piece, getting the last bit of potential performance out of the stupendous piece of software that is CMBO, but more with Joe's mental capacities, and his incessant whinging, like a bloody Pommy. I can already see the picture, when his kids have to tell his toddler-age grandchildren to please be gentle to the Father Jack impression in the corner, and let him win at Memory once in a while, even though he can not remember where the other pink elephant in a ballerina's dress card he picked up a mere three seconds ago is now situated. It must be a tough life if a game of stone/rock/scissors is a mental challenge of the highest order. Please everyone remind me to make some 'special', Joe-size games in the future. I.e. easy ones, preferably without troops he can lead astray, or maybe just without troops. Apart from that I am having a miserable time because I can not watch the damage that various of you nitwits inflict on each other while playtesting my forthcoming works of glory. Being at home and without CMBO is a real try. Well, at least I have the intelligent conversation of my 5-month old nephew, and that is more than I could expect of the lot of you. I hope you all have a rotten Christmas and that your prime gifts will be felt slippers.