Bud Backer

OK, here it is!

well, hello there !
 

 
This is going to hurt !
 

 
Bad day at the office...
 

 
Furious Fight !
 

 
Comrade Badasski !

To add to that wonderful rant, Balikpapan is not exactly well known for it's infantry-armour confrontations. In other words, if the infantry took that many bombs going into a fight where they knew there'd be no enemy armour, imagine how many they'd have carted about in Europe.

I've looked at that map in passing before. I don't know if you allow preplanned arty in QB's, but I don't so I'll give you advice based on my experience. If you're allowed to have TRP's, get them. It also helps to have a single highly trained FO team. The idea with the TRP's is to put them on top of obvious infantry cover- in buildings, reverse slopes, woods, and whatever you deem necessary. You don't need to put them everywhere you think they might go, only in places where they can set up and fire on your forces. This is dependent on where you plan on maneuvering. You might want to cover one flank with arty so you can maneuver to the side. You might just want it on the objective. It just depends on your plan and your preference.
 
As far as cover goes, it looks like there's plenty of light woods cover for your infantry, but they could easy get cut off and destroyed if they try to hunker down and fight from them. They mostly need to find good cover and stay down unless they have good odds to kill or are suppressing for other maneuvering units.
 
You don't want to use woods for your tanks. What you need above all else are good hull down positions and reverse slopes/smoke. The way I use my tanks is pretty simple. Use some to provide overwatch from a hull down position (if possible) and maneuver with the others. The idea of the hull down overwatch is to give the enemy something to worry about and cut off fields of maneuver. In all likelihood his tanks and yours will see each other and open fire on each other. They will probably miss and yours might hit but will cause no damage. This is fine. At this point you begin maneuvering your other tank force to get side shots and use your overwatching tanks to shoot and scoot against enemy infantry. The point isn't necessarily to cause a whole bunch of casualties, the point is to be a threat and stay alive. Keep your maneuver force safe from 'shrecks and behind some sort of screen until you can get into a good firing position of about 90 degrees from their front. Once this happens the enemy will have to pull back or risk getting shot in the side from one direction or another. Assuming you don't lose forces at this point you are in control

Yes, I, too, will turtle when I think my losses will...
 
Sorry. I couldn't keep typing that without laughing and losing my focus. Turtle because of losses? Gadzooks! Your men WANT to die for you! They only showed up for this battle so they could prove their mettle! Don't deny them the opportunity.
 
Make some scouts. Hell, designate an entire platoon as a scout platoon. Make 'em expendable. (Don't tell them that. Tell them you've picked them, not because you don't give a toss if any survive, but because you've been impressed by their skills and fortitude. Tell 'em no one else could do what you're about to ask of them.)
 
Anyway, start small, with HUNT. Move a scout team or two up and about. Have one stop in overwatch while the other continues. Keep moving some scouts forward. Keep the ones that survived stationary. If the enemy saw them, the hard spot will go to "?" status after they've been still. On the flip side, the stationary ones will begin to spot more/better.
 
Pick the guys with binos.
 
This is the "slice the pie" approach, or, if you'd prefer, "the camel's nose under the tent", or, "I just want you to touch it once". Whichever you like.
 
Pry open the Lines of Slght and determine which zones are empty of the enemy. Move up more guns and men and dominate the empty space. If the enemy enters, he dies.
 
How will that help you here? Well, the setup zones seem to be minor depressions. Move several scouts up to the top and look around. He's got 88's? Smoke 'em. Once they're blinded, move up some HE tossers and area target the guns. Tanks? Well, you'll need freedom of maneuver, so you'll need to find the guns first.
 
Ken

Very cool nicely done!  I kept thinking that the T34 would save you and take out the guys heading for the barn.  I guess that's what happens when you don't have a script and have to let the action unfold.  Sometimes the ending comes early.

John,
 
Men going into combat tend to "bomb up". How much do I carry when grocery shopping? Far less than when I think I may be in a firefight and then have to evade in the wilderness for several days.
 
You tend to gravitate towards internet references. If you'd only browsed your own link you just posted, you'd see this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PIAT#/media/File:Australian_PIAT_team_Balikpapan.jpg  That image clearly shows the ammo man carrying 2 of the three-packs. Now, if I were a PIAT-man, I'd carry the damn launcher AND my own three-pack. So, that's my 3 plus my ammo bearer's 6: 9 in toto.
 
If you want your men to carry less, open the editor and drop the ammo supply level to something other than "full". I don't think your men will thank you for doing them that favor.
 
Bombing up is great tradition of men who may die if they run out of ammo. Men who are overburdened (btw, infantry has carried the same ~80-100lbs of gear since the times of Romans, or earlier), tend to shed stuff they consider excess. Poorly disciplined troops are more prone to this. Their route of march would be covered in discarded bits of kit. In ANY account of such discarding, I have never heard of men tossing out ammo. Better too much, than to run out when your life depends on it.
 
9 bombs? No problem.
 
Ken

Of course people wanna help each other.
 
Everyone wants to fight Bil H, but we have to settle for each other- might as well share all the tricks we know

Legally I have obtained permission to post these, but not to charge money for them. I don't know what the YouTubers do, but I do recall my wife mentioned that some companies began lawsuits against people posting videos because they felt the posters were profiting materially from it. Not going there. Anything I do will be above board. Steve's been receptive and positive and I intend to keep it that way!
 
Big stuff coming for Dima and Sasha this afternoon. Get your flak vests on...

I agree - and that people genuinely want to help others is wonderful too. 

I have a PIAT team that shows conflicting ammo info. I know it's not a mistake, so what does this mean?

LOL, I thought I would check and see if it was already there but could not find any sign of it - oops.  Glad you are watching too Ken.
 
I should play around and see if it happens to any other vehicles but I that will have to wait until later.  Need coffee first

Good job!
 
This will be has now been reported to BFC. (IanL got there first.)

I have a PIAT team that shows conflicting ammo info. I know it's not a mistake, so what does this mean?

To all Canadian commanders who are not Canadian citizens:  to prepare for your role you must...
 
1.  eat as much bacon as you can
 
2.  acquire a small, round piece of hard black rubber, make lots of ice cubes and put them on your lawn, and find a weird looking stick to hit the rubber black thing
 
3.  Beaver is our national animal so go hunting after as much beaver as you can
 
That should do it. Welcome aboard lol

Ambush: trading five for ten.
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

Well done, comrade !! 
 

 
These guys ko:ed two of my panzers with a single shoot  ...oouch !!
     
 

Some interesting topics have been started about how information moves through the C2 chain both vertically (up & down the chain of command) and horizontally (directly from one team to another team).  As a result I did some experimenting with C2 & information sharing.  Below are the results and several chronological screen shots from the experiment.  If anyone can offer a correction or additional information please do. 
 
Additional useful information on the topic:
Game manual 3.01 page 62 Command & Control.
http://community.battlefront.com/topic/113787-can-somebody-answer-some-questions-on-information-sharing/
 
The distance information can be shared vertically (chain of command).
Voice C2: Up to six action spots, approximately 48 meters.
Close Visual (eyeball) C2: Up to 12 action spots, approximately 96 meters.
Distant Visual C2: As far as the unit’s line of sight.  (In the experiment I had units sharing information vertically with Distant Visual at 40 action spots, approximately 480 meters before I stopped.)
Radio C2: Entire map.  (In the WWII titles If a unit is moving on foot they will drop out of radio C2 during the movement)
 
The distance information can be shared horizontally (directly between teams).
Up to four action spots, approximately 32 meters. (Sometimes a team had to move to within 3 action spots)
 
Can information be shared horizontally between teams from different battalions?
Yes
 
Can information be shared between to different HQs that do not have a common higher HQ?
Vertically: No (With no common higher HQ there is no bridge for the information to pass over) 
Horizontally: Yes
 
I used two different US battalions on a custom made map for the experiment.  The 4th US Tank Battalion on the west (left) side of the map and the 1st US Infantry Battalion on the east (right) side.  A high ridgeline divided the two battalions.  At the beginning of the experiment no units of the 4th Battalion were in C2 with units of the 1st Battalion.  An immobilized German Marder II was used as the OpFor unit to be spotted and reported.  

 
The scouts move out to locate the German Marder II.

 
At 03:58:43 the scouts obtain a sound contact for the Marder II but they are out of C2.  

 
1st Platoon is selected but shows no icon for the Marder II.

 
Additional to follow.

The Turning Point (H+40 to H+50)



The defence of DP1 is hastened as panzers of 1st platoon conduct a right flanking and take out three more Churchills with short range shots. However, one Churchill proves tough and requires 7 rounds before it finally succumbs.
 


The defence of DP1 is completed as Harzer’s 2nd  platoon engages in close range fighting with grenades. Sniper Fink methodically shoots another enemy after successfully destroying an entire bren carrier squad with a well aimed grenade and burst from his spotter’s MP40.
 


Forewarned by the scouts defending DP1C, Ulrich’s gunner gets the drop on a Churchill breaking through the hedgerow and sets the tank in flames in very close quarters fighting.



With the Churchills threatening the vital ground of DP1 destroyed, the panzers of 1st platoon press their advantage against the now defenceless British infantry.



FOO Rau observes the final spotting round and calls down fire for effect. He then issues an immediate warning over the Battalion combat net that rounds are incoming in two minutes. Henrichsen’s 4th panzer platoon and the scouts defending DP1C prepare to stave off the British assault for just a little longer.
 


The 3rd infantry and panzer platoons in reserve around Manor 1 wait quietly as the battle rages just a few hundred metres away.


The Churchills clearing DP1 advance to support their infantry while Giessens’ 1st platoon panzers move to flank them.
 


The Churchills are caught offguard as Graber gets a flank shot that penetrates and stuns the crew. Two more penetrating shots later and the tank catches fire.  



Mere seconds after Graber has caught the attention of the Churchill tanks, Giessen quickly takes out two more enemy tanks with flanking shots at point blank range. The combat is so close that his gunner has trouble aiming as the gun sight is filled with the enemy Churchills.   
 


To the tremendous relief of DP1C’s defenders, the nebelwerfer rocket battery drops precisely on target with devastating effect on the British infantry. This is the last blow for the British attackers. Having lost half a dozen tanks, several carriers and half a company of infantry in the span of a couple minutes, they are forced to abandon the assault.
 
Lessons Learned

1) The hedgerows provide excellent cover, concealment and protection for infantry but it is extremely difficult for tanks to fire through them.

2) Better use could have been made of British artillery to provide suppression and smoke throughout the battle. When used, the artillery proved quite effective both at suppressing infantry and inflicting casualties.

3) The timely reinforcement of DP’s using a mobile panzer reserve and the half-tracks to transport infantry proved essential in preventing British breakthroughs.

Key Turning Point: The flank attack by 1st platoon panzers as it removed a dire threat and freed up other forces to stiffen the defence of the orchard and DP 1C.
 
Hero of the Battle: Sniper Fink with 22 confirmed kills. In addition to taking out 4 crew commanders he single-handedly defended the north hedgerow by DP1 for several minutes, buying critical time for 1st panzer platoon’s flank attack.

A company of M1A2s (14 tanks, including 5 with APS) frontal attack over 3.5-4km of open steppe terrain.. 3 krizanthemas hull-down on a hill... they kill 6 M1A2s.. damage another and the crew bails out.. 7 are left... The Kriz lose two (Ihad to move them a little and they got detected) and the remaining retreats downhill because no more ammo (but 4 kills). 20 T-90AMs who were waiting at the bottom of the hill get into hull down positions.. 7 were hit over the course of the battle by M829A4s where there is relikt coverage .. only one penetrated. A T-90AM survived two hits on the frontal upper hull because of relikt. It is very effective at 3.5km (6 out of 7 rounds stopped). I lost three T-90AM (two weapons mount penetrations and a relikt fail). They killed the remaining M1A2s. When lased they had time to back off and get out of harm's way ... Two had their 7.62mm mount destroyed by sabot rounds (close call). Shoot and scoot. 
 
The russians were typical (some green crews,  many regulars, and 1-2 veteran). The US were also typical ( a few crack, many veterans and a few regulars). Total tally for that US frontal attack long range slugfest at 3.5km... 13 US tanks destroyed, one mission kill and abandoned and 1 Bradley for 2 Kriz and 3 T-90AMs destroyed. The T-90AMs won 7-3 at that range against the M1s. 
 
The russians were definitely broken before patch 1.03. Now they are nasty. Who needs the Armata ? They just upgrade the 900 T-90As to the AM standard (like they said they would do, read that on a russian site) and they should be okay.