Wintergewitter in Garfagnana

[Malaspina]

Wintergewitter in Garfagnana, 26 and 27 December 1944

This is a historical / semi-historical battle series nearly three years in the making that includes 6 scenarios aiming to reproduce some of the events that took place along the Gothic Line in the Serchio valley, northern Apennines, on 26 and 27 December 1944, known as Battle of Garfagnana and referred to by the Germans as Unternehmen Wintergewitter, Operation Winter Storm.

All modules needed.

This is not a campaign in the true sense. You will proceed to the next battle regardless of your performance, but your core force will still suffer losses as it progresses through the operation.

The six battles in order of appearance are:

1. Sommocolonia

 

2. Bebbio

 

3. Vergemoli

 

4. Brucciano

 

5. Ponte di Calavorno

 

6. Fornaci di Barga

 

IMPORTANT NOTE:

A huge thank you to @kohlenklau and @boygarvin. This battle series MUST be used in conjunction with their mods “Partizani-Buffalo-Alpini” (tagged), included in the zipped file.

The three mods used together change German Panzergrenadiers to Alpini, French free troops to Italian Partisans and regular US white-only troops to segregated black troops (the Buffalo Soldiers). If you don’t use them you will have French soldiers standing in for Italian partisans, and that’s a huge no-no in my world!

 

Any comments appreciated. Enjoy!

 

Dedicated to the memory of my grandfather Euclide Magnanini, who chose the right side, last one on the right portrayed here with some of his partisan pals (well okay, and to my great-uncle Giuseppe, zio Pino, too, who chose the wrong one, not portrayed here).

 

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1pioMu3ONEdI4n__GazDVbetT5riWBZmD&authuser=dosienr%40gmail.com&usp=drive_fs

[Ts4EVER]

This looks awesome, might make a video series about it. I took the liberty of "skipping through" the campaign (don't worry, didn't look at the enemy deployment in any kind of detail). Some questions:

The Italian troops are reskinned PrGrens and have Breda LMGs sometimes, but called G43. Are these actual Breda LMGs or were the G43s just reskinned to look like them?

It seems like icon colors for allied troops were changed? I didn't click on these units to not spoil anything, but the icons sometimes looked different?

 

[Vacillator]

Yes this looks great, some of those views are fantastic.  Thanks for the hard work.  Also might be worth loading up at FGM @Bootie will help I'm sure.

[boygarvin]

3 hours ago, Ts4EVER said:

This looks awesome, might make a video series about it. I took the liberty of "skipping through" the campaign (don't worry, didn't look at the enemy deployment in any kind of detail). Some questions:

The Italian troops are reskinned PrGrens and have Breda LMGs sometimes, but called G43. Are these actual Breda LMGs or were the G43s just reskinned to look like them?

It seems like icon colors for allied troops were changed? I didn't click on these units to not spoil anything, but the icons sometimes looked different?

 

These are G43s reskinned to look like Bredas.

[Bootie]

Be happy to fire it up on the Scenario Depot if you would like it hosted.

[Vergeltungswaffe]

Wow. That looks amazing and focusing on such wonderfully off the beaten path units is a fantastic idea.

[Malaspina]

10 hours ago, Bootie said:

Be happy to fire it up on the Scenario Depot if you would like it hosted.

Thanks! By all means.

 

6 hours ago, Vergeltungswaffe said:

Wow. That looks amazing and focusing on such wonderfully off the beaten path units is a fantastic idea.

Thanks! Next on my list is Op. Fourth Term from the Buffalo soldiers side.

 

14 hours ago, Vacillator said:

Yes this looks great, some of those views are fantastic.  Thanks for the hard work.  Also might be worth loading up at FGM @Bootie will help I'm sure.

Thanks! I felt CMFI was missing some of the forbidding terrain features of the northern Apennines

 

15 hours ago, Ts4EVER said:

This looks awesome, might make a video series about it. I took the liberty of "skipping through" the campaign (don't worry, didn't look at the enemy deployment in any kind of detail). Some questions:

 

 

Thanks! Cool idea!

[Aragorn2002]

Looks very interesting, Enrico! Great screenshots. Thank you.

Edited July 2, 2022 by Aragorn2002

[Ts4EVER]

Not sure if this is even fixable, but one "Italian" mg crew member glitched into the terrain at the edge of the house and can not be taken out, but is still fired upon by my guys, contesting the objectives. Doesn't surrender either, basically holding up the entire scenario:

 

[Ts4EVER]

 

Gonna play this campaign on Youtube, new installments every Sunday.

[Malaspina]

On 7/2/2022 at 9:16 AM, Aragorn2002 said:

Looks very interesting, Enrico! Great screenshots. Thank you.

Thanks!

 

On 7/2/2022 at 2:24 PM, Ts4EVER said:

Not sure if this is even fixable, but one "Italian" mg crew member glitched into the terrain at the edge of the house and can not be taken out, but is still fired upon by my guys, contesting the objectives. Doesn't surrender either, basically holding up the entire scenario:

 

 

Uhg, must be one of the quirks of the game with this kind of terrain. One of my platoons was once stuck for no reason. Wouldn't move up or down. I had to split it in teams to get it going...

 

[Ts4EVER]

I finished the campaign now (well "finished"). I played the first 4 historical scenarios, which were excellent. I then started the fifth one with the Italian tanks and then decided to do the historical thing and call off the offensive. My reasons for that:

I started in cramped setup zones under direct observation of two large hills, without any such terrain feature on my side even though we supposedly are coming down the mountains we took earlier.

There was pre planned defender artillery placed in front of those setup zones: NEVER DO THAT, LEAST FUN THING EVER

The only tanks capable of taking out the enemy tanks at reasonably long ranges were north of the river, where I am forced to attack a reverse slope defense at close range

The southern setup zone was basically useless because two Stuarts that I can not take out at range except with a lucky artillery hit cover all exits. I could only advance out of there if I clear the northern bank first. Despite that, big infantry reinforcements come in down there, further cramping everything up for artillery.

When in addition to that an enemy plane showed up, I cease fired and ended the campaign.

If the point of that battle is to show WHY they stopped the offensive historically then well done, I guess, but not very fun and feels like a waste of time. Still got a Total Victory for the complete campaign, so I guess it is part of the plan?

[Erwin]

Have been unable to d/l even when not allowing any virus checks as I get a window saying I need to enable "3rd party cookies for Drive".  Is there a way to get this without allowing cookies?

[hm_stanley]

These maps are beautiful... thanks for doing this.

[Malaspina]

On 7/25/2022 at 7:57 PM, hm_stanley said:

These maps are beautiful... thanks for doing this.

Hey, thanks!

I might be releasing a "map pack" as soon as I finish my second campaign.

[Malaspina]

On 7/24/2022 at 5:04 PM, Erwin said:

Have been unable to d/l even when not allowing any virus checks as I get a window saying I need to enable "3rd party cookies for Drive".  Is there a way to get this without allowing cookies?

Sorry, don't know how to help. The files are in a public folder in my gdrive.

Hopefully @Bootiehas added them to his website... If he hasn't yet, I'll send you the whole package privately.

Anyone else having the same problem, just drop me a line.

[Malaspina]

On 7/24/2022 at 12:03 AM, Ts4EVER said:

I finished the campaign now (well "finished"). I played the first 4 historical scenarios, which were excellent. I then started the fifth one with the Italian tanks and then decided to do the historical thing and call off the offensive. My reasons for that:

I started in cramped setup zones under direct observation of two large hills, without any such terrain feature on my side even though we supposedly are coming down the mountains we took earlier.

There was pre planned defender artillery placed in front of those setup zones: NEVER DO THAT, LEAST FUN THING EVER

The only tanks capable of taking out the enemy tanks at reasonably long ranges were north of the river, where I am forced to attack a reverse slope defense at close range

The southern setup zone was basically useless because two Stuarts that I can not take out at range except with a lucky artillery hit cover all exits. I could only advance out of there if I clear the northern bank first. Despite that, big infantry reinforcements come in down there, further cramping everything up for artillery.

When in addition to that an enemy plane showed up, I cease fired and ended the campaign.

If the point of that battle is to show WHY they stopped the offensive historically then well done, I guess, but not very fun and feels like a waste of time. Still got a Total Victory for the complete campaign, so I guess it is part of the plan?

Yeah, you're right. That battle 5 is something of an afterthought I added almost at the last moment, plus quite implausible even for a semi-historical scenario. Although it must be said, again historically, that the mountains around Calavorno were not in the hands of the Axis at that time, the bridge representing the furthest distance they were able to cover in those days.

Pity you stopped there, because then there's a battle 6 which is more (semi-) historically accurate and should quite fun...

[Bootie]

Here ya go guys.

https://www.thefewgoodmen.com/tsd3/cm-fortress-italy/cm-fortress-italy-add-ons/cmfi-wintergewitter-in-garfagnana/

[Erwin]

Thanks Bootie...

[Ts4EVER]

4 hours ago, Malaspina said:

Yeah, you're right. That battle 5 is something of an afterthought I added almost at the last moment, plus quite implausible even for a semi-historical scenario. Although it must be said, again historically, that the mountains around Calavorno were not in the hands of the Axis at that time, the bridge representing the furthest distance they were able to cover in those days.

Pity you stopped there, because then there's a battle 6 which is more (semi-) historically accurate and should quite fun...

Don't get me wrong btw, overall the historical part of the campaign is great, the maps are amazing and I had a great time. The 5th one just kinda killed my motivation and it felt like the realistic choice to make (like irl).

[Malaspina]

4 hours ago, Bootie said:

Here ya go guys.

https://www.thefewgoodmen.com/tsd3/cm-fortress-italy/cm-fortress-italy-add-ons/cmfi-wintergewitter-in-garfagnana/

Thanks! I guess I have something to add to my sig now

Edited July 27, 2022 by Malaspina

[Ts4EVER]

 

Starting the RSI portion of the campaign, another cool looking map.

[Ts4EVER]

 

The final historical scenario in this campaign, again a beautiful map.

[Malaspina]

Hey @Ts4EVER, great to watch your videos as always. Thanks for soldiering on!

You've mentioned some shortcomings, especially for the last 3 battles. It would be fantastic if you could elaborate so that I can produce a version 2.0.

What improvements would you make? Maybe contact me by PM so we don't spoil the campaign for future gamers.

Thanks again!

[Ts4EVER]

Hi,

note that I played this campaign months ago, the videos are released on a schedule. So I might not remember that many details. There will be a final installment with some thoughts at the end.

Generally speaking some points:

1. There were instances of partisans starting directly next to your setup zone, so you start under fire: big no-no in my view.

2. Sometimes American units carried over between battles, even though, as I understood it, the battles took place in parallel. So that was a bit weird.

3. Some of the pre planned artillery right outside the setup zones felt a bit cheap to me, although in most cases it was not a huge deal.

4. As I wrote earlier, the first non-historical scenario was skipped by me because it felt like an unfair setup, you will get more details in the last video, I guess.