snake_eye

Looks like the mission "Decisions-decisions" before the Pooh battle. If you don't score sufficiently in the latter, you end up to make a new ride in "Decisions-Decisions". That should not be too much upsetting, if the available troops, LAV, Humvee and trucks MTVR were not cut down in their availabilities. If you don't make it, your forces are again reduced. What is upsetting to me is to have only one available issue : START the campaign once again. To be totally upset, you can always send your troops forward and look at them being decimated. But that is not my way of playing.

like you, in RT Elite, I managed a minor victory after 2 or 3 trials after having made a save, once my scouts were in the houses around the compound and had given a somewhat not too bad pictures of the surroundings. Never mind the tactic employed, I had sufficent troops and 2 tanks for the Milk Run. I ended it with a minor defeat and quite a few casualties, if I recall it rightly, but came to the next battle with 4 grunts and an Humvee. 2 tanks, 1 AAV7 and just a few guys (let say one and half a squad) arrived not so long after. What do you want me to do with them ? I made a try on the left houses and on the ones mid hill.I lost the AAV7 and a tank was immobilized. That was the end of the battle for me. THAT IS THE WORST FEELING YOU HAVE, BEING UNABLED TO GAIN AN ADVANTAGE. You just have to quit, if you don't want to loose peacemeal your remaining forces. The enemy tanks are looming on the hills near your objective and thatis not an Harrier that is going to resolve and or save your day. That campaign is by far the hardest, I have fought till know. I won't say that it is not good. No it is pretty well done and it looks like it had been done knowing all the military strategy and tactics dating back from the soviet era till the insurgency fights in Afghanistan and or Irak. Getting into it is not a piece of cake

Back hill bombing. The grunts on the crest were for sure spotted. But that doesn't explain the mortars rounds falling farther away on the downslope away from the view of the enemy. There was no direct fire aimed at the squads. I don't think it could have been planned. As for the roof-top. They were spotted while getting on it. Somehow, I have seen artillery on some instances putting a barrage on empty houses, my squads previously left in "Saving the Beachhead".

The AI seems to spot Javelin and SMAW teams for sure after the first shot, but sometimes before it, specially if they are on their way to the firing spot. They attract fire like a magnet. In any case it seems everyone is firing at them. That I assume is correct regarding to the threat that they represent.

Mortars fire brought on back side of small hill are an unwelcome surprise in "POOH" battle. Having succeeded in getting to the crossroad and being involved in a fight with the occupants of the houses on their right, I had delayed the attack of my squads brought by trucks on the left behind the ridge crest. They had left the truckx fully laden with ammo.The SMAW and a Javelin teams available as well as an MG were set on the ridge line to provide a base fire. The squads farther back awaiting for the assault order. Then all of a sudden, they were pounded by mortar fire (I am pretty sure that it couldn't be artillery - shells could not reach the backslope, mortars rounds could - unless BFC sees the thing differently). It was graphically quite a sight, but the ending was terrific. The air bursts were such that 80% of the squads were unabled to start the assault at the end of them. The Assault was cancelled. The Syrian FO (AI) wherever he was,did a clever thing. I had been used of houses stories and roof-top being raked by rifle, MG, track cannon fire even mortar and artillery, but down-reverse slopes of hills NEVER. Looks pretty good that the AI did it.

That is your choice and I think like you, that Normandy won't suffer from being deprived of being able to ram a tank (even if other games -tables or informatic are doing it). However, I think that not being able to crush a truck and or an AT gun should have been considerate. Following is a quote of the story of a very famous ramming that happened in '44 place de la Concorde ) and shown in the movie "The Longest Day" of ZANUCK. The French tank commander was played by Yves MONTAND. It described what, I always told you about ramming and why ,that was, on some occasion the only thing to avoid suicide while reversing and running away. Paris August 25, 1944 1300 hours, Under the command of Major de la Horie, the 1st section of tanks (lieutenant Bénard) launches the attack of the Meurice hotel supported in its progression by two platoons of the RMT (French Inf unit). The Meurice hotel is HQ of General von Choltitz, German garrison commander of "Gross Paris". The progression starts along the street of Rivoli; the infantrymen dash from pillar to pillar and door to door; lieutenant Bénard smashes a barricade and leads to the place de la Concorde. There, the leading Sherman tank, "Douaumont", (every French armoured vehicle has got a traditional name, Douaumont being a battle in the Verdun sector in 1916, under the command of Sgt Bizien, 21) stumbles on a Panther engaged in a duel with the gun with a tank located on top of the Champs-Élysées avenue. It fires its loaded shell, an HE which has no effect on the Panther; then the gunner, out of AP rounds, reloads with a smoke round which is even more ineffective. However the Panther starts to turn its terrible 75 PAK towards the Douaumont, but fortunately its turret, cranked by hand because the first HE round disabled its electric drive, cannot turn quickly enough: the driver of "Douaumont", Campillo, rams the Panther; the 75 PAK of the German tank, because of its length, is stopped in his rotation by the turret of the "Douaumont" and cannot fire at the French M4. The German crew, benefitting from the artificial cloud caused by the smoke round, leaves his Panzer and dashes into the Tuileries gardens. Alas! hardly has Sgt Bizien jumped on the Panther that he his killed by a sniper bullet to the head. He collapses, dead. Strangely, ten months later, on the motorway to Munich, the crew of the M4 "Douaumont" which had broken down, ask a German POW tank crew member to lend them a hand to board the Sherman on to a tank transporter; during the conversation, they learn from him that he was precisely the driver of the German Panther the French crew had rammed on Place de la Concorde the previous August. QUOTE P.S : If you can improve the running of the MARINES Campaign, that I will gladly accept and you know what I mean, since every other board is posting about it. Do it and I shall pardon you for omitting ramming, cows, bicycles and whatever you want in Normandy.

Tank ramming wasn't done everyday for sure, it was a desesperate option when tanks were at very close range and for some reason could not sight and shoot the opponent. Too close, gun damaged,no ammo or just surprise to see the other tank just in front and to late to evade and or shoot. The only thing to do is to ram it full gas and hope to get away from it, with the track or on foot. it is better than reverse and get shot right away.Not so much chance to survive without any injuries from such a shot. You don't have to think of options like bumpers for your tank or battering rams, because I said "frequently" to someone saying it happened only once ! It happened more frequently that he thought that it did happen. That is not easy to say ! You can always have a MADD MAX feature fixed to your tank, that I don't mind. just kidding you ! that is the End of it for me

Actually he was the one rammed by a Sherman, if you like his story look at the following threads http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Barkmann http://www.achtungpanzer.com/gen5.htm -almost the same with pictures htpp://www.panzerace.net/english/pz_ per_bar.asp - the most detailed account of his combat near Le Lorey (close to St Lo) Normandy and near Manhay in the Ardennes. Very interesting, a lot to read.

here's to you Sergei, that is oly one among many others. However ramming was I repeat a desperate option and it had been done more frequently that you thought. 2 tanks on that encounter out of 3 ! that one on the Russian front but the same applies on the West Front Another biography Gds. Lt. Ivan Efimovich Butenko Tank commander of the 25th Guards Tank Brigade/2nd Guards Tank Corps On July 6 in Smorodino area of the Yakovlevo district destroyed 3 tanks from them 2 by ramming. Was killed on Oct. 21'43. Became a Hero of the Soviet Union on Jan.10'44 http://samsv.narod.ru/Klb/GSS/Butenko.html

you'll find facts in some tankers reports throught books lecture.It happen probably in WWI, but I don't have personal recollection and more frequently in WWII. I remind reading about B1 French heavy tank in june 1940, unable to use their main gun( which limited traverse was like the latter sturmgeschutz III & IV) ramming deliberatly German czeck design 35T panzer or other tracks. All tankers were doing so at close range, when nothing else could be done. The ramming crews were pretty well shock but had a chance to get alive from it.

That one with the Royal Tiger was exceptional. It was however very frequent on the battlefield in Normandy and elsewhere

that's correct with me and I am sure to like the comings addons like I did since I discovered CM1 at its release. To come back to the upcoming, just 2 questions about the Normandy Battlefield : - Are you considering to introduce ramming for tanks (it happened frequently in Normandy)and is it feasible to calculate it and have a graphic representation for it that's the way, near Vimont close to Caen, on the 13th july '44, the 1st Royal Tiger (in europe) was immobilized, then destroyed by a 75mmm Sherman from the 2nd Armd Irish Guards. The crew evacuated and in the urgency of their escape reported later having destroyed a Panther ! - How the increasing details, that should go along hamlets, suburbs, towns, and industrial areas as well as the environment of trees hedgerows, river and or stream, ponds, swampy area ........are being envisaged and aren't they be RAM killer affecting the graphic card, bringing the game to a slow motion and absence of some resolution starting with trenches appearing at the last moment. It happens nowadays in huge Marines Battles with a good graphic card and RAM. Just to kidd you a bit more, what about cows. For sure they were mostly seen at the time, with their legs up. But afforded some protection in the field swept by MG !!!!!

Sorry to deceive you guys, the TIGER was surely an extraordinary tank but not the best the German had during the conflict. Ok, it had the 88mm high velocity gun, but it was slow traversing and gulped gazoline at a huge rate, besides its tracks necessited a constant care. However It bulleyed almost every time from longer distance, than its adversaries and the poor SHERMAN (the most frequent track on the field) had been nicknamed RONSON from a pub of the English lighter proclaming "it lights right away", so did the SHERMAN.The troop commander usually had after a short period the first tank, going in the trail and replaced by the second and so on, since it was nerve raking for the tankers to be in front. Twenty years later, I met a tank driver and he still did not understood how, hehad managed to get out of it unhurt. That brings us to the PANTHER. If you have had a chance to see one closely outside as well as inside, you will know, why I say that it is the best design that had been made in WWII for a tank. Mechanically it is amazing and the German engineers looked closely to the sloping armour of the T-34 and produced a ratio of weight/power fantastic. To come to the game WW2 to come, I hope will see it in action on the road near SAINTENY (Normandy) on the axis CARENTAN - PERIERS when an SS Panzer abteilung inflicted huge casualties to the opposing assaulting US SHERMANS. Leaving near that place and going to CARENTAN on that road this afternoon, I was as a matter of fact thinking of it. My father working as an S2 officer in the Engineer corp of the 3rd Army at the time, provided me in my teen with a lot of what you call "Intelligence" since he was running a "circus" to the troops in the area and informing them on German materials, booby traps ....... The hedgerows fighting makes Normandy scenario in CMSF fit for an Hollywood movie, since it does not represent the intensity of what could be found in the real action there (it is however a good scenario, besides the title). The battles of POOH and or the Milk Run with all the ATGM will look if considering the cost to pay for the advance, more likely like the Normandy battle. The ATGM being replaced by Panzerfaust and ambushed PAK (50mm and more frequently found 75mm -again a Russian adaptation from the Russian 76.2mm), Stug MK III and IV, MK IV, MK V (Panther), some rare Jagpanther and more often engaged on the English Normandy battlefied the Tiger (Pz mk VI) and on one occasion the King Tigers near CAEN. On the hedgerow battlefield the fightings where at rather shorts distances and the concealment was optimal for thye German defenders. Ok that is not appealing to some of you and you prefer a huge TIGER, that I can understand, but for christsake don't make Normandy look like it had been made in Hollywood, too many roads lengths around UTAH Beach have a name on a post just to remind you that they gave their life for their country and their adversaries did the same. For them we should stick to reality and not make it "Tiger", when it should be Panther or some other track. If they are SS, so they are. They took a beating at the exit of CARENTAN when they came from Periers and where not even able to help the FJ for the planned counter attack. My father was there and they thought at the time that the German were going to get through. They did not, because the SS tanks and abteilung backed up (being scared to move more than they had done and afraid to be cut off. As a result the FJ had to pull back. That's why, since I have been taught these stories and learned more throught books, I have found that what seems unvulnerable and enlighted by "Propaganda" doesn't reflect reality despite being SS, Tigers....................... Just a final word to point again what I am saying. The FJ in Eben Emael made a superb feat at the time. I have visited the place. But you omit to mention that all the field of fire where turned toward the river and the bridge coming from holland and part of Germany on the right (awaiting a conventional ground assault). They came by gliders, right on top of the fort. The fact that the leader of the assault did not reach the objective did not prevent them to neutralize with shaped charges the guns and they were just a few, less than a 100 men if I recall it right. However, in CRETA the surviving officers and troopers were utterly decimated with their comrades in the drops around MALEME and HERAKLION. They finally won, with the help of coming mountain troops, but it was a Phyrrus victory. The losses were appaling (men and JU-52 transport aircraft) They were never since, engaged by air again, besides commando sort of action and some drops on the Russian front and later in the Ardennes in '44 (decimated again) However they did a tremendous fighting in CASSINO (Italy) and Normandy as ground troops. That's all folks

The best way to set an MG on its tripod (for better accuracy) is slighthly offset from the path of the assaulting squad. That way the field of fire doesn't interfere with the charging troops and you can put suppressive fire till they are on the objective and flanked them with fire. You should set it, preferably from a higher ground position (the safest because difficult to spot on the ground and or behing a small crest, before the firing start) , from an house balcony, rooftop and or behind a window, it affords some protection but if spotted before firing (because in full view), the surprise is over. In the game even in elite which I only play, since it brings you to react more or less like it would be in real action (since you can't catch a full view of the action, being focused by what seems to you the best -and it happens that you are totally wrong) I usually target, what seems to me the most dangerous one and switch among the others later on depending on the evolutive situation. If the micro management of more units makes it complicated, I rely on the field of fire being set. Usually it works fine. The only drawback is the amount of ammo. With the target being designed the MG keeps firing belt after belt, which it doesn't with the field of fire being set. The MG crew is brought forward after the accomplished assault by foot and or track depending and usually I have it replenished before doing so. It can that way fight back a counter attack on the taken objective I only had one in the Marines add on in POOH - they were coming from the far right village - Never saw them in other replay of POOH. That's too bad, because the MG team did a terrific work and seeing the attacking line of a squad of RED being mowed down, I was astonished, even if an MG is done for it, and dumbfound to see the game doing it so close to reality. Too bad, I had no ways to make an AVI of it

The cyclic ROF -Rate of Fire - is the theorical ROF that the mechanical parts of the weapon could achieved in a period of time. To be more precise your weapon is achieving a 360 rounds per minute against a target, against, lets say a 60 rounds per minute ROF. That means that you are firing at a 600% rate faster than the 60 rds/minute. That's possible mechanically, but you can't sustain that rate more than 60 rds at the most. that makes burst of 6 rds per second and it means that you should not fire more than 10 seconds affilate. As I said it is the theorical ROF and you better not do it more than few seconds - 2 to 3 seconds -(the weapon probably has a restraint) because, you would be exposed to mechanical failure of the disintegrating ammo belt links, breakage of the ammo belt and or jamming in the bolt eventually. Anyway the mechanical parts are stronger than the ammo belt. That why you take care of them (the belts), if you don't want to have problems at the worst time. Have a nice day

To further argument the question, I have noticed that sometimes the troops getting into a room are firing upstair. Do they have a clue of some hidden enemies throught the staircase ? (which isn't shown graphically). In some other room assault not small ones but mid size to great size, the troops are either firing or not and they don't have any enemy or enemies to fight in the room. Then after some delay rather short 5 to 10 seconds, generally one or two, three at the most of them appear from nowhere. You knew however from the approach that they where in the house. I assume, they hide to counter attack the troops assaulting once they are deployed inside. That's what I figured out from quite a few house clearing, which are usually rather costly in casualties, since it is rather difficult to evaluate the size of the defender. If you have an option let me know.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/23-27/Ch1.htm this is a link for the 40mm grenade launcher MK19. It is designed not to overheat (it does not in fact -that's not an MG) and its current rate of fire should be between 40 to 60 rounds a minute. (It has however a cyclic rate around 360) remember that it is a shock and awe weapon designed to deliver a brutal and devastating blow in a short laps of time. In CMSF it fire steadily a shot every second or a bit more (did not control exactly) with effectively some periods of inactivity, that could be noticed from time time, before resuming firing.

I would swear it did happen to me once with an MG team. I have a blur remembrance of checking the ammo level and seeing the word "jammed". Maybe, I am confused with CM 1 to 3 play memories ? As for the spotting matter, I would gladly, excuse Battlefront for not giving a good eyesight to the Javelin team, for all the good modeling and parameters that make the game for what it stand "near perfection" (from my point of view), but to give such an important "nature gift" to the AT4 teams, being able to fire from a concealed spot to a target hidden by trees and destroy it right away, that I have difficulties to admit. You can only see (In Elite) a streak of a yellowish colour and that's the end of your huge M1 despites all the precaution you took not to expose it. More, there is no way to find precisely the whereabouts of the AT4(AT3......) and despite a reliatory pounding in the feasible area it comes back invariably undisturbed. A cat o'nine tails sort of things.

Welcome to the club. I am very much frustrated when a tank being in the best 200 m sight of a javelin team isn't shot at repeatedly, despite franctic moving of the team, close , near or at the place of the closer team (20 m range) seeing the target, but having not a single AT weapon. At longer range the Javelin team usually is seeing the targets and firing correctly. Yet not always to the target you would prefer. If you only have one shot, that's too bad.

I have found that a team of 2 guys on a rooftop had a perfect sight of a tank in POOH. Having nothing left but M16, I sent there a 2 men Javelin team. Close to the 2 other guys they were unable to spot the tank. I move the other team, they took their place and it did not help either, while the other team was always seeing that tank. Are you taking in your parameters the fact that they might have been wearing glasses ? More seriously why did it happen ? Another troubling fact. Javelin being fired from inside a building at 200 m target blew up in flight before it. Went maybe in a tree ???? It happen in another game, it just hit the ground 100 m or so after lightly going up then down (this time being fire from the open )

I have downloaded Tut07-complexshapes with no problem. At the opening the AVI file works fine till 00:38 seconds then a warning about the file that can not be read (codec or other thing) is displayed as well as a black background. It did the same on another laptop. Do you have an alternative. Tutorial 01 through 06is very instructive. "Bravo"

To let you know. I still had the same fireplan, so I sent a new 3 men team in. That time they shot at the upper stories since there was an ? icon. From time to time squad or HQ Icons appeared briefly. The suppressing fire was kept, all the time it took the team, now reduced since the entrance to 2 men, hunt their way to the 3rd floor. The T.L.R being reach the battle ended on a TOTAL VICTORY and still the only objective not being accounted was , guess the OP . I looked by sheer curiosity to the display of the remaining ennemies. BLUE 2 grunts OK on the 3rd floor against RED 2nd squad with 2 OK and 4 WIA and 1st squad 1 OK and 1 WIA on the 4th floor remained HQ 1 WIA and F.O 2 OK From what I have seen before the Arty had reduced their asset someway, as well as the suppresing fire. Still not sufficient for small recon team Got 1 KIA and 5 WIA in that battle and missed to lodge quiet a few enemies even if they had the Tank out 26 KIA, 34 WIA and 8 MIA. The MARINES Campaign is harder than the previous CSMF one, playing Elite. Battles too easy with few guys and a lot of assets, then a lot of guys, no one on the other side, next guys and no armor to deal with the one's of the enemy and so on.......

Roger, with that. Writing again about the Reccon on the beachhead and in particular about the PO 104.c Even with 3 grunts sniping at it, from a nearby building and an HQ on OP 103 overwachting and that after a short 155 mm call, I got my 3 men reccon wiped out on the 3rd floor. Before it there was no sign of life in the OP. I thought wrongly that the arty had done them. In another trial before I lost 2 teams. the place was full of enemies, has I discovered at the end of the game. To blow the place to piece is easy and a good way to lose points. Have an idea to make them walk into the street and abandoned that OP ??????

In the USMC Campaign's 1st battle, the OP farthest on the right, while coming from the beach has to be taken. Even with an overwachting, sniper team and an HQ team in the other OP, on its left, 2 small teams of reccon (each with 3 grunts) has had no chance in 3 trials. They were WIA while getting fast, between the 3rd floor and the roof. Looking after game to what was left has a welcoming party for them, I should have rather flatten the OP with a laser bomb, as I did it in the preceeding trial. No points for it being accounted. For other houses assault in RT (always) the advices are sound, for one thing. You have to found out, first the real enemy force asset, before committing an assault command to a squad (splitting it - overwatching and assaulting) or fast move command, all together. In any case you better have another one squad covering and or putting suppresing fire. As in real life, you might get surprise to get to the objective quite easily, or to find out more enemies than thought and to have to back up before they grind you one by one. In that case you would rather flatten the house if you have the art and or plane asset, while having a beer to cool off, during the time it takes to do so (5 to 13 minutes depending !) That might set awhile your attack schedule a bit. Between the range and the reality, they are clever poor fellows (as human looked at the enemy, quite a few years later) thinking to kill you, as much as you think the same. Training helps you. However, to do it the book way might sometimes kill you, as the enemy anticipate your movement to be made more or less the book way. A good advice : Don't think they are not as good has you are. Let them think, you are not good and do the trick that will kill them. That works in the game too. The scenario makers are clever and quite good at it. Thanks to you Sarge MUHAMMED

That's correct. Actually , I was referring to its use in the game. Depending on the time needed to have it operational, the game whould be more or less over.More precisely, the action would be elsewhere, or the crew would have been put out of action, before being ready. So, why not have ian option to set in a prepared position at the deployment phase of the game. They did it for other weapon in CM. You could fire them, but not move them. In Flanking Guard it might have help, from the OP position.