Preview: First FanMade BattlePack for CM Red Thunder

[JM Stuff]

2 hours ago, Aragorn2002 said:

I must say I like big maps, but company sized battles are more and more what I prefer. Moving more than one or two companies is almost a full time job and usually ends up in complete chaos for me.

Funny when you said "end up in complete chaos for me" ...believe me is the case for more of us, is also my case, I must say sometime a little confusing, the Cie level is incredible with all the squads this take time and we forget always an action...

[Mr.X]

Short Update: 

This weekend, the Mapwork for the Partisan-Campaign and for the „Into Hell“-Campaign will be finished. 10 maps, a huge amount of work
Next week, the „Five Bridges“-Campaign will be worked on: 1 Mastermap is finished, 5 maps are in good progress and 4 maps (mostly small ones) exist only on paper right now. May be, during the next 3-4 weeks, I will call again for some testing vomunteers

Regards 

Mr.X

[Aragorn2002]

3 hours ago, Mr.X said:

Short Update: 

This weekend, the Mapwork for the Partisan-Campaign and for the „Into Hell“-Campaign will be finished. 10 maps, a huge amount of work
Next week, the „Five Bridges“-Campaign will be worked on: 1 Mastermap is finished, 5 maps are in good progress and 4 maps (mostly small ones) exist only on paper right now. May be, during the next 3-4 weeks, I will call again for some testing vomunteers

Regards 

Mr.X

I admire your energy.

Edited April 28, 2023 by Aragorn2002

[Mr.X]

Thanks Aragorn

map making feels sometimes like working in a factory of the 19th century, but this project will come to a successful end 

[Anonymous_Jonze]

*Anxiously waiting*

[Aragorn2002]

On 2/8/2023 at 9:56 AM, Mr.X said:

@RockinHarry:

 Additionally I was able to get much more (very detailed) information from the unit‘s history. 
 

May I ask where?

[Mr.X]

35 minutes ago, Aragorn2002 said:

May I ask where?

From my library of the WWII   I own the Division`s History of the 252nd ID, written by their former commander General Melzer in 1960. Was that your question Aragorn ?

Regards

Mr.X

[Aragorn2002]

12 minutes ago, Mr.X said:

From my library of the WWII   I own the Division`s History of the 252nd ID, written by their former commander General Melzer in 1960. Was that your question Aragorn ?

Regards

Mr.X

Yes, it was, thank you. I'm always searching for more information, nowadays especially on German infantry divisions in the hell of White Russia in the Summer of 1944.

[Mr.X]

Most of these books are from the 1960´s, written in German Language. Do you search for the English Versions ? This may be even more difficult, I ´m afraid.

[Aragorn2002]

19 minutes ago, Mr.X said:

Most of these books are from the 1960´s, written in German Language. Do you search for the English Versions ? This may be even more difficult, I ´m afraid.

I have literally dozens of them. All in German, which is no problem for me. Hard to find nowadays and ludicrously expensive. Someone should reprint them.

[Mr.X]

That´s right -these old books are very expensive  The history of the 252.ID cost me 100 Euro  

I have some more of these old books about 1st ID, 3rd PzG and some reprints of 5th JD, 71st ID, 44th ID and 24th ID.

24.Infantry Divsion was the neighbour of 252. ID in June 1944.

[Aragorn2002]

9 hours ago, Mr.X said:

That´s right -these old books are very expensive  The history of the 252.ID cost me 100 Euro  

I have some more of these old books about 1st ID, 3rd PzG and some reprints of 5th JD, 71st ID, 44th ID and 24th ID.

24.Infantry Divsion was the neighbour of 252. ID in June 1944.

Most divisional accounts have a lot of information on 1939-1943, but less on 1944 and 1945. Is that also the case with this book? I must admit I have so many books, I sometimes forget which I bought and which I'm missing.

I hope one day a military historian of the calibre of Douglas E. Nash will start to investigate the German infantry divisions. Less glamorous than the Panzer divisions, but definitely worth the attention. Most information like KTB etc. are lost, but much can still be found.

Edited April 30, 2023 by Aragorn2002

[Mr.X]

It is the same with this book. 80% 1939 - Spring 1944, thereafter it is sometimes difficult to recognize the details. The history of 252.ID + 24.ID + the books of Hinze + the histories of smaller units like Assaultgun-battalions in combination - then you have a aproximate picture of the situation in this area during June 1944.

Not least, one of my grandfathers fought with a Fuessilier-battalion in this region where he was the second time severely wounded (headshot) on 26. June 1944. 

 

Regards 

Mr.X 

[Aragorn2002]

31 minutes ago, Mr.X said:

It is the same with this book. 80% 1939 - Spring 1944, thereafter it is sometimes difficult to recognize the details. The history of 252.ID + 24.ID + the books of Hinze + the histories of smaller units like Assaultgun-battalions in combination - then you have a aproximate picture of the situation in this area during June 1944.

Not least, one of my grandfathers fought with a Fuessilier-battalion in this region where he was the second time severely wounded (headshot) on 26. June 1944. 

 

Regards 

Mr.X 

In which division did he serve?

[Mr.X]

He served as NCO (Schuetze 1 of MG-42) with the 129. Infantry-Division. Fuessilier-Battalion 129. 

First headshot on 13. December 1943 (shrapnel of own 2cm AA gun), second headshot 26.June 1944 during rearguard action. Survived the war, although sent to the Heiligenbeil-Pocket in March 1945 and died with 92 years

Because of these lucky circumstances, I have the comfort to create a CM-Campaign 79 years later

[Aragorn2002]

1 hour ago, Mr.X said:

He served as NCO (Schuetze 1 of MG-42) with the 129. Infantry-Division. Fuessilier-Battalion 129. 

First headshot on 13. December 1943 (shrapnel of own 2cm AA gun), second headshot 26.June 1944 during rearguard action. Survived the war, although sent to the Heiligenbeil-Pocket in March 1945 and died with 92 years

Because of these lucky circumstances, I have the comfort to create a CM-Campaign 79 years later

Life is strange, isn't it? Good to hear he had a long and hopefully full life. 

[Mr.X]

@Aragorn:

It‘s sometimes really strange. The own existence depends on the fact, that almost 80 years ago, the shrapnel of a AA projectile in the woods of Russia hasn‘t flown 1 or 2cm deeper - so, it only cut off the roof of my grandfathers steel helmet and penetrated the bony skullcap instead of shredding his brain. 

[Mr.X]

Surgeons weren‘t able to remove the shrapnel - so when we were children, it was fun to feel for the still existing swelling right on the middle of my grandfathers head, just below the hair. 

[Aragorn2002]

Impressive story. Let's never forget the real people behind our games. Bleeding, suffering, dying. 

[Anonymous_Jonze]

Yeah, my grandfather had German shrapnel in his legs till his dying day. You could see the dark gray specks.

Edited April 30, 2023 by Anonymous_Jonze

[Aragorn2002]

26 minutes ago, Anonymous_Jonze said:

Yeah, my grandfather had German shrapnel in his legs till his dying day. You could see the dark gray specks.

Sorry to hear that. Hopefully it didn't cause him pain. Where did he serve?

[Anonymous_Jonze]

14 minutes ago, Aragorn2002 said:

Sorry to hear that. Hopefully it didn't cause him pain. Where did he serve?

Never heard him complain! He was a tail gunner on a B-24 Liberator in North Africa and Europe till the end of the war 

[Mr.X]

When I was a student around 15 years ago, many of the old veterans were in their eighties. On their x-rays, you could sometimes see dozens of small shrapnels inside the bodies.

 

Edited April 30, 2023 by Mr.X

[Aragorn2002]

10 hours ago, Mr.X said:

When I was a student around 15 years ago, many of the old veterans were in their eighties. On their x-rays, you could sometimes see dozens of small shrapnels inside the bodies.

 

How vulnerable a human being is, and yet how tough.

Edited May 1, 2023 by Aragorn2002
Multisex :-)

[Mr.X]

Further short update:

Progress is good. In the mid of May all the mapwork will be done and playtesting will start soon. 

The biggest Campaign is in final testing stage. With two campaigns I start doing the AI plans and the other campaign has 65% of its maps ready. 

So - instead of making the planned additional 3-4 single missions - I have added another small mini campaign of 4 single missions