The Battle of Capracotta - CMFI QB campaign

[Rico]

I think this map might be a bit bonkers ... it'll be as hard to defend as to attack... LOL

It's an adapted map from my previous Heraklion campaign from 2016 where we had the RAF attack the Flak positions on the airfield and then British paratroopers landing all over the place trying to capture the place.

 

[Concord]

Time to wade in there and each of you take turns adding things like gun pits, AA installations with trenches, some gasoline storage facilities, a secondary base to house the Luftwaffe airfield security company, a communications trench covered in trees for camo, some security buildings on the perimeter, and a big pile of garbage and plane debris. And a secret installation in a newly created forest, where the SS are trying to make zombie demon soldiers. Mmmk? :shocknaz:

Or I can do it...here, hold my beer.

 

[Rico]

Time to wade in there and each of you take turns adding things like gun pits, AA installations with trenches, some gasoline storage facilities, a secondary base to house the Luftwaffe airfield security company, a communications trench covered in trees for camo, some security buildings on the perimeter, and a big pile of garbage and plane debris. And a secret installation in a newly created forest, where the SS are trying to make zombie demon soldiers. Mmmk? :shocknaz:

Or I can do it...here, hold my beer.

Unfortunately, this is a quick battle ... the original scenario (set in Sept 1943) had flak positions with trenches and bunkers on the perimeter and bunker security posts at the gates ... there are a fuel and an ammo dump... plane wrecks would have been nice ... my guessing this one has been abandoned by now, it being July 1944 in this campaign.

Perimeter light Flak positions...





The airfield entrance ... with burning vehicles in background and craters from the RAF bombing.



The control tower and HQ complex.



Pity I can't insert all of that into the QB

 

[fabishd]

I think this map might be a bit bonkers ... it'll be as hard to defend as to attack... LOL

It's an adapted map from my previous Heraklion campaign from 2016 where we had the RAF attack the Flak positions on the airfield and then British paratroopers landing all over the place trying to capture the place.

I remember this well. I did not fight the battle but I remember the results of the battle.

 

[Paleolithic Monk]

American mechanized infantry begins their assault on Corvino airfield. The 4 story control tower has been a priority target and is getting hammered with MG and direct fire. Note the smoke screen at the hill in the background. Identified as a very possible German overlook position, smoke and mortars have been targeting it.

 

[Paleolithic Monk]

A long distance tank dual at Corvino airfield. M4 vs. Panther! Managed to get a hit on the big cat, but after two hits on my Sherman, the crew bailed. Note the control tower is now a 3 story building, lol.


Mechanized infantry hitting the German defenders from the flank.

 

[Rico]

The daring flank attack by @Paleolithic Monk with Armoured Infantry working out pretty well for the Allies, although it's been costly in destroyed halftracks ... for once good work by a PAK crew.



At least new patch update has my infantry not abandoning their foxholes at the first enemy rounds whizzing past ... but MG's still don't seem to hit much of anything (maybe it's just fog of war and I can't see the results of their fire)

 

[Bulletpoint]

At least new patch update has my infantry not abandoning their foxholes at the first enemy rounds whizzing past ... but MG's still don't seem to hit much of anything (maybe it's just fog of war and I can't see the results of their fire)

I suspect German MGs were made less powerful in a recent patch. And I think it might have been because of clumsy wording in a bug report.

The issue was that the Bren gun was only firing single shots. For some weird reason, this was reported as "MG42 LMG is 258% more lethal than the Bren LMG and the B.A.R. ".

This made it seem like the problem was the LMG. But the issue was not that the MG42 was too strong, but that the Bren was bugged.

Just a hunch I have. I can't prove this was what happened. @Drifter Man probably could, if he wanted to do a short test run and compare the numbers to the old MG42 test he made.

 

[Drifter Man]

Just a hunch I have. I can't prove this was what happened. @Drifter Man probably could, if he wanted to do a short test run and compare the numbers to the old MG42 test he made.

I did my tests in CMBN only, but I can say that the MG42 (LMG) appears to be unchanged in 4.02 compared to 4.00. Only at 320 m (the maximum I've tested) there seems to be a slight reduction.
Bren is unchanged up to 150 m (where it switched to single shots in 4.00). Above 150 m, changing to automatic fire in 4.02 made it about twice as effective as in 4.00.
At long ranges, the MG42 used to be about 3x more lethal than Bren or B.A.R. Now it is about 1.5x more lethal than Bren and 2x than B.A.R.

 

[Bulletpoint]

I guess the jury is still out then. My impression is that the MG42 has been dialled down at longer ranges mostly. 300m+. I used to think that the ideal engagement range would be 400m for the MG (out of rifle range and still decent lethality for the MG) but now I think of the LMG as a kind of firepower booster for the rifles, at their engagement range (0-300m).

 

[Rico]

I guess the jury is still out then. My impression is that the MG42 has been dialled down at longer ranges mostly. 300m+. I used to think that the ideal engagement range would be 400m for the MG (out of rifle range and still decent lethality for the MG) but now I think of the LMG as a kind of firepower booster for the rifles, at their engagement range (0-300m).

300 metres?... hahahaha ... they can't even hit a squad running through an open field at 40 metres with clear LOS.

Anyway ... I have no doubt it will only be a speedbump battle and I will probably overrun ... once the 60mm US supermortars do their work (foxholes offer just about zero protection against them and heavy MG's are dead once spotted) and the hordes of cheap US infantry just can run at me over the open terrain with pretty much impunity as aforesaid LMG's are useless.

Curious to see how much damage I can inflict along the way.

 

[Bulletpoint]

once the 60mm US supermortars do their work (foxholes offer just about zero protection against them)

Foxholes only offer protection if you HIDE in them. I tested this out.

Edit: At least against larger artillery. My test was conducted with 105's. It could be that the larger blast wave negates the foxholes better than the small 60mm mortars.

The important point is that "cowering" is not the same as "hiding". Even though it seems like in both cases, they keep their heads down. My test found nearly NO difference in casualties between being in a foxhole and being in the open, if NOT hiding.

 

[Paleolithic Monk]

The battle rages on at Corvino airfield.
This team is forced to take cover from the Panther firing a HE round at them.


Taking out a "squirter" as he was making for cover.


The battle for Veroli begins. PVT Eisler, team leader of C team, 3rd Squad watches as the opening friendly mortar rounds hit the treeline.

 

[Rico]

Fallschirmjager dug in at the battle for VEROLI ... the "happy time"before the Allied "Ãœber-mortars" obliterate everything again.

 

[Bulletpoint]

Fallschirmjager dug in at the battle for VEROLI ... the "happy time"before the Allied "Ãœber-mortars" obliterate everything again.

View attachment 20173

Try hiding them when you see spotting rounds come in.

 

[Paleolithic Monk]

I don't consider the mortars as super weapons. At the airfield, I fired linear missions along suspected hiding spots and areas that gave you a tactical advantage. Then I moved my mortar teams forward to get a line of sight to targets. My mortars then conducted direct lay missions. I've been banging away at that Pak in the corner for 4 something turns now. Must have expended 30 or so rounds and it still looks functional.

 

[Paleolithic Monk]

Here's what I can see as effects from my mortar attack on the Pak at the airfield. I counted 38 craters. Less than 8% of the mortar rounds could have caused causalities or damaged the gun. That doesn't include tree bursts, not sure if they leave a crater or not. As far as I know that gun is still operational.

 

[Bulletpoint]

That doesn't include tree bursts, not sure if they leave a crater or not.

Only if the shell hits the tree very low on the trunk, so that the explosion is very close to the ground.

 

[Bulletpoint]

Also, this brings up another question: Do foxholes protect AT guns or their crews? I have a hunch that you need a trench for those.

 

[Rico]

I don't consider the mortars as super weapons. At the airfield, I fired linear missions along suspected hiding spots and areas that gave you a tactical advantage. Then I moved my mortar teams forward to get a line of sight to targets. My mortars then conducted direct lay missions. I've been banging away at that Pak in the corner for 4 something turns now. Must have expended 30 or so rounds and it still looks functional.

That's only because you're not on the receiving end ... any of my positions (foxholes or not) that get spotted with LOS to one of your mortars at decent range gets obliterated within 2 or 3 turns max.
(usually the LMG gunner is first casualty as well)

The PAK is just unusually lucky ... maybe because of the long ranges (and possibly lots of dust kicked up) most mortar rounds falling to left of it -- although it's down to only one crew member not KIA or wounded.
(the other PAK got killed off without getting off a single shot)

Those survivors did manage to score a lucky hit this turn on something that made a gratifyingly big BOOM in the far distance.