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CM:BN Screenshot Thread #2


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Macisle,

 

  Really great set of shots.  I've been on both ends of that errant grenade.  Always makes me cringe when my guys set up to throw... :o

 

 

Heinrich505

 

Thanks!

 

Yeah, any time 'nades come out, there is a crossing of fingers, wincing of eyes and "noodle slurping" of air through gnashed teeth. :) 

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  • 2 weeks later...

A company of Hellcat tank destroyers and a platoon of cavalry have been hastily dispatched to counter a combined arms force of Panthers and Panzergrenadiers. The terrain is a densely wooded high ground descending to a river bank that runs its length. Along the river bank is a road bisected by another road crossing to the open country on the other side of the river. The Germans have crossed the river from that area and are moving into the woods at the foot of the hill from the riverbank road.

The forest hides the Germans completely as the Americans take their positions. Jeep and utility car crews leave their vehicles a few dozen meters behind in the woods and form a complete, but paper-thin infantry screen of 1-3 man listening posts. Their orders are to fall back as soon as the enemy is sighted and only engage if they have to. Armored cars stay crewed and hang back a bit to provide fire support for listening posts needing to fall back. 3rd Platoon, Co. C, tank destroyers set up ambush positions left of center on the main road through the woods, leading up from the river road. 1st Platoon sets up its Hellcats in the rear on the left flank at a road access point, standing ready as a fire brigade. 2nd Platoon takes ambush positions on what looks to be the key center ground: a slight reverse slope just behind the crest of the hill leading up from the river bank. The platoon HQ calls in pre-planned 105mm howitzer harassing fire along the main road approach being covered by 3rd Platoon, scheduled to arrive in 5 minutes. Should the Germans push on his position, he will switch the arty fire over to it.

The Germans begin their opening barrage. 2nd Platoon's position is the target. One of the first rounds kills the Platoon leader and the Hellcats button up and fall back to safer ground. The listening teams hug the earth while an empty  jeep is destroyed by another artillery round. The barrage ends and the Hellcats return to their previous positions. With the loss of 2nd Platoon's HQ, American howitzer fire is now limited to the initial road target, leaving three cavalry 60mm mortar teams, currently serving as infantry flank protection for 3rd Platoon.

What seems like an eternity passes as listening posts pick up tank sounds along the river road. They move about, but their attack points remain unclear. On the left flank, the forward listening team, a 3-man jeep dismount, drop the first two German panzergrenadiers that stumble onto their position. Alas, return fire takes out two team members before the leader manages to get away and fall back to his jeep. Greyhounds pump some fire into the area, but despite being buttoned up, suffer a casualty from MG42 fire. A near miss by a panzerschreck signals that its time for the left flank screen to drop back.

Tank sound contacts seem to indicate that the Panther assault will come up the main road towards 3rd Platoon. Hopefully, the harassing howitzer fire will button them up! Then...things change. Listening post teams report that the tank sounds are shifting from the main road towards 2nd Platoon's left on the key center position.  Soon after, Private Arnold reports from 2nd Platoon's right listening post that tanks sounds are rapidly approaching from the river road up the hill towards his position. It's a pincer movement on 2nd Platoon!

Arnold jumps up and begins to run back to his utility car when out of nowhere, a Panther crests the hill on the other side of the tree he was just using for cover.  His eyes immedialty dart to the tank commander who is, thankfully, looking ahead of the tank. Arnold quickly deduces that the odds are better of his giving the slip to a buttoned up tank and sends a burst from his Thompson towards the TC.

 

20999532370_ef2a704ea0_b.jpg

 

 

 

The Panther TC isn't hit, but buttons up and Arnold high-tails it towards 2nd Platoon and his utility car. 2nd Platoon's 4th Hellcat, under Sgt. Grace, swings around to meet the new threat on the right while the rest of the platoon prepares to meet the incoming Panthers on the left. 1st Platoon hits the road at top speed to try and intercept the right pincer before it can overcome Grace.

 

Arnold seems to have made it past the Panther. He decides to take the speed of the road over the concealment of the woods.

 

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It is the wrong decision.

 

21177342782_0c838a1177_b.jpg

 

 

 

The Panther's shot gives its position away to Grace nearby and his Hellcat wins a turret duel to avenge Arnold's death..

 

20999533160_a0318deb41_b.jpg

 

 

 

Meanwhile, the rest of 2nd Platoon engages the left pincer point blank, scoring some kills.

 

20999534270_4233e9381e_b.jpg

 

Continued...

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As all hell breaks loose on 2nd Platoon's left, 1st Platoon makes progress on its race to the fight.

 

20566530173_f877df21c2_b.jpg

 

 

 

Sgt. Boggs, from his rear position in one of the only buildings in the area, watches 1st Platoon screaming along!

 

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2nd Platoon continues to duke it out with the left pincer while Grace covers the right.

 

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Despite being hit, a left pincer Panther slips through in the smoke and confusion and threatens to burst into 2nd Platoon's rear! Sgt. Grace spots the Panther behind him and opens up with his .50 cal, while ordering his gunner to swing the turret and engage.

 

20999534020_2bfe4aedde_b.jpg

 

 

 

However, the area is covered in smoke and Grace loses sight of the Panther. Tense moments go by as Grace desperately searches for the enemy. Then, 1st Platoon arrives along the road into the rear of 2nd Platoon's position!

 

21195506051_9961ee1b5f_b.jpg

 

 

Continued...

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Sgt. Farley of 1st Platoon, TD3, sees something moving in the smoke and opens up with his .50 cal.

 

21177344462_bbc1a735e2_b.jpg

 

 

 

It's the Panther!

 

21195505871_ab7b4c5580_b.jpg

 

 

 

Sgt. Hayes in 4th TD lets the Panther have it!

 

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As the Panther crew bails, Sgt. Farley keeps the pressure on with his .50 cal.

 

20999743288_17c0cab673_b.jpg

 

 

 

Meanwhile, 2nd Platoon continues to give the what for to the remaining Panthers in the left pincer.

 

21195505571_af1f7380f2_b.jpg

 

 

So far, so good! But then, there's still all that infantry on the left flank...

 

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Nice screenshots and story. Is it me or was that last panther a mission kill already with a shell through the its gun barrel?

 

Thanks!

 

I went back and checked (I haven't played past that turn). The barrel hit was indeed there at the moment it came into view, so perhaps it was toothless ordnance-wise. However, it could still have caused a major headache, distracting units as other Panthers arrived and/or shooting up unbuttoned crews and infantry.

 

Here are a few shots to show the overview at the moment the Panther came into view:

 

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The left flank view. My infantry/AC screen is falling back under pressure from the German infantry there, forcing 3rd Platoon to fall back from its initial main road ambush position.

 

21046721868_a0ed651002_b.jpg

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Love the Hellcat although...

 

...If anyone knows how to get those idiot tank leaders to stay buttoned up, I'd be extremely grateful !

 

If I understand your question ....... Under Special orders there is a Open up toggle.  If this toggle is off (not highlighted) the tank will button up.  The M10 Track Commander (TC) does not have a hatch but will keep his head low.  They will often button up on their own but if they don't (highly motivated perhaps) this toggle will do it.  Hope that helped.    

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And once they button, I haven't ever seen a player controlled tank unbutton.

 

I'm pretty sure that at least one of my buttoned-up TCs opened up with his .50 at a point-blank target. IIRC, he became a casualty from splash-back from his own main gun round when it fired. I won't have time for a few days, but I'll check the save to see. So, if my memory is correct, a buttoned-up TC won't unbutton permanently on his own, but will pop-up temporarily to engage (close?) targets. I'm pretty sure I've seen that happen a few times in this game.

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I'm pretty sure that at least one of my buttoned-up TCs opened up with his .50 at a point-blank target. IIRC, he became a casualty from splash-back from his own main gun round when it fired. I won't have time for a few days, but I'll check the save to see. So, if my memory is correct, a buttoned-up TC won't unbutton permanently on his own, but will pop-up temporarily to engage (close?) targets. I'm pretty sure I've seen that happen a few times in this game.

I can see that happening. 'S not often I get my/let my oppositions' tanks close enough that fragments from their main guns will nail the TC, so I wouldn't have had many opportunities to see that particular TacAI reaction.

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It happened during the "Lost Cats" scenario.

I lost all four of my leaders that had the urge to use the .50 while under the command "no unbuttoned". All killed by small arms fire. But from your comments, it seems it might have just been bad luck.

To get back on topic:

Also from "Lost Cats", there is this rare kind of enemies that seems to enrage all the guns on the map!

55510.jpg

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Wow. Compared to Macisle's screen shots, mine look like an early 1990s arcade game. Macisle, what sort of system are those taken from and what resolution?

My system is nothing special these days. An i7-950 (3.07 Ghz) with 6 gigs and a GTX 550 Ti 2GB. My monitor is 1920 x 1080.

My standard settings are to have everything maxed, but 3D Model Quality, which I keep on Excellent, unless it's an unusually large map and/or dense urban environment. Then I might drop the model quality a step or two. I've tried tweaking in the Nvidia panel when people post tips and tricks, but have never achieved better results than letting the game just do its thing.

I'm using a lot of mods and they do make a huge difference. Also, my closeup screenshots are carefully framed to get the best view. I don't change my settings for screens, though. That's just the way things look when I zoom in and get a good angle.

Edited by Macisle
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For some reason, I've been getting screenshot fever on the weekends recently.

This week: more dead Panther shots!

 

The earlier point arty didn't work, but the M10 got 'em!

21547209781_530d87d33a_b.jpg

 

That is, after a close assault under heavy smoke was smashed when it turned out he had an infantry screen...

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The American fallen are from my close assault teams. The crew bailed after the M10 did its work. It took A LOT of fire from both tanks and infantry to finish off these super-tough bastages.

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Sometimes, It looks almost like you could crawl in those hatches and be inside the tank!

21350632978_9e60979362_b.jpg

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