Zitadelle

A bump to the top to see if there have been any further updates from CNN for allowing BFC to show an on-line view of the report

Add one more to the list if you are still looking. Send it to the e-mail address in the profile....

I would also add: 6. Button up if you expect to be fired on by an ST. If a round hits anywhere near an exposed TC he will be severely killed. </font>

One more bump to the top to see if anyone else has opinions/impressions with the Battle Tactics Books.

Thanks for your impressions Andreas. Based upon your answer they seem to be good references, and as for the usability, I was not particularly looking for an answer within the realm of CMBB. Still, your answer seems to indicate that the volumes have valuable information which makes them quite useful. Thanks to everyone else as well- and now to bump it to the top to see if anyone else has any opinions (although I really don't expect this crowd to voice any strong opinions on anything...).

I am considering purchasing several of the battle tactics books from the Nafziger Collection offered by BFC. Does anyone have any quick reviews/impressions that they would like to provide on these volumes; including: Quality of printing (limited number of typos, good binding, etc...) Quality of material Usability Valuable source references or bibliography Thanks for any thoughts- especially on the volumes that I will be buying (German and Soviet).

Unfortunately, real-life intervened and I will not be able to make this DC CM meeting. Post an AAR for the meeting, and we will have to repeat the meeting in another month or so.

I'll be there as well. But, of course, now I will need to video tape the episode of '24'. What will happen to Bauer next???

Sorry, but I don't think that I would be able to attend on the 20th. For three-day weekends commitments with family comes first. And, my work usually has me in the District during the week (yes, connections with the federal government as well), but on weekends I spend most of the time in the Northern Virginia area. Keep me in mind for the next round, and don't forget to post an AAR on the happy hour....

Sounds good, see everyone at the Brickskeller on January 21st. I would recommend that at least one person brings a laptop with CMBO and CMBB loaded- you never know when a question may arise and we will need to go to the source code. Or, we could have a couple hotseat games going....

I would be willing to give the scenario a shot. If you are still looking for testers send it to my profile e-mail address.

Count in another Northern Virginia CMBO/BB player. I live just outside the Beltway and can get vitrually anywhere in the DC/Baltimore area. Count me in for any get together. In fact, I got together with my old opponent and New York resident YankeeDog the week before Christmas and we caused all sorts of hell at the Lost Dog Cafe (Pizza place in Arlington with 150+ available beers). Nothing like a heavy discussion of military tactics/history and CM! I know that there was a small group of CMer's that got together last year in the DC area, and we should definitely do it again (I would even volunteer as the coordinator if needed). I think some of the other members at that showing included: Joshik Lawyer [ January 07, 2003, 02:30 PM: Message edited by: Zitadelle ]

And another spotting of CMBB.... I fought through last minute Christmas shoppers and visited the CompUSA in Fairfax, Virginia. They had about a dozen copies of the CMBB. Also, did a search through the CompUSA web site, and I can also pick up copies in Alexandria and Tyson's Corner as well. I will say, that I fully understand the Europeans now- that really is ugly packaging! I prefer my plain wrapper with the manual and the CD in the inner cover. Recon is complete and the verdict is that CDV tried the 'Sneak' command around BFC's 'Covered Arcs' and then issued an 'Assault' command on the VL. Perhaps, CDV got really mad with Europeans ordering copies through their American friends and everyone bad mouthing them. So, they invaded the US.

Bastables makes a very good point. Jentz has been arguing for years at AMPS that the current preceived shades of Dunkelgelb have all been incorrect, and he still continues his hunt for exact paint samples. The problem is worsened by photography as well. First, computer monitors actually have contributed to the problem of translating colors. Everyone has a slightly different setting on the color for their monitors which can make the shade too 'red' or too 'green'. Moreover, photography of the period has really been a factor. Most photographic records were with B/W film which did not truly capture the color scheme of the camoflauge. Tony Greenland discusses the issue in depth, and recommends that you take photos of models painted with the rust and green stripes using B/W film. Especially for the lighter shades, it can be difficult to differentiate between the two colors. A further example of this is actually the PzKW VIE source used above. In 1978, the Squadron Signals identified the color scheme on the Kursk Das Reich tigers as green (Olivgrun RAL X806) on yellow (Dunkelgelb RAL X805). Now, it is known that the paint scheme was rust/brown (Braune RAL 8017) ontop of the yellow.

After shopping around I finally found a computer that can run the operation 'To the Volga'. It is amazing how quickly the turn calculations are processed, and there isn't any screen flicker or pauses. Check out: The Perfect CM Computer I think with the introduction of this computer, BFC can also model individual soldiers on the battlefield. No more 3-man squads; I will be able to see all 9-12 men.

Thanks for the replies from anyone. This is probably a one-time only chance to visit Kubinka (and the Moscow region in general); so I am trying to maximize my chances of getting into the site and visiting the various tanks (including the Karl and Maus). Karch wrote: I do not have a digital camera- just a normal old fashion film camera. I have been thinking about purchasing one for this trip, but I still need to reach some conclusion (an additional $300 purchase plus training time on the thing may not be too easy- especially with RL intervention). Although, if you have any advice on digital cameras feel free to let me know- including purchases, models, or using the thing. Grisha wrote: I don't remember hearing anything about this site. Where can I find additional information about the site- what is it, how do I access it, what is there? If Kubinka were to fall through, I could perhaps go here instead. Thanks. Any additional information will always be helpful. And, if any of them would like to act as a tour guide for an 'Merican with a strong interest in USSR/Russia I would appreciate the local contact and I could probably make their time worthwhile (feel free to provide them with contact information). I will let everyone know how this trip is coming together. I know one member of this forum has provided images from Kubinka. If this trip works out, I guess I should work at also providing my input.

I know that this is not quite the right home for this forum question, but I thought I would start here and discuss it with the real Red Army grogs. I'm sure that one of the BFC folks will assist me and eventually move the message to the General Forum.... Here is the question- I am traveling to Moscow next February for a vacation, and while I have been able to arrange visits to the Kremlin and the Mueseum of the Red Army (or whatever it is called now), the travel company does not know how to get me to Kubinka. So, I am wondering if anyone has any advice for arranging access to Kubinka. Also, I know it is relatively close to Moscow, but how close, and what is the best way to get there (or are there dedicated tour services connected with the site that can get me from Moscow to Kubinka). Thanks for your help. [ November 08, 2002, 10:42 AM: Message edited by: Zitadelle ]

Did Tigers tend to move and fight in larger units?</font>

From the depths of the forum, an old thread is resurrected. Now that I have a positive answer for the snowy ground during QBs (thanks for the fix BFC), I am still wondering about the StuG IV with the curtailed suspension.

I agree with BlackVoid- this is something that needs to be addressed. I don't think it worked in CMBO, but it definitely needs to be the case in CMBB. We want snowy ground QBs without having to set the weather to snow. And, I don't see the need to create a map and have to load it into the QB- that is just an extra step that I don't have time to do. Any word from the BFC developers?

John D. Salt wrote: Bit of follow-on evidence from the 1944 Operation Cobra. The 'bomb-line' was placed extremely close to allied troops (about a 1.5 kilometers IIRC) and the pilots were allowed to bomb perpendicular to FEOT ("Forward Edge Our Troops") rather than parallel. There were quite a few cases of allied casualties caused by friendly iron bombs and rockets. So, a bomb-line could possibly be within the scope of CM- they would be within the distance on very large maps (consider the edge of your deployment zone plus a kilometer). Also, a bomb-line does not remove the chances of friendly aircraft dropping their presents in the wrong location. As for the ATRP concept, I think it is an interesting one, but I am not sure that it is within the realm of CM. Particularly in the form of available command and communications. CM takes the view that you are in command of your own forces- or those that have been assigned to your activity by the higher command structure (e.g. "loaned support of corps level artillery"). I would argue that during World War II there were few forces that had the command and communication structures and technology in place to support close coordination between the ground pounders and air support; especially at the lower command levels (regiment and battalion). Yes, by late 1944 the US Army and Army Air Corps were working together through an assigned Air Officer. However, I am not aware of other nations that had that close coordination. The result is that air units act as they would in CM- typically flying overhead and providing some support, but not necessarily what and when you need it. I would be interested in other opinions and sources/evidence of coordinated air support at the battalion and regimental levels. [ October 30, 2002, 08:15 PM: Message edited by: Zitadelle ]

"Is anybody in there?" (P. Floyd- Comfortably Numb) Alright, this issue is on the forth page; time to get it back to the top for a possible answer.

Thanks for the beer advice- I will have to look for the beers at my local beer/wine shops. Fortunately, in the DC area the good shops have quite a selection (upwards of several hundred). And, then there is the Brickskeller bar that reports having the largest available beer selection in the world (800+ labels). Through CM, I have met quite a few beer grog-snobs; including my old nemesis YankeeDog. I guess good taste typically crossing interests (wine, wargaming, beer, history, etc...). Now, it's back to work for me as well (looks around for the boss).

Your enhancement looks great; thanks for incorporating the change!!! And, I wasn't really trying to be too much of a pain in the ass. As for the T-34 stout, damn man, you tempt me more and more. I wonder if I could make you a deal that you couldn't refuse.... Sounds like it has received great reviews (BTW, I have had the Stone Brewing IPA, Stout, and Bastard Ale- as well as the Storm King Stout).

Pulls up chair Ahh, so glad you asked... My selection of homebrews include: Old T-34 Motor Oil (Russian Imperial Stout) I started brewing this about 4 years ago and have been tweaking it ever since. Aged six+ months. Incredible depth of character and amazingly smooth. It is my speciality, and at 12.5% ABV, packs quite a whallop. Fulminator (Dopplebock) Another favorite of mine, but not quite right yet. A mere 9% ABV. Sopwith Tripplane Belgian Trippel Aged for over a year this baby is sublime. 10% ABV. Claymore 90-schilling Wee Heavy Scotch Ale Aged six months, 1 pint will last an evening. A paltry 7.5% ABV. Hawker Hurricane Tadcaster Porter "Not any old porter in a storm" A favorite session beer of me and my friends. 6.5% ABV. I'm also experimenting with a dry Irish stout and a Cherry Wheat, but they are nowhere near perfection yet. Any other homebrewers out there?</font>