Thin Red Line

I'm starting a PBEM on a custom designed map : a river in a valley , a village crossed by the river in the bottom of the valley , with a stone bridge in the middle of the village. Each side has one side of the river as set-up zone, 4 VLs in all, 2 on each part of the village. It's a valley, so the LOS is pretty good on opponent territory, except for the streets of the village. I have a battalion of german rifles + half a dozen of tanks and i was wondering if i could try to cross the bridge with most of my force at the very beginning of the game, supported by a lot of MGs and tanks and covered by offboard smoke, storm the other bank by surprise and hold the position (the village) from the very first turns. (i can offer to do a small reco mission on turn 1-2). Did somebody tried this kind of tactics ? Is this likely to be successful in CM ?

You were 100% right on this, the tank ran away from the hornet's nest at full speed, apparently undamaged. I have a Panther who has just finished its fifth Hellcatt of the day at the other end of the map but with the good LOS it shouldn't take me more than 2 turns to offer her this sixth prey.

I'd suggest to use CMMOS, this utility allows you to switch from a mod to another in a mouse click ; many great mods are CMMOS compatible, and more is coming. Regards

I've also seen turret penetration and crew casualty without knock-out and tank still firing the next second (to my surprise, as i'd have expected shocked tank but it's hard to tell because a few seconds after the Sherman was definitely silenced by the following shell ; maybe only unbutonned tanks can be shocked)

In the last turn of one of my PBEM, a M18 rushed right in the middle of a full platoon of riffles in ambush in scaterred trees. Unfortunately, the 3 fausts missed, leaving all my men less than 10m from the steel beast, butonned, but well alive. Not shreck available in the neighborhood. Do I have a chance to knock it down in close combat with my infantry (regulars) or should i withdraw ? Does the fact that the Hellcat is open topped is in my favor (after all, a hand grenade in the turret should at least shock the crew) and how is that modelled in the game ? I'm instinctively more confident because it's open topped but maybe i'm wrong. What orders should i give : run at the tank (like to embark) or just target it ? Thanks for the tips. [ March 22, 2002, 02:40 AM: Message edited by: Thin Red Line ]

But, as you seem ressourceful on this subject, IRL, do the FO need to have the target in LOS to calculate the coordinates, or is a map sufficient ? Because in CM when i order a barrage on a zone out of my LOS it means that i have at least a knowledge of the area, hence a map. I think your exeample is good for a bridge (precisely located on every map) but more unlikely for a patch of wood, or a small hill in the landscape.

Well it's even better if it can be done in RL !

Good trick Willbell, i do that also. Actually, ALL FO should have ALWAYS something targeted just in case, when countdown is low and nothing appears under target, just start again from scratch. In real life , that would be of course difficult to explain to gunners : ''Please target those coordinates, i can see nothing there it's just in case !''

Extremely informative and useful. And also very unique. Congratulations !

Thanks Gyrene, In the game mine fields are marked only when they are detected or laid down by your side, aren't they ? I come to the conclusion that the type of markers to choose should be your nationality (to represent YOUR engineers putting some warnings signs). Of course it doesn't work if both sides use mines, but i guess it's pretty rare...

There is something i don't clearly understand (not surprising BTW, i'm French, so, as Pawbronn stated, don't expect much and divide by two) : Why are the mine fields marked ? Who marks them ? I mean, if you install mines, you shouldn't attract ennemy's attention to it ? So why put markers ? In the game, i couldn't find out if the mines fields were marked by the side who put them or by the side who walked (rolled) on them ? An answer would help me to choose which markers nationality to choose in CMMOS depending on which side i play (a side question i admit and maybe i'm the only one to bother...)

Great ! BTW what about your Tiger review ? I suspect you're waiting for incoming releases...

Bump for a last try

The said Stuart finally decided to use that not so much slow ROF gun now. Question still pending though. The grog wannabe

Thanks everybody for the (as always) exhaustive info. Actually this light tank IS engaging ennemy, but only with MGs. Not a big difference you might say but hey...

Being ABOVE your opponent with the JgdPIV is also working nicely, because you'll increase again the slope of the frontal armor of the tank, deflecting the shells very efficiently, and giving the panzer time to manage the kill.

I couldn't find any detail about the following in the archives : there is a difference beetween British Stuart V and American Stuart M5A1 : the later has a far higher rate of fire. Actually, i came to ask this question to myself because I have currently a Stuart V in a game who, although neither damaged or shocked and engaged in combat vs infantry , is not using its 37mm HE (he tried unsuccessfully its AP against a KT at 600 m and managed to survive). In other games my US Stuarts fire like hell at every ennemy unit and i find them excellent. Was the Stuart V gun so long to reload or difficult to handle ? Why such a difference with the US version ?

My NoTequila, A lieutenant would rather adress Bonaparte calling him Sire. And Bonaparte would probably not adress a ordinary lieutenant at all anyway. [ March 01, 2002, 04:36 AM: Message edited by: Thin Red Line ]

All CMMOS mods are a must have for vehicules. For landscape, CMMOS will help you to choose, it's more a matter of taste.

Besides the French from Eastern part of France annexed in 1940 who were forced to join the Wermacht, there was a French volunteer Waffen SS unit called Legion des Volontaires Francais. This unit fought alongside of German forces on the Eastern front. They were among the last defenders of Berlin, holding out in the ruins of the Reichstag.

DP sorry [ February 28, 2002, 11:07 AM: Message edited by: Thin Red Line ]

Summer is a season, not a date. It's summer in Australia right now isn't it ? :cool:

In CMBB the French would rather be Germans with silly voice-overs...

I've prepared a CMMOS version of your Nashorn and Hummel but I first need your authorization to release it. Are you still among us ? Thanks

My point about adjusting fire was in case there was not benefit from the fact that the spotter is now in LOS of his target, would an adjustment of fire help. Since you tell me that the LOS has already an effect on accuracy, it is not needed anyway. Thank for your answer.