Vacillator

Very nice George, it could only be bettered with a personal narration 😉.

This is ‘PART 4: Techniques – methods of undertaking movement tasks by tanks in combat’ of the short longer than originally planned series giving an overview of the tactical fundamentals and principles behind WWII German tactical drills and combat formations commonly used in 1944 using examples from Combat Mission Red Thunder to illustrate key points. 
In Part 4 we look at the specific ‘battle drills’ and associated movement techniques used by the German tank platoon to gain superiority in a firefight with enemy forces.
Part 5 will be looking at training programmes etc and jeezo, was that a rabbit hole...
Hopefully this will be of use to both players and thsoe interested in this time period. It was originally intended to complement the tank tactical problem series I created.
As an aside when you start digging into this is becomes even more painfully clear how a dogged emphasis doctrinally and values wise on "unexpected, concentrated and determined attack; aggressive leadership and daring operations." coupled with increasingly minimally trained crews (and training hampered by lack of resources both human and material), and just as importantly, tank and small unit commanders, would only lead to needless losses. 

Welcome and nice work, such efforts are always appreciated.
As for getting them on FGW, @Bootie is the man.  My tag will hopefully alert him to this thread.

Okay roger that, will do.

IIRC they are inside the armor.
Seemingly two parts are involved with tank riders
1) The game binary has the passenger spots in the vehicle database. In other words; in the executable. The passenger mount option gets enabled for the vehicle.
2) The vehicle model file (mdr file) has the locations for these passenger spots.
With the Flammpanzer item no. 1 is there, but the model doesn't have the passenger locations no. 2. The model is not yet updated for such passengers by the 3D modeler. So all passengers are put at point x,y,z, 0,0,0, - the center of the vehicle.

Can we please lay off beating on our brother Erwin at this point? I think people made their points on the merits, let's turn down the ad homs.
...For those who forgot life before Feb 2022, he's put a *gigantic* amount of effort into this community.

I've been spending some time working on skins for vehicles I didn't have mods for and thought I'd share them with anyone who still has some armor that looks like it just came from the factory.  Some vehicles have different camo versions based on their theater of war and will work with the other WWII Combat Mission titles since the models are all identical.  For those vehicles, I've labeled the subfolders based on the game the camo pattern was from.  
Just unzip and place the files in the .../Combat Mission Fortress Italy/data/Z folder.  Remember to only choose one folder if a zip file contains multiple camo options.    
 

Fiat 626:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zs8JCCfvf6eyCRXQN3iy34YDr9uO84j0/view?usp=drive_link
Marder II:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_uQi4o_puJ2IGaU0Wuk6rLdIi42J-EKC/view?usp=drive_link
PSW 233:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fc2rUUfg6fx5tbnxhSiv7px5LQfPPEw6/view?usp=drive_link
Sdkf 10/5:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Xm56gujYLYBooCeamCsMQRHd0v9rsYhv/view?usp=drive_link
Semovente 75:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eW8kOULwwUBnI81uCLZzn7UP4CmGW55D/view?usp=drive_link
Semovente 90:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bGViX3Nm1HIw7sTbQ-92ca4C5jM9PZ5N/view?usp=drive_link
 
I haven't figured out yet how to submit these to the Few Good Men website but at some point, I'll try to get them posted there.  
 

😜✌️

Okay, I take back what I said about boxes.  I think however I do similar things but hadn't thought of it as a box (or otherwise) formation, more like mutual support / overwatch.
I'm not sure what you mean about repair, but you were referring specifically to Prokhorovka? 
All of the recent research (including OOBs before and after, photographic, testimonies from both sides etc.) has concluded that the 'huge clashing together' of tanks at Prokhorovka did not happen.  For example, only a handful of Tigers were actually present at Prokhorovka, and from what I remember from the research 1 or perhaps 2 were knocked out.  A lot of T34s did come to a sticky end, largely as a result of forgetting about their own rather extensive anti-tank ditch.  It is thought that the one-sided Soviet losses led to artificial reports of a more balanced battle in an attempt to excuse the losses to higher command (aka Stalin).  In addition, the Germans held the field for several days after the battle before withdrawing, so they did have the chance to recover and repair while the Soviets did not until days later, by which time I imagine their wrecks would have been attended to in a different way by the Germans. 
Do I know the above is correct? No.  Is the original Soviet version correct?  I very much doubt it.
Of course having said all of this, the Kursk offensive as a whole obviously failed, whatever happened at Prokhorovka.
 

Aye what @Chibot Mk IX says
As I said Kruger is a right twat in this campaign...

Yeah I might have done that to stop gamey bastiches like me (love a fiery recce!) driving the poor sap forward as disposable reconnaissance...

I use lone units as reinforcements - linked with their arrival via the 'squawk' announcing a unit has arrived will be a radio message. It will give you updates on what is happening.
Unfortunately Kruger is a bit of a twat so more than likely got himself into some bother or just screwed up his column management...

Is Kruger in the Kubel?  Has a nice ring to it...
It's not much of a KG though 😉.

Okay, I take back what I said about boxes.  I think however I do similar things but hadn't thought of it as a box (or otherwise) formation, more like mutual support / overwatch.
I'm not sure what you mean about repair, but you were referring specifically to Prokhorovka? 
All of the recent research (including OOBs before and after, photographic, testimonies from both sides etc.) has concluded that the 'huge clashing together' of tanks at Prokhorovka did not happen.  For example, only a handful of Tigers were actually present at Prokhorovka, and from what I remember from the research 1 or perhaps 2 were knocked out.  A lot of T34s did come to a sticky end, largely as a result of forgetting about their own rather extensive anti-tank ditch.  It is thought that the one-sided Soviet losses led to artificial reports of a more balanced battle in an attempt to excuse the losses to higher command (aka Stalin).  In addition, the Germans held the field for several days after the battle before withdrawing, so they did have the chance to recover and repair while the Soviets did not until days later, by which time I imagine their wrecks would have been attended to in a different way by the Germans. 
Do I know the above is correct? No.  Is the original Soviet version correct?  I very much doubt it.
Of course having said all of this, the Kursk offensive as a whole obviously failed, whatever happened at Prokhorovka.
 

I'm in bocage country, not my favourite terrain feature.
Hope your mortars show up (as reinforcements maybe?).

I did that a LOT when I moved back into WW2 after spending a while in the modern era. Definitely need to be thinking in terms of larger "danger close" distances in WW2.

Thankyou my good friend, but I can't use that excuse.  My modern era experience is currently limited to several turns in a Cold War PBEM against a Cold War veteran - good way to start eh?

It's not something I've used in CM.  I take your point though, except for
I think this has been largely debunked as a myth promoted by the Soviets?

I'm not, my attention has been directed elsewhere.  But I also need all the arty I can get, although I'm developing a reputation for dumping it on my own troops 🙄.  Except when it comes to on-map mortars.  I have a new-found liking for the US 60mm by way of an example.

I'm not, my attention has been directed elsewhere.  But I also need all the arty I can get, although I'm developing a reputation for dumping it on my own troops 🙄.  Except when it comes to on-map mortars.  I have a new-found liking for the US 60mm by way of an example.

For 90 degree bends agreed. For curving corners makes no odds - the TacAI adjusts speed accordingly. If moving a lot of units in a convoy doing this will take forever. My approach enables the player to moves lots of stuff with min. effort. Its also simple (like me!) so IMO works well for thsoe new to CM.
There are LOTS of ways to achieve the desired endstate of a traffic jam free convoy. Usually for a convoy I'm less concerned re speed and more the unit makes it to where I want em to be without creating a clusterfcuk down the road... At heart I'm a lazy bugger
As I tend to play larger actions I tend to less micromanaging and tend to go with stuff that reduces the overall work load and achieves the desired effect.
The great thing is the game accommodates lots of different styles and every player evolves their own style to managing the admin associated with making stuff move and fight from point A to point B.
 

It's not something I've used in CM.  I take your point though, except for
I think this has been largely debunked as a myth promoted by the Soviets?

Mission 5 - Materborn
Things are hotting up. As this field of burning Stinkpots proves.
 

Cat and Mouse - German gets points for spotting Soviet tanks (with Panthers), Soviets get points for killing German tanks.  A tricky one thanks to @George MC.
In our PBEM we started like this but then went for each other in true Cat and Mouse style.  Great game, lives in the memory.  Soviet win for me after thinking I'd lost it half way though.

I assume you're still talking Real Time play (and in CM)? 
As I play WeGo (1 minute turns) to do what you say is rather difficult 😉.  I can order a move forward let's say on slow or hunt looking for a target, if something of interest appears the tank might stop and shoot.  And if the target isn't destroyed it might sit there re-loading to fire again, and again if necessary.  Unless something had returned 'scary' fire which made the AI-crew decide to reverse.  Other orders/results are possible, just an example (and I should say WW2 based).
In Cat and Mouse neither of us advanced a 'mass of tanks' in formation, it was individual tanks in supportive roles.  Slowly, keeping cover as much as possible, supporting each other.
Out of interest, what's your gaming background - is it FPS games?  Or strategy games?  Just wondering if this is relevant to your questions.