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ANOTHER NEW HISTORICAL SCENARIO: "THAT AIN'T AMERICAN"

Franko
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Franko Senior Member

Franko

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Here's a new historical scenario for you who like nasty surprises. Its an ugly night fight set during Operation Cobra. Ironically, its set in an area the French call "La Lande des Morts" or "the land of the dead". It should be available at Manx's site real soon, but I'll be happy to email it if you wish to play it right away.

THAT AIN'T AMERICAN

Location: Above St. Denis de Gast, in Normandy

Date: Evening of July 29-30, 1944

Turns: 50

Time: 4:00 a.m.

Weather: Overcast Conditions

Type: German Breakout (Assault) during Operation Cobra

After the terrific carpet bombing that preceded "Operation Cobra", the 2nd Armored Division ("Hell on Wheels") and other units pushed southwest out of St. Lo, through often dazed and bewildered German defenders. Many simply put down their arms, stunned by the tremendous pounding they had taken. Those that resisted, with few exceptions, were quickly overwhelmed by the 2nd Armored's assault. As a result, the American tankers and armored infantrymen managed to break through German lines and set up a series of defense coils around various crossroads sitting astride the German axis of retreat out of the Cherbourg peninsula. In other words, the Germans were trapped.

However, German forces, the remnants of several fighting divisions, including SS Panzergrenadiers, Fallshirmjager, the various heer units, organized themselves in a series of ad hoc columns of virtually every sort of vehicle in the German arsenal and began the march south, seeking to overwhelm the 2nd Armored and thus break out of the trap set for them by the American tankers. In the approaching darkness, the armored columns began their trek down various main roads and dirt tracks, and infantry infiltrated through any route imaginable.

The Germans thought that nighttime would give them relief from the ruthless Allied air assault. Thus, the bulk of the German troops begin to slip through during the evening of the 29th-30th, which caused a series of close, sharp, and violent shoot-outs along the 2nd Armored's front, as the American tankers and armored infantry fought to keep them from escaping. This evening would become in 2nd Armored Division lore as "Death Night".

This scenario depicts the clash that occurred above St. Denis de Gast.

Historical Sources:

Bando, Mark. "Breakout at Normandy: The 2nd Armored Division in the Land of the Dead"

Blumenson, Martin. "The Duel for France, 1944"

Forty, George. "US Army Handbook 1939-1945"

Houston, Donald E. "Hell on Wheels: The Second Armored Division"

Levevre, Eric. "Panzers in Normandy: Then and Now"

Maule, Henry. "Normandy Breakout"

1:50,000 scale topo map

Designer Notes:

1. All historic figures are marked with an "asterisk" (*).

2. Further scenario notes in each side's briefing.

3. This scenario looks particularly good with Magua's Normandy Mod

4. Although there are victory flags, the Germans primarily need to escape as many units of the South edge as possible to win.

5. The evening was extremely dark, and visibility was worsened poor due the dust of thousands of vehicles. There were some bizarre occurrences, such as Americans eating with Germans, vehicles of both sides sharing the same road at the same time, mexican standoffs as infantry blundered into each other in the blackness. This was a wierd and chaotic battle.

6. Optimized for FTC rules, but an extreme challenge -- if you use FTC/ironman rules against the A.I., you'll most likely lose. You should at least play it at "ground level", so you can try to immerse yourself in the fear that both sides suffered through.

AS ALWAYS...ENJOY!

Franko

[ 06-28-2001: Message edited by: Franko ]

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Franko Senior Member

Franko

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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by CombinedArms:

Franko,

How do you crank these extensive, deeply researched scenarios out so prolifically? It's amazing?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well, first, I own all the historical sources I use (its an expensive hobby). Second, I spend about two hours a night on scenario design (during the week), like others may watch television or whatever. It actually relaxes me. Also, I keep a gridded notepad and constantly take notes while reading my various texts. Most of the time, I work the scenario out on paper before sitting down to the computer. It doesnt take long, really.

Other scenarios in the works: Finishing up "Just Beyond Overlord"; about Point du Hoc, and the rest of my "Band of Brothers" collection. Also, doing a neat one on the 29ers assault on St. Lo..but I think thats going to be an Operation.

[ 06-28-2001: Message edited by: Franko ]

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  • 4 weeks later...
russellmz Senior Member

russellmz

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spoilers:

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not a bad scenario franko! i had some cool stuff happen, that may not match the craziness you mention, but are amusing nonetheless. and i'm only 35 turns in of 50.

o some crew got captured. later on i keep seeing it pop up at odd places. but around turn 30, i send some half tracks in a bocage encased road where they are cut up by hiding infantry and an immobilized panzer iv. but one half track survives. it sees this one crew with the words "unarmed" in its info box. THE PRISONERS HAD ESCAPED! they hop on the last half track and the half track escapes into the night...

o a truck is backing away from tanks. it goes back 3-400m to another area where i had sent a bunch of half tracks that wiped out an entire company of germans (who had no armor support) in the brush. the survivors of that massacre take their revenge on the truck, who did not even notice them.

o i sent a reinforcement of 6 shermans in a vast flanking manuever. these guys killed another company of germans who also had no armor support in a wheat field. after dealing out massive casualties, the went forward and shot up some german armor. they then went on a half track killing spree, wiping out a column of german half tracks like so many ducks in a barrel. this mirrored an earlier fight nearby where the very same german armor broke through and wiped out MY half tracks after destroying the remaining armor i had.

[ 07-23-2001: Message edited by: russellmz ]

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  • 7 months later...
sevenless Junior Member

sevenless

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Scott,

Originally posted by Scott B:

Um, Franko's post was made back in June. If you want "That Ain't American," you can get it directly from the Scenario Depot here.

Scott B.

Unfortunately not :( . Scenario depot links to the Combat Missions site wich was back then run by Manx, but the site is gone and so are the scenarios which were hosted there.

That´s why I got the idea to post into this old thread. I already mailed Franko [frankrad@pacbell.net] , but he doesn´t seem to be answering his mail :( or is unavailable at the moment, so I decided to post here, in the hope that perhaps some of the guys who frequent the board might have the scenario still on their HDs and can mail it to me smile.gif .

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