rocketman Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 I'm thinking about making a Merville Battery Scenario, so two questions: Is anyone already doing one? Planning one? Any book recommendations, enough detail but not über-groggy? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaeger Jonzo Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 There is a book written about the actual action from the paras side and another written by a German officer at the battery (may be the commander, can't remember). Am sure a grog will be along soon to give both book titles. I've got the para one, just can't remember it's title at moment, will look for it. I've personally been to the battery position and have some photos of it if you need them but probably all available online anyway (Google images?). They do a re-enactment in one of the bunkers of a para assault on the bunker that was very life like and scared the cr*p out of my wife! It certainly had the shock factor. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pak40 Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Check out the Wiki page for the Merville battery. It lists several sources including this site: http://www.batterie-merville.com/?lang=en 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 There is a book written about the actual action from the paras side and another written by a German officer at the battery (may be the commander, can't remember). Am sure a grog will be along soon to give both book titles. I've got the para one, just can't remember it's title at moment, will look for it. I've personally been to the battery position and have some photos of it if you need them but probably all available online anyway (Google images?). They do a re-enactment in one of the bunkers of a para assault on the bunker that was very life like and scared the cr*p out of my wife! It certainly had the shock factor. Thanks for your reply. Do you recall the re-enactment? Where the bunkers occupied by germans as the paras got there? Do you have the vehicle pack? In that case, would you say that the AT bunkers are a reasonable representation of the real one, granted that you try to embed them? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaeger Jonzo Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 I do believe the bunkers were occupied, certainly the reenactment portrayed it as a defended bunker that the paras are storming with ferocity! The book written about the paras assault is a great read and really puts you in there on the night with them. I'm typing this on a train otherwise I'd go and get that book title! Sorry. I have the vehicle pack but not used it in cm yet. Are the bunkers bigger? The Merville bunkers are a fair size. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 Could the book be "The Day the Devils Dropped In"? The bunkers in VP are not bigger (I think?) but can now hold AT-guns. I'm trying to make the terrain look like pictures from Merville, with banks of dirt/grass covering the sides of the bunkers and making them blend into the landscape. It is proving to be difficult. Another issue I have not figured out how to handle is that there is no way to simulate bangalore torpedoes to blast mines and I suspect that it will be impossible to have engineers "mark mines" while being shot at. More testing for sure. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 rocketman, Maybe this will help. The Merville Battery account from over on the Pegasus Archive. Considerable text, a number of maps, and some good pics. Beware! You'll be placing a lot of craters! Regards, John Kettler 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I visited there back in October... http://www.thefewgoodmen.com/thefgmforum/threads/normandy-tour-day-3-british-6th-airborne.21082/ The excellent book I referenced before going was David Howarth's "The 6th of June" later editions was re-titled "Dawn of D-Day" There is an excellent chapter on Ottways attack on the Merville Battery. You can either view it or down load a free pdf here: https://archive.org/details/ddaythesixthofju006129mbp The British Airdrop starts on page 29. Enjoy! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonS Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 There is a book written about the actual action... FWIW, IMO, narratives of actions are largely irrelevant. What you need are sources that allow you to create the map, and to get the respective forces in the right start and positions at the start point you chose. What happens after that - i.e., the conduct of the battle - is up to the players, NOT the scenario designer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaeger Jonzo Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 From memory Jon, the book contains maps and is full of eye witness accounts so gives good info on dispositions. It mentions individual mg positions, not necessarily in the bunkers that they had to flank through woods etc. plus it was just a riveting read! The day the Devils dropped in sounds familiar but that could also be the Pegasus bridge op. Must remember to check when I'm home again. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaeger Jonzo Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Just another thought, could you not put 2 or 3 bunkers up against each other and then earth bank/submerge them to simulate the larger Merville bunkers? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaeger Jonzo Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Here's the book from the German officer http://www.airborneshop.com/steiner-s-war-the-merville-battery-book 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaeger Jonzo Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Think this is the Paras book, know I've got this book in my collection so assume it's the one until I get home and confirm. http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Day-Devils-Dropped-Parachute/dp/1844150453 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 Thanks for all the input guys - I will look into this as soon as I get time. Cheers 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carcer Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 Not sure how accurate it is but another possible source for mapping could be from a close combat 5 mod called gold, sword, juno. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 The casemates are proving to be difficult to make after a few tests. Problem is that it can look quite good in the editor, but as soon as the battle starts, the bunkers "sink" into the ground and create a gap between them and their surroundings. It seems like it is impossible (for a noob map maker like me that is) to make the bunkers be embedded in the terrain like they were in real life. Also, adding two bunkers together to make a casemate suffers from the same problem as there is a gap introduced between them as the battle starts. BFC, casemate a new map object - please? I have started work on the map and will post pictures as soon as there is something to show. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 Not sure how accurate it is but another possible source for mapping could be from a close combat 5 mod called gold, sword, juno. Is it possible to get hold of it without owning the game? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletpoint Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Sounds interesting what you are trying to do. Hoping BF will do an overhaul of bunkers and trenches. Right now, bunkers are seen by the game as basically a type of vehicles, if I'm not mistaken. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carcer Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 http://www.closecombatseries.net/CCS/images/cc5maps/mervl.jpgThats the mods map they use for Merville. If you are interested I could extract the jpeg from the actual map file of the game or write out instructions on how to do so. This is how I plan to get into making a few maps anyway. Essentially you can do an easy pixel to meter conversion and use the close combat maps as overlays. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted January 12, 2015 Author Share Posted January 12, 2015 http://www.closecombatseries.net/CCS/images/cc5maps/mervl.jpgThats the mods map they use for Merville. If you are interested I could extract the jpeg from the actual map file of the game or write out instructions on how to do so. This is how I plan to get into making a few maps anyway. Essentially you can do an easy pixel to meter conversion and use the close combat maps as overlays. If you could extract the actual map as a jpeg it would be awesome. I guess it is fairly well researched. As big as possible would be great. Is there also a description on terrain elements (paved roads, trenches, paths, etc.)? Troop deployment? I currently use a Google Earth map as overlay, but pics I have found online tells a bit different pictures of what the battery looked like. Again, thanks 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted January 12, 2015 Author Share Posted January 12, 2015 Carcer, if it is possible - can you make a jpeg of a larger area (if available) as well and not only the battery like in the link? Thanks! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carcer Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Rocketman, I have the jpeg extracted but you may have to pm me an email address because I can't figure out how to attach files in the battlefront messenger system. Unfortunately close combat maps are fairly small so the area is just the battery. Depending on the accuracy of the map you can usually paste it right into a google earth screenshot. The program I used to extract the jpeg is called 5CC v1.22 (http://cc2revival.npage.de/cc2revival.html). Maps of the Gold, Juno, Sword area can be downloaded from http://www.closecombatseries.net/CCS/modules.php?name=Downloads&cid=150. To extract a maps jpeg with 5CC after loading the map: go to file>export>export BGM/background>export background picture. You can also view terrain elevations by bringing up visibility>show tools and selecting the icon for elevation editing. Although because of the way that game codes elevation numbers you have to cut the shown numbers in half to get the real elevation in meters. So if it shows 8 as an elevation it stands for 4 meters. The program does not show trees (only tree shadows) and no terrain descriptions. All of that is shown in the actual game of close combat. Hope that may help you a bit. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 According to Wikipedia, the Germans that defended Merville Battery was the Static 716th Infantry Division which troops were troops were "elderly Germans and conscripts from other German occupied countries, especially Ukrainians". It is also noted as the Artillery Regiment. I looked around in the editor but couldn't find a proper formation. Can anyone help me pick a suitable one (I don't know much about this stuff). Progress with the map is slow. Trying to figure out quirks in the editor to create casemates and other structures at the battery, as well as a convincing tank ditch. Sometimes it looks good and sometimes not. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 rocketman, Regarding the antitank ditch, have you considered making a sunken dirt road to get the same net effect? I'd think the width would be about right, and it wouldn't have the interior wood lining a trench has, so would appear better. This is a design suggestion based on first principles, as opposed to having ever done more than glance at the Map Editor. Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted January 14, 2015 Author Share Posted January 14, 2015 Thanks John, that is what I'm doing, but sometimes it makes a steep wall and sometimes a more gradual one. Even though it looks exactly the same in the editor. I suspect that it might have changed when I placed a bridge across it and then removed it again. Will try again though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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