Darknight (DC)

For any that are interested, I have been looking at the new files available in v2.0 and I need some time to figure out how to create the necessary normal maps for the graphics (any tips are appreciated). After playing around a bit to get a feel for the changes, I plan on updating the CW units and I even have some ideas for some pretty neat improvements. I could start slogging through the entire 21st AG, start to finish, but I'm actually thinking of being more selective of the regiments that I concentrate on, at least to start. I'm thinking of doing a single representative unit for each division (my choice), and also whichever specific units that the Battlefront community requests to have made. I tend towards being a completionist but I'm not so sure that the community really wants/uses every single CW regiment....and there is a possibility that I drive myself insane trying to "do it all". So, if you're interested in a specific 21st AG unit, post it here and I'll use this list as the initial task list for what I work on. I will do every unit that the community specifically wants (plus some additional ones).

I can't check right now because I'm at work, but how deep is the unit uniform selection? Is it at the division level? the Battalion level? Does it affect tank crew (I doubt it with the tankers in tank suits)? Does it affect the helmets or other parts of the uniform? Haven't seen any comments on British or Canadian uniforms....

We were going for a historical-ish feel on both sides. We had agreed that we would both have at least a company of infantry, and the bulk would be free-purchase (though the feeling was we would both probably also have a company of armour). There seems to be more variety to choose from in the German OOB than the American OOB (where its pretty much just plain Shermans). I think we also learned a little bit about armour employment in the game (at least I know I learned a few things).

It was an interesting battle. Mord had me reeling and desperate for quite a portion of the battle, especially when his attack came over the hill and broke into my staging area. I felt better after the desperate charge stabilized my situation but I lost so many tanks that I was forced to be more cautious and reactive than I wanted to be initially. There were several points in the battle where I felt it could have gone either way.

Epilogue: As the Rangers made their way cautiously along the northern flank of the Villa Castelletti, they found that the position had been hastily abandoned by their Axis foes; evidence pointed to a hurried evacuation of the remaining German soldiers through the vineyards and away to the northeast, falling back towards Enna along Route 122. After their hour of hard fighting and chaos, there was only general mopping up and casualty recovery for the exhausted troops of Task Force ‘Easy’; though nothing is ever easy for Easy Company. Casualties, especially among the men of the 2nd and 4th platoons were heavy and cannot be immediately replaced. The attached armor, ‘A’ Company of 70th Tank Battalion, was reduced to less than platoon strength, and all Shermans remaining in action are damaged to varying degrees; also, 9 of the Shermans are beyond recovery, including 5 that became fiery coffins. Ultimately, Task Force ‘E’ was successful in pushing aside the enemy resistance to their drive on Enna but the casualties incurred will force a significant pause to reorganize and the loss of so many tanks will reduce the effectiveness of the task force when it resumes the advance. The thrust towards Enna will continue but it has been blunted. Casualties (Killed & Wounded) 4th Ranger Battalion (US 7th Army) 2x Sniper teams (4 men) ‘Dog’ Company (Rangers) (2 men) 1st Platoon (3 men) [Lt Reece] 2nd Platoon (4 men) [Lt Contini] 1st Infantry Division (US II Corps, US 7th Army, 15th Army Group) II Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment ‘Easy’ Company (6 men) [Capt Lorentzen] No1 Infantry Platoon (2 men) [2Lt Gage] No2 Infantry Platoon (29 men) [2Lt Bridge] No3 Infantry Platoon (5 men) [2Lt King] No4 Weapons Platoon (25 men) [Lt Wade] Company ‘A’, 70th Tank Battalion (US 7th Army) Company HQ Sherman M4 (Coy HQ) [Capt Gable] KO’d/Destroyed Sherman M4A1 [sgt Miller] Damaged + attached No1 Section, No 2 Battery, 58th Armored Field Artillery Battalion M7 Priest [sgt Cowen] Good M7 Priest [sgt Egert] Good 1st Medium Tank Platoon Sherman M4 (Plt HQ) [Lt Neubert] KO’d/Destroyed/Brewed up Sherman M4 [s/Sgt Hess] Damaged Sherman M4A1 [sgt Contini] KO’d/Destroyed Sherman M4A1 [sgt Rogers] KO’d 2nd Medium Tank Platoon Sherman M4 (Plt HQ) [Lt Melo] KO’d/Destroyed Sherman M4 [s/Sgt Rexford] KO’d/Destroyed Sherman M4 [sgt Mannering] KO’d/Destroyed/Brewed Up Sherman M4 [sgt Naranjo] Severely Damaged 3rd Medium Tank Platoon Sherman M4A1 (Plt HQ) [Lt Sabo] KO’d/Destroyed/Brewed up Sherman M4A1 [s/Sgt Horner] KO’d/Destroyed/Brewed up Sherman M4A1 [sgt Bradford] Damaged Sherman M4A1 [sgt Zieger] KO’d/Destroyed/Brewed up

1754 hrs Having navigated their way along the shallow ravine, right to the doorstep of the Villa, Lt Contini’s Ranger platoon begins to advance up the hill and into assault positions. The Priests have shifted their focus to the westernmost building in the Villa compound, hoping to dislodge their German occupants. The only German resistance left at the Orchard is a solitary infantryman who has refused to leave the side of his wounded comrade; the armored car was finally spotted and dispatched by Trooper James’ Sherman, which had moved to almost point blank range in order to gain sight on the AFV. Another kubelwagen was also spotted reversing quickly in the direction of Route 124. Rangers, Lead the Way 3rd Easy drawing a bead on the last German defender at the Orchard The PSW 222 finally comes into view 1755 hrs The battering of the enemy positions at the Villa and Hill continues; it is hoped that the ‘softening up’ of the defenders will save some American lives in the next phase. With Lt Contini’s Rangers edging closer to the Villa, Sgt Bradford is slowly repositioning his Sherman to support their coming assault. The final German defender at the Orchard wall decided he’d had enough and tried to make a break for it but one of the Easy squadmates of a recent victim of this enemy soldier pitched a grenade at the retreating panzergrenadier, which bounced along behind him and took him out with the blast. 3rd Easy is making their way forward on the eastern slopes. The enemy presence south of Route 122 is believed to be a single soldier hiding near the orchard and the distant kubelwagen making for Route 124. You won’t get away that easily… The grenade ruins his day...

1751 hrs Both Priests have moved into a supporting position and began to lay fire on the Villa, which knocked out the truck and forced the halftracks to reverse to safer positions. The troops moving along the northern edge of the Orchard began taking fire from soldiers hiding on the Castelletti Hill, though Sgt Bradford has maneuvered clear of Naranjo's Sherman and into a position to cover the advance, at least partially; 1st Easy, which had been held in reserve and will be tasked with clearing Castelletti Hill, has begun moving up to a position closer to the Hill, parallel to the highway. With the Gully completely secured, 3rd Easy followed their scouts and the tanks to the Bottaro House, tightening the pincer on the remaining Germans in the Orchard. 1752 hrs A number of German soldiers were spotted moving among the trees on the Castelletti Hill, scrambling for cover from the 105mm HE shells from Sgt Cowan’s Priest detonating in their vicinity. The Orchard is minutes from being secured, with only the PSW 222 and a few weapons team soldiers left south of the highway. The western approach to Castelletti Villa and Hill The PSW 222 at the Orchard 1753 hrs A 105mm shell from Sgt Cowan’s Priest finished off another SPW 250/1, then the two SP artillery vehicles continued to plaster the area around Castelletti Hill with high explosives. Lt Reece’s Ranger platoon, which had advanced into the fields at Cipoplla Farm, was held up at a stone wall due to small arms fire, the source of which was pinpointed as coming from the upper levels of the buildings at Villa Castelletti. The northern edge of the Orchard is steadily being consolidated by 2nd/4th Easy, supported by Sgt Bradford’s Sherman. The eastern edge of the Orchard is proving to be much tougher to lock up, as there is still tenacious enemy resistance here, centered upon the last remaining German AFV. Cpl Masconi briefly had sight of the SPW 222, but his crew is still so jumpy after the preceding battles that they reversed out of position before properly acquiring a firing solution. Trooper James has moved his Sherman closer and may get a shot on the vehicle soon, which is imperative, as 3rd Easy HQ took casualties when the vehicle spotted them near the Bottaro House. The tactical problem is as follows: the German AC is in such a position that the terrain and trees continue to impede the Shermans from gaining sight on it, and even when they can, the surrounding trees have blocked their shots; 3rd Platoon will be cut up if they advance into the facing AFV’s machine guns; and the infantry along the northern edge of the Orchard cannot flank it due to considerable enfilade fire they would endure from the Villa and Hill. 1st and 3rd Easy are also being ear-marked for the assault north of the roadway, so casualties are not desired during this portion of the operation. All of this makes it slow going to finally secure the Orchard, though it is inevitable.

1749 hrs It is apparent that the Germans are now attempting to withdraw their remaining forward troops to the relative safety of the Villa Castelletti; their defences in the Orchard are dwindling, though they are still fighting tooth and nail. On the eastern slope, the two Shermans advanced until they out-paced their infantry. James’ tank got spooked and released some smoke before retreating, while Masconi’s tank located the errant SPW 250/1 and dispatched it, before reversing under heavier calibre machine gun strikes to their superstructure; the tank crews cannot be faulted for being jumpy at this point, having both been damaged and taken casualties. The Germans also dropped smoke rounds on 3rd Easy, which caused a few superficial wounds and forced a squad to pull back temporarily. 1750 hrs A German Protze 70 truck attracted bullets like flies to honey as it moved from the copse of trees around Castelletti Hill to the Villa; Sgt Cowen’s Priest moved into position and provided accurate .50 Cal, though the main gun was sighted much too high. More SPW 250/1 halftracks appeared at the Villa, with one rounding the northern slope of the position and a second appearing from the center of the Villa compound itself; a mortar crew was spotted jumping from one of the AFVs. Meanwhile, Lt Contini’s Ranger platoon has navigated their way along the shallow ravine north of Cipolla Farm to the foot of the hill. Resistance around the Orchard itself is crumbling, with the American infantry cautiously but steadily moving forward. A German truck was spotted by Trooper James’s Sherman and quickly blown to smithereens. The main objective is tantalizingly close… A medium mortar team hastily exits their bullet-magnet Fiery Carnage at the Orchard After 50 minutes

1747 hrs The mortar rounds must have either spooked or damaged the PzIV at the Villa…it reversed out of the barrage but in its haste it appears to have slid backwards down the western slope, exposing its rear to fire (though there are no armored assets in firing position). Cpl Masconi continued to press northwards from the Gully, supported by 3rd Easy, eliminating a Kubelwagen and some scattered infantry as his tank lumbered forward. Trooper James joined the fight on the eastern slopes of Hill S135. Presented with a nice side-rear shot but no AT assets in range 1748 hrs All other events become subordinate to the maneuvers taking place between the opposing tanks at the Villa and the Orchard. The Panzer IV now at the Villa has been deadly to the American armor present on this battlefield throughout the engagement, either directly or indirectly responsible for at least a platoon worth of knocked out Shermans and various other casualties and vehicle damage; this single German vehicle has dominated much of the tactical direction of the battle to this point. In the Orchard, the Sherman medium tanks commanded by Sgts Bradford and Naranjo have been attempting to gain sight confirmation on their Aryan foe. Sgt Bradford and his crew, miraculously the only completely intact crew left in the entire company, have been truly heroic in the execution of their duty, almost single-handedly turning the tide of the battle along Route 122 and at the Orchard; their kill count includes several enemy AFVs and an assault gun. Sgt Naranjo’s tank was initially struck and abandoned during the initial German armored assault on Hill S135, and though the crew eventually rallied and re-mounted their M4, all weapons systems were inoperable; they have since played the dangerous game of being an armored scout and may yet have a role to play. As the German panzer maneuvered itself back into attack position, Sgt Bradford frantically shouted targeting information to his gunner and prayed for an accurate strike; the shot struck and penetrated the panzer directly through the turret, though the extent of the damage was not apparent and no follow-on shots were possible because Sgt Naranjo’s Sherman reversed directly into their path, locking them both in place. A few tense seconds of grinding metal later and the danger had passed, as the crew of the now-confirmed-KO’d Panzer IV abandoned their tank. A lot is riding on this single shot... We have Penetration!!! Get outta the way! Amidst the skirmishing, Easy Company is still pushing forward in the Orchard and have consolidated their original outpost line positions. A PSW 222 armored car was spotted near the apex of the Orchard, supporting the remnants of the German infantry tenaciously holding their line at the stone wall. Approximately 80% of the American casualties, mostly from 2nd & 4th Easy Platoons, have been recovered and evacuated. From the Gully, 3rd Easy has begun to push for the Bottaro House and the jog in Route 122, supported by Trooper James (who took up a dominating position on the eastern approach to Hill S135) and Cpl Masconi (who moved northwards with the infantry).

1745 hrs Along the northern edge of the Orchard, Sgt Bradford re-entered the fray, putting a shell through a hapless German infantryman who had remained manning the stone wall defences. The Panzer IV which had recently caused so much trouble from the Forested Ridge was believed to have been spotted at the Villa Castelletti; it was known that it was repositioning from its original position, so this isn’t totally unexpected. Targeting the enemy infantry I’m willing to bet there’s only a misty memory of this poor guy left…no triage necessary 1746 hrs The Panzer IV at the Villa let loose with a shot at Sgt Bradford’s exposed Sherman, penetrating the hull through the tracks and shaking up the driver; with the crew intact but shaken, they were sitting ducks. Fortuitously, the Ranger 60mm mortar team under S/Sgt Stephan was in a good position to lay direct fire on the enemy tank threat, which they had begun to range shortly before when they first spotted the tank threat. Cpl Fontana’s 81mm mortar crew also began dropping their remaining supply on the Villa. Sitting Duck The Orchard fighting appears to be winding down, as fewer and fewer German rifles are found to be manning the stone walls at the apex of the terrain feature. The Gully battle is also entering the final stages, as 3rd Easy systematically moves forward to dominate the depression to the immediate northeast of their position. Cpl Masconi, led by infantry, spots the first of two halftracks known to have hidden in the low ground and makes no mistake in laying a shell on the AFV. And then there was one (or maybe two)…

They would be useable for whatever. I use them for AAR images.

You're not the first to ask about those. Mord and I had been talking about releasing a mod that covers the counters. His computer troubles lately have had an impact on that project. I am still planning something in the near future.

1743 hrs Along the northern edge of the Orchard, the heroic Pvt Boggs was rescued by S/Sgt Blum’s Ranger team, which advanced to the stone wall at the edge of the grove; Cpl Lanford also led the remnants of his MMG team back into the Orchard. Once more into the breach… Many of the teams re-entering the original positions of Easy Company’s 2nd Platoon were slowed by the need to tend to the wounded from 2nd & 4th Easy, who were literally found everywhere due to the chaotic battle of the last hour. At the same time, another German prisoner was taken, hopefully indicating that the enemy are reaching their breaking point too. To the east, Pvt Young’s team, despite being shaken by their recent experience with the German halftrack, continue to stand their ground in the face of another attack by a different SPW 250/1. Meanwhile, the enemy AFV on the eastern edge of the Gully (which has been under observation but silent for some time) decides to open fire on a squad from 3rd Easy, though this backfires when the gunner takes a wound from the return fire and the vehicle subsequently attempts to retreat. Unknown to the hapless German driver, who appears to simply be trying to escape the engagement, he stops in direct line-of-sight through the Gully to Cpl Masconi’s Sherman; the first shot ended his flight. An unlucky place to linger… 1744 hrs The fighting along Route 122 has disappeared for a few minutes, allowing for freedom of movement for the first time (though it is believed there are still enemy elements that have observation over this sector). Lt Contini has been working his Ranger platoon around the north side of Cipolla Farm, along the shallow ravine, in preparation for a move on the Villa. On the east side of the Orchard, Pvt Young’s small squad continued to defiantly place a weight of fire upon the newest AFV threat, forcing this German vehicle to also retreat. At the Gully, 3rd Easy began a slow sweep northwards to secure the position and were presented with the halftrack that had recently egressed from the Orchard battle; accurate small arms fire has apparently convinced the German driver that this is not a safe place to hide as the vehicle began to move quickly towards the Bottaro House.

1741 hrs Sgt Bradford chased off most of the remaining German infantry along the near stone wall at the Orchard and repositioned his tank to engage the enemy halftrack astride the highway. There have been no signs of enemy activity at the Villa Castelletti for some time, though it is believed troops still occupy Castelletti Hill. The fighting in the Orchard has died down, with minor gunfire exchanged and the elusive crew of a destroyed SPW 250/1 finally deciding to surrender. On the eastern approach, a halftrack was spotted again moving towards 2nd Easy’s positions. At the Gully, 3rd platoon remains on alert for any nearby enemy infiltrations. 1742 hrs Sgt Bradford repositioned onto Route 122 and located the nearby SPW 250/1 hiding in a depression; the German AFV was trapped in place with nowhere to go and subsequently eliminated in a fiery blaze. In the Orchard, the indomitable 2nd Easy continues to display a will to fight, despite the hell they have endured. A 3-man fire-team led by Pvt Young maintains station behind a stone wall in the face of two enemy halftracks and managed to put enough accurate fire on one AFV to cause it to retreat from the battlefield. Nowhere left to hide The men of 2nd Easy standing their ground

The tank crew was assisting in casualty evac (and there were quite a few casualties in that area due to a nasty mortar barrage).

1740 hrs Sgt Bradford moved his Sherman back towards the Orchard, aware that several Germans had returned to man the stone wall; being confronted with the return of the American tank, the enemy infantry began to fall back along the wall. Trooper James’ Sherman also returned to action, though he did not spot any targets in the Orchard and instead chose to ensure that nobody ever mounts the abandoned StuG again by putting three more rounds into its hull. Sgt Naranjo continued to struggle to move his tank along Route 122 due to various shell holes and the burning wreck of a 3rd Platoon M4A1 in the middle of the roadway. The Dichotomy of War With desultory fire emanating from the Orchard, several brave lads took the time to tend to their wounded comrades in the former 2nd/4th Easy lines and around Hill S135; still others rushed forward to rescue trapped squadmates. At the Gully, Cpl Masconi turned his attention to a nearby depression where German infantry appeared to be sheltering, providing them with some 75mm HE in an effort to convince the to quit the Gully. Of great interest was the observation that the panzer IV on the Forested Ridge began to move north, away from its dominating position and possibly opening up the ground somewhat for the remaining ‘C’ Company tanks to maneuver more freely; it may also be an indication of the weakened state of the Germans near the Villa, who appear to now be without significant armored assets. After 40 minutes

1738 hrs (con't) The StuG crew almost gets run over…not that it mattered The mortar pounding continued at the hillcrest, resulting in more casualties, including Capt Lorentzen, the Easy Company CO, who took some mortar fragments and was incapacitated but not killed; the XO, Lt Metzger assumed command of the company. The German halftracks continued their deathwatch on the eastern approaches, preventing the remnants of 2nd Easy from withdrawing or doing anything but trying to hide, though with no supporting infantry, the enemy AFVs cannot advance with confidence. The Gully remains silent, with no more enemy troops spotted by 3rd Easy. 1739 hrs Sgt Bradford spotted and eliminated a German soldier lying directly in front of the tank, then reversed into a less exposed position astride Route 122. The remnants of more enemy infantry were spotted advancing quickly across the Orchard, near Bradford’s furthest advance; less than half a dozen men but they will need to be dealt with next, hopefully with the remains of 2nd/4th Easy Platoons. Lt Contini began leading his Ranger platoon into the shallow ravine that runs up and around the Cipolla Farm, hoping to approach the northwestern sector of the Villa via this route. Fritz has learned the first lesson of not being seen (not to stand up) but forgot to choose even an obvious piece of cover… The fighting at 2nd Easy’s original position continues with men on both sides refusing to be completely cowed into submission. The enemy halftracks which had recently dominated the eastern approach to Hill S135 were apparently spooked into retreating from their position due to a lack of covering infantry and incoming fire; several casualties were apparent and fire from the Gully may have incapacitated one of the AFVs. 3rd Easy makes it too hot for an enemy halftrack The Germans also displayed their continued willingness to contest the ground at the Gully, when a small squad charged forward and lobbed a potato-masher grenade into 3rd Easy’s position, badly injuring one soldier and shaking up several others. Incoming!!!

1738 hrs Decisive action along the northern edge of the Orchard. Another shot from Trooper James’ Sherman exploded on the tree behind the StuG, severely injuring the tank commander; it is possible that the enemy vehicle was still not aware of the presence of James’ tank, situated in 4th Easy’s original deployment area, as it turned to engage Sgt Naranjo’s Sherman just beyond the crest of the ridge instead of the more pressing threat. Naranjo’s crew, already jumpy after re-crewing their crippled mount, deployed smoke and reversed back towards the highway and away from the engagement. A lucky treeburst Sgt Naranjo’s crew gets spooked Meanwhile, Sgt Bradford’s M4A1 began to move over the crest to the rear of the German vehicles, having flanked them just below the ridge. The rear of the SPW 250/10 was the first target to present itself and Bradford’s gunner made no mistake, then the Stug was spotted reversing towards them, having taken another hit from James’ Sherman, and Bradford perforated the hull side of the assault gun that had caused so much consternation and chaos for 3rd Tank Platoon; the panicked enemy crew then ran right in front of Bradford’s path and were eliminated. Also spotted was another enemy SPW 250/1 in the Orchard that reversed to the eastern slopes like a bat out of hell when Sgt Bradford’s Sherman appeared. Sgt Bradford races along the enemy flank Scratch another SPW 250/10 We’re going to find out if this StuG likes it kinky

1737 hrs Chaos reigns again, as the action heated up north of the Orchard and along Route 122. Sgt Bradford and Sgt Naranjo both moved east, parallel to the roadway until Bradford’s Sherman began taking small arms fire from the German LMG supporting the enemy AFVs; the gunner, having announced his presence, was promptly gifted with an American 75mm HE shell. Bradford then turned his attention briefly towards yet another SPW 250/1, which had been advancing westwards along the roadway, laying a burst of coax fire on the vehicle, which then began a frantic reversal in order to avoid further confrontation with the passing tank. Sgt Bradford eliminates the German LMG Pvt Boggs’ teammate lets fly with the scrounged bazooka round… Meanwhile, Pvt Boggs’ cut-off team popped their heads up long enough to spot a target in front of them and blasted the enemy halftrack with their borrowed bazooka [Observation: I’m glad they made the shot count but their target selection sucks, as they had the choice of a rear shot at an SPW 250/1 or an even closer side shot at a StuG, both of which were visible to them…they chose the wrong target!]; Bogg’s team was subsequently lost to the surrounding enemy forces. The StuG and the 37mm halftrack continued to decimate the remnants of 2nd/4th Easy, killing Sgt Wilcox, scrambling Sgt Ezra’s MMG team and generally causing havoc, which was made worse by another damned mortar strike on the position coming from the edge of the Orchard. The halftracks on the eastern edge of the Orchard also continued to take their toll on 2nd Easy (essentially combat ineffective at this point). Despite the nearby destruction, Trooper James moved his Sherman closer for a shot at the German AFVs in the Orchard and was treated to a tasty target when the StuG turned into his sights; a round hit the weapon mount on the StuG, which had not apparently spotted his Sherman attacker yet. The Gully has now become the quiet sector. …and while successful, he chose the lesser value target Trooper James’ Sherman lands a hit on the priority target

1736 hrs The SPW 250/1 at Cipolla Farm was spotted by Sgt Bradford’s Sherman and it began to reverse towards the shallow ravine while firing on the M4A1. Cpt Pine’s Ranger Company HQ fired on the halftrack from their observation position in a house along Route 122, while Sgt Egert added some 105mm HE shells to the exchange; Cpt Pine himself scored a few superficial strikes on the AFV, while Sgt Egert, manning the mounted MG on his Priest, perforated the German halftrack several times, causing it to be abandoned, while his main gun finished off the crew. Sgt Egert perforates the German halftrack, causing casualties and disabling the engine A 105mm HE shell ensures the bailed crew don’t escape Along the northern approach to the Orchard, the enemy halftracks returned yet again, covered by the StuG. 4th Easy lost their HQ, when S/Sgt Hart was wounded by a shell from the SPW 250/10; a German LMG team was also spotted advancing with the AFVs. The only positive at the present is that Pvt Boggs team seems to have been ignored to the side/rear of the German vehicles and they were able to retrieve a bazooka (though only a single projectile round was salvageable). Triaging a wounded platoon-mate and locating a working bazooka Deciding to Act....Courageous or Fool-hardy? The troops of 2nd Easy at the eastern approaches to Hill S135 are quite fragile at this point, due to the re-appearance of two German halftracks. There are not many enemy infantry supporting the vehicles but the machine guns of the AFVs caused casualties and panic among the remaining Americans at this position and some even saw their morale break and eliminate them from the fighting completely; unfortunately, too much has been asked of these men. It is believed that this could be the last of the enemy’s strength at this position though and if the advance can be stopped, then the possibility of securing the Orchard increases. Meanwhile, the fighting at the Gully has ended as quickly as it started, as there was no further enemy activity detected while 3rd Easy continued to secure the position.

Yep, that's it....it is a nicely designed and challenging map. I created a whole backstory for my battle on it.

I think that's the same map from my AAR of my battle with Mord (Villa Castelletti - A Day in the Orchards). If so, then yes, I have to say the map was interesting.

1734 hrs The SPW 250/1 on the northeastern side of the Cipolla Farm crossed the road but did not proceed into the shallow ravine, instead remaining in sight. The enemy halftrack near the Orchard returned again and was again peppered with fire from Sgt Liming’s gun before reversing away. Sgt Boggs team advanced to retrieve a bazooka and lost another man, then found themselves right next to a German 37mm support halftrack which had crept up to the nearby wall. At Sgt Liming’s position, several of the men hurled smoke grenades about their position, hoping to mask them from the new threat, but this did not stop a nearby shell from killing members of the team and severely injuring Liming. All enemy troop activity has ceased on the eastern edge of the Orchard. Cpl Simonds 81mm mortar team finished off their store of ammunition with a smoke barrage on the panzer IV’s position at the Forested Ridge; ironically, one of the smoke rounds finally scored a direct hit on the pesky German tank. Close Contact Events at the Gully took centre-stage, as a number of Germans moved to close assault Cpl Masconi’s Sherman; with detachments from 3rd Easy either dashing to the Gully or already taking up positions at the location, there is little danger of being completely overrun but the supporting armor could be lost. A German team was spotted attempting to establish a firing base from behind the nearby burning StuG, which drew more smoke and a hail of coax fire from the Sherman. Whether it was the machine gun rounds striking the StuG or maybe just due to the spreading fire itself, the result was that at that exact moment, the ammo in the StuG cooked off, simultaneously causing the German infantry to break and run and the remaining crew in the Sherman to panic and reverse into the Gully (blowing the rest of their smoke mortar rounds in their haste to extricate themselves), and nearly running over their supporting infantry (which had also hit the dirt when the explosion happened). The StuG explodes and sends everyone running 1735 hrs The German halftrack took up a position at the stone wall to the east of Cipolla Farm and will need to be dealt with and unless Sgt Egert’s Priest can get an angle on its position, it will be unopposed for a short time. The SPW 250/10 took a few ineffective shots at 2nd/4th Easy but took casualties from return fire and withdrew; the SPW 250/1 returned briefly then also withdrew. The StuG also came back into action, moving undetected into a dangerous position on the edge of the Orchard. On the eastern approach to Hill S135, another enemy SPW 250/1 and the remnants of a few infantry teams pressed forward and took casualties; eliminating the halftrack would likely secure this position. The action at the Gully has died down considerably, though the Germans moving forward and back took some casualties; it is believed that there is only a small contingent of enemy infantry left near the Gully.

1731 hrs A German halftrack advanced onto the periphery of 4th Easy’s tenuous position in the Orchard but was scared off by a couple of bursts from Sgt Liming’s MG. In the Orchard itself, 2nd Easy didn’t have it so easy, as the Germans dropped some more mortar rounds directly onto their position, causing a few casualties; mortar fire has been pinpointed to a location just beyond the Castelletti Hill, though we have no assets available for counter-battery fire yet. Confirmation was finally received that the enemy AT gun along the far Orchard wall was out-of-commission and no longer a threat. An SPW 250/10 was also confirmed to be at the Villa and apparently overwatching the Gully where much tank action has recently occurred; this is probably the gun that initially fired on Sgt Contini’s Sherman at the Gully. Meanwhile, Cpl Masconi is cautiously repositioning in the Gully, utilizing an infantry screen from 3rd Easy to spot potential threats; the scouts that initially infiltrated the Gully have now been bolstered by a full squad. 1732 hrs The StuG astride Route 122 came back into action, as it engaged a forward scout Ranger with its bow machine gun, eventually killing the unfortunate American. The enemy halftrack returned as well, and advanced on 4th Easy again, but was again repulsed from the plateau by Sgt Liming’s team, while nearby Pvt Jones, the last survivor of a 60mm mortar team, worked to save the lives of two of his teammates, despite being wounded himself. True Heroism The remnants of the German assault on 2nd Easy continued to be cut down as the frenetic fighting in the Orchard began to subside; a few German soldiers, reaching the limits of what they could endure, threw down their weapons and tried to surrender. Some Germans attempt to surrender to Pvt Boggs…right in the middle of an intense firefight. Cpl Ezra’s M1919A4 machine gun team finally located a spot from which they could provide meaningful supporting fire and were provided with a clear view of the enemy SPW 250/10 hiding near the Villa Castelletti. An enemy LMG team on the eastern side of the Orchard appears to be the only German infantry still defiantly maintaining their position on the plateau. This enemy position has been very effective in causing casualties among the men of 2nd Easy. Pvt Weylandt’s bazooka team, having endured 20 minutes of mortar and shellfire in their forward positions in the Orchard, couldn’t take the fire any longer and dashed for safer ground, luckily making their escape while the German LMG team opposite them were sheltering behind a stone wall to reload. In the Gully, several infantry teams are stalking the SPW 250/1 which is just outside the treeline, hopefully causing some damage with their suppressive fire. Simultaneously, Cpl Masconi directed the fire from his Sherman onto the last known position of the German 37mm halftrack at the Villa; several shells landed in close proximity to the halftrack, though it remained in its position. 1733 hrs S/Sgt Stephan’s 60mm mortar team replaced Blum’s team with the intention of engaging targets on Castelletti Hill. Meanwhile, an enemy halftrack was spotted on the far side and to the east of the Cipolla Farm on the extreme left flank of the Ranger contingent. The pesky German LMG still in the Orchard fight let off a final burst and then beat feet to the safety of the eastern slope. Cpl Musconi’s Sherman at the Gully continued to fire away at the SPW 250/10 alongside the Villa, finally succeeding in knocking the vehicle out, though at exactly the same moment, enemy small arms fire raked the Sherman, severely wounding the turret machine gunner; apparently, elements of an enemy platoon were able to make their way from the eastern slopes of the Orchard to the Gully without being spotted and are positioning to attempt a close assault of the Sherman. The Germans were spotted by a scout element of 3rd Easy, which lobbed a grenade into their midst. Slightly bittersweet moment

1730 hrs Half an hour into the firefight and the armor from both sides has taken a beating. For the moment, the action has mostly subsided along the Route 122 corridor. At the Villa, the mortar fire from Blum’s team appears to have done some damage to the tracks or engine of the SPW 250/10, as it is very ponderous in its attempts at evasive moment. Trooper James’ Sherman, having spotted the threat but lost it amid the dust clouds, takes a few shots at last spot it had contact, coming ever so close to a direct hit with their first shot, but connecting on the second and knocking the vehicle out. Also of note, another SPW 250/10 was glimpsed maneuvering itself into position around the southeastern corner of the Villa Castelletti. So Close Second time is the charm In the Orchard, the Germans are pulling back, with one exception…there is a team with automatic weapon that opened up on 2nd Easy from behind a wall near the derelict armoured cars which proves troublesome. And some good news, as Sgt Naranjo has finally succeeded in rallying his crew to re-mount their Sherman, which had been abandoned when it was damaged by the German StuG that had rolled over Hill S135 several minutes ago; the tank has no main gun but it might still be useful. After 30 Minutes