Update: Calais.1944.Campaign.scn Diary

[Ocito80]

Update on Calais'44 campaign scenario: The 15th Army OOB begins to take shape, with about 50% constructed presently. Also, started gathering information on defenses and gun placements along the coastal areas and inland. I think initial placement can begin on Monday followed by working out a reinforcement schedule. Then work on the allies reinforcement schedule. The F40 map is pretty solid for what I have planned. Should make for a refreshingly new use of the F40 game map.

I figured out how to create sub-maps, so the map should be 15-20% smaller than the original.

[Ocito80]

Quick question, are the dates available for scenario design hardcoded, or am I missing something? For instance, Tunisia43 I can set anytime during WW2, however in France40 I only have the year 1940 as an option.

[Ricky B]

They are limited in the editors in some way. I believe you can use a text editor, such as Notepad, to edit scenario dates to what you want, but it has been years since I did that so I am not positive.

Rick

[Ocito80]

I appreciate the idea, and from the look of it you may be spot on. I may be able to manipulate the scenario (.scn) file via note pad and achieve this.

[Ocito80]

Update:
1. 15th Army placed with as close to historical accuracy as I could get.
2. German captured equipment names changed to the german nomenclature.
3. Coastal defenses placed, including many coastal Artillery batteries.
4. HQs setup with commanders, but lacking images at present.
5. 1st SS Pz.Div and 2nd Pz.Div OOB primed for placement onto the map at historical location.
6. OOB cleaned up to my tastes, removing some of the Normandy OOB feel.


Setting - work in progress

Operation fortitude was a fake 3rd Army Group and was actual cover for Patton's 3rd Army. Stationed around Plymouth, helped to keep the German 7th Army and Panzer Reserves guessing about Normandy. Concrete and attention was split between Pas-de-calais and Normandy. Army Group B OOB remains intact with no structural changes and or additions.

It was the intent of overwhelming Allied forces would wash over the German defenders at the coast-line before reserves could be brought up. Airborne forces would land ahead of time with the task of cutting off the coastline and squeezing the pocket until it folded. Inland minefields may make this a little messy for those airborne forces.

Patton's 3rd Army would land east of Dunkirk and race for Antwerp. With the 1st Army landing around Calais and Dunkirk proceeding to mop up and protect Patton's flank by pushing inland towards Lille. The British and Canadian armies will land on the beaches to the west between Boulogne and Berck, driving south towards Abbeville and Amiens, attempting to block Axis mobile reserves from Northern and Central France.

Main VP locations
1. Invasion Beach areas
2. Abbeville-Amiens region (destroy those dreaded V1/V2 launch sites)
3. Antwerp area
4. Area near Givet (assembly area for V3 launch platforms)
5. And other misc locations as needed.

Ongoing work
1. Axis and Allies reinforcement schedule. I want to place added attention here, especially for Axis.
2. Troop quality for units of the German 15th Army. I modeled much of it off the forces in Normandy.
3. Obtaining images for various unit portraits.
4. Supply considerations
5. Obtaining information on any smaller german formations in the region (flak, security etc.) and if any units originally sent to Normandy from Germany that did not arrive in time, but however could have arrived at Pas-de-calais in the time given.

As always, thanks for reading. Hopefully you're interests is peeked, and feel free to make any suggestions.

Atheory

[Ocito80]

Update:
1.) Allied OOB reworked a little, giving Patton's 3rd Army the VII Corps. Attempting to maintain the original invasion forces for June 6th as much as possible.
2. German defenses, particularly battery locations adjusted given the availability of more accurate information.
3. 1st SS and 2nd Pz Divisions placed on map.
4. Abschnitt Antwerp, or the 136.ID.zbV constituted and placed.


Thanks
Atheory

[Ocito80]

This is my tentative reinforcement schedule. Wouldn't mind input from the peanut gallery. Are the arrival dates off, unrealistic, reasonable. Suggestions and if I'm missing any other large units. Some allied units missing, these are ones I know landed on June6 and were omitted from the list.
The date signifies the divisions arrival, it does not meant the entire division will pop up all at once though. Note for german reinforcements these are arrival times to the pas-de-calais area. Most will arrive via abbeville and Amiens road networks.

Reinforcement Schedule
American
79ID (june12) 83ID(June18) 90ID(June6-10)
8th ID (july4) 7AD(Aug13) 2ID(June7)
2AD(June9) 4AD(July11) 28ID(July22)
30ID(June11) 35ID(July5) 80ID(Aug5)
5ID(July9) 3AD(June24) 79ID(June12)
5AD(July24) 6AD(July25)

British
11AD(June13) 15ID(June14) 43ID(June20)
GdsArm(June13) 53ID(June28) 59ID(June26)
7AD(June7) 49ID(June9) 50ID(June6)
79AD(June6) 2CNd(July6) 3CNd(June6)
4CNd(July10) 51ID(June7) 1PolDiv(July28)

Germans
85ID(June7) Schn.Bde(June8) 12SS(june7)
PLehr(June9) 17SS(june13) 3FJd(June15
77ID(June11) 346ID(June12) 2SS(June18)
353ID(June20) 276ID(June22) 5FJD(June24)
9SS(June27) 10SS(June29) 91LL(July1)
116Pz(July20) 30SchBde(July2) 16LW(June15)
9PzD(Aug6)

[Ocito80]

Ran into a little issue, perhaps someone knows the solution. I created the American, Canadian and British AB units for my scenario, which are not organic to the France40 game, but I cannot get their square unit boxes to show up on the map. The units appear with their appropriate symbol (engineer, artillery, armor etc.) but the square unit box that symbol sits in does not.

Anyone know why, or how to get fix this?

UPDATED: problem solved

[Kool Kat]

Hey Atheory:  

A couple of observations on this thread...

(1.) If you want folks to provide you feedback - you may wish to re frame from the use of "peanut gallery" to describe them?

(2.) Do the hard work upfront yourself - flesh out the OOBs, unit strengths, reinforcement schedules, objectives, etc. Get a working and playable scenario developed. Then send out requests for play testers. Gather players' feedback and comments after folks have played a few test games with your design. Don't expect folks to do your research for you. 

For example - Your asking players to comment on your proposed reinforcement schedule. Without an individual doing extensive research on the D-Day OOBs and weighing the 'actual' versus 'potential' arrival dates of various units, looking at factors such as number of transport available to a unit, delays associated with enemy air interdiction, marshaling areas for the units, etc.  - how the heck would anyone know that answer?

Again, IMO you are approaching this scenario development from the "wrong side" and you may wish to re-consider your approach here.

[Ocito80]

I appreciate the bullet points Kool Kat.

1) Peanut gallery is an endearing term, perhaps not best expressed via text. I use it for people looking in from the outside, which you all are technically :)

2) I do the work, with no expectation of input from others. I recently published the first version of two other ones, a Tunisia and Sicily scenario. All I have done is merely open the door for others to contribute it they so choose. I do not stop my work waiting for responses for as I stated previously I have no expectations of those materializing.

This thread has morphed into a diary as well, of my progress, which helps me. If such a thread is confusing and unwanted, which by the contributors thus far of this thread suggests may suggest just that, I am happy to refrain from posting here and will look elsewhere.

Atheory