Battle for Caen scenario - Shutting the Trap

[Bie]

Continuing my work on the scenario pack. This time I'll create the cancelled Operation Wild Oats. This was supposed to be part of Operation Perch, where the 1st Airborne Division would drop somewhere in between Cagny and Evrecy in order to stop anyone from leaving Caen. Basically 7th Armoured Div would have had to punch through Tilly-sur-Seulles/Villers-Bocage (right Pincer) and the 51st Infantry Div would have had to punch through to Cagny (left Pincer) to meet the 1st Airborne in the middle. Neither of the pincers worked out, so the operation was scrapped. Still, an interesting premise for a scenario I think and I'm going to give it a shot.

Information about the planning of this operation is just about non existent and as it didn't happen in reality there is lots of room for me to experiment. Though, if anyone has any information about Operation Wild Oats, be sure to let me know. Anything might help.

For the moment I'm thinking of including the following units:
- Allies: 1st Airborne Div and parts of 7th Armoured Div and 51st Infantry Div
- Axis: Parts of 21st Panzer Div and 12th SS Panzer Div as well as Werfer Brigade 7

The map is about done. Check it out.

 

[john connor]

I can't wait to properly play all these great scenarios, Bie. I hope the next build is coming soon...

 

[Dave 'Arjuna' O'Connor]

Well the good news is that autotesting just finished and every scenario played reached the end. My laptop gone through five scenarios and my dev machine four. So that's encouraging. Tomorrow I'll be analysing casualty rates to see if I need to tweak the fire routines. Then I need to convert all the data files. That will take some time. But we're close.

 

[john connor]

Great, Dave, though maybe now you'll get the build done just in time for the two week christmas break, during which I will be away in Finland and, sadly, unable to test anything...But you'll be having a holiday too, no doubt?

 

[Bie]

Looking at the original Lagekarte of the of Lage West I've come across something interesting.

Here the Germans' point of view around Caen on 11th June 1944. Notice the red parachute symbol to the around the 21st Panzer Division. They must have somehow anticipated or gotten intelligence that there was an airborne operation in the works to the south of Caen.


Now lets look at the Lagekarte for the next day: some of the German units have moved, but most notable is the crossed out parachute symbol. Which leads me to believe that the German command would have ruled out an airborne drop on 12th June 1944. By then the Allies would have scrapped Operation Wild Oats as well. Interesting information for my scenario.


I was thinking of letting my scenario start during the night of the 12th/13th June. Both pincers will arrive on both flanks somewhere on the 14th. So the player will have to hold out with his airborne troops at least a day before he will get some reinforcements. In the meantime the Germans will initially mostly have support troops as I'm guessing most of their line troops are on the frontline.

 

[Bie]

I'm just about done with this scenario and testing the AI and objectives. Due to its limited scope in time, area and units this proves to be a fast little scenario. I'm very satisfied with how my first hypothetical scenario turned out.

Just for fun I've added a "Favour Axis" reinforcement option for the Allies where the reinforcements of the 7th Armoured and 51st Infantry are delayed or won't even show up (as it would have happened in reality if the operation wasn't cancelled).

For the moment I'm still sorting out the exit objectives for the Axis and I should be done with the scenario.

 

[col.sanders]

Awesome Bie,I can't keep up with You that's ok tho really like Your work ,this one looks like a good one as well.

 

[Bie]

The Shutting the Trap scenario has been released and included in the Battle for Caen scenario pack. A graphic overview of the scenario will follow later on the resource overview page.

 

[J. van Limpt]

Much appreciated, Bie, especiall with the Christmas Holidays in sight. Love your Caen scenarios.