Erwin

CM2 has "very delicate" victory conditions.  In some cases a single cowering enemy individual can be enuff to deprive you of the objective.  
When a Green objective color disappears that means it was a "Touch Objective" (and you do not have to leave troops there as a garrison).  If the Green color stays... that will be an "Occupy Objective" and you need to occupy it and ensure no enemy hiding anywhere.

There is no doubt that designing a great map takes a great deal of time.  Even more time to make a great (playtested) scenario.  Making a great campaign that uses all the features available like core units, ammo and material conservation, branching storylines/missions etc. is a career.  Designers (and modders) are heroes.  But, it's noticeable that we had many xnt user-made CMSF1 campaigns, but since then the numbers have decreased dramatically.  Designers and modders have gotten burned out and/or left the hobby.
Have suggested that BF should create modules of campaigns for sale since a great campaign requires so many man-months or even years of effort.

My suspicion re why WW2 Africa desert theater hasn't had so much demand is that many folks have the idea that deserts are flat, featureless and boring.  Maybe there a a few places in the world that are like that.  But, that is very rare.  Anyone who has been in deserts knows that desert terrain is a) beautiful, b) often with rugged and dramatic vistas, and c) marvelous for long LOS and maneuver warfare.  We need to regularly chant for BF to consider an Afrika Korps module for CMFI.  (Especially if they ever get to the earlier WW2 period.)

There is a reason that the US trains on the Utah-Arizona border -  looks a lot like Afghanistan

+1  Desert terrain may look flat as a pancake, but as you say, it really is not.  There are always undulations that can be used to approach an enemy relatively safely.  WW2 Africa theater often mentions that.  

Yup.  From looking at the map, those hilly flanks seemed to be where the threat to an attacker would come from.   

I don't know what the defender set-up locations were.  But, I recall some defensive games I played where I put main guns with inf protection in the hills around the village and was able to do a lot of damage to the attacker who was massed to take the village and had not allocated any forces to occupy surrounding hills.  And if he had split his forces to occupy surrounding hills, he would not have so much to attack the village with. 
A) If possible you wanna prevent the attacker massing his forces against one part of your defense and B) Try and position defensive guns for flank shots from keyhole positions that the enemy cannot easily see.

+1  Would also be great to have an AI that can handle many of the human player chores eg:  "Go recon over there" (and the teams act realistically and not suicidally to locate enemy); "Go resupply"; "Go tend to WIA"; "Follow the leader" (road convoy etc.)...  

Once upon a time we was told that CMSF2 was never going to happen.  But, things changed and now we have CMSF2.  Am simply pointing out that info that is 18 months old is almost useless.

As I mentioned earlier, 1917 is not really about the experience of WW1 as other same era historical movies have been.  1917 is a good story shot in a beautiful and stylish manner by Roger Deakins (full disclosure - he was a tutor of mine back in the dark ages when I was trying to make it in movies) but it could have been set in many different eras and locations.  
 

Yes, locating your ATG's and other primary weapons so that they can ambush the enemy from the enemy's flank as they roll by.  That will help the ATG's stay alive long enuff to kill a few things. 
The worst defense positions are ones where one sets up to fire directly at the front of an advancing enemy.  It doesn't matter if your weapon can kill the enemy frontally.  Since an attacking enemy (who knows what they are doing) will have more firepower, your defenders which are in direct LOS will get KIA very quickly as soon as they open fire.
 

Maybe some inspiration for missions from "The 317th Platoon" - (French film about a lost platoon in Vietnam prior to US involvement):
https://www.villagevoice.com/2018/08/07/1965s-the-317th-platoon-is-the-movie-that-should-have-kept-us-out-of-vietnam/
https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=6bdzXOTAONGh1fAPr_Wc8AM&q=la+317e+section+english+subtitles&oq=+La+317e+Section+&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.0j0i22i30l9.1026.1026..2677...0.0..0.46.46.1......0....2j1..gws-wiz.....0.maUMUXg-A1g

I also liked the image of the squad on the following tank looking on in amazement at the comrade's fanaticism: "Lead by Example".  

Agreed.  This does not seem to be a particularly hard village to assault.  But, it's hard to tell unless one has the 3D map to explore re LOS.

The big disadvantage of trying to defend at the "first defence layer" is that if Area Fire HE can be poured into that "first defence layer" those defending troops will die easily for no friendly casualties.  In my CM playing experience, the hardest defenses to overcome are the ones I described where there are little or no defenders I can use ranged Direct Fire against.  One is forced to close in and become vulnerable.  Of course, a few expendable skirmishers in the "first defence layer" would be useful to the defence if only to provide info as to what the attacker is up to.  But, if there are more than that, the attacker should find them an easy kill. 
 

If he is an experienced and smart player he will not have many troops that are in direct LOS of your guns.  If he does, you should use direct Area Fire (your Tigers) on any obvious defensive locations/buildings to deplete his men.  
But, if he's experienced and smart he will probably have placed most of his men in the village to the rear of the buildings that you have LOS to - behind walls or in other buildings that you cannot get LOS to.  So that while your men can approach the buildings, as soon as they enter a room/building they can be mowed down by enemy troops who have been safe behind the (2nd) far wall (or 2nd room).
If the above describes your challenge it is a tricky situation which I have also struggled with and would also like to know other players' successful approaches to this.
Attacking a village is a lightweight version of an urban assault.  What I would do is:
1) If you do not have other objectives needing arty HE you my as well dump the lot on the interior of the village where your tanks etc cannot get direct LOS.  This shod at least damage the buildings and may cause enemy casualties (or force em to flee.  If you cannot get LOS to the interior buildings/locations (or no TRP's), then dump the arty on whatever areas that you want to occupy, or that will help you occupy, in order to use that location to place men/equipment to provide supporting fire for the next phase of your attack.  One should not use arty where friendlies are close due to friendly casualties.  Once you get close to the village the arty will be unusable.  If you do not have other objectives needing arty HE, this is a "use it or lose it" situation.
2) You don't say how much SMOKE you have.  But, SMOKE is important to hep you close in on locations you want to attack and occupy.  SMOKE can also help create a temporary obstacle that can protect the flank of your troops and tanks thus creating a keyhole situation. ie: You can move your units into positions of danger so they can concentrate their fire on one part of the enemy, knowing that the enemy cannot use units that would otherwise be able to fire on your flank (cos they no longer have LOS to that area due to the smokescreen).
3) Using arty and/or Direct Fire, try and demolish the first line of buildings so that (once the dust clears) one has LOS to the interior buildings and spaces hidden behind the first line of buildings.  Could use a lot of ammo.  Hopefully you have enuff.
4) If you can destroy the outlying buildings you should have LOS to the soft interior belly of the village.  Your arty should have at least damaged the buildings, so that you won't need as much direct fire to collapse them.  The best/safest way to assault enemy occupied buildings is to destroy em using HE fire from a safe distance.  That applies even if the buildings are "Preserve" locations.  If you are playing like it's RL, it's always better to save your men rather than the buildings.  And a designer will or should have penalties for friendly losses that will be worse than for destroying "Preserve" buildings.
 

That's interesting, but the test does not compare being in foxholes vs being in the open which was the original question. 
However the data was interesting that rifle fire at 70m seemed to be more effective that 81mm mortars, and onmap 81mm much more effective than offmap ("troops take 90% of casualties in first 30 secs of shells landing and immediately abandon trenches").  

I love playing huge CM1 scenarios vs a human.  But, haven't played a CM1 scenario or campaign vs the AI in a decade or more.  You could ask on WeBob site or other sites where CM1 players are still active.  

Realized that there is actually a mix of Pz III's and early Pz IV's.  Anyway, thought the movie might be inspiring re camo and uniform mods.  
The strange thing about the movie is that altho it's relatively new (first released in 2016) the dialogue and events seem right out of a communist era propaganda movie. 

Pavilov's 28 men:
Not a great drama and dumb dialogue with highly dubious German tactics allowing them to be mowed down like we used to see the Russians get mowed down.  But, great for winter scenery, Russian uniforms and some very real looking PzIV's.
https://youtu.be/8suNNyaZqMU

Unless it's been changed in a recent patch it's noticeable that a buttoned up tank will spot close-up inf very quickly even if in smoke and mow em down if they try to assault it.  

Impressive effort.  We were told years ago that it would be impossible to do the stuff you have been doing.

Hi Doug:  Any film scored by the highly talented Hans Zimmer can raise the hairs on the back of your neck.  In addition, if you are troubled by loud sudden sounds films like Dunkirk may be troubling.  
Do you have the same aversion to horror films btw?  Most of their effect is through sudden, unexpected loud sounds.
A suggestion is to wait to get the DVD and watch with the volume turned down.
Speaking of war films I just saw "Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan".  Not nearly as good as Apocalypse Now or Platoon etc. but good enuff and interesting as it deals with an ANZAC action similar to "We were soldiers once, and young..."

My condolences...  I also enjoy the larger scenarios and have felt the same way for years now - it leads to burn-out.  Have repeatedly mentioned on these forums the hope that BF focus in future more on overhauling the UI and streamlining the way that things get done so that more of the tedious "make work" aspects of the game is automated.  
eg:  Convoy command for multiple units; ammo/weapon sharing between adjacent units (with time penalties and quantity limits); single-click 180 degree covered arcs (like we had in CM1); "Wait in ambush, shoot, and scoot to secondary location"...  Am sure other layers can come up with many more game items that could do with streamlining and simplification/automation in order to cut down the clickfest that CM2 has become (at least for the large scenario enthusiasts).

Hi Doug:  Any film scored by the highly talented Hans Zimmer can raise the hairs on the back of your neck.  In addition, if you are troubled by loud sudden sounds films like Dunkirk may be troubling.  
Do you have the same aversion to horror films btw?  Most of their effect is through sudden, unexpected loud sounds.
A suggestion is to wait to get the DVD and watch with the volume turned down.
Speaking of war films I just saw "Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan".  Not nearly as good as Apocalypse Now or Platoon etc. but good enuff and interesting as it deals with an ANZAC action similar to "We were soldiers once, and young..."

Thanks...  Those are the basic ones.  My mods have a few more variations, add-ons etc.   Anyway am happy that Megalon has em now if anyone else wants em.