Brent Pollock
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Posts posted by Brent Pollock
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Turn 14 Orders:
More reinforcements! I’ve now got 16 AFVs, 2 x 105 FOs and 2 x 81 FOs: definitely time to hurt people.
Left:
The StuG III F8 and a Pz IVG are ordered to proceed at top speed toward the enemy rear area. The StuG IIIB and sIG 33 will drop the strongpoint while the infantry continues to sneak to the assembly points: there’s no rush as the AFVs/HMGs/FOs are all a few minutes out of position. From the looks of all the straggling enemy activity in my centre backfield, I doubt he’ll be sewering over to my left to try and snag the flag, so the right security platoon also starts to form up for the crossing. They try to suppress the guys near the endangered HMG team.
Centre:
Backfield will use AFV smoke support and weight of numbers to press through the straggler screen. Then the AFVs will move up post-haste to support the left flank. The factory dwellers continue as before: a bit of harassment on the left, probe in the middle and enfilading fire and probing on the right. Aiming to take out the ATG and HMG this turn. Also trying to suppress the guys pinning my Right Side.
Right:
Muddle through as best they can. I really don’t think I’ve got the strength to punch through here, but maybe they’ll get lucky. At least the mortars and their spotter seem to have been suppressed…or just run out of ammo. My Pz IV is now in a spot where it doesn’t really see much, but it can cover any closer approach by the AC or T34.
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Turn 13 results & turn 14 orders
[ November 21, 2003, 10:26 PM: Message edited by: Brent Pollock ]
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Results:
Left:
The Bunker got smacked quite a few times, including a “MG Hit” result, so I’m going to write it off. That StuG IIIF is getting low on HE so it’s time to switch it to tank hunting mode: going to risk it by sending it deep to try and get flanking fire on the reinforcements that seem to be showing up (there’s more than three T34s lurking now). Hard point might stay up a few more turns and I’ll have to keep my fingers crossed that the light mortars don’t ding the sIG 33. Infantry forming up and will need help with the T34 that showed up on our right; hunkering down in the meantime and waiting for the OBA smoke screen that will neutralise it, if a Pz IV F2 doesn’t get it first. Left - end of 13
Centre:
Seems like some 76 mm OBA is falling on the stragglers. The light AA took out a couple of guys but that gave my Stuka a free strafing pass….but I don’t know what it accomplished. The T34 is backing out and the probes seem to be going okay: the ATG is down a couple crewmen and hugging the dirt while the right flank is now dishing some enfilading fire on the light mortars and threatening a HMG team. The sweepers are making progress but one of my MG crews seems to have some uncomfortably close visitors. Centre - end of 13
Right:
Things are progressing, but running through the rubble and rough might just be more than my battered pioniere can handle. Help is on the way boys. On the bright side, the 152 mm stuff didn’t do too much this turn and continues to be on the edge of main axis of advance. My 105 spotter only manages to get in his spotting round: no FFE. Right - end of 13
[ November 22, 2003, 11:30 AM: Message edited by: Brent Pollock ]
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Turn 12 results and Turn 13 orders...
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Results:
Left:
Forming up and a backyard squad has been flushed out of a building near the back right corner of our factory. My MTR FO actually shot at them! I don’t remember ever seeing them shoot before but no one else saw them and the tracer was definitely from them. The StuGs are in position to drop the strong point and maybe bag that AC that appeared beside it and get the bunker. The two Pz IVs on the right side should be in position in a minute or two, then we can start some mayhem. Still no sign of the sewered platoon HQ so they may be the only MIA; well, that’s what CO HQs are for. Left - end of 12
Centre:
One of the Stukas makes another run with its wing bombs this time and bags the OT-126 (hurrah!) but drops a small one into the factory and takes out three of our boys (sniff!). The fire on the right hand side turns into a full conflagration which sends a half squad crawling into the street…which attracts the attention of a 45 mm ATG: one guy buys it but I’m hoping the factory dwellers can zap it. If that goes and now that the OT-126 is junk, it might be time for an early push out of the right side of the factory. Centre - end of 12
Right:
Damn…okay, on the plus side, I now know where the last ATG is…but it cost me a long-barrelled Pz IV. Bitter? Sure I’m bitter: when I played the Russians, my ATGs managed to accomplish two things – Diddly and Squat. And my infantry continues to take mortar fire and at the end of the turn, four 152 mm rounds: they must’ve stepped on a TRP! Time to push full for the factory. Left - end of 12
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Turn 13
Orders:
More reinforcements in the middle. That brings my AFV total up to 12…time to go hurt someone.
Left:
Three 75 mm tubes are in position on the extreme left: two on the hard point and one on the bunker. Infantry is to head to jump-off positions except for the right side platoon, which will continue on security duty. OBA FOs, HMGs and CO HQ headed up.
Centre:
Time to break out of the factory. In decent shape except for the left flank platoon, which has been decimated to 1.5 squad equivalents. Two platoons will probe towards the river while the other heads out of the right side to start pressuring mortars and take out that ATG. Also trying to suppress that AA gun. AFV and infantry reinforcements heading up but they’ll be slowed by security duty. Three 75 tubes are locked onto one building and should bring it down soon.
Right:
Damn the (aerial) torpedoes: full speed ahead. The Pz IV will finish off the vacant strong point and all the infantry will try to ram through the ruins toward the factory. The 105 mm HE should start dropping near turn’s end or at the start of next turn.
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My but we are feeling Canadian today
Originally posted by Michael Dorosh:Since no one has said "thank you" yet, I will.
Thanks.
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Actually, I've always liked the bogging sound: it's quite distinctive so you know when someone's in trouble. The one I'm not too fond of is the CMBO/CMBB immobilized sound, which always seemed like a tire going flat, which was a bit odd for tracked vehicles.
Other than that, all I've noticed about CMAK is that I've pre-ordered one copy and received four e-mail notifications of the pre-order; if I see four credit card billings, there will be further communications :eek:
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Turn 11 results and Turn 12 orders...
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Turn 12
Orders:
Forgot to mention that last turn’s reinforcements also included a couple of 81 mm mortar FOs. They’re shifting to the left, probably for smoke support.
Left:
Same plan: AFVs on the way and start forming up the infantry to make the crossing. A couple HMGs are moving up as is the Company HQ, just in case that one platoon HQ is really lost in the sewers.
Centre:
Same plan, reorganise the factory and bring the reinforcements sweeping up through the buildings to try and clear the backyard boys. Two AFVs in support, which will eventually attack the right side of the left flank factory. Right flank AFVs sweeping across the middle to the left flank. Hope to take out the bunker this turn with a PzIV.
Right:
Oh my poor pioniere…one of those platoons has been knocked down to about 10 guys and the HQ is gone…hope to run through the 76 mm rain. That one Pz IV lang will stay behind as sole AFV support, and hope to dish some smoke and ding the T34 that’s moving up. The harassing 105 FO has LOS to the Russian pullback point, so I’ve shifted him to a concentration thereon.
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Results:
Left:
My Sewer Stragglers are starting to emerge; all that seems to missing now is an HQ. The regrouping continues apace and his light mortars are firing at phantoms. One of Stukas drops a bombload to the rear of the opposing factory, near the Volga. Left - end of 11
Centre:
The other aircraft managed to drop one into the backyard of the central factory, causing a few casualties to my grey boys. I don’t know if it was a mistaken attack or just a case of nerves induced by the AA gun. Right side of the factory takes OBA for a goodly chunk of the turn. The OT-126 hasn’t drawn a bead yet and my harassing fire is starting to fall. One of the T34s has been drawn to my right flank. Centre - end of 11
Right:
More OBA (looks like 76 mm) is causing some grief to the reinforcing platoon. On the plus side, the Reds seem to be running for it as my Pz IV pokes its nose near the frontline.
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Turn 10 results and Turn 11 orders...
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Result:
Left:
There goes the ATG and we’ve executed recon by receiving fire. Some light mortar fire and a few MGs. Left - end of 10
Centre:
No hot foot from the OT-126 – phew! That left side of the factory really needs some help: maybe the fresh rubble will help.
Right Flank:
Sigh – another FT-toter gets whacked. Let’s see how the infantry reinforcements help.
Aircraft:
Two overflights were heard during the turn: sure hope they hit the Russian AFVs and not my guys
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Turn 11
Orders:
Reinforcements have shown up near the two StuGs: a platoon of pioneers, three or so PzIVs and the sIG 33.
Left:
Ponder, ponder, ponder…I think the time has come to start shifting most of the AFVs over to this side to help the Jager company push across to the factory complex. The assignment will be one AFV per factory panel. The AGs will go to the left side and drop the hardpoint that’s also spotting for the light mortars. Infantry will pull back to the factory and form up.
Centre:
Time to hunker down while the left side rallies. I’ll leave one half-squad near that OT-126 in case it ventures forward into grenade range. Reinforcing pioneers will head up to start clearing the Russkies that started behind my centre group. They’ll get one or two AFVs to help out.
Right Flank:
Still need to rally up. Going to start pulling out their AFV support to help the Left Side (get used to it boys: in December, supporting AFVs will always be abandoning you to go put out some other fire.
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He's back: turn 10 orders are up.
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Turn 10
Orders:
Left :
Try to take out that ATG, then have a StuG come over to help out by zapping the bunker. It might also be time to try and risk them by having both StuGs zip towards the river and camp out to the left rear of the other factory so they can interdict any attempts to reinforce it. I anticipate that the building targeted by the StuGs is going to drop this turn or early next turn, which will cover the bunker in dust: time to try and shoot the gap with a platoon while it’s blinded.
Centre:
Left side of the factory needs to rally up after the building gets pounded. In the middle, I have to get away from that OT-126 before it hurts someone. Right side can hold its own for a bit. It might be time to try and send some armour over that way if I expect to make headway…but that can probably wait until reinforcements have arrived.
Right Flank:
PzIVs should drop the strong point this turn, which will aid my shell-shocked pioniere. The two shocked PzIVF2s are coming up to help out repulse these uppity Russians who have pushed towards us.
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As the subject says: I'd like to be able to do a group selection and apply Padlock Setup and Sewer Movement.
"All I want for Christmas is my two front game,
my two front game,
my two front game..."
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Go to the Scenario Depot and you'll find ASL Veteran has already taken a stab at most of them. The one you're after is a battle by the name of "Commissar's House".
Also, I didn't read Beevor's book closely enough. He mentions that on November 9, 1942, "real winter weather arrived...minus eighteen degrees centigrade". Still no mention of snow, though.Originally posted by Richie:I would really, really love to help out play testing any Red October adaption. Feel free to put me in touch with Mr Kibler if he needs people.
Ahh Stalingrad... THE HORROR :eek:
(I've always thought The Commissar's House would absolutely rock as a CMBB adaption on the Red Barricades map!)
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Holy livin' crap [and I mean that in a good way]!
Charlie Kibler himself, eh?
ASL Veteran and I have just started a playtest of The Last Bid. I got involved with it because I was thinking of doing it but thought he might have beaten me to it: he had. That's what really prompted me to delve into Stalingrad weather.
Michael, what is Mr. Kibler's contact info: I'd definitely be up for playtesting that.
Originally posted by Michael Dorosh:Is ASL Veteran going to do an Operation based on Red Barricades? I had done the map up but lost interest when it came to researching the forces involved (and also laying down all those craters!!)
Incidentally, Charlie Kibler, the creator of the Red Barricades module, is looking for playtesters for a CM version of his Red October ASL module. I played through one game with JasonC and Chuck is looking for testers for a revised draft of a smallish scenario. Any takers?
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Sorry, I should've mentioned straight off that I've had that HASL module for bloody ages: I'm just wondering how much info it's model of the weather is based on.
Originally posted by Richie:According to 'The Last Bid', ASL scenario Red Barricades 5, for the Red Barricades campaign game, on 11 November 1942 the environmental conditions are given as 'wet with no wind at start'. There's no mention of rain or snow. Chances are it was overcast, if not by nature then at least from all the smoke of the massive bombardment beforehand. The AAR for the battle gives the impression it stayed relatively free from adverse weather all day. I'll send the AAR email if you like...
[ November 15, 2003, 10:25 AM: Message edited by: Brent Pollock ]
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You seem to be talking about Operation Uranus, the Russians' encircling attack; "Enemy at the Gates" gives a pretty good account of that. As stated, I'm most curious about Operation Hubertus (launched Nov 11/42), the German pioneer attack to take the last remnants of the west bank in Stalingrad.
Originally posted by JasonC:The river crossings were frozen - it was critical to the whole Russian battle plan (secondary water obstacles erased - of course the big rivers were still a serious matter to cross). Light ground snow - freeze would be the CM equivalent.
There was also morning fog on the day of the attacks. Lack of coordination of arty fire due to the fog is mentioned in the Russian staff studies as delaying breakthrough in a number of sectors, until armor was committed.
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Okay, I've read through "Enemy at the Gates" and Beevor's book and perused numerous internet sites but can't get a straight answer as to the weather during the start of Operation Hubertus (Nov. 11/42). I'd appreciate it if anyone could provide me with the information. I'd be interested in the absolutes as well as how you think they should be translated into CMBB parameters. I'm particularly interested in temperature (Cool/Cold/Frozen) and ground conditions (dry/wet/mud/light snow).
I'd also be very interested in the gold mine: a day-by-day account of the temperature, wind, ground conditions et cetera.
The overview I've been able to get is:
- August through September: hot and dry
- October: unseasonably warm and dry
- November (early): ice floes appear on Volga (which to me means the Stalingrad local temperature is near zero degrees C but it could just mean it is really bloody cold somewhere upstream
- November (early to mid): weather turns ugly (accumulations of ground snow, blowing snow, sub-zero temperatures, occasional fog)
- December to February: extreme cold and snow
So, overall, just like here in Calgary this year...although our weather turned crappy at the end of October.
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I'm not averse to trying some big scenarios. "ASL Veteran" and I have just started playtesting his version of The Last Bid, the ASL monster scenario from the Red Barricades HASL. Never got to play it on paper but it seems I'll finally get to "in silico".
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Holy cow...you mean like this:
[edit: hey - it worked...and my cropping must have made it fit...sorry to highjack the thread...let's get back on track: I'm all for it, let's get these Flakwagons in]
</font>Originally posted by Sir Augustus:</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Brent Pollock:
I say, "Amen", brother, amen!"
By the way, how do you get the picture to show up?
In my AAR thread, I've been putting in the URLs to the free picture host and they remain as hyperlinks, rather than embedded pictures (which is actually okay by me, and I haven't seen any complaints) but I am curious...even about the resizing.
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by melb_will:
You know the best thing about this post?
Sven bothered to resize the pictures so that a normal person didn't have to scroll thier screen.
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I say, "Amen", brother, amen!"
By the way, how do you get the picture to show up?
In my AAR thread, I've been putting in the URLs to the free picture host and they remain as hyperlinks, rather than embedded pictures (which is actually okay by me, and I haven't seen any complaints) but I am curious...even about the resizing.
Originally posted by melb_will:You know the best thing about this post?
Sven bothered to resize the pictures so that a normal person didn't have to scroll thier screen.
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Good point...I'll have to check the movie to see if it locked on to a target; wouldn't mind if it plastered something with HE, but I suspect it was simply hording smoke rounds, as it only started with three of them.
[editted after checking movie: it didn't seem to get distracted by an AP/HE target, it simply lost interest after firing one round of smoke]
Originally posted by Scarhead:Did you set a covered arc to ensure only a big threat cancels the smoke order? IMHO any possible target showing up will be targetted - with the usual result of sitting idle afterwards.
Gruß
Joachim
[ November 11, 2003, 09:46 PM: Message edited by: Brent Pollock ]
Our Backs to the Volga - ongoing German AAR
in Combat Mission - Scenario Talk
Posted
Result:
Man-o-man…I counted about 45 HE rounds out-bound from my 75 mm-toting AFVs that turn.
Left:
Yup – that bunker’d had enough: abandoned at the 30” mark. The hardpoint’s slated for demolition next turn as it’s “**”. The StuG and Pz IV seem to be rolling just in time as the Central scouts have spotted reinforcements. Form up is going fine now that the bunker and factoried MGs have been suppressed. That T34 did a bit of dancing but, fortunately, didn’t get into LOS of my Pz IV F1s while they were busy pounding the factory with area fire. Suppressive fire on the Russians getting up close and personal with that HMG team has paid off: the MG team has managed to get in a couple of right crosses and the intruders are crawling for it. Left - end of 14
Centre:
76 mm rain is still falling on the left rear of the factory and has dropped a tile (no one was under it) and pinned some stragglers in the factory, but all seems to be going well: the probe is proceeding and has spotted the first major wave of enemy reinforcements. And the Stuka, bless its heart, takes a strafing run over them. Might be time to have one of the mortar FOs drop a blind concentration back there. The ATG has been KO’d and the crew captured. On the right side, the enfilading platoon has placed the HMG team, light mortars and last ATG in peril…although I miscalculated and my Pz IV proceeded faster than I thought it would: it’s in LOS with its turret pointed the wrong way, so the first few seconds of next turn should be plenty exciting. The LOSs are getting tricky: got to watch out for squeeze shots past the factory corners. There’s so much going on in the centre now that I’ve had to do two screen shots, one for the front and back. The street sweepers are doing fine, especially with the smoke provided by the AFV support. Centre Front - end of 14
Centre Back - end of 14
Left:
Bloody little mortars immobilised one of my Pz IV F1s! And the 152 mm air freight keeps coming in, too. Another FT team and a platoon HQ get snuffed. The Pz IVG only has a turn or two of HE left, but the T34 seems to be moving up into potential LOS anyway. As to my 105 FO…okay…he called in a dozen rounds…where are they…oh CRAP, they’re coming in almost in the same place as the Russian 152 is hitting…it’s just not to be on that flank. Right - end of 14
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Turn 15
Orders:
More reinforcements, including the Flak wagon…which means my AFVs are in for a rough ride soon from the air. Time to really start the push, before the reinforcements get into position: all four FOs are going to make do with their current position.
Left:
MTR FO calling in Smoke on the right hand hardpoint/T34: it’ll cover two platoons and the FT. The daring duo continue their push to the enemy rear flank. The sIG 33 will drop the building as the StuG switches to opportunity targets. Infantry to form up for launch next turn. The two Pz IV F1s will start to play chicken with the T34: one fires smoke and the other moves toward the factory. The two Pz IV Gs move up to take it from the other side…also watching out for backfield T34s and the bunker. There’s one helluva lot of dust around that end of the map from all the dropped buildings.
Centre:
Probing and enfilade continues…gotta watch for the tanks and infantry now, but one MTR FO will drop a harassing barrage back there….hope it’ll be on target. Tanks moving up to help and the sweepers should be through their blockages in a minute or two…hope to be into the factory in less than seven minutes.
Right:
Both 105 FOs are calling in fire on the factory. The Pz IV G targets the T34. Infantry keeps slogging their guts out. Flak wagon strays put and scans the skies. Infantry sweepers move up: going to be a tough flag, especially with that TRP squeezing the options.
[ November 23, 2003, 11:19 AM: Message edited by: Brent Pollock ]