ChappyCanuck

Holy nostalgia boys! I remember those SPI games!  One of my faves was called "Patrol" which recreated section sized actions (individual soldiers) and each soldier had a name and specific weapon.  Very cool.  What was some of your fave SPI games?  I also enjoyed games like Afrika Korps, SL/ASL of course, Richtofens War (with the expansion card deck so your planes could now do maneuvers in combat), Diplomacy although I think they were all Avalon Hill.
 
I remember at Military College in the early 80's a small group of us would stay up late watching SCTV every night and laughing our a$$es off, much to the chagrin of the study-aholics

OMG you guys are getting near and dear to my heart....yeah SCTV was pure genius with its cast of characters...Johnny LaRue, Sammy Maudlin, Lola Heatherington, Bobby & Skip Bitman, Dr. Tongue...on and on.  Thanks to You Tube you can still watch many episodes

it truly amazes me how people can create such awesome work like this. I have absolutely no idea how to do something like that. It baffles me...I wouldn't even know where to start...great view!

I decided to add some final thoughts about the battle, both problems and successes. 
 
It was a lopsided battle for sure, but campaigns can be like that, just like in real life.  And that is what makes them interesting!  Perhaps next battle with mjkerner I will be the underdog and he can get some payback
 
My biggest problems in this battle were:
 
1.  indirect fire - only once did I see a spotting round during the whole battle and therefore had only one fire mission (on that v-shaped trench near the main road). The terrain is mostly flat with no real elevation - just enough elevation along the roads to block LOS from field to field. Add to that the many trees lining the roads and the tall grasses and well...what spotting round? lol
 
2.  slow infantry - still a beef of mine is no tank riders in the west....normally I would have had the infantry ride the tanks to the ford and dismount there. The Canadian Army fought from Sicily to the Netherlands, riding tanks constantly to battle, into battle, and during pursuit ops...and they weren't the only nation to do so.  It's really difficult to keep up with the tanks. My infantry took a LONG time getting there, and when they did they were wet and tired.
 
3. finding a ford location - this was very deceptive. It looked like you could ford almost anywhere, but if you ran the cursor near the ford banks for this terrain, the cursor turns into a "no go" one for vehicles about 95% of the river's length. My tankers looked like they were drunk sometimes, spinning around aimlessly because they couldn't cross.  That was my first lesson with fords! 
 
But, it all worked out well in the end.  My successes were:
 
1. scouts - they identified some key enemy positions ahead of the main flanking assault, and so I was able to bring massive firepower to bear and make my life easier
 
2. long left flanking - I knew this was going to be a long and time consuming hike around, but it worked. I was able to spread out my tanks with lots of manoeuvre room, and together with the infantry I was able to keep the enemy flanked and on their toes
 
3.  tanks, tanks, tanks
 
Thanks for watching!

I knew those lads were good with a wrench!

I actually prefer Combat Mission: Mayans vs Conquistadors!

Does anyone remember the "Close Combat" Microsoft computer game series in the 1990's?  In that game, you could drive your AFVs and heavy vehicles over soldiers and kill them. It was a tactic that was important in....close combat!
 
I always wondered why you cannot do this in CM?  I played a battle not long ago, and my monster Jagdpanther was counterattacking through smoke. It ended up moving through and onto the enemy soldiers, who just laid there casually and lobbed grenades until the TD was immobilised and then destroyed. It was really lame. Normally those infantry would have been crushed or running in terror.
 
Has there ever been any discussion about this?  I, for one, would like to see this implemented so that an AFV in close combat can be a deadly thing
 
Cheers

MIN 32-31
 
     Cpl Marshall was cautiously moving down the main road, wondering if Lt MacDougal wanted his section to be this far ahead, when flashes of MG tracer bounced off the stone wall near his lead scouts. The MG fire was coming from the village, of that he was sure. But where?  As he scanned the buildings, a more sinister and terrifying sound was heard that could only be 20mm rounds.  He watched in horror as his section bren gunner and a new soldier that everyone knew as just "Joe", get torn to shreds by the large calibre rounds. Death came quickly for them.  "Contact!!!!!"
 
 

 
     
Lt MacDougall heard his men's screams of pain as he watched the tracer rounds slam into them. Quickly he radioed the contact report to Capt Chappy, making him immediately aware of this substantial new threat. Certainly by the sound, there was an AA gun to the rear of the village that had just engaged his soldiers. He signaled to his platoon mortar team, and together they ran at a crouch towards Marshall's section.
 
     Meanwhile, one of Marshall's men had just spotted a trench system behind the village. Something had to be there...
 
 

 
 
     "There Corporal! Some type of gun."  The soldier pointed his arm towards the foe, indicating its location within that new trench system.  Marshall scanned the odd shaped trenches and then swallowed hard: there wasn't one gun, but two.
 
 
 

 
     "Ok lads, two AA guns to our front in that trench system behind the village. When I give the word, start shooting. Now!"  Marshall and his men elevated themselves and began to engage the gun crews with their rifles. Marshall smiled grimly as he watched one of the German crew clutch his stomach and drop. One for Joe. In the distance, he heard a sweet sound - the rumble of tanks. The Shermans had finally crossed the Dommel River, and they were near. The proverbial cavalry were on the way...

buahahahaha...did your Dad tell you that one?  Oh I remember those issues..so long ago

OK check out these pics...all four of them here now
 
 
http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/ChappyCanuck/library/Tiger

Ah yes the low bocage - one of my biggest gripes. How many times have I mistaken it for hedges and had my soldiers slaughtered when instead they had to move around it?  The other problem I have with low bocage is spotting the gaps.  I find locating the gaps in high bocage to be easy, but with low bocage I have been mistaken many times.

Ah yes the low bocage - one of my biggest gripes. How many times have I mistaken it for hedges and had my soldiers slaughtered when instead they had to move around it?  The other problem I have with low bocage is spotting the gaps.  I find locating the gaps in high bocage to be easy, but with low bocage I have been mistaken many times.