Mark Gallear

Announcing alternative Hungarian battleflag mod by Juju and Mark Gallear. This completes all the scenario icon, hidden unit and flag mods that I feel are necessary to make either the US or CDV version of CMBB historically accurate i.e get rid of the "WG" etc. I will continue to add any new mods that are created for this purpose to this collection. Final Scenario icon bar versions: – German Cross motif scenario icons - 08/12/2002 Iron Cross motif scenario icons – 04/12/2002 "Grog" Scenario icons - 04/12/2002 Sorry English form of doing dates – I am sure you will figure it out without going into culture shock! If you want to know if you have the latest ones - check the date on the file. Now that they are finished versions (honest!) – I will shortly put them up at the CM Mod database site. Mod Corner - part of Mark Gallear's Game Design Page Mark Gallear (Right got some turns to do.)

Polish Flag Set Announcing new Polish Flag set – under the communists the eagle’s crown was removed – this set corrects that. National and Battle Flag variants and hidden unit icon – properly mirrored so it is the right way round in the game. My site which only opened on October 27, has now almost exceeded 1000 visitors – I had to start the clock at 11 but I have emailed the mods out on the occasion – not bad considering I have no placing on any web search engine! Most of my visitors get very miffed about the exceeded bandwidth messages that Geocities put up – when you all come at once – bookmark the site and come back tomorrow when this is old news on the server. You can live without historical polish flags until then! http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Arena/8461/mod.html All power to ColumbusOHGamer – for his amazing http://www.cmmods.com/ site - he should not be apologising to us for his small lapse in moral neutrality!

Recent additions to my site are a German War Flag based on the 1.01 Bmp. Axis Hidden Unit Icons for Finland, Hungary and Romania. I also made a slight update to the Grog and Iron Cross style with the Romanian Michael’s Cross of the type painted on tanks for air identification. Recent personal events have made me think that the UK is far from being a "free-country". I think you can expect a new form of McCarthyism any time now. Don’t be surprised if I have to take the mods down because I can not afford to be branded a Neo-Nazi. Enjoy them while you can. http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Arena/8461/mod.html

Made a few changes at my web site – all the icon bars have been touched up and a Finnish Ski badge has been added to the Grog and Iron Cross bar complements of Barleyman. I have also added unique Romanian icons based on cap badges to the Grog icons. http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Arena/8461/mod.html You know the rules – don’t all come at once it’s a Geocities site – don’t whinge if you do and you don’t need download managers as all the mods are small. I am still in need of a picture of a badge from the Alpino 'Monte Cervino' Ski Battalion. If you think I have missed any information on the CDV patch please post it here. I would like to put up information on making mods - such as the discussion on making mods CMMOS compatible etc, contact me here as well, if you are kind enough to provide this help. Dirty Mark [ November 28, 2002, 06:59 PM: Message edited by: Mark Gallear ]

I think the reason why the Ampulomet (bottle-chucker) went out of favour when the Russians got better weapons was not because it couldn't potentially knock out a tank, but because of the risk the crew took. It the bottle broke as it would fired – you would get an instant flame-thrower effect with fire shooting out of the barrel – be more than a bit embarrassing if the only thing in range to get burnt was the crew! I wonder if BattleFront will model this effect! Superslug has put up the Ben Galanti pictures I mentioned. [ November 28, 2002, 06:44 PM: Message edited by: Mark Gallear ]

For Gunnergoz - the source makes it clear that it is a breechloading weapon – you can see where the firing mechanism – the round central area unscrews down so you can insert the round and powder. You can see the bottom tray the round was slid along to load. I would not like to ram down an incendiary round down onto blackpowder! Having said that the pictures put up by Ben Galanti of a weapon recovered from a battlefield site do not have this central breech mechanism but have a curved loop attached to the back – which again suggests some kind of breech but different to one shown in this photo. The handles look different as well but this could because they are partly loose and are hanging down The information on the gun comes from period German intelligence reports that suggest the incendiary device used was “some form of phosphorus mixture allied to a thick oil based fuel”. Got no info or what the projectile case was made of but it would have to break on contact and be easily manufactured – so glass would be my best guess. The weapon MikeyD refers to is the Northover Projector this was developed in Britains darkest hour to help fight off an imminent German invasion, when most of the British Army’s equipment was left on the beaches of Dunkirk. It was more sophisticated modern looking design than the Amp made of pressed steel it fired the N076 grenade – a molotov cocktail filled with phosphorus or standard grenades, again propelled by blackpowder. It had a max range of 300 yards but was only considered accurate to 100 yards. It was only issued to the HomeGuard and was never used in combat and had a reputation of been much more dangerous to the crew than the target as the glass bottles often broke as it was fired. Sorry about the title – if anybody can change to something better please do.

Antonina Kotliarova – she was supposedly a sniper but liberated Warsaw with a submachinegun. (Ok - don't fancy this lady - then what about -) Klavdia Kalugina Sniper with 1156th Regiment, 344th Rifle Division, 33rd Army “A.D. What was the usual distance you fired from? At the school or at the front? A.D. At the front. 1200 meters, and 200 meters. Our lines were close. Once Germans attacked our trench and took some girls prisoner, and killed them there. They killed Klava Monakhova. Only one soldier survived, there was an abandoned dug-out, simply a hole in the soil covered with a ground-sheet with snow on top, he hid there. Germans held out for a day, so he spent the day there. “ You can read more about Russian Women soldiers on http://www.iremember.ru/index_e.htm So it was a serious request

If anybody can come with good tips - instructions I will put it up on my MOD Corner site - Mod Corner Full credit will of couyrse be given.

Very little is known about this weapon – so a lot of educated guesses follow. This is from WWII The Directory of Weapons (Editor Chris Bishop), it is listed under the name of Ampulenjot 1941 System Kartukov. (I will email my Russian opponent, (From Moscow) and ask which name is "Russian". It was fired with blackpowder - so the mortar sound in the game is not right – should be like a medieval cannon sound. It has a simple breechloading mechanism. From the shape of the barrel which is too big for a conventional shell – I suspect the flammable missile was placed in the breach and a charge of blackpowder was poured in after it. This would have been a slow process maybe one or a maximum of two shots a turn? It is 127mm or 5inch calibre! It was fired by a percussion cap – suspect the visible trigger was lifted up and the cap placed under it. It has a popup peep sight and handles to hold it (How do you hold the thing and target and pull down the trigger – unless you needed an extra crewman to do this bit after it was aimed! I bet it kicked a bit as well.) This suggests it was fired at an angle with nose in the air but maybe not as extreme as a mortar! Ben Galanti put up pictures of one dug up on a Russian battlefield and there are differences from them and this picture – which looks as if it comes from a period manual. The photos give a better idea of its relative size. The base is different – and the mechanism at the rear looks different but maybe just that the handles are hanging lose and the breechblock is missing. However, I suspect it was made in different factories – to different patterns. I suspect it came into service around Sept 1941 from a design that existed before the war. This idea comes from the discussion made earlier in the forum on the PTRD Anti-Tank rifle. This was designed in the 1930s but the Russian authorities believed it come not cope with the latest tanks so rejected putting it into production and operation. However, with the outbreak of war – the infantry needed any anti-tank weapon and both beats going up against a Panzer with a broomstick – which some Russian Soldiers got to do! My guess on the PTRD is Sept 1941 with Steel ammo and very rare and tungsten ammo and getting very common from December 1941. Therefore I suspect the Amp which everybody seems to think was a bit of joke went out of service rapidly from January – March 1942 as it was replaced with PTRDs. Interestingly even in Russia there is not much info on this weapon – which reinforces the idea it was a bit of an embarrassment. (I have at lasat got my ISP to give away the secret address of my web space - only taken 3 years and some arm twisting! More pics in future! ) I can not edit my typos! [ November 26, 2002, 07:26 AM: Message edited by: Mark Gallear ]

The call has been taken up - need diffrent faces for both German and Russian forces - how hard can that be?

I was very interested.

As there are a number of experts on the Italian army in this post has any got a picture of a badge used by the Alpino ‘Monte Cervino’ Ski Battalion for my Grog Icon bar. –I know they were equipped with skis for the Russian campaign. I am currently using a badge of an Alpino unit that served in Russia. As the Italian Cavalry are now in the game (Apparently) not looked I will be updating that Icon as well. (Got the badge already). I have been having computer probs - so bare with me. My site for the icons is here

I can confirm that it is what we are talking about. However some of the mechanism is missing from my picture of one in servicable condition - appears to be from a military manual.

Any chance of different faces for the Germans and Russians as well as different winter faces so I can have Olga the amazing flat chested Russian soldier! (Modded for me!)

According to my source (Bishop, WWII, Dictionary of weapons) they were termed Ampulenjot 1941 System Kartukov – very little is known about the weapon and what is known comes from period German Intelligence reports. Unlike the CMBB representation it was a pipe gun – like an early cannon on a simple fork stand. Calibre was 5inch or 127mm. (It looks like an old pump fire extinguisher – which is a bit ironic). It was fired with blackpowder by way of a percussion cap, the Germans never figured out what the projectile was – they suggest some form of phosphorus mixture allied to a thick oil based fuel. Maximum range was 250 yards and the rate of fire must have been slow unlike the CMBB representation. Although, it did have a breach block. I doubt it was available at the start of the war in any numbers but like the PTRD Anti-tank rifle was an old design that was rushed into production and service to give the troops something to shoot at Panzers. (I would guess at a September 1941 introduction date with it disappearing very rapidly in 1942 as AT-Rifles in increasing numbers came into service. The German considered it a joke weapon that illustrated the backwards and crumbling nature of the red army, in contrast to captured PTRD AT-rifles, which were put into German service Hopefully I will be able to put up a picture of one soon. Nice to know that Battlefront are going to improve the weapon.

?

I doubt Soddball will approve about my little invasion of his FAQ but I thought I would point out my little web site. This offers mods to correct both the European CDV to the US standard and help turn the tide of the historical dumbing down even in this to prevent the game offending people and making it more “commercial”. http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Arena/8461/mod.html

When do I get my 85mm AA gun mod then?

I have had the same thing on five Bts from a stuka attack with one bomb - 2 were knocked out - 2 lost their tracks and one its commander!

Out of interest is there a set time for troops to recover from the tired and exhausted state. Set time/random? :confused: Do commanders have any effect on this recovery? What are the disadvantages of fighting whilst totally knackered? Does continuing to move while exhausted, effect the time? I can think of situations when you have to sneak your heavy weapons to get them into position even after they have become exhausted.

My little Mod Corner attempts to uphold free speech and anti-censorship what ever colour your mod world is - http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Arena/8461/mod.html P.S. My understanding is that it is not illegal to have Nazi icons on your computer in Germany - it is illegal to promote Nazism - I don't so there!

Actually got some Russian infantry to throw their molotovs – they did nothing but I was surprised how far the burning graphic appeared away from the chucker. The sound of breaking glass was nice. Interestingly the game was set in first month of the invasion. I ordered no attack or set any covering arcs – they did on own accord from hiding.

The discussion seems to have moved on a bit to the morale effect of tanks on infantry. The Advanced Squad Leader System had a “lightening war” morale effect on infantry in the early WW2 period, on the basis that infantry were not used to tanks and were not generally equipped with AT weapons. My experience with CM2 is that conscript Russian infantry break and run away from just about any kind of threat – tanks, infantry, AT guns been pushed to close to them! I agree, whole heartily with the post on morale moaning that infantry would realistically stay in their foxholes rather than try and run for some other cover a few hundred yards away while under heavy automatic fire. On the tank equation side, I have noticed that infantry can scare tanks. I have had Italian tanks with no MG (they can fire HE), backoff when they found Russian infantry close to the location they were been ordered to go. This may sound silly but tanks in reality are much more threatened by infantry at very close ranges than are the infantry. Still not got anybody to throw a Molotov let alone get a kill with one. (I know that Finns can do it - well throw them anyway!) Any comments on the chances of tank commanders becoming casualties from peeking? Do I get a prize from having members 10986 and then 10985 reply to my posts? I must be lucky!

What did you do Roadkill - order an attack from hidden - as per panzerfausts in CMBO or did they just do it by themselves? :confused: Not sure a molotov necessarily has to actually damage the tank - around a pint of burning liquid covering a tank including the vents will cause the crew to start breath in smoke - most will panic and bail in this situation. However - I would not dispute that it is an extremely ineffective and dangerous way to take out a tank. Interesting that somebody has lost a lot of commanders to peeking - I routinely MG opposition tanks and I am sure that I have not done a thing to them so far. Not lost any commanders myself - the autoclose hatch feature seems to save them every time.

Is it me but can you actually get Russian soldiers to throw their molotovs? I have been playing with regular and conscript troops through a lot of games now and I have never got one to squad or even a tank hunter unit to throw a single bottle. Can you actually kill tank commanders who stick their heads out now? In CMBO it happened frequently, perhaps too frequently but now I have only seen crewmen killed from rounds that penetrate the armour. I have had the suggestion that they drink the stuff – which seems to be the only reason why they bother to carry the stuff! I managed to ambush a Finnish tank with a tank hunter unit and instead of throwing a molotov, they submachinegunned the tank! The tank commanders head reappeared a turn later!