Bertram

To get back on topic: as far as I know not al guns can be hooked up again. I believe the '88 is stuck where it is, once you unload it (I know for sure in CMBB, it placed itself just a bit beside where I ordered it, with no los whatsoever, and it refused to move). Got another complaint to: a truck with an howitzer 105 mm goes way to slow in desert rough. In a certain scenario several of my trucks got lost in that terrain, and their speed dropped to about 750-900 mtrs / AN HOUR!!!. In fact my infantry belly crawling due to exhaustion got faster, as did the crew pushing that same 105 mm Howitzer!! I think the terrain should be either impassable or the speed should be a bit higher. (as an amusing side note: my opponent had walking two crews beside my trucks, firing their pistols. They kept on for about 5 minutes, all of 75 meters. They never could hit my trucks from 5 meters away). Bertram

Only thing that is difficult to simulate that way is the extreme smal sillouette (for a tank that is). One of the major design features was (supposed to be) their ability to hide and snipe from cover, and race back out of danger. You don't need a tank that has the same thin armour, and the same gun, but a tank that has those features going for it (as far as the AMX-13 had them. And as far as those features worked for them in that regio, it was designed to work against the Russians, in an European terrain). The Dutch army had some of them, those that used them were not really impressed (and we did switch to the Leopard, not to the AMX-30). Bertram

Opening this threat I get a log in for the CMMod site???? Bertram

The solid shot ones are, well, solid, no explosive. The Hollow Charge ones and the HEAT ones: probably, but the charge is directed differrent. In a HE-shel it is used to propel shards of the shell casing in all directions, and in a n AP round it is used to direct a beam of energy (in the form of molten material) straight forward. So basically an AP round will only hurt if you happen to stand in its path, or if it hits something and you get stuck by flying pieces of whatever it has hit. Bertram

I have got the feeling the cannister is treated much like a HE explosion in its effect. That is, once the cannister is shot its effect is a "footprint" in which there is a blast effect. In this area the direction from which the cannister comes doesn't matter much for the applying of that effect (other then that "footprint" is probably triangular, and the blast value tapers of from point of origin). This means that cover is applied only in so far that less exposure lessens the damage done, but any obstacles between the point of origin and the target dont stop the bullets. Support for this is that I not only have seen men hit out of los (from the firing unit) due to a rise, but also men behind a wall, or behind a house. The men *in* the house seem to get a cover bonus, but the men *behind* the house seem to get hit full force. (nb>: this is with limited experience, so I could be totally wrong). Bertram

I am playng CMAK CMBB Korsun Pocket (mostly Ardennes Offensive right now) and City of Heroes for the mindless violence. Tried Total War: Medieval, but it was to unhistorical for me. To much "playability", not enough historical behaviour. Try HTTR now and then, but the troops still have to much "odd"behaviour. Nice idea, but not there yet. Got IL2, but I haven't got the time to spend to get good enough tfor it to be fun. Bertram

This was one thing I hoped was a bit redesigned from CMBB to CMAK. Imagine my disappointment when I started the CMAK demo as Allied, and in the very first minute some bloody plane (Allied according to the briefing) killed two of my tanks, that hadn't even got time to start moving. Bertram

Maybe it would be a nice idea to mention that the side is password protected, that you need to be a member to view the links and that clicking the links freezes your comp for about 5 minutes? Bertram

Hans "Eén compagnie" is translated by "One compagny", not by "E compagny" (the Dutch used numbers for the units, not characters, but in this case it just means "one of the -"). The "kazematten" are not wooden bunkers (there were generally no wooden bunkers in the Netherlands, the ground was to wet, and concrete was as easy to come by as wood logs, if not easier in the west). Kazematten are either fortified (machinegun) placements (probably in this case) or pillboxes. Michael My standard (Dutch) work on the WW2 gives as the attackers at the IJsselmeer causeway just the 1st Cavalry division (part on horses, part on bicycles). Their heavy artillery was stuck at Winschoten (near the German border), as it was rail bound and the rail bridge there was blown. They had some air supprot, but thos could not damage the (concrete) defensive works. 5 "detachments" (whatever that might be) on bicycles tried to attack, but got nowhere (they had to advance along a 3 mile long, bare road on top of the dike). The divisional artillery tried to bombard the fortfications next day, but was in turn bombarded by naval guns (the gunboat Johan Maurits van Nassau with 3x 15 cm guns) and had to withdraw. German air support failed to hit the boat. Next day the airforce once again tried to hit the defenders (with Stuka's this time) but didn't accomplish anything (rather surprising, as these bunkers were nowhere as impressive as the Maginot line). Next day The Netherlands surrendered, after the German Airforce bombed Rotterdam, and thretened to do the same to other towns. The defensive works at the Afsluitdijk are still there, and are open to visits) Bertram Nb.: this is mostly from Dr. L. de Jong, Het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden in de Tweede Wereldoorlog, part 3. It is the "official Dutch war history", but stronger on political issues then on military detail. Even though lots of detail is given the militairy facts seem to have been checked less at the source then the other details. I think this also accounts for the name confusion earlier (which came from the same book). Bertram [ April 13, 2004, 09:12 AM: Message edited by: Bertram ]

The book gives it as "the regiment SS-Standarte "Gross Deutschland" which had to take the islands". Don't blame me . Bertram

Picture?? Bertram

Michael, The book is not available at the University Library (not in the catalog, so also not in an other University Library in the Netherlands). Makes me wonder if it isn't a provate project of the author. The "official" history of the second World War for the Netherklands is written by Dr. L. de Jong. 10 book, of which the latter ones are divided in parts A and B I believe. Part 3 describes the May days of 1940. Chapter 7 is devoted to Zeeland (pages 433 to 445). It is rather low on details, but gives as attacker the SS-Standarte "Gross Deutschland". Defenders were the several Dutch reserve regiments, added straglers from the Peel (rather demoralized), and parts of the French 60st and 68th infantry devisions (reservists, most called up just before the fighting and without proper equipment). I'll try to post a picture and a map from the book. Bertram edit: can't seem to post a picture. Have some scans, will add them when I have puzzled out how to do it. [ March 28, 2004, 11:55 AM: Message edited by: Bertram ]

Map scan is send. Bertram

I haven't had time yet, the day I planned didn't work out. Tomorrow I have an other chance. Bertram

The books are available at our university library. I'll take a look tomorrow if I can get them. Bertram

Hans, I made a mistake. I got two scans for you. One is a 1/32.500 scale map of the Rotterdam harbor. It gives an idea of the surrounding area, but unfortunatly the Waalhaven was only dug half then. The other is not from 1939, but from 1950. The scale is 1/40.000. Major difference in build up is that there is a tunnel planned, and the whole Waalhaven is dug. The 1923 map is cut of about halfway the Waalhaven, dropping the to-be-dug south half. The other is cut off just under the Waalhaven. So the area with troops (at least I think those ovals on your map are troops??) is only partly displayed. I can mail the scans. I have them as .rtf 's, at 1200 dpi resolution. That gives a nice picture, but the sizes are 10 Mb and 12 Mb resp. Can your mailbox handle that? The university library only had the catalog of the Rotterdam municipal archives, and was mainly focused on technical drawings (partly of the build up area's and the harbors) I'll keep looking, but I might have to contact the Rotterdam municipal archive directly. Haven't looked into the Royal Marines (Dutch version) archives yet. Bertram edited to add: the alternative is a 200 resp. 300 dpi half compressed .jpeg of 450 kb or 1 Mb. I'll send you the 300 dpi jpeg of 1950, guessing that your provide can handle that. [ March 17, 2004, 01:05 PM: Message edited by: Bertram ]

Hans, I got a map from an Atlas, from '39, that shows the Rotterdam harbor at scale 1/40.000. That shows less detail then your map, but gives some additional terrain. If it is any help I can scan it. If needed I could ask at the university library what they have,and if it is scannable. Bertram

Thanks for the endorsement Winecape. Don't think it will help, but it is good for the morale . Maybe I should stop drinking French and German wines, and take up Afrikaner ones? Bertram

What happened? I went away for a week from feb the first, last thing I was told was there would be a chance to write up for some time (see my post and the reply a few pages back), and now everything is booked full? Drat, the first RoW I am going to miss. Bertram [ February 08, 2004, 12:10 PM: Message edited by: Bertram ]

In a pbem I am now playing an enemy sniper caused a TC kill (and forced the other 2 Stug in the group to stay buttoned after that). He also suppressed several squads (vet and regular) in the proces also denying them the use of the E movement. He caused 2 infantry casualties with one "shot" in one squad, and one casualty in an other. All in nothing dramatic, but he cost me several turns due to the slower progress the units made, and limited the spotting capability of the Stugs. Combing the church and the graveyard where he was "sound spotted" en route (I had to pass there anyway) I could not find him. So he even got away with it. Bertram

Drat, I am leaving on januari 30th for a week of skiing in France. I do really hope they have internet in the appartment we hired. I haven't missed a ROW yet (and haven't made it past the first round either). I have CMAK, ordered it right away, but still have to play the first battle... (btw, Tabpub, where is that setup?). Actually the only reason I was reading this forum now and then is to see if ROW IV was happening. I really do hope that I manage to get a connection. Bertram

My grandfather from my fathers side worked in the shipyards and metal industry in Winschoten (the Netherlands). He spends most of the war doing forced labor in Germany. He never wanted to talk about it. My father was 11 when the war started, 16 when it ended. Stories he told include that his girlfriend was Jewish, and disappeard, never to come back; that he got arrested once by some German soldiers because while they were cheering because they thought the AA shot down a plane, he remarked that it was just a drop tank; that he and a friend went to meet the Canadians to tell them the town was deserted by the Germans, and were almost hit by the arty the Canadians send in front of their advance. He surprised himself later, somewhere in 1980, by talking Russian. He learned it himself in the war, together with his friends, because they all expected to be liberated from the east. I still have an atlas from the 1930's in which the placenames in Russian are marked, following the news from the front. My mothers father was a smal farmer, and was exempt from pressed labor. At some time there were illegals on a piece of peat he owned (for fuel), which he supplied with food. Close to where he lived there was a large group of people the went under - literally in this case, they lived in underground holes in the woods- to avoid the Germans. My mothers memories are of being shot at by the RAF, because of the tramline running behind their house, and of the refugees in the hungerwinter. Bertram

My grandfather from my fathers side worked in the shipyards and metal industry in Winschoten (the Netherlands). He spends most of the war doing forced labor in Germany. He never wanted to talk about it. My father was 11 when the war started, 16 when it ended. Stories he told include that his girlfriend was Jewish, and disappeard, never to come back; that he got arrested once by some German soldiers because while they were cheering because they thought the AA shot down a plane, he remarked that it was just a drop tank; that he and a friend went to meet the Canadians to tell them the town was deserted by the Germans, and were almost hit by the arty the Canadians send in front of their advance. He surprised himself later, somewhere in 1980, by talking Russian. He learned it himself in the war, together with his friends, because they all expected to be liberated from the east. I still have an atlas from the 1930's in which the placenames in Russian are marked, following the news from the front. My mothers father was a smal farmer, and was exempt from pressed labor. At some time there were illegals on a piece of peat he owned (for fuel), which he supplied with food. Close to where he lived there was a large group of people the went under - literally in this case, they lived in underground holes in the woods- to avoid the Germans. My mothers memories are of being shot at by the RAF, because of the tramline running behind their house, and of the refugees in the hungerwinter. Bertram

My grandfather from my fathers side worked in the shipyards and metal industry in Winschoten (the Netherlands). He spends most of the war doing forced labor in Germany. He never wanted to talk about it. My father was 11 when the war started, 16 when it ended. Stories he told include that his girlfriend was Jewish, and disappeard, never to come back; that he got arrested once by some German soldiers because while they were cheering because they thought the AA shot down a plane, he remarked that it was just a drop tank; that he and a friend went to meet the Canadians to tell them the town was deserted by the Germans, and were almost hit by the arty the Canadians send in front of their advance. He surprised himself later, somewhere in 1980, by talking Russian. He learned it himself in the war, together with his friends, because they all expected to be liberated from the east. I still have an atlas from the 1930's in which the placenames in Russian are marked, following the news from the front. My mothers father was a smal farmer, and was exempt from pressed labor. At some time there were illegals on a piece of peat he owned (for fuel), which he supplied with food. Close to where he lived there was a large group of people the went under - literally in this case, they lived in underground holes in the woods- to avoid the Germans. My mothers memories are of being shot at by the RAF, because of the tramline running behind their house, and of the refugees in the hungerwinter. Bertram

What I noticed: Whjat has changed: troops seem to be more difficult to spot. I have had an enemy unit firing at my troops for several turns, at about 100 mtrs, and it was not spotted, though several units had a clear los to the spot it was located (blowing away the houses did suppress it nicely). What hasn't changed: the air force managed to knock out two of its own tanks in the first seconds of the second turn I played the demo. I know M3's look a lot like that Tiger from the air, but please, can the air force be told that the units advancing en masse are the attackers,and the units dug in are the defenders? Bertram