E4Grunt

Bumping this with a plea for more AARs, either here or in the various scenario specific threads. I renew my particular request for Michael Dorosh's Fire on the Mountain AAR.

Regards,

John Kettler

Stixx,

If I'd had Marders, my armor losses would've been even worse. Marders don't button worth a hoot! His 60mm mortars would've eaten me alive.

Ostketten fur dem Engine Rewrite!

Regards,

John Kettler

Heavy Drop,

That was quite an AAR. I found your initial tactical appreciation to be downright disturbing, even intimidating. How did you do the tactical
graphics? I really wish pictures didn't cause the text to overflow screen width, a real reading hassle.

Cuzn,

Thanks for providing the other side of the fight.

Holien,

Why couldn't you have won some other scenario by big margins? I very nearly had the top score as the Poles unil you came along. Grr.

Juha,

A most engrossing AAR, which I read with considerable interest.

General comment

I know CMBB is out and all, but I am still surprised that the stream of AARs, either in scenario specific or the RoW II AAR thread, has dried up so thoroughly that even this thread is on page 2. What we have is great, but surely there must be more AARs which could be posted?

Regards,

John Kettler

Tero and Boris have been heard from and replied to.
Order phases in both.

Regards,

John Kettler

Madmatt,

Impressive, but I believe your crater text (pg. 53) has a glitch, to wit:

"...which type of crater you are faxing."

Unless I'm badly off, I believe you meant for "facing" to appear in place of the "faxing" shown?
The current version confused me before I sorted out what was really being said.

Regards,

John Kettler

Check your E-mail, Boris, and you'll learn that what you're seeing is routine rabbit abatement.

Everyone sent me a turn and was just E-mailed one in reply. Fate and I are vying with one another for the military ineptitude award, Boris and I are barely in contact, and Tero and I are shooting each other when and where the opportunity presents itself. Pretty underwhelming so far, though.

Regards,

John Kettler

Received turns from and replied to Tero and Boris.
Tero's doing evil things, while Boris's men apparently will be cooking dinner later and were really on coffee break. They've returned to the fray.

Regards,

John Kettler

Boris's troops are now taking another kind of leak--the bleeding and dying sort.

Tero seems to have found an even larger toolbox. One of the devices in use seems to be a reamer.

Have replied to both.

Regards,

John Kettler

Fate has been tempting his by sending me another turn. I've tempted mine by replying.

Regards,

John Kettler

Finally got to the bookstore after months of missed attempts. Three things stood out in the time I had:

HISTORY OF ARTILLERY by Hans Halberstadt

Has great illustrations, data and photos of artillery through the ages, including some wonderful stuff on WW II, including a dug-in Wespe battery, recoilless weapons from several nations, and some juicy rocket launchers. TACOPS fans will drool over the modern artillery section, especially the new Russian MRL photos, things even DoD's Soviet Military Power had as art if at all.

PANZERS ON THE EASTERN FRONT by General Raus, wartime commander of 6th Panzer Division. This appears to be a reissue of earlier U.S. government sponsored memoirs, but what makes this book especially drool worthy is the
large section of German combat art.

ENEMY AT THE GATES (hardback reissue of 1973? edition; no apparent update from newly declassified material).

Also noted but didn't get to look at Beevor's Battle of Berlin book and some inexpensive references on Allied and Axis aircraft of WW II.

Had to leave because I was in danger of losing my sanity. Wanted almost everything in the WW II area.

Regards,

John Kettler

Maybe I'm misreading posts, but I seem to keep encountering 82mm Katyushas. Was under the impression that the "standard" Katyusha rocket started out as 122mm, was redesignated 132mm at Stalin's direct order following a fiasco in which 122mm howitzer ammo was delivered to the proving ground for the demo before Stalin (anecdote from Viktor Suvorov, nom de plume for 1980s GRU defector Vladimir Rezun), and subsequently grew to actually measure 132mm in diameter.

Kirk & Young's GREAT WEAPONS OF WORLD WAR II (pp. 272, 275) and Isby's WEAPONS AND TACTICS OF THE SOVIET ARMY (p.287) both list the rocket diameter as 132mm. Granted that there were several other types produced, available imagery strongly suggests that the dominant version was the 132mm rocket. If so, why am I not reading agonized reports of maulings by these rockets, instead of the relatively piddly 82mm variety? I don't recall seeing even one.

Regards,

John Kettler

I still have no idea exactly how I'm going to manifest a new/newer CMBB capable Mac computer (am attempting several angles, though), but working on Goethe's principle of "that moment one definitely commits, then Providence moves too" have decided to order the game first, committing myself to the game and the Mac at a time when funds are tight and my 233 MHz iMac simply won't cut it.

That said, I'd like to suggest that the receipt screen after ordering be fundamentally rethought, for it is an ink slurper of the first magnitude.
Why not add a button which offers a simple printer friendly black text on white background version?

Regards,

John Kettler

Mike,

A possible explanation occurs to me. CMBO is fairly sophisticated in its treatment of shell fragmentation and blast, and tankborne infantry is above anything save a direct hit or a treeburst, which means that the body of the tank offers substantial protection from mortar bursts essentially landing downhill of or below the targeted infantry. We've seen numerous instances of troops being saved by terrain folds from even large caliber artillery, so it seems reasonable to me to posit that something similar may be occurring in the admittedly aggravating situation you describe.

Regards,

John Kettler

Bertram exceeded his expected turn productivity and sent me another. Mixed bag. He gained ground in one sector but was driven back in another. I sent it back so he could also watch.

Regards,

John Kettler

Bertram and I continue to maul each other by increments. He grinds forward, and I charge him by the foot--in blood. The turn to which I just replied may or may not be his last until Friday.

Regards,

John Kettler

tero,

Since the aliens have apparently deigned to return you to Earth, would you please send me a turn so I can finish the RoW II Finals before RoW III starts?
Boris and I are done, save the accounting, and Fate and I have fewer than five turns left. Thanks!

Regards,

John Kettler

Based on bitter personal experience, do not take flame AFVs in a night battle in town unless given them by scenario or you can somehow guarantee overwhelming infantry and fire support. Hint: you can't. I lost two Crocs in almost no time flat--in spite of every tactical trick I could think of. Panzerschrecks!

In daylight, though, the Croc can be most formidable, functioning as a heavily armored tank with added flame capabilities when close enough. I had one go toe to toe with a 75mm AT PB in a city fight, survive multiple head-on hits from several hundred meters, then kill the PB. I don't know how many Germans it killed, but it set many buildings ablaze and kept the Germans jumping, aided by pounding HE and stinging MG fire. Working in direct support of advancing infantry, it survived hits which destroyed its thinner armoured cousin, the AVRE. I had another one in a rural setting, also with infantry support, smash several PBs, become immobilized, then fight on to kill several AFVs and smite several AT teams. It never burned anyone but more than paid for itself.

In another fight, I had a pair of 251/16s, with which I did some good work in a village early on, but which died quickly. Part of the reason for this is that the game doesn't model the fact that this rig has two armor protected flame projectors, plus a third one which is a "fire hose" which can be used dismounted without exposing the 251/16. Am hoping for some improvements in CMBB.

I did nasty damage with a Wasp against German infantry dug into a fold in the ground atop a ridge. Infantry remnants supporting by fire kept the Germans distracted, and I repeatedly raced into range from the flank after targeting, then reversed immediately. Not only did I survive a bunch of Panzerfaust shots and grenades, but the flame attacks set a tile holding a foxholed squad ablaze, and put several other squads to flight. That Wasp, later killed by a StuG clear across the board (?), achieved for me what the near annihilation of several brave platoons could not, the breaking of a defiladed defense. Sadly, reinforcements butchered my troops from afar just as they carried the position and emerged on the exposed opposite side.

As noted by others here, flame AFVs are weapon magnets, must be used in an integrated fashion (preferably from keyholed positions limiting their exposure), and work best against foes who can't fight back effectively Smoke can be a big help, in that it limits who can see the flame AFV, but infantry needs to be with the AFV, better yet in front of it, to winkle out AT teams and infantry.
That said, there are times when flame AFVs, especially Crocs, must lead the way. Similarly, even the lighter flame AFVs can be used to deal brutal blows if the situation justifies the risk.
Of course, there's nothing quite like a flame ambush.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

John Kettler

Stalin's Organ,

Thanks for the info! Anyone else care to comment?

Regards,

John Kettler

Boris and Fate have both been heard from and responded to. Nothing from Tero in this latest batch, though.

Regards,

John Kettler

Fate has chimed in; I've issued my orders in reply.

Regards,

John Kettler

Spanish Bombs,

I'm jealous! Please see my AAR in the previous RoW II AAR thread for an indication of how many bad outcomes you managed to avoid.

Regards,

John Kettler

Short answer is yes. It did see combat. Curses! Saukopf beat me to the link! Hannibal, I highly recommend you spend some serious time at the Russian Battlefield site, of which the T-34/57 link is but a very small piece.

Regards,

John Kettler

Wicky,
 
Once again I see you've gone directly for my testicles, for which you seem to have an unhealthy attraction! Yet again, you have gone where you know perfectly well I can't. Indeed, am explicitly forbidden to go. Since I've made this plain many times, and have asked you to refrain, in manners ranging from gently kind to fairly confrontational, to stop doing it, then this can't be accidental but deliberate on your part. By doing so you have revealed to everyone here three things: 1) your counterargument is so weak that you have to attack me, not the case I made in this Forum regarding the T-14 Armata; 2) you are deliberately baiting me, which is in the self-evident and forbidden under the Forum Rules, in the hope that I'll slip and get myself suspended or maybe even banned, and 3) your behavior toward me is ungentlemanly and boorish; that you in no way fight fair and that you perversely delight in hurting someone whom you have been told several times is seriously injured and that your attacks cause him great stress which is detrimental to his recovery. This is yet another effort to smear me, and a pretty desperate one at that. But since you brought up a forbidden subject, you may wish to consider this: The alphabet soup agencies are thoroughly familiar with everything I've written, all under my own name, else they wouldn't be doing their jobs. Yet the article with which you seek to slam me was written in 2002, as a duly credentialed reporter for a magazine, a cutting edge periodical with global circulation, and several of the efforts to bring me back in have occurred since the article which so inflames you was published. I simply looked at the claims that were made regarding certain imagery that was presented, then gave a highly informed view of what was shown to the attendees of the conference I was covering. I shall be fascinated to see whether you next argue that the military-intelligence community of this country is composed of incompetent dolts who don't know enough to screen against some nut job! Why, then, would they be interested in recruiting me, particularly considering that is but one of many hot topics I've written about? Finally, so there is absolutely no doubt in your, or anyone else's mind, on my position regarding the vicious attacks against me:
 
STOP ACTING LIKE A CHURLISH GIT AND BACK OFF!!!  Leave me in peace.
 
Regards,
 
John Kettler

OT, but MD, I triple dog dare you to post your FoTM AAR to one of the appropriate threads at Scenarios. I am most interested in seeing your detailed analysis.

Regards,

John Kettler

Thank you one and all! Moon, why was this unusual and confusing approach to weapon rostering adopted?

Regards,

John Kettler