Normandy Ninjas: Sneaky Ouistreham

[GottaLove88s]

Guys,

Mike & Gort have suggested using some of our GJS'44 maps for a simple BA tournament, outside of the full campaign... which seems like a great idea to me!!

Please sign-up if you're interested in a four-map tournament, including:

1. Sword - Classic Normandy beach landing
2. Hillman - Assault/defend an inland stronghold
3. Carpiquet - Airfield assault, which is not as easy as it looks
4. Caen - Urban street fighting around a port, bridges and a castle
Battle details and approximate snapshots for each of the maps below...

Everyone plays everybody else twice, on each of the four maps, once as Germans, once as Allies, which I admit is a lot of games, but we'll take it easy so everyone gets their games in.

We will copy Gort's method of asking players to post the games that they start and their finishing results. I'll setup the four maps, balancing force selection options fairly realistically, so it should be possible for either side to win (Hillman and Carpiquet will be tough for the Allies tho).

Players please click "reply" and sign up on this thread

SWORD BEACH
Stretching for 5 miles from St Aubin sur Mer to Ouistreham, Sword beach lies 10 miles northwest of D-Day target city of Caen. Expect Rommel's asparagus, dragon's teeth, tank traps, MG nests, and fearsome 88s and Pak40s. Allies enjoy naval artillery, medic and rally. Germans can call down Fw190G-2 air cover, medic and rally.

Brits: Force selection mostly from 8th brigade, 3rd British infantry division, including 1st Bn Suffolk regiment, 2nd Bn East Yorks regiment, plus elements of 27th armoured Staffordshire Yeomanry and 41 Royal Marine commando
Germans: Force selection predominantly from 716th grenadier division (weaker coastal defence), supported by 352nd infantry division (regulars) and a vanguard of Feuchtinger's 21st panzerdivision


HILLMAN BATTERY STRONGHOLD
Two miles inland from the Sword landings, Hillman was the site of approximately 12 coastal guns, defended by extensive underground bunkers, interlocking trenches, MG nests and barbed wire. Allies enjoy naval artillery, medic and rally. Germans can call down inland artillery, medic and rally.

Brits: Force selection includes 185th brigade, 3rd British infantry division, again with its mix of 1st Bn Suffolk regiment, 2nd Bn Kings Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI), 1st Bn Royal Norfolks, MG platoon from 2nd Middlesex regiment and 27th armoured Staffordshire Yeomanry, supported by 17pdrs from 20th AT regiment
Germans: Force selection predominantly from Krug's headquarters and defence staff of 736th regiment 716th grenadier division, supported by counter-attacking elements of Feuchtinger's 21st panzerdivision


CARPIQUET AIRFIELD
A western gateway to Caen, Carpiquet airfield stood on high ground with surrounding woods. It was supposedly lightly defended by outnumbered Hitler Youth SS, but their sheer zeal, fortifications, trenches, rapid mobility through interconnected underground blockhouses and excellent radio communications cost the Canadians time and desperate losses. Allies enjoy naval bombardment from the battleship HMS Rodney, Typhoon air support and medic. Germans have access to inland artillery, medic and rally.

Canadians: Force selection from North Shore and Queens Own Rifles regiments of 8th brigade 3rd Canadian infantry division, reinforced by Royal Winnipeg Rifles, and supported by Canadian 10th armoured regiment Fort Garry Horse and 79th Armoured Division
Germans: Force selection mostly panzergrenadiers of Meyer's 12th SS Hitlerjugend panzerdivision and AA/AT of 16th Luftwaffe Field Division, with armoured support from 1st Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler division


CITY OF CAEN
Normandy's regional capital and originally a target for D-Day itself, Caen was not taken until two months later, after dogged fighting by the Germans who deployed some of their best infantry and armour reserves attempting to repel no less than eight major ground offensives, Operations Neptune, Perch, Martlet, Epsom, Windsor, Charnwood, Jupiter and Goodwood. Caen is divided into a university district, factories and warehouses, with narrow streets, ports along the Caen Canal, and the River Orne with its several bridge crossings. Caen Castle dominates. For this urban close combat, neither side has artillery support. Allies can summon Typhoon air support, medic and rally. Germans have medic and rally only.

Canadians: Force selection includes 7th and 8th brigades of 3rd Canadian infantry division, supported by 46 Royal Marine commando, with engineers, specialist tanks and flamethrowers from 79th Armoured Division
Germans: Force selection includes armour and panzergrenadiers of Feuchtinger's 21st panzerdivision, Meyer's 12th SS Hitlerjugend panzerdivision, 101st SS Heavypanzer and artillery battalions, 346th infantry division


Unit Mods are the same as for the GJS'44 campaign (because they're fun and not chopping and changing makes my life much easier... you'll enjoy, I promise! )

9. Modifications

9.1 GJS'44 employs a number of mods to the core BA game engine to enhance gameplay, and we believe, to improve realism:
9.2 Dual deploy - Both sides of the MP battle are permitted to deploy into wide deployment zones (thanks Merr)
9.3 Smokey mortars - Mortars can choose to fire smoke to temporarily hide positions from the enemy (Enric)
9.4 Swap places - Neighbouring units can swap positions (RF900)
9.41 Walking mortars - Mortars can move one space per turn (Enric, GL88)
9.42 Walking HMGs - HMGs can move two spaces per turn (Enric, GL88)
9.5 Stronger infantry - Infantry, Engineers, Paras, Waffen SS and Volksgrenadiers have 8 men (Granfali)
9.51 Stronger base morale for infantry - Volksgrenadiers begin with 100 base morale, Engineers & Scouts 175, Paras & Waffen SS 200, All Other Infantry 150 (Granfali, GL88)
9.52 Stronger base morale for specials - Tigers and Churchills begin with 125 base morale, All Other Vehicles remain at 100 (GL88)
9.53 Stronger HMGs - Heavy Machine Guns (MG42, Vickers) have 5 men (Granfali)
9.54 Stronger auxiliaries - Scouts, Panzerfaust/Piat and flamethrower teams have 4 men (Granfali)
9.55 More powerful mortars - Mortar teams have 3 men (Granfali, K9mike)
9.6 Realistic M16AA - Armour of M16AA corrected to similar to M3, from which it was derived (GL88 c/o Arminius)
9.61 Realistic firing ranges - Range of Tiger and 88 pushed to 10; Range of Panther, Firefly, 17pdr, 75mmPak40, Marder III, M10 raised to 9; other armour stays at 8 (GL88)
9.62 Recon cars - Puma and M5 have LOS of 7 (versus true scouts LOS of 8 )(GL88)

References:
Zalgoa S, D-Day Fortifications in Normandy
Bailey R, Forgotten Voices of D-Day
Hastings M, Overlord
McKee A, Caen: Anvil of Victory
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_Beach
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_for_Caen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/27th_Armoured_Brigade
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3rd_Canadi ... y_Division
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_SS_Div ... olf_Hitler
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_ ... _of_battle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Windsor
http://www.canadaatwar.ca/content-20/wo ... carpiquet/
http://battlefieldsww2.50megs.com/hillm ... gpoint.htm
http://www.normandy-sightseeing-tours.c ... sword.html
http://www.thegermanwarmachine.com/waff ... ition.aspx

[GottaLove88s]

Tournament Updates

Players
Al (Morge4)
Gilles (Leci)
John (Johntindall)
Jon (Joncorcuera)
Jon (GottaLove88s)
Mike (K9mike)

Game Results

Morge4 (Allies) v Leci (Germans) = Started =
Morge4 (Allies) v Johntindall (Germans) = ? =
Morge4 (Allies) v Joncorcuera (Germans) = Finished = German win
Morge4 (Allies) v GottaLove88s (Germans) = Finished = German win
Morge4 (Allies) v K9mike (Germans) = Finished = German win
Leci (Allies) v Morge4 (Germans) = Started =
Leci (Allies) v Johntindall (Germans) = Started =
Leci (Allies) v Joncorcuera (Germans) = Finished = German win
Leci (Allies) v GottaLove88s (Germans) = Finished = German win
Leci (Allies) v K9mike (Germans) = Finished = German win
Johntindall (Allies) v Morge4 (Germans) = Finished = Allied win
Johntindall (Allies) v Leci (Germans) = Started =
Johntindall (Allies) v Joncorcuera (Germans) = Started =
Johntindall (Allies) v GottaLove88s (Germans) = Finished = German win
Johntindall (Allies) v K9mike (Germans) = Started =
Joncorcuera (Allies) v Morge4 (Germans) = Finished = Allied win
Joncorcuera (Allies) v Leci (Germans) = Finished = Allied win
Joncorcuera (Allies) v Johntindall (Germans) = Finished = German win
Joncorcuera (Allies) v GottaLove88s (Germans) = Finished = German win
Joncorcuera (Allies) v K9mike (Germans) = Finished = German win
GottaLove88s (Allies) v Morge4 (Germans) = Finished = German win
GottaLove88s (Allies) v Leci (Germans) = Finished = Allied win
GottaLove88s (Allies) v Johntindall (Germans) = Finished = Allied win
GottaLove88s (Allies) v Joncorcuera (Germans) = Finished = German win
GottaLove88s (Allies) v K9mike (Germans) = Finished = Allied win
K9mike (Allies) v Morge4 (Germans) = Finished = Allied win
K9mike (Allies) v Leci (Germans) = Started =
K9mike (Allies) v Johntindall (Germans) = Started =
K9mike (Allies) v Joncorcuera (Germans) = Finished = German win
K9mike (Allies) v GottaLove88s (Germans) = Finished = German win

Summary

Games Finished = 21
Games Started = 8
Still to Start = 1

Morge4 - Started 9 - Finished 7 - Won 1 - Lost 6 - In Play 2 - Win/Loss ratio 0.2x
Leci - Started 10 - Finished 5 - Won 0 - Lost 5 - In Play 5 - Win/Loss ratio 0.0x
Johntindall - Started 9 - Finished 4 - Won 2 - Lost 2 - In Play 5 - Win/Loss ratio 1.0x
Joncorcuera - Started 10 - Finished 9 - Won 6 - Lost 3 - In Play 1 - Win/Loss ratio 2.0x
GottaLove88s - Started 10 - Finished 10 - Won 8 - Lost 2 - In Play 0 - Win/Loss ratio 4.0x
K9mike - Started 10 - Finished 7 - Won 4 - Lost 3 - In Play 3 - Win/Loss ratio 1.3x

German wins = 14
Allied wins = 7
German:Allied win ratio = 2.0x

Joining us at the next round
Arcticpost
Jcb989

[leci]

Hi Jon - good stuff. Sign me up. Thanks

[gortwillsaveus]

Guys,

Mike & Gort have suggested using some of our GJS'44 maps for a simple BA tournament, outside of the full campaign... which seems like a great idea to me!!

Actually,...I suggested that if we did create a mini-campaign with GJS,...that the default Battle Academy Morale be used. The nonsense of modifying morale to a point where troops are capable of having 230+ morale,..is just that, nonsense,....why not 350 morale.

And I also want to use the BA default troop sizes,....having a 6-man mortar team is ridiculous,..again,..why not make it a 10-man team,..no 20-man. Or having a Heavy MG that can move a couple of spaces and fire is ridiculous.

However, I'm okay with the following mods:
- Smoke for tanks and engineers
- Engineers can remove tank traps after 2-3-turns
- Troop swap in position,...but only if they're not allowed to fire after the swap.
- Mortar and Light MG can either move one space but not fire,..or fire but not move.
- Heavy MGs can not move, in and of themselves!!! BA Defaults. (Read: They must be transported)
- Must use BA's default Troop sizes!!! Don't muck around with something that works!!
- Must use BA's default Morale!!! Don't muck around with something that works!!

Look,..as you can see, I'm okay with some changes that make a lot of sense.
However,....once you start trying to balance a game by mucking with the troop sizes,..then you have to modify the morale for the other side.
It's like trying to trim a moustache with one eye closed,...you trim one side, look in the mirror,..trim the other side,...and back and forth until you have nothing but a mess!

There's a few BA default maps that initially seem unbalanced and impossible for one side to win. That is unless that side uses solid tactics.
A lot of people think the Allies cannot win the Christmas Surprise scenario,...or the Germans can't win Desert Fort.
Not true! They can win,..but you had sure better use great tactics.
If you try and modify those two scenarios,..you'll throw it all out of whack,..and then it'll be the other side that find it impossible to win.

So,..if this tournament will use these settings then I'm in,...otherwise it's a resounding no.

[GottaLove88s]

Guys,

Mike & Gort have suggested using some of our GJS'44 maps for a simple BA tournament, outside of the full campaign... which seems like a great idea to me!!

Actually,...I suggested that if we did create a mini-campaign with GJS,...that the default Battle Academy Morale be used. The nonsense of modifying morale to a point where troops are capable of having 230+ morale,..is just that, nonsense,....why not 350 morale.

And I also want to use the BA default troop sizes,....having a 6-man mortar team is ridiculous,..again,..why not make it a 10-man team,..no 20-man. Or having a Heavy MG that can move a couple of spaces and fire is ridiculous.

However, I'm okay with the following mods:
- Smoke for tanks and engineers
- Engineers can remove tank traps after 2-3-turns
- Troop swap in position,...but only if they're not allowed to fire after the swap.
- Mortar and Light MG can either move one space but not fire,..or fire but not move.
- Heavy MGs can not move, in and of themselves!!! BA Defaults. (Read: They must be transported)
- Must use BA's default Troop sizes!!! Don't muck around with something that works!!
- Must use BA's default Morale!!! Don't muck around with something that works!!

Look,..as you can see, I'm okay with some changes that make a lot of sense.
However,....once you start trying to balance a game by mucking with the troop sizes,..then you have to modify the morale for the other side.
It's like trying to trim a moustache with one eye closed,...you trim one side, look in the mirror,..trim the other side,...and back and forth until you have nothing but a mess!

There's a few BA default maps that initially seem unbalanced and impossible for one side to win. That is unless that side uses solid tactics.
A lot of people think the Allies cannot win the Christmas Surprise scenario,...or the Germans can't win Desert Fort.
Not true! They can win,..but you had sure better use great tactics.
If you try and modify those two scenarios,..you'll throw it all out of whack,..and then it'll be the other side that find it impossible to win.

So,..if this tournament will use these settings then I'm in,...otherwise it's a resounding no.

Hey Gort, Shall we PM so we don't get into discussions on "nonsense" that carry risks of everyone jumping in with different opinions and nobody being happy... This sounds awfully familiar, lol...

Let's step back a minute to GJS original... You'll remember that infantry died very quickly in GJS original... So Granfali imaginatively increased infantry sizes to 8-men, HMGs to 5-men, scouts to 4-men, etc, in order to give the little guys a chance to actually be carried over in the campaign... To be honest, I have no idea why Granfali chose those strengths, rather than your suggestions of 10-men or 20-men, but it was after he did quite a lot of testing, and you and the rest of us seemed to feel that Granfali's new strengths played better at the time. I still feel that to be true...

And then, when you, me and the rest of the original GJS guys agreed that our grunts were still dying too easily, Granfali reduced the suppression point for infantry from 50 to 0... Unfortunately, you missed the early discussions on GJS'44, so you missed the rationale that adding +50 to base morale for infantry, achieves exactly the same effect as Granfali lowering the suppression point for the GJS campaign that we all played together (but changing base morale rather than suppression points is less messy for BA's game engine to handle)... You'll know that BA sets base morale for paras/SS at 125, higher than for regular infantry at 100... So, in "normal" BA it takes a -75 drop in morale to suppress a para/SS (from 125 to 50) versus a -50 drop in morale to suppress other infantry (from 100 to 50), ie. a 75:50 ratio... When we copied Granfali's +50 morale across all infantry, we pushed a para/SS to a -150 drop to achieve suppression (from 200 to 50) versus a -100 drop to achieve suppression for infantry (from 150 to 50), ie. keeping that 75:50 ratio the same.

Over the past year, quite a few mods have been added to make BA more realistic/fun; rf900 & I wanted to add merge/swap movements, enric & I decided to figure out how to enable mortars and HMGs to "walk", enric developed his awesome smoke and engineers mods...

MG42 teams could carry their weapons... I'm sure you know what I mean, but I've dropped in a photo so you can visualise easily... Sure they probably didn't run as fast or as far as regular infantry, but a halftrack wasn't mandatory for short distance relocations... Realistically, could the fellow in the photo carry his weapon 100 yards, and then fire it with the help of another grenadier? I need to do more research, to hunt down some German source material that describes them doing (or not being able to do) this, to be 100% sure, but my belief is that it's no less likely than a scout team running a full 5 squares (half a kilometre?) and then firing (which BA currently lets them do).



Are you willing to meet halfway on this?

- Reset troop numbers to BA defaults (these were increased to improve carryover for a lengthy campaign, so smaller teams don't matter for non-carryover tourneys)
- Keep range and armour fixes (BA has got them wrong for things like M16AA, and having a Tiger/88 with same firing range as a Sherman is silly)
- Keep walking mortars and HMGs (mortars to only 1 square; HMGs to only 2 and never in hunt mode; mortars cannot move and fire but HMGs can, because that feels realistic within the balance of what BA permits other units to do)
- Keep unit swap (we need to do some negotiation here; if an infantryman swaps place with another infantryman, and both consume moves, shouldn't he be allowed to fire?)
- Add back rf900's latest version of unit merge (which we took out of the GJS'44 campaign but would be genuinely useful when playing good players in non-campaign games)
- Hmmm, morale. I genuinely feel that paras/SS should have morale advantages over conscript infantry, and that BA's ratio is about right, but given that Granfali moved suppression points to improve a carryover campaign, and we just copied that, I don't have a problem resetting morale to plain vanilla BA for a non-carryover tourney

I reeeeeeally want to just play without starting an open debate, so let's PM to see if we can find a meeting of minds?
If I can't make you happy on enough of your list, I understand that you won't want to play this one.
Thanks for your ideas Gort. As always, they're very welcome...

[gortwillsaveus]

You're trying to make this game ultra realistic,..and support your arguments with Rules and such.
This game isn't mean to be 100% realistic nor have pages of Rules.
This should be and is, a game where you don't need to read a rule book.
As I said,...BA has done a good job of maintaining balance and also keeping the game aspect of it fun.
I respect the fact that this is your modified tournament,..and like Burger King,..."you can have it your way".
However,..all the changes you described,...in my honest opinion,...don't make the game fun,..it makes it tedious and frustrating.

And for that reason, I'm out. (and you'll get what you want,....no more discussion from me)

[GottaLove88s]

You're trying to make this game ultra realistic,..and support your arguments with Rules and such.
This game isn't mean to be 100% realistic nor have pages of Rules.
This should be and is, a game where you don't need to read a rule book.
As I said,...BA has done a good job of maintaining balance and also keeping the game aspect of it fun.
I respect the fact that this is your modified tournament,..and like Burger King,..."you can have it your way".
However,..all the changes you described,...in my honest opinion,...don't make the game fun,..it makes it tedious and frustrating.

And for that reason, I'm out. (and you'll get what you want,....no more discussion from me)

Hehe, thanks Gort, I guess you and I just have different ways we like our burgers... so your Burger King example is funny but apt, lol.
I've PM'ed you because am happy to discuss, if you'd like to. Just not hugely keen to start a new open debate (I'm sure you'll understand why ).
Apparently we just like different mods. You're happy to let some in, and I want to use others.
My list looks slightly different to yours above, and we both have reasons we like 'em that way.
What's great is that as the BA mod community develops stuff, the best gradually gets adopted into plain vanilla BA, so I'm sure we'll see M16AA fixed, and swap/merge in BA2 over time.
Maybe even active engineers... I sure hope so...
But thanks again Gort... and no worries...

[GottaLove88s]

Just to clarify for everyone... the 4-Map D-Day Tourney is a simple tournament... it's not like the full GJS'44 campaign, so don't worry, no rules!!
Just turn up and play two games on each map... Play hard, learn from your opponents, have fun, try to win...

[morge4]

sign me up

[k9mike]

Jon, as per PM..I'm in.

[GottaLove88s]

Jon, as per PM..I'm in.

sign me up

Hi Jon - good stuff. Sign me up. Thanks

Thanks Guys, You're all in. Johntindall (a sneaky Australian who bust my ass in Caen!) is joining us...

[GottaLove88s]

5 of us to play...
Al - Morge4 (US)
Gilles - Leci (UK)
John - Johntindall (AU)
Jon - Gottalove88s (ID right now)
Mike - K9mike (US)

Thanks everyone... I'll setup our first map, Sword, as per the historical blurb above, later tonight...
Each of us plays each of our opponents twice, once as Allies, once as Germans (it's a lot of games, but you'll be able to storm a beach in your sleep, when you're done! )

[leci]

The MG42 weighed between 11.5 to 30kg, depending upon which tripod was used ie in light or heavy role. The teams were primarily based on 3 or 6 members. Probably the greatest limiting factor was the ammunition required given the high cyclic rate of fire that was expended hence expanded teams.

Certainly, in the 'light' role, the MG42 team were part of an infantry advance and associated actions - this is logical, certainly in an offensive situation otherwise the MG42 team would be to the rear of the advancing 'rifle' squads and therefore not able to employ their firepower, unless on the flanks of the advance. However partly due to tactical evolution and lessons learnt during Barbarossa, by 1944, MG42 deployment was assigned to fixed role teams.

Jon: I have emailed you an interesting link (covering US Intelligence reports across WWII). The actual page link looks at German unit structures, but an obvious link leads to all the reports.

Gilles

[GottaLove88s]

The MG42 weighed between 11.5 to 30kg, depending upon which tripod was used ie in light or heavy role. The teams were primarily based on 3 or 6 members. Probably the greatest limiting factor was the ammunition required given the high cyclic rate of fire that was expended hence expanded teams.

Certainly, in the 'light' role, the MG42 team were part of an infantry advance and associated actions - this is logical, certainly in an offensive situation otherwise the MG42 team would be to the rear of the advancing 'rifle' squads and therefore not able to employ their firepower, unless on the flanks of the advance. However partly due to tactical evolution and lessons learnt during Barbarossa, by 1944, MG42 deployment was assigned to fixed role teams.

Jon: I have emailed you an interesting link (covering US Intelligence reports across WWII). The actual page link looks at German unit structures, but an obvious link leads to all the reports.

Gilles

Thanks for the helpful info, Leci. Good point on the ammo too.
With its devastating 1,500rpm rate, the MG42 must have wolfed it down!

Pls would you email that link again. For some reason, I can't find it? It would be great to have access to those US intel reports.

[leci]

http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/ttt0 ... iment.html

And the wider set of intel reports:

http://www.lonesentry.com/intelbulletin/tt_trends.html

Actually, via all the onsite links, an amazing resource, particularly as all the documents including training manuals, bulletins, captured documents, 'sources' etc are contemporary as they were written at the time.

Gilles

[k9mike]

Jon, do you have a DL link yet for the campaign?

[leci]

A US intel report from 1944 re tanks:


BRITISH COMMENTS ON GERMAN USE OF TANKS
In the Intelligence Bulletin, Vol. I, No. 11, pp. 53-54, there appeared a translation of a Fifth Panzer Army order signed by Lt. Gen. Gustav von Vaerst, listing "ten commandments" for the employment of tanks. This month the Intelligence Bulletin again publishes a translation of these "commandments," and adds appropriate comments by GHQ, Middle East Forces, based on a report by an experienced armored force officer.

First, the German order:

1. The tank is a decisive combat weapon. Therefore, its employment should be limited to the "main effort" in suitable terrain.

2. The tank is not an individual fighting weapon. The smallest tank unit is the platoon, and, for more important missions, the company.

3. The tank is not an infantry support weapon. It breaks into, and through, the opposition's line, and the infantry follows it closely.

4. The tank can take and clear terrain, but it cannot hold it. The latter is the mission of the infantry, supported by infantry heavy weapons, antitank guns, and artillery.

5. The tank is not to be employed as artillery to fight the enemy from a single position for an extended period. While fighting, the tank is almost constantly in motion, halting briefly to fire.

6. The mission of the infantry is to neutralize hostile antitank weapons, and to follow the tank attack closely so as to exploit completely the force and morale effect of that attack.

7. The mission of the artillery is to support the tank attack by fire, to destroy hostile artillery, and to follow closely the rapidly advancing tank attack. The main task of the artillery support is continuous flank protection.

8. The task of the tank destroyers ("Ferdinands" or other self-propelled mounts equipped with high-velocity weapons) is to follow the tank attack closely, and to get into the battle promptly when tank fights tank.

9. The mission of the combat engineers is to open gaps in minefields--under tank, infantry, and artillery protection--and thereby enable the tank attack to continue.

10. At night, when tanks are blind and deaf, it is the mission of the infantry to protect them.

And now the comments by GHQ, British Middle East Forces:

It is considered that, with the exception of Nos. 2 and 3, these "commandments" are sound common sense, based on fundamental principles.

Number 2 is interesting, however, since it reflects the opinions of von Arnim, von Thoma, and Stumme (all now prisoners of war), who fought in Russia, where they acquired the habit of using their tanks in "penny packets." A platoon consists of five tanks, and a company consists of 17 Pz. Kw. 3's, 18 Pz. Kw. 4's. or 8 Pz. Kw. 6's. Rommel would never have agreed to the company being split, and would normally have preferred to use the battalion, or even the regiment, as the unit of attack, just as we [the British] ourselves would.

Number 3 is debatable. Against weak antitank defense and no mines, this method would be effective. However the action at Medenine, in the Mareth line area, and all action after that showed that we are as well equipped with antitank guns as the Germans are. Because of this, the Germans will be compelled to rewrite their No. 3 "commandment" and use their tanks much as our Eighth Army has been doing recently.

[GottaLove88s]

Our first match, Sword, is ready to play...

Both sides start with 32 units (there's no force selection and no random reinforcement, so everybody gets the same; it's all down to positioning and tactics).
Both sides can deploy pretty much anywhere that's logical (Germans in the bunkers or behind the hedgerows; Brits most places on the beach).

5 VP flags, 20 turns.
Holder of most flags at the end, wins the game.

How to download the GJS'44 maps into Battle Academy

Ok guys,

1. Run BA on your Mac, PC or iPad
2. If you do not already have GJS'44 v1.21 Tournaments on your system, skip ahead to Step 8
3. Choose Multiplayer (at the bottom)
4. Log in to Multiplayer as usual
5. Choose the My Challenges tab (at the top) then press New Challenge
6. Select a GJS'44 Open Tourney scenario and then Delete Campaign (bottom right)
7. Press X until you get back to BA start screen
8. Choose Campaigns (at the bottom)
9. Choose Download Community Scenarios (at the top)
10. Choose Download a Campaign Package from the Internet (top right)
11. Type http://bit.ly/gjs44tourney into the URL box
12. Click the green tick
13. Back at the campaigns list, select "GJS44 v1.21 Tournament" and click Download the Selected Campaign (bottom centre)
14. This should download everything that you need
15. Press X until you get back to the BA start screen and choose Multiplayer
16. Log in to Multiplayer as usual
17. Either go to the My Challenges tab and click the New Challenge arrow. This list will now show the GJS'44 v1.21 Tournament Scenarios... GJS'44 Open Tourney: Sword
18. Or go to the Accept Challenges tab and click the scenario that you're supposed to be fighting (if your opponent has already setup your game)

After all that, you can play GJS'44 on any platform... Phew!!

Totally awesome instructional vid by fellow gamer IDjester, explaining how to download and setup GJS'44... Thanks mate. Nice!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvykITr5F1k

[GottaLove88s]

Al, Gilles, John & Mike,
I've posted four Allied games, and four Axis games, all with password "shield"...
Ready to hit la plage?

[joncorcuera]

Is it steell posible to sign for this Games? If is posible count with me.
Sounds great.
Jon