Bruno Weiss Posted February 15, 2001 Share Posted February 15, 2001 Okay, now there is always the "poop" happens explanation but I'd rather see if someone has a more specific idea as to what caused this to happen. It is October 44, overcast, and on the very edge of an Allied offboard mortar barrage (ongoing), and at the edge of a woods sits my 251/1. Now, the 251 is not hidden, nor does it have any orders. It is positioned to fire on an Allied machinegun crew in a building about 100 meters away to its front, but which is hidden. No other Allied units are in its LOS. The artillery is heavy and coming down. The only other activity are two friendly squads moving left to right across the front of the 251, behind a smoke screen in front of the Allied machinegun to block its LOS. However, they had completed their relocation prior to the following taking place. Now, for no reason I can determine, about 20-25 seconds into the movie, the 251 moves out smack into the middle of an open area to its front, coincidentally through the middle of the barrage, and not particularly towards the Allied machinegun. There are still no Allied units in the 251's LOS, and the only Allied unit that even moved on the entire flank where the 251 is at, is a Priest some 300-400 meters away. And while it is to the 251's front, it is behind a woods and out of LOS for the 251. I cannot figure out why this 251 undertook to move out smack into the middle of an ongoing barrage, for no apparent reason, with no enemy in LOS, and no threat (at least visible), and after the friendly infantry had made their escape from the barrage area. I don't want to imagine that the only way to make a unit stay put is to hide them (which I do often enough, but the 251 was waiting on the smoke screen to clear to target the allied machinegun, and to cover the exiting friendly infantry). Oh, the 251 survived the arty by the way. Whew! This game can make you sweat. Speculations? ------------------ "Gentlemen, you may be sure that of the three courses open to the enemy, he will always choose the fourth." -Field Marshal Count Helmuth von Moltke, (1848-1916) [This message has been edited by Bruno Weiss (edited 02-15-2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holman Posted February 15, 2001 Share Posted February 15, 2001 I'm not certain, but I'd guess that the HT was relocating in order to *escape* the barrage, but unfortunately moved into it instead. True woods would be impassable to the HT of course, and even scattered trees would slow it down, so perhaps forward (and through) the barrage seemed the only means of escape. In any case, did you notice a round landing very close to the vehicle before it moved? Perhaps that would trigger a flight response. I assume that you've watched the morale state of the crew, and that total panic was not a factor... Martyr [edited to make sense] [This message has been edited by Martyr (edited 02-15-2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruno Weiss Posted February 15, 2001 Author Share Posted February 15, 2001 Right, I did. No their morale is okay, and infact (I didn't state this), the reasonable escape from the barrage (which was centered to the 251's front left), was to the rear. The woods it sat next to were to its left, and maybe 30-40 meters to its right. Its avenues of clearance were to its front, and its rear. I agree that panic would or could make it do what it did. But there was no panic and nothing landed particularly close to it prior to its moving out. There was a hit nearby, but not really close. Moving out through the barrage there were then several close hits, one resounding in a metal on metal shrapnel hit, but with no damage. But the little 251 just kept on going as if on parade in Picidilly square quite seemingly oblivious to what was going on. One peculuar thing I did notice, was that the 251 up and stopped just behind a smoked area, which placed it out of LOS to anything to its front. Which tells me it was calculating the vulnerability of the 251 in its final positioning. Its speculation ofcourse, but I'm wondering if the AI was aware of something to the 251's front that I did not, or could not see? And if so, then what would be so important as to make it leap out into a barrage? ------------------ "Gentlemen, you may be sure that of the three courses open to the enemy, he will always choose the fourth." -Field Marshal Count Helmuth von Moltke, (1848-1916) [This message has been edited by Bruno Weiss (edited 02-15-2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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