PEB14

This scenario has not been transferred to the FGM repository. Is it still playable? If so, might anybody provide a working link for it (zip file preferred)? Thanks in advance!

These QS/AQS scenarios look pretty nice; unfortunately they're gone ine the last scenario depository version. Is there any place to get them?

My understanding of the issue was, that the PzGr squads were historically organized in 2 teams, and that BF followed the TOE. But I may be completely wrong. In any case it would be historically sound to allow German squads to split in 3 teams: the WW2 German army was well known for the high level of initiative devoluted to its NCOs...

By the way, doesn't the high mortality rate of halftrack gunners come from the lack of "pinned" status for vehicles passengers? As a matter of fact, "opened up" tank leaders go back to buttoned up state when they feel threatened, but I've never seen a halftrack MG gunner "hit the dirt" and reverse to buttoned up status when things get hot...

Thanks to everybody for the answers. I followed GeorgeMC advice and had a second try after reviewing once again the briefing and designer's notes. I nevertheless stuck to my initial plan because 1) I am stubborn and 2) I was convinced that the concept was as sound as the execution was poor. I proved right. First I was a lot more lucky in the first ambush. I didn't manage to spot the Soviet team earlier, but only because the Soviets had started to retreat. So when they opened fire on my scout team I was able to slaughter the Soviets in the open at the cost of one slightly wounded man (instead of 7 casualties in my first try...). I then proceeded to scout and mop up the second wood patch, even though I knew from my first try that nobody would be there. But I tried to play it "honestly"... Then I attacked frontally the farm under the cover of one squad at he edge of the wood and of two SPW MGs. I coordinated the affair much better, made extensive use of the Assault order and added a flanking maneuver on the right that proved helpful (2 enemy killed). I also used the smoke grenades to cover exposed troops coming under fire, with some effect. I guess I played against another AI plan, because I found nobody in the stone farm. Or perhaps my suppressing fire was effective enough to forbid any retreat to it. Anyway I got a Total Victory, even achieving the 10% loss condition for the German, which I thought impossible to achieve! Let's say that I played a lot better and that I got full luck! So FINALLY I learned some lesson (slow learner...), that I want to share to get your helpful comments. 1) PzGr squads 2-teams organization has one main drawback: one you've sent scouts ahead, you cannot split the remaing six men into one manoeuver and one support element. That's a weakness. 2) PzGr squads 2-teams organization and 2-MG equipment make the Assault command particularly efficient: fast (only 2 teams move) and relatively safe (always 1 MG in cover). 3) SPW are very useful as suppressing unit... but only against low quality troops. At the end of the battle one of my SPW duelled at some 180 meters range with a Soviet SMG guy. For 10 seconds some bullets ricocheted on the gun mantle, and then the SMG guy was pinned. And once pinned it remained so until the end. Against better quality troops, I'm convinced that the Soviet gunner wouldn't have been pinned until the SPW gunner was killed. On the other hand, if you back your SPW far away to get safe against MG fire, the SPW MG fire's suppressing effect will stay ineffective against good quality troops. So my conclusion is that the SPW 251/1 are only effective against green or regular enemy troops. Am I correct? Now I think I'm ready for the second lesson. Frightening briefing though: mines, barbed wires...

That's VERY interesting, as the halftracks gunners seem unrealistically vulnerable in CM. Does it work for US halftracks as well? I'm very interested by this mod, can you provide a link?

Well, Stummel are effective well beyond 200 meters, as are most recon vehicles…

Do you mean you managed to kill crewmen of a German AT gun with AT rifles?

Well, not really... When playing the Soviet vs German AI, after slaughtering the German infantry and killing the SPW gunner, I spent the 10 lats minutes of the game stalking the SPW with an ATR rifle. I scored about 8-10 hits at 120 meters range and generally less than 100 meters, with at least 4 penetrating hits. The only effect is that some of the SPW backed up somewhat - and not each time: sometimes they just sat there... Edit: there were no passengers in the SPW at this time. Maybe there would have been casualties if there were passengers. So the lesson I got is the exact opposite: don't care too much about AT rifles...

That's basically what I did. I went out of luck when I lost 7 casualties (!) in the first ambush position (2 green soviet scouts ! what a shame !); I never had any contact, even tentative, either with my two (overwatched) scouts, or with the overwatching squad when my own scouts got shot one after the other. The AI, in the return match, got instant contact with the Soviet scouts (I let them positioned in the very same corner) from the very same overwatch position I used! I also positioned my SPW carefully, using hulldown positions as recommanded by @George MC's briefing and staying far enough from the enemy. Indeed 3 out of 4 of my SPW gunners survived the game, so I'm pretty satisfied with the way I used them. Anyway I wasn't complaining about the result. This game is perfectly winnable as the German. (I nevertheless doubt the 10% German casualties is achievable together with the touch and occupy objectives, but that's another story). My question was more about the intent of the lesson, especially regarding the use of the SPW. I still haven't understood what is the tactical aspect which is specific to mounted PanzerGrenadiers in this scenario... It really sounds like a classical infantry affair... @George MC : thanks a lot for taking the time to answer. I obviously took the time to read all the briefing and designer's note (it would be stupid to rush in a "lesson" type scenario without doing so!). I also know Bill's website (very useful indeed), and I had checked the link you provided a couple of weeks ago. I also have looked at all Usually Hapless "basics" tutorial. A must see for sure. I still remain skeptical about the "reconnaissance" aspect of the mission, which in my understanding is not compatible with an "occupy" objective. This scenario sounds more like a coup-de-main operation to capture a bridge. Also, I was very surprised by the AI programming you performed on the SPW, as all the gunners got killed in a couple of minutes without pinning of wouding any of my troops. I was disappointed by this part of the lesson! Also, being a reconnaissance affair, I spent lot of time clearing the second wood patch from potential enemies, to use it as a fire base for the next step. It sounded logical from the briefing perspective but finally it looks very much like a loss of time... Anyway I'll try it again as the German before switching to your next lesson, according to your advice. Since I wrote my first post I understood that the farm is only a "touch" objective, which opened some interesting perspectives...

I can do some testing also. If you need a newbie to do all the mistakes that should be avoided, I'll be the one!

Hello, Did anybody play the SPW lessons series of scenario released in the last BattlePack? As a newbie, they are most appealing to me, so I just tried the first one (reconnaissance) against the AI. The experiment proved highly frustrating! As the German player, I threw the towel before the end, having suffered 1:3 of casualties and conceding a Tactical Defeat. I made several mistakes, I had some bad luck at the beginning, but in the end I don't feel I learned much, which is the frustrating part of the story… I decided to let the AI teach me a SPW lesson, thus I played the Soviet side for a second match. In a way I was again disappointed: the AI didn't fare better and once again the SS were slaughtered… As far as SPW are concerned, I was very surprised to see the AI use its 4 SPW in direct support of its infantry assault, at a firing range of less than 200 meters. It ended as anybody could predict: all the SPW gunners were killed by my troops… Basically the scenario is a platoon sized assault on a small farm. And victory conditions are about possession (of the farm and of a bridge), which is not really a reconaissance affair… (The 10% losses threshold on the German troops is more consistent with a reconaissance affair but I strongly doubt this can be achieved). Finally I'm not sure what the purpose of this lesson was… I'll try the two other ones though. Anyway I don't think I can play worst than what I just achieved…

Hope you'll get back to it once you've refreshed your mind with some nice painting stuff! Too bad to abandon close to the final goal, especially after 160 hours of hard work!

In fact it's "Mort pour la France".

Didn't you post them all at the FGM repository? I think you could get more feedback!

Looks like the "final product" is not available anymore, only the January 2022 version… Is it possible to get it? What shall be played, the "Easier v2" version or the "normal" one?

I know I'm asking too much, but… Do you plan one single campaign as the US or TWO campaigns (one for the US and on for the Germans)? By mere coincidence I was having a deep look in your 82nd scenarios yesterday; I haven't played any yet, but they sound very good (both balanced and well documented, with a great master map), and I really believe there is matter for campaigns on both sides. Which would be great, as there are no campaigns on the German side for the early June timeframe! Edit: by the way you should change the title of the topic, looks like you're not retiring anymore… for our greatest pleasure!

I had a check at the file kindly provided by rocketman, but, unfortunately, this scenario has no briefing included, which makes it virtually unplayable... It is a pity, because AI scripts are provided for both sides...

no it is not. It is a non-stock mission designed by Charles Francisco. Thank you for the download link!

"Westerbouwing heights" is not available at the FGM repository. Has anybody got a copy of this scenario? Thanks in advance!

The file "last modification" timestamp says: January 26th, 2016.

Hello, This campaign is not available on FGM anymore (dead link). Does anybody has got a copy?

Hi, I can't find anywhere the "Bridge Too Close" mini-campaign. It's a pretty old campaign. Has anybody got the .cam file somewhere? Is it still playable? (TO&E changes between game versions may apparently have a negative effects on old campaigns.) Thanks!

I may be wrong, but IIRC, the only reliable mean to establish whether a LOS exists from a unit in a given place towards another unit in another location is to put a waypoint on the former place. Then you click on this waypoint, and try to direct fire on the latter point. The LOS tool then lets you know wether you do have a LOS or not. A least this is the way I proceeded satisfactorily up to know during my very brief CM career... That's not a bug, it's because you forgot to close the doors and windows... Is it related to OFFboard artillery only? I'm 100% sure that I was able to fire my smoke and WP rounds with 51 mm Brit mortars after having exhausted their ridiculously small supply of HE shells ...

Wow… How rude Mr Artkin… First let me apologize to pollute YOUR forum with my posts. My bad. Second I must be fair and recognize that you are right. Apparently I didn't understand properly the mouse appearance change when I played the campaign first (newbie mistake? remember, this is the training campaign). So I restarted the campaign to reproduce the issue, here are the screenshots: T-34 on the bridge: no issue. JS2: impossible to place a waypoint on the bridge itself. So, the sum it up, one-lane bridge are impassable by heavy vehicles (like JS tanks), as indicated in the game manual. And, as rightfully pointed out by Artkin, this can be seen by hovering the mouse on the bridge itself: if the bridge is impassable by a vehicle, you can't position a waypoint on the bridge itself. End of the story.