New 1.04.00.01 Public Beta Now Available!

[Erik Rutins]

V1.04.00.01 – 22nd Aug 2024

You can download this new public beta update here.

- Updated version of the living manual added. No other gameplay changes.

V1.04.00 – 14th June 2024

New Features and Rule Changes

IMPORTANT NOTE: All save game and scenario files created with this or later versions may only be loaded with this or a later version. Versions prior to 1.04.00 may not load these newer save game or scenario files. Old saves and scenarios may be loaded with this and newer versions.

• The game options screen now has three tabs, with options categorized as gameplay, difficulty, or balance. Note that clicking on Reset to Default will reset all game options to their default values, not just those visible on screen.

• New Game Option – Combat Delay Effects, with 3 settings:
o STANDARD (default) - no change in combat delay (CD) movement point (MP) costs.
o REDUCED - Extra MP cost for each CD point is divided by 2 (and truncated). Examples: For non-motorized 1 CD adds 0 MP cost, 2 CD adds 1 MP cost. For motorized 1 CD adds 1 MP cost (1*3/2), 2 CD is 3 MP cost (2*3/2)
o MINIMAL - 0 MP cost for CD points (it still impacts not being able to attack a hex that has 9 combat delay)
This allows players to create a game with more maneuver and chance for encirclements. Combined with turning on Reduced Retreat Attrition, setting to Reduced should open up the game while reducing the value of grinding attacks. The minimal setting is only recommended for novice players.

• New Game Option – Campaign End Conditions, with 3 settings:
o STANDARD (default) – no change to campaign end conditions
o EXTENDED PLAY - If the game ends due to Sudden Victory/Sudden Loss/31 December 1944 High Water Mark check, the game will pause. The victory screen will appear with the victory level displayed, and the player will be able to enter extended play and continue the game. Each player will see the victory screen at the start of their turn one time, and be able to continue the game. When the campaign ends due to Belin falling or time expiring, the game will display the same victory level displayed at the start of extended play.
o NO EARLY END – The game ignores the Sudden Victory/Sudden Loss/31 December 1944 HWM check conditions completely.
IMPORTANT: The No Early End versions of the 1941 and Stalingrad to Berlin Campaigns are considered to be superseded by the new Campaign End Conditions game option. We strongly recommend using this game option along with the regular scenarios instead of using the "No Early End" scenarios, but they remain available for players who prefer them. Also, note that the turn summary screen graphic that show the sudden victory and sudden loss levels still shows these values when using the No Early End game option. Players should view the victory screen to see if there are any active sudden victory and sudden loss victory checks.

• New Game Option – Vehicle Repair Rate – This allows players to adjust the vehicle repair rates (percentages) for Axis and Soviet vehicles (to any value from 5 to 50). There is a repair rate for each side for 1941-42, and another for each side for 1943-45. Default values for Axis are 5% in 41-42 and 10% for 43-45. Default values for Soviet are 25% in 41-42 and 25% in 43-45. A small change could have a large impact over time on the number of vehicles in repair at any given time. Players looking to weaken Soviet logistics in 1943-45 could try adjusting to 20%.

• New Game Option – Miscellaneous Leader Deaths, with 3 settings:
o STANDARD (default) – no change in leader deaths not caused by HQ displacement or air attack
o REDUCED – ½ the chance of leader deaths not caused by HQ displacement or air attack
o NONE – No chance of leader deaths not caused by HQ displacement or air attack
Note: All leaders that become unavailable, due to HQ displacement, air attack, or miscellaneous deaths, are listed as KIA in the game. However, those that become unavailable due to the miscellaneous leader deaths represent unavailability due to accidents, natural death, other enemy action (artillery while visiting the front, etc.), retirement, and prolonged illness. The last paragraph of section 15.8 of the manual inaccurately described these losses as “killed due to other enemy action”, but in fact they are meant to reflect additional reasons for leaders becoming unavailable. It is these losses that we are now defining as miscellaneous leader deaths (although as stated above they don’t all involve death).

• New Game Option – Amphibious Invasions, with 3 settings:
o STANDARD (default) – no change in amphibious invasion rules
o LIMITED – Only hexes in the regions of Crimea, Georgia, and Krasnodar may be targets of an amphibious invasion (Ctrl-m shows all regions)
o NONE – No amphibious invasions are allowed

• New Game Option – No Temporary Motorization (default off). When checked, players may not temporarily motorize any units.

• New Game Option – No Airborne Operations (default off). When checked, players may not drop airborne units (airborne tab will not appear in F9 window).

• The country specific Morale Mod game option has been expanded so it now includes entries for 1941-42 and for 1943-45. The values entered alter each country’s ground national morale for the indicated years.

• Added a new toggle item to the main editor menu: Allow Axis Unit Build Yes/No (default value is No). When Yes:
o the build unit button is visible to Axis players so they can access the build unit menu
o any Axis units that are built will go to the Axis reserve
o fortress and fortified zone units are never buildable on the build menu (like Soviet fort and fortified regions are not buildable on the build menu)
It is also now possible, in the Ob chain portion of the editor, to assign each OB chain an Axis special flag (Axis- Elite, SS-Elite, SS-Non-Elite, LW, LW-Elite). When a new unit is built, it will be given the special flag set in the OB chain.
Note: This new feature is for modders who will need to create their own data for what is buildable for the Axis player. This can be done by changing the OB chain data in a scenario file and then locking the generic data in that scenario.

• Made changes to cargo and troop ship monthly replacements, and to some cargo ship minimums:
o Changed cargo ship (monthly) replacements in 3 areas:
for Axis in Baltic Sea from 1 to 3
for Soviet in Caspian Sea from 2 to 3
for Soviet in Black Sea from 4 to 3
o Increased the 5 cargo ship minimum to 10 in 4 areas
for Soviet in Baltic Sea
for Soviet in Black Sea
for Soviet in Caspian Sea
for Axis in Baltic
o Added 1 troop ship (monthly) reinforcement in 3 areas:
for Soviet in Caspian Sea
for Soviet in Lake Ladoga
for Soviet in Sea of Azov

• Made several changes to the way pilots are treated:
o Adjusted the way pilots are handled when air group is sent from map to TB:
Wounded and other inactive pilots are detached from air group. Wounded should become available once healed (as always). This prevents wounded pilots from being lost when air groups are sent to a TB.
Excess pilots with higher experience are detached from the group first (average group experience in the TB can go down due to this)
o Increased the pilot experience spread when an air group is sent from TB to map (chance for more higher and lower experienced pilots)
o When wounded, the pilot will immediately detach from the group
o When air groups in TBs shrink in size, excess pilots are sent to the “free” pool and given experience equal to the air group experience (they used to be lost)

• Reduced the likelihood of some ground element substitutions, and eliminated multiple substitutions in the same turn, within a unit, in any specific ground element slot.

• The baseline chance a non-isolated displaced/relocated HQ will lose a leader was changed in July 1941 from 10% to 7.5%, and for all later dates from 15% to 10%.

• Errata – Freight in depots may be destroyed by air attacks targeting a port or a railyard. Destroyed freight can cause the loss of equipment and/or supplies/ammo/fuel.

• Errata – Soviet Mountain divisions may attach one support unit.

Bug Fixes and AI Improvements

• Fixed Air Directive labels on the map so they do not cover up waypoints. It is now possible to adjust the waypoints even in a hex containing the air directive label.

• Fixed several display errors in the CR/Equipment/Ground element compare display.

• Switching air battle reports from the battle report window, by clicking on the quick link in the center of the battle report, can cause an interface glitch. Fixed.

• Entrained units that rename from on map combat units to a support unit keep their Loaded status for the rest of the game. Fixed.

Data and Scenario Changes

• Device.dat
o 160mm Stielgranate 41 (0562) – Blast Radius increased from 0 to 1 and Anti-Soft increased from 0 to 21.
• Gtype.dat
o Light Tank (0012 ) – Foreign Light Tank substitution removed.
o Medium Tank (0013) – Foreign Medium Tank substitution removed.

• Ground.dat
o 37mm PaK36 AT Gun (0067) – Upgrade to 160mm Stielgranate AT Gun removed and Scrap date changed from 1942 to 1943.
o 160mm Stielgranate AT Gun (0150) – Scrap date changed from 1943 to 1944.
o BAB C Armored Car (0176) – Name changed to BAF C Armored Car; icon changed to BAF C and Type changed from Foreign Armored Car to Armored Car.
o 120mm GrW 42 Mortar (0295) – First Year changed from 1944 to 1943 and Build Limit changed from 1 to 2.
o 160mm Stielgranate AT Gun (0435) – Scrap date changed from 1943 to 1944.
o Panzer T-34B 747(r) (0457) – Type changed from Foreign Medium Tank to Medium Tank.
o Panzer T-34D 747(r) (0458) – Type changed from Foreign Medium Tank to Medium Tank.
o 76mm IG 290r Infantry Gun (0547) – Captured Soviet 76.2mm M27 Infantry Gun added with Maximum Imports of 900 beginning 1/42 to 8/45 and “built” at a rate of 5 per week.
o M3A1 Stuart (0742) – 37mm M6 gun ACC decreased from 625 to 125.
o M3 Lee (0749) – 37mm M6 gun ROF decreased from -4 to -6 and ACC decreased from 625 to 125; 75mm M3 gun ROF decreased from -4 to -6 and ACC decreased from 600 to 100.

• Cityowner.dat
o Corrected six city capture dates that listed 1941 instead of proper 1942.
• 1941 Campaign(s)

o Axis pool changes:
SdKfz 6/2 SP Flak pool raised from 12 to 30
SdKfz 7/1 SP Flak pool erased
SdKfz 10/4 SP Flak pool raised from 65 to 250

o Soviet Unit changes:
10 Mech Corps (reinforcing mech unit in FE), add TB-lock, remove rebuild restriction
142 Rifle Div locked in NF TB, map release delayed to 11/44
deleted duplicates of 51,60,129,184,277 Engineer-Sapper Bns

o Axis unit changes:
101-103 RHG Cmd rename RHG Command North/Center/South in 7/41
Nord SS mot Div TB-locked, tagged
Rhodos Sturm Div available mid 3/43, Brandenburg PzG Div rename -> mid 10/44 downgrade to Bde, Map transfer removed, TB locked
2 Mountain Div delay WE transfer to late 1/45, TB-locked, tagged
6 Mountain Div TB-locked, tagged
52 Security Div arrival moved forward to early 12/43, arrives to Soviet Garrison, TB-locked, disbands at the end of 1944
163,169 Inf Div TB-locked, tagged
207 Security Div disbands at the end of 1944
213 Security Div disbands at the end of 1944
221 Security Div disbands at the end of 1944
285 Security Div disbands at the end of 1944
325 Security Div built to higher infantry strenght (created from existing units), TB-locked, disbands at the end of 1944
390 Security Div arrival moved forward to 9/42 and directly to Soviet Union Garrison TB, TB-locked
391 Security Div arrival moved forward to 9/42 and directly to Soviet Union Garrison TB, TB-locked
403 Security Div disbands at the end of 1944
444 Security Div disbands at the end of 1944
454 Security Div disbands at the end of 1944
Hermann Goering Bde renamed General Goering, remove arriving flak guns (supplied by disbanding Flak bns), add renames to follow historical name changes
Rhodos Sturm Bde disabled, modelled by downgrade from Rhodos Sturm Div
16 SS Sturm Bde OB change from 1209 to 1206 to restore conversion to 16 SS PzG Div
108 Panzer Bde disband delayed to 1st turn of 1945, add 11/44 rename to 150 Panzer Bde
201 Security Bde arrives directly to Soviet Union Garrison TB, TB-locked, disbands at the end of 1944
203 Security Bde arrives directly to Soviet Union Garrison TB, TB-locked
HG Falls Flak Rgt delayed to 3/1944
139 Mount Reg TB-locked, tagged
Flandern SS Inf Bn OB changed in Sturm Bde rename from 1206 to 1209 to prevent improper PzG Div conversion
Norway Inf Bn disbands 3/43 (became part of 11 SS PzG Div)
1 Rum. Security Div arrives directly to Soviet Union Garrison TB, TB-locked
3 Rum. Security Div arrives directly to Soviet Union Garrison TB, TB-locked
2 Hun. Armored Div arrives directly to Western Europe TB, TB-locked, to Map late 3/44
201 Hun. Security Div arrives directly to Soviet Union Garrison TB, TB-locked, disbands at the end of 1944
1 Hun. Cavalry Bde restore reformation into Hussar Div
3 Gennaio CCNN Bde disbands at end of 6/43, rebuilt as Axis-Elite
23 Marzo CCNN Bde rebuilt as Axis-Elite
Hun. Constr Bns unfrozen, arrive directly to map, those for 2nd Army arrive in mid 42
63 CCNN Legion disbands mid 6/42
79 CCNN Legion delayed, arrives to map with Expeditionary Corps, disbands mid 6/42
Croat CCNN Legion moves to Balkans instead of Italy

o New Axis Units:
Brandenburg Mot. Div Elite Division (former special forces) arriving 4/44 to Balkans, to map 1/45
1,2,4 Ital. Bersaglieri Regiments, locked in Balkans

o Increased Soviet manpower gain from Soviet Partisan War Ends event 136 from 100,000 to 250,000

o Germany Fully Mobilizes event now reduces German ground national morale by 2 instead of 5

• Road to Minsk, DSWF
o Adjusted starting Axis air directives to better mirror C41 starting air directives
o Selected drop tank load outs for German fighters
• Road to Leningrad
o Adjusted starting Axis air directives to better mirror C41 starting air directives
o Selected drop tank load outs for German fighters
o Added German 96th Infantry Division which arrives on turn 4

• Red Army Resurgent
o Added two additional Soviet National Supply Source depots, Elton (North) and Surakhami (South)

• Red God of War
o Renamed XLIII Corps to XXXXIII Corps

• Stalingrad to Berlin Campaign(s)
o Most German Infantry Corps have a TOE around 80
o Most German Panzer Corps have a TOE around 90
o Almost all Soviet Armies and Fronts have a TOE near 100
o 16th SS Mot. Sturm Bde renames to 16th SS PzGr Division
o 133rd Littorio Ital. Armored Division removed from AF TB
o X Ital. Corps removed from AF TB
o All three RHG Commands moved to OB #8 with 500 support squads not 1,000
o Rumanian 9th Fighter Group added
o The following German Corps HQs are Axis Elite:
III Panzer Corps
LVII Panzer Korps
XXXXVIII Panzer Corps
XXXIX Panzer Corps
XXXXVII Panzer Corps
o Made sure the name changes for the SS Motorized Werfer Bns and Heavy Panzer Bns from the 100s to the 500s were consistent
o Made change to 16th SS Sturm Bde
o Made changes to 2nd RFSS Mot Bde which changes to 2nd SS Latvian Mot Bde and finally the 19th SS Latvian Grenadier Division across all Campaigns
o Made changes to the 1st RFSS Mot Bde which changes to the 18th SS PzGr Division across all Campaigns
o Made changes to Flandern SS Infantry Battalion which becomes the 6th SS Flan. Mot Sturm Bde and finally the 27th SS Flan. Grenadier Division across all Campaigns
o Renamed XLIII Corps to XXXXIII Corps
o Added Soviet manpower gain of 250,000 to Soviet Partisan War Ends event 136
o Germany Fully Mobilizes event now reduces German ground national morale by 2 instead of 5
o Minor changes to Escorts Over Germany, Battle of Berlin, and Final Effort events
o Fixed 287th Arab PzGrd battalion.
o Made all Bulgarian Fighter units Bf-109G-2s

• Vistula to Berlin Campaign
o III and XXIV Panzer Corps are Axis Elite.
o Made TO&E changes to the SS Motorized Werfer Bns
o Made changes to 2nd RFSS Mot Bde which changes to 2nd SS Latvian Mot Bde and finally the 19th SS Latvian Grenadier Division across all Campaigns
o Synchronized the Disbandment of the 11th SS Panzer Army which becomes the arriving German 11th Army in AR and then WE
o Added as a Reinforcement SS Detachment Steiner Army on April 21, 1945
o Corrected many inappropriate starting Detection Levels
o Moved many German Support Units into entrenched hexes
o Removed the small number of Fw-190A-9s in the Game and replaced them with Fw-190A-9 1944s which also left 450 aircraft as Pool replacements
o Added Fw-190G’s and Fw-190Fs to the Pool which can be used to replace Ju-87D-5 Night Bombers.
o Combined the previously Broken-Down 7th Panzer Division with the 507th Heavy Panzer Battalion
o Added NSGr. 30 as a reinforcement
o Germany Fully Mobilizes event now reduces German ground national morale by 2 instead of 5

• Steel Inferno – Road to Karelia
o Adjusted starting Axis air directives to better mirror C41 starting air directives
o Selected drop tank load outs for German fighters
o Added German 96th Infantry Division which arrives on turn 4

• Steel Inferno – Case Blue Phase II scenarios
o Corrected leader in V Rum. Corps HQ

• Steel Inferno - Drama on the Danube scenarios
o Germany Fully Mobilizes event now reduces German ground national morale by 2 instead of 5

• Steel Inferno - 1943 Campaign
o 16th SS Sturm Bde renames to 16th SS PzGr Division
o All three RHG Commands moved to OB #8 with 500 support squads not 1,000
o The following German Corps HQs are Axis Elite:
III Panzer Corps
XXXXVIII Panzer Corps
XXXXVII Panzer Corps
o Many Soviet Fronts that were previously at 100% strength have been weakened as follows:
Volkhov Front 80%
Northwest Front 85%
Kalinin Front 85%
Western Front 90%
Bryansk Front 90%
Southwest Front 90%
Southern Front 90%
o Made sure the name changes for the SS Motorized Werfer Bns and Heavy Panzer Bns from the 100s to the 500s were consistent
o Made change to 16th SS Sturm Bde to
o Made changes to 2nd RFSS Mot Bde which changes to 2nd SS Latvian Mot Bde and finally the 19th SS Latvian Grenadier Division across all Campaigns
o Made changes to the 1st RFSS Mot Bde which changes to the 18th SS PzGr Division across all Campaigns
o Made changes to Flandern SS Infantry Battalion which becomes the 6th SS Flan. Mot Sturm Bde and finally the 27th SS Flan. Grenadier Division across all Campaigns
o Renamed XLIII Corps to XXXXIII Corps
o Added Soviet manpower gain of 250,000 to Soviet Partisan War Ends event 136
o Germany Fully Mobilizes event now reduces German ground national morale by 2 instead of 5
o Minor changes to Escorts Over Germany, Battle of Berlin, and Final Effort events
o Made all Bulgarian Fighter units Bf-109G-2s

• Steel Inferno - Campaign 1944 (May Start)
o 102nd RHG Command moved to OB #8 with 500 support squads not 1,000
o The following German Corps HQs are Axis Elite
III Panzer Corps
XXXXVIII Panzer Corps
XXXXVII Panzer Corps
XXIV Panzer Corps
o II/32nd LW Flak was Depleted. Fixed.
o 662nd Pion Bn was 41 Pion TOE. Changed to 43b TOE.
o I/34th LW Flak was Depleted. Fixed.
o 253rd Infantry Division from Reserve to Refit.
o I Cavalry Corps HQ had No Movement Points. Fixed.
o Removed 502nd SS Motorized Werfer Bn as the 102nd SS Motorized will change its name to the 502nd SS
o 6th SS Flandern PzGr had a TOE Upgrade.
o 101st Jaeger Division from Reserve to Refit
o 741st Pioneer Bn from 41 Pion TOE to 43b TOE.
o Added Depots and Freight at Campulung, Roman, and Bacau in Romania.
o Made sure the name changes for the SS Motorized Werfer Bns and Heavy Panzer Bns from the 100s to the 500s were consistent
o Made changes to 2nd RFSS Mot Bde which changes to 2nd SS Latvian Mot Bde and finally the 19th SS Latvian Grenadier Division across all Campaigns
o Made changes to the 1st RFSS Mot Bde which changes to the 18th SS PzGr Division across all Campaigns
o Made changes to Flandern SS Infantry Battalion which becomes the 6th SS Flan. Mot Sturm Bde and finally the 27th SS Flan. Grenadier Division across all Campaigns
o Changed XI Motorized Sturm Brigade Rifle Squad 43 to Motorized Rifle Squad 44
o Added Soviet manpower gain of 250,000 to Soviet Partisan War Ends event 136
o Germany Fully Mobilizes event now reduces German ground national morale by 2 instead of 5
o Changed 92nd Motorized Sturm Brigade to 92nd PzGr Division and made it Axis Generic
o Minor changes to Final Effort event.

• New/revised artwork:
o Ground Element Photo GP0547
o Ground Icon G0176
o Unit symbols for General Goering Mot. Brigade/Division

[Erik Rutins]

Please note - this is intended to be the final update for WITE2. We would very much appreciate your help testing all these new game options and other changes before this becomes an official update!

[Nikel]

And the last of the GG and Joel Billings saga?

[Teo41_ITA]

Hopefully you folks will ufficialize my 1942 GC once it is completed!

[Erik Rutins]

Hopefully you folks will ufficialize my 1942 GC once it is completed!

I'm curious to know if you are planning to support the new build unit options for the Axis?

[ranknfile]

This is great news! Greatly appreciate your and everyone else's effort to bring us such a fine game. Most impressive!

[Teo41_ITA]

I'm curious to know if you are planning to support the new build unit options for the Axis?

Oh definitely! This week I update all my scenarios with the most recent beta changes, and then I will start re-working from scratch on the 1942 GC

[Kacper01]

Is it possible to run update on the Steam version?

[Joel Billings]

Yes if you opt in to get betas for the game.

[oldMarinePanzer]

So you said this is the final update for the game. Some of the editor screens aren't finished, any chance you could make a few final editor screen changes?

[ranknfile]

Regarding motorization of infantry units.

However possible, the 290th Infantry Division of AGN's LVI Mot Kps easily doubled the advances of any other Inf Div in AGN, reaching the Daugavpils/Dunaburg area along with the other LVI units. So, I motorize it for Turn 1 only, and do not motorize any other infantry units.

See the map on page 32 of Osprey's "Operation Barbarossa (2) Army Group North."

[Joel Billings]

So you said this is the final update for the game. Some of the editor screens aren't finished, any chance you could make a few final editor screen changes?

Pavel still hopes to continue to complete sections of the new editor, but there's no time frame on when more changes will be made.

[MarkShot]

Joel,

Are the "no early end" now superfluous?

Thanks.

[MechFO]

So you said this is the final update for the game. Some of the editor screens aren't finished, any chance you could make a few final editor screen changes?

Pavel still hopes to continue to complete sections of the new editor, but there's no time frame on when more changes will be made.

Some documentation on the event edior would be nice.

[Cavalry Corp]

Thanks for this. Some important and balancing changes are available now . I am a player of the campaign PBEM and not looking for games to end in 42; as I said before, I think it works well until the end of 42. It seems to me like the Soviets had too much supply after that, and I agree they had more standardised trucks than the Germans, but the value for repair was too high. This can at least be edited - good. Its nice you put forward a suggested level - I would not play without it now.

NM modifiers by date are also very welcome and realistic. The change to German NM is also a good step.

Axis build menu for SU ok a good step.

An option to not lock the Garrison TB would be good in July 44, I hardly have any of Russia, but I have 20 XX locked in the box—do they ever come out? In my next game, I will not place many units in there. I'm not sure the partisans are doing much anyway. Overall, I liked the wite1 version of this better.

My main concern is that refitting is so haphazard, and I find myself trying all sorts of guesses on placing units all over the TB to try and get equipment into units ( especially upgraded equipment) - I think allowing HQ units a priority level at XXX level would have been good. This would make a huge difference in targeting refits and replacements where they are really needed; it will improve the play balance a lot 43+.

NR box seems to do nothing, I can see. That box should provide more chance of equipment upgrades, especially since I am now trying on the map, and it seems better than NR.

IMO still so much shame there is no combat replay - that is a real poo stick for me. That is half the fun of WITP and the reason why that game is always popular and takes half the fun for me away from this game - the tedium of clicking over all these battles... It's important to see your opponent's style by actually watching the turn unfold. And in WITP, you get to see so many styles.

Thanks anyway for all that has been done.

Cav

[Joel Billings]

Once Kaunas, Brest Litovsk, and Lvov are Soviet controlled, all of the units in the garrison box will go to the reserve. At the same time, the Soviets gain 250,000 manpower from demobilized partisans.

[Joel Billings]

Joel,

Are the "no early end" now superfluous?

Thanks.

Mostly. For those that want to have the Dec 31 1944 victory check happen, while not having all the other victory checks happen, you'd still want to play the No Early End scenario. However, my assumption is for those that want No Early End, they also want to skip this check, in which case the game option works. My take is best is to play with the Extended Play option, which allows players to continue the game after an auto victory is declared. The game was designed with auto victory checks in mind that should impact player behavior in realistic ways. But with extended play, players can still play it to the end if they desire.

[Wild]

Incredible update. Thanks to all involved!

[chaos45]

Joel/Dennis/Matrix Team,

I know this is slated as the last update or one of the last updates to WITE 2.....

Curious if you guys have looked at the massive amount of research Nigel Askey has done with his Operation Barbarossa book series.

Got most of the books here recently and just took a solid look at the very comprehensive German OOB for 1941 he has done---and it seems the German divisions are actually missing a fair amount of combat elements----I think this is why the Support squads seem so bloated on the German divisions as when you made the divisions you just lumped all manpower not in combat squads/guns as support.

Just a quick example-
1st Wave German infantry Division ToE is missing a ton of combat power when you compare his ToE and WITE 2 ToE.

Combat elements missing:
Approx. additional combat unit numbers:
+36x motorcycle squads(actually they had about double this but he states about half where for combat squad elements rest were for transportation/messenger duty)
+6x Cavalry squads
+9x Engineer squads
+3x Bicycle squads
+60-70x Light MG Teams (2-man element assume)--or could for ease of use just add roughly 36 HMG teams to represent all this combat manpower.

Just also referenced panzer divisions and seems many MGs and Motorcycle squads were omitted from those OOBs as well---what I would note is that he talks some about the Germans bringing something like 200k-300k motorcycles to Barbarossa and about half of these were actual combat squads on motorcycles and it seems this is where big chunk of German combat power has been omitted when you compare---as well its looks like the MGs that were scattered in combat roles through the divisions that weren't HMG teams were also omitted from combat power. So this would probably require modification my guess would be to most German main line combat units that had these elements and a resulting overall increase in German CV esp since its only coming at the loss of useless support squads that the German divisions dont need so many of anyway.

Also should have way more trucks but thats not a huge issue that affects CV.

Over the entire German OOB thats a ton of combat power/CV lost as those numbers would then come straight from the support squads of wasted manpower.

Additionally is a ton of various german regiments/BNs that should be in the soviet garrison and available for combat---as esp in the winter of 1941 many of these occupation troops got thrown into the frontline due to soviet advances and in general on the defensive gave a good account of themselves.

As I get time will look more into Soviet OOBs

[Jeff_Ahl]

Finally! This Beta was long awaited with the changes possible to the Delay function. Decreased Delay is what this game have needed for a long time to take e big leap in the rigt direction.

Will there be any War In Europe game in the future? Covering the whole war and all theaters of the european war? I would sure play it and pay the double if it would se the light.