DougPhresh

Good news all around. Does this include Italian TO&E?

It is awfully easy to shoot the enemy off the position, especially if they are entrenched. I wonder if there is a way to differentiate between troops that are dug in and those that aren't.

I don't have the numbers in front of me right now, but I would venture to guess that AAA was not particularly effective in WW2. Forcing the enemy to break off attacks, or not linger over the battlespace, or fly at higher altitudes in more erratic patterns was much more common than outright kills. I don't know if those "soft" factors are modeled in CM.

I think the speculation is mostly based on the fact that v4 came out for everything else and it might be natural to bundle it with a new module. I also think the lack of a Xmas bone this year is fueling speculation like that.

As always, the Osprey Campaign titles are good reads. Salerno 1943 (CAM 257), Anzio 1944 (CAM 155)

Osprey also has a great title on Dragoon, if that's any use! ... I wish I had more useful skills than "reading"

I have been thinking the same thing! A Task Force Butler campaign would be amazing. It's still taught in war college as an example of what ad hoc formations can accomplish. http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a475573.pdf

I agree that when troops in foxholes/trenches/buildings break cover and run because of a few mortar rounds falling nearby, and get wiped out in the process it can be very frustrating. I'm not expecting anyone to fight their position to the last man, or for every attack to be pressed home by the bayonet but some tweaks to their endurance would be nice.

Does this mean that the Italian TOE also got a second look? Now that AA guns are in all the branches, the lack of the Breda 35 is more apparent, especially since it's mounted on the Sahariana. Similarly, a ground mount for the Solothurn S18-1000 would be great. Both weapons are already in the game, and having ground mounts would historically accurate, and also mean that the Italian player doesn't have to rely on large, soft targets (with high rarity!) to add firepower. There are other odds and ends the Italians could use, but IIRC there are hopes for an Italian-focused module down the line.

I hope that a module down the line touches up the Italian troops. The mishmash of captured French equipment in Sicily alone was interesting. Heck, the Italian Navy was responsible for garrisoning the ports, it would be interesting to see their battalions available.

I'm guessing v4 will come with the new module, and then CMFI and all modules will reappear in the store.

I've never done anything like this before, in fact I've never used photoshop but I've been plugging away for the past few weeks trying to get something down. I didn't want to ask any of the talent modders here to do work without giving it a shot myself. I also know most of them are putting out amazing content for CMFB and I know that people want to try out the shiny new thing. First of all, nearly all credit goes to Vein. I used his skins as the base. I also used the autumn smock from CMFB and I believe some uniform details from EZ. If any of them object to me putting this file up, I'll remove the link and add more pictures. I've made a test file to get some constructive feedback, both on the nuts and bolts of making textures and also the historical accuracy. I also included the reference material I've used. I completely went over the M1943 uniforms to add cuff titles for HG and the collar tabs and shoulder boards of the correct colour. I then tried my hand at making insignia for Gefreiter and Feldwebel. I then mix and matched the tunics with the various trousers made by Vein. Finally, I took the Oak Leaf smock from CMFB and put Luftwaffe webbing on it. There are some weird issues I don't know how to resolve. 1) The HG Cuff title is sometimes distorted and I can't seem to get the positioning right. 2) The left collar tab is distored and elongated so that it sometimes reaches the shoulders! 3) The tropical webbing seen below seems to be a little too high and ammunition pouches and the like seem to be hanging off rather than attached to it. Please let me know what you think. Since this test version relies heavily on Vein's work, I'm attempting to make a new set completely from stock Battlefront assets in CMFI and CMFB. https://www.dropbox.com/s/zhegidiusugoich/HG Skins Test.zip?dl=0

Working just so! Any bones left in Santa's bag?

Yeah but no install key for the other games so it's just a reinstall for people who want it, not a free game. Unfortunately using the update blocks you out of the games you already own right now. I hope you all like Fortress Italy!

Chalk me up as another one. CMFI is my favorite but I wasn't planning on only playing it over the holiday! P.S No Christmas Bone this year?

One of these days a grog / wargame publisher will have a good experience with Steam and the whole industry will change.

Would it be possible to use this method for CMFI as well?

I'm very much excited for our Xmas bone on the new module for CMFI. The addition of the SS and Luftwaffe Field Divisions has got me very excited. I was reflecting on the units already in game and how new modules add details and tweaks to what we already have as well as new content. Gustav Line for instance added Fallschirmjager to the new setting, Italy but also added them to Sicily. I just have a few words on the topic of Luftwaffe uniforms. With Field Divisions coming in the update, I believe it is a good opportunity to update the HG uniforms for Italy. Nearly all of the assets required are already in the game! With the SS coming, the oakleaf smocks would also be available. It would just require making sure the HG has the correct insignia and cuffbands, and do not share textures with the Field Divisions. I would suggest tagging the skins so that in appearance there is Standard, Greatcoat, but also Mixed Camo (as in Red Thunder). I would also suggest ensuring that Field Divisions do not share a skin with the HG troops. HG troops and Fallschirmjager are already separate, and in Red Thunder panzergrenadier can have different uniforms than the regular Heer infantry with the Panzergrenadier and Armored Infantry appearance options. As you can see, the HG tropical M1943 uniform is already in game. April 1943, the use of the color piped collar tabs was discontinued. Plain White tabs were to be worn by all members of the Hermann Goering Division. The waffenfarbe was to be shown on the piping on the shoulder straps. January of 1944, the use of the white collar tabs was abolished from use on the field uniform. The ranking gulls were punched directly through the collar lapel. Shoulder straps still used the waffenfarbe piping as before. The cuff title was a blue cloth with "General Goering" embroidered onto it. Due to the multi specialty nature of this unit, there were many garments which were approved for use. These range from Panzer Wraps, HBT light weight uniforms, camo garments, and many others. Infantry piping was white as well. By contrast, here are some Field Division uniforms from the same time period, including one from Italy.

Illumination missions for arty and mortars would be a very valuable addition. Infantry flares as well. It depends on what you have in mind for a night battle. Patrols bumping into each other at night would try to break contact. Platoon and company probes would try to find the enemy positions and then break contact or possibly take a position if they were able. Major night attacks at the battalion level and above would be extensively planned in advance and would be supported by artillery to provide illumination and keep the enemy's head down. Routes would be marked in advance by recce and engineers would have cleared obstacles. Planning and recce make all the difference with poor visibility and communications. You can't afford to stumble into the enemy. Use artillery and area fire to cover careful advances through covered approaches until you are on the objectives.

I think we're all salivating about that next xmas bone!

Oh and Vein's as well. Credit where credit's due!

I don't mean to overstep, but I looked at your work and Aris' and played around (poorly) with pixlr and this is what I came up with. I moved the cuff bands and collar insignia from the tropical uniforms on to the Italian uniforms and I moved the blue trousers on to the oakleaf pattern smock you made. All credit goes to the two of you, I just wanted to make a mock-up. \ As you can see, very rough around the edges. I was just combining the great work the two of you did, to see what it would look like.

Beautiful! I really like the details and use of "pea" camo. Would it be possible to get uniforms for the HG in Italy?

There was a lot of American equipment at this stage of the war. Jeeps, scout cars, half-tracks, and Shermans were all very common. Of course, there were other surprises

I go by the book, apparently I can't help but take my work home with me.