Blazing 88's Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 (edited) On 1/5/2021 at 11:10 AM, IanL said: You can do that now with the whole crew - Bail Out command. Are you suggesting just the TC dismount alone like a split squad for crew. That would be cool actually. But would the TC go alone on such a mission or would another crew member join them or would it be more common for the whole crew to go? I am curious about the historical practice. From reading accounts in Panzer Aces (I,II,III), Michael Wittmann, vol. 1 & 2, etc, etc. for German units it was common practice, with many close calls and failures for the participants. It was also what made them so successful from the intel gained. Edited January 8, 2021 by Blazing 88's 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 6 hours ago, chuckdyke said: It is cute that the leader needs binoculars to observe the wall outside. Maybe he's looking at all the dykes through the window. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 2 hours ago, Sgt.Squarehead said: Maybe he's looking at all the dykes through the window. Ok, let's not get judgmental about his sexual preferences... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 (edited) It is Holland. The Syrians & Brits are probably just tourists, looking for a quick spliff & a tour of the sex museum. Edited January 9, 2021 by Sgt.Squarehead 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macisle Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 Maybe a special op to determine just how easy it is to flood a Dutch dyke. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckdyke Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 1 hour ago, Macisle said: Maybe a special op to determine just how easy it is to flood a Dutch dyke. They need it in the period 1944-45 when the island of Walcheren was flooded. Campaign to liberate the Scheldt estuary. I think the nasty Germans did that deed. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macisle Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 29 minutes ago, chuckdyke said: They need it in the period 1944-45 when the island of Walcheren was flooded. Campaign to liberate the Scheldt estuary. I think the nasty Germans did that deed. Sorry to disappoint. I'm afraid the target of my little double entendre was less Merchant Ivory and more Benny Hill. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warts 'n' all Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 17 minutes ago, Macisle said: Merchant Ivory Are you thinking of their 1984 classic "Passage to Vlissingen"? In which Helena Bonham-Carter plays a rosy-cheeked resistance worker who's dress is always spotlessly clean no matter how many beatings she takes from the Gestapo. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macisle Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 22 minutes ago, Warts 'n' all said: Are you thinking of their 1984 classic "Passage to Vlissingen"? In which Helena Bonham-Carter plays a rosy-cheeked resistance worker who's dress is always spotlessly clean no matter how many beatings she takes from the Gestapo. Might be a different merchant with a different stick of ivory, but I think we've entered the right cell block. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macisle Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 Okay, I won't Carry On with that bawdy kind of humor anymore. Back to our regularly scheduled program... An HMG team throws smoke to conceal itself from the hungry eyes of the Rooster Gang and relocates across the street in response to infantry contacts moving away from Rooster and toward the German right flank. They make it to the farm buildings safely. Not so lucky are some German teams attempting to join the marsh road flanking attack. A salvo of artillery lands further left and wider than expected, taking out a squad's worth of men across the teams. The flanking attack group pushes forward down the marsh road that comes out on the right of Rooster's position. A few minutes ago, it had been the scene of a probe by US paratroopers. With intel and visibility on the probe poor, the German response had been to saturate the area with blind fire from four HMG teams, which repelled the Americans. As the Germans move through the zone, a number of dead paratroopers are found, along with brief sightings of enemy soldiers retreating along the marsh edge. The left Hetzer, with its higher vantage point, spots a paratrooper with a machine gun waiting in ambush in the tall grass. A quick HE round ends the American's ambitions before he can hurt any friendly infantry. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warts 'n' all Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 A great series of action shots. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macisle Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 9 hours ago, Warts 'n' all said: A great series of action shots. Thanks! Here's a few more: The German's single scout car crew has been observing dismounted on key terrain on the friendly extreme right. They return to their vehicle to mount up. If the flanking group can take out the Rooster Gang armor, the scout car will be free to roam the right flank to hunt for enemy infantry infiltration. Visible in the background is the dead road Hetzer. The ammo bearers attached to the HMG team that crossed the street join up and attempt to take an observation position at the farm. However, they attract the attention of the now advancing American tank destroyer, which immediately sends off a round at them. Thankfully, they survive the close blast. They and the battalion HQ team next to them will relocate to the farm buildings. Given the quick spotting and accurate fire displayed by the US TD, it must have a skilled crew. Its new overwatch position forces the relocating German infantry on the right flank to go to ground and prevents the HMG team from safely reaching their desired new position. They remain in a safe, but useless position. Meanwhile, the flanking group continues to slowly push forward, shooting up anything that it can see. The wounded HQ Hetzer gets in on the action with its only functional weapon -- the top MG. Things get quiet for a moment as the point squad reaches its new position. As the Germans prepare to stop for the next squad to hop forward, enemy rifle fire is heard and a paratrooper spotted. The zone is still hot! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macisle Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 The battalion commander orders his team to dash to the building behind them. A low crawl would have been wiser. The eagle eyes of the American tank destroyer crew immediately spot their movement and in short order a round is fired. From their vantage point, the HMG team watches the round rip through the the battalion commander's assistant, killing him instantly. The round explodes on the outer wall of the team's destination, but they make it safely inside. Thankfully, they have not lost their radio and the commander immediately calls for medium mortar fire on the open-topped devil. The ammo bearers are too panicked to move. Meanwhile, on the German far left, HMG, medium and heavy mortar fire continues to shred any Americans foolish enough to keep pressing forward. The battle began there, with a strong enemy infantry push. Luckily, German forces had just arrived, whereupon the above mentioned heavy weapons annihilated the enemy attempt. The front line group has since been thinned to half strength as a hedge against artillery. Aside from one salvo that hurt friendly infantry nearby, only occasional, ineffective rounds have been encountered here. Perhaps friendly artillery is killing the spotters before they can finish their work. Between the far left flank defense group and the Hetzer-backed flanking attack group is another marsh road running parallel to that of the flanking group. Both roads are surrounded by wetland areas containing vegetation that blocks line of sight to varying degrees. Up to now, German infantry has been holding part of the inactive road to act as a defense against enemy probes down it and any "refugee" infiltrators making it out of the far left defenders' kill zone and into the marsh. However, the flanking group has reached the same point on its road, so the friendly forces on the quiet road begin to probe down it to serve as left flank protection for the other group. As they advance, distant enemy infantry is spotted heading towards the last known position of the Sherman. Lead elements of the probe begin to encounter light incoming rifle fire from somewhere closer and to their right. On the flanking attack road, friendly infantry breaks into smaller teams and groups of three spearhead the advance under overwatch of the others. More enemy bodies are found. Brief small arms firefights ensue as they encounter paratrooper remnants. These are one-sided affairs that end quickly. Often, the Americans attempt to flee. However, it's no time to get complacent. Some of the enemy groups are equipped with AT weapons and there could be substantial enemy forces further down. As the lead point team finishes another bound forward, they hear enemy rifle fire up ahead. It is outgoing towards the other group's road. They spot a paratrooper command team attempting to shoot up the other group's lead scouts. Back on the German right, the Sherman has joined the tank destroyer for what looks like an imminent push on the German battalion HQ's farm complex. That's good news for the flanking group, as it potentially makes their work easier. However, both marsh roads open up out of the wetland areas into territory that could contain considerable enemy forces. Overall, intel is still poor and the three enemy vehicles identified so far may well not be the last. Despite the punishment the enemy has suffered, he is sure to have plenty of combat power left and the Germans have a large battlefield to take. The day is still young and the victor very undecided. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 Gripping stuff! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warts 'n' all Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 Another wonderful piece of story telling. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macisle Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 8 hours ago, Warts 'n' all said: Another wonderful piece of story telling. Thanks! I'll probably do a few more installments, if the action warrants it. Will be a weekend thing. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warts 'n' all Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 30 minutes ago, Macisle said: Thanks! I'll probably do a few more installments, if the action warrants it. Will be a weekend thing. And thank you Mac, for taking the time to share this stuff with us. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky_Strike Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 2 hours ago, Warts 'n' all said: And thank you Mac, for taking the time to share this stuff with us. +1 What he spake 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lethaface Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 Really liking those screenshots @Macisle! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 Yes good camerawork! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckdyke Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 Data Of Personal Experience. You can only do this on WeGo. I lost already two men because of this SOB. But his luck run out. Usually, you think twice tackling an MG 42 in a concealed covered position with just a fire team. The US fireteam was behind some shrubs and near the end of the turn the MG42 gave his position away. I didn't commit with a direct fire order but used a cover arc instead. Reasons The MG 42 was shooting at something else and this technique has proven successful in the past. In WeGo you can catalog of how you do things. If it had been played on RTS the icon would have disappeared. Now I know the MG42 is semi deployed and one of the crew has been killed. The icon itself has disappeared. Don't rule out the MG 42 can make his presence felt later. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
user1000 Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckdyke Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 75 years later: "We never got this far before!" 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macisle Posted February 14, 2021 Share Posted February 14, 2021 The Hetzer-backed group on the center marsh road continues to push out US probe remnants and advance. Point scout teams dash forward to find and flush out enemy stragglers. The American HQ team attempting to ambush Germans on the parallel marsh road to the left makes a break for it. Scouts give chase, but lose sight of the team. They do, however, bag a bazooka man. The mouth of the marsh area is beginning to come into sight. US teams there take pot shots and try to crawl away. More US infantry is spotted beyond the marsh, filtering toward the Rooster Gang's position. The last Hetzer with AT capability shifts right to take up an ambush position on the Rooster Gang. It hopes to intercept the enemy tanks through the less dense part of the marsh when they get close enough. Meanwhile, at the far left, luck runs out for the front line German defenders as US artillery finally finds its mark. A punishing salvo takes down a number of men across the mortar, HMG and command teams there. A German local counterattack was about to be launched right through that position, but was thankfully cancelled, due to the enemy spotting rounds. Lastly, the Rooster Gang, with increasing infantry support, continues to edge down the road towards the farm occupied by the German battalion commander. The tanks are not within the Hetzer's ambush zone yet. Until next time... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted February 14, 2021 Share Posted February 14, 2021 Very nice pics. Using Reshade, or...? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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