Maj. Battaglia

Here is current US Common Warfighting Symbology from Defense Information Systems Agency. It is a collection of .pdf files. As for period symbols, some are similar. You can find some in the War Department's Handbook on German Forces available in three parts from the MHI Digital Library. I don't have any info for period USSR or German symbology, but a search through the Internet (perhaps Feldgrau?) might yield fruit. If you find something, please post the link here, I'd be interested to add to my bookmarks. Note also that there is a difference in symbology of individual pieces of equipment, as might be found on a small scale map (appropriate for CM) and on a map showing divisional (e.g.) size units.

Thanks Dandelion. In the back of my mind I was thinking ot would be you to come through with the goods, and so you have. Great information.

The part about hiding development from Hitler is true. When Hitler found out about the MP 43 and heard how successful it was, he ordered the name changed to Sturmgewehr 43. This from Feldgrau. I've most often seen it referred to as StG 43/MP 44, as the MP 44 was apparently a slightly different model, but basically the same thing. So the confusion is certainly understandable. I'd be interested to see more specific references to determine what is technically correct.

DB is correct when referring to bazooka teams, MG teams, etc. It takes one guy to fire the weapon, but he is only carrying a small amount of ammo. Especially with MG teams, if they get hit on the move they will lose a lot of ammo fast. But firepower stays the same because there is only the one weapon firing. However, this is not the case with rifle squads, which Free Work asks about. Ammo does not go down with the loss of a squad member; instead firepower goes down but ammo stays the same. Ammo is depleted only through firing: each time a squad fires, the number is lowered (and it is a bit variable depending on the type of firing).

I've noticed that flamethrower performance against AFVs varies greatly and seems to be based a lot on luck. Sometimes you get the AFV on the first shot, other times I've seen it take a good five or six bursts to cook the beast. Even against OT vehicles like halftracks I've seen it take four to five bursts. Overall I'd say that it is modeled well. There are a lot of variables, like can the burning fuel find some way inside the vehicle, etc.

Well, there's this thread in the CM:BO forum now: Types of infantry This covers the Germans in CM:BO and many of them translate over to CM:BB. As for the Soviets, I don't have a link for you, but I bet someone will be along shortly.

Dandelion, I don't have a lot of info on the mountain units, but I would suspect that your sources are correct and the k98 should be the main weapon. I had not looked closely at the Gebirgsjäger before. The difference is great. Compare the firepower strengths of these units (40m / 100m / 250m): Rifle 44: 161 / 95 / 49 Rifle 45: 186 / 104 / 49 Gebirg: 315 / 119 / 39 I have to wonder if this is a mistake as well. Good catch!

Please check out these threads: Types of German Infantry German Infantry type knowledge If you have more questions, feel free to post here again. I or anyone else here will be happy to answer.

Isn't that one powered by the same engine as the cars in "The Flintstones"? The commander's feet hang underneath. Bug or realistic? I suppose my favorite has always been the Panther G, for reasons similar to what Dandelion said. It performs very well, but more importantly is engineered to look good pulling up to the club.

dalem, I'm with you and interested. Here, by the way, is the link to that old thread. It is interesting reading for those of you who did not read it the first time: Use of AA MG on the Sherman There was a picture in the thread that is now unloadable. Could the original poster please repost? It was a useful graphical aid.

An odd thing happened today. There were two German PSW 222 ACs pretty close to one another. I was playing the Soviet and caused one to be abandoned. Next turn the other one is hit by my BT and it explodes. Immediately, the other one, previously abandoned, explodes as well. Secondary explosion? Nobody else was targeting it. Thanks to Wisbech_lad for use of his computer to run CM:BB. Still no upgrade in the Battaglia household.

Andreas, that's interesting. I have a feeling these may have been in the VG artillery regiment (one bn of 18 75mm guns, two bn of 105's (12 in each), and one 150mm (12)). But you never know. And I'm sure VG divisions had quite a bit of variation and improvisation to fill up the ranks, as Dandelion suggests. By the way Dandelion, my source above shows the 14th (AT) company's guns replaced by panzerschrecks in the VG divisions--3 platoons of 18 each. There is a divisional AT bn that has both towed and SP 75mm AT.

According to the War Department's "Handbook on German Military Forces" (pp. 116-119), the VG regiment contains an "Infantry Howitzer Company" with four 75mm infantry howitzers and two platoons of 120mm mortars (four in each). Note that the infantry battalion heavy weapons company also has four guns, so there were 12 in each regiment. This book is available online at the MHI Digital Library.

Frenchy, Thanks. Although I had seen your sig before, it did not register with me when I have visited the Trailblazers site on previous research missions that a forum member was webmaster. Just last week I referred to some of its contents in the bazooka discussion. It's a great site with a lot of good info that is worth preserving. Good job!

Coincidentally, the other day I read an article by Pat McTaggart about the Crimean battles in "Hitler's Army: The Evolution and Structure of the German Forces, 1933-1945." This is a good reference source to have by the way, consider getting it if you do not already. I had not done a lot of reading about the specifics of the campaign there. I knew it took a while for the Germans to clear Sevastopol and the Crimea, but I had no idea there was so much back and forth. So, is there going to be a prequel featuring Manstein's "Trappenjagd" (Bastard Hunt) that finally shoved the Soviets off the peninsula (8 - 15 May)?

To answer your question 2, I think BFdotC ships out CDs with the updates. So they should now be shipping v1.03 and you do not need the patches. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

Well, for one thing I'd suggest being tuned in to when to play and when not to. If she's just hanging out watching TV, that might be a time to get in an hour or two. Be available and don't let CM take the place of doing other things together, even if it is just hanging out. And do your best to not be thinking how to outflank the pillbox when you are talking. Women have been dealing with men's hobbies for a lot longer than CM and computers have been around: golf, hunting, fishing, etc. The advantage CM has is a save feature. And don't be afraid to try to get her at least vaguely interested.

PFC Dave, keep in mind that 81mm mortar salvos are not really intended for meting out death and destruction, rather for interdiction and suppression. Sometimes you might get some kills out of it, but use 81mm fire for taking out guns, smoke screens, suppressing the enemy to allow maneuver, and for slowing down advances. I played again last night (well, last night here in Jakarta) to see what was what (it had been almost three years for that scenario), and as the Germans pretty much trounced the AI US. I did lose one tank (first shot from the Sherman), but as Slappy points out, I got the Shermans one at a time while they were going after my infantry that had just advanced into defensive positions (I put my tanks in the scattered trees to the right of the road and advanced with hunt). Also, once your tank has acquired a target that could likely kill it in return, give it a reverse order next turn if it has not killed the enemy by the end of the turn. The order delay will allow it to get off a couple of more shots. After an enemy AFV starts firing at your tank, it is not a good idea to just trade shots until one is dead. Get out of sight and engage under favorable circumstances at another time. I used my 81mm barrage to impede the advancing US troops (but not the first few squads--let them get through and get hit, unsupported, but your defenders). The intial rounds will injure troops not grounded, and then keep them ducking. Also, set up ambushes with your infantry squads if you can. Wait until 150m (preferably more like 100m or less) to open up on them. By the way, scenarios can't really be modified (by coding "super" units) to make it impossible for one side. Only real-life factors such as terrain, numbers of troops, and equipment can affect this. In this scenario, it is pretty even, possibly slightly in the Germans' favor.

YD, that is an excellent idea with the split use of bazookas: teams that use them well and in-squad usage used less well. A new engine could model rounds as grenades are (counted, that is) in CM:BB. Actually, I think BFdotC was going to put bazookas in squads originally (if you look at the unused .bmp files there's one that looks like it would have been placed like panzerfausts are in the unit info box), but decided to go with teams (which given the choice are a better solution). With weight, perhaps if such bazookas only had a few rounds (about 4, each round weighs about 3.4 pounds) that would mitigate the problem. After all, the BAR weighed 20 pounds and that does not slow down the squad. By the way, regarding your comment about 50 cals on trucks, actually this was not just an ad hoc occurrence. Based on what I have found, I would estimate that upwards of 25 percent of trucks in the Quartermaster Corps (as opposed to those organic to divisions) had these as standard equipment. Since they would be in longer convoys the 50 cal would give the convoy some AA protection. Forty's "US Army Handbook 1939-1945" not only shows 2-1/2 ton trucks with these, but also Federal 4x4 semis. Also, support vehicles such as the M26 recovery vehicle had them as standard equipment. Of course, in CM no trucks should have them as is the case. Regarding infantry use in CM, I would simply argue that 50 cals should not be organic to rifle companies, but available for purchase in QB. Designers should limit their use, especially on offense, and keep in mind that the M1917 was the primary weapon in the battalion heavy weapons company, even after the war.

Thank you for all the replies so far. JonS, I agree with you on the 100th Div web site. It is also interesting to check out the combat engineer battalion (I wanna jackhammer in CMX2!) and the regimental cannon company, for example. YankeeDog, I think the shortage of the 50 cals is not a shortage, but the reality of TO&E (see the various 50 cal threads. Also, regarding the Springfield, I have seen other accounts where one person per platoon had one. One example is Lowry's "Company A, 276th Infantry in World War II" (available from the 70th Division site) has this to say: "One rifleman in each squad carried either a rocket launcher (bazooka) [author's parentheses], a sniper’s rifle, or a rifle grenade launcher." This also supports the CM model of three bazookas per company. (As for the grenade launcher, wasn't the US grenade launcher just an adapter to essentially make a regular grenade into a rifle grenade? It was not a separate piece of gear, a la the M79 right?) So getting back to the bazooka, Redwolf, your point about the bazookas being in the rear area is also supported by the TO&E on the 100th site. Even the regimental AT company has them (I guess in case the 57mm guns don't do their job?). And JasonC, I read an account by Charles M Schultz (yes, of "Peanuts" fame) who was in an AIB (I think mortar or MG squad leader) talk about a bazooka being handy in the halftrack he rode in. Overall I am under the impression that the US should have more than three per company in CMBO, particularly if on defense or if there is a known AFV threat. In these cases they would have been pulled out of wherever they had been kept, if not on the front line. But Jason, your point about who is willing to use one, particularly against tanks (they were also used in attacking fortifications), requiring someone with experience and guts is a good one. From the reading I've done, most troops had received training with the bazooka, but had probably not fired one until combat situations called for it. Not ideal circumstances. Perhaps that is one reason to limit their abundance? Again, thanks to all for your thoughts.

For a while I have been curious to find more info about the bazooka and its place in US rifle company TO&E. I was recently reminded of this and decided to put it out to the Forum. I found one related thread in the archives that talks about it a bit, but there does not seem to be a lot of evidence, and the conversation centers more on use in the game. Of course, one of the reasons I am interested is because of use in the game, but I would like to find some written sources about this. Does anyone have any sources that discuss this issue? In CM:BO, each line company gets three (in the weapons platoon) and battalion HQ company gets eight. Seven reside in the heavy weapons company for a total of 18 in the battalion. The sources I have seem contradictory. A US infantry TO&E on the 100th Division web site shows that a company would have nine (one per squad? two per platoon with the others in HQ and weapons platoon?--it does not elaborate). Eight more are with the bn HQ co. I am not sure how faithfully this site reproduces the TO&E from the time. The 70th Infantry Division has this to say: "The company commander also had five 3-man antitank rocket ('bazooka') teams at his disposal, and he attached them to platoons as he saw fit." From where in the company TO&E were these 15 men pulled? And was this standard, or something unique? Overall there is no "truth" to find: TO&E at this level is often distorted to suit local needs and tastes. Some troops may have used the bazooka sucessfully and kept it, others may have had bad luck with it, or were not well-trained in its use, and left it in the depot or the side of the road. But I am curious to find out more, particularly if there are any official or semi official sources on its use and formation of bazooka teams.

Harry Y, I agree that Cooper is only one voice, despite being a veteran, and he certainly has an axe to grind. I don't fully agree with everything he writes, and take other parts with a grain of salt. But what I have read about US doctrine makes me think the separation of TD and tank persisted after North Africa. I do think Cooper is right when he talks about the 75 on the Sherman being meant as a dual purpose weapon (and as you also say, a better HE load). By the way, the injuried from the gyrostabilizer were due to the breech of the gun moving up and down as the tank moved cross country, sometimes hitting careless turret crew.

Dandelion, use the damn asbestos gloves and don't burn your paws changing a barrel. Asbestos is perfectly safe as long as it is nicely contained behind some other fabric or material. It is only harmful if you breathe the dust over an extended period of time. It ain't radioactive.

According to Cooper's "Death Traps," the Sherman was also designed by committee; part of the committee were artillery people. The 75mm gun was a dual purpose gun to fill a couple of different roles, and Sherman crews were trained to use their weapons in an indirect role. (Buy a US 75mm spotter if you want to simulate this.) As moneymaxx points out, US TDs were meant to take on panzers. US tanks were to breakthrough openings and drive behind the lines, causing havoc in the rear areas. That was the doctrine, at least. According to Cooper, Patton himself delayed the Pershing from being introduced because the higher fuel consumption would slow overall advances and the nature of that tank would change doctrine. As for the 17 pounder, I think JonS may be correct about hubris. Also, the Firefly was first produced in late 1943 (the 17 pounder having only debuted in battle in Tunisia in March of that year), so it was probably too late for the US to make many anyway in time for Normandy, and their other up-gunning solutions were not that far off.

Swarm, Check out the manual, p 28, for more info. If you view the unit info window (and you can do this when you have ID'd an enemy) it will state if it is so equipped. Most German heavy AFVs have it, and some other ones as well. It is controlled by the friendly AI, so you can't target anyone with it manually. If enemy troops approach the AFV, the thing fires at them (although I don't recall seeing any explosions as with grenades, so it might seem like a mystery at first). Guys, as I've said before, please do read the manual. It is not a waste of time: it is well written and there is a lot to this game not immediately apparent.