Drive on Smolensk scenario

[Khanti]

Thanks for making scenario. I've downloaded and tried it (a little).
A few notes:
- air stack of 66 points is too low (some squadrons are bigger, like 100 stack points, so if even one unit is flying, it is above stack limit)
- it will be nice to have descriptions match units (75mm LeIG, German Truck, 50mm PAK, Marder II)
- 66 points land stack could be also raised
I like the scenario in general.

[elmo3]

Glad you liked the scenario and thanks for the feedback. However, I've moved on to other things and don't plan to make any more updates to it at this point.

[Khanti]

I've moved on to other things and don't plan to make any more updates to it at this point.

OK. I understand. But I liked your scenario and felt it worthwhile to make an update.
I've uploaded my edited version to scenario bank. I hope you will like it.

DoS Version 103h


Version Information

1.03h changes:


REPLACEMENT TABLES
1. Most units get at least 1 unit of replacement and additional random number of replacements during replacement period (every 7 days).
2. Set those guaranteed replacements lower (all at 1), but random replacements a little higher. So the course of the battle should be less predictable.
3. Added Soviet 45mm AT gun as replacement for Soviets as there weren't set any AT guns replacements for them.
4. Added some other stuff used by Germans (75mm gun, Stug IIIe, 20mm Flak, 88mm Flak, trucks) and Soviets (trains, trucks, 152mm howitzer) as random replacements as there were none of them as replacements so far. Not many of them, but it will be noticeable during weeks of battles.
5. Added every day's random, small replacements. Those random (up to 2) replacements for Axis and Soviets was done purposely to counter those "retreat/kill accidents" game engine tends to make. It is connected with equipment only though (infantry dies because something shoot at them, not by accidents). Anyway these replacements can became available everyday, but comes with 25% less experience than standard replacements (in 7 days periods). That means 30 exp for Germans (instead of 40) and 15 exp for Soviets (instead of 20).
I just hate to loose 100% of my tanks during attack because of "accidents". Imagine this: 120 tanks attacking one rifle regiment (1000 men with 5 AT guns) and after victorious battle losses are 20 tanks because of "accidents" (in game terms: 4 tank units). I used to get results without a single combat loss in equipment, but many "accidents". It is an "issue" for me, so this is a solution.
There may be another solution also. I could re-design all equipment tables to represent 1 piece of equipment by 1 unit (instead of 5, 10 or 50 like there is now). In that reality loosing 4 tank units would be loosing 4 tanks (acceptable "accidents"). But it seems like a whole lot more of work.


EQUIPMENT CHANGES
1. Replaced all Pz IIIj with Pz IIIh, as there were not Pz IIIj during Smolensk's operation.
2. Remodeled panzer divisions 3, 4, 10, 12, 17 and 18 to use Panzer IIIh instead of Pz 38(t), as these divisions did not have Czech tanks.
My sources say that only 6, 7, 8, 19 and 20 panzer divisions used Czech tanks in 1941. Panzer divisions (t) with Czech tanks have a little more tanks in TOE.
3. Replaced Marder II with either Stug IIIe or Pz Jager I. There were not Marders in July 1941.
4. Replaced some 75mm PAK in German motorized divisions with 50mm PAK, as there were not 75mm in that time. In fact I replaced all 75mm PAKs with 50mm PAKs and then cut their numbers.
5. Added Sdkfz 232 as armored car in recon battalions. I hope it will suit here.


TOE CHANGES
1. Lehr Brigade adjusted to better reflect actual values of 1941 (+infantry +AT-guns +artillery). Unfortunately only 8 slots are possible (so no heavier artillery nor 50mm PAK was added).
2. GD Regiment adjusted to better reflect actual values of 1941 (+infantry +AT-guns +artillery +transport). Unfortunately it should have whole artillery regiment added, but I tried to keep it as 1 unit. So instead of heavy artillery it got a little more Stugs.
3. Added intrinsic artillery to Das Reich division.
4. Edited Das Reich reconnaissance battalion: more 50mm AT-guns and halftracks (as per divisional TOE).
5. Redid Das Reich 3rd motorized regiment into Motorcycle Regiment (2 battalions). Unfortunately Sdkfzs must pretend motorbikes.
6. Redesigned German airplanes. Fighter groups now are composed of mix Bf-109E and F models. Stuka groups got their Bf-110C component. All fighters are more experienced. So Soviet airplanes have hard times now. Formerly German player could run in troubles in air war, which was out of reality in July 1941.
7. Removed some PAK guns from panzer regiments and replaced trucks with halftracks in all panzer regiments.
8. Removed excess AT/AA guns from German motorized/panzer divisions. They are still a lot more, than probably were, but at least more reasonable (formerly motorized divisions had up to 95 AA guns).
9. Removed excess artillery and AT-guns from German infantry divisions. Added 37mm PAK for them, as not every German AT gun was 50mm PAK According to my sources German infantry division should have 20x75mm field guns, 12x150mm howitzers (in artillery regiment) plus 6x150mm guns (in infantry regiments), 36x105mm howitzers, 66x37mm ATG, 6x50mm ATG plus 14 halftracks.
Well, there are still overall more 50mm AT guns than 37 mm in scenario German player can feel good.


MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES
1. Set German units to show exact nationality of troops regardless of unit (so Luftwaffe is shown as Luftwaffe not Wermacht). Just a flavor I think.
2. All units got 20 kill to retreat chance. Formerly only few units had this (halftracks, etc). If unit has higher value, I did not change it, so halftracks still
run away better than infantry
3. Staff are rear units from now. Should they be?
4. Units descriptions match unit pictures (I had to reconnect scenario with master file to set this right). In master scenario (Volkov to Tichwin) these
descriptions do not match also.
5. Short names for German corps are in Arabic numerals rather than Roman. There is just not enough place for "shorts" like this: XXXXVII
6. Changed experience for killed, retreated and pinned enemy units to 9/6/3 (from 10/3/0).
7. Set stack points for all land units to 1 and all air units to 3 (so 66 points hex attack is mostly enough for air units).
8. Don't know how make this info visible in "briefing" during game.
9. Don't know how to make German OOB looks as nice as Soviet OOB. Unfortunately it looks messy on stats/regime statistics screens. Soviets have Western Front HQ in the right place (top/center) and dependent HQs below. Germans have AGC and 4th Army in the same row and on regime statistics 4th Army looks like main HQ (top position. Strange.
10. Did not succeed in increasing stack limits for attacking units (66 points). Don't know why. Any help would be welcome.


STATISTICS
Some details below can be good to show at glance what changes were made to the scenario. I did not listed Soviet forces, as changes there were
merely cosmetic. 90% chances cases belong to German side.

German forces at the start of scenario:

1.02 --- 1.03h

105 LeFH --- 530 --- 545
150 LeFH --- 140 --- 150
20 Flak --- 1190 --- 945
37 PAK --- 490 --- 505
50 PAK --- 450 --- 590
75 LeIG --- 340 --- 390
75 PAK --- 450 --- 0
88 Flak --- 215 --- 225

Bf 109e --- 200 --- 150
Bf 109f --- 0 --- 50
Bf 110c --- 0 --- 15
He 111h --- 85 --- 85
Ju 87d --- 255 --- 255

Engineer --- 7500 --- 7500
Infantry --- 83.7k --- 84.5k
Infantry SS --- 9400 --- 8400
Staff --- 14.0k --- 14.0k
Trains --- 25 --- 25
Trucks --- 18.5k --- 16.0k

Marder II --- 90 --- 0
Pz 38t --- 270 --- 210
Pz IIIh --- 30 --- 615
Pz IIIj --- 450 --- 0
Pz IIf --- 315 --- 315
Pz IVf --- 180 --- 225
PzJ I --- 20 --- 100
Sdfkz 251 --- 1820 --- 2670
Sdfkz 232 --- 0 --- 155
Stug IIIe --- 10 --- 25


Summary: Germans lost many guns (AA, AT, field or howitzers). Some of their units are less powerful (eg. artillery regiments of infantry divisions), but more in touch with 1941 reality. German equipment also better reflects June/July of 1941. No more Pz IIIj with long 50mm gun, Marder II, 75mm ATG or hordes of 50mm ATGs (the last ones still are there, but fewer in numbers). In contrast German Luftwaffe got more experienced and better fighters and a few more airplanes. You need power, call Luftwaffe now. Replacements for both sides comes on daily, but random, basis in very limited numbers. But this helps a little to counter "accident" losses. Air replacements comes only during 7 days periods. Soviets also got some very limited air replacements and also got some trains and trucks replacement chances.

Disclaimer:
I am not anti-Germany biased. In fact I mostly play German side
I just can't stand those discrepancies with German equipment or TOEs. I know there are still possibilities for improvement though.

[ernieschwitz]

Sounds like you did a good job. I will download and see it for myself

[ernieschwitz]

Hanti, did you do the changes in the advanced editor, or the simple/intermediate editors?

[Khanti]

Ernie:
I used simple editor for all replacements / reinforcements tables. It is very convenient in that case.
All other stuff was edited in advanced editor. I am not familiar with intermediate editors.

PS: The other problem is that when you open scenario there are only 2 ways to edit: Simple Editor or Edit (old, advanced editor). I don't have idea how to use intermediate editors for existing scenario.

[elmo3]

Glad to see you are keeping the scenario going Hanti. Sources vary a lot. I mostly used the Glantz books on Smolensk which I felt were the most reliable. Replacements were intentionally kept low for the Germans as they were really bled dry during this campaign, with most equipment not getting replaced from what I read.

[lion_of_judah]

was curious if you would like to collaborate on a battle of Berlin scenario for dccp? I already have the map.