Heinrich505

The previous German now rises to take shots at them. Bucky shouts "Dammit, just DIE!!! Their shots knock the German down for the last time. Bucky shouts to Moore, "Why don't they just give up?" Then they rush across the street out of the killing zone. The war goes on. Heinrich505

Moore sees the motion by the Lieutenant to rush across the street. Several of the other scouts have fired at Germans across the street, using the wall for cover. They have not shown themselves since taking significant fire. He shrugs, figuring the LT must know what he is doing - the guy has always steered them right in the past. Moore smacks Bucky on the shoulder and says, "Let's go." He then starts to dash across the street, dodging around the tank traps. Dust kicks up around Moore's left foot. Damn, he thinks, this street was supposed to be cleared. Bucky yells the obvious. "Krauts ahead!!!" Instinctively the two open up on the closest enemy. Spent shell casings cascade from Moore's Thompson as he and Bucky hose the closest German. The enemy seems to fall from view. Moore yells to Bucky to target the further German. He fires his Thompson more to distract, knowing that Bucky has the scope on his rifle and will get the better shot. They have been scouts together for quite a while now, and having survived this long they know how each other will react. Bucky has the time to aim his shot due to Moore's distraction. He takes it. Bucky's shot rips the German's helmet and drops him with a terrible finality.

IanL, Nice frigging smoke screen. Looks like a white wall. Mine never look like that, haha. Great screen shots. Jagdpanthers are beasts. Heinrich505

Screens and a story are on the Screenshots post. Heinrich 505

Chudacabra, Nice one. What did they get hit by? Looks like at lease three hits. Heinrich505

Thanks Chudacabra. Yes, while the hand-to-hand was abstracted for CMx1, you had some slight animations ( I think ) and you had audio of gun butts striking and the like. You did get the feeling that the guys were battling it out beating the hell out of each other. It would be very applicable to Stalingrad, but I would guess it would still require some abstraction - twenty guys battling it out with animations that looked right might be tough to program. It would be great though. Heinrich505

Hapless, Great action and lots of fun to follow. Your narrative and descriptions are great and nicely accentuated with the screenshots. They give us a real feeling of being alongside you and your pixeltroops. Let us know how the squad of "headless chickens" do. I've had many of those myself, but the "chickens" usually get "fried." As for Option 4, you'll need to get the modders going on this for fixed bayonets. I believe c3K was lobbying for this in the past. Thanks for posting this. Very enjoyable to follow. Heinrich505

Thanks IanL and Alex UK. Always appreciated. The maps for the Stalingrad Mod are very atmospheric at night. Heinrich505

September is still warm in the ruins of the great city named after Stalin. Lt. Dragan is holding out with his small band of survivors in the Nail Factory. But the word is given to pull out and save his men. He was expecting to be told to die in place, but someone with some sense is apparently still in the chain of command and his men are still needed alive. Lt. Dragan gives the order and the men start to move out, cautiously. The Germans are all around and they cannot afford to alert them as they try to move to safety. The men ease up to the edges of dark streets, and then dash across in reckless abandon, hoping they aren't rushing into ambushes. Squads get separated in the dark. Some ease off to the east. The Lieutenant has a compass but he can't be everywhere. A squad splits and half dash across the street, but then hunt forward slowly and deliberately, seeking safe passage in the dark. The burning tank in the distance provides a little light. Suddenly shots ring out and soldiers scream in pain. They have blundered into a German strongpoint. Many fall and Private Erokhin and his friend Razev split off to the right, dashing into the nearest building to either safety or certain death. Senior Sergeant Oblonskie sees the fire of the enemy and orders his squad to open up on the enemy position. He hopes he has distracted the enemy enough to save the soldiers that blundered into the enemy. The screams of the enemy soldiers blend with the screams of his comrades. Erokhin accidentally choses the right place, and he and his friend are the only two to escape the ambush. They hear the gunfire into the enemy ambush position as they lean against the wall of their temporary refuge, breathing heavily. They know they cannot rest though. They have to keep moving. More Germans will be drawn to their location soon. Erokhin hears a noise in the next room. He jabs his partner with an elbow and they gently ease through the doorway into pitch darkness. They can hear scrabbling but it could be rats. There are plenty of them everywhere. It could be the two-legged type of rat as well. As Erokhin's eyes sensitize to the darkness, he hears heavy breathing and then his eyes catch movement on the floor. A Facisti is crawling on the floor, trying to escape the charnel house that was the ambush position that wiped out Erokhin's squad. There is no hesitation - there won't be any prisoners. Shell casings fall from his weapon. The German is cut apart. Dead German bodies mix with the rubble in the ambush position. A squad has rushed the position from another direction and flushed the enemy out. Erokhin can hear hushed voices speaking Russian and he knows the enemy are done. He has enacted a small measure of revenge for the loss of his comrades. He and his partner quietly slip in the darkness away towards possible survival. Further north from Erokhin's position, Senior Sergeant Sbitnev has rushed his squad across a dark street and into the ground floor of a building. They pause for a moment to catch their breath, looking out the windows for signs of Germans. Suddenly Sbitnev feels a slight tug on his sleeve. It is Andreev. He has a pained expression on his face, and he is pointing up with his other hand. Sbitnev instantly feels a chill rushing up his spine as he understands what Andreev is trying to tell him. There are Germans on the first floor, above them. He makes frantic gestures to his men to get their attention and keep them from talking or stumbling about in the rubble. They all freeze, knowing that they are in imminent danger. Sbitnev gathers the men around the rickety stairway that leads to the floor above them. He takes the lead and the men queue up behind him, grim looks of determination on their faces. They go up, the stairs creaking much too loudly for Sbitnev. The Germans, if there are any up here, will have to hear us coming, he thinks to himself. He grips his submachine gun tighter. Sbitnev initially sees nothing in the dark, and suddenly he sees them, the enemy, and it appears they have complete surprise. Suddenly Bolkhin stumbles up the stairs into Sbitnev's arm. The enemy hears the noise and spin to see his men coming up the stairs. Sbitnev's last thought is what an idiot Bolkhin is as he has probably killed them all. A hail of gunfire erupts as Sbitnev and Bolkhin are torn apart, falling back against others coming up the stairs. It is all close quarters and it is hard to miss. More of Sbitnev's men boil up into the killing zone. Now one of the Germans is down, the odds cut a little. The situation is still desperate, but the Soviets have more sub-guns than the Germans. Another German goes down. Shell casings glint in the ambient light as they cascade from the Russian submachine guns. The last German standing has his own submachine gun. The men keep moving to make a harder target for the enemy. And suddenly the German's gun runs dry. With practiced efficiency, the enemy soldier pulls up his weapon and detaches the magazine, going for the reload. In the frantic moments of the battle he held the trigger down too long and now he has to reload in the middle of close quarter combat. As the enemy grips a fresh magazine, Corporal Rakhimov reacts to the sudden silence from the German's position. The German is working feverishly to reload his weapon. He slams home a fresh magazine. He doesn't have time to wonder if he will be quick enough. He is merely reacting per his training. He will either succeed or die. There are no other options. And this time it is death that takes him. Cpl. Rakhimov has gotten off a snap shot as he rushes for the stairs and safety. The Corporal and the two other survivors have panicked and pound down the stairs, rushing headlong across the very street they crossed moments ago. He and his surviving squad mates catch their breaths as they lean against the wall of the building across the street. Another unit rushes in to help them, urging them to leave the scene quickly and come with them. They report that the Germans are hot on their trail. Rakhimov has now regained his senses. He is ashamed that he left his sergeant and the others and ran like a coward. He announces that he will return to the building and see if there are any wounded. The other soldiers wish him well and take off - they aren't going to take any chances waiting for this idiot Rakhimov who has some death wish. Rakhimov and the two other survivors, Mishka and Velotin, now dash across the street again and this time rush right up the stairs. Most of his squad are dead, ripped apart by the murderous enemy fire. But several are still barely alive. Rakhimov is glad they returned. They take the time to patch up their comrade's wounds, and then they carry them out the back of the building and off into the darkness, the sounds of German voices close behind. They have just barely made it. There is no telling if they will survive tomorrow but they are still alive tonight. That is something to celebrate - a Russian will always look for a reason to celebrate. The war goes on... Heinrich505

Kevin and NPye, I just finished playing your scenario "May We All Be Heroes." I played it without using Alt-B to brighten things up. I wanted to simulate the darkness and try to make it harder to see on purpose, because my men would be stumbling around in the dark and not as aware of cover as they would be in the light. The troop mix was good. The map is excellent, even though you won't be able to fully appreciate it in the dark. Tension ratcheted up as I sprinted the men across dark streets into uncertainty. Sudden death was lurking everywhere as the men hunted through the ruins. The scenario played out very nicely. Time for the battle was good. I managed a Tactical Victory playing Elite. It felt right, slipping through the dark streets, not knowing when you might be fired upon, and knowing you had to move or you'd run out of time or get found and overwhelmed by the enemy. Thanks for your hard work on this mod and this scenario. It is all appreciated. I'll post some screenshots in the screenshot thread. Heinrich505

Just wanted to let John Martina know how much I enjoyed his scenario. This was a gigantic battle and I am exhausted at having finally finished it. It took a while but I got the AI to surrender with about 30 minutes to go playing on Elite. There were a lot of subtleties to the map that had to be carefully handled. LOS was also a concern. The AI just didn't want to give up, and I found myself held up time and again by determined GIs who only broke when overwhelmed by firepower or died in their foxholes. It had a very realistic feel to it. Of course riding Tigers into battle was a treat, but they were vulnerable and you had to be careful with them. Well worth the effort if you have the determination to stick with the long time frame and don't mind pushing lots of tanks and infantry across a very nicely done map. Heinrich505

Leutnant Waldstein orders the men to charge as artillery rounds start to fall. He was timing the spotting rounds and now gives the order to move fast to try and beat the incoming artillery barrage. Kriegsberichter Combat cameraman Max Stahl risks his life to take a quick still shot of the men as they run for their lives. It is a scene that reminds him of The Great War, when the men went over the top from their trenches and ran en masse towards death. Tigers sit in stalwart majesty in the background. Death By Tiger. Another shot from PK Stahl. Carnage is everywhere as a Tiger stalks forward on the road, searching for more prey. A second Tiger sits in overwatch, visible in the center of the shot, to the right of the road. The flames of an entire five tank unit of Shermans burns in the distance, testament to the Tiger's reputation. Anzio can't be much further...

Exactly what I would have done too, haha. Well played. Not to say that the commander wasn't hunting for a Knight's Cross though, despite his inexperience.

George MC, Nice video. Looks very good. You sure the lead Panther wasn't commanded by a guy with an "itchy throat?" Heinrich505

Great article. Thanks for posting. Heinrich505

Bud, Great stuff. A gentle cliffhanger, I see. Hmmm, what might be on the Other side of the slope? I think the background really enhances your shots, giving the proper impression of desert and scrub stretching for miles. Heinrich505

Hapless, Really nice presentation. I am enjoying your running commentary and reasoning for your moves. I especially like how you are explaining and showing your recon units. I think this isn't done enough as most of our games and battles start right out in the thick of things. Heinrich505

Bud, Glad to see you back after dealing with real life for a while. Sorry you had a rough go of it. We all wish your family well. And, of course, the story goes on and it is good as always. It's like you never left! Comics are meant to be put down for a while and then picked up and re-read - it is a requirement I think. I read it in the Guy's Manual, I think. Story line is great and so are the screenshots. Your use of black and white is very atmospheric. Heinrich505

Bud, Thanks for the comments. Glad you enjoyed it. Heinrich505

Using a simple box camera that was sent to him by his father, Ralph Emerson captures the moment of death of an enemy soldier rushing his position in the hedgerows of France. Fortunately for Ralph, his squad members were holding Garands instead of cameras. The war goes on... Heinrich505

Thanks Splinty. Glad you liked it. Heinrich505

IanL, Thanks for the nice comments. Always appreciated. Heinrich505

The forest is suddenly quiet. The wind still sighs gently through the trees but all other sounds are muffled by the falling snow. It is cold, oh so cold. He cannot feel his feet. He remembers cold from bird hunting in Nebraska. It was never like this. He hates the cold here. He hates this country, so closed in, the forests deep and silent, as if they were some living malignant entity that swallowed up the living and left no traces. You could see for miles across the fields back home. The town nearby is St. Vith. He knows that. He has no idea where in the world he is. France? Belgium? Germany? It doesn’t matter. Death is stalking him and he is cold and afraid. He glances up at the sky. What time is it anyway? His watch says 3:30 PM. It might as well be night. The snow drifts through the openings of the trees. It could almost be beautiful… He gives a quick glance back towards his jeep. It waits, cold, beckoning. He could run to it and fire it up and race away from here…just keep driving as far and as fast as he could. Of course he knows he can’t do that. He is posted here, along with Stan. They are the left flank. They are to warn the others if the Krauts come through this way. And they have. He is pinned down though. The enemy came upon their position too quickly and too quietly. If he moves, death will find him. He lays in the cold snow, trying to conceal his breath that comes out quickly in puffs of white condensation. He is so cold and so scared… He glances through the underbrush. He sees them. Straight ahead and flanking him to the right. He ducks back down. Stan is up ahead of him, but he isn’t sure where. He doesn’t know what to do. Fight? Flee? He can’t leave Stan in the lurch. “Stan,” he hisses, trying to keep his voice low. He thinks he hears…no, he can’t be sure…the damn Krauts are probably too close to Stan and he can’t move or speak either. He tries to make himself small in the snowy undergrowth. He clutches his helmet close to the side of his face. He wills his body to stop shivering. He is so cold – he’s never felt cold like this. It must be fear, he tells himself. He imagines they are close now. He daren’t look up any more. He can barely hear muffled voices in German. They are hunting him. How ironic, he thinks. He used to be one of the best hunters in his small town of North Platte, Nebraska. These guys are good, he thinks. They really know their craft. He shivers involuntarily, and wonders if they will take prisoners. He works his fingers to try and get blood back into them. He can barely grasp his grease gun. Finally he forces himself to look again. Damn, they are closer. He has to make up his mind fast, but his thoughts are dulled by the cold. Should he run? Should he open fire? He’ll get some of them, but he probably won’t get away. Where the hell is Stan? What is Stan going to do? If only they could coordinate their movements… …and Stan opens fire. He thinks they must have gotten too close and Stan had no choice. Where seconds before he could see the approaching hunters, now he sees nothing. Those bastards are really good, he thinks. They’ve gone to ground in an instant. He ducks down and tries to will himself to fire his weapon. Now he hears a cry of agony. Stan, that sounds like him. He’s been hit. I’m alone now. Do they see me? They saw Stan. Will they think they got all of us and just bypass me? His hands are too cold. Or is he just frozen with fear? Bullets are keening past him, clipping branches and leaves. If he tried to surrender now, he’d just be cut down by all the lead ripping past him. He feels a punch in the side. What the…? He is surprised. What caused that? he wonders, thoughts dulled by cold and fear. Now he feels a wetness spreading inside his layers of jackets. It feels warm and cold at the same time. There is no pain though. He must be too cold to feel anything. He can’t move. He tries to grip his grease gun. He can’t. He doesn’t cry out. What good would it do? His cheek feels cold against the frozen earth. It feels like the damn forest is sucking the life out of him as the cold slowly worms its tendrils deep inside his body. He wonders if anyone will find him. How will his parents take the news? He imagines his mother crying inconsolably…and his mind drifts away into oblivion with the frozen touch of Death. Silence falls again, disturbed only by the frozen, incessant wind, rustling through the tree boughs. The hunters rise slowly, gently, alert for any signs of movement. The enemy approach cautiously and find Stan’s body, lying partially concealed by the forest path. B & W of same shot. He lies silent, not far from his jeep, but far enough off the path that he won’t be easily noticed. None shall know of his fate. He joins the legion of those listed as Missing In Action. The Forest jealously guards her dead. She gave up Stan, for now, but that is all. She will hold onto the boy from Nebraska for a while yet. Death moves on, riding on the shoulders of the hunters…for now. The hunters know that Death is capricious and can change sides in an instant. The war goes on… Heinrich505

Yes, but not so crude. It was very well done and closely matched the photo.