Battle of Otterlo Campaign Development Update (01 July)
As the above says, I have decided to develop this as a mini-campaign rather than as a single scenario. However, the individual actions will also be unpacked to make them available as self-standing scenarios. I anticipate at least four connected scenarios spanning April 15-17, 1945.
At this time three master maps have been completed. Otterlo September 1944 for CMBN, Otterlo April 1945 for CMBN and Otterlo April 1945 for CMFB. The CMBN maps are fully populated with Flavor Obects. The CMFB map has no Flavor Obects at this time.
For the Sep 44 and Apr 45 CMBN maps, the only difference is that I have modded some of the foliage to simulate early spring on the April map. CMBN does not have inherent spring time coverage.
The Reformed church in Otterlo has been modded for both CMBN and CMFB to simulate its appearance in the 1940's.Photos and photo post-cards from the 1949's show that at that time it was smaller and all except the church spire, was
whitewashed stucco and not the all-brick as it is today. It was renovated in the 1950's.
Carpe vitam.
Your maps are awesome @kandu you could almost say you "can do" any map.
Otterloo update July 12.
At this time I have decided to complete the work first and maybe only ... on CMFB. The reason is that CMFB covers the April date, provides a better church model, German Volksgrenadiers and Canadian Wasps which CMBN does not. There are still deficiencies requiring workarounds but everything seems manageable without distracting from the historical events.
Completed for CMFB to date:
1. One master map without flavour objects
2. One master map with flavour objects
3. Research. Excellent material is available for the Canadian forces. Very little for the German.
4. Core Units File.
5. Scenario One: Keep Moving (small to medium - C Squadron of The Lord Strathcona's Horse approach Otterloo with the intent to pass through to Barneveld)
6. Scenario Two: Clearing Otterloo (Huge - The 1st Canadian Irish Regiment with support from elements of LdSH clear Otterloo
Work in Progress
7. Scenario Three: Deployment. Not a combat scenario. Just a review of the entire Canadian deployment before dark on April 16.
Planned Work
8. Scenario Four: Drunken Feldwebel. Thirty or so Germans have infiltrated deep into Otterloo and are shooting wildly and without clear intention. When captured, the Feldwebel was obviously drunk.
9. Scenario Five: Infiltrators ... speaks for itself
10. Scenario Six: ... Tooth and Nail
11. Scenario Seven: ... A Hornet's Nest
END
Carpe vitam.
Otterloo update July 20:
Creating the map, while laborious, was the easy part. I am having difficulty telling the story. That is due to the fact that the Battle for Otterloo was a much larger affair than history would suggest. Although it was all over in a matter of a single night, it involved significant remnants of at least five German battalions in addition survivors from all sorts of units. On the Canadian side we have a full infantry battalion, an armoured squadron, divisional HQ as well as other HQ elements and regimental and divisional supports. Huge.
The size creates a problem for AI programming. It is necessary to chop the story into reasonably programmable segments.
Although bezeau.ca/otterloo is a fantastic wealth of material, much of the story remains untold. The large number of German casualties suggests that there was much more fighting than is described in the documents provided. We have most of the story from the heroic 17th Field Regiment RCA, and some of the story of the Governor General's Horse Guards, but little of the story of the infantry battalion - The Irish Regiment of Canada.
It is going to take some time to weave together a story.
Scenarios completed to date:
1. Keep Moving: Medium Size. Easy to play on Iron setting. April 15, 1210 hours. The Lord Strathcona's Horse approach Otterloo.
2. Clearing Otterloo: Huge (Battation size). Complex Command Control but easy combat on Iron. April 16, 0845 hours. The Irish Regiment of Canada supported by The Lord Strathcona's Horse clear Otterloo.
3. Drunken Feldwebel: Small Size. Easy to play on Iron. April 16, 2300 hours. A German patrol has slipped unnoticed into the very heart of the Irish Regiment and is now wildly shouting and shooting in a drunken binge. (Yes, this is a real event.)
4. Stand To: Medium Size. Easy to play on Iron. April 17, 0000 hours. Sentries of the 17th Field Artillery Rgt, RCA, have spotted Germans (elements of 2nd Bataillon 858 Grenadier) moving down the Apeldoorn-Otterloo road.
Current Scenario Under Development.
5. The Fox Leaves its Den. Small to Medium Size. Challenging puzzle. 17the Field Art Rgt RCA HQ, Fox Troop HQ and Fox Troop Battery are surrounded and compelled to fall back through enemy lines, onto the Irish Regiment.
Carpe vitam.
Otterloo Update August 10.
Completed 10 scenarios, two more to go to finish. Then more playtesting individual, assembling and testing the campaign to get the R, R & R settings right.
WO OT01 Keep Moving.btt
WO OT02 Clearing Otterloo.btt
WO OT03 Stand To.btt
WO OT04 Drunken Feldwebel.btt
WO OT05 Irish Stew.btt
WO OT06 Harskamp.btt (The scenario title Breakout from Harskamp is too long a file name)
WO OT07 Easy Out.btt (Fomerly incorrectly titled as Fox Leaves Den)
WO OT08 Tooth & Nail.btt
WO OT09 Over Open Sights.btt
WO OT10 Kanadezie Surrender.btt
.....
WO OT11 Hoffmeister Counters.btt - work about to start
WO OT12 .. no title yet ...
Carpe vitam.
De Slag om Otterloo (The Battle for Otterloo) Campaign is currently in play testing. It is a campaign for Combat Mission Final Blitzkrieg. I deviated from my normal support for Combat Mission Battle for Normandy because CMFB provided units, tank riding, dates, spring time environments and better church models that CMBN could not. The only thing that CMFB could not do was to set weather as 'warm' on 17 April 1845 which was the historical condition.
Carpe vitam.
Correction ... "1945", not "1845". I mistyped. Getting worse with old age.
Carpe vitam.
This looks amazing @kandu really want to play on this map, and your scenarios