Phantom Captain

Yeah the combat record of the 501st during this and subsequent actions in the Sandomierz bridgehead was generally unimpressive. Possibly due to the original battalion being all but destroyed attempting to hold back Soviet attacks during Operation Bagration. Such catastrophic events would mean few of the experienced crews would survive to help form the cadre for the new unit to be rebuilt around. 
The 501st was reconstituted on the 14th July 1944 with the new Tiger IIs but this only gave the whole unit around a month to reform and train on the new vehicles, and as a combat unit, before being sent into action – perhaps therein lays the reasons for the lacklustre performance of the new tanks and their crews through August 1944?
Oh and overconfidence in the new vehicle...
Its worth noting that whilst this event figures highly in Soviet reports - due no doubt to meeting the Tiger II for the first time and giving the wunderwaffe weapon a kicking - German accounts are very scarce. there are reports from other units but nothing specific to this event from the unit involved - least as far as i could find in available English sources. The Soviet side has loads of versions based on the original Soviet reports (all of which repeat the incorrect date change so assume no-one repeating this has bothered to doubel check....).
Why did they attack? Well at the tactical level it is an odd decision for sure - no recce prior so they drove straight into an ambush. Some infantry support but they seem to not figure at all in Soviet reports and would appear did not even engage in any patrol activity. Its an interesting event which poses more questions that it answers for sure
 

My scouts are killed before they can even do their jobs.

The scenario should be called "The Fog at Ogledow".  😂

My scouts are killed before they can even do their jobs.

The scenario should be called "The Fog at Ogledow".  😂

@George MC  I will say this, the map is amazing!  That being said, the ground is horrible!!  The fog makes it even worse!  George, why in the 9 hells would the Germans attack blind, over this ground, in the fog!!!  Arrggghhh!!  What a cool historic scenario to recreate.  😎
It's super fun so far, @FlammenwerferX jumped me at about, ohhhh, 200 meters or so?  It was a nice little ambush.  We traded one King Tiger for one T-34.  I'd say that's gonna work out super well for the enemy if this continues...
Now I'm all super jumpy as the other spotted T-34 just rammed it into reverse and disappeared into the fog.  It's like a freaking horror movie!
 

Ha! Combined with maybe their own belief in the KT's invincibility??  In any case, not a good situation.

Der fuhrer said so?

Confirmed spot of two T-34/85s.  

Yeah, that really adds insult to injury when you're taking expensive losses and can't locate the perpetrator.  good luck!  

I wish I knew!  The fog is playing havoc with EVERYTHING.  I'm guessing IS-2 though.  I'm getting contacts in the fog but no spots.  @FlammenwerferX was just lying in wait for that one.
 

Thanks, I know excatly what you mean!
Ladies and Gentlemen, the "invincible" King Tiger.  
Just like you said Dan, the reality sets in pretty quick.

I wish I knew!  The fog is playing havoc with EVERYTHING.  I'm guessing IS-2 though.  I'm getting contacts in the fog but no spots.  @FlammenwerferX was just lying in wait for that one.
 

Thanks, I know excatly what you mean!
Ladies and Gentlemen, the "invincible" King Tiger.  
Just like you said Dan, the reality sets in pretty quick.

What new sorcery is this?
@FlammenwerferX and I have engaged at Ogledow.

Suffered a weird time jump again...
A US Marine and Ma Deuce.

Out for a stroll in the country.

Great pics as usual.  The Great King Tiger2 emerging from the smoke.  I still love these beasts.  I remember when I was young & foolish and thought these things were nearly invincible.  Then I played CM.  Oh, turns out 60 tons of steel is a lot more fragile than one would think.  Also at some point read how mechanically unreliable they were.  Kinda wish I could go back to my starry-eyed ignorance and idolize these things like I used to.  

What new sorcery is this?
@FlammenwerferX and I have engaged at Ogledow.

Suffered a weird time jump again...
A US Marine and Ma Deuce.

Out for a stroll in the country.

What new sorcery is this?
@FlammenwerferX and I have engaged at Ogledow.

Tiger Trail...
Night falls on the Nieman river and the glow from burning vehicles illuminates my troops as they advance.

Suffered a weird time jump again...
A US Marine and Ma Deuce.

Out for a stroll in the country.

All of the platoon inside hand grenade range. 

Ambushed! 

Short update:
4 of 5 campaigns are running their final test 👍 this means, 44 single missions are almost ready for the release.
But there will be a small delay until the last campaign "Our Father" is finished, because I have enlarged this campaign 😉
More news to come...
 
Regards
Mr.X

A VERY BRIEF encounter.
I know @FlammenwerferX has a PzIV on overwatch in a field beyond a woodlot and across a lake and he's been throwing HE into my SMG troops in the woodlot (who have their hands full with the German soldiers they have encountered in the woods) and causing me some pain.  Earlier one of my T-34/85s got hit and one of the crew killed but the survivors dismounted, went and took a lie down and then got brave and hopped back into their machine.  I immediately tasked them with trying to take care of this problem.
Racing across a field behind the woodlot, my tank spots the "thorn in my side" PzIV.

However, FlammewerferX's tank spots me at the same time.  Both tanks level their guns.

My crew fires!  And you may not notice but if you look closely you can see the puff of smoke around the PzIV as both tanks fire at each simultaneously!

Incredibly both Soviet and German tank round pass each other in flight.

Mutual destruction as both tanks destroy each other at the same time.

Ha!  Honestly, for battle, I probably would too.  However, it still doesn't change my affection for the PzIV.  If I had my choice, I'd take a Panther even before the Tiger, I think.
Yep.  Truly though, ALL WWII tanks are pretty blind so none of it surprises me.  Buttoned up, I honestly don't rely on any of them to get get spots.  That's what radios, binoculars, and a commander's hatch are for!  🤣  
Someone posted on one of the modern threads a video of a Ukrainian and Russian tank going right past each other and then not being able to spot the other, or subsequently losing track of the other in the heat and confusion of battle, and these are modern tanks.
That all being said, I don't really have any arguments about armor spotting in CM anymore.  I just put it all down to adrenaline, nerves, smoke, death, fire, blood and confusion on the battlefield.  @George MC's video even reinforces it a bit.  I mean it was the Soviet tanks that had intel and a contact and the Tiger didn't have a clue they were where they were.  I meant to ask you George, did you have firing arcs on the T-34s or was it the AI itself slinging those turrets backwards?