Hans

Historical note, I believe these lads are up against the Dutch. Hey guys, I see another mine field with even MORE grazing machine gun fire we can crawl thru. What luck ya!

Hey did anyone else hear that funny sound of a flamethrower being ignited?

The waffle and peng are like public nudity, you cannot do it without a public. Best avoided or viewed from afar. while thanking your parents for not dropping YOU on your head.

Stoffer I took a relook at Grebbe What about De Voorposten or Hoornwerk, De Stoplijn, or Het Viaduct contacts?

Stoffel Sent the final draft for Waalhaven Assault to you. Contains corrections - thanks again for putting in those Dutch names! I think it might be useful if we put in a paragraph in Dutch for any native Dutch speakers. So what is the next Dutch CM project? If we cannot find a well documented historic action how about a Dutch force defending a canal crossing site against the advancing German forces while at the same time trying to recapture a railroad bridge behind their lines which was taken in the morning by paratroopers? Hans

or platoon leader becomes squad leader over two squads

LOL! How the hell was this determined? A cook-off? What about: Best Mobile Brothels: Italians </font>

I wouldn't, but then no-one would expect me to would they In terms of equipment, I think the 25-pr was better than the US 105s, while the heavier US guns were better than the British stuff (although the 5.5-in was good too). In terms of comms and training, the RA have the edge up till about early '44, then it's likely a wash. Many of the innovations the Americans introduced (eg, airborne observers) were adaptaions or copies of RA practice. In terms of employment, the RA - IMO - had a more sophisticated set of tools in the bag than the Americans seem to have used. The RA CB organisation too, by 1944, was very sound and effective. In additon to the types of missions and plans that Dorosh talked about above, there was also the recognition that 'destruction' was an impractical task for field artillery, and that 'suppression' was both acheivable and gave the same desired effect. Finally, giving the authority for missions to the FO, rather than holding it back at the FDC, again gives the edge to the RA. Hans: Most nations gave their unit commanders the reponsibility to be observers - they then tended to be concerned about their own unit. The American FO system left the commander back with the guns while another officer liaisoned with maneuver. For TOT etc the Americans tended to be faster and better, particularly with ammunition supply. I'd stick with the American and Brits being best overall artillery wise with the Americans taking the lead from the brits after Normandy. But, considering things from a German POV, I suspect there wasn't a lot to choose between them. Regards JonS </font>

The Bulgarian strategic bombing command. Pitiful really.

The Historical Insititute of the Army of CR U Památníku 2 130 05 Praha 3 - Žižkov Tel: +420 262 799 57 http://www.militarymuseum.cz Pick! The Historical Institute of the Army of the Czech Republic is a museum, a book and a scientific researching institution of the Board of Military and Army of the Czech Republic. It systematically gathers, stores, specially and scientifically works out and makes accessible the objects of the cultural inheritance, springs and information about the history of the Czech military, the Czechoslovak army and the Army of the Czech Republic. It manages the museum and book collection funds and forms presumptions to their usage. It makes the collections accessible by means of expositions of four museums (the Military historical museum, the Museum of aviation, the Military technical museum and the Army museum) and short-term exhibitions. Military museum Žižkov November - April Monday to Friday 9.00 a.m. - 5,00 p.m. May - October daily except Monday 10.00 a.m. - 6.00 p.m. Booking office: +420 220 204 924 The Aviation Museum Kbely Mladoboleslavská ul. (Airport Praha - Kbely) 197 00 Praha 9 - Kbely May - October Open daily except Monday 10.00a.m. - 6.00 p.m. Booking office: +420 220 207 513 The military technical museum Lešany Lešany u Týnce nad Sázavou, p. Krhanice June - at weekends only 10.00 a. m. - 4 p. m. July and August - daily except Monday and Tuesday 10.00a. m-4. p. m September at weekends only 10.00a.m. - 4p.m. Information: +420 220 204 933

The military museum is a must, excellent display of Soviet armour.

I'd give the nod to the Americans artillery, their communications and training allowed them to concentrate fire better than any other during WWII. Best of Best cavalry: Hungarian Best use of a bad situation: Italians Best coastal forces: Brits Best surrender: Danes Best neutral: Switzerland Slickest political maneuvering: Turkey Stupidiest politico-military move: Thailands alliance with Japan Best field kitchens: Bulgarian Worst battlefield, Aleutians tied with Petsamo Best battlefield: France Most annoying country: Spain and Ireland Worst neutral: Portugal Best fighting men for spirit: New Zealand Army best capable of fighting despite trashed country: China

Talk about not knowing when to quit, three points for loyalty -10 for common sense. However very much a hero to Japanese.

CMAK is a different flavor, CMBB is till playabble while I wouldn't touch CMBO now. Is CMAK worth it, Yep

Sounds like we need a good May 1940 scenario for you two guys!

Saburo Sakai 64 kills On Dec. 8, 1941, the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he flew with his group to attack an American air base in the Philippines. He shot down an American P-40, in what was said to be the Japan's first aerial kill there. On Jan. 25, he downed an American B-17, the first Allied bomber to fall in the Pacific. In August 1942, he was hit in the face by a bullet from a Grumman Avenger torpedo bomber. He was blinded in the right eye and his left side was paralyzed. He was prepared to die. "I swore I would not go out like a coward, merely diving the plane into the ocean for one bright flash of pain, and then nothing" he said in his book, which was written with Martin Caidin and Fred Saito. "If I must die, at least I could go out as a Samurai. My death would take several of the enemy with me. A ship. I needed a ship." But somehow he made it back 560 nautical miles to his base in New Guinea. In 1983, he met the tailgunner who hit him, Harry L. Jones of Unionville, Nev. "I thought he was gone," Mr. Jones said. The two enjoyed conversing, the Los Angles Times reported. Mr. Sakai spent five months in the hospital, instructed other fliers and returned to combat. He believed a bomber he shot down around the time of Japan's surrender may have been the last American plane downed in World War II. Mr. Sakai was one of the few Japanese servicemen to rise from the ranks of enlisted men to officer. He retired with the rank of lieutenant. He told Mr. Sheftall that he had not killed any creature, "not even a mosquito," since last stepping from the cockpit of his Zero on a hot August day in 1945.

"Hero of the Japanese Imperial Navy, known throughout Japan as "the unsinkable captain" of World War II, Captain Tameichi Hara, led his destroyers into the thick of combat in practically every major naval battle in the Pacific." Captain of destroyer Amatsukaze at the beginning of the war, and squadron commander aboard Shigure during much of the fighting in the Solomons. He survived several very close scrapes in the Solomons, including being the lone destroyer to survive the fiasco off of Vella LaVella on August 6, 1943, where three of four Japanese ships involved (Hagikaze, Arashi, and Kawakaze) were all ambushed and sunk within the space of a few minutes in the Battle of Kula Gulf. By the end of the war he had become skipper of Yahagi, which accompanied (and was sunk along with) Yamato on her final sortie, although Hara again survived. Hara exemplified the best in Japanese surface commanders; highly skilled (particularly in torpedo warfare and night fighting), hard driving, and aggressive. He was also bitterly critical of the Japanese Navy's handling of the war. Noted for taking only one hit during the entire Solomon campaign, a torpedo that went thru his rudder without exploding. Noted for his bravery, gallentry and skill. His book is one of the finest ever written, Japanese Destroyer Captain Captain Hara got translated into English because of John F. Kennedy. Hara was commanding the Amagiri when it rammed and sank PT-109. Hara had no idea Kennedy was in his way that night.

Much of this info became SOP and didn't need to be discussed each time. Yes, to plan a small successful operation, like a patrol you needed to consider ALL of this stuff. I suspect the WWII German version would be complex.

yep Italian engineers set on regular with high morale officers and fanaticism set to 50% make suitable Japanese infantry, they even charge and throw explosives at allied tanks....what more would you want : ] Setup? Might be able to do, but I've got about twenty five scenarios in development as we speak...

For those who don't have the Vpoo burned into their memory circuits...... The Five-Paragraph Operation Order Task Organization States how the unit is organized for the operation. I. Situation Provides information essential to subordinate leader's understanding of the situation. A. Enemy Forces Should include the enemy's composition, disposition, strength, recent activities, capabilities, and probable course(s) of action. 1. Weather and light data general forecast: temperature (high & low), sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset, moon phase, % illumination, windspeed, wind direction, BMNT, EENT. 2. Terrain: OCOKA 3. Identification of enemy forces (composition). 4. Location(s): Known and suspected (disposition). 5. Activity. 6. Strength, morale, and capabilities/equipment. 7. Probable course(s) of action. B. Friendly Forces 1. Mission and concept of next higher unit to include higher leader's intent. 2. Location and planned actions of units to the left, right, front, and rear. State how such actions influence your unit, particularly adjacent unit patrols. 3. Units providing fire support: List the fire support mean available to your unit: mortars, artillery, CAS, etc. C. Attachments/Detachments II. Mission This is a clear, concise statement of the unit's task(s) to be accomplished and the purpose for doing it (who, what, when, where, why, and how). The mission is always stated twice in full. III. Execution Intent A stated vision that defines the purpose of an operation and the end state with respect to the relationship among the force, the enemy, and the terrain. A. Concept of the Operation This paragraph describes, in general terms, how the unit will accomplish its task(s) from start to finish. It should identify all mission essential tasks, the decisive points of action, and the main effort. This paragraph should be no longer that six sentences. 1. Maneuver: This paragraph addresses, in detail, the mechanics of the operation. The main effort must be designated. All subordinate units with their tasks, related to the main effort, are identified also. Acions on the objective should comprise most of the paragraph. 2. Fires: This paragraph describes how the leader intends for the fires to support his maneuver. It states the purpose to be achieved from the fires, priority of fires, allocation of any priority targets, and any restrictive control measures for the fires. B. Tasks to Maneuver Units This paragraph specifies all tasks and purposes of attached units not covered in paragraph III.A.1. C. Tasks to Combat Support Units This paragraph is similar to paragraph III.B except that it describes how combat support units will be employed. D. Coordinating Instructions This paragraph lists the details of coordination and control applicable to two or more units/subunits. Items that might be addressed include: 1. Order of movement, formations, and movement techniques. 2. Actions at halts (short/long). 3. Routes (primary/alternate). 4. Departure and reentry of friendly lines. 5. Rally points and actions at rally points (specify either IRP, ORP, PB, or RRP and include grid coordinates and/or terrain references). 6. Actions at danger areas (other than unit SOPs). 7. Actions on enemy contact (other than unit SOPs). 8. Reorganization and consolidation instructions (other than unit SOPs). 9. Fire distribution measures: point fires vs. area fires. 10. Fire contrrol measures: range cards, TRPs, visual/sound signals. 11. MOPP levels. 12. Troop safety and operational exposure guidance. 13. Time schedules (rehearsals, backbriefs, inspections, movement). 14. Priority Intelligence Requirements (PIR). 15. Debriefing requirements. 16. Reports. 17. Rules of Engagement (ROE). IV. Service Support This paragraph supplies the critical logistical information required to sustain the unit during the operation. A. General 1. SOPs in effect for sustainemt operations. 2. Current and proposed trains/resupply/cache points. 3. Casualty and damaged equipment. 4. Special instructions for medical personnel. B. Material and Services 1. Supply: a. Class I: Subsistence. b. Class II: Clothing and individual equipment. c. Class III: POL. d. Class IV: Construction. e. Class V: Ammunition. f. Class VI: Personal Demand Items. g. Class VII: Major End Items. h. Class VIII: Medical. i. Class IX: Repair parts. j. Class X: Agriculture/Economic Development. k. Distribution Methods. 2. Transportation. 3. Services (laundry, showers, etc.). 4. Maintenance (weapons, equipment, vehicles). C. Medical Evacuation: Method of evacuating dead and wounded personnel, friendly and enemy (to include priorities). D. Personnel: Method of handling EPWs and designation of EPW collection point. E. Miscellaneous: 1. Special equipment. 2. Captured equipment. V. Command & Signal This paragraph states where command and control elements are located during the operation. A. Command 1. Location of the higher unit commander and CP. 2. Location of key personnel and type CP during all phases of the operation. 3. Succession of Command. 4. Adjustments to the unit SOP. B. Signal 1. SOI index in effect (frequencies, call signs). 2. Method of communication by priority. 3. Pyrotechnics and signals, to include arm and hand signals. 4. Codewords. 5. Challenge and password. 6. Number combination 7. Running password. 8. Recognition signals (near/far, day/night). 9. Special instructions for RTOs. Reference for this material can be found in FM 7-8 & SH 21-76

Night is the stage of the professional

Gen Von Television A three battle operation based on Kokoda (reduced in scale) is in the works. J2D is correct the Italians are very similar - just have to change the names, Mussolisan.

In an operation has any one seen what happens to captured personnel when a new battle begins? I presume they disappear but wanted to verify that!

I remembered his name for some reason, something now forgotten, was he a prime minister or something some time ago? - what did he do to cause me to remember him! I was last in the Netherlands in 1986 - would he have been in power then?

Small fanfare and salute, a veteran returns