kohlenklau

Lehmann lists the following Soviet units attacking towards where LSSAH was defending "Rollbahn Nord" on the way to Zhitomir: 5th Army with 1st Rifle Corps. 9th, 19th and 22nd Mechanized Corps. Anybody know if they had at least 18 T-34's in their TOE?

Here is my theory! This came to me last night and today got firmed up. This is the dude who started all the supposed true stories...Paul Carell. Raise your hand if you were a kid and read one of his exciting "books" about WW2. Raise the other hand if you still have an old dog eared paperback you lugged around in the 70's. Real name: former Nazi Paul Karl Schmidt. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Carell I think he had lots of contacts and could get some juicy anecdotes to put into a book. Wittmann was dead so the entire Point 65.5 thing is just like he did in "Foxes of the Desert" with Point 208. Enough true stuff or true sounding stuff fleshed out with whatever else he needed to make it work. He just grinds it out and gets it published. The Point 65.5 story seems to be first described in Hitler Moves East: 1941-1943. New York: Little, Brown, 1964 ISBN 0-921991-11-8 Everybody since then just stamped it as true even with the conflict to elevations and dates and locations. Gary Simpson's Tiger Ace book has in the references a book by Carell but also Lehmann's series. Nobody seems to have done any asking why Point 65.5 was called that if the elevations were all higher...

@Erwin @RMM ok, I got it and it is now in my goody box CMRT section. see my signature for the link...

It is empty! This crap is baffling sometimes...

Hey Tony. oh OK. nevermind then. I am good. Disregard the gigantic proposal. We can just do the small issue for the GD stuff for this thread? I will send a dropbox folder invite by email.

The other part of the puzzle is did he REALLY face 18 T-34's?

You and I can go! I have a web article here... "Lovely Ukrainian Ladies desire to host 2 older American males for overnight discussions of 1941 war time local history. Old Grandpa's basement contains relics such as MP-40 and old helmets. All inclusive vodka, borsch and sauna fun. Free ride from airport in lend-lease Studebaker truck."

Have a great time! Me and the Mrs did NYC last week and had some cold temps for the rarely ever used big coat,gloves,hats and scarves.

@Erwin I sent a PM with a proposal to just flat out host all your collection of .5TB on my 2TB dropbox... You could still serve as the archivist if you wanted. Let me know what you desire to do...

I am up near Burnet TX and yesterday was around 80F...sweating my chestnuts off...

You are retired Gary! Grab the Mrs and get some airline tickets and head out to Ukraine. I will forward a useful phrases pdf file...

@akd I know it is the holidays but if you desire to help out in this area of your well regarded skill and passion and have time, could you please tell us how many Stug's were in the LSSAH in July 1941? I did some research but did not find a specific reliable answer...250 Stugs in 11 battalions. I don't know if the below is a typo and Sturmbatterie should be some other word? Did LSSAH just have 7 StuGs in July 1941? STURMBATTERIE 1941 (K.ST.N446) Now, the 1941 version was quite similar, a major change was the addition of the 7th StuG in the headquarters unit. Furthermore for this unit, I have some data on men & equipment. In total there were 5 officers, 1 official, 37 NCOs and 83 enlisted men. Additionally, 9 light machine guns, 17 trucks, 6 cars, 7 StuGs and 3 light armored ammo carries. As you can see the early batteries were quite small with only 2 guns, this number increased throughout the war.

What is the opinion of any experienced researchers here? I propose that the so called Point 65.5 is NOT a true detail but came from a propaganda story or post-war reiteration? In 5 minutes I have hit paydirt for 1;100,000 maps for this area from Polish sources dated 1931. P47 S 46 PULINY All the terrain info on this 1931 map roughly matches the Google Earth GE numbers for elevations. ~200m This IS the area of the LSSAH tactical focus on 7.11.1941-7.13.1941 and Lehmann page 30-41 describes it with words like "baptism of fire". I think this is the general area where Wittmann's buzzard first fought against Soviet AFV's. I used GE Image Overlay function where you can color the terrain a certain color if it is at a certain elevation. I didn't even have an indication that anything near here was even below 200m absolute! The sad thing is IF all the details of the story behind Wittman's first battle are hogwash. Hold on, I think I have a book on WIttman... TIGER ACE: The Life Story of Panzer Commander Michael Wittmann by Gary L. Simpson. Page 86 starts the "Point 65.5" story...and talks about Dubno, Olyka, Moszkove, Moszkov, Rovno, Luck, Borbin... Looking at more of the maps in that excellent online collection http://igrek.amzp.pl/ I do not see anything around the 65.5 meter range. Lehmann's book clearly states the action of 7.12 and 7.13 was a bit farther east near good old Sokolov now called Sokoliv. WTF!!

yes, I have had luck with making custom KO'd wrecks with say 421 and 424 and then the live tank is 423 or 420. But tiny scenario stuff. Maybe you are lucky and a different "ausf" allows you 2 live tanks with 423 AND 420. decals would be damn cool

OK, when it comes to CM stuff, I am a crazy wannabe chef, I have meals on the stove, meals being served, meals still marinating, meals in the planning phase and meals I am starting the research. Even if some of my cooking might make you barf, I do enjoy the process. So, I am encouraged by @Heinrich505 to try and do an early Wittmann scenario. It has been tried before. CMBB I think and some other game platforms. Point 65.5 in Ukraine. A lone short barrel StugIII vs 18 T-34's is the story I read. 6 were KO'd and the rest vamoosed. It was on either 7.13.41 or 7.12.41. I think it was near Sokoliv. I have Rudolf Lehman's The Leibstandarte II but it has normal errors in memory and recollection. I have Google Earth and am looking for anything with an elevation of 65.5 meters but it is all much higher in elevation. 200+ Hmmm. I am not a map elevation history expert. Maybe they had errors and I will not find this mythical point 65.5. Many talented folks have bitten into this and the old web archives even show a benpark in an old non-BFC forum discussing it circa 2009. @benpark I have my early Stug mod with StugIII riding the 251 Stummel but now I also have as an option to use a 2nd version where you have the armor of the StugIII but smoke and mirrors makes the long 75 look short. This will be fun. Chime in if you have any comments.

Maybe only send an upload link by PM! Anybody could upload pictures of some bizarre crap...Klink and Shultz drunk at the Stalag 13 Christmas party? ?? Tell me if they arrive ok! j/k

please stay on the line while I connect you... @Erwin Hello? Yes, a collect call for Mrs. Floyd from Mister Floyd Will you accept the charges from United States?

Yes, I raise a toast to those who contributed scenarios in this little seasonal festival but as well to all of you of the combat mission community. Merry Christmas. Best wishes for 2022. WE WILL MAKE IT AN ANNUAL THING!

When Nige @theforger released his 12/16 extravaganza I was instantly thinking to make a tiny scenario on the absolute smallest map 208 x 208 and just 10 minutes working title called "Peiper Takes a Piss" but perhaps the giant campaign ALREADY encompasses such action!

That is entirely fair! As SOP, my wife is instructed to make a forum post when I die...

What Bernie said.

It would be very cool to have decals and much easier than TRYING to mod it in a half-azz manner

The Three Digit System simply identified the company/platoon/individual vehicle in that order and allowed the commander to direct his units effectively on the battlefield. For example a vehicle numbered "223" would mean: 2nd company - 2nd platoon -3rd vehicle.

Christmas is tomorrow... Can we get a few more scenarios under the tree? Happy Holiday! Covidklau

Nothing to do with COVID but I am struggling to finish a small Soviet Campaign. I have 2 battles playing well, the 3rd is much bigger so it just takes time. I ask a couple guys for a playtest of the campaign so far...I think finally the core unit is working, so battle 1 losses are reflected in who shows up for the muster report on battle 2...