Broadsword56

It's always interesting to stop and realize how little (compare to us, in 2012) the participants on the ground in WWII actually knew about the war they were fighting, beyond their immediate patch of Hell and their own hazy, postwar, terrified anecdotal memories.

Yes, and it would be cool if CM allowed us to put HMGs offmap and use them for indirect fire within their range.

The power of massed tanks, AGs or any AFVs is hard to beat. Right now, I'm seeing this demonstrated in my tests of a huge North Africa map/scenario in CMFI. It's a chance to see what 50 or so tanks in a classic rolling combined-arms blitzkrieg can do when they've got open terrain and a full head of steam. The Americans have some 35 TDs and some fixed AT guns to oppose the armor, plus the usual bazookas. But, every time a TD fires to kill a Panzer, it reveals its position and 5 other panzers swing their turrets around to obliterate it. Shoot and scoot is the preferred tactic for the Yanks, but it's harder to scoot in the open desert and timing the shoots and scoots is particularly challenging -- it's only working about 30 percent of the time. [The fact that a turretless TD takes much longer to acquire a target and adjust its aim also plays a major part here -- M10s made their first appearance at this battle, arriving like the cavalry to save the day...but since M10s aren't in CMFI yet, I'll be using Shermans as stand-ins. They'll be counted as KIA any time they're hit, with the crew required to bail out. But that still doesn't replicate the power of the M10's gun.] When AFVs can be mutually supporting like this, they rule. The only thing that can stop them is air power -- which the US didn't really have here in this particular battle -- or massed heavy artillery. The US has two batteries of Long Tom 155s, but getting the rounds to fall in just the right place and time on continuously moving German columns is a major challenge, too. One can see why Normandy baffled the armor commanders for a while, since all the lessons learned in NA were the wrong ones for NW Europe.

My thread for the Tunisia WIP map/HTH scenario has an enormous number of views, and plenty of well-wishers, but the response to my request for playtesters was so small that I've had to just test it myself in solo hotseat. If the response had been better, I probably would have released it by now. I've made loads of improvements and I'm about 1/3 through my test battle. Once it's done and I'm confident it works pretty much as I intended, I'll post it to the repository.

It's probably a weaponless weapon-holding pose, but I like the way Bova's hands seem to curl in horror and anguish as he looks back at the wreck. "Garrrrggghhhhh!!"

Here are the visuals: 1. The strafing 2. Two bail out 3. Pvt. Bova (the vehicle commander) freezes and looks back: "Did you hear that??? Riley's still in there!!" 4. Hero? Fool? or both?

Well, here's a new one for me: An M3 GMC 75mm gets strafed by a flight of ME 109s. The line of tracer rides right up to the vehicle and hits it broadside. Complete kill, flames erupt. Two survivors bail out and make a "Panic" run for the US map corner. So far, so good. But... When they get about 50 yards from the wreck, an airburst shell explodes in the vicinity and a roar from the sky indicates the fighters may be coming around for another run. So one of the pair of GIs stops in his tracks, turns around, and sprints BACK to the flaming wreck. He dives underneath the treads and cowers as the turn ends. I guess he prefers being roasted to strafed or shelled, but who's to judge. Or (this is what I often do when I'm playing and something bizarre happens -- I make up a little story) he heard the screams of his buddy, who he thought had bailed out with the rest of the crew, and he's a hero for running back under fire to the burning wreck to try and pull his wounded fellow crewmember from the flames. Wow. An amazing game CMFI is, however you look at it. Just getting to see each individual soldier make his own decisions in 3D -- good or bad -- is an aspect that really makes this series shine.

The middle spearhead of 10th Panzer rolls across the El Guettar valley in the advance to contact. An American eyewitness to the real thing described it as a slow-miving "iron fortress." Interestingly, the tanks all maintain formation quite well when they're given company or battalion SLOW orders: The armored car and half-track-mounted companies of 10th Motorcycle Battalion lead the southern spearhead W along Highway 15, the Gafsa-Gabes road: Cover is mighty scarce at El Guettar, except for the natural folds in the terrain. But some olive groves closer to the Wadi, bordering the highway, look like a good place for an AT ambush... Well, maybe not. In Tunisia, even the foliage doesn't conceal much. Especially when we're talking about a high-profile vehicle like the M3 GMC 75mm.

George, if you like battlefield mysteries, archaeology and forensics, you'll find some great WW2 reading here: www.battledetective.com

Did they rule out the Typhoon theory? I got to the point in the show where they showed the Typhoon rocket casing that was also found right at the Wittmann wreck site.

Outstanding job, George! That Canadian documentary about this on YouTube was fascinating -- it made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck when the French farmer opened his relic room and there were Wittmann's throat mike, part of the turret floor, etc. And this is the guy who apparently found what was left of Wittmann when he was working the field in 1983.

Erwin, PM me if you'd like my Tunisian mod pack containing the El Guettar scenario. It's still being tested (I've played it only once and the latest version needs more play to make sure everything works as intended) but if you're jonesin' for the wide open sandy spaces of NA, you can play around in it and at least enjoy the setting.

+1 to some sort of formation control in CM2. Although even now in CMFI, I'm seeing company-sized "V" formations of AFVs that I set up maintain very close to their starting formation as they roll along in SLOW. The infantry are the ones more prone to move strangely when in large groups.

Normally I find battalion to be my happy zone for CMBN and CMFI. But lately I've made an exception as I've been testing what CMFI is like in a North Africa setting (Tunisia). In my El Guettar historical battle scenario, on a 3200 x 3200 open map, the unit scale is something like US regiment vs. most of 10th Panzer Division -- ie, insane. But not only will CMFI run it, I'm finding the scenario to be quite playable and (at about 20 minutes in) thrilling. I'd never attempt this in Normandy, but in the desert one really can use group orders for companies and even battalions quite effectively. And as the terrain gets more open, the ranges open up, the maps get bigger, and one almost feels the need to play with larger formations -- unless it's more of a patrol action or raid-type battle. But I think it's important in the NA setting to have large or even oversize maps to convey that sense of a swirling armored action on an ocean-like landscape without fixed flanks, etc. At first I thought the game-killer would be the workload of placing 5 min pauses all along the QUICK order routes for every dismounted unit. But actually that's not necessary. I move the German columns by putting the vehicles on SLOW and the dismounts on QUICK. After a while, when I see the dismounts reach the TIRING fatigue level, I just issue a group pause command to the entire battalion for a minute and a half or so. By then they've started outrunning the armor a bit anyway, so it lets the tanks catch up. Over time, a compact combined-arms spearhead will get stretched out along its line of advance. So, for example, one spearhead is now pausing behind a ridge to close ranks, reorganize and form up for the next phase -- an infantry assault on Hill 336. Now I have to split the assaulting infantry squads and it's a lot of work. But this is only on one turn. Their assault paths will carry them through quite a few of the next turns, and with movable waypoints it's especially easy now to divert and reroute and reassign various teams as the attack develops.

"I called [my resupply request list] in to the battalion supply officer. The main request was for several types of ammunition, including 60mm mortar shells adapted for firing from the M1 rifle with the aid of a grenade launcher. "My men had found the expedient to be the most effective in street fighting in Brest and swore that it was more effective than either hand grenades or fragmentation rifle grenades. It, in effect, put the equivalent of 60mm mortars in the forward foxholes." -- Capt. Charles B. MacDonald, Company Commander, p. 20. The time period he's referring to is October 1944 on the Siegfried Line.

Brilliant! Superb editing and pacing. Love the way the bazooka guy emerges from the smoke with a grim set to his jaw. What map was this?

Since Combat Mission does not have SOPs. it's up to the player to stay alert to the situation and decide when to manually "unhide" units. The TacAI is good, and infantry do have some survival instincts, but the TacAI is limited in certain respects (and this is one of them).

Simast is correct. And if a unit is in an action square containing foxholes, they won't completely occupy the foxholes and get the full benefit of them unless they're in HIDE status. Look closely and you'll see that when you tell them to HIDE, their bodies disappear and you just see the tops of their heads inside each foxhole.

Thanks Splinty. I don't know how much fun it will be for people to play the actual scenario, in game terms -- but I made El Guettar as more of an experiment, to see how CMFI would handle NA settings and enormous-scale battles, and as a sort of "battlefield forensics" lab to see whether the historically accurate terrain and OOB might produce historical outcomes - if so, why? And if not, why not? But the actual gameplay is turning out to be fun, too. Handling huge formations can work as long as I select and give orders to whole companies at a time -- at least during the move to contact. The German spearhead in the foothills is just now reaching their jump off point for the attack on Hill 336. So the infantry are catching their breath and splitting into teams, out of US mortar range, while the HMGs come up and the FOs order a big round of covering smoke. The German armor in the foothills will provide a base of fire and try to keep those pesky GMC 75mm half tracks at bay. Meanwhile, the main spearhead in the valley keeps racing for the NW exit, and the mechanized spearhead on Highway 15 moves unopposed toward the bridge exit. The way I set up the victory points, the German player has a dilemma with this highway spearhead: Since it's got little opposition, ideally it should all try to exit via the highway bridge and score the small pot of exit points. But the German player could also forgo those exit points and use the southern spearhead to reinforce the other two forces.

OK LLF, sorry -- we're all glad you're still here hanging out, even if you can't play CMFI. I'll try and keep you entertained with more stories, pics, and action.

LLF, if you find you've got the time and are so inclined, load up the scenario and give it a spin. You've got share access to the dropbox file, and I uploaded a revised version last night that's much better than the original (cut the German tank strength down to a more historically accurate 45 or so in this area, and sliced a lot off the E part of the map, so there's less approach marching for the Germans and first contact is usually within the first few turns). Once I've played the battle through one time, I'll most likely post the Tunisia mod pack to the Repository so everyone can try it out. I just want to make sure the basic timings and victory points are right, and the thing more or less works. Not everyone will be into a battle as huge as El Guettar, but I'm hoping others will cannibalize the map to make their own, smaller NA scenarios too.

Good question, LLF. They appear to have done both. El Guettar was an unusual battle in many respects. The TDs didn't have time to prepare ambush positions, since they were actually preparing to go on the attack when their mission suddenly changed from attack to defense. They had no supporting infantry around (the nearest friendly infantry was dug in to the NW on the reverse slopes of Hill 336). At this point in the battle, the infantry's mortars are still out of range to this area. And there's no US offmap artillery available yet, because they were caught on the move and come in as reinforcements at an indeterminate time (maybe 15-30 min from the start of the battle). The only US towed AT pieces in this area 37mm ones, which I have deployed in safer ambush positions in/near the Wadi and supporting the US infantry. Actually, I think my scenario is playing it pretty much the way it happened in this part of the battlefield. Ordinarily I'd want to position my TDs back in keyhole positions or full defilade and let the German armor come to them. But this is a desperate defense, and the Americans have to trade space for time. The more space the Americans give up, the closer the German spearheads get to their W and NW exits and the vulnerable infantry on Hill 336. Delaying the Germans also buys time for US reinforcements to arrive (another infantry Battalion, the offmap artillery, and much later the M10s of B/899th TD Bn). So it's important for the Americans to slow down and attrit as much of the German armor as possible, within reason...but not to lose too many precious TDs in the process. It's quite a dilemma. Here's the relevant portion the real-life AAR by the CO of this very unit: EL GUETTAR By Lt. Col H. D. Baker, Commanding, 601st TD Battalion It was just beginning to get light when the enemy launched his full attack. The Germans had over 100 tanks, more than three times our number of destroyers. They had infantry and artillery support. Their artillery opened on our positions as soon as there was light enough to register, while their infantry advanced close behind the tanks in open formation, sniping, infiltrating, trying to get at the tank destroyers and the division artillery behind us. Our division artillery was primarily concerned with covering the infantry advance in the flanking hills. It was, however, able to support us with concentrations against the tanks. We found that indirect fire against moving tanks had little effect other than to cause them to open their formations. The tank destroyers had no protection against the enemy infantry except organic security squads and small arms. We were too busy firing at tanks with the 75's to use small arms except occasionally. The panzers were spread out abreast the Gabes road and advanced northwest on our positions in a general attack. Just out of range they split, some advancing on “B” and “C” "Companies while a main thrust of thirty tanks started around our right flank. “B” and “C” Companies started firing while the light was still dim, letting the tanks come within close range before opening up with armor piercing fire.(35) The main thrust worked in but found itself canalized by “A” Company on one side and the soft ground on the other. The German artillery laid a heavy concentration of smoke on “A” Company. When this lifted, the thirty tanks were still 2200 yards away and “A” opened fire. Eight tanks were knocked out despite the long range and plunging fire.(36) The flank thrust withdrew at once, towing four of their eight casualty tanks with them.(37) They retired out of range, circled northeast across the Gabes road and reinforced the tanks that were attacking our left flank and center (see sketch). One destroyer had been hit and burned, but the enemy's main thrust was turned. “B” and “C” Companies' action had been intense since daybreak. The companies had positioned themselves with two platoons abreast and one in reserve. The destroyers were dispersed among the ridges and small rolling hills in full defilade. Forward observers warned of the approach of the tanks which attacked in groups of five and six. The destroyers approximated the range and direction, moved up to the top of their ridge and fired, then retired until another target came along.(38) The tanks, however, came in so rapidly and in such numbers that the destroyers were often forced to stand and fire as rapidly as they could load, exposing themselves for a considerable time to enemy tank and artillery fire. By employing mutual support and fire and movement tactics (shifting positions), the destroyers were able to outmaneuver the tanks in most cases and prevent accurate registration by the enemy artillery which poured a steady fire into our positions.(39) Besides maneuvering to fire on the tanks and ducking artillery fire, the destroyers were forced to fire continuously on infiltrating enemy infantry with small arms, machine guns, and 75mm high explosive ammunition.(40)

With the rear tank knocked out, the GMC tries to withdraw. But now the middle tank has corrected its aim... The GMC is destroyed -- a 1 for 1 exchange the Americans can ill afford (actually, this GMC killed another Mark IV previously, but even 1 for 2 is not sustainable in the long run). But the german column is in a difficult zone: Still behind the ridge are two other GMCs the Germans haven't spotted yet. Ahead of the Germans and to their right, off camera, are some more GMCs who may soon be able to pop up and distract them from the front. There's a lot of German infantry about, so it's probably time to pick some 'faust teams and go HMC-hunting. This isn't so easy in the desert, though, with its lack of cover. Once they cross the ridge they'll be in the sights of many US machineguns. So it might be better just to try to keep moving quickly and count on the weight of numbers and momentum to prevail for the Germans in the end. From the US side, getting coordinated shoot-and-scoot orders to work right is as much an art as a science. They seem to need a 20-min pause at the end of their HUNT order to give them enough time to adjust their gun and fire. But that's plenty of time for an alert German tank to rotate a turret and kill them. So it's best to have a number of ATs popping up simultaneously from several directions. Hard to time that, though. But when it works right it's a thng of beauty!

Some fresh screenies from my solo hotseat test of the El Guettar scenario: The most fun part of the battle, in the opening phase, is the cat-and-mouse game between the German armored columns and the American 75mm AT guns on the M3 GMC halftracks. In particular, the northernmost German spearhead tries to sweep the foothills toward Hill 336 and secure the right flank, while not skylining themselves against the crest of the ridge... But this opens opportunites for over 35 of the US AT vehicles, who can pop up like demonic prairie dogs all over the hill complex from hulldown positions. In this sequence, three German Mark IVs unwittingly bypassed some GMCs to their right, who were hiding behind the crest of the hill. One popped up, and immediately three turrets rotate to try and kill it quickly. The middle panzer shoots first... ...and misses high! But the GMC not only has no turret; it can only focus on one tank at a time. And the green crew is slow to get a shot off. They ignore the middle tank that has just fired at them, and let loose at the rear tank... But now the trouble has only begun (continued next post...)

Now THAT'S feedback! Good job Badger.