Battle for Maleme Airfield...

[barbarossa2]

Just a little curious about the following screen shot...

I am playing as allies in the Maleme Campaign. On the second day, I felt I had everything well under control. I had pushed the German paratroopers off of the tarmac and back down to the river running along the west of the airfield. I was patting myself on the back for control of the airfield objective, when all of the sudden these other units started popping up (the mountain division which was to be flown in). I was just kind of surprised to see that the German AI had decided that it was safe to fly planes in with the situation being as it is.

I am not saying there is something wrong here. Just don't know what to think. Maybe the Germans would have flown in anyway. I dunno! Still. Good game and having fun.

[Arjuna]

Historically, that is exactly what happened. Neither side had control of the airfield and the Germans committed the planes to land regardless of casualties. With planes landing through a hail of fire they did take heavy casualties but the mountain troops did seize control of the vital airfield and that was the turning point in the battle.

[06 Maestro]

Yes, it was a bloody afair.  IIRC, about 150 JU 52's were destroyed or badly damaged during the Crete operation-this out of an annual production of 500 A/C.

[barbarossa2]

Cool. Thanks Arjuna. Glad to hear that. And VERY interesting!

Christ war is crazy. I can only be thankful I have never had to do anything as nuts. I used to pass a monument to the young men who died on Crete while I was living near Berchtesgaden, Germany. I went past it every day, at the age of 38, while driving to see my lover in those beautiful mountains (a ridiculously sexy 25 year old Miss Germany Finalist--yes, I had gotten lucky). While all they got was a crap piece of stone and a bridge to recall their loss of life. I was repeatedly stunned at this juxtaposition of fate. It was called the Crete Bridge in the town of Bad Reichenhall. And it was dedicated to the 200 or so members of the mountain unit which was stationed there who lost their lives--probably half of them on that damned airstrip the way it sounds. I am guessing most people using the bridge didn't even know why it was called the Crete bridge. I may have a picture of it here somewhere. The smallish monument is starting to fall into disrepair as well--odd for Germany.

Crazy.

Anyway. Thanks Arjuna.

Chris

[JeF]

Hi,

BB2 : interresting stuff about the monument in "Bad Reichenhall".

And now some more precisions...

ORIGINAL: barbarossa2
I was just kind of surprised to see that the German AI had decided that it was safe to fly planes in with the situation being as it is.

While the historical explanation is very welcome, the truth is that the AI does not assess if the reinforcement location is safe or not. Reinforcements come, as scheduled, full stop. So if ennemy seizes the reinforcement location, heavy casualties follow.

I think there is on the whish list a point asking for alternate reinforcement location if the original is not safe. OTOH, it would be difficult to simulate situations like the one described above...

My 2 cents,

JeF.