RCHRD

Thanks for the black text.

No, I don't think you're being too idealistic. I don't like that stuff either, but it seems we've entered a new era. War on the home front. These kinds of things are in our future, maybe lots of them.

There's a big difference between a make believe hollywood killing and footage of someone actually dying. People freak because American kids are exposed to the dramatised hollywood stuff, but other kids, all over the world, are seeing the real thing. Does it screw them up?

I've been playing war games a long time. But, I've never played a PBEM game because of time constaints and general disinterest. To me wargames are more about illustrating the history than the game itself. There was a wargamer locally who took the view that he didn't need to play by any rules save the ones that allowed him to win. I was soured on it and him and his kind for a long time. But CM is a great game and I want to play. I needed someone to help me learn how. I thought people would see me as easy pickins and jump at the chance. I asked people I knew, wargamers with whom I had been on friendly terms for some time. No one wanted to play me. They just ignored that part of my message and replied cheerfully to all else. I thought; "That's it, then. I guess I'll never play a game." Since SuperTed is running a tourney for newbies I sent him an email describing the experience, asking why it was so distasteful to teach someone to play a PBEM game. With all that this gentleman has on his plate he offered to play a game with me himself, and guide me through it. I am loath to impose. I asked him for an introduction to another player who lives within my state. He obliged and that gentleman, knowing my limitations, has graciously consented to play a game. I am now undertaking my very first PBEM. SuperTed is helping me along. (Not with the game but with the mechanics of PBEM) It's too cool. I am bound to say here and now. Thank you, SuperTed. Thank you, Rob.

You're right and he's right. My numbers don't add up. The July 42 shtat shows two battalions, one w/21 T-34's and one w/10 T-34's and 21 T-70's. With Hq tanks it comes to 53. That means they kept the same orginisation from summer 42 until and after Kursk. From April 43 replacing T-70's w/T-34's.

I bet it's a mine roller.

Yes, the British certainly did have a material advantage over the Italian Navy. Radar, for one. See: 'Battle of Cape Matapan'.

April 43 the shtat was issued for an all medium tank bgde. It took the Germans awhile to weed them out. The survivors were stored somewhere late in 43, marked "For emergency use only"

A tank corps consisted of three tank brigades, each with two battalions of 21 tanks each, plus HQ tanks, for about 44 tanks, including more or less 33% T-70's. Also from Glantz and Charles Sharp. His statement isn't wrong it just doesn't define the number of batt's in the brigade. Ex July 43; 18th Tk Corps: 110 Tk Bgde w/311,312 Tk Batt's, 2/3 T-34, 1/3 T-70. 180 and 181 Tank Brigades had the same composition. Oct 43 the third Tk Battalion for each brigade was ordered for all tank corps. It's in Glantz and it's in Sharp.

A Soviet tank brigade, up until the autumn of 43, had only two battalions, about 44 tanks. One third of those were light tanks. Not a juggernaut.

What if the sharpshooter is always within about 40-60 meters, relaying by hand signals?

At the level of CM, which I wonder will model the superiority of visibility, communications, or the three man turret, I'll take a T-34 or KV any day.

I SS Pz Corps, in 44, was LSSAH and HJ plus some other units I'd have to look up, like the s.Pz Abt 101 and some Heer units.

I play exclusively vs. the AI, quick battle. I'm trying to build the skills to give a good account of myself in a face to face game. I always buy a couple of sharpshooters for the sole purpose of poking around the opposite side of the map. Point men and outposts. Is this considered gamey?

Hausser's corps was the II SS Pz Kps in 43.

That mill is divided into three parts, internally, by concrete partitions. On the top floor the southern partition has a perfectly round hole about six feet in diameter, six feet up, which I was sure could only have been made by a placed charge. For me, it really brought to life the stories of German and Russian soldiers in adjacent rooms and on adjacent floors. What else could have made such a perfect breach?

When I actually saw Pavlov's house (Or what's left of it)I was surprised to see how close to the river it was. I had thought that it was more in the middle of the downtown area. The only thing between it and the embankment is the mill that Beever writes of, so it can really be surrounded on only three sides.

Yeah, thanks for the link. I've been checking the forum every day.

Tracer mods? Are explosions modable?

Ok, I'll go back and read again. I looked all over that one AAR for a date and never saw it. He did write about calling fire on the ridge and waiting for it. What about battalion and regimental mortars? My understanding is that they were often detached and combined into groups. Could you describe a bit about the flares and runners approach. Surely batteries controlled in such a way could not have delivered very accurate fires.

I certainly hope this doesn't come across as a criticism, but I noticed that in the recently posted AAR's both scenarios had indirect support from 76mm guns. According to Charles Sharp, only the howitzer Regiment had the wherewithal and the personnel to coordinate indirect fires. The light regiment was direct fire only. I'm a big fan of the Eastern front. I want the scenarios I make to be as accurate as possible. Can anyone contradict Sharp on this point? Can anyone point out tidbits of interest to scenario makers? Anyone want to share TO&E info? Is there any interest from the community at large in this kind of thing? Edit; He refers to Infantry divisions in 41. [ April 28, 2002, 08:01 PM: Message edited by: RCHRD ]

Tell you what. Send me a beta copy of the game and I'll localise it into Canadian for free.

German tactical manuals emphatically discourage the use of tanks for cover. Tanks draw fire.

I spill just fign.

At Kursk, the Germans had no choice but to clear minefields while the lead was flying around.