mjkerner

...that said, I like kohlenklau's ideas, he is always thinking, and for the good of the game with an understanding of its limits.

It looks like the tanks were shown as an example of how they will come with the game...snow camouflaged. If I were BFC, i wouldn't even bother showing or telling anything until release day. They just get incessant whining and baseless speculation when they throw bones. Don't like it, don't buy it. What's so difficult about that concept?

Don't worry, I'll keep you posted on all the characters. Guyver is alive and kickin' in the ville, with 4 demo charges. Burke is in the vile too. There actually is no flak crew or flak HQ with any one named Heinrich, but I heretofore designate the Regular AA crew leader in town as him. I forgot who Slebner was....

I agree, sand bag walls provide pretty good cover. Putting foxholes and trenches behind a low stone wall seems to give even better protection from direct fire for troops in them. Emphasis on "seems to", but I've had troops survive automatic weapons fire for a very long time using that kind of configuration.

^^^^ This. Chris was clear that they from the Alpha phase, so I can't imagine they are even close to the final product.

Minutes 33 - 29 (cont.) At the end of the Minute 31-30 mark, as Unterfeldwebel Teichert's light mortars are falling on the Brits near the crossroads, British fire is cutting the air over the heads of those in the crossroad trench, and his spotting rounds are impacting, ominous engine sounds are heard! Schiesse, TANKS! From the sounds the men are hearing (contact icons) they appear to be several Shermans and a couple of light tanks, Stuarts probably. So far, they are between 200 - 400 meters from the road, out on the right flank. Displacement suddenly takes on even more urgency, because no one wants to be caught out in the open with those monsters around. Their positions suggest they are going to be driving at me north-to-south (right to left on the screen), so I may be able to use the road shoulder as a short reverse slope/bulwark/rampart for protection. Well, maybe not much protection, unless the men slip down a tad, and hopefully draw the vehicles in closer. The turn ends relatively quietly, with enemy infantry--a Bren gunner showing-- sitting right on top of my mortar registration point on the secondary road to the north. I will task the 81mm with hitting them with some rounds, if they ever become un-unglued! Crazy Hans is about to shyte bricks, though, because just as he was getting down into cover, the armor came into view! Eventually ending up right across the road! We'll be keeping a close eye on Neidermeyer over the next few turns! Somehow, even knowing the enemy has armor, when you see them, it is heart-stopping. It's no longer an expectation...it's here and now! A Sherman, looking toward the end of the road toward my AA gun and HMG. With a sigh of very minor relief, Neidermeyer sees that the light tanks, or at least one of them, is actually a bren carrier. Little solace though, since it has a machine gun and presumably infantry in and around it. It too is pointed east, toward the end of the main highway.

I'll double-check if it was Heinrich or not. Don't think so, I think he's with the "Regular" grade gun in the village. The HMG has LOS down to the crossroad, maybe a bit beyond. If he survives (you'll see why I say that in a little bit), I might fire for interdiction down the road if/when his troops starting crossing the road. I have to be careful though, once it starts firing, I'm afraid he'll nail it pretty quickly.

Once again, great mod for the campaign! You want me to dirty/scruff up those posters...they look a little too clean. But I like that you put them directly on the walls, since the flavor objects stand alone in mid-air once the wall crumbles

[All you followers (well, I know Heinrich505 is reading these reports anyway ) will notice the Allied armor icons in the last picture...if you are reading the Allied AAR, and assuming Chappy has kept you up-to-date, I suppose you already know his armor is on the field. I only discovered them in either Minute 31 (or maybe it was Minute 30).] Minutes 33 - 29 Even though the British infantry seems to have gone to ground in the crossroads area, Lt. Burke is concerned that his troops out on the road flank are too exposed. With machine gun fire easily reaching the 81mm mortar position, and with it and the sections in and around the crossroad trench cowering so easily (both the 81mm crew and Schreiner's 2nd Squad section went from OK > Pinned > Rattled > Shaken in the course of one turn), he faces a dilemma regarding positioning of those right-flank troops. Do they stay in place, or displace a bit to avoid counter-fire, especially from mortars and arty, or displace a lot, back toward the village??? British LOS to my troops seems very good, and he has a machine gun firing almost continuously down the reverse (my) side of the road. Burke decides some units must move in order to either get into better defensive spots, or simply to scatter into the long grass in the field behind the crossroads trench. British medium mortar rounds bracketing the crossroads made Burke's decision much easier! The light mortars get moving after lobbing about 30 rounds towards the crossroads: 2nd Squad moves out into the field behind their trench: After firing at the British from the road shoulder, heavy enemy fire convinces Obergefreiter Kruwell and 1st Squad to move into the trench. During the move, an enemy grenade or Piat round (or a tank round?!?!?) hits nearby:

...Burke then let's his men open up...no use waiting to see if he spots the AA guns in the trenchworks behind town first. The AA teams open up, and in combination with automatic and rifle fire from the village, Brits start to go down! Using preregistered fire, the light 50mm mortars open up at full throttle as well: Up to this point, and although the British fire has caused some troops to cower remain unresponsive to commands, the only two casualties are Ruppertz and Weber. However, a sniper seems to have zeroed in on the AA trenchworks: Lt. Burke is very pleased and relieved that the kill zone created by fire from the village, the light mortars, and the AA guns (assisted by the TRP at the crossroads) has caused the British to go to ground. Consequently, their fire is easing up and offering Burke an opportunity to shift units around a bit, and maybe get that 81mm mortar firing at last.

Minutes 39 - 33 The British appear rather suddenly farther up the road, and immediately open fire. But what exactly do they see and fire at? They appear to be firing on the 81mm mortar behind their trench way back in the rear, but they could just as well be firing on the crossroad trench. No bullets actually hit either trenchwork, so it is hard to tell. No matter, both Schreiner's 2nd Squad/2nd Zug team (in the crossroad trench) and the mortar team quickly cower and become rattled, then almost immediately shaken, and stay that way for several turns! (In the first screenshot, Schreiner's Team is in the trench...and are OK for a few seconds. Second screenie shows his team with faded icon. But note that one-man Pfaust Team Schulist kept his cool and rode it out.)

Indeed. More on that shortly, Heinrich.

Ruppertz goes down, shot in the back almost without warning. Weber buries himself in the dirt, hoping the grass will hide him in the semi-darkness. Mein Gott, what just happened?, thinks Burke as he trains his binoculars from his position in the village. Fire back, throw some grenades, don't just hide like a rabbit, Ruppertz! But these are green troops in a punishment unit, and when faced with a choice between fighting and getting captured by the Allies with perhaps only a wound, why risk raising your head? Weber crawls a few feet under fire...Okay, okay, maybe if I lay doggo for a while, just maybe I can somehow get out of this, thinks the very, very rattled Flieger... But a grenade puts all thoughts out of his mind, forever! Burke takes a hasty look around, desperately trying to determine if these are just British scouts, or if the push is coming right at the village and up the road.

Minutes 46- 39 Furhmann headed left, eventually settling his section down along the slight rise at the edge of the road, keeping a close eye on the left-hand destroyed bridge crossing. Still, after several more minutes...nothing. All quiet. Ruppertz and Weber wove their way through their own wire in the village and made to the end of the stone wall without encountering any sign of enemy activity either. Ruppertz decided that they were too exposed to any British force that may be hiding in the river bed, and whispered to Weber that they should pull back. "Besides, there doesn't appear to be anyone around here anyway. We haven't seen or heard a thing for five minutes!" Of course, the gods of war can play the cruelest tricks at exactly the wrong moment. Literally, just as they arose and turned their backs to the bridge.... BAM, BAM, BUDDA-BUDDA...rifle and automatic fire rang out!

You are of course absolutely correct, as the video shows. (I believe the vid shows Francis Niedermeyer, Jr. of the Bundeswehr.) Crazy Hans was the old man's nick given to him by his comrades, in an attempt to keep him from being sent to Russia, where they wanted only serious, sane snipers, like Ed Harris.

Before Chappy gets back from his fun in the sun vacation, I will bring you up to date on the trials and tribulations of Leutnant Burke and his poor, under-armed band of wretches. The battle will be just under 60 minutes Here's a recap of the defenses: Minutes 58-47 After initial indications that the British were following up Lt. Burke's battlefield scavenging adventure with an assault on his position, things went quiet. Too quiet. For 10 minutes, nothing was seen or heard by anyone. Nothing. (Not an icon of any sort was seen by this observer, not even sound contacts!) His inexperienced, under-armed, and downtrodden truppen were starting to get hopeful...maybe they called off their attack, or maybe they are going to attack somewhere else. Maybe we'll have time to be reinforced! Burke knew better, and was getting very nervous (as was this observer!) the longer the British took to appear anywhere along the river. That can only mean they must be crossing on my far right. There goes any hope of retreating back to Valkenswaard. Scheisse! Time to send out scouts to get a closer look! "Bucholz (1st Squad), send a section out to the east-west road on your left and watch that bridge crossing closely. And send a team to the central bridge...maybe the Brits are hiding in the river bed havng an early morning tea." "Neidermeyer, get yourself over to the far right, and look for something to shoot!" Bucholz send Obgfr Fuhrmann with his section to the treeline along the E-W road to the left of the ville, while Fliegerern Ruppertz and Weber--with a extra load of grenaden--head along the stone wall toward the central bridge. "Crazy Hans" Neidermeyer checks his gear and his scoped G43, and heads off to the right flank...relishing this lone wolf assignment, and hoping to add some British officers or tank commanders to the growing number of notches on his rifle stock.

Looks like 7 got away, and a lot were casualties before my platoon arrived.

Thanks, the game timer showed in red, so this should be the end. I didn't get the Victory/scoring Screen yet. File sent to nathangun.

So, all Paratroopers accounted for now? With Brauer and his assistant leader down, 1st Squad leader Unteroffizier Klein, having cleared out the manor once and for all, orders 2nd Squad leader Gefreiter Bachofen to continue clearing the woods to the north, to the end of their assigned patrol/search area. Was ist los im holz?* Another Devil!?!?! Bachofen's section gets a fleeting glimpse of another trooper, and approach the area with extreme caution. Sure enough, the Ami will not surrender, but instead is bent on taking out more Germans before he succumbs to the inevitable. A few bursts of automatic fire from Bachofen's MP40, and it is over. Finally, the 3rd Zug can relax and tend to their wounded comrades, bury their dead, and prepare for the inevitable Allied push soon to come. *sincerest apologIes to all the German-speaking peoples of the world!

Don't count your chickens before they hatch, as the old saying goes. That applies to this battle (there's more to come!) and the Badgers!

...well, no. What have we learned so far? 1. Never get complacent; 2. Always scour the field for hidden threats; 3. Verdammte Devils in Baggy Pants! While the "last" Paratrooper was finished off in the Manor (why, oh why don't these devils ever just surrender?), one of his buddies is lying in wait to ambush my scouts heading down the road to make certain all enemies are accounted for. After signalling the "OK"....Bam, Bam, Bam! Ah, there's the bastard Feuer, feuer! Ah, finally, the area is secure....

Okay, it seems we have at least one Bitter Ender who has refused to give it up, so let's go get him! Covering fire by LMG, check: more covering fire, with a little more persuasion, check: (The money shot) Send in the cleaners, check: Checkmate: Is this the End Game?

Acht! Not paying enough attention! Thanks for the gentle reminder of what is undoubtedly my increasing senility! Oh, and as proof of that, I went and checked to make sure, because for a minute there I couldn't even remember seeing any hedgehogs in the game. I think it's time to put me in a home.

Wire? You can run over it with a tank and it will disappear. One tank can destroy around 4 before it immobilizes, but after I believe the second one, you're going to be moving very slow.

Actually, there is one minute left. After Brauer went down, I found and nailed a Para along the edge (he nailed one of the two Landsers patrolling to the end of the road. And my men went in and took out the Para that got Brauer and his assistant. Cheeky bastard was either somehow hiding in the building all the time, or crawled back I to it. So no need to credit Brauer back to me...legit fight and I think now I bagged them all. Final AAR report coming tonight.