Feel the Wheel of Steel: Red Steel Review and Discuss

[bebro]

You can get halftracks in march 43, so at the very end of this DLC. Which means they still have a future

From what I read first M2s were delivered in winter 42/43, then also M5/9, the latter being the most numerous. Overall from the M2/3/5/9 line 1100+ pieces in the TP/APC role. But extra vehicles based on those (AT, AA derivations).

[asuser]

Good point - let's see what we can do about it.

Thanks!
Hopefully that takes also gamers further to the front... eh... this great game.

[prestidigitation]

You can get halftracks in march 43, so at the very end of this DLC. Which means they still have a future

From what I read first M2s were delivered in winter 42/43, then also M5/9, the latter being the most numerous. Overall from the M2/3/5/9 line 1100+ pieces in the TP/APC role. But extra vehicles based on those (AT, AA derivations).

It'd be nice if we got alerted, I certainly didn't check the very last scenario (focused on air, artillery and high end infantry due to all the rough terrain) for halftracks.

[prestidigitation]

The GAZ-AAA 4M is literally four Maxim machine guns strapped to the back of a truck. Please remove the AT mode from this vehicle which was never used in this role and provide it to the 85mm obr 1939/heavy towed AA line which was routinely used in anti tank shoots (and was generally crewed by women, as were many AA guns during WW2).

[Zekedia222]

How do we know that it was never used in an anti infantry role? That seems to be what this switch option is intended for (in this game), with 7 infantry attack, compared to a measly 2 vehicle attack.

[prestidigitation]

Almost every AA piece was used to fire on infantry. The 40mm Bofors is widely used in game (as it was historically). This gun fires a 40mm explosive shell at a rate of 130 per minute. Without question an infantry formation attempting to advance in the face of such extreme firepower would be wiped out if it could be brought to bear. In reality this was rarely the case as the crew is typically scanning the skies and the noise of the gun along with its high profile allows for easy detection and covert approach by infantry across all but the most open and flat of grounds. At mid/close range the crew taken unawares is desperately vulnerable. None of these variants have an AT mode because the Bofors was not used to fire on tanks as that would be an absolutely ridiculous misuse of the weapon and ineffective against all but the earliest AFVs.

id_aaa_40mm_france_ww2_color_700.jpg (81.73 KiB) Viewed 3275 times

While the crew is exposed, as this picture shows placing one in an entrenched positionwas entirely possible.

The GAZ AAA 4M by contrast is equipped with four Maxim MMG with a 7.62mm x54, a rifle caliber round. It is an unarmored pickup truck with wooden slat sides with no cover for the gunner whatsoever. Due to the nature of trucks it is typically difficult to place one in a fortified position without compromising the mobility that a vehicle mounting affords. Also as a converted civilian truck there's really only so much you can do with the dang thing.

Here is a picture of one:

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A crew of this vehicle that decided to fire on infantry rather than running for cover or making a hasty escape would quickly find that this poor decision was their last. Engaging even the earliest and least capable of AFVs with one would be an act of breathtaking stupidity.

So while it may have fired on infantry, it does not need a special mode for doing so and absolutely should not be used in that role any more than other towed or vehicle mounted AA guns should be. The sole exception to this rule is the venerable meat chopper which had an armored body, a protected gunner position (in firing position the gunner can barely be seen) and a breathtaking rate of fire. It was routinely used for infantry support when the enemy lacked the means to drive it away and my goodness did it ever perform.

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[bebro]

The GAZ-AAA 4M is literally four Maxim machine guns strapped to the back of a truck.

GAZ isn't real AT in the literal sense. It's just direct fire mode, for GAZ mostly useless vs. tanks, ok vs. Inf. Thing is just you have to place the direct fire switch into *some* class, and it's most often AT, or, for some SPGs it can be tank class.

[prestidigitation]

Again, of all the AA vehicles to give direct fire capability to this is the least valid or necessary.

[rwalrond]

Hello, anyone have any idea why it has come up as a defeat for me on this mission - Operation Winterstorm in Red Steel. I have wiped out most of the german forces with just a few in the bottom left corner remaining and the germans around Stalingrad that I have not attacked.

screenshots attached
i can't work out what i need to do to turn the defeat into a major victory - I get a defeat as it says i failed to Stop the german relief effort - yet i control all the areas marked under that task. and the Stalingrad Germans are 100% still surrounded.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

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Screen Shot 02-14-21 at 07.39 AM reduced size.jpg (245.11 KiB) Viewed 2719 times

[Erik2]

Click somewhere in the main txt area, then 'Place inline'.

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[rwalrond]

Hiya, I do not get that place inline option, just a delete file option?

[Erik2]

Maybe your jpg is too big. I think the max size is 1MB.

[rwalrond]

yes that was it, reduced them and now ok

[rwalrond]

Screenshots now added above if anyone has any idea why i get defeated ??

[bebro]

It's difficult to see from your pics. The objective in question fails if there's a supply connection between Axis in the west, south-west and one of two possible locations within the 6th Army's perimeter (which means the relief forces have gained land access to the pocket).

If you could attach a savegame where this prob is present we could investigate it.

[rwalrond]

sorry i had to shrink the picture to make it small enough to attach, but what it was trying to show was the entire map was i russian hands apart from a small pocket of germans bottom left and well away from the 6th Army.

Here is my savegame attached.

[Red Steel] Operation Winterstorm - Turn 12 (Turn End).zip

(60.08 KiB) Downloaded 91 times

[rwalrond]

sorry i had to shrink the picture to make it small enough to attach, but what it was trying to show was the entire map was i russian hands apart from a small pocket of germans bottom left and well away from the 6th Army.

Here is my savegame attached.

[Red Steel] Operation Winterstorm - Turn 12 (Turn End).zip

Thanks

[bebro]

Thanks for the save. I think I know what's going on:

Your allied AI (orange) managed to penetrate into the 6th Army's perimeter, and took the supply hex next to Gumrak airfield. Your own units (green) took one of the rear Axis locations in the south-west, Moskoy.

Which means there is now a supply link between those two points, and the game can check hex-owners, but not - at least not easily- who linked two hexes.


Right now, without any fix here's what you could do if you have an earlier savegame:

You are on the safe side when you do not take Kotelnikovo and Moskoy, both are in the very south-west of the map. You own Moskoy already, and are close to take Kotelnikovo. This may confuse the game for the reason above, but it certainly should be changed so it doesn't happen.

We will add extra extra safeguards in the trigger, but this may take a bit.

[rwalrond]

ok thanks for the info, yes i have earlier savegames, so i'll go back and not take those towns.

Cheers.

[bebro]

Pls. note that the earliest possible victory is at turn 14 in this battle.

So if you achieved everything before you may still need to play to 14 at least.