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Storm on Stoumont 19 Dec 44: Then & Now & CMFB


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I originally played the excellent Kampfgruppe Peiper campaign that I believes comes with CMFB several years ago and forgot about it enough for me to warrant playing it again. One thing I really appreciate is playing on battlefields that are based directly on replicating the actual historical battlefieds itself.  I believe all the maps in this campaign are like that.

One battle in particular caught my attention (again) which is the "Storm on Stoumont" battle and it's map. After play as the German attacker I wondered how much more challenging the German attack could be if a human player played as the US.  I was inspired enough to extract and create a H2H scenario battle version of the "Storm on Stoumont" battle and let's just say it is quite interesting to see how that battle plays out when a human calls the shots for the US defenders.

Anyway, having extensively surveyed the CMFB map in preparation to play the battle, I really got a good feel for the battlefield itself and started researching the actual battle that did occur there on the 19 Dec 1944 between KG Peiper and the US garrison defending. I started looking at the amazing historical combat action photos and videos taken by the Germans during the actual assualt on the 19 Dec 1944 and it occurred to me that my familairization with the battlefield just from playing CMFB was essentially enough for me to have a good enough idea where virtually every photo/scene was taken/filmed. While searching for more photos and information from the battle, I did stumble across a Youtube video of Before & After photo comparisons of the battle of Stoumont that basically confirmed some of my guesses.

I then decided it might just be worthwhile trying to recreate as many of the photos/scenes from the historical photos and film as possible, just for fun, and to see how CMFB compares. Using the before and after comparison screenshots from the Youtube video, I conveniently added my own CMFB versions to complete the trifecta of comparisons, in cases where the "after" photos (current day photos) had been compared to the historical footage/photos. I recreated in CMFB a number of other photos/scenes for which no "after" photo comparison were suggested/offered. PDF link below:

Youtube Video: Battle of the Bulge Then & Now - Stoumont Then & Now!

CMFB ComparisonsBull's Stoumont Before & After & CMFB.pdf

And a big shout out and tip of the hat to @Pete Wenman for researching and designing the map you see featured! It's amazing what can be achieved by some within the CM Scenario Designer. Much appreciated.

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I forgot to add and perhaps ask...

While researching the battle of Stoumont I discovered one book that has actually been published specifically about that 19th Dec battle.

I would of definitely bought it already however there is something about it that is making me hesitate:

Duel in the Mist: Kampfgruppe Peiper, Stoumont, December 19th, 1944 v. 1

Would really like to hear from anyione who has viewed the book, let alone own a copy of it.  Really curious to know what kind of new info/photos etc it contains.

Edited by Lt Bull
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2 hours ago, Lt Bull said:

...

I then decided it might just be worthwhile trying to recreate as many of the photos/scenes from the historical photos and film as possible, just for fun, and to see how CMFB compares. Using the before and after comparison screenshots from the Youtube video, I conveniently added my own CMFB versions to complete the trifecta of comparisons, in cases where the "after" photos (current day photos) had been compared to the historical footage/photos. I recreated in CMFB a number of other photos/scenes for which no "after" photo comparison were suggested/offered. PDF link below:

Youtube Video: Battle of the Bulge Then & Now - Stoumont Then & Now!

CMFB ComparisonsBull's Stoumont Before & After & CMFB.pdf

And a big shout out and tip of the hat to @Pete Wenman for researching and designing the map you see featured! It's amazing what can be achieved by some within the CM Scenario Designer. Much appreciated.

I would love to see that PDF, but for some reason it won't download...

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7 hours ago, Lt Bull said:

DOH! I somehow posted the link to this thread instead of the damn file!

NEW WORKING LINK TO FILE BELOW!!!

>>>> Bull's Stoumont Before & After & CMFB.pdf  <<<<

While I'm at it may as well make up for it with a few teaser previews:

 

Thanks - great work! A real labour of love, and it really highlights how beautifully the map was made.

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16 hours ago, Lt Bull said:

I forgot to add and perhaps ask...

While researching the battle of Stoumont I discovered one book that has actually been published specifically about that 19th Dec battle.

I would of definitely bought it already however there is something about it that is making me hesitate:

Duel in the Mist: Kampfgruppe Peiper, Stoumont, December 19th, 1944 v. 1

Would really like to hear from anyione who has viewed the book, let alone own a copy of it.  Really curious to know what kind of new info/photos etc it contains.

I bought the book off eBay for £450 a couple of years ago. A lot of money  but its not going to ever go back into reprint and I'd been tracking for along time. It covers the KG on a single day the 19th in great detail (36000 words). The photos and maps are large and clear. I don't regret the purchase and my family can sell on when I'm gone. I own vol2 and 3 which contains great source material too. The Devils Adjutant is my favourite read on the KG. Major Reynolds the author also features on a Youtube video driving around the La Gleize area with Jay Karamales 

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7 hours ago, theforger said:

I bought the book off eBay...

@theforger Wow! Thanks for the reply. I can't say I was expecting to get a positive reply like this just from asking the relatively small pool of readers who check these forums, let alone within 24hrs after around 160 views! Incredible! I guess if you don't ask, you never will know...

Can I ask how much of the book features unique photos and maps (i would imagine detailed tactical ones) not featured anywhere else? From my understanding, the vast bulk of photos you can search for and find that relate to the battle on the day come from that familiar German film reel that features in the Youtube video.  If the book does have unique photos, I would really like to know how that is and still remains the case. Can't say I know the process by which typically all the historical photos from WW2 (or any other subject fro that matter) that feature in all the books on the subject even find their way in to a book in the first place.  I know some can be sourced from official (publically available?) national archives and of course sourced from private collections never before publically disclosed typically associated with veterans who happen to be in possession of them and that the book authors have conenctions to.  One book that I believe falls in to the later that I had been waiting to be released for years until I just gave up was KAMPFRAUM ARNHEIM: A Photo Study of the German Soldier Fighting In and Around Arnhem September 1944 (Kampfraum Series).  That book definitely contains a whole bunch of unique photos never before published.

As far as the written account of the battle (including battle maps), does it offer a more detailed account of the battle than what is already available?  eg. do

I have found a link to an actual AAR written by the US TD unit after the battle which is quite facinating: Stoumont Action - 823rd Tank Destroyer Battalion

 

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11 hours ago, Pete Wenman said:

...but maybe your inbox is full. 

Yes it is! Not quite ready to delete stuff out as what is in there as conversations I still want to keep as reference. Have instead contacted you via link in your profile.

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On 5/1/2020 at 6:20 AM, theforger said:

I bought the book off eBay for £450 a couple of years ago. A lot of money  but its not going to ever go back into reprint and I'd been tracking for along time. It covers the KG on a single day the 19th in great detail (36000 words). The photos and maps are large and clear. I don't regret the purchase and my family can sell on when I'm gone. I own vol2 and 3 which contains great source material too. The Devils Adjutant is my favourite read on the KG. Major Reynolds the author also features on a Youtube video driving around the La Gleize area with Jay Karamales 

Thanks for the links to the youtube vids great find.

Nice find with the book I had my eye on that book for a while. I own vol 2 and 3. 

Battel of the Bulge Then and now, is a great book also

https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Bulge-Then-Jean-Paul-Pallud/dp/0900913401/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Great thread Lt Bull.

Edited by ironcross13
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  • 2 weeks later...

Good to see some of you got something out of the PDF. No big deal but for those more discerning of you who looked at the PDF, you may have noticed there was one comparion that is not actually from the "Storm on Stoumiont" map/Stoumont battle, but rather the Cheneuex map/Battleof Cheneux, all however cut from the same "Stoumont Master Map" that I only just recently realise existed!

On 5/5/2020 at 6:45 AM, ironcross13 said:

Battle of the Bulge Then and now, is a great book also

Yes it is!  I do own it (along with the Normany and Market-Garden Then and Now titles, all amazing).  I did just order Vol3 of Duel in the Mist however.

I can see myself getting somewhat inspired to do a similar Before & After & CM comparison with other historical based maps that grab my attention.  I had done a similar thing for some of the Arnhem maps in CMBN a while ago but just used equivalent Google Maps Street View as the comaprisons.  Will see if I can dig them out.

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