Omaha Beach scenario - playtesters wanted

[Industrializer]

That's true, if the imprinted date isn't lying the picture was taken 1999, but here is another (modern) picture and I think the shingle can be easily identified here, it was indeed a pretty unpleasant obstacle and totally unpassable for tanks. Allied engineers had to first breach the shingle before the tanks and trucks could move off the beach.

pic

[Darkmath]

The scenario is established on 1943, since the grass looks pretty "dry".

I think it is possible to have a better looking map established on 1944, if a modded "soft ground" tile is used to simulate the beach.

[JasonC]

12000 rounds in 6 hours is only about 1/36th of the cyclic rate of fire of an MG-42. In CM at medium range they fire 6 bursts a minute when they have targets, and each represents about 40 rounds fired. The 12k figure is therefore about 3 top-offs. But with the gun actually firing (trigger depressed) only about a fifth of the time. Also, at 15 minute top-offs you'd expend that 12k per gun in one hour, not 6, so the expenditure rate you are modeling is far higher than they could actually supply.

[SgtMuhammed]

Originally posted by Industrializer:

That's true, if the imprinted date isn't lying the picture was taken 1999, but here is another (modern) picture and I think the shingle can be easily identified here, it was indeed a pretty unpleasant obstacle and totally unpassable for tanks. Allied engineers had to first breach the shingle before the tanks and trucks could move off the beach.

pic

That is just a retaining wall to keep the parking lot from washing away. The original shingle was a layer of fist and slightly larger sized smooth rocks. Tanks couldn't get good traction on them. Army Engineers quickly removed it once the beachhead was established.

[John Kettler]

Troops,

Am watching a rerun of Secrets of D-Day on the History Channel. Learned that it wasn't Leonard Lommell (one of the guys who found and destroyed the displaced Pointe du Hoc guns) of the Rangers who found the Nebelwerfer position in question.

Instead, it was a sergeant who showed up with a rare functioning radio who called back to a supporting destroyer the Nebelwerfer position found by Bob Slaughter of the 29th ID in his sector. Nebelwerfer battery was located just behind the beach and became visible after he and his men got past the seawall and climbed the hill overlooking Omaha Beach. After apparently firing a one round adjustment, fire for effect was opened, destroying the battery. Bob Slaughter, who was feet away from the sergeant during the shoot, rated it as the high point of his day.

Hope this helps!

Regards,

John Kettler

[ April 22, 2006, 02:45 AM: Message edited by: John Kettler ]

[JonS]

Originally posted by Industrializer:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by JonS:

The Nbl bty was located behind the western sector of the beach, in fairly open positions. They fired once or twice about mid-day. However, their smokey trails gave them away immediately, and the DDs and CLs prowling offshore promptly took them under effective CB fire and silenced them completely.

Thanx, that's what I expected, that, as soon as they start to fire they will reveal their position and draw some murderous counterbattery fire. I guess I'll stick with the 'just two salvos' houserule, seems to make the most sense. </font>

[SgtMuhammed]

It would have been a Korps asset or higher or assigned as part of the defensive garrison. I am pretty sure it wouldn't have been under a division.

[JonS]

Originally posted by sgtgoody (esq):

It would have been a Korps asset or higher or assigned as part of the defensive garrison. I am pretty sure it wouldn't have been under a division.

Mmm. I'm not so sure about that.

In general, yes, Nbls were Korps assets, but generally the beach defences (the WNs especially) seem to have come under the division in whose sector it was located.

Also, Balkoski is fairly adamant that these particular ones were fixed/immobile, leading me to suspect that they were part of the local div rather than higher.

Cheers

Jon

[Kingfish]

Originally posted by JonS:

Does anyone know anything more about this nbl bty? Balkoski gives a few details:

* 40(!) launchers,

* each able to fire four rockets

* 320mm calibre

* fixed location

I suspect he meant 10 launchers, each of four rails (or barrels).

What I'm after is a unit designation, which CoC it fitted in to (presumably 352nd Div or 716th Div?), and a bit more about the number and type of launchers and rockets involved.

Cheers

Jon

This site says they were part of Nebelwerfer Abteilung 84.

Zett shows the 84th as being part of 7th Werfer brigade, but that unit not showing up until June 10/11, and then in the Caen/Orne bridgehead sector.

Edit: sorry, I may not be reading Zett's info correctly. He has the 84th regiment as being part of 7th Werfer Brigade, while the Omaha site says it was an Abteilung. Could be one and the same, but then again...

[JonS]

Thanks King