OstapBender

Operation Bagration in full effect

Soviet rifle platoon leaders (which are embedded inside the 1st rifle squad) have the wrong uniform. They show Private ranks.
This kind of thing shows up as well for a few HQ units like the ATR platoon or Machine gun platoon.
Then again, you can see the number of SVT's reach a number that's in fact closer to pre-war numbers (8 SVT's per platoon, when DMS pointed out 2 would be a reasonable number for this timeline).
 
I've also noted that platoons are commanded by Captains and companies by Majors according to the UI, and I have never seen any Soviet officer under the rank of Captain in this game.
I think this has something to do with the UI being incorrect (I've tested it with and without Juju's UI mod, and the ranks are the same).
The UI's senior officer ranks, in other words over Captain, are also incorrect (the stars are silver when they should be gold).

Don't spend lots of time scouting. Don't bother to fix and flank, except with tank forces, who can do it at speed. But also don't just run infantry at the enemy or ignore casualties. That isn't Russian doctrine or how it actually worked, it is just a cartoon slander of their methods spread by the Germans, whomthought it made them defending against it sound all clever and also heroic for braving it etc. (A rather incoherent set of spin objectives, incidentally, but that is an aside).

The first idea is that any definite plan pushed will be faster than slow recon pull. The next is that the process of destroying the enemy really isn't that complicated - it is a matter of laying your ship alongside the enemy, as Nelson put it before Trafalgar. Meaning close aggressively with the enemy, brave what he can dish out to dish out as much as you can yourself, and trust in your strength to destroy him before he destroys you.

But that isn't a headlong charge. Above all, it isn't about movement in the first place, it is about firepower and punishment dealt.

The first infantry wave is fixing, but doesn't have to do it everywhere, or care too much about finding the enemy. Walking over your chosen route of advance will either penetrate the enemy and break up his defense, or he'll find you, and reveal himself stopping that. Let him. Then blow the living crap out of everything that reveals itself, with all your firepower arms. Tanks, mortars, artillery support - call down the wrath of God to avenge the first wave. All the first wave itself needs to do in the meantime is hit the dirt, take what cover they can, and rally as best they can. They did their part drawing the enemy's fire. Don't press. It isn't a race. Save as many of them as possible, by blasting the guys shooting at them and skulking them out of sight.

Then send the second wave. Not a new idea. Not a fancy razzle dazzle end around head fake double reverse. Send them at the spots your artillery and other fire support just blasted into the lower atmosphere, while the dust is still moving upward. They may occupy the places so blasted. Or they may draw fire from a new set of shooters, and repeat the experience of the first wave. You don't really care which. There is no rushing. You have all week. Everyone will get a turn before you are done, every bit of fire support you have will chew on something, and the enemy will need to shoot you all down and still have something left. If they don't, it may be in the bottom half of the clock that they start crumbling. Waves that have been out of the leading role are rallying the while, shooting back. You don't care how long it takes, but not because any of it is tentative or any part of the clock is quiet. Reuse the rallied early waves as fourth and fifth attacks. The whole point is to outlast them, to have the last rallied wave standing. Inexorable is the watchword.

Each wave doesn't bunch up. It isn't trying to run the enemy off his feet in one go. You only expose what it takes to make a serious threat to enemy position if he doesn't open up with a major line of battle. The ideal size of one wave is a numerical match for the defenders on the same frontage. You don't want to give them denser targets that make all their weapons more effective. Instead you want them to face trying to hold off the third wave with empty magazines and surrounded by blasted friends, worked over repeatedly by all your fire support.

They won't stand. Lean hard enough into them, back off for nothing, make no mistakes, and use every weapon in your force for its proper target - and they will go down. Trust your combined strength, believe it, press home and make it so.

No captain can go far wrong who lays his ship alongside one of the enemy.

One thing that most CM titles come with is separate tagged terrian art for heavy rocks using the word [rubble]. If you use that tag in you scenario  heavy rock tile becomes broken building debris. That's how you get city scenarios with blasted buildings and rubble blocked streets.

The BMP is designed with an offensive slant-predisposition in mind. For defensive work it'd usually be dismounted or dug in. They are not intended to change the whole battlefield by themselves, but to fit inside of an overall framework that called for MBTs to lead the way into pummeled moonscape while the BMPs advanced right behind protecting their infantry from artillery fire and NBC weapons. It's a very 1945-ish vehicle, designed in a time when infantry ATGMs were rare and likely opponents would be the M113 and trucks. The BMP is only one generation removed from the so called "battlefield taxi" design of previous generation APCs, and is designed with defeating those vehicles in mind not the Bradley and certainly not enemy tanks. 
Asking "how should I use the BMP" should be rephrased into "how do I use Soviet doc". For Red Army Doctrine the thinking is meant to be "the big picture" and fixating a lot on little details can give one a misleading impression of the whole picture. You won't get a lot of mileage out of any single weapon system in a Soviet designed ToE...that's not how it works. If you're running a scenario for the Syrians without things like artillery and air support you're crippling them right off the bat by restricting their combined arms kit and should expect little. 

this is ridiculous.  It's classic old fascist claptrap where they say "what about Stalin"  when they are really saying "Hitler had the right idea" but know they can't say that out loud so do it this way.   And then we have memoirs of captured german soldiers who complain how badly they were treated by the soviets -- after having killed ~15% of the soviet population.  they were treated horribly and suffered terribly, but no worse than what was done to those hundreds of thousands (millions?) of soviet prisoners who the germans let die in 1941/42.  So let's not play the "who was worse" game. 
yeah yeah yeah, we all know Stalin was a murderous monster of unbelievable proportions.  I read a book on Stalin and was shocked that he was even worse than I thought when I already thought he was an incredible monster.  Which somehow gets Hitler off the hook, and also shows that the allies were hypocrites, and we should've allied w hitler to stop the commies, blah blah blah. 
But all that really matters here is some russian folks made a movie that has lots of 45mm AT guns shooting at some realistic-looking german tanks, and that's all I really care about.  I am not watching this for it's literary elegance or great moral enlightenment or historical accuracy (other than the gear, which has to be right).  I just want some CM-looking battles on my TV. I usually fast forward through the pathetically scripted non-battle sections anyway (who can write such drivel?).  So they made it into russian propaganda? who cares, everyone does that -- as if hollywood never made nationalistic, propaganda-filled war movies.  Just show me some good battles. 
And herbert hoover never had to make the choice of which monster to back, so it's easy for him to throw stones later.  If the soviets had fallen how long before the US was facing armadas of german Uboats sinking all our commerical shipping?  What choice did we really have other than to back Devil #2 to fight Devil#1?

Yes, but I agree that it is nothing new. What I want is more news about the coming module, new screenshots and an update on the progress made. And I don't want to hear everybody is working on the scenarios and campaigns, because as Frederic the Great would say that's not more than their verdammte Pflicht und Schuldigkeit (damned duty and guilt).For God's sake, it's December and we're still kept in the dark. What are you afraid of, BF, that the Chinese steal your module, make a copy of it and release it before you can? Is all this secrecy really necessary? Just finally release this module and do it without pre-ordering as a gesture towards those who waited for so long. Or are you indeed as Rocketman suggested planning to release CMRT and this module on Steam and is that the reason for all the endless delay?

yep...that will be surely welcome from all of us poor little desperatly waiting guys...

Elvis, is it possible to give some kind of update on the progress of the module? Plus some interesting screenshots perhaps?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Guards#/media/File:Soviet_Guards_Order.png

It's a simple enough question.  If the answer will turn out to be a 'no' I can only conclude that F&R has become a sideshow, like R2V was. I don't buy all this 'we don't even know ourselves, things have become so complicated, so how dare you to ask' talk, followed by the usual declarations of support, understanding or even indignation.
All of this doesn't bode well for the future, so yes, Wade, I'm pretty agitated about it all.

I'm sure the community would appreciate an update on the current status of Fire and Rubble. Can we expect a release in the autumn?

The Avenger
Very small update.
@DoubleD has been avenged by one of Josey Wale's remaining vehicles. The Cannon Halftrack SPW 251/22. A half track with a giant tank gun somehow mounted onto it. This was the same T-34 that surived Double D's side penetrating hit before taking out his Panther with a catastrophic hit.

(Yes crew positions is likely bugged - It's a beta people. )

I've got permission from BFCElvis to post about something a little to the side of this content.
Fixing the Hedgerow Bug
It's perhaps most prevalent in CMBN given the abundance of hedgerow maps/scenarios but applies across all titles for infantry behind hard cover. You may have noticed my Green troops in this battle have not been running away or into the streets towards the enemy during these firefights with the Soviet infantry.
This whole DAR has been using a version of the F&R beta that includes some tweaks to the TacAI to address infantry bolting from cover when coming under small arms fire. Infantry that come under small arms fire are more likely to seek cover and 'cower' rather than displace, even when pinned/rattled. Infantry are more likely to bolt when under attack from high explosives... (which let's face it makes sense. )
The changes I've noticed:
- It becomes very hard to dislodge infantry already set up in a building or behind a wall. Even when you lose LOS/LOF there's a good chance your opponent is still there. (I've joked it's going to take naval shells to dislodge Veteran troops).
- Getting the jump on the enemy while they are moving / before they are set up and ready to seek cover still causes morale to collapse very quickly. Case in point: like when most of my Pioneer platoon evaporated under SMG fire within 30 seconds.
- Infantry taking persistent casualties will still suffer morale damage over the long term. Like my Volkssturm surrendering after a solid five minutes of constant rifle fire back and forth.
- Expect longer drawn out firefights in urban and hedgerow maps. That also means watching those ammo counters more closely.
- High explosive and flame options just became a lot more valuable in urban combat. Close quarter AVRE or M12 GMC anyone?
 
Still being tested and subject to change but there are positive signs among the beta testers so far.
All for now.

Hello together!
In this screenshots it looks like the members of the Volkssturm are wearing their armbands as cuffs.
I am very sure that the men of the Volkssturm were marked with a moveable armband that could be slipped over every coat or jacket and it was worn on the upper arm for better visibility. -> Like today's captains in a football/soccer team. It was not a tightly sewn cuff/bracelet like e.g. with the SS uniforms. Here are some photos, that support my statement:
https://imgur.com/WTLCT1S
https://imgur.com/qvNtDAr
https://imgur.com/yZ7ay4S
https://imgur.com/V7ejAX1
https://imgur.com/kgpmlAK
 
 

One, Two, Three Tank...

North and Centre
We start in the centre of the map. So many Soviet tanks went boom over the last few turns. @DoubleD came to fore and did their job as a number of Soviet armour elements tried to reposition and break up my control of the main roads. A Sherman, T-34 and a SU-85 all went boom in the space of two minutes.



It wasn't a complete walk in the park as KG @benpark lost most of a platoon in about 30 seconds. One of the pioneer platoons was lining up to enter buildings along the main street and pick off some known infantry taking pot shots at the Volkssturm. They went in and...


It was a red cross blood bath.
@Josey Wales personally charged forward, covered by DoubleD's PzIV to seek revenge for poor benpark's men. A blazing MG34 and 20mm cannon and close range started picking off Soviet soldiers popping up in every window. As the turns rolled around the Soviet anti-tank rifles started appearing but Josey became a machine.

KG @Bootie and about one and half platoons from KG benpark hold the position closest to OBJ Jaegermeister. It's a nasty little block of flats that will become a SMG paradise if Elvis ventures across the main road. The pioneers have blasted some walls allowing easy access between the buildings out of line of sight of the enemy. With Elvis' armour now concentrated in the south, (more on that next), I'm pretty confident I can hold this and get shots off at anything being sent south to reinforce his main effort.

(You're meant to look towards the enemy guys...)
And for something a little humorous. Some Soviet tank crewmen and the Bootie's Volkssturm decided to both put down their rifles and surrender to each other. I think they cottoned on that it was May 1945...



South
@mjkerner's Fallschirmjager are putting up a stiff fight but whenever one of the five Soviet tanks looking their way gets a spot they fall under a hail of bullets and HE fire. Saying that they can only see one face of the objective building complex so most of the troops are still there to put up a fight when Elvis decides to get in close. His tanks cant move without being barraged by tanks and recoiless rifles and I'm sure Elvis knows this. The clokc is ticking so I'm expecting a big final push at some point. (Oh and the late @Hapless's surviving crewmen continue to do him proud).

 
Finally the map. OBJ Jaegermeister is out of the question now but I still have the strength to old OBJ Beer.

such as the soldiers in the picture.
 

These were manufactured stand-off screens.
http://www.tankarchives.ca/2014/06/panzerfaust-protection.html

Historically all captured German Panzerfausts and Panzerschraks were in service of engineer-assault brigades approx since the winter 1945. Rifle units never used it.

Panzerfaust teams for the Soviets? Very nice!

Is it possible to make that mod only replace some helmets with sidecaps?

Have done some digging on this topic myself recently, and this is the best I could come up with:
Assault Engineer-Sapper Battalion (shtat no. 012/127)
The Assault Engineer-Sapper Brigades (20 formed) took on increasing importance following their creation in 1943, especially with the need to reduce Festungs cities in 1944-45.  An history of Red Army assault engineers can be found here in full: https://www.e-reading-lib.com/bookreader.php/126215/Nikiforov_Nikolay_-_Shturmovye_brigady_Krasnoy_Armii_v_boyu.html.  Organization below is drawn mostly from this with some supplemental searching.  Some reconstruction will be necessary, and probably in error. Assault Engineer-Sapper Battalion (29 officers, 91 NCOs, 268 privates) 313 SMG?, 20 LMG, 9 ATRs, 626 hand grenades, 626 AT grenades, 125 SN-42 body armor sets (see more on these here: http://www.tankarchives.ca/2013/10/soviet-infantry-protection.html), approx. 50 rifles/carbines, lots of demolitions charges and smoke bombs. Battalion HQ – Battalion CO (pistol), Battalion XO (pistol), radioman (carbine) in Gaz-67 or Jeep w/ driver Recon Platoon – 2x LMG Platoon HQ – Plt Ldr (SMG) 2x Recon Squads – Sqd Ldr (NCO, SMG), Asst Ldr (junior NCO, LMG), 5x scouts (SMG) 3x Assault Engineer-Sapper Companies (107 men) Company HQ (8 men – probably 4 medical personnel = 4-man HQ) – CO (Capt., SMG), Starshina (SMG), 2x riflemen (carbine) 2x Assault Engineer-Sapper Platoons (33 men) Platoon HQ – Plt Ldr (Lt., SMG), Plt Sgt (NCO, SMG), 2x riflemen (SMG) 1x 2-man ATR section – 1x ATR, 1x SMG (could be replaced with “faustniki” group heavily armed with captured panzerfausts) 2x 9-man Assault Engineer-Sapper Squads (LMG) – Sqd Ldr (NCO, SMG), Asst Sqd Ldr (junior NCO, LMG), 7 x engineers (SMG) 1x 9-man Assault Engineer-Sapper Squad - Sqd Ldr (NCO, SMG), Asst Sqd Ldr (junior NCO, SMG), 7 x engineers (SMG) 1x Attached Backpack Flamethrower Squad (from Brigade Backpack Flamethrower Battalion) – Sqd Ldr (NCO, SMG), 2x Asst. Squad Leaders (junior NCO, SMG, panzerfaust), 4x Backpack Flamethower operators (ROKS-3) 1x Assault Engineer-Sapper Platoon (armored) (33 men) Platoon HQ – Plt Ldr (Lt., SMG), Plt Sgt (NCO, SMG), 2x riflemen (SMG) 1x 2-man ATR section – 1x ATR, 1x SMG (could be replaced with “faustniki” group heavily armed with captured panzerfausts) 2x 9-man Assault Engineer-Sapper Squads (LMG) – Sqd Ldr (NCO, SMG), Asst Sqd Ldr (junior NCO, LMG), 7 x engineers (SMG) 1x 9-man Assault Engineer-Sapper Squad - Sqd Ldr (NCO, SMG), Asst Sqd Ldr (junior NCO, SMG), 7 x engineers (SMG) 1x Attached Backpack Flamethrower Squad (from Brigade Backpack Flamethrower Battalion) – Sqd Ldr (NCO, SMG), 2x Asst. Squad Leaders (junior NCO, SMG, panzerfaust), 4x Backpack Flamethower operators (ROKS-3) All with SN-42 body armor Note: the above assumes that the battalion is operating alone, not integrated into assault groups with a rifle unit, but that the brigade flamethrower battalion has been task-organized to the assault-engineer battalions.  Allocation of body armor to 1x platoon per company is my own guess here.  It could also be 1x company per battalion, or some other allocation below platoon level.
Small excerpt from the text above specific to tactics and organization during the Battle for Berlin.  Would appreciate a better translation if you have time Haiduk:
 

As I already said in the thread about on-map bug guns, the late warfare phase was some different from the previous phases. Soviet troops encounterd with strong enemy defense, which relied on perfect ordered system of trenches, different bunkers, minefields, heavy defended water obstacles and the cities with old strong fortifications and very tough stone buildings. Sieges, assault actions, bloody fights in attempts to breakthrough rugged defense - this a feature of battles in late 1944 - 1945.  In that places, when neither tanks nor infantry could handle and even high-power guns  on direct fire culdn't help, then on the scene of the theater of war they appeared - ShISBR troopers , elite "Stalin's panzer infantry". ShISBR is from "Shturmovaya Inzhenerno-Sapiornaya BRigada" - Assault Engineer-sapper brigade. Under those rush, bravery and non-standart actions didn't remain standing no one strongest German fortress. It is very starnge that such interest unit wasn't reflected by BFC in CMBB, and I think, in CMRT they also weren't in the plans.
I hope, theese guys in bodyarmor will appear if not in this module, then in some pack. Here I will tell in short about these troops, their TO&E the kind of application in operations and examples of their actions. For now, just several photos
   

 

I remember there are only carbin m38 in the game now,hope there will be m44 in DLC

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