Losheim Gap: Units fortified w/o Fort terrain

[PeterD]

Similarly to my other thread about fortified units in Elsenborn Ridge scenario, in Losheim Gap, all of the Allied units on the Schnee Eifel begin the scenario with a deployment of "Fortified", but there is no corresponding Fort terrain to support this. This had some effect in my game as elements of Axis 1/295 got tangled up with 2/422 on the right flank.

Once again, I can't be sure this wasn't intended, however I would think they should be "Entrenched". Setting deployment to Entrenched for the 422 and 423 regimental HQs (with the "and all sub-units option") seems to fix all affected units.

A second minor issue is that 2 Bn 423 arrives as a reinforcement with Entrenched deployment. I guess this could be reasonable if they were "released" from reserves as opposed to marching in. Does anyone know? Why are they even a reinforcement, since they seem to arrive at the fixed time of D1 0600?

[simovitch]

These fortified positions were leftover from earlier versions of the game when I was trying to control the "jump up and shoot me" effect of the AI leaving it's set positions at the start of a scenario. 2 things were subsequently developed in the game engine to control this: the extended initial delay for the defender and the reworking the defensive characteristics of terrain.

So I can safely set these Schnee Eifel positions back to "entrenched" as well. Even though there were several concrete bunkers along the ridgeline they were well to the rear of the forward US trenches in this location (I've walked this ridge several times). The only true fortified US positions at start would be the forward companies of the 112/28 near Ouren that actually occupied some of the westwall bunkers along the frontline positions (albeit facing the wrong direction) so I'll keep those as fortified since the US also needs all the help it can get in that scenario.