Dr.Juzzy

Andreas - good point. Unfortunately, not in that volume. I've had a root around somne militaria dealers I know and I've come up with a real find: a "Sokolov" mounting comprising the usual pair of wheels supporting a large turntable and a U-shaped trail PLUS full fluted water jackets and magnificent wheeled "Sokolov" Mounts reminiscent of Dr. Zhivago. These aluminum beauties comprise cap and lugs and have hand painted hammer and sickles. These weapons were discovered in Finland where they had been stored in military arsenals since they were captured by the Finns during the Russo-Finnish War (or Winter War; 1939-40). Hope this helps.

As always, Andreas, interesting post. I'm fortunate enough to have a rare copy of Igor Stepupovich's 1954 softbound 'The Sukolov Success" where, on p. 612, papragraph 4, he refers to some additional sloganeering loosely translated, if my Russian ids not too off as : 'Careful - Babushka on-board'. Plate 5.5 even illustrates the so-called 'go faster stripes' so chararacteristic of 616th Infatry Division at the Battle of Sevastopol in May 1942.

Foxbat - I agree. I'm leaning very much towards the Maxim at the moment. Wheels AND an optional gun mantle - it dosn't get much better than that.

Its not in your version of the demo? I've got the CM:BB Clown Car demo ver. 102.1a. Its the one with all the good bits they fixed or somefink to make the game miserable.

Observing the relative performace of the 7.62mm Model 1910 Maxim Russian Model SPM with the Maschinengewehr 42 in the (breathtaking) CM:BB demo set me thinking: Which was better: wheels or tripod ?

Oh and forgive the typos and spelling mistakes. :eek: I'm a dreadful proof reader and I'm in an awful rush. Doh! Why was I born so ugly?

While away those long days whilst you wait for the demo: play Joe's Bridge Coming to a Scenario Depot near you! By the middle of August 1944 the combined weight of successive Allied operations intended to crack German resistance in Normandy were concluded. The scattered remnants of the German Seventh Army lay scattered across the fields and ditches, lanes and highways surrounding the goal of the Allied encirclement: Falaise. Despite futile attempts to stem the Allies rapid advance at the Rivers Seine and later the Somme, Germans forces fell back through France and on into Belgium and Holland. Sometimes able to advance up to fifty miles a day the British 2nd Army, spearheaded by the Guards Armoured Division, liberated Brussels on the 3rd September. On only the next day the great city-port of Antwerp fell to the 11th Armoured division. The end of the War appeared to be in sight But the rapid advance had taken its toll. Supplies remained short and battle fatigue casualties were running at an all time high. As 2nd Army approached the borders of the Reich, Field Marshall Montgomery reined in his divisions for a necessary rest and refit. The Guards armoured Division resumed its advance from the Beringen bridgehead on the 10th September. The advances of the previous weeks had been so great that the Guards had out-run their map coverage and this, coupled with the stiffening German resistance around the easily defended waterways of northern Belgium, slowed the rate advance to a more conservative pace. Advancing on a five-mile frontage the Guards pushed out the armoured cars of A Squadron, Second Houshold Cavalry in search of a crossing over the Escault Canal. Late that afternoon, Lt. Creswell’s Troop discovered an undefended road leading to a bridge not marked on their maps. Abandoning their Daimler and advancing on a couple of the local’s racing bicycles Lt. Creswell and Corporal-of-Horse Cutler approached the bridge via the canal bank. Sheltering on the roof of a nearby factory they observed the layout of the German defences around the sturdy wooden trestle bridge. Early that evening XXX Corps tasked the Grenadier Guards and the Irish Guards to were tasked to go for the bridge. With the Grenadier Guards held up by the stiff fighting on the main road, Lt. Colonel Joe Vandeleur with 3 Irish Guards (infantry) and 2 Irish Guards (tanks) led No. 1 squadron accompanied by the infantry of No. 2 Company into the vicinity of the bridge. Sheltering in the vicinity factory so recently vacated by Lt. Creswell, Colonel Joe laid his plans. He would have that bridge. Designer’s notes. This scenario is designed to provide a semi-historical setting in which new players can practice their combined light infantry and armour tactics against the AI. In the interests of playability, the number of British tanks available to Colonel Vandeleur been has reduced by about half whereas the German force has had its numbers and deployment ‘enhanced’. As usual, all historical personages are marked with an *. Enjoy!

I have. I've been priviledged to have had the opportunity to test a few games out as a scenario tester and CM:BB will pose a distinct challenge to indie scenario developers everywhere. There's a nice range of new tiles (although I won't say anything more) and balancing games will prove to be a very interesting prospect. And then there's the problem of context - how many players know much about the Eastern Front in any real depth? Context is everything and setting the right tone may be a little difficult. I hope to try and avoid the son-of-tractor-battle-cum-human-wave-attack ver. 6.5 type of a game by inserting a little regional 'flavour' into my games But that's enough about my cookbook - lets look forward to September the 20th and get our reading glasses on.

He's forgotten to mention the neglected 'Stop and moon' command. I'll try and get a shot of it soon

Oh dear - the links don't work, lets try that again: Russian Battlefield Kursk 1943 My meddlin' feeble mind not at work again.

Just 2 sites I came across today. They may have been posted before, but I found that they're very useful for those of us reading up for the 20th: Russian Battlefield Kursk 1943 The former is a gem of a site with some wonderful first personal accounts; the second has some cracking photos of captured T34s as well as some useful map adventures. Hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

I suppose I could lend a tank top to a top model or somefink. Get your luvely tanks here. We've pictures of a T26 in Finnish schemes (I think), a detailed exploration of the inside and outside of a SU76 for those wannabe CM:BB modders, a PIII, loads of the T34/85, a Honey (M4 Stuart), a Comet, a Churchill AVRE and, of course, the Tiger. Shame it didn't go.

I bought IL2 at PC World the other day (£15 on the cheap) just to get in the spirit of things. I crashed when the phone rang.

Again, I couldn't agree more. Jeff's sentiments were echoed at the recent Bovington show. Despite the threat of being outmoded by CM:BB, CM:BO is still the best simulation of tactical warfare in many people's theatre of choice. Long may it continue (until the rebuild, of course). As for my fashion sense Holien, let the photo's from Bovington speak for themselves - I got them back at lunchtime. Quake in fear all you tank-top haters

Aaahhhhh...the faithful old M1943 Einheitsfeldmutze. I've lways been a fan of caps, but that's beside the point. I've a small collection of WWII helmets, but a cap - now that would be a prize. Rune - Interesting to hear that maps cannot be transferred from CM:BO to CM:BB. I always find designing scenarios a pleasure, so I don't think I'll stop designing for CM:BO. I think the Eastern Front does offer a little more scope and, of course, there's always the novelty of the new. Getting good maps for historical games has always been relatively easy for CM:BO if you're prepared to do the research. But as a thread highlighted recently, obtaining maps of the Eastern Front outside the US could be a little difficult. I'm going to take a look at the Public Records Office at Kew to see what I can find. I suppose with the release of CM:BB in succession to the relatively recent appearance of CM:BO in high street stores over here in the UK there will still be a steady thirst for CM:BO games as new players come into the fold. Tell me its true...

Careful, you'll be turning me into a wargaming fashion icon :cool: And anyway, you're the aberation, I'm sure all wargamers dress this way.

Spot on ICM, I couldn't agree more. Whilst I am learning to appreciate the immensity of the Ostfront campaign, I've still a tremendous interest in the events in NW Europe. From what little I know of CM:BB it looks a cracker, inspirational, and its forthcoming release is driving me to read more (well, at least buy more)books in order to bring myself up to speed with some of those grogs. I think I'll be like Holien (hello!), playing both games, but not just in same measure. Question is, will we become extinct - forced to live on a sad diet of Quick Battles as the scenario designers turn their attention to steppes and tractor factories?

Ahhhhh...a healthy dose of Teutonic scorn I'm quaking behind my handbag... Now see, I've started to plan my scenarios for the Eastern Front but, call me sentimental, I just couldn't bring myself to abandon CM:BO. I was playing it last night and I learn't something new (cheeky sniper hidden in scattered trees completely unobserved by passing infantry section - hehehehe - roll on tank commanders). Now, how could I remove a game that still makes me raise my eye brows in pleasant surprise let alone never play it again? OR Should we all go out in an orgy of CM:BO scenarios never to look back again?

I am panicking, I have two unreleased CM:BO scenarios that I've just got to finish the briefings on. Thing is, now THEY'RE talking about imminient release dates for CM:BB and those damned Beta testers are whetting eveyone's appetites for Eastern Front Fury. Thing is, will anyone be playing CM:BO any more after the release of CM:BB? We all appreciate that it's the tactical sim of NW Europe 1944-45, but will there be a thirst for stalwart Tommies, tenacious Germans and gum chewing Amis when the Red Bear lumbers over the horizon? What's a fan of 1st Airborne Division going to do then (and don't point me in the direct of Airborne Assault )? And those brave modders - I couldn't take all their hard work off my hard drive - it would be a sin... Woe is me.

No problem, I'll put the film in tomorrow. I don't think mine will be as impressive as yours (outstanding), but they have a few faces people can put to names so they may be of interest. And then there maybe some prints of the Tiger 1 - if there aren't any children in the frame (curse them ).

I don't know what's worse; having your complexion turn luminescent pink when every day after 'Sun'-day has been wet and overcast or the sniggering remarks attributing my rosey cheeks to a prolonged bout of constipation :eek: . Sun burn at a tankfest? Surely, that's a contradiction in anorak terms? Matt, I spent Sunday evening with a cold flannel on my head after coating it in successive layers of antispetic cream and aloe vera aftershave gel -Doh! Never, ever go out without a hat, thats my advice (just a shame I left mine in the car), but then I could have purchased a cheesey Tiger cap I saw a lot of traumatised people in Covent Garden on Monday, were they quaking ir your wake? Despite all this (flinching in the shower, weeping blisters and now shocking peeling) I can safely say I had a wonderful day on Sunday. It was really good to meet up with all the CM'ers on the day. Imagine if you will, a swarm (is there a more appropriate term for a collection of CM'ers?) all furtively muttering about the relative merits of Hunt commands over overwatch, preferences for mines over barbed wire and the social acceptability (or otherwise) of being a devoted follower of wargames in general. Now, if we could stomach it all again, isn't there the War and Peace Show on 17th - 18th of July or is that just a wicked rumour?

We were careful to try and take some pictures that might interest CM now (and in the future). Plus we've pictures of the Big Cat herself. I'll develop the film tomorrow so we can post them here in the next few days if I can find a scanner. If anyone wants to see Germanboy being 'camp', you'll know where to come .

Chicks with Tanks? Is that something new at KFC ?

I'll take my camera - any particular requests for photos (tanks, anoraks or beta testers? Take your pick .

Anyone fancy playtesting a medium sized scenario modelling 5th Dorsets attack on the Chateau Fontaine during Operation JUPITER, July 1944? There are no briefs as yet, but its a typical day in eastern Normandy as the dawn gives way to another attempt by the British 2nd Army to retake Hill 112. Let men know, as always feedback is always appreciated.