Sgt.Squarehead

OK, here's what I've done for those who are interested: https://www.dropbox.com/s/2zg2mmkj69zihon/[CORE] Iraqi CTS (FinalMaybe2).btt?dl=0 If nobody has any major objections to what I've done, this is what I will work with:

Erwin really wants a top end sniper to play with as I accidentally left one in a scenario he tested for me and apparently he had a whale of a time picking off random Mujahideen with him.....He pleaded with me to leave it in that one, but he had to go (Sarandoy just weren't that good IMHO). To keep everyone happy, would it be appropriate to add a group of 'Local Volunteers' to the Core, that way I can let Erwin play with a sniper based on this guy (I'll call him Baba Tahseen and he will have to use an SVD): https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2946730/meet-the-grey-bearded-63-year-old-iraqi-volunteer-sniper-who-has-just-claimed-his-321st-isis-victim/ I think I've found a way to use the Syrian Special Forces Engineers to replace the US guys, it means adding a Humvee to each Co. HQ and will add two men to the total as discussed above, but it will also mean that all the 'Iraqi' infantry on the map are in the same uniform (different to the SEALs), have Arabic names and speak in Arabic (and have the wrong guns). The US tank crews I can do nothing about, I could replace the Abrams with T-72s, but I'd rather not as Abrams is what I'm seeing in the pictures from the real place (when I'm seeing tanks at all)

Can't do a Post office in a Pub, how about a pub in an active church.....It's one of my locals and it's pretty unique (there is only one other pub on consecrated ground in England): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mug_House PS - Airfix don't do a 1/72 Sherman (wish they did) theirs is actually 1/76 and it's also twenty years older than I am! With some effort you can make it look OK, here's mine: M4A2 Sherman 'Cecilia', 1st Platoon, C Company, 1st Marine Medium Tank Batallion - Tarawa, 20th November 1943 There are exactly seven Airfix parts remaining on the model, the rest is scratch, spares or aftermarket.

In WWII I really miss my Panzergrau and my Partisans. A generic Cold War title would be cool, no nationalities, just Red vs. Blue, lots of reasonably generic units, then let the scenario designers & modders dress 'em up to taste.

Should I maybe replace the US Engineers with Syrian Special Forces Engineers do you think? It might simplify things as IIRC they come in individual sections so I might be able to slightly reduce the number of redundant units at the same time. PS - Just checked in the editor, the Syrian SF Engineers come as Platoon HQ (5 men) & One Section (5 men), plus a couple of UAZs that can be burned.....This would give them two more engineers than are currently currently present in each Co. HQ (US HQ (2 Men) & One Section (6 Men). PPS - Sadly the Syrian SF Engineers won't all fit in the Nyala.....I think they're probably a bust TBH. PPPS - In the process of experimenting I did find a way to simplify the core structure a little, I've replaced the separate US engineer unit with E Company from the same US Battalion that provides the Abrams, they are identical in all regards as far as I can see.

The Nyalas are the closest thing to an MRAP that CM:SF has. An engineer section & HQ is attached to the each of the Company HQs. All units other than the SEAL Trident Team represent Iraqi CTS forces (if you look carefully they all have Arabic names), I initially misunderstood the purpose of the US advisory forces, but be assured they are just there to advise and assist, the CTS do the fighting. Feel free to use them in a fire-fight if you must, but if you lose even one of them, don't expect better than a draw, I'll quote directly from my chief advisor (Combatintman) here: The CTS are as close to an Elite force as anything Iraq currently has, their uniform standard of training and morale is largely a convenience (plenty of other things to edit first), but it's not entirely unreasonable either. Don't worry about the dismounting thing, that's a quirk of the editor.....If you save the core file to your scenario folder and play it as blue you will see that everyone can dismount as normal once the game starts. You can even resupply your AKs with 5.56mm ammo and acquire heavy weapons from the vehicles!

He knows.....Trust me, he knows. You'll be able to have your own crack at Mosul before too long Erwin.....Combatintman helped me out massively with a Core file for the Iraqi CTS and I'm modifying the finest urban map in existence to create a suitable playground (I've sent you both files for a browse).

Aiieee.....I clicked on that!

The Russians are at it too.....This one's a couple of days old now, I completely missed it at the time: https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/News/2017/3/4/Russian-troops-enter-disputed-Kurdish-held-Syrian-city

Many thanks JK.....Looks an interesting source. There seems to be a bit of an outbreak of cooperation going on in the fight against ISIS: https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2017/3/8/iraq-pm-assad-gave-approval-to-bomb-syria-targets Dare I suggest that President Trump may be having a positive effect on something other than the Dow-Jones? Something is going on and that's for sure.

Looks like the coordination is confirmed: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/russia-turkey-us-military-commanders-syria-proxy-war-meeting-talks-rebels-bashar-al-assad-sdf-fsa-a7618271.html

According to the Sydney Morning Herald ISIS heroic leader has done a bunk (He's buggered off, he's scarpered! ): http://www.smh.com.au/world/islamic-state-leader-abu-bakr-albaghdadi-abandons-mosul-fight-as-defeat-looms-20170308-gutys2.html If he's really 'hiding' in the desert he's a dead man.....That's where the SAS was borne.

Nice site. You should contact Plastic Soldier Company in the UK.....Will is usually very helpful to review sites in my experience: http://theplasticsoldiercompany.co.uk/ I'm a huge fan of Too Fat Lardies, their skirmish rules are like nothing else: https://toofatlardies.co.uk/ No idea if they will forward stuff for review, but they seem nice chaps, so mebbe give 'em a shout.

Time Commanders was created in conjunction with the Total War team: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Commanders I have most of the Total War titles.....They're OK. Better than most, not as good as some, if you know what I mean.

Syria guys, Syria.....You have the rest of the CM:BS forum for the Ukraine/Russian lunacy. This thread would probably be better off in CM:SF.....It wouldn't attract so many nutters.

Very useful guide to Sherman turrets here: 75mm Turrets 76mm Turrets I believe this is probably the most common 3600 mount for the .50cal: 75mm Low-Bustle Turret D50878 This turret appeared very early in production and the cupola was reused on many (most) other types IIRC (off hand without trawling through Hunnicutt).

That would be a very long video dude.

Anyone read the late Iain M Banks 'Culture' sci-fi novels? He had a thing or two to say about future drone warfare.

Excellent article, cheers for the link.

The core facts are correct: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_F-117A_shootdown https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_bombing_of_the_Chinese_embassy_in_Belgrade Proving the link between the two might be problematical though. The Serbs were very far from the first to see through stealth: http://articles.latimes.com/1991-05-01/local/me-787_1_gulf-war None of which bodes at all well for the F-35.....The ability to network & process radar returns has in all likelihood advanced at a massively faster rate than stealth technology, just think about the computer you had on your desktop in the nineties, then look at what you are using now.

Cheers Slim.

The attitude to the .50cal was quite varied among Sherman crews, I recall an anecdotal account of a British tank commander describing it thus "Great big thing, got in the way all the time. Traded it with some Yanks for rations and cigarettes." Unusually I find myself in agreement with sburke, those of us lucky enough to have spoken at length with WWII (WWI in some instances) veterans are extremely fortunate, they are an ever diminishing group and we must ensure their quiet wisdom is not lost to the generations that follow us. Never again.

Buying Corona or, even better, Cresta fizzy-pop (It's frothy man! ) and Airfix or Matchbox kits in the local newsagent.....Aaah the nostalgia!

Scoobie-Don't! Hope you are feeling better soon.

There are Shermans and then there are Shermans.....But yes a fully rotating AA MG mount is a possibility.