DerKommissar

It just occurred to me, that I didn't really answer OP's question. My apologies. Here's a good video on what folks did before RPGs: In short: Don't engage tanks head-on -- circumvent as much as possible. Mitigate situational awareness with fire or smoke. Sneak in on the rear. Throw anything you got on the engine, tracks and other weak spots. This is very true. Each cannon is worth its weight in gold. Sounds fun! I've been looking forward to the more unconventional, Red-Dawn-esque, type stuff in the new module -- and Seelow Heights trench warfare.

Yeah, me too. I've had success using their AT guns, field guns and AAA against Panthers. Too bad those things are a nightmare and a half to relocate. I'm guessing that would be a rare scenario, as a Panzer Division was more mobile than a Rifle Division. There's no better scenario for the Panzer Division, than catching a Rifle division on the move and in the open. They could pull back and/or launch a counter-attack. A tank's main armament is its tracks. Late-war Soviet offensives usually involved hundreds of tanks, following an ungodly barrage of every caliber imaginable and, possibly, IL-2 CAS. A Panzer Division would probably be ordered to plug the gaps in infantry divisions' lines, to counter the most dire Soviet break-through attempts. That's a job for the T-70! Maybe, the BA-10/11 armoured cars, as they packed a 45mm AT, too. They got rarer as the war went on, but were still in service until the end. So, as much as I'd like to see them -- I doubt they'd be added in the new module. Recon units were often equipped with lend-lease goodies like the M3 Stuarts and Valentines -- and those we may still see.

Love this guy's content! I've had only minor successes with AT-rifles in Red Thunder. They can reliably penetrate lighter AFVs like Marders, half-tracks and armoured cars. However, it takes a good couple of rounds to put them out of action. Nowhere as much "stopping power" as a shaped charge, giving the ambushed vehicle time to inflict casualties. Maybe they were more relevant in the early war, but in RT -- they are a desperate last resort.

Woah! A new AAR comic! I recently finished the 16 Days in Berlin documentary, and I think I heard a quote that was identical to the speech bubble. They also covered the hasty civilian/military retreat into the forests -- fleeing the Battle of Berlin. Gotta love the authenticity.

I don't use any automated driver updater, either. I generally use drivers that shipped with the device, unless there are problems with it. The biggest exception are graphics card drivers, as newer games sometimes require newer drivers. For that, I use the native NVidia companion app -- I actually perfered the AMD one (when I used AMD). These companion apps ship with your graphics card. They'll let you know that there is a new version and give you an option to update. To check all your driver versions, status and options: go to Device Manager (it's native to Win 7, 10, etc.). From there you can even manually install drivers. No disrespect to CCleaner, I have fond memories of using that one.

The schwimmwagen is on fire! Oh, the humanity! I cant watch.

CM:SF is an alternate reality, that was conceived during the "War on Terror". In 2008, Syrian terror cells explode nuclear "dirty bombs" in Western cities. The Manual says that there was very little opposition in the UN, to a Coalition invasion of Syria. Russian topographic maps show up in the British campaign, possibly implying solidarity (if not outright support). A RF campaign supporting Assad would conflict with the lore, and would retcon all the campaigns. I think they could include an RF faction on the side of NATO -- an alternate reality pro-west Russia (this would be conceivable during 2002). Although, that'd be "too weird", considering the events that play out in our reality. I am not sure if the Georgian War occurred in CM:SF's reality. Obviously, the RF OOB would be much closer to that than 2010's RF in Syria. Maybe a conflict with Turkey over Kurdish regions or naval bases? Set after the SF campaigns?

I concur that CM:SF 2 Germans are probably the most powerful, relative to OPFOR. However, in the context of WW2: I've found CM:FI to be the easiest ride: In CM:FB, you will face some of the best equipped Allied forces in CM WW2. King Tigers and Panthers are countered by ubiquitous 76mm guns and bazookas. Most situations pit you against well entrenched, and determined, foes -- with virtually no infantry reserves. It's an uphill battle. CM:BN is the most balanced, I'd say. Although, the STuGs and MG-42s are incredible in defensive bocage fighting. One of them can hold off a company, in the right situation. You have lots of infantry of varying quality at your disposal, and you'll be mostly fighting Shermans with Panzer 4s. CM:RT is very asymmetrical, and I find it more difficult because of that. The name of the game is keeping the Soviets at arm's length. Your weapons are more accurate, but theirs have unprecedented firepower. Open terrain is easy, forests and urban terrains are extremely difficult. For CM:FI, you'll be facing a menagerie of Allied forces. The Allies here are generally less equipped, and trained, than in France. The rocky terrain provides great defensive opportunities for your infantry. The wide open maps allow you to capitalize on accurate, long-range, weaponry. Especially in early war, you hold the advantage. Note that these evaluation are based on typical scenarios. Difficulty varies widely, depending on the situation, objectives, and specific forces involved.

Oof! Would be cool to see the Polish 1st or 2nd Army.

I'm still in the first quarter of the book. My conclusion was based on that there were quite a few officers/NCOs acting as riflemen during the assault on Barrikady, and the Germans prioritizing forward observers and command posts. Mark often notes that such-and-such officer was killed, and was replaced. Now that you mention it, there isn't that many rank-and-file accounts in the book. I thought that was just because there's less Soviet sources than German ones. Are the officers/NCOs fighting in CQB because all the riflemen are dead? Could be, I haven't seen the tallies.

You "guesstimate". Most Puma variants have very slim turrets/casemates, so hull-down is almost turret-down. This makes specifically the 2cm autocannon turret and the 7.5 stummel variants particularly suited for observation. The commander can observe from the edge of the turret/casemate, or he can fully open up and stick his torso out. The gunner/loader can also help out with open-topped spotting. The 5cm cannon, enclosed, Puma is a slightly different animal. It's like two times taller, and the commander has to deal with a small hatch. This makes it worse for observation. Luckily, it has a tank turret -- so it's designed for a hull-down role. I'm more comfortable having this car accompany tanks, as long as it keeps hull-down. I've never used the 7.5cm "pakwagon" variant. I don't know if they're even in the game.

I've had success using them hull down, for spotting, light support and observing artillery fire. I put the most vulnerable cars "turret-down", so only the commander can pop his head to see over the incline. I've lost a couple of commanders, this way -- but it's still safer than keeping a dismounted observer. The armour does provide some protection against shrapnel, and the cars can reverse quickly.

Excellent comic/AAR -- as always!

Exactly. I would love to see Poland on the Eastern Front, as well.

I remember reading that the Bren was often used in an assault role. The gunner was usually a big, burly, and tough guy that was invaluable at the tip of the storm. Naturally, any sort of automatics (even MGs) would be the first "over-the-top", as they are the most motivated. I am reading Island of Fire, which focuses on the German accounts of Stalingrad. German officers, and NCOs, took significantly more casualties than the rank-and-file, as did the Soviets. Officers/NCOs prioritized good observation positions, and observation works both ways. The best artillery would be used against these positions, not against riflemen. The second point is that the enemy prioritizes leaders and guys with big guns. It only makes sense to focus most valuable targets, especially for snipers/marksmen (who rarely shoot at riflemen in-game, I find). RNG casualties would be an unrealistic abstraction -- life isn't fair, let alone war.

Has there been any mention of Polish troops being added, with F&R?

I noticed that on some videos, the gun recoil pushes the carriage back -- and on others it stays still. Does it say anywhere if the gun was used partially set-up in urban direct fire roles? Also, wasn't the tracked carriage self-propelled? I remember reading that it was -- this would make relocation in-game much simpler.

Wonderful equipment and especially foliage! Thanks for the status update -- eagerly awaiting preorders.

Yeah, I know. I have interest in military history, and that may make me a horrible person. I'm sorry that systematic rape, genocide, torture, slavery, child soldiers, destruction and death on a massive scale are a part of human history. I'm not a moral philosopher, I just like big guns -- sincere apologies for causing you discomfort.

Agreed, they're too iconic to miss.

I'm guessing that's an SU-100, from the hit Hollywood film At War as at War (1969). Love the camo, and the iconic stowage bin!

Aww... I want Hungarians in CM:RT so bad, they have a lot of funky toys.

Considering the German constitution forbids invasions, they'd probably have to do it under the auspices of peacekeeping. A conscript army would contradict that, and create more logistics headaches. A large footprint would probably make the voters/taxpayers unhappy. I'm guessing, it's reflecting similar level of training and experience. I know in CMRT, a Typical Red Guard squad is more likely to be Veteran, but a Typical Red Army squad is more likely to be Green. I am wondering, if the Syrian Arab Army/Uncons would have a more varied range of Typical soft factors?

Yeah, both screenshots are top notch. They somehow evoked The Doors' Riders on the Storm lyrics into my head: I guess the dog doesn't check this forum.

The English close captioning killed me. xD I'm more a fan of VMF naval infantry, myself. Hopefully we'll get Ukranian Naval Infantry too. But hey -- they don't have their own hip-hop videos (to the best of my knowledge).