Brent Pollock

I've not had a chance ot check the box yet, so there's still hope. Michael, without having the CD, how the heck did you manage to compose the CMAK Ortona mission you posted to the Depot?

Results: Left: withdrawal continues, helped by the smoke. The T34 start to pull back a tad , as all the smoke jungle is probably a little spooky: all the buildings develop grenade-armed shadows. The T34 advancing up from the river keeps coming, but no LOS between enemies. Centre: The Pz IVG, which survives a straffing run, chalks up the KV-1S and pulls back, but no LOS develops across the map to the left-flank T34. The StuG IIIE platoon continues to pump out HE. The lone T34 on this side creeps up, but the StuG is long gone around the corner…maybe next turn it’ll creep forward some more and give the immobilised Pz IVF1 a flank shot or three . The FT team, still two-men strong, might be in position to barf fire next turn. The sweepers keep coming, but I don’t know if I’ll have the firepower to suppress the Russian reinforcements. Right: A couple more squads trickle into the front line.

Okay, just went to the Scenario Depot and found...almost nothing for CMAK. It's been a few days, gents...where're the Tobruk conversions...don't tell me I'll have to get off of...I mean ...stay seated on my lazy butt and do them myself over the X-mas holidays. Apparently Mr. Dorosh's copy has arrived already? I assume so because he's posted his CMAK version of the Ortona OP already at the Depot.

Results: Left: The sIG 33 survives yet another straffing run…and now has 1 x HE and 1 x HC; if it survives long enough to use both of those, I’ll consider it a win ! The two T34s are moving up to menace my scurrying ex-horde and a third one is en route up from the river. Centre: Woohoo! The StuG IIIE lands two quick ones into the T34s flank while staring down the barrel: that proves too much for the crew and they bail out. The Pz IVG also slams two into the turret of a KV-1S that has pulled up from the river road into a nifty hull down position…fortunately, that crew (the same one that zapped three Pz IVs in one turn) couldn’t hit one of the StuG IIIEs that was involved in some weird Stalingrad ballet and had its keester to the KV for most of the minute: sure hope the Beast is dead after the Pz IVG rung its bell twice! Sweepers are moving up slowly. I sure hope I can muster enough force to challenge a flag or two. I still have one FT team left, which I’ll take as a good omen. Right: Well, at least no artillery seems to be falling… Turn 26 Orders: Left: ‘Retreat!’ Centre: Still forming up, and hoping to use the StuG platoon and Pz IVG escort for one last push. The Pz IVG s going to pull back to try and get a shot up the tail pipe of one of the T34s over on my Left flank, then it’ll have to deal with the T34 that’s still over near the right flank factory….all of this assuming that the KV-1S has been zapped, of course. Right: R & R continues as they await an infusion of fresh blood.

Turn 25 Orders Left: Run for it! I estimate I’ve got one-third infantry strength IF I’M LUCKY…probably more like ¼ to 1/5. AFVs start to pull back to cover a Russian rush to take the flag…not that my sIG 33 will be much use as it has 1 x H 1 x C 1 x S. Centre: Sure hope that StuG IIIE can KO the T34 from the side. The Pz IVG moves up to try and greet the KV-1S that’s moving over. Sweepers are about one-third in position: hope the smoke helps. Right: Ugh….

Link to this thread (Always Dig in?) I just revived in the CMBB forum, along with a quote of my post:

...and what about using Dig In if your boys are in terrain that doesn't accept foxholes (e.g. building). While setting up for a game, I just realised (after over a year of playing this) that the guys were given a Dig In option regardless of terrain. When I told them to Dig In to the building, they sank a little deeper...kind of like when a vehicle bogs. I have yet to test if this gives them improved cover...maybe it's like fortifying the building? Perhaps it's just a feature with no impact that slipped through the testing un-noticed?

Turn 24 Results: Left: The headlong withdrawal has begun. The sIG 33 somehow avoids damage from the strafing run again. And no more AFV casualties are incurred. Centre: The T34 causes some consternation until the smoke blanket develops. One of the StuG IIIEs has a T34 flank lined up: hope it works. A ME-109 gets a top hit on a T70: Death Clock ticking? Consolidation continues. Right: Agh! My Flakwagon got knocked out and I didn’t even notice! 76 mm OBA is falling on the TRP and a corner of the factory gets dropped by the StuG. Come one boys: rally for one last push!

Turn 23 results & 24 orders: Left: Amazingly, the stricken Pz IVF1 managed to lay down enough smoke to live and recover form Shock. The sIG 33 once again was missed by aircraft fire. I’ve ordered the survivours from the assault to pull back to the original factory. The marauding T34 shrugged off its second grenade Hit. Battalion mortar FO smoke is due in a few seconds. Centre: Sweepers still held up by enfilading fire from that T34. The StuG IIIE trio is dishing HE and amazingly, I finally guess correctly and my Pz IVG scoots in and whacks a T34 in the side that was cruising towards my StuG IIIE platoon: now to see if they survive to pull back away from the Russian infantry. Right: Grind, grind, grind. Just trying to wait for the boys to rally and have another go at it.

Results for turns 19-22

[still having problems with the freepic host] Results for turns 19-22 What can I say: the CMAK demo’s been distracting me from my AAR. The synopsis for turns 19-22: a bloody disaster. My AFV force has been reduced to: 1 x Pz IVG 1 x sIG 33 (which somehow survived a bomb run from Frontal Aviation) 3 x StuG IIIE 2 x Pz IV F1 (gun damaged) 1 x Pz IV F1 (immob) The one that hurt the most was losing the Pz IVG in the marauders: it targetted a T34 through two tiles of rubble and a pair of corner-joined buildings! We’re still not certain how that LOS even existed. Anyway, all that happened was that the T34 sat there blithely as the Pz IVG pounded away at the masonry: the hit spots were so high it looked to me like they were trying to lob the shells over the building. While they did this, one of the T34s they’d been trying to get behind got into LOS: the Pz IV lost the duel, as its first shot was a null Gun Hit and a half-second later the T34 turned it into a flame-broiler. It then proceeded to pummel the Pz IVF1 “wing”man. I’ve got nothing on the left side of the map except the sIG 33 and the two gun-damaged Pz IVF1s. And the infantry attack is a shambles…looks like about two-thirds casualties. The centre is now endangered because a T34 has moved into position to enfilade the rear approach to the factory. The right side is also a shambles, aided by the 105 FO that directed most of his mission off-target. Looking very grim: I’ll be ecstatic with a draw.

Turn 18 results (still have to wait a bit for screenies though...maybe they'll have their act together tomorrow) & turn 19 orders

(still have to wait a bit for screenies ...maybe they'll have their act together tomorrow) Results: Now, that’s more like my normal sort of ineptitude: I lost six AFVs to his three that turn, and one of his was just a T70. At least I’ve popped open that corner so I can send a couple turreted AFVs marauding on to the ferry landing. If anyone wants the movie of this one, I’ll send it on with the password…it’s worth watching just for the armoured car getting pushed into the rubble by the sIG 33 and one of the light mortar crewman getting massacred at the time of surrender. Left: As pretty much expected, the infantry got pinned and hurt as soon as they set foot in the factory: I didn’t send enough supporting fire and didn’t drop any of the edge tiles prior to them going in. For some reason, the AC was left alive, even though it actually bumped into the Pz IV F1…maybe the crew didn’t want to risk secondary damage due to target proximity. I’m eager to see if it can move now that it’s been pushed into a rubble tile :eek: . Another oddity this turn: the first time I’ve seen a captured unit take a massacre casualty…granted, it was inflicted mere seconds of being captured. A fine disaster, losing five AFVs in one city block. Centre: Hey – the Stuka seems to have strafed the Russian AA gun into oblivion! My enfilading platoon managed a “Hit” on the T34 but it didn’t have any obvious effect as it continued to gun down a halfsquad from the probe force. Sweepers are coming in strength and the StuG IIIB trio is up to help. Right: Those poor, poor buggers…I think the FO that was supposed to be calling a blind mission near the ferry landing has managed to drop a good many rounds into the guys headed for the factory…I really don’t think I have a chance over there. ------------- Turn 19 Orders: Okay, by my count it’s: my 9 functional AFVs 1 immobilised F1 1 gun damaged F1 against 5 or 6 T34s and a KV-1S Left: If the boys don’t get in this turn, I think I’ll just haul them back to the start line so they can at least beat back any counter attack. The Pz IVG F1 get orders to maraud through to the ferry docks, hoping for infantry & flank and side armour targets. The sIG 33 will blast the left side of the factory. Centre: Damnation… forgot to give the StuG trio orders again! Factory boys hunker down and await the support troops. If I get lucky and start bagging Russian armour, I might have the strength to push for the HQ Bunker flags. Right: What a mess… [ November 28, 2003, 11:01 PM: Message edited by: Brent Pollock ]

------------- Turn 18 Orders: What – still no reinforcements this turn ;…didn’t Hitler get my postcard? Not much to add really: follow through on last turn’s orders and hope my AFVs win the two quick draws. [ November 28, 2003, 04:26 PM: Message edited by: Brent Pollock ]

Turn 17 results (still have to wait a bit for screenies though)

[screenies still delayed due to freehost site server weirdness] Results: Wow – 2.4 MB: that’s a whole lot of ballistics calculations. Lot’s to watch this turn and a visual stunner so I spent quite a bit of time down at View Level 1. Left: That Hull Down command really doesn’t seem to work from that little road depression on the left rear corner. I seem to have found an infantry-less spot though, as both AFVs were unbuttoned the whole time with out getting shocked. That’s let the T-34 creep even closer, although right at turn’s end it ended up mutually red-lined with the StuG IIIF. The infantry advance is going well although the sIG seems to be suppressing my own guys with that excessive blast. he left side made good progress despite the lack of smoke. The right side is unscathed…so far…and should be in the factory next turn…I’d better check to se that they arrive in one bloc rather than trickling in. I’m getting out of the factory just in time as more 152 mm arrives in the same old spot right at turn’s end. The unit near my Pz IV F1 turned out to be a 76 mm HE spotter, who probably used up all his ammo ages ago. Watching the AC bomb around the battlefield looking for a safe haven was quite amusing: I think this turn I’ll have to have the StuG terminate it. Centre: Yahoo! Score one for the AT grenade bundle. The Rivermost halfsquad bags a T34…but then goes down under a platoon’s worth of return fire [sniff…died like heroes…etc.]. The Bunker finally gets KO’d by point blank 75 mm HE and an accompanying ATR team also expires. My intrepid Pz IVG is probably going to get whacked by a KV-1S early next turn as it got distracted by an infantry unit as it rounded a corner [what’s all this I hear about a Cover Armor command ]. My boys are all getting tired and low on ammo: couldn’t even take out the ATG this turn…and it seems to be behaving quite fanatically. Air power does another fine job of strafing the Volga Boatmen but the T34s are now moving to the front on both sides of the factory. The backfield seems completely swept now except for that lone HQ that is still one the run. Boneheaded part of the move: I forgot to have two HMG teams cancel their area fire commands and I ended up suppressing my own sweepers and wasting ammo. Right: Oh gad – more 152 mm HE…and the Pz IV never locks onto the AC. Other than that, things are creeping along. My flakwagon still hasn’t spotted anything worth firing at. [ November 28, 2003, 09:21 AM: Message edited by: Brent Pollock ]

Did you play the original from Avalon Hill or the recent rework from Critical Hit (IIRC)? I'm tempted to see if the CM map generator will put in hull down positions even if the map editor shows all elevations as equivalent. One way to do things, especially for the "Firefights", would be to state the OBs, map dimensions and parameters but let the QB generator make the map.

Turn 16 results (still have to wait a bit for screenies though) & turn 17 orders

[screenies still delayed due to freehost site server upgrade] Results: Left: Okay, I’m going to have to have a word with the deep left duo. That Pz IVG had a Seek Hull Down command but didn’t seem to budge much: after the end turn I’ll have to check its command lines and LOS. The StuG IIIF8 also did a weird dance. They both let a T34 roll up the street unopposed so now if they are going to get into a firing position, the T34 might get off the first shot. The sIG 33 demolishes the hardpoint and KOs a MTR in the process. The 81 mm smoke OBA actually ends up bang on target: jump off next turn for sure, with three platoons trying to head for the right corner of the opposing factory; where LOS permits, MG half squads will lay down suppressing fire while the assault HS partners advances through the valley of death. Turns out these was a Russkie in the upper level of right side hardpoint: hope it’s a sniper as my Pz IVF1 is right underneath, just waiting for a Molotov bath. Left - 16 Centre: Harassing 81 mm OBA due in a minute or so. My river-most team might get lucky take out a T34 next turn with its grenade bundle (15 m target line). The left side platoon wipes out a Russian squad in the dusty rubble. The right hand enfilading platoon overruns the Maxim and Ampulomet and is on the verge of waxing the ATG. But it is starting to run low on ammo: definitely going to rely on the sweepers to carry through with AFV support. The sweepers have almost finished with their task: three Russian units surrender this turn and two units get wiped out, including a HQ while the other HQ is on the run after receiving a hosing from the FT team I forgot I had [folks, there’s a damn lot of units to track in this one]; he managed to set fire to the building and the adjoining rubble. One AT team gets gunned down in the street while another makes it across and causes havoc. Known resistance in the pocket is now two pinned units that are facing two platoons. Centre Front - 16 Right: Things are going about as well as can be expected, given the mauling the pioniere have taken. The Stuka tries to help out by strafing the AC. The supporting Pz IVG is now out of HE: it has become a “JgPz IVG”, I suppose. The first 105 battery should be out of ammo next turn while the second one’ll kick in a couple of minutes. Those two reinforcing platoons are going to have to do must of the factory clearing. ------------- Turn 17 Orders: What – still no reinforcements this turn ; Left: As described above: advance to the factory with smoke and LMG section covering fire. The Deep Duo will creep up to the lip to try their luck against the T-34. One of the Pz IVGs on the border between Left and Centre will try to make a run right down to the ferry landing. The bunker is going down as is the infantry beside it. I also want that unit hovering over my Pz IVF1 nixed. Centre: Fall back to the factory and wait for relief. The right hand platoon has one task left: take out that ATG. Sweepers coming and the StuG IIIB trio will head over to the right corner. Right: Same as before, except the HE-less Pz IVG will fire at the AC then back out and try to get into the fray so it can go tank hunting. AAHT stays in position for maximum AA covering fire. [ November 29, 2003, 01:59 PM: Message edited by: Brent Pollock ]

I started this knowing that Steve was under no obligation to keep a similar log. If you want to extract info from him, you can reach him at: steve@vance.org. Turn 16 AAR and 17's orders should be posted before bed time tonight.

This post: from this thread: Grant animation bug? got me thinking the following: I know plenty of the ASL scenarios have been converted to CMBO/CMBB, but now I'm wondering if anyone is waiting for their CMAK CD to arrive so they can start converting all of the scenarios from TAHGC's TOBRUK to CMAK? Heck, even I could handle that conversion... especially the map [ November 26, 2003, 03:37 PM: Message edited by: Brent Pollock ]

My ongoing AAR of Our Backs to the Volga OBttV AAR shows three/four factory assaults in one battle. You can probably see "how to assault/defend" & "how not to assault/defend" all at once As to your original query, I think the answer really depends on the balance & mix between the opposing sides. For examples of how this plays out, focus on the difference rates for casualties and terrain gain amongst the Left/Centre/Right German sectors.

Turn 15 results (have to wait a bit for screenies though) & turn 16 orders

Results: Left: Dang – I thought for sure that one round from the sIG 33 would be enough to drop the building. The Pz IV and StuG scare the beejeesus out of the AC that was “guarding” the road. MG crews are crawling back into the factory and the smoke is poised to start dropping next turn…but it seems to be off target, according to the spotting round, which seems to have formed a smoke blossom on the other side of the factory…I think I’ll “play it where it lies: time to earn the danger pay. Left - end of 15 Centre: Ugh – one the Pz IV G on the left flank gets shocked while the one on the right side escapes the ATG but takes a few too many in the side from one of the reinforcing T34s. And the probe forward is pretty much done as much as it can without decent AFV support now that the T34s are dishing out canister…and there goes my bunker-busting FT team. Hmmm…it also appears that Russian smoke is being placed on the riverside of the factory, although I don’t know if that is to cover an assault or just provide a screen for his reinforcements. Sweepers are coming, although I got sloppy and lost half a pionier squad. The Luftwaffe continues to strafe the Volga ex-boatmen. Centre front - 15 Centre Back - 15 Right: The Pz IVG manages to ding the T34 a few times, including a turret penetration that makes it pull back. The infantry makes its slow way toward the factory and more of the 152 mm rains down. Sweepers are coming here too, boys – hang in. Right - 15 ------------- Turn 16 Orders: What – no reinforcements this turn ; Left: Deep pair of AFVs gets into position: they’d better hope there are no Russian infantry in that factory corner. That hard point better damned well go down this turn. The mortar smoke OBA won’t get corrected as it’ll probably be of use no matter where it drops, and the Pz IVF1s can toss a bit of the nebulous stuff on the right corner. Jump off is set for next turn after the smoke has had a chance to build. Centre: Got to pull back into shelter from that canister. Left corner is getting AFV support…and I think I forgot to give the newly arrived StuG IIIBs more marching orders….oops. Sweeping continues as does the right platoon’s enfilading move. Right: Not much change here either: press to the factory with whatever makes it and hope the 2 x 105 FOs do more damage to them than us. [ November 30, 2003, 12:19 PM: Message edited by: Brent Pollock ]

Turn 14 results & turn 15 orders