RT Unofficial Screenshot Thread

[Macisle]

To the German's surprise and relief, the center Soviet push pauses to do a security sweep of newly-acquired ground, regroup scattered units, and march off prisoners.

 

However, both flanks remain very hot. At Strongpoint East (Reichspost Ministry), the infantry battle rages.

 

The grizzled veterans of 2nd Platoon, the best in the company, use the good defensive terrain of the burned-out Ministry to great advantage.

 

However, Platoon Commander Heubaum judges that a tipping point may have been reached and calls in the reserve AT-rifle grenade team to help out. They put a number of rounds into the Soviets. The effort looks to have paid off, as the Soviet pressure eases up enough for the rest of the platoon to get back into stride.

 

Meanwhile, across the street to the AT-team's right, MG Platoon commander Hörter (observer from post 1) and his team work to exit the Luftwaffe Ministry and rejoin the remnants of his platoon. In the corridors, they bump into a fleeing panzerschreck team and decide to move together to link up with  one of Hörter's HMG teams at the corner of the building. Alas, as they approach, they can hear the team surrendering to the Soviets, who are now everywhere in the building.  The Soviets have all exits covered, the only thing to do is fight it out...

Edited May 10, 2021 by Macisle

[Macisle]

With no enemy armor spotted on the East flank, one of the Stugs is called in to help stop the Soviets in the Luftwaffe ministry from flanking Strongpoint East. The engine groans under the extra weight of its concrete armor. If he can arrive in time, there may be a chance to save Hörter!

 

Another Stug repositions to help the Anti-tank gun at Strongpoint East cover the East-West road to Potsdamer Platz and Strongpoint West.

 

There, just South of Strongpoint West, a mass of enemy armor has assembled for what looks like a very strong push on the point. Gulp!

[Bozowans]

On 4/28/2021 at 7:24 PM, Geoff-Ludumpress said:

Yep check out Ivan Sidorenko, he was an army of one.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Sidorenko

Sometimes it's hard to believe that that kind of stuff is even real. The four sniper teams I had in that scenario took down 14 Germans by the end though.

 

Anyway, I am very glad I got Fire and Rubble when I did, because soon afterward my internet got knocked out for a week due to storms. I didn't have much else to do but play it. 

The Night at the Opera campaign is good. Very atmospheric. Seeing green tracers flying across Konigsplatz was bringing back Red Orchestra memories.

The amount of firepower that the Soviets could bring to bear is kind of terrifying. My biggest concern in this campaign so far is not casualties but ammo usage. 

 

A Soviet assault team comes over a rise only to run right into a couple squads of Fallschirmjager at close range:

 

The fight didn't last long though. After a couple seconds of heavy shooting, a 122mm shell slammed into the building, killing or wounding several Germans. Five of the Germans surrendered after that.

 

That was a typical encounter. Germans would reveal themselves only to be completely plastered by a massive storm of bullets and explosions. My casualties haven't even been that heavy, but I'm going into the second mission of the campaign with ammo problems. There are multiple entire platoons that are basically out of ammo. I also should have conserved my artillery ammo, because now I don't have anything to blow up the Reichstag with. Except tanks.

[Macisle]

As the cannon half-track readies itself to engage enemy tanks, a sudden jolt is felt and the vehicle emits a sharp, loud metallic sound. A few seconds later, it happens again. This time, the loader makes a gurgling sound and slumps over. An AT-rifle has them zeroed in!

 

From his observation perch just behind the barbed wire, the anti-tank platoon HQ sees the lead T-34 move to rush the wire. With this many tanks incoming and the AT half-track in a panic, he orders his panzerfaust man to engage. It is a good shot and takes out the enemy tank.

 

A few seconds later, another T-34 surges forward. This time, there is no panzerfaust available. However, the sharp eyes of Stug 2's gunner, under commander Kahl, sight the threat and send a round down range from Strongpoint East. It brews up the tank.

 

The burning tank's crew bail and 2 men attempt to rush the AT platoon HQ's position. The German team has no choice but to defend with small arms.

 

This alerts the remaining enemy tanks to their presence and a T-34 sends off a canister round, killing and wounding part of the HQ team.

 

Meanwhile, at corner of the Luftwaffe Ministry, the Soviets gain the upper hand in the firefight against Hörter and his men. The panzerschreck team is wiped out and Hörter's team loses its radioman and a rifleman. The rest are pinned.

[dbsapp]

On 5/13/2021 at 10:03 AM, Macisle said:

As the cannon half-track readies itself to engage enemy tanks, a sudden jolt is felt and the vehicle emits a sharp, loud metallic sound. A few seconds later, it happens again. This time, the loader makes a gurgling sound and slumps over. An AT-rifle has them zeroed in!

 

From his observation perch just behind the barbed wire, the anti-tank platoon HQ sees the lead T-34 move to rush the wire. With this many tanks incoming and the AT half-track in a panic, he orders his panzerfaust man to engage. It is a good shot and takes out the enemy tank.

 

A few seconds later, another T-34 surges forward. This time, there is no panzerfaust available. However, the sharp eyes of Stug 2's gunner, under commander Kahl, sight the threat and send a round down range from Strongpoint East. It brews up the tank.

 

The burning tank's crew bail and 2 men attempt to rush the AT platoon HQ's position. The German team has no choice but to defend with small arms.

 

This alerts the remaining enemy tanks to their presence and a T-34 sends off a canister round, killing and wounding part of the HQ team.

 

Meanwhile, at corner of the Luftwaffe Ministry, the Soviets gain the upper hand in the firefight against Hörter and his men. The panzerschreck team is wiped out and Hörter's team loses its radioman and a rifleman. The rest are pinned.

What mods do you use? Any resolution\colors mods?

[Macisle]

1 hour ago, dbsapp said:

What mods do you use? Any resolution\colors mods?

I use lots of mods. I'm gradually adding them back in after returning to stock to install and get going with F&R.

For the terrain, I believe most/all of what you currently see modded in my screenshots above comes from the Aris CMRT Terrain Texture Compilation. To my eye, his pack is a pretty huge enhancement -- especially when it comes to the pavement and water textures. Aris's pavement textures blend much better and are far more natural-looking than the stock ones, with nice color variation. I think he may have taken them from Red Orchestra/Darkest Hour.

I did a quick search and found this link for the mod. I think it is the correct one:

Aris CMRT Terrain Texture Compilation

[Macisle]

Moving the half-track means an instant, fiery death by T-34. Staying in the half-track means the crew being picked off one-by-one by AT rifle fire. Therefore, the commander orders the remaining crew to bail out and fight as infantry.

 

At that moment, a second platoon of T-34's attempts to push into Strongpoint West. One stops and puts a round into the AT HQ team, leaving only the commander alive. A second runs the infantry barricade, setting off a number of AP mines. The third makes an attempt to round the corner shielding the ATG and now crewless half-track.

 

Having seen the AT half-track crew bail, a trooper from 1st Platoon, Heavy Sturm, decides not to rely on the remaining AT gun and takes aim with his panzerfaust.

 

He shoots...

 

He scores!

 

Meanwhile, there is a worrying development in the battle at Strongpoint East. While 2nd Platoon has inflicted heavy losses on the Soviets and is standing firm, a handful of enemy soldiers have slipped through and made it into the bombed out corner of the building. It has no direct access to the rest of the facility, but might offer the Soviets a keyhole from which to put point-blank SMG fire on the defenders. It is a dangerous situation, indeed!

[Macisle]

At the Luftwaffe Ministry, MG Platoon commander Hörter and the last rifleman from his HQ team hug the floor as enemy bullets slice through everything around them. They are frozen with fear and anticipate death any second. As the Soviets change magazines, the eyes of the two men open and find each other. In that moment, the gaze of each silently asks the other, "Do you want to die like a dog, or like a man?"  Suddenly, they find strength, rise and engage the enemy squad.

 

The Soviets, thinking they had won the firefight, are taken aback. Hörter cuts one down with his MP40. The remaining enemy soldiers lose their nerve and dive for cover. When Hörter and his comrade stop to reload, the Soviets exit the room and run down the stairs to the ground floor.

 

At that moment, the concrete HQ Stug rounds the corner and scans for targets. In a reversal of fortune, the Soviets are now the ones facing annihilation! But, like with Hörter, fear is replaced with courage and two Russians ignore the new threat to turn and re-engage Hörter's team.

 

The Stug fires.

 

But the shot comes too late for Hörter. Like so many men, fate has decreed that he and his comrade are indeed to meet their end in the Fire and Rubble.

(Last of series.)

[Heinrich505]

Great job, Macisle.  I loved the screen shots and the story line.  It was very well done!  

Heinrich505

[chuckdyke]

AI Snipers incredibly brave but incredibly silly. Spoilers Russian Snipers come in pairs.

German Halftrack on Overwatch.

Sniper goes down. Even on Iron the game gives the player plenty of Intel.

The scouting party carefully breaks cover. However, the pointman is wounded by a sniper.

The halftrack still on overwatch fires.

2nd Sniper is also KIA.

Post Scriptum the pointman also carried a 'Panzerfaust' not the wisest move but nothing a player can do about it. 

[Vergeltungswaffe]

Those 251/21's are brutal.

[Artkin]

Yeah until your AT rifles sneak up on em! And Guards formations have six a company!!! 

Edited May 17, 2021 by Artkin

[danfrodo]

I'm on second battle of On to Berlin.  My 2-man tank hunter teams have panzerfausts.  I am guessing russians captured mountains of german gear and put it to good use.  Why the sniper guy had one I have no idea.

[chuckdyke]

7 hours ago, danfrodo said:

Why the sniper guy had one I have no idea.

My patrol had a Panzerfaust and the pointman was the one carrying it. @Artkin that's why there is a plan in regards patrolling. Have listening patrols with shorts arcs of fire. This squad was one and they broke cover. My first platoon is responsible for the security and recon. I am reluctant to publish spoilers. @Vergeltungswaffe yes, they are your avatar a revenge weapon in this case in regards the pointman. 

[General Jack Ripper]

ZIP-CRACK!
"Did you see that?"

[General Jack Ripper]

On 5/2/2021 at 7:01 PM, Kraft said:

Since when shoot Pixeltruppen at surrendering troops? Do you have to target them manually?

It usually takes a few seconds for a surrender to 'register' so during those few seconds, surrendering troops may be shot.
I don't know if there's any soft factors that adjust this tendency, or if it's the result of something else. Maybe the spotting cycle has to complete before the status is updated.

Anyway, I checked out the CMMODS and I can't find those sweet IS-2's with the slogans on their turrets I keep seeing in pictures. Can anyone PM me a link or something?

[chuckdyke]

4 hours ago, General Jack Ripper said:

"Did you see that?"

I like to see them smoking 'Roll Your Own Cigarettes'. They used newspapers to roll their tobacco in. That was when smoking relieved your stress and was not bad for your health.  

[George MC]

Poland summer 1944, early morning. Panthers moving out.

King Tigers from Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 about to engage Soviet IS-IIs. They did better in-game than they did in RL!

[chuckdyke]

Seelow a Screenshot before the Battle. Edited the Screenshot in Affinity Photo at least as good as Photoshop.

 

[Geoff-Ludumpress]

On 5/28/2021 at 11:48 AM, General Jack Ripper said:

It usually takes a few seconds for a surrender to 'register' so during those few seconds, surrendering troops may be shot.

Its the eastern front, they are all shot!

[George MC]

Debussing - SPW and their rides Poland, summer 1944.

[chuckdyke]

Recon from concealment try it. You don't need to be on the edge of a forest. Remember Russian HQ don't need radio to call mortars. Don't ask me how it works. 

 

[Monty's Mighty Moustache]

1 hour ago, chuckdyke said:

Recon from concealment try it. You don't need to be on the edge of a forest. Remember Russian HQ don't need radio to call mortars. Don't ask me how it works. 

 

IIRC (and I can't remember where I saw it but it was on this forum somewhere) it's field telephones that allow the HQs to call in mortars, and why it takes so long. So there's an abstraction of some signals guys running behind the HQ units with a big spool of wire.

MMM

[chuckdyke]

1 minute ago, Monty's Mighty Moustache said:

the HQ units with a big spool of wire.

That was the explanation in Barbarossa to Berlin. I would say a signal pistol could be an option. German HMG crews had a flashlight for signaling. Not all C2 depend on radio. I play on Iron and my home rule before I press the Red Button, I click a unit and see which unit he can see. They are the units I let coordinate their tactics. 

[Bufo]

1 hour ago, chuckdyke said:

 before I press the Red Button, I click a unit and see which unit he can see. They are the units I let coordinate their tactics. 

Yes because once a squad leader loses contact with the platoon leader, he will tell his guys: listen up, we lost contact with hq, so we will just sit here and do nothing cause I am ain't a leader who can figure out something in the absence of direct orders.

How realistic.