Monty's Mighty Moustache

Have they let something slip? He'll be for the gulags if this is true and isn't sanctioned. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-61188943 MMM

This was my first reaction, it felt like an admission that taking Mariupol has been very costly and they can’t afford the troops it would take to clear the complex. Most “experts” are now saying they will redeploy some forces from Mariupol but surely they a) are pretty mauled from all the urban warfare and b) needed to maintain the siege and occupy the city? Interesting. MMM

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Ah but does that apply to bullets? Every shot’s trajectory is calculated so I would think that those are the one thing that don’t get abstracted. I may be wrong of course but that’s the way I thought it worked. MMM

The One Hundred and Third Minute KG Leino - Die Mitte T2 and the Landsers take the SMG guy in the woods under fire. He quickly turns and runs and we soon spot a tank crew (remaining from the one I knocked out on ROT I would imagine) and the remains of a HQ unit retreating into the woods too. THQ has come up to join the party. The fire from T2 has not drawn any response from the T34s, so he must have withdrawn them. Jean gets a tentative contact on a T34 but the other seems to have disappeared. Has he pulled both of them back over the bridge (I would)? I think it might be nearly time to launch a holding attack with the Tigers and SPWs. KG Koskela - die Links P1 is area firing where the second gun was thought to be located. There's an immediate response from said gun and it hits. P1 is immobilised. Damn. My first AFV loss of the battle. P2 comes up behind and starts taking the treeline under fire. The dismounts are still moving up to the StuG's position. KG Perala - das Rechts It's nearly time to see what's ahead at the objective. My forces are ready, once the AT team is in position and the holding attack in the middle begins we can start. The skirmish line will advance first to see what they can uncover. Speaking of the AT team, something interesting happens. An armour contact appears driving up the road from the farm toward the objective. Quickly. I doubt it has any tank riders on it due to the speed it was travelling. Is he reinforcing the objective? Moving it over to attack my forces in the middle or on the left? Hmmm. I'll need to send some scouts out from ROT to see if the T34 by the farm is still guarding the road. SITMAP I've updated the blood board with the immobilised Panther. That was annoying but he's in good position to continue bombarding the treeline and guard against anything coming out of the trees or around the corner. The T34 being moved from the farm is interesting. It's just in range of the schrek team so they will halt and see if they can get a shot, I'll also nudge the Tiger and StuG into range of the road and see if they can get a shot. It's risky as I don't think he knows I'm there, but the chance to take out a T34 unawares is too good to pass up. I just hope it hasn't spotted my AT team. MMM

BBC are reporting Russian state media has said the Moskva has sunk Russian warship Moskva has sunk - state media https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-61114843 MMM

Good to know, I’ve only really noticed them spraying when shooting unsupported but then I wouldn’t notice them shooting fine like that. Will have to keep an eye out. Next update should be put this weekend, whole house has caught Covid this week and I’m finally starting to feel half human again so will get back on it. MMM

Great video as always! Looking forward to the next one. MMM

These Russians are hilarious, not like it's anything new as everything they say is just complete and utter BS. That interview with the Salisbury poisoners where they talk about how great its church steeple is is a personal highlight. Who is this "concession" intended for? Is this communicated in Russia at all? Would they admit to "backing off" to their populace if they've been misled about how well it's been going in the first place? They must know that everyone in the west at least doesn't believe a word they utter so I do wonder who this utter drivel is meant for. /rant MMM

The One Hundred and Second Minute KG Leino - Die Mitte Jean is still listening. The T34 keeps moving away. The rest of Jean's Zug are moving up in bounds to support him, they start to come under fire. Looks like a lone SMG toting Red. He's quickly taken under fire. Well I say this but I'm not sure how much effect spraying all your bullets into the treetops like this will have, it really shows how inaccurate these things are when not fired from a support of some kind. KG Koskela - die Links P1 repositions along the treeline so it is out of LOS from the T34 in the trees but can take the infantry guns under fire. As it does so the StuG spots the gun crews and opens up with its MG. They suffer their first casualty. The StuG follows up with some HE goodness. P1 arrives on station and joins in the fun... ...and scores a direct hit, one gun is taken out. The infantry continue to get into cover of the trees bordering the road. Meanwhile some of the SPWs reposition to cover the right flank, in case he tries anything. KG Perala - das Rechts Still quiet. We're starting to muster for the attack, the Tiger is almost in position and then the StuG will move up with the SPWs to join the infantry. I dispatch a Panzerschreck team to the junction ahead to a) see if there is anything in the trees and b) to watch for any reinforcements he may send from the farm (off to the left of this image). SITMAP I'm trying to come up with a good way to attack the forces up at BLAU in the treeline, and I'm struggling. He has posted his armour in nice positions in the trees so rushing the tanks forward is probably only going to get them destroyed, and I don't have enough manpower to send in there to flush them out, I have to assume he has an infantry screen in front of the tanks. The boggy stream is passable in places but he has them covered at the moment, although there may be a gap on the left that I can get through to get behind the trees. Hmmm. It looks like I may have the greatest success on the right, although I fear that GRAU is going to be extremely well defended and he has at least one tank at the farm that he can reposition, not to mention the two tanks he has that Jean is stalking in the middle. At the very least I have to try and keep them down there. Same goes for his forces up at BLAU. Tough ask to take both these objectives in the time remaining. I am starting to think about the point distribution, I have two of the objectives occupied worth a total of 600 points, the remaining two are worth 400 combined. The points for destroying enemy forces (and I assume he gets some) will be a bit lopsided as he can destroy a larger percentage of my forces quicker, which would lead to more points. So if I lose too many forces chasing after those remaining 400 points it may cost me in that allocation. I will see how well defended GRAU is and then make some decisions. MMM

The visibility is 340m but yes it does. I was referring to the overall strategy I guess, rather than fight out in the open like on Objective ROT I'd pull back into the trees and guard the chokepoints, making the Germans come in there to flush the Soviets out which would give the advantage to the Soviets. I think they were just sitting ducks on that objective with all that room out to the left to let the Germans mass their armour, but one could of course have counterattacked down the highway to try and disrupt things. It's how he seems to have deployed up at Objective BLAU, in the trees with armour support at a chokepoint. Going in there and getting him out could be costly, especially with my lack of manpower. I haven't given it much more thought beyond that tbh, I will have to try it against the AI once this game has finished. MMM

The One Hundred and First Minute KG Leino - Die Mitte Jean pushes up and we re-establish contact, of sorts, as he gets some tentative contacts on the T34s. The nearest one is moving away it seems. Is this because he's spotted the impending threat on the right? I don't think so as the other one hasn't moved and he didn't move it very far, but he could be moving in bounds of course. KG Koskela - die Links P2 takes a shot at the mortar team but he's backing away so it sails over their heads. P1 is taking the gun position under fire, both of them are backing up to a safe distance to then reposition. P2 is watching the position of the armour contact when a shell comes flying in from the gun position... ...and hits the turret. No casualties but the commander is nicked and he buttons up. The radio and optics take minor damage but that's all. This is followed up with another shell, there's no way that gun reloaded that quickly so there must be at least 2 over there. This one misses and detonates under the tank but does cause some track damage. The scouts who are in the trees by the bridge quickly firm up the contact. It looks like we've found at least part of the infantry gun battery, there will be another 2 guns our there somewhere though. It also explains the lack of real damage caused to P2. The infantry de-bus and make their way over to the cover of the trees and the road. Mortars start falling in the trees off to my left, he probably assumes that I am advancing infantry through there (I'm not). These must be the team I spotted last turn direct firing, unless his timing is really that good. The StuG has advanced up the road with no issues and takes up a position in the trees overlooking the bridge (you can see it on the top right of the above screenshot). Should the enemy try and push anything out that way it is in position to deal with it, I just need to get some infantry onto its left flank to stop him sneaking up. But he's shelling that area so I don't think he'll try it just yet and it should be safe for now. KG Perala - das Rechts I'm getting the infantry out and ready at their jumping off point, I need eyes forward. SITMAP MMM

The Ninety-Sixth to One-Hundredth Minutes KG Leino - Die Mitte The still shaken landsers of 1 Zug get a spot on the armour contact on their right, just as the T34 starts to rip into them. I lose 2 men before it seems to lose the spot. The overwatching THQ doesn't get a spot but does at least get the sound contact. As soon as I regain control of the remains of 1 Zug I pull them back out of range. They regroup with the SPWs and start to take up defensive positions. If he counterattacks with armour I can pull these guys back into the building on the objectives and make him close in where the fausts can do their work. I've lost contact with the forces in the woods ahead, Jean is leading the way to re-establish contact, the rest of his Zug are brought across to cover his advance. KG Koskela - die Links 4 Zug set up defensive positions up at SCHWARZ as the infantry of 2 Zug occupy the woods. The scouts from 1 Zug are making good progress, covered by the Panthers. The rest of the Zug are onboard their SPWs and start to catch up. The scouts and Panthers are approaching the boggy stream... ...when the scouts get an armour contact in the trees... ...quickly followed by another... ...and then an ATG contact in a rather unusual place. P1 starts to take MG fire from the treeline, probably a DP. P2 gets a confirmed spot on a mortar team in the treeline too. KG Perala - das Rechts All is quiet on the right, everyone makes it through the scrub and is advancing towards GRAU. SITMAP The contacts up near BLAU are interesting. Only two, what I assume to be, T34s. So either the other one is somewhere unseen or perhaps I've stumbled upon the remainder of the platoon of the lone tank I destroyed on the left some time ago. The positioning of the ATG is odd too, very exposed. I wonder if it has been hastily redeployed once he saw KG Koskela break up the highway and didn't have time to get into a good position? Those things move oh so slowly if there are no vehicles to limber them to. Interesting. Either way my Panthers are far too close to that treeline, only about 100m or so so next thing I will be doing is pulling them back. The StuG at SCHWARZ is also going to race up the road and try and join in the fun. In the middle I'm going to push to try and re-establish contact and see what shakes out. I need to know if those T34s are still there and he hasn't redeployed them. On the right it seems I have passed through unnoticed. I'm going to push them over the road and then get ready for an assault on the objective when the time is right. I will deploy some AT assets to cover the road that runs up and down the map on that side too in case he tries to reinforce with armour from other areas. Should get nice and shooty soon! MMM

Yes it is surprising, I would have probably put an AT asset at the end of the highway at the very least. Like I've said before I would try and lure the Germans into the trees and negate their long range firepower advantage and would probably have been less aggressive with the armour, keeping the whole company together to launch a furious counterattack when they least expect it. MMM

I am no expert but I didn't think you could do that, I thought the units were the units and the only thing that AI plans could change was the setup and orders...I may be wrong though, I have never even tried to create a battle. MMM

The Ninety-Second to Ninety-Fifth Minutes KG Leino - Die Mitte The advancing 1 Zug quickly get another sound contact in the trees, that's where the other T34 is! 4 Zug and the vehicles provide covering fire for the advance. I'm also hoping the 88mm shells from THQ will either drive off his tanks or at least get them to button up should they be unbuttoned. Who knows, with all those splinters flying around I may even take out a TC. It seems they aren't suppressed enough though as first a man from 2 Gruppe goes down to MG fire from the trees, then a HE shell takes out the HQ Trupp. It seems I was wrong and his tanks can indeed get fire on these troops. To make matters worse another armour contact pops up on the right. Well I say worse but this is actually good, if he is redeploying the tanks at the farm to deal with this attack then it means he is likely not aware of my advance through the scrub on the right. Hmmmm. THQ redeploys slightly to cover the right in case the appearance of the armour is the start of a counterattack. The area fire seems to have done some good as we soon get sound contacts, the tanks are moving away. Jean is emboldened, he starts to move forward again, covered by T2. KG Koskela - die Links Up at SCHWARZ the infantry of 2 Zug fan out to check the woods, covered by the AFVs. The scouts are the first to reach the treeline, followed by the remainder of the Zug. The objective is indeed free of enemy contacts. P2 is covering the open ground the scouts are advancing along so the StuG is repositioned to support the infantry. P1 is pulled back to support the push to the next objective. The scouts move out and make good progress. No contact is made. The rest of 1 Zug are waiting to follow. As the scouts get out of range of the cover from P2 it starts to follow. P1 is in overwatch position and will move up too, followed by 1 Zug in their SPWs. 2 Zug and 4 Zug (weapons) are setting up defensive positions around the objective. KG Perala - das Rechts T1 makes it through the scrub, the difference in off-road capability compared to the SPWs is quite staggering. They are still moving through, ever so slowly. No immobilisations yet though, that is a good thing! Eventually they start to trickle out. The scouts are pushing ahead to see if they can uncover anything, in these conditions they are taking nice long listening pauses just so they don't blunder onto an enemy position. SITMAP I was a bit surprised to find SCHWARZ completely undefended but he's probably concentrating his forces around GRAU, or he may have pulled them back to defend the obvious chokepoint ahead. In the middle I am pleased that the attack is forcing a reaction. Less pleased at losing 1 Zug's HQ as the remaining Landsers are now not in a great state. I will see what transpires with the armour contact on their right and see if they can get a confirmed spot, I assume it's another T34 but I'd like to know for sure. The movement of that armour is telling, I don't think he has any idea the KG Perala are currently advancing towards GRAU, hopefully that assessment is correct as if he hit me now while they are all strung out in the scrub then I could be in big trouble. Hopefully I can get the rest through and have the concentration of firepower I'd need to hold off any attack. Fun times ahead. MMM

Thanks, RL has settled down now so hopefully I can get these out a bit more frequently. MMM

And there is the rub, I don't think anyone in the EU thought he would actually do this. Calculated victories in exchange for a few sanctions, yes. Start a war, no. Like others have said, this is not something many people expected of such a cautious man (although those in neighbouring countries would probably disagree). MMM

The Eighty-Eighth to Ninety-First Minutes Some quiet turns ahead so let's get caught up. KG Leino - Die Mitte Jean pulls back in case the T34 has LOS. The weapons Zug on the objective are overwatching the trees... and they get another spot. A small infantry team not far from the one we just drove off. Meanwhile the THQ and 1 Zug start to form up on the hill to advance on the treeline and see what shakes out. No counter-attack has come so it's time to go on the offensive and at least tie his forces down in this area. THQ gets a spot on the infantry in the trees and decides to do something about it. No casualties were observed but they beat a hasty retreat. 1 Zug start advancing toward the trees. KG Koskela - die Links They got away and advance all the way up to within firing range of SCHWARZ without meeting any resistance. Some scouts dismount to go and check it out, P1 and a SPW will take the objective under fire while they advance. I have a choice to make. The intention is to take the objective and occupy it with the remains of 1 Zug while 2 Zug moves on to try and touch BLAU. There are two ways to get there, along the road and through the trees on the left, or over the open ground on the right. The trees offer great concealment but it's obvious and the road has several bends that are obvious ambush points. Going through the trees would also be very slow. Going right would expose my forces to anything in the trees on the left, but not so much on the right due to the distance and the limited visibility. The marsh prevents anything from sneaking up on my right flank quickly, I would need to keep an eye on that direction just in case though. His forces covering the highway were last seen moving in this direction so he may try and either attack SCHWARZ or hit me in the flank. As it allows me to mass my firepower and would be quicker I'm planning to go right. I will of course send some scouts out to make sure there is nothing nasty lurking in the trees on the left. With that in mind the StuG takes up overwatch at the narrow opening in the image above. 2 Zug dismount and get ready to move into the trees to provide overwatch for the scouts. KG Perala - das Rechts Not much to report here, still no contact and the SPWs are moving very slowly. The scouts have uncovered nothing and are starting to think about advancing now they have caught their breath. SITMAP It looks like SCHWARZ may be deserted, but I won't know until the infantry comb the woods. Nothing is shooting back at my vehicles though. The advance to BLAU is difficult as there is a boggy stream blocking my way, there is a bridge crossing it but I would be shocked if it wasn't well covered. He has to have an idea that I am likely to swing that force right and head that way, so if the Soviets aren't there already I would expect him to redeploy to meet the threat. What will be interesting is what he does with the infantry that were guarding the highway, I've not seen any sign of them for a while now. MMM

Oh and the Red Cross are saying the evacuation route from Mariopol was mined. Is anyone surprised? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-60635927?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=6225c463980bea49f4b7b73c%26Evacuation route out of Mariupol was mined%2C Red Cross says%262022-03-07T08%3A47%3A05.732Z&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:db771701-6dc4-4ec6-80c5-bf4be97ab054&pinned_post_asset_id=6225c463980bea49f4b7b73c&pinned_post_type=share MMM

So the Russians are going to offer a ceasefire so civilians can be evacuated to...Russia? And they will be in control of the corridors? Do they honestly think that anyone outside of Russia believes a word they say? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-60635927?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=6225c93fec502b53cd4810ec%26Details of Russia's proposed humanitarian corridors%262022-03-07T09%3A14%3A20.323Z&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:3d574e8e-24dc-438f-b469-a552c7cb32c1&pinned_post_asset_id=6225c93fec502b53cd4810ec&pinned_post_type=share Text of the report on BBC News: MMM

Try searching for Fire and Rubble on YouTube, most of the recent content that has gone up has been for the module. I think the best value game is CMBN, closely followed by CMFI just for the sheer amount of stuff you get. If I were to choose between the two honestly I'd actually go for Fortress Italy as it spans a longer timeframe and has more variety of units. It goes from 1943 all the way to the end of the war, you have hills, mountains, snow, beaches, rolling grassy slopes, urban warfare, the lot. Plus you have Brits, US, Brazilians, Indians, South Africans, French, Heer, Fallschirmjäger and Waffen SS to play with (I may be missing some too) and the available equipment changes depending on the timeframe (no Fausts for the Germans early on). But go with whatever theater interets you, for me my personal favourite is Red Thunder because that's the theater I am most interested in. Italy is a close second. MMM

Not necessarily a radio but ideally yes. As long as they can see or hear a unit who is in contact with whoever is requesting fire then you're good. Have a play with it, fire up a QB and choose a formation that has on-map mortars and try placing them around in the setup zone to see what happens with different combinations. MMM

Mortars can be used in one of two ways, firing direct (for which they need LOS to the target) or indirectly (called in by other units, the mortars themselves do not need LOS). To be used in indirect mode they have to be in C2 with a higher unit that has C2 with the unit calling for fire. So for example if you have a US platoon HQ calling in fire but the mortars are out of contact with their section/platoon HQ or higher then the mortar will show as unavailable. They have to be able to receive the order from the network. It's not so much of a problem with western forces that have radios but when it comes to the Soviets in RT then you need to be really careful about maintaining C2 links or they will not be able to fire indirectly (assuming they are on-map of course). That make sense? Also as a new player I would recommend reading Bil's excellent blog for tips on how to apply real life tactics to the CM games: https://battledrill.blogspot.com/ MMM

BBC is reporting it too. I believe he has said it, if it's factual or not is another matter. MMM