Hilts

2nd Platoon arrives on the drop zone and takes two casualties from enemy fire. E Company is now complete. 1st Platoon men in the farmhouse finally open fire on enemy troops occupying Kamp village. A number of casualties are seen and the enemy appear to be abandoning the buildings under the hail of bullets. 1st Platoon's MMG sets up behind a hedge to the right of the farmhouse and opens fire on retreating German troops.

Agreed but my men should be out of LOS from the AA guns and I have not seen any enemy armour around yet plus, it's the only cover I've got!

Men from 3rd platoon anxious to get off the drop zone, sprint for cover. A view from 3rd platoon lines looking up the slope to the fortified farm of Hendrickshoeve, which stands between them and the village of Nicoline. German troops have been seen in the vicinity of the farm and in the trees to the right. These guys are giving me a real headache. They occupy the top floor of a three storey house in Kamp village and judging by the amount of lead they are throwing out, they are not short of ammunition. They have this view of my positions and are doing a good job of pinning me down. So far I have not returned fire. I am packing the farmhouse with troops and when I have set up the machine guns and made sure that I am not in line of fire from the flak guns I will open up with everything I've got in an effort to shift them from that building.

An on/off button for the UI sounds like a splendid idea!

Reinforcements have arrived....3rd platoon with a light mortar team. The scouts reach the farm yard but the buildings appear to be deserted. German troops have retreated to Kamp and are occupying the three storey building in the background from which they have opened fire. I lose three more men including one from Co. HQ who was caught in crossfire. The HQ support team all but wiped out by fire from the flak guns.

Yes, plans can change with the arrival of more troops. I'm thinking now just to send one platoon down the road for the guns or possibly try and knock them out with mortars. It depends what arrives......

HQ support team ordered to withdraw pronto but hit with more fire. I thought it was mortar fire originally but it's too quick. It must be fire coming in from the flak guns even though I can't even see them. The AA entrenchments are somewhere centre right background between the two buildings. I lose four more men.... A scout team advances through the orchard but draws no incoming fire from the farm buildings. I've almost reached the right flank of the farm. Enemy troops are seen retreating back from the farm to Kamp village. Moments later this chap was cut down.

Cheers......I thought it must be mortar fire but I've just found out that it wasn't!

More troops are brought up to the hedge-line and the paras open fire on the German troops in the farm compound. One is seen to drop. The others retreat into and beyond the farm house. HQ support team advances in an effort to get round the left side of the farm but runs into what seems to be a light mortar stonk. I lose my first casualty only 2 minutes into the battle. I am getting the funny feeling that this mission is not exactly going to be a walk in the park. Other para teams move up to flank the farm from the right. These German troops are seen approaching the village of Kamp from the direction of the AA gun entrenchments.

Ist squad moves off the drop zone at pace towards cover. ....and immediately comes under fire from enemy troops in the farmhouse, centre background. I can see seven men in total but hadn't expected to come under fire in the first minute.....

The time is 13:25 Sunday 17th September 1944....A Perfect Sunday Ist Platoon Easy Company plus Co HQ have landed on the drop zone to the north east of the villages and flak guns. They have gathered their equipment together and are getting ready to move out. The first task will be to scout for any enemy activity in the village of Kamp and surrounding farm-steads and then move down the road which offers some cover and hopefully neutralise the flak guns from the rear before moving on to the village of Nicoline.....

It works OK in my CMFI. Create a ZZ folder for FI and put it in there. That's what I did....

Awaiting the Allied attack.....

After 90 minutes of bitter fighting all enemy troops have been driven out of the town and are seen fleeing to the south. My men are weary so do not pursue and instead rest up in the town in preparation for what comes next...... Mentioned in dispatches: Leutnant Ober and his crew: 4 kills (2 Shermans, 2 Stuarts) and 20+ casualties Obergefreiter Altschuler commander of Stummel 1: 1 57mm anti-tank gun destroyed and 16 casualties Stabsgefreiter Munchbach in his Panzer 2 (Lynx): 9 casualties and involved in infantry support. Obergefreiter Becker commander of Stummel 2: 7 casualties and infantry support role. And finally a special mention should also go to Obergefreiter Langsfeld, commander of the Pak 40 and his crack crew who single handedly halted the American armoured counter-attack on the left flank: 3 kills (Shermans) plus 8 casualties

Yes Ian, I will finish battles started in 2.01 first unless the others buy the module also in which case they should be able to be finished off in 2.1 Thanks for the reminder about the mods.....

That sounds like a plan Bill, thanks. Are you saying I can just copy the CMBN folder as is, to give me two copies of the game on my machine without the necessity of a re-activation? If this is so I presume it will be best to put the copy in a different place to make upgrading easier....right? I can see a potential problem with H2HH though with two versions of the same game running. It may be easier as you say to persuade the other guys to buy the module as well....I'm working on that! Lol

I have a question regarding CMBN-MG. If I buy and install the Market-Garden module will I still be able to play my H2H opponents who don't buy it, in the usual way?

Not much is happening now. US troops have been driven out of the town and German forces occupy most of the southern outskirts of the town. The Panther moves to the corner of the street and machine guns anything that moves in the vicinity of the farm. A jeep is shot up and up to twenty men are seen to fall. The rest flee for their lives and all thoughts of a last stand are wiped out. Tending to the wounded in the Town Square. Suddenly out of nowhere an enemy artillery strike hits the town right on buildings that are occupied by my troops. I don't know who is directing this strike as I have seen no sign of any FO's. My men dive for cover and are badly shaken but miraculously suffer no fatalities.

Cheers mate! It seems a great pity to me that these excellent campaigns cannot be enjoyed by playing them against a human opponent instead of just the AI.

The fact that if you want to buy it you can just click and add it to your shopping basket is quite cool..........

Noticed this Stug (replica) for sale for the bargain price of 39990 euros including VAT but apparently delivery is extra! http://www.zib-militaria.de/epages/61431412.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/61431412/Products/300008 They also have a Nebelwerfer in stock if anyone's interested.....a snip at 5990 euros plus delivery.

I have captured and secured all the objectives but have decided to press on and expel the Americans from the town completely. Apart from some isolated and sporadic gunfire from one or two buildings, they appear to be in full retreat. Small arms fire was heard from the building in the centre background. The Lynx returns fire as 2nd Zug troops move up. Panther moves down the street of death. The scale of devastation in this part of the town is appalling. Burning vehicles and dead and dying troops are everywhere. 2nd Zug troops on the right flank have nearly reached the southern outskirts of the town. Exhausted and demoralised enemy troops seem to be heading for this set of farm buildings to the south, perhaps to make a last stand. There is still no sign of the remaining Sherman

Cheers, mate! Glad you are enjoying it...

The Market: Troops from 2 Zug occupying houses in the Market. Enemy troops try to flee from the house in the centre background. They are cut down as they try to exit the building by 2 Zug troops and the Lynx Dispositions after just over one hour of fighting. Both objectives taken and are being reinforced. No signs of an enemy counter-attack or the remaining Sherman(s).

Town Hall sector: A sapper blows a hole in the wall of the Town Hall and rushes in but the place is deserted. The hanomag moves into position on the left flank. Pioneer platoon HQ rushes into the back to man the machine gun if required. The building alongside the Town Hall is also blown and occupied. It is also deserted.