simovitch
-
Posts
277 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by simovitch
-
-
AdamL,
In the Ardennes Offensive yes, most of the VGD's had established a VA from any organic mobile units they could scratch together, including towed guns and bicycle mounted Füsiliers. There was no set OOB or KstN for the VA.
Sometimes, like with KG Kunkel (26 VGD's VA) they would get some armored cars from a Pz Division (in this case the 2. Pz) or even a battery of towed Corps Artillery or werfers. But they were for the most part built around their own organic semi-motorized PzJg Bn.
-
I did an SAS scenario a while back on the SDII called Operation Snowdrop
All I had to work with was the Jeep MG. I thought the scenario captured the SAS feel OK (if I say so myself).
-
Interesting read Andreas, thanks. Except for his blunder at Bullingen I wasn't aware of Peiper's wide ranging incompetence as commander of a tank unit.Originally posted by Andreas:Read Timo Worst's posts on the matter here:
cheers,
-
No argument here. Pride seems to be an admirable trait only to those who have little of it.Originally posted by JasonC:Oh I can see it alright. Peiper was an arrogant idiot who threw away his entire command, and was outplayed at every turn by Ridgeway and company. Why the fanboys all want to pretend he was some genuis is one of those eternal mysteries. The heer formations in the south did ten times better.
I wouldn't say he was a genuis at all, but he was a pretty aggressive commander in the Ardennes compared to say, Bayerlein. It would be an interesting study to see how his KG would have done if it would have crossed the Our at Dasburg.
Peiper was leading a formation that had 3 times more infantry again than he had, and even if all of it had been up with him he still would have mustered 1:2 infantry odds. Instead he took 300 armored vehicles into impassable terrain with about 8 companies of infantry, facing oh about 9 times as many once they were all up.
How was he to know what was in front of him? He had only sporadic radio contact with Division, and he didn't have much choice in the deployment of the LAH Pzgr regiments seployed to the south on the other "rollbahn".
If ever a proof were wanted that armor is not decisive and combined arms does not mean infantry as an afterthought, it was the fate of Peiper's column. If he were looking for a noose he couldn't have done worse. There were clear better moves on the map operationally that he ignored to stick to a plan visibly falling apart, he arrogantly left his supports, failed to secure is one LOCs, ignored the help he could give to formations on his flanks, etc.
History shows that he held the key to success on the northern shoulder by turning the 99th & 2nd division flanks at Bullingen-Rocherath but failed to do it. Yes, Arrogance clearly failed him here. but the responsibility of his LOC was not his so much as it was the 3rd FJ division, which failed him miserably.
Pride is a weakness, it is demonstrated a hundred times a day for anybody with eyes. But for some bizarre and pathological psychological reason, the conclusion is vehemently resisted everywhere.
-
Panther Games (Highway to the Reich, et al.) is developing a company level East Front game and the mapmaker group came upon this revelation in the development forum regarding these Russian maps:Originally posted by Kingfish:Go west, young man!
Click on the index.gif at the bottom of the list to first get your bearings. Looks like Kalach-a-Donu is in the 'M38' section, right around the 43.5-long / 49-Lat coordinates. Click the back button to get into the M38 folder, and start rooting around until you find the right map.
"your link pointed me to the same modern maps we have. Everybody (me included) thought at first that 1942 was the good year. Alas no. The (russian)inscription are:
1. The system of coordinates of 1942
2. publication 1984
3. The map shows terrain based on materials of survey 1934,35 yr. corrected on the map of scale 1:50,000, renovated in 1980.
Just a heads-up.
-
I've been playing around with "Conquest of the Aegean" for the past few weeks and I'm finding dozens of "freeze frame" moments while I'm playing that would make for great CMAK scenarios, especially with the underutilized Italian forces.
The game is company sized with plenty of good OOB and TO&E information, and the maps are historically accurate as well.
Anyone else picked up this title?
-
I think the most likely scenario that could have developed to throw the west front into temporary turmoil would be Eisenhower resigning as head of SHEAF because Montgomery was being such a pompous arse about the failure of the American Intelligence prior to the offensive. He was making it sound like the British had bailed the US out. A highly questionable assertion IMHO.
The resignation in fact almost happened. It took an unprecedented formal apology by Monty to cool down Eisenhower, who was ready to call Marshall.
-
Agreed.Originally posted by Kingfish:My guess would be the II SS Pz Corp, or maybe OKW reserves.
Although such an event was so unlikely it boggles the mind to even think about it.
Like, the anglo-american Allies would have had to throw in the towel before the germans got to Antwerp in order for the Germans to even get to Antwerp... (see what I mean?
) -
I thought they used "I" coy instead of "J" coy? :confused:
-
I thought they used "I" coy instead of "J" coy? :confused:
-
Wodin,
Use the advanced search at the SD2. It allows you to search by region. If you enter "Italy" I highly recommend 2 by Kingfish - "The villas of Tuscany" and "Strada in chiante" They are well-researched, quintessential Italian campaign scenarios, that play well versus the Axis AI IMHO.
-
Yes, The website author Hans Wiijers and I have corresponded back and forth quite a few times. We tried to hook up during the 60th anniversary but we kept missing each other.
He knows alot of veterans on both sides and his books have a wealth of information that you would not find anywhere else in the common publications, and are a must-have for the Ardennes enthusiast.
-
This is an awesome tool - thanks McAuliffe!
I always wanted to see Dom Butgenbach from above. Peeking over that damn 12' wood fence was always a chore...
The circular roudabout at the bottom right is the memorial to the 1st Infantry Division that fought here during the Battle of the Bulge.
-
For me the most significant difference that cmak/cmbb have over cmbo is the ability to set covered arcs, and in addition instruct your weapons to taget only armor if you wish.
the "shoot and scoot" command is nice to have as well.
-
What follows is some interesting stuff from a discussion going on here
Here are the authorized vehicles for a Panzer-Auklärungs-Abteilung as of 16 December 1944:
Stab with
13x SdKfz 234/1
3x SdKfz 234/3
7x SdKfz 251/3
1x SdKfz 251/8
2x SdKfz 251/11
1.Kompanie with
9x SdKfz 250/5
16x SdKfz 250/9
2.Kompanie with
22x SdKfz 250/1
2x SdKfz 250/3
4x SdKfz 250/7
2x SdKfz 250/8
3.Kompanie with
11x SdKfz 251/1
2x SdKfz 251/2
2x SdKfz 251/3
2x SdKfz 251/9
6x SdKfz 251/17
4. [schwere] Kompanie with
2x SdKfz 251/1
7x SdKfz 251/2
2x SdKfz 251/3
7x SdKfz 251/7
6x SdKfz 251/9
1x SdKfz 251/11
-
I found this information from the excellent Arnhem Website
Although the 10SS was not involved in the Ardennes fighting, these divisions were in the Arnhem area refitting for the fall and winter west wall campaigns. Although one can only assume that the TO&E's were similar for the I & II panzerkorps 3 months later in the Ardennes, I would say it's a safe bet.
Interesting that for the 10SS it is a combination of HT's and AC's
9 S.S. Aufklarung Abteilung
English name : Reconnaissance Battalion
Commander : Captain Viktor Graebner
Armament : 30 x Sdkfz 233+234
10 S.S. Aufklarung Abteilung
English name : Reconnaissance Battalion
Commander : Sturmbannfürer Brinkmann
Armament : 3 x Sdkfz 231/232, 6 x Sdkfz 222, 2 x Sdkfz 250/9, 17 x le.SPW 250, 9 x m.SPW 251
-
lol - I remember reading that article in "The General" as a kid, with the big "IT" truck pulling up to the guy's house. I thought it was hilarious, yet somehow intriguing...Originally posted by JasonC:Like "IT", the mythical recreation of WW II with individual man counters, it is a dream of monsterhood run amok
-
Thanks PC, this is good stuff to hear.Originally posted by Panther Commander:Twin Villages was done by Simovitch. The BEST Bulge Scenarios are either done by him or have him as a consultant.
My last trip to the ardennes a few weeks ago was highlighted by finding some foxholes on the hill above Schoenberg where the 422nd/106 and 423/106 surrendered on December 19th. Very lonely feeling up there, I can only imagine how the commanders felt when they dicovered that the Schoenberg bridge was strongly held by the 18th VG, and Otto Remer's Fuhrer Begleit was marching up the road 1/2 mile behind them. I found pieces of an M1 Garand and lots of spiked and complete ammo, chin strap buckles, and other stuff I could not identify. When I got back I contacted a guy who was there (M Co, 423rd), he sent me a bunch of maps of their starting positions on the Schnee Eifel, and where they ended up after they were ordered to break out toward Schoenberg.
Becoming connected to this event, however safe and vicariously, adds a whole new dimension to the battle and the suffering endured by the boys of "the greatest generation"
-
Aragorn - email sent with the bulge scenarios, I hope you like 'em.
Kingfish - thanks for the plug.
-
If you (or anybody) send me an email, I can send the 4 I did for the HSG bulge Pack. They are designed to play against the AI, but from what I heard they will do well against a human player. They are well researched (ala HSG) and the maps are painstakingly historical, taken from 1:25000 topo from the late '30's:
1. Sugar Bowl - The german Fallschirmjager assault on Krewinkle in the Losheim Gap, Dec 16th.
2. Fighting Withdrawal - The Americans retreat against overwhelming odds at Weckerath in the Losheim Gap, Dec 16th.
3. Kampfgruppe Zeiner - German penetration of Krinkelt, night of Dec 17th.
4. Twin Villages - Static Operation of the attack on Rocherath-Krinkelt & Lausdell crossroads, Dec 17th -18th.
I also have a mod set for Ardennes Terrain available at CMMODS. I would also recommend the ETO buildings and fences from "Sie Kommen" to play the Ardennes scenarios.
-
44.
Playing wargames since 1969... If messing around with the :cool: panzerblitz pieces counts as playing that is.
-
IIRC there is currently a reinforcement triggering device in (non-static) operations based on advancement of the map such that when the reinforcement tag appears on the newly advanced map, the forces associated with that tag come into play at the onset of that battle.
Or am I missing the point here?
-
Harry, you sent me an email and It got buried-sorry. I got my topo maps from digging through the stacks at the UC Berkeley Map room. I checked them out and made full size copies of them. You may want to try a local university - you may be suprised at what you dig up.
You can order high quality (but current period) topo maps of belgium on line, and view a free topo service at this site: belgium topo
It helps if you can speak a little french!
did you peruse the links I gave you from your previous thread?
-
Harry,
I made a scan of the area Marcouray-Samree-Fraiture covering an area where the 3rd armored operated during early Jan '45. Drop me a line and I will send it off.
)
So what's wrong with TOAW from a CM'ers standpoint?
in Combat Mission - Tips and Tricks
Posted
Being a long time hex gamer, I started out as just a guy looking for a good game on Market Garden before going on a tour of the Netherlands a few years back. Although wary of the RTS stigma, 'Highway to the Reich' seemed like the best thing out there on the subject, so I bought it.
Now, I doubt I'll gaver go back to IGOUGO hex based games and to boot, I've managed to worm my way to head up the Data Design team for the development of the next release in the series covering the Ardennes Offensive (now in beta testing.) If you're a fan of the Bulge, I ask that you head over to the Matrix Games public forums and take a look at the 'Battles from the Bulge' screenshots and AAR's that are showing up. I guarantee you have never experienced the Bulge (or Crete, Greece, Holland) like this before.
Just a note, I'm not an employee of Panther Games, nor do I forsee any financial gain whatsoever from my efforts. Just like developing CM scenarios for HSG a few years back, it's simply a labor of Love.