The battle of Otterloo, in April 1945 was the last large battle in the Netherlands. It consisted of a German assault against a number off Canadian 25lbr batteries around that village. I have found two very helpful map sources. The firs, a sketch that was either the work of a participant came from the appendix of a war diary. The second was an extremely helpful Dutch topographical map from 1945 from the website Topotijdreis (Topographical Time Travel).
The biggest challenge will be to represent the four 25 pounder batteries since CMBN has no such available for 'on map' deployment (only as OBA). I will probably substitute AT guns which is very disappointing.
Will update from time to time.
Kandy
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Looks like I cannot even type my own monniker properly. I am "Kandu", not "Kandy" 😊
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I would like to find one more map. A WWII 1:25,000 of the area Otterloo / Hoenderloo. The reason is that map will provide more info such as ditches and streams which the two maps I am currently using cannot. Years ago, I did indeed find such a map on the web but after searching daily for two weeks I am unable to find it again. I any (Dutch?) gamers out there have any detailed map of the area circa 1940 - 1948, it would be very helpful.
Cheers
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Kandu,
I may have stumbled across what you're looking for. Old Maps Online appears to have a 1945 U.S. Army Map Service 1:25,000 sheet titled "Ginkel (West)," which covers the Otterlo area:
https://www.oldmapsonline.org/en/Otterlo
It may be worth checking to see if it includes the smaller terrain features (ditches, streams, etc.) that you're missing from your current sources. If so, it could be just the thing for refining the scenario map.
Cheers,
Panzer Lehr
"Si vis pacem, para bellum." — Vegetius
"Do not hurry to the sound of the guns without knowing why they are firing." — British maxim
"In war, the simplest things are difficult." — Clausewitz
"No plan survives first contact with the enemy." — Moltke
"The side that can most quickly exploit success is the side that will win." — Guderian
Some days you’re the hammer, some days you’re the nail. 🪖🎲
Looking for a game? Challenge me here:
Thank you. I will check it out.
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The northern edge of the two Ginkel maps define the southermost edge of the battle of Otterloo area and are therefore, unfortunately not useful. That site has an early 1900's map that helps me distinguish between areas most likely to be sand drifts vs those that are heath covered.
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The Otterloo map is progressing.Working on it a few hours every day. About 1/3 completed at this time. Initially working from the Dutch Topographical Timetravel map which spans the dates 1933-1957. This actually means that this is how Otterloo looked as early as 1933. Once that is completed it will have to be updated from the 1945 'sketched' map which shows additional features since 1933 and which show up as fully 'developed' in the 1958 Time Travel map.
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Hi Kandu,
maybe you can check http://www.topotijdreis.nl here u can set the the time period you would like. an look at the place "Otterloo" for this instance.
Thank you Jackal338. I have been using Topotijdreis as my primary source, using the map that covers 1933 to 1957. Throughout that time, the map remains unchanged. When it was updated in 1958, the area is very different especially to the south of Otterloo. My secondary source is a sketch done by a solder in 1945 or shortly thereafter. If fills in some of the changes that occurred between 1933 and 1945.
Thanks again.
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@kandu Sorry my map lead turned out to be a dead end. Still, I'm really enjoying following this project. The amount of research going into recreating Otterlo is impressive. Looking forward to seeing the finished scenario.
"Si vis pacem, para bellum." — Vegetius
"Do not hurry to the sound of the guns without knowing why they are firing." — British maxim
"In war, the simplest things are difficult." — Clausewitz
"No plan survives first contact with the enemy." — Moltke
"The side that can most quickly exploit success is the side that will win." — Guderian
Some days you’re the hammer, some days you’re the nail. 🪖🎲
Looking for a game? Challenge me here:
![[FGM] Bootie](https://i0.wp.com/thefewgoodmen.org/wp-content/uploads/wpforo/avatars/fgmbootie_193390399.jpg?resize=110%2C110 "[FGM] Bootie")
Hi Pal
These might be of some use. This is wartime aerials of the village of Otterlo.
Bootie
FANTASTIC - Thank you, thank you.
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These wonderful aerials will have a huge impact on my maps. Especially with respect to crop field shapes and sizes.
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Is it possible for me to access the source of those maps in high resolution? That would really help identify the buildings. IS there a web archive?
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Otterlo update 25 June: After approximately 200 hours of work, the OTTERLO MASTER MAP has now been completed WITHOUT FLAVOR OBJECTS and without the ideal church model.
What remains to be done:
1. Add Flavor Objects to make a second master map with Flavor Objects.
2. Hexedit to convert the CMBN map to a CMFB map.
3. Create senarios or a short campaign covering various phases of the battle from 0010 hours to 0830 hours 17 April 1945
MAYBE
Leave the scenario in CMBN and mod the foliage to appear as if Spring rather than Fall season.
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A better picture looking north. Otterlo is in the center of the map. The Canadians advanced from the bottom of the picture and the Germans attacked primarily from the top right corner.
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And, looking south.
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I am modifying some of the foliage (trees, bocage, brush and doodads) to give an April appearance to the map. The pictures above basically show it as CMBN's default 'all summer' terrain. The maps was made primarily using a 19 September 1944 high resolution aerial photo, so players could import early fall foliage from Hegerow Hell or others to make it look more Septemberish.
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