howardb Posted July 24, 2000 Share Posted July 24, 2000 *** Could be a spoiler *** Possibly the best operation I've tried so far. The map is simply amazing with great skirmishes all over the map. I specially liked the size of the map it was just big enough for more than a couple of obvious routes of attack (or defense), you have to anticipate where the enemy is and place your units acordingly. Really gave me a feeling of fighting in France. Great job Los. Can't wait for some of the new Wilder ops though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rommel22 Posted July 24, 2000 Share Posted July 24, 2000 Maybe a Spoiler * * * * * I second that, I am fighting in this map right now and the map and operation rocks. So far I inflicted severe casulties on the Amis (well estimation it doesn't give you the losses for the other side until you finnish the op.) My front keeps going back and forward, I am so low on men but I keep knocking out every attack the Amis trough at me, and the Germans don't have any armor. Those shrecks come in hadny. Those guy get the job done. Just a wonderful scenerio!!! ------------------ Russian tactics as said by von Mellenthin "Bridge heads everywhere" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterk Posted July 24, 2000 Share Posted July 24, 2000 =========== SPOILER ================== + + + + + + + + + I just played the first battle today and had the scare of my life. I had my guys set up to pretty much only watch the two main roads expecting the tanks to come roaring through supported by the infantry in typical AI fashion. I really didn't expect the AI to work through the hedgerows so I moved some of my platoons that didn't seem to be doing much off on the sides towards the middle to guard the 2 main roads with their fausts. We knocked out 3 Shermans and a scout car early and waited in ambush for more....that never came. I had about 10 turns with nothing new spotted and no shots fired. Then right near the end of the 20 turns I decided to move one of my mortar crews who had shot all of his ammo to safety in the back lines all the way at the edge of the map and he was shocked to find a huge concentration of US guys in my rear area! They turned out to be all 60mm mortars (I think) and I got the all before the game ended (I think). I just can't believe that the AI had the balls to sneak 6 mortar crews the entire length of the map without me spotting anything! I was unnerved to say the least after that happened and I started to wonder where else the bastard had infiltrated. Anyone else have similar scares??? Looks like you have to watch your entire front in this one or get burned! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rommel22 Posted July 24, 2000 Share Posted July 24, 2000 Spoiler * * * * * ** Well I haven't I split squads apart. The hedgerows I keep cowered by 5 man squads far apart because hedrows are the least likely places to be attacked by the AI. Main roads I always cover and leave reserves. I put more forces in a place where I want to counter-attack. Reserves are a geat way to counter-attack at a different place if something happens. In OP Carentan, the 2 towns are the most imporant, Both have churches (not sure of the names). From their I counter attack at every battle and works great. I also keep faust and some support for the Fausts by the main roads. ------------------ Russian tactics as said by von Mellenthin "Bridge heads everywhere" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howardb Posted July 24, 2000 Author Share Posted July 24, 2000 *** spoiler *** I usually got a sniper or an MG crew (germans) covering the places I don't expect breakthroughs. Just had a great battle where a Pak40/75 took out 3 sherms, pissed off the AI seriously as he took it out with some big arty. I'm looking forward to continue, just got some interesting reinforcements Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juju Posted July 25, 2000 Share Posted July 25, 2000 ***Even more spoilers*** * * * * * * * * * I keep my trucks in a handy spot, with a reserve platoon close by. Those guys can be anywhere I need them on my frontline within 3 minutes. A mobile fire-brigade, if you will! Works great. Carentan is the best Op I've played so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Los Posted July 25, 2000 Share Posted July 25, 2000 Thanks for the kind remarks guys. I have played the op through as both germans and US and it's fun both ways. I wanted a map big enough and also plenty of time (Battles ) that the player could start getting into some operational thinking. And as the germans obviously you actually have to send out patrols and keep a mobile reserve unless you plan on making a paper thin single line. I was motivated to do this after reading Martin Poppel's "Heaven and Hell". He was in 12th Kompanie (heavy weapons) 6th FJR fighting in Carentan (he's in the OB there somewhere). A great book about a paratrooper that was in it from the beginning to the end. (isbn 1-873376-64-2) The book also had a great overhead photo shot of the Carentan area and a good map, which I doubled checked with Critterden's "Drop Zone Normandy". Cheers... Los Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PD Posted July 25, 2000 Share Posted July 25, 2000 Spoilers I've just finished this op as the germans, my first Op and I managed to only fight eight of the nine battles. I ended up with 220 casualties as opposed to 800, and only lost 1 Stug iV, and a few lesser vehicles. I played pretty cautiously the first couple of battles, chewing up whatever came near, and began actively counterattacking during Battle 4. I found the AI to appear fairly realistic, probing for weak points, and assaulting along what it thought were great axes of attack. Battle 7 had me ******* myself with the arrival of 5 Shermans, but the use of one Stug, a few hedgerows and two shreck teams later they were all gone. The size of this op is what staggered me. I'd spend almost half an hour stting up at the start of a battle, trying to guess ahead at what the AI would do, I was petrified that there would be this enormous American assault along my entire front So I only plaed one battle a day.. How did anyone else do withthis one? Seeya! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oberst Angsthase Posted July 26, 2000 Share Posted July 26, 2000 Spoiler * * * * I just finished it as well, as the germans, with results similar to PD's. Allied attacker 847 casualties (373 KIA) 10 captured All vehicals knocked out 266 Men OK Axis Defender 214 Casualties (100 KIA) Half the guns 1 Stug, and some lesser stuff. 474 Men OK I agree, this scenario has it all! I was using the thin line defense with a reserve platoon by the trucks. Good use of the FOs was critical to tying up the amis advance, though the 81mm mortars seem to lack the clout to stop an advance cold. The 5 shermans arrived in battle 6 in my operation, and the AI used them pretty well. I was able to take them out, but only with lots of smoke, heavy loss and driving an 50mm AT gun onto the scene. YIKES! I finished the game in the seventh battle by using heavy artillery to break the allies line along the road to Ste. M. Eglise. The halftracks, loaded with SS swept through the gap and turned right behind the line, killing anything that moved. My happiest discovery was the 3 dead FO teams in the rear. It's blitzkrieg all over again! WooHoo! The big winners of the operation were the men of K platoon, inflicting 45 casualties while taking 8. In the vehicle category was a 251/1 HT with 17 inf and 2 mortars. I love the operation, and think it would be improved by increasing the length of the battles to 30–35 turns. It seemed to take the AI about 8-12 turns to mount an attack, and several times the battle ended just as things were heating up. A few times this saved me, a few I was prevented from following up on a success. Given the area in the game, more time would allow for some reaction/response before the end of a battle. Off topic, but my repect for actual combat commanders has shot up exponentially. The uncertainty of not knowing what's out there and what's coming after it is one of the best aspects of the game. That anybody can operate successfully with that when it really is life and death impresses me to no end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Michael emrys Posted July 28, 2000 Share Posted July 28, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Oberst Angsthase: Off topic, but my repect for actual combat commanders has shot up exponentially. The uncertainty of not knowing what's out there and what's coming after it is one of the best aspects of the game. That anybody can operate successfully with that when it really is life and death impresses me to no end.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Bingo! I think that's the biggest lesson I've learned from studying military history. Battle is insanely chaotic, and learning to operate within chaos and uncertainty is the key to success. Most wargames fail utterly to stress this point. One of the golden eggs in CM is that it *does*. You have to devise a plan knowing that at some point something will happen that you did not expect. You have to be flexible enough to respond to the unexpected while proceeding to your mission's goals. Most games I've seen actually penalize you for holding units back in reserve. CM is the first game I have personally come across that actually shows you why they are nice to have. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicago Boy Posted July 29, 2000 Share Posted July 29, 2000 Great Scenario!! you are right LOS-with such a big map and so many units it really is almost operational in scope. Thanks again for the scenario, and it is just me or do those Hummels really make the paras fly high up into the air? Only Combat Mission could Carentan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Grant Posted August 2, 2000 Share Posted August 2, 2000 The Carentan Op is almost is a game in itself, many thanks. Playing as the Allied, flamethrowers have saved my butt twice, once during a night German attack on a town all of my forces were pinned down by arty while German troops advanced into the town. I raced an out of ammo scout car with a flame thrower into the to back of build and the flame thrower let go from the second floor just as the Germans were entering the building. The second time the Germans were advancing up a road and it seemed nothing (tanks, MG's, Inf) could stop the crack German troops, when a flamethrower hidden in the hedgerow let go, bye bye Germans. This is the first time I've seen flamethrowes do anything but die. Nothing stops advancing Infantry like a flamethrower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Von Brizee Posted August 2, 2000 Share Posted August 2, 2000 I am having some problems here. I played the first battle, and I killed all US tanks. On the left side, the one US group advanced down the road and I obliterated it with my infantry in the town and a sniper in their rear killed their mortars. They only had a few men left in that group. On the right the men didnt see much action. My total losses in the first battle were one gun, and 22 Infantry. The next battle in the setup I had no ground! I was pushed back to almost the edge, and I lost my towns which were my strongpoints. What gives? I even TOOk ground. I had snipers and a few FJ teams running around the US rear areas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Los Posted August 2, 2000 Share Posted August 2, 2000 Looks like you were outflanked. And the ways ops work if someone out flanks you all your hard work goes for not and you get pushed back. And yes the US forces do send their tentacles out on your flank. Unless you are agressively patrolling or established some OPs you won't notice it. Los Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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