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Aurelius

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  1. Like
    Aurelius got a reaction from Artkin in Tal Malah   
    Tal Othman shooting range.

    Realistic training guaranteed!*

    *Caution: Targets may shoot back.
  2. Like
    Aurelius got a reaction from Artkin in Tal Malah   
    Here's what you can expect "Russians" doing:



  3. Like
    Aurelius got a reaction from Artkin in Tal Malah   
    A snippet from the upcoming scenario:
    T 72 M leading an armored column.


  4. Like
    Aurelius reacted to The_Capt in CM Cold War - Beta AAR - Soviet Thread - Glorious Soviet Victory at Small German Town 1980   
    March to Glorious Victory Post Number One.
      So Bil and I have a loose-agreement (I would say gentlemen's but that is probably a stretch) to not peek at each others threads.  The dirty truth here is that this isn't really an AAR per se, it is more of an IAR (In Action Report).  Full disclosure, we are only about 6 mins into the thing, so I can't really put a spin on my plan or anything because I have no idea how this will end.  So far so good  but we are in early days.  We should start posting turn summaries tomorrow but for now may I present an end-product of about roughly 32 years of military training in both line and staff positions...The_Capt's glorious Mission Analysis!  
    So here we are on this grubby little peice of West German real-estate (seriously, Pete Wenman is a freakin wizard with these maps btw) facing off against what I am sure are overfed, overpaid and over-entitled Yankee capitalists all huddled in their vehicles waiting for something to happen.  So like they taught me back in the day..let's start with terrain:

    So my guys are coming from the bottom, Bil and his jerks are up near the top.  I have a bunch of woods except for this defile behind a hwy bridge that I have to deploy my main force out of.  We have a big valley between us and the town of Dollbach in the center which is the golden goose we are both lining up to grab, whilst killing the other guy.  Not much to see on my map edge except a bunch of woods with some dirt roads cut through them.  
    Bil has the high ground ridge up there and there are three major wooded areas that him and his ilk are no doubt hiding out in.  It is more one on the left but pretty much that approach along with the Valley is dominated by Bil's thugs.  In short, this is not an optimal starting position.
    Bil's Plan.  So I have learned some time ago that you are not fighting vehicles and equipment, you are fighting a person (Capt's rule #1).  So spend time understanding and getting inside the head of that person.  With Bil it is easy because we have been sparring in CM for just about 2 decades now.  So here is what I am thinking, that Bil is thinking:

    So Bil is probably going to be cautious and build a nice path to victory here.  First he is going to put out Eyes in those woodlines, then he will reinforce with teeth because why stick his neck out if he does not have to?  Then once I have watered the West German countryside with my blood (and other fluids) he will make his reach for Dollbach (Hands...dirty, old, wrinkly hands with yellow fingernails).  I will be at a significant disadvantage at this point because I will be dead, and you do not fight so well when dead (Capt's rule #2).  So my role here is to play peeky snipey from a really crappy position with Soviet gear that does not see as well as his sexy US optics...hmm...Capt no-likey, no likey...one bit.  So now the Plan:

    My end goal is to make Bil more dead than me, not to get heavily invested in the West German real estate market.  So we are going to try something simple and blunt.  First, I will get Eyes on my woodline, gotta see what I can see (Capt's Rule #3).  Then I am going to put out hands...fingers really, to make it look like the land grab is my only game.  Then once my art start dropping (could be wait here cause he has EW turned on), I am going to bull rush that corridor and swing up into those hills to kill Bil (Teeth).  This is going to be tricky and I am going to take losses but I can afford them.  I get a MIC FSE in 5 and another Tank Coy-ish in 10, so I will have mass because I am betting the best he has is an Armd Cav platoon, maybe two.  So basically we will play Bil's snipey peeky game for a bit, push recon out into that town to make me look desperate and then freakin charge on the left.  Questions?
     
  5. Like
    Aurelius reacted to IICptMillerII in Promo Video   
    This is something I threw together in my own time. Please remember that this is from a beta build of the game and is subject to change. 
  6. Like
    Aurelius got a reaction from badipaddress in How to use BMPs? They're a funny shape!   
    Or you can concentrate them, keep them out of line of sight and use them to strike at the tip of the enemy force or, better yet, flank.
    If you are playing against Blue Force, you are just asking for trouble if you place them in hull down and prepared positions.
    If you are playing against Red Force, prepared positions are OK, but don't rely on them to spot for them self.
    With the way how Syrian C2 functions (different formations won't share data, sub-ordinate units wait to share data, then info-dump with outdated data), it can be really frustrating to use them.
  7. Like
    Aurelius got a reaction from Falaise in CMFB (Unofficial) Screenshot Thread   
    While mopping up remnants of German resistance in the latest PBEM, my team stumbles upon an HQ unit.

    The German commander prepares a grenade.

    He gets shot and the following happens.


    I wonder who will get credited with the kill...
  8. Like
    Aurelius got a reaction from THH149 in Aurelius vs SlySniper - Factory Outlet AAR   
    Yes, buildings are a great way to increase the survival rate of ATGM teams. It is exactly what I used and exactly how that one AT 4C team has 4 vehicle kills. That and move, pause, target, move again. Essential if you want your ATGM to survive.
    At speeds of 800 km/h (that means that it covers 2 km in 9 seconds!), the Kornet is just too good to be left out. Instead, it should be used in tandem with AT 4C or Metis variants, if the distances allow it. That way you have a force that can engage any Blue Force armored unit and actually do something. 
    The mobility of Kornet is not really an issue. If you have several firing positions for it and a little patience, even one Kornet can render an M1 platoon useless. After it fires its first missile, the team can move on Quick orders. Set up time is small price to pay for an 800 km/h missile that can knock out Blue Force tanks and then, because there is no packing up time, it can vanish, and pop up somewhere else.
  9. Like
    Aurelius reacted to DMS in How to use BMPs? They're a funny shape!   
    BMP-1 is an "armoured taxi" and infantry cannon in 1 piece. In 1944-1945 Soviet infantry was supported by direct lay 76 infantry guns, 7,62 HMGs. BMP-1 was intended to replace infantry guns and heavy MGs. After dropping infantry they must stop and fire to supposed enemy positions.  I use "target area" order, placing target on question marks or randomly. If BMP company randomly shoots ahead, suppression is usually enough to get closer.
    By the way, IRL PL assistant stayed in 1 of BMPs. So 1 BMP of 3 had a commander.
  10. Upvote
    Aurelius got a reaction from Aragorn2002 in Fire and Rubble Update   
    BS-3?
  11. Like
    Aurelius reacted to Chibot Mk IX in How to use BMPs? They're a funny shape!   
    Back to the topic
    In a modern mechanized warfare, an IFV should be the backbone of an infantry squad. I remember The Operational Arts of War (TOAW) gives BMP-1’s anti-personal value at 9, BMP-2’s AP at 22, in the comparison an Infantry squad is at 7. There is a tremendous difference on the Firepower between a vehicle and footman.  
    That’s how an operational wargame describe the battlefield. I know it is very hard to translate this into CM, because CM is a tactical game, it’s about details. A general staff at Division level cares about if he has 3:1 numerical advantage on the attacking axis, a battalion commander has much more things to worry about, he may have a 3:1 advantage but most of his troops' sight are blocked by trees will do him no good.    So in CMSF, troubled by spotting and communication, BMPs don’t stand a chance against NATO tanks. But they still have teeth to bite NATO soft target. Hide them from enemy’s LOS, let the infantry do the spotting and share the information. Move forward, area fire, retreat back to safe harbor in 15 seconds (before Javelin can get a good lock)
     
    Yes, it is very annoying. Especially in urban fight.  The dumb gunner will bravely expose himself to small arms fire, he will not back to turret until he takes a 7.62mm  
     
    I agree on most of the part, BMP-1/2 are just a part of Soviet machine, so they have to be put in "the big picture"
    Talking about Soviet's Doctrine, nothing advertise a 60's-70's Soviet Doc better than A.A Sidorenko 's book " The Offensive" . Just image an age that a Soviet regiment commander has four tactical nukes at his disposal.  (he don't need his boss'  authorization to approve where he want to throw the nukes at), and then the whole concept of BMP make sense. It is designed to be used in NBC environment.
    Well, a regular APC can be fit with NBC protection. But to reduce unnecessary exposure , it is need to reduce the deployment of AT weapon, so Soviet put AT weapon on the battlefield taxi design.  Tanks have good characteristics for a NBC environment but they are too heavy. In a tactical nukes exchange, many bridges will be destroyed. the Engineer/pontoon units will have difficulty time to pass through contamination zone. so a small river could block the whole tank formation until the engineer units can catch up. In order to address this problem, the "battlefield taxi" has to add amphibious ability to control the other side of river bank. And now we got BMP-1s.

  12. Like
    Aurelius reacted to Chibot Mk IX in How to use BMPs? They're a funny shape!   
    Solution 1 works as it is advertised 
     
    Here is a edited scenario, I put one Recon Co. (bmp) and one Tank Co. on the map.
    WEGO mode, Iron difficulty 
    Pic 1
    beginning of the game, no one knows what is on the other side

     
    Pic 2
    Recon Inf disembark and moving forward

     
    Pic 3
    Beginning of the turn. Recon Inf under heavy fire immediately. They can ID couple M1A2 on the other side of the map. the Recon Plt leader, who is sitting in the BMP 10m behind, begin to yell in the radio about enemy contact

     
    Pic 4
    50s into the first turn, Recon Company commander got the report from his plt leader, he begin to distribute the information, first he tell this to his commanding vehicle crews. 

     
     
    Pic 5
    at the same time, the Tank Company commander still knew nothing.

     
    Pic 6
    but in less than 5 seconds, he saw the Recon Co. commander waving hand and yelling at him. then He got the update that there are a lot of enemy on the other side

     
    Pic 7
    when 1st min ends, the 1st plt of the Tank Company still don't have a clue.

     
    Pic 8 
    But his commander's warning get through radio net at 2:43 
     
     
     
    Pic 9
    one of Plt leader's subordinate quickly got the update from him

     
    Pic 10
    the other one is a slow boy, he has hard time to understand what's going on.

     
     
    Anyway, by the end of Min 4, every Syria units on the map got the news . "American Tanks are coming!"
  13. Like
    Aurelius got a reaction from Sgt.Squarehead in How to use BMPs? They're a funny shape!   
    Or you can concentrate them, keep them out of line of sight and use them to strike at the tip of the enemy force or, better yet, flank.
    If you are playing against Blue Force, you are just asking for trouble if you place them in hull down and prepared positions.
    If you are playing against Red Force, prepared positions are OK, but don't rely on them to spot for them self.
    With the way how Syrian C2 functions (different formations won't share data, sub-ordinate units wait to share data, then info-dump with outdated data), it can be really frustrating to use them.
  14. Like
    Aurelius reacted to DerKommissar in CMA Unofficial Screenshot Thread   
    Another Bug Hunt

     
  15. Like
    Aurelius reacted to Macisle in RT Unofficial Screenshot Thread   
    A perfect close assault from the alley behind. Revenge for a friendly tank that tried...and failed.

  16. Like
    Aurelius reacted to Macisle in RT Unofficial Screenshot Thread   
    As the Soviets probe forward to their objectives, fighting across the city has been stop and start. Extended quiet periods of careful scouting revealing nothing but empty buildings, followed by sudden contact and short, intense firefights. The enemy seems to be consistently grouping in platoon-sized elements at key hard points.

    The Russians have found themselves taking the bull by the horns in yet another such firefight. Having assumed the enemy was fairly depleted, the commander ordered a full-company assault with incomplete scouting. The first minute was initially a pretty even firefight, small arms broadside against small arms broadside across the street. However, the Germans looked to be more willing to hold their ground. Thankfully, the situation was saved by support fire from a heavy AG platoon, light and medium tanks.
    Having thrown the Germans back from the main street with apparent heavy losses, the Soviets once again rush forward...only to discover the Germans have taken effective positions in the alleys and courtyard areas behind -- ones that the tanks cannot yet access. A Soviet platoon commander peaks his head out a back alley door and it is immediately severed by a machine gun burst. Having identified the enemy MG location in the alley, one of the dead commander's squads attempts a point blank rush from the adjacent building. However, the German team is ready for them and two men are cut down as they enter.
    The Soviet team quickly withdraws back to the main street, regroups, and then attempts another push into a different part of the same building. They spot the MG team!

     
    However, the Germans again react faster than the now rattled Soviets. A burst of MG fire cuts down the lead Russian.

     
    With their platoon commander dead and the company commander briefly out of contact, that is enough for the Soviet team. Hands of surrender go up. One man, two, three...

     
    But not four! Hardoutovich, isn't going to let the platoon commander's sacrifice be in vain. As his comrades drop their weapons, he raises his and empties his magazine right into the enemy.

     
    A German drops to the ground, lifeless, while the others hug the ground for cover. The MG team leader shouts, "Displace!" and jumps up to make his move. As the minute draws to a close, it looks like Hardoutovich has turned the tide and won the alley. The company commander, now back in contact, is well-pleased.

  17. Like
    Aurelius reacted to Macisle in RT Unofficial Screenshot Thread   
    Wait...scratch that..  Ta'fuh-...

     
    NOooooo...!

     
    $#%&!!!

     
    Well, at least a late-arriving sniper team was able to bag the two slowest members of the MG team. And, the alley is mine, now. 🙂

  18. Upvote
    Aurelius reacted to DMS in Soviet infantry squad organisation   
    Insert other media.url
  19. Upvote
    Aurelius reacted to DMS in Soviet infantry squad organisation   
    In CM squad organization affect gameplay, unlike other games. You can't split Soviet squads, because they get morale penalty and start to panic after getting fire. The reason is absence of squad leader assistant. Soviet squad had only 1 NCO, while in German were 2. That is true... Until 27.09.1941. Below is Stalin's order №374. He states, that on machinegunners posts (Also ATR riflemen, mortar and artillery gunners) must be designated "most skillful and initiative" soldiers. They must be promoted to junior sergeants or gefreiters. In TO&E must be created new position - squad leader assistant. They got more salary, 12,5 rubles additionally. So, in Soviet squad of 1944-1945 were 2 NCOs, like in other armies. 
    Another question - squad headcount. In 1941 TO&E squad headcount was 11 men. In 1943 in 4/550 TO&E headcount was reduced to 9-10 (including platoon HQ or not). In 1944 high command decided to stop reinforcing rifle divisions too full strength (according 4/550 TO&E), leaving maximum strength 6-7 thousands men. HQs of rifle divisions started to make calculations to define subunits headcount (As far as I know, there was no centralized TO&E like before) Some of them are published, I post them below (in next comment): for 141 men company (full strength 4/550: 4 squads, 9 men), 111 men (4 squads, 7 men) and 90 men (3 squads, 7 men).
    I think these schemes are most close to reality. 1-st variant (141 men) is in the game already, it is called "1943". I would suggest to replace game TO&E "1944" by one of these schemes: for 111 men company or 90 men company. With 4 (3) squads, 7 men and 1 lmg in each one. I think 111 men companies are best for the game, because you can delete 4th squad if you want. Note that these schemes are not "under strength". They are for full strength divisions of 44-45 (6000 or 7000 strength). No divisions were reinforced to 4/550 TO&E as far as I know. May be few, coming from rear, that didn't take part in battles of 1943-1944. 11 men - this is from 1941, not 1944. And if some very lucky division would get large reinforcement, they would rather add 4-th squad instead of making 3 11 men squads. 
    So, Soviet squad had 2 NCOs and 7 men with 1 lmg. (And 2 or 6 SMGs) There were no official "teams", but according to regulations lmg could act separately, covering movement of the squad. So, I think that squad could be divided to 2 teams: lmg team leaded by machinegunner (SL assisnant), 3 men, and rest of the squad, 4 men. Actually, lmg team had 2 men, but it's hard to believe that 1 assistant could carry 6 DP disks, having weight 40kg. + his own rifle.
     
     

  20. Like
    Aurelius reacted to MOS:96B2P in RT Unofficial Screenshot Thread   
    Canister. 


  21. Like
    Aurelius got a reaction from Freyberg in CMFB (Unofficial) Screenshot Thread   
    From the same PBEM.
    There is nothing quite like flanking a Panther and taking it out with a 75 mm M4!


    Note the already existing damage on the Panther. Side skirt was hit by a bazooka, the tracks on the side of the turret were hit by a cumulative rifle grenade. The tank was engaged frontally four times by a 75 mm M4. The commander was killed by machinegun fire from an M4. His replacement, the gunner was shot by an M1 Garand. By the time it was destroyed it had only three crew members and it was still capable of fighting.
  22. Like
    Aurelius got a reaction from Lethaface in Tal Malah   
    Tank commander Raboud destroying a T 55 MV.


    The round exited through the other side.
  23. Like
    Aurelius got a reaction from Lethaface in CMFB (Unofficial) Screenshot Thread   
    From the same PBEM.
    There is nothing quite like flanking a Panther and taking it out with a 75 mm M4!


    Note the already existing damage on the Panther. Side skirt was hit by a bazooka, the tracks on the side of the turret were hit by a cumulative rifle grenade. The tank was engaged frontally four times by a 75 mm M4. The commander was killed by machinegun fire from an M4. His replacement, the gunner was shot by an M1 Garand. By the time it was destroyed it had only three crew members and it was still capable of fighting.
  24. Like
    Aurelius got a reaction from jtsjc1 in CMFB (Unofficial) Screenshot Thread   
    From the same PBEM.
    There is nothing quite like flanking a Panther and taking it out with a 75 mm M4!


    Note the already existing damage on the Panther. Side skirt was hit by a bazooka, the tracks on the side of the turret were hit by a cumulative rifle grenade. The tank was engaged frontally four times by a 75 mm M4. The commander was killed by machinegun fire from an M4. His replacement, the gunner was shot by an M1 Garand. By the time it was destroyed it had only three crew members and it was still capable of fighting.
  25. Upvote
    Aurelius got a reaction from MOS:96B2P in CMFB (Unofficial) Screenshot Thread   
    From the same PBEM.
    There is nothing quite like flanking a Panther and taking it out with a 75 mm M4!


    Note the already existing damage on the Panther. Side skirt was hit by a bazooka, the tracks on the side of the turret were hit by a cumulative rifle grenade. The tank was engaged frontally four times by a 75 mm M4. The commander was killed by machinegun fire from an M4. His replacement, the gunner was shot by an M1 Garand. By the time it was destroyed it had only three crew members and it was still capable of fighting.
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