snake_eye

Last picture of the dam. Cheers

Shots from the dam (the mosque domes are in fact the turbines !) ,the bridge with the highway and the village compound with its peculiar U shape Cheers IMG]http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad250/cateye_2009/defence%20in%20depth/CMShockForce2010-05-2622-50-55-19.jpg

You bet, it will ! That would bring a tremendous change in the AI script that could be done. To come back to the scenario underway, I might be able to post shots of the villages compound and of the dam (with its near bridge) today. I have try a fight in one of the village and it was real fun. I shall polish it a bit and I shall perhaps keep it. There will be a lot of overwatch and leapfrogging squad and or platoons size, besides some recon that will have to be made in order to avoid ambushes in the green zone being along the river Cheers

Hi Eagle 2, I have seen that, but what I would like BF to implement is the time scale that we could be set and have it starting at the first shots being fired. That way you could have an ambush being triggered to last no longer than three or five minutes. After that time the troops could retreat to a second base fire being held by another team and they would leapfrog away from the ambush site in an orderly fashion. This is quite difficult to set right now, since we can't know exactly when the fire fight will start. The guys might leave the ground site of the ambush, before it did happen, revealing themselves at the worst time. Cheers Cheers

Hi Alex, Well, if I do remember it well, I have the front and side walls removed and have put high stone and or cement fences along the former. If the building a 2 stories (but a 1 story is good enough - yet all depends of the elevation to bury in the house) is well located the fences follow the walls. That way you can also reinforce your walls and even have fences inside as seen in another bunker. For that one let's hope that the troops using it will fight from behind that fence and not in front of it. I have to try and see what comes. Cheers

1136 meters by 2256 meters exactly. The length of the airfield is parallel to the 1136 m width. The shots seen previously represent about a third of the total area. BTW have you use the shift key while clicking on the map size wether to increase or decrease its size by 160meters. without the shift key used, it is normally 32 meters. Have they changed the setting from 32 m to 8 m ? Cheers

Well, Jonny(FGM) you surely got a point. It is easier somehow to detonate a wire or radio control IED under a vehicle, when you think that the time has come than to rely on a pressure plate mine or shell. Yet, if you observe a road you can choose a predictable spot, where every vehicle has to go through or close to and use a PPIED. More, you can lure a team toward one of them by not hiding it too well and have small IED's sown around with PPIED. PPIED are meant for men and or vehicles; You can see an Afghan riding is bike and going along the road and your car will be blown at the same spot he has been minute earlier, since he was safe from the pressure plate meant for a vehicle heavier than the bike. IED's are a pain in the a.... the Taliban's are always changing the way they are using them and that without counting the mines (in the country side) left from the previous battles and not removed. The death toll in the game should be higher, probably because we are just playing and not walking in a place with booby traps probably around. We can become careless, move quickly and sip a cup of tea whenever we fill it necessary. In a real road or country side probe, we sweat a lot, every move is thought off and done with care, every sound make you jump and make your heart jump. In another word you are scare, and because of that you might stay alive a bit longer than other that were careless. As, I said it is a cat and mice play. Just reminding, that after a mine had blown, the worst thing to do was to run and help the injured. First, you were told to probe the area, secure it and only then take care of the wounded. that was a long time ago and yet nothing has changed besides the use of cells phones to trigger the IED and or mine. Cheers

The last shots here after. The small compounds as the one found in the Green Zone are yet to be made. the same for the small FOB or strongpoints found on higher grounds doing survey of the areas. Cheers

Task Force HELMAND by Doug BEATTIE MC (Military Cross). is one of the book I am reading right now. A fantastic book, I recommend to all. PPIED will be infantry and tracks mines used alone or together. The casualty figure with an IED or PPIED is not wrong in CMSF Today an IED killed 1 Danish, 1 French 2 ANA and wounded more of them 5 or 6, if I recall it well. In the book, BEATTIE write about IED and or IED doing about the same. Usually these are the figures you get unfortunatelly. A very close relative got killed in an Ops with another mate in a car IED. they were, happily (if I might say that) the only one since nobody else rode with them.that was fortunate for the others. The civy's 4WD was a wreck. To get back to the scenario, it should be a cat and mice game; the clever one will win and all the Air assets and artillery won't make a huge difference to the ending. That without counting on the difficult management of the AI which can't break a fight at a given time after having started an ambush. That should be a thing that seems easy to think about, but that BTF can't imply for very good technical reasons that I am not aware off. As for the mentoring (OMLT)of the ANA job, it does not put on the ground more than an ANA squad with 2 OMLT at the least and a platoon or two of them at the most. A platoon will have 30 or so ANA and 5 to 7 OMLT. These can rely on other friendly units for support on the ground and from the air. These figures are always different depending of the area and or of the Afghan Kandak being mentored. Here after are other shots of the landscape around the airfield, with a bridge along the MSR and different types of bunkers. Cheers

Here is the first shot of the landscape of the new scenario I am working on. It should use the Marines addon, but I might switch to the Brit one (that I have not yet bought !), since I am reading pretty good books about the brits fighting in Afghanistan Hemland country and Green Zone area doing OMLT for the ANA. At the least, it should figure US Army and or Marines doing mentoring to the ANA and securing with them areas around FOB, villages, bridges and roads. Lot of IED or PPIED (pressure plate IED) on the roads. They should protect an airfield, secure the grounds around it and maintain open the MSR. They should secure the villages and impair the Taliban's free move they have had in the Green Zone (agricultural area). It should be a very hair raising tactical combat operational area, that I shalll try to keep as close as to the real ones. Cheers

I thought that there was a key order OPEN UP that was meant for that. With it, the hatches were left open and one guy could use the 50. Cal while 2 others were riding air (and back) security at the rear. That is what I saw in effect with the Stryker in the game. The key is a toggle one. OPEN UP either open or close the hatches depending on the last order that had been given. That means that you really know what is going on, when you look at the Stryker, that is not very practical while combat managing. I have not used any other order to button up besides that one. Cheers

To ride unbuttoned is the best way to stay alive despite the fact that you are drawing fire. The 50 cal is a lethal weapon and high cyclic, so you can pour down suppressive fire and hopefully pin down some of the aggressors, while speeding out of the danger area. As a matter of fact, what they teach you in case of an ambush is not to duck down and freak, but to return aggressive fire and move while firing toward the ambushed shooters. better taught than done however. The only sensible reason to duck down and button down is when airburst or HP shells are delivered Cheers

Yeah, I find the new way better, than the former and that comes to a point I had underligned earlier. It was pretty upsetting to have someone with one scenario (not necessarily bad) on top of the list and being scored down only because you had more than one. The scoring being shown for a category, will also able people to have a rather good idea of what is worth downloading from what might not be. Too bad we had to go throught the disruption of the Repository for few weeks to get the goods things from now on. Thumb up for doing so..... Cheers

Thanks LONGLEFTFLANK, You just answered to a problem I had before trying to reduce a map and not succeeding. I finally let down the matter and made another map. That was more paintaking than to erase the unwanted area, besides the fact that it takes time. Cheers

The best reply, I have read since the idea of the strike went on. The Repository is back ! Let's have the bells ring in the countryside ! Thanks BFC for having Stingray letting me know of the re-opening ! Cheers and let's go back to work......

Well, for all we know D DAY was on the 6th of June 1944. The secret about Spigot was well kept until that day. Because of that, I fully understand that doing CM:N might make feel BF like they should keep classified the date of the landing of the repository. I think, that they should do the same about the expected Normandy game release. They will be that way, the only ones to know when it is released. Secret oblige. They won't say a word about it and if we are curious enough, we might find it around the corner by pure accident. Yes, all of this is a bit exaggerated on their part. Oh ! I just wanted to address my deepest thanks to BF.My lawn has never been so well mowed and besides I have gone back to work on my vegetables garden. I enjoy walking with the dogs in the forest surrounding my home and every one at home is happy to see CMSF idle on the computer, no more scenarios, no wife unhappy at me doing them. To speak frankly, she is just a bit disappointed to see me flying on military and or civilian simulations. Unfortunately for her, for the last week, that was the only thing flying in Europe. Meanwhile the Repository is going to ashes without the help of an Icelandic volcano. After all, if BF is letting us without any work to do, the idea of going on strike about CM: Normandy is not so bad…….Meanwhile, I just keep laughing about the inconvenience, since that is the way I have decided to respond to it. It is handled so unprofessionally by BF, that I think it can only be a joke. Fools day was on the 1st of april, they are late, no ? Cheers

Not so sure that it is undiplomatic, Moon. It just remind me of MUNICH in 1939. Happily for us we are not going toward a war, just toward the repository, if you judge doing so, when you judge the time has come. You could ring us then, just to make sure we know that it has come back. Oh, I forgot, you won't ! too bad. Better go mow my lawn...... Cheers

You are a pretty good diplomat, Moon. Every one wants to know primarely, when the Repository will be back and you tell us that there will be no change in the interface. As, I wrote earlier, you are letting open all the guess and weird speculations about the future date of re opening, if there should be one, after all, of the Repository; It would have been easier to write "No comment" that, is what we use in diplomacy Cheers below two non diplomatic thoughts : - Rather have a Repository with a bad interface than no one at all - - I am done with that issue, I am going to mow my lawn and think while doing so at a good scenario, I will download it later to myself, since there is no way with the repository -

The repository ? what is it ? It looks, these days, like there had never been one. Everybody is writing about CM Normandy and exposing the way it should be done, how and why. At the same time, there are only a few meager things coming from BFC, just more like some dripples in order for all of us to keep the thing boiling. From all the intelligence signals that can be gathered, from their awkward silence, I understand, that BFC has surely been severely shaken by the hacker. From the way they give information or rather by their lack of information given about the repository one can assume they have been. I do however, understand that their priority is to make the things that are providing them their living, working first. I would do the same. But, not to give any clear information on the date at which the Repository will be back, is opening the pandora box with all the wrong guess and weird speculations. These are not the things that people working on the stock market will favor. That is the best way to have your money go down. I won't do any strike, I will buy if it comes CM:Normandy, but don't think, that I am forgiving. No, we don't deserve to be let aside without any clear statement about the Repository future re opening. We are downloading scenarios in it, that gamers are enjoying.If no one can do it anymore, no more will be able to downloads enjoyable scenarios and that will be the beginning of the end of the great family of CMSF. That, Steve, I would not like it to happen. That will not be fair after the long way made since Combat Mission. Surely the best adventure I know of. Hoping for the best.... Cheers

Hi, Alex, Very useful tips. I had used some you gave me, at the time, for the scenario about the Taliban's tactical assault. It is easier thought to reinforce the houses with low stonewalls running around, than to move the sandbags. Yet, these are nice looking and enhance the visual immersion of the player. I have seen lately a stone wall inside one of the house, being right in the middle of the room ! I had not been aware of it being there. But it had a counter effect, in the way that when the Taliban's inside got hammered, they got the full impact and 80% of them were wounded. The windows were not narrowed. That might explain the casualties. I had also, used hunker down positions for the Brads in another scenario (El derjine counter attack). I had set, after few trials, about the same height differences you are showing. However, the result was mitigated. They were brew quite instantly in some spot and stayed a little bit longer on others. I think they should have stayed alive a bit longer if they were firing flank shots and not been in a full straight forward view of the enemy. I must say, that I did not register the kills they made, if they made them. Will try to make bettter in practice your new advices Keep on giving so more Cheers

The magazine or rather the cartridges receiver has been designed to allow the extra capacity of the Enfield. Hence, it had to be set outside the rifle wooden stock. The receiver can be removed for cleaning, very easily. Better have it clean and lightly oiled. On the 98K there is a plate (it can be removed for cleaning) in the bottom with a spring to push the cartridges up and close the inside rifle receiver. But since there are only 5 of them in a strip and that, is the capacity of the cartridges receiver, that plate doesn't need to protude outside of the wooden stock. Cartridges were usually issued to individuals in pack, the size of a cigarette's packet (or bandoleer of few clips for the garand). For the German 7.92 mm the cartridges on a strip of 5, for the Garand 7.62mm (30 cal) with a clip of 8. The strip permits a quick reloading. You don't have to get the cartridge in one by one. Yet, you can do it. Crate were also distributed with cartridges in without any strip. More, the Garand clip was ejected at the end of the firing of its 8 cartridges. That is why it was not retained. The strip however was usually inserted in a slot of the rifle chamber. The cartridges pushed down with the thumb and the strip removed, discarded or retained for further use. That explain, why the German G 43 and or K43 were reloaded with a cartridges strip, when all the magazines were empty. The 2 magazines plus the third on the rifle were the basic combat load Cheers

A bit surprise that you don't have the SS and FJ paratroop in your first release. That won't allow any scenario against CARENTAN or ST COME DU MONT, around LESSAY, PERIERS the Mont CASTRES ...........involving heavily these troops. SS divisions and FJ were directly engaged and or in support of the Heers units around these towns. That suggest that we will have the coastal units and POA (russian Army of Liberation) dealing with the paratroops around the coastal objectives of UTAH and OMAHA. From OMAHA to SAINT LO no FJ and SS encounter if I am not making a mistake. From UTAH to the Axis CARENTAN, LA CHAPELLE EN JUGER, CANISY and all the way down to AVRANCHES there were mix of forces Heer, SS and the remnants of the FJ (in particular around the RONCEY pocket). For the sake of clarity I haven't given the OOB of the units involved, since there is no need to get into a Bren, Blast and or GI socks lenghtful issue (why not - It has been said that the most important thing a trooper has are his feet and only after its gun.....) Cheers

I think that the following link should be helpful to comprehend the PBI (Primary Blast Injury) effect on soldiers and or civilians. It is very well done and survey terrorists as well as militaries explosion from reports in different countries with a very precise medical insight. Here after a short recollection of a rocket attack on 2 soldiers Blast effect military medical study link http://www.wramc.army.mil/Patients/healthcare/psychology/clinic/VTCFellowshipProgram/SESSION%20V%20-%20DEVENSE%20AND%20VETERANS%20HEAD%20INJURY%20PROGRAM/BLASE%20INJURY.PDF

Right guess, GI's always tried to find practical comfort reasons to wear the M1 Helmet and the chin strap off is primarily one of them, the thought of the injuries was secondary. It is like the campaign for not smoking every smoker thinks that what they advertise will happen to someone else and not to them. I did so. The GI's, also used their Helmet to carry a cigarette pack, matches and or pictures of relatives (and or girlfriend), letters and even more militarily a folded map. All these rather put in a plastic wrapping to avoid the sweat condensation. They even used it sometimes at the rear for cooking or as a seat. The quartermaster had at the time to issue a warning through a leaflet over stressing the danger of cooking with it, hence reducing the steel treatment value. The helmet was also used in close combat to break the skull of an enemy when no more ammo was available and nothing practical in hand (like a folding shovel). If the chin strap had been on, the time to take it off, it will have been too late. The best use I recall, was to use it for collecting money in order to have a huge party, God that was fantastic. Cheers

I am finding the GI's pretty well rendered and the fact that they are having their chinstrap on, do not bother me at all, despite the issue that followed and which is not that important to me, but on one point, which was that some thought wrongly for not having the right informations. Luckily, here they are. You will learn a lot of things from that US ARMY link about the helmets. This link to the US ARMY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT – OFFICE OF MEDICAL HISTORY will close the debate about the helmet chinstrap and the blast injuries or death resulting from having it on by giving you real facts. Here after is what they wrote about the chinstrap and the T1 release device made available from july 1944 (picture shown below), but not widely. The full documents can be found at the following link http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/wwii/woundblstcs/chapter11.htm http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/wwii/woundblstcs/chapter11figure305.jpg “During the course of the North African campaigns in 1943, the rigid hook fastener of the chinstrap was found to be a source of potential danger by remaining intact under the impact of a blast wave resulting from a nearby detonation and thereby jerking the head sharply and violently with the production of fractures or dislocations of the cervical vertebras. Therefore, it was necessary to redesign the helmet strap with a ball-and-clevis release so that it would remain closed during normal combat activities but would allow for. a quick voluntary release or automatic release at pressures considerably below the accepted level of danger. Following extensive tests by ordnance engineers, a new release device was developed which would release at a pull of 15 pounds or more. This device (fig. 308) shown below was standardized in 1944 » This other link http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/M1_Helmet Will give you first another explanation, which by the way reminded me, the way I was taught to get rid of a sentry, by slicing its throat and or breaking his neck by putting a knee on its back, while grabbing the helmet with one hand and pulling it violently backward. I was very happy, never to have to do it for real Their second explanation, having not been informed about the US ARMY Medical enquiries is close to what many people think, that is, that the chinstrap is not the cause of injuries or death. “During World War II and later, many soldiers wore the webbing chinstraps unfastened or looped around the back of the helmet and clipped together. This practice arose for two reasons: First, because hand-to-hand combat was anticipated, and an enemy could be expected to attack from behind, reach over the helmet, grab its visor, and pull. If the chinstrap were worn, the head would be snapped back, causing the victim to lose balance, and leave the throat and stomach exposed to a knife thrust. Secondly, many men incorrectly believed that a nearby exploding bomb or artillery shell could cause the chinstrap to snap their neck when the helmet was caught in its concussive force, although a replacement buckle, the T-1 pressure-release buckle, was manufactured that allowed the chinstrap to release automatically should this occur. In place of the chinstrap, the nape strap inside the liner was counted on to provide sufficient contact to keep the helmet from easily falling off the wearer's head” Well, I hope that these links will help you in comprehending that chin strap debate. Cheers