How you going? (spoily - about Valley Scen.)

[Fenris]

Have been in contact with the enemy for approximately 25 minutes.

So far the arty is murderous but the Panther has taken out 4 Sherman's. I guess he had the drop on them a bit but the smoke has only just started landing around him. 2 more M4's have been killed by the 75AT bunker and the sIG (both now KO'd).

The arty has pounded the platoon on my right flank into disarray and I now have only an MG bunker to hold them off. The platoon at the bottom of the valley by the road has been reduced to a single man. Still have 2 platoons pretty much unhurt, one in the village buildings and the re-inforcements are making their way down the slop thru the trees. Motars are out of ammo.

Think I can still hold them.

Regards, etc etc

Hptm Fenris

Western Front

[Ash]

Well I just finished up. The platoon on the left is gone, 4 men remaining. The platoon on the left is equally shot up with just a little over 10 men. The platoon in the ville is still holding strong with about 25 men. All my bunkers and pill boxes are gone except for the mg on the left. My reinforcement platoon is down to medium strength behind the stonewall on the left. 1 mortar team has been destroeyed along with my IG. Artillery has turned my cp and left flank into moonscape and my panther got brewed up in a charge that saved my center.

------------------

The names Ash, Housewares

[Dan Weaver]

This is A Company - we are through the Line!

I beat Valley of Trouble like a red-headed stepchild. It was tense at times, but my troops fought with the utmost skill and bravery.

We started off advancing through the woods southwest of Plomville. Thirty seconds in an enormous shell struck right in the middle of 2nd Platoon and caused six casualties, but the Germans had given away their position. A hail of 81mm shells blew the 150mm gun away.

My northern platoon started running from house to house and then down into the hollow, outflanking the northern German pillboxes. They took machine gun fire and a few casualties but soon enough they had knocked out a wooden machinegun bunker and gotten right up against the back of the concrete machinegun pillbox.

Then all hell broke loose. Two German platoons attacked my position on the northern hilltop, causing heavy casualties. I was unable to knock out the machinegun bunker and was forced to retreat into the forest to its east. Meanwhile, my troops advancing through the southwest forest made it to the stone wall overlooking the road south of town but were forced back by fire from another machinegun bunker.

Two-thirds of my platoon on the northern hilltop were killed or wounded. The remaining squad and the platoon headquarters stayed firm, stopping squad after squad of fanatical Germans only feet from their positions. My trusty artillery observers on the middle hill called in a perfect 105mm barrage that wrecked the pillbox and bunker on Hill 209, and two platoons of my infantry broke from the woods and sprinted into the scattered trees south of town, with a platoon of infantry, a platoon of engineers, and three Sherman tanks following them.

A Sherman-105 headed up the western hill to provide support to the northern platoon and did excellent work for a few minutes, but a Panther G suddenly appeared from the German rear and

My first two platoons assaulted Hill 209, leaping into craters for cover from the sporadic fire coming from the dazed German defenders. They seized it easily as the first artillery shells struck Plomville. The next four minutes saw two platoons of German infantry melt away as a rain of steel descended upon their positions in town. Sherman tanks and 60mm mortars added their fire to the hellish pounding. After the barrage lifted, my engineer platoon advanced into the rubble and quickly took the few survivors prisoner. My only loss was a Sherman that hit a mine while advancing down the road (contrary to orders) and lost a track.

With Hill 209 covered by American infantry, the German attack on my beleagured northern platoon soon broke up and the German Panther was checked. My tanks were either in Plomville or hiding behind houses to the west and it was being pounded by fire from a 105mm battery. After several minutes it finally came over the hill and attempted to engage my tanks in the town. As it turned to fire, it presented its flank to the immobilized Sherman on the road west of town. A 75mm AP shell ended the combat career of the Panther crew. After the loss of the Panther, the remaining German forces surrendered. We won a total victory and bagged an enormous amoun of prisoners, but 32 men were killed. It wasn't a perfect day by any means, but overall we made it through pretty well.

Dan

[Lobo]

That damn Panther took out four of my Shermans too ! eek

[Fenris]

Well I held the American attack inflicting heavy casualties.

The platoon on the right flank recovered somewhat and was at about half strength by the end. They were even able to pin down and then capture an MMG team.

But the real fighting took place at the bottom of the valley approaching Pomville. My forward platoon was finally eliminated and all I had left was a single 'schreck team down there. I still however had the better part of 2 platoons in the village and they were able to hold off numerous American assaults.

After being shrouded in smoke I ordered the Panther to to advance fast down thru the village and to cover the hill to the left of the road. The Panther certainly moved fast once underway and was on the scene within 25 seconds. With it's firepower it inflicted alot of damage.

My final act was to charge 2 squads and a Platoon HQ down the hill from the village, across the road (behind the Panther ) and retake the victory location from the couple of US troops who'd battled their way that far. Got to see a potato masher fly as they charged in and the remains of 2 US squads surrended immediately.

The Americans ended up withdrawing and I took 46 prisoners. The price was definitely high tho and even though I was awarded a victory my company had suffered about 40% casualties and I only had the Panther and a single MG bunker left.

Was very enjoyable. I was struck by the intensity of the fire fights and the awesome power of the artillery.

Regards etc, etc.

Hptm Fenris

[CoolColJ]

Well I spanked the AI by being ultra aggressive - the ai had bad bunker positioning and I used blitzkreig tactics I charged my two SHermans straight up the centre, had control over the whole map before the Panther arrived! but that panther then took out 3 shermans, but I still made him surrender took out a few bunkers with engineers.

Had the AT gun taken out my SHermans, the story would have been different.

------------------

CCJ

aka BLITZ_Force

My Hompage ----> http://www.geocities.com/coolcolj

Double your immersion with my Tweaked Textures and Saving Private Ryan sound set mods for CM!! Check out my new Textures V2.0 photo Gallery and my music while your there, or grab a CM Wallpaper!

[Harold Jones]

Pounded the Germans like a cheap steak, I had 16 kia and lost a 105 Sherman (to the infantry gun) I sent most of my troops through the woods to the south and and poured most of my arty on the town and the hill behind it. When the troops made it to town they just had to pick off the survivors. All and all it was a blast.

[Lurker]

Although the thread stated that spoilers are contained within, I thought I'd say it here as well. Spoilers are contained below! Beware...

As the Germans on the defense, I managed to crush the American advance.

My bunker with the 75mm was invincible! I managed to destroy one of the two Sherman 105's in my first shot, shrugging off the return fire from all sides. The second Sherman 105 backed up over the hill crest and didn't show its face until the American reinforcements showed up about 15 minutes later.

The Ami infantry assaulted up the left side of the map (from my PoV), getting bogged down in the barbed wire and mine fields. My leftmost platoon hammered the amis mercilessly, and drove them back. At this point, the assault degenerated into long range fire between the demoralized attackers and my well dug in troops.

My only serious problem during the early minutes of the assault came from the heavy artillery bombardment. It was if the heavens had opened up and started dropping a mix of 105 mm and 81 mm shells into my positions on top of the hill. The artiller destroyed my infantry gun, and caused the panicked crew to run in circles until they all perished.

Once the amis received their reinforments, they pressed the attack on the center portion of the defensive line. My concealed infantry platoon opened fire at point blank range and shredded the attack, completely destroying a platoon of ami infantry.

The ami tank platoon that arrived as part of their reinforcements managed to destroy my AT bunker, and it looked as if they might manage to break through.

Fortunately, my reserve arrived before the American attack fully formed up. The Panther destroyed 3 Sherman tanks in as many shots. The long range gunnery duel ceased due to a massive American smoke barrage. The entire hill was swathed in smoke.

The American forces made one more attempt to dislodge my defenders, but the combination of my well entrenched infantry and the Panther emerging from the smoke, the final enemy assault ground to a halt.

During the entire assault, the platoon on my right had not encountered any enemies. So, I moved them forward through the trees and managed to overrun the American position on their hill, routing the remainder of their already demoralized troops.

Result: Total German Victory

All in all, I was damn proud of myself. While I was still patting myself on the back, I decided to try the scenario again. Even though I'd already played the scenario, it was like a completely different battle. Even though the deployments were the same, things went much differently. Instead of initially destroying or driving off the enemy tanks, one of the Sherman 105's destroyed my AT Bunker with a single shot...

I managed to hold the Americans to a draw, but it wasn't the walk over that I had expected.

Great game...

-Lurker

[Guest Big Time Software]

I just had to add my thanks to Obergefreiter Geiser. In the version of the sceanrio I played, he was the Green experienced guy manning the Schreck team positioned (by default) in the village. Here is his tale...

A Green Shreck Team, twice Panicked (once Broken), took a loss and went running for most of the game. But he recovered, thanks in part to a thick Allied smoke screen. He then moved up and got into position. The last Sherman came into view, he fired, and the first of his last two rounds penetrated the turret and took out the LAST Sherman! He was withdrawing when he was cut down by enemy fire. His name shall live on in my memory, for it was his selfless act that assured victory!

Steve

[CoolColJ]

Yeap Steve - the superb Tac Ai, has given me many moments to ponder

I must say the dead bodies reallya dd a lot to the game :0

ccj

[Mostro]

Last night I won VT as germans, with a result of 83/17. The star in the victory: Panther. It knocked all 4 Sherman and then masacred de US infantry.

Have you seen the nahv... firing? What a pretty explosion!

Salut!

[Darwin]

Just finished playing the valley blind as amer vs a hotseat opponent final score after 17 turns 83 amer to 17 german, major american victory.

Very fun game isolating and destroying him piecemeal, that last bunker with the 75 must have taken 15 to 20 hits before going down

A neat moment happened when I forgot to call off the 2 mortars and charged a platoon and two shermans in to close assault the remaining defenders around the last pillbox while the other 4 shermans moved up to bring fire on the pillbox from the front. Lots of explosions that turn

[Juju]

Totally against Fionn's advise the Germans in my game were stupid enough to hold their Panther in reserve.

Until it was too late. Haha.

[Guest herbjorn]

The gold demo is great. The anti-tank minefield (not the daisy one) did not work well, a sherman drove through it at full speed without getting imobilized.(how densely is the minefield supposed to be populated?)

Result at 2nd try as Germans: I managed to rout the Americans, knock out all their tanks and take 16 prisoners, and my panther was intact. I managed to recapture some lost territory and ended up with a score of 75 and a major axis victory. I saved at the last turn and took a screenshot of the debriefing scene to keep for later ;P

Now I just need to prepare for the full version by making mp3`s out of the "german military marches" CD from amazon, from steel panthers III and panzer general 3d, and I am all set (there wasn`t supposed to be music for combat mission?

[Guest Big Time Software]

Don't know what the chances are of hitting a mine, but I can say for sure that you got really lucky

No music except for the sweet sounds of combat!

One great thing to see here is the enthusiasm for the scenario even though many of you are winning clear victories against the AI. This is the way it should be It is very hard to make an AI that can win without it cheating its ass off. In a more or less normal style battle, the AI stands a better chance than in a furious pitched battle like this one. But darn it... VoT was just too damned cool to not stick in the Demo

The design goal for CM's AI was to make sure we gave you a good, clean, and semi-intelligent nemisis to challenge you. And we feel quite reassure that we have done that. Get sloppy in CM and you will lose something, perhaps even the game. So even when you win, CM challenges you to use realistic tactics or else.

And that is why it feels so very good to beat the AI in CM, and kinda hollow in other games (in our opinion of course ). When I won in SP or CC I almost never really felt like I deserved it because it really didn't test my tactical skills in a realistic sense. Instead it tested my gamey tactics, and that isn't why I play wargames.

Oh, anyhoo... just more thoughts

Steve

[Guest mch]

just finished first game!!!

(blind vs.AI)

(except knowledge of 150mm IG)

(damn spoilers....)

As americans: Draw...

my 105 sherman saved the day!!!!

KO'd the Panther,wich was almost playfully

wreaking havoc on my entire force.

..oh how the mighty have fallen.....

[This message has been edited by mch (edited 05-11-2000).]

[Black Sabot]

Might i suggest a PBEM

[Fenris]

Am playing it again as German's but not with the default setup.....

Am getting my a$$ royally kicked. It's about turn 16, the Panther has just turned up and hopefully he can save the day.

Things of note this time around....

Arty hasn't played nearly as big a role pounding an unpopulated piece of open terrain and causing only a single casualty.

Managed to get both 105 Shermans (after they did some crafty smoke poping to hide from my AT bunker). Then the AT bunker got taken out as the ami armour used a 2 pronged simultaneous attack from across the far ridge...Whilst the AT gun fire at one M4 the others pounded away and the AT gun was quickly KO'd.

The M4's then pounded my forward platoon which is now leaderless and down to a single squad. I've already got US infantry past the wire and mines and things are looking grim as there are lots of contacts over on the right flank too coming up the hill toward Pomville.

Will have to rush the re-inforcement's forward to lend a hand.

So far I must say I am impressed, CM is shaping up to be "as advertised" and is highly enjoyable (although getting beaten by an AI is somewhat irritating ).

Regards etc, etc.

Hptm Fenris

[Reverend Mr.Black]

Total victory with the Americans at my first try!

Only 12 KIA and a Sherman (75) lost to a minefield (abandoned, the crew is safe)

I'm trying to do it again, but this time I'll try to keep the village standing. At the end of my game, Sigfried line was a damned hole in the ground... The last hill was taken with little resistance by three infantry squads running about 300m uphill! The guys up there surrendered without even firing...

I would post an AAR, but it would be far too long and enthusiastic!

Let's try the Germans anyway

[Mark IV]

Thanks to all who post "spoiler" in the subject!

Finally finished the Valley as Amis v. AI (Axis surrender, Allied Major Victory) and I'm very happy with this game.

The squad-to-scout conversion utility was puzzling at first. This turned out to be a 150mm IG, which a healthy 12-man squad discovered about 64m from the muzzle, as it became a somewhat demoralized 5-man scout section. Nasty bugger. I took a great screen shot- this may sound silly but one of the big improvements is the explosions and debris. In fact, the whole artillery experience is vastly improved; the sounds and effects were great.

The Panther was lovely, for the 54 seconds it participated . One of the 105s was just cresting the big hill when it showed up, and tried to duke it out at a little over 100m- bad idea. In that short time I bounced the 105 off the turret, landed a 60mm on the roof, and pinged a 75 off the side of the turret.

3 Sherms hooked right around the hill and were able to flank it while all this was happening, and it brewed nicely . Sort of a shame, it was so pretty.

This scenario certainly has done more to make me respect artillery. I played with very little smoke, though I finally had to fog the concrete pillbox. Didn't get to use the flamers but I love my Combat Engineers (medals for all).

Nice job, BTS!

[Demangel]

That damn Panther... It was like an angel of death watching over my advancing forces, as we bled our way up to the final objective... All of the german forces in the valley and village below had been routed or killed. And now it just came down to storming the fortress like hill overlooking the valley... I probably wound'nt have made it that far if one of my shermans hadn't got that lucky shot on the bunker up top...

Most of my platoons where all shot to peices though and it fell on my tanks to put the muscle in the assualt on the germans last stand.

good ole arty had paced himself nicely and i had about four minutes of constant shelling left to drive the pesky germans out of the forest around the bunker to take cover in the open.

the mighty panther began disgorging hellfire that rained down on my poor shermans whenever they poked their heads out enough... two of them cuaght hull down when it first appeared. they are gone now the crew in the med tent to the rear...

I have two left and one has lost it's main gun... I better do something either incredibly smart or stupid, either way we can't take much more of this. god knows we need to take this hill. or our push into germany may be held up long enough for good ole hitler to think of something new to throw at us.

As the arty falls the tank begins to make a mad rush to the far right, and up the hill past the long defunct guns... I instruct my wounded sherman to wait in cover till the time is right and then instructed him to rush the panther, and if anyone made it out alive I would give them a medal...

The panther keeping guard saw this as easy prey and it's barrel lowered into firing position. The Sherman (god bless it's crew, they did as I asked, knowing it was suicide) was struck a mortal first blow, and three crewman spilled out... running for their lives...

but a split second later it's avenger arrived right behind the panther who was still reloading, i could just imagine the gins on the faces of the crew of the sherman at the big ugly back side of that damn panther. It began to turn to face it's front armor towards the sherman, it's turret already in place when the shell hit... the explosion must have deafened the firghtened infantry who where hiding and dying in the open while the remnants of the bunker and it's forest began to burn...

Then My remaining platoons ran wearily up the high hill weapons chattering all the way.

good ole arty, quiet now, had done it's job and all the german infantry was sitting ducks save for those few hiding under the panther, and those in the small woods across the road.

by the last turn... my units had captured or killed all but 10 germans... My remaining forces where batterd though... so much so that without reinforcements we won't be able to hold this hill for long... I hope it was worth it.

(GREAT GOD DAMN GAME!)

[jgdpzr]

Well, I've played vot twice, once from each side. As the Americans, I got a 76/24 major victory. As the Germans, I finished with a much tighter 68/32 tactical win.

All I can say is that this game is unbelievable! I've noticed several improvements over the beta, and I didn't really have any wiggy ai things going on, except perhaps the ai's habit of pressing his arty spotters forward with the rest of his troops. In the German scenario, the Panther saved the day no-ifs-ands-or-buts about it. 40 infantry kills, a mortar, three shermans, all while dodging the rain of smoke shells that completely obscured the heights above the town. My 75 bunker took out the two 105's in the first three turns but was pounded as soon as the platoon of m4s showed up and the other sherman was disabled in my mine field on the road. I just didn't want to risk a flank shot on my Panther to take it out, so I let it just sit there with no targets to really shoot at. I gambled with my Panther, though, as the enemy was threatening to take the village from the south, so I ran him down the hill and literally mowed down two whole platoons including the Company command. Fortunately, the zooks had already been dispatched, one team taking off on a dead sprint past my Panther to surrender. Got lucky there!

As the Americans, I was able to take out his MG bunkers early with my Sherman 105s. I then was able to advance a three pronged assault pretty cleanly through the valleys. When the Panther showed up, he took out one of my Sherman 75s that was providing long-range fire support from the road. I had another sherman disabled in the mines that I thought the engineers had cleared, whoops!

I was able to avoid the 75 pillbox completely, as well as the MG pillbox as their positioning didn't come into play along my assault routes. After I was able to dispatch the Panther (smoked the hill, ran my 76 up to junction in town at the bottom of the hill, while advancing engineers and a zook through the smoke to get a flank shot or close assault; smoke cleared, 76mm brews his flank as he was turning to counter the zook) and assaulted his reinforcements on top of the hill, everyone else surrendered.

I absolutely love the arty and smoke now. Just something about that shaking screen as the 105's come raining down. Beeeeautiful!

Wonderful job BTS!

[Scott C]

I've finished two games now, one PBEM as Allies, one Axis vs. the AI. Some very surprising things happened each time. When I was trying to kill that *$&^% 75mm pillbox the first time through, it absorbed almost all my 105 arty (more than 12 direct hits) without a scratch... then an "over" from the last of the 105's (shooting at the TOWN) KO's it. This was after the 75 took out an entire platoon the first turn (one shell lands nearby, causes 2 casualties, most of the platoon is shaken and the squad with the casualties panics, then another shell hits and the entire platoon routs clear off the map). Meanwhile, one of my Shermans absorbs two penetrations from the 150 without any damage, then nails it with a single shot. Also, my engineers were clearing minefields in about 15 seconds while under heavy fire... doesn't seem quite right. Then, when I play as Axis, the pillbox goes down from about 15 seconds of arty, and a single NEAR-MISS from a 60 mm mortar knocks out the 150! One 60mm near miss, and it's gone. Unbelievable.

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Questions, comments, arguments, refutations, criticisms, and/or sea stories?

[Fenris]

Well the Panther can really turn the tables. I first snuck him down toward the ville on the right ride of the road...Poking his head up in a nice hull down position he took out 2 Shermans in one turn. The other 2 remaining shermans (76mm included) backed away behind the hill approaching Pomville and continued to pound away at some shattered infantry fleeing to the South East. Rushing my re-informents down into the village the extra platoon of infantry are now holding the US assault from the North of Pomville at bay and I've just moved the platoon originally guarding that flank toward town to catch the Ami's in some wicked cross fire.

The Panther is now in the town helping the hard pressed infantry hold off the main US thrust. One more M4 is dead after pressing forward a little too far leaving one left slightly over the hill infront of Pomville.

It's going to be closer than my first try at this scenerio but I'm now confident of holding them off.

Think I'll be playing as the US next time around. Still having a great time, can't wait for the full version to arrive.

Fen

[Guest herbjorn]

Played as Germans again last night, won 94-6

My panthers and all three bunkers were intact. I lost the 150mm and about 20 menn. The americans lost 160 (170?) and 56 surrendered. All shermans were knocked out. The 75mm bunker knocked out 4,5 shermans (immobilized one of them) so when the Panther showed up, there wasn`t many tanks left for it to destroy. Can`t wait to get the full version and edit the scenario to replace the panther with a King Tiger, JagdTiger and JagdPanther (4 different scenarios ) and see how it plays out.

BTW I have the savegames and end-result report as proof, I admit to reloading once, because I had misinterpreted the map and gave the panther a move command which sent him on a loooong detour.

[This message has been edited by herbjorn (edited 05-13-2000).]