TANKS AT PLATAMON

[john connor]

For anyone interested in the history then this site is superb - http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/WH2-21Ba-fig-WH2-21BaTit.html

The part of the official history dealing with Greece (called 'To Greece', I think) is actually written by the commander of A Company at the time, I think - McClymont. http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2Gree-f5.html

Few nice originals, from the actual time of the battle - hope they come out ok on this site:









There was definitely less LOS impeding scrub in 1941. You can see that very clearly.

The last picture was culled from a German propaganda magazine, apparently. It's genuine.

 

[john connor]

 

[john connor]

 

[john connor]

I've still only given that one order. The AI is doing a great job so far. Note the 25 pounders have now switched to bombarding the main enemy force as it reaches the bridge choke point. Nice.



The enemy armoured recon engaging C Coy is now invisible (outline only) because there's so much dust around from the arty bombards it's suffered. Maybe when the dust clears we'll see some smoke too, a burning tank? Somehow I doubt it....

 

[john connor]

Can't resist posting these images to show how well the AI does on just one order!!!! Note the new aiming points for the two arty units I have. The AI commanders have switched to target a company that has surged over the bridge and the tail of the column at the furthest crossing point. Is the AI in this game not truly amazing? Is this REALLY not that which distinguishes this game from everything else out there?

 

[john connor]

Following suggestions by Rob, I give them the order like this:

 

[john connor]

5pm. 2 hours into the battle....

 

[john connor]

At this point - having seen how C coy have done with their AT weapon - the BOYS ATR - I have to ask whether this is going to be a blood bath. 363 rounds expended and only 1 tank killed.

More significantly, C Coy will be out of ATR rounds very soon. What do I do? Leave them up there, or pull them back?

I am worried that, out of AT deterrent - such as it was - they will be decimated, or if not that, then pinned in place and bombarded. I have already lost control of their objective (Panteleemon) so I'm going to get them out, I think.



They get my withdraw orders at 17.17 (they must have radios!) and by then are completely out of ATR rounds and have requested emergency re-supply.

By the same time the Engineers, over by the Tunnel, have begun to pull back. they are my only motorised unit and I assume they will just scramble into their trucks and drive through the tunnel.



I will now reattach them to the 21 Bn HQ, with a repeat of the in-situ orders, so they stay in place. To do this I will have to lasso all units except C Coy, whom I've given separate orders to. It would be nice - a CO2 idea, perhaps - to not have to issue orders to all these units again just to re-attach a unit in situ. It would be nice to have a 're-attach in situ' button, somehow.

In fact, on second thoughts, having checked Macky's command load (max 10 [it's gone up, somehow!] and we're at 7 now) then I will leave the Engineers under my direct command. I'm worried about how re-attaching them under Macky will affect their competence to blow the tunnel, even though Macky too (and all his subordinates) have a Deny Crossing command.

 

[john connor]

I checked every enemy unit with the LOS tool - including the tanks up by C Coy. None of them have LOS to my Engineers.

 

[john connor]

 

[Daz]

This is excellent Peter !

Very informative, and entertaining as well somehow?
I must be one of them nerds as well

Love the old photos of the area, especially the one of the castle being bombarded.
I think it is only the unit closest to the bridge that gets a crack at blowing it, but the chance is increased if there is an engineer near.
I have no idea if that means it has to actually be in the same formation as the closest unit that attempts to blow the bridge, or if the game somehow just detects that an engineer is close.
Guess we will have to ask Dave that one.

Great stuff mate, keep it up

 

[john connor]

Thanks Daz. Your praise is appreciated indeed.

Do you think the Engineers themselves can't blow the Tunnel then? That would be mad.

I've just put in a feature request to have an order to blow things (not simply 'Deny' and leave it to the AI as to when).

What would you do here, then? Where would you pull back to? I'm very worried that during the night they will just slip between the lines and completely cut me off.

 

[john connor]

The BOYS Anti-Tank Rifle. The instrument on which our success hangs, I fear.....

Because it's so important, and because it's performance has up to now been appalling, I'm going to do a re-set and concentrate on just that unit (C Coy) - ignoring the rest - just to see if I can get this weapon to be more effective. I think C Coy knocked out 2 light tanks before they pulled back, at a cost of 400 rounds fired from 4 of these weapons over about 45 mins. I can't be sure they killed those tanks though - they might have just broken down on the rough ground.

 

[john connor]

 

[john connor]

 

[john connor]

17.17pm on this second run through

 

[john connor]

Just after 6pm. Caught up with first run-through now. I'll stick with this set of saves, I think.......it's going slightly better, perhaps...



The destroyed unit was engaged by both B Coy and D Coy, which seems to have intermittent LOS over the ridge from the foremost elements of its footprint (which actually reaches to the ridge line, more or less). I doubt their fire had much to do with it though. It was out in the open and both the Bn mortar and the 25 pounders bombarded it mercilessly. I guess when it says 'destroyed' that is an intel estimate based on burning wreckage and fleeing men. But I suppose in reality it will have disbanded and many men will have made it into another unit. Some materiel too, perhaps.

This is how it looked before it was 'destroyed'.



I wonder why it's shown as a foot unit, with all those trucks..... intelligence staff aren't what they used to be...

 

[john connor]

 

[john connor]

 

[john connor]