Free France Campaign

Moderators: The Artistocrats, Order of Battle Moderators

bru888
Order of Battle Moderator
Order of Battle Moderator
Posts: 6213
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2016 5:39 pm
Location: United States

Re: Free France Campaign

Post by bru888 »

terminator wrote: Sat Mar 13, 2021 8:56 am I saw a documentary on the liberation of Corsica:

vlcsnap-2021-03-13-09h46m26s745.png
vlcsnap-2021-03-13-09h46m26s745.png (653.66 KiB) Viewed 2295 times
Mr. T., thanks for this photo, which I have incorporated into Operation Vesuvius.

corsican_liberation_flag.png
corsican_liberation_flag.png (187.12 KiB) Viewed 2295 times

I was searching for an appropriate picture for the Corsican uprising, when one of the search results showed this image:

Flag_of_Corsica.jpg
Flag_of_Corsica.jpg (15.03 KiB) Viewed 2295 times

which reminded me of the photo that you had posted. I will admit; I disregarded it because I did not understand the blackface image in the flag that one person is holding. But now I was motivated to find out. I now know that this is the Flag of Corsica, with the Moor's Head as a symbol of Corsican Nationalism.

Not to be outdone, Sardinia's Flag has four Moor's Heads!

Flag_of_Sardinia.jpg
Flag_of_Sardinia.jpg (21.45 KiB) Viewed 2295 times

So now that I understand the imagery, I am glad to use it. For a certain event popup, it comes in very handy. I don't know why the Moor's Head is featured on these flags; perhaps I will do more research later. I will also tread carefully, for I believe Corsican (and Sardinian?) Nationalism is still in fact a significant movement even these days.

This is one of the pleasures of designing these scenarios: learning new things and discovering history.
- Bru
Igor1941
Master Sergeant - U-boat
Master Sergeant - U-boat
Posts: 540
Joined: Mon Jul 11, 2011 11:05 pm

Re: Free France Campaign

Post by Igor1941 »

Che la mia ferita sia mortale

Image
bru888
Order of Battle Moderator
Order of Battle Moderator
Posts: 6213
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2016 5:39 pm
Location: United States

Re: Free France Campaign

Post by bru888 »

Igor1941 wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 5:50 pm Che la mia ferita sia mortale
Hmmm. "May my wound be fatal." No thanks, Igor. I think I will pass on this one. :roll: ( :wink: )
- Bru
GabeKnight
Lieutenant-General - Karl-Gerat 040
Lieutenant-General - Karl-Gerat 040
Posts: 3710
Joined: Mon Nov 27, 2017 10:24 pm

Re: Free France Campaign

Post by GabeKnight »

Hehe. A Corsican vedetta knife. Reminds me of "Astérix en Corse". I loved those when I was young... :D
Mascarenhas
Sergeant First Class - Elite Panzer IIIL
Sergeant First Class - Elite Panzer IIIL
Posts: 434
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2017 11:45 am
Location: Brazil

Re: Free France Campaign

Post by Mascarenhas »

N-N done, major in 27. I had all the fun I expected from this mission now. Corse, on y va!
bru888
Order of Battle Moderator
Order of Battle Moderator
Posts: 6213
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2016 5:39 pm
Location: United States

Re: Free France Campaign

Post by bru888 »

Masca, I'm glad for that.

Gabe, you're weird.
- Bru
GabeKnight
Lieutenant-General - Karl-Gerat 040
Lieutenant-General - Karl-Gerat 040
Posts: 3710
Joined: Mon Nov 27, 2017 10:24 pm

Re: Free France Campaign

Post by GabeKnight »

There you're definitely right. Why else would I play a campaign without core units...?

Uderzo&Goscinny.jpg
Uderzo&Goscinny.jpg (100.1 KiB) Viewed 2234 times
uzbek2012
Brigadier-General - 15 cm Nblwf 41
Brigadier-General - 15 cm Nblwf 41
Posts: 1904
Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2011 11:49 pm

Re: Free France Campaign

Post by uzbek2012 »

GabeKnight wrote: Thu Mar 18, 2021 2:49 am There you're definitely right. Why else would I play a campaign without core units...?


Uderzo&Goscinny.jpg
All right gentlemen you'll have a knife fight later ) In the meantime take Corsica the Moroccan couriers and other detachments of the free French
Image
https://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/43-09.htm
http://www.plam.ru/hist/ni_straha_ni_na ... 945/p5.php
https://topwar.ru/115720-kak-korsika-bo ... borbu.html
https://basmanov.livejournal.com/1343853.html
https://horstveps.livejournal.com/229973.html

Online translator to help you )
ColonelY
Colonel - Ju 88A
Colonel - Ju 88A
Posts: 1519
Joined: Tue Jan 07, 2020 8:46 am

Re: Free France Campaign

Post by ColonelY »

Several very nice photos, especially in the very last link, I would say. Thanks! :D
uzbek2012
Brigadier-General - 15 cm Nblwf 41
Brigadier-General - 15 cm Nblwf 41
Posts: 1904
Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2011 11:49 pm

Re: Free France Campaign

Post by uzbek2012 »

ColonelY wrote: Thu Mar 18, 2021 3:53 pm Several very nice photos, especially in the very last link, I would say. Thanks! :D

I was glad to help and thank you very much for our health ;)

https://sfw.so/1148818395-voennye-fotog ... chast.html

But I like more the Greek partisans who fought the British and had to call in the Germans to help them ))) Can you imagine Karl the British call the Germans to subdue them ELAS partizan )))
A little-known episode of the war: The British together... with the Germans against the partisans!
https://topwar.ru/76878-sovmestnaya-bor ... -1945.html
Image
https://picturehistory.livejournal.com/261308.html
bru888
Order of Battle Moderator
Order of Battle Moderator
Posts: 6213
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2016 5:39 pm
Location: United States

Re: Free France Campaign

Post by bru888 »

I found myself thinking about something just now: the difficulty in telling this story. And tell it I must, else most people would simply not know what they are looking at. There is quite a background story to the liberation of Corsica.

In contrast, say this was yet another Second Battle of El Alamein. Everybody knows that story, right? So it's "Here's the battle. It's Second El Alamein. Have fun!"

Now, take Operation Vesuvius which is hardly as well known. Some may know that it involved liberating Corsica. But how, and by whom?

The scenario opens with resistance fighters and American OSS agents staging an uprising in western Corsica. Except most of the partisans are Corsicans who normally would either be for independence or staying with Italy. Why then are they rising up against the Italians in order to return Corsica to the French?

Well, it turns out that there's been a change in leadership in Italy and now there are better Italians and worse Italians. So, while the resistance is fighting against some Italians, they find themselves fighting with other Italians who now renounce their former alliance with Germany. And resistance fighters, be they metropolitan French or native Corsicans, are (temporarily) united in their hatred of the Nazis.

And why do the good Italians fight instead of just packing up and going home? Well, it also turns out that they have some measure of martial pride and loyalty to their king. "King? There's a king involved?" Yes, of Italy, and he's involved in the story of Mussolini's fall from power and the German refusal to allow Italy to retire from the war. Italians had to now choose between being Fascists or Royalists which explains why they are on both sides of this scenario.

So as soon as the resistance and the OSS are finished doing their thing against bad Italians, the player finds himself in control of a couple of divisions (most of them, that is) of good Italians who are fighting against the Germans who, up until the beginning of the scenario, were their allies. "What the . . .?" :?

Imagine, then, if I just said, "Here's Operation Vesuvius. Have fun!" No bothersome popups, but no idea what is going on, either, unless you are willing to do the research. Why bother when I am doing it for you? So yes, there is yet another 5 of 5 set of introductory messages, much as I tried to avoid them.

All of which leads me to repeat one more time: The modus operandi of this campaign, with no core and no specialisations, and with each scenario crafted and managed in isolation of the others (except for certain campaign variables and needing to win or draw each one to move to the next), will not change. The modus operandi of this campaign, in telling the story of Free France in scenario descriptions and event popups, will not change. Those who miss those usual campaign elements, or who are not interested in reading a bunch of history, will not like this campaign.

The fact that this campaign does not look or play like others is both a function of the limitations of the Free French faction in this game - believe me, I would think twice about doing this again - and the fact that it does not deal with the same old topics that have been addressed over and over again by official and custom designers. Those who find value in Free France 1940-1945 are welcome to stay on board to the end; hopefully they will enjoy the ride. Others are welcome to play more conventional DLC with my blessing.

I mean to see this project through to its completion. I have a feeling that, after a year or two away from it, I am going to enjoy myself tremendously when I play it.
- Bru
bru888
Order of Battle Moderator
Order of Battle Moderator
Posts: 6213
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2016 5:39 pm
Location: United States

Re: Free France Campaign

Post by bru888 »

Every once in a while, I need to give myself a pep talk along the lines of the above.
- Bru
uzbek2012
Brigadier-General - 15 cm Nblwf 41
Brigadier-General - 15 cm Nblwf 41
Posts: 1904
Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2011 11:49 pm

Re: Free France Campaign

Post by uzbek2012 »

bru888 wrote: Thu Mar 18, 2021 10:11 pm Every once in a while, I need to give myself a pep talk along the lines of the above.

War is always blood, dirt, looting and rape ! And on patriotic posters, everything is just beautiful, funny and great ;)


Will you have a map about Operation catapult ?
https://picturehistory.livejournal.com/1764912.html
https://yandex.ru/turbo/masterok.livejo ... 76463.html
https://warspot.ru/3814-bezzhalostnaya- ... -katapulta
https://topwar.ru/172715-operacija-kata ... -flot.html
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9E%D0 ... 0%B0%C2%BB
ColonelY
Colonel - Ju 88A
Colonel - Ju 88A
Posts: 1519
Joined: Tue Jan 07, 2020 8:46 am

Re: Free France Campaign

Post by ColonelY »

:idea: As other possible illustrations, here are some stamps:

Corsica/Operation Vésuvius: https://www.google.ch/imgres?imgurl=htt ... gAegQIARAs
(The very first French department liberated... and a nice pic of the very famous sub Casabianca...)

Operation Diadem, the Battle for the Garigliano:
https://www.google.ch/imgres?imgurl=htt ... egUIARCTAQ or https://www.google.ch/imgres?imgurl=htt ... egUIARCVAQ or rather even (my favorite here) https://www.google.ch/imgres?imgurl=htt ... egUIARCbAQ
jeffoot77
Master Sergeant - U-boat
Master Sergeant - U-boat
Posts: 542
Joined: Thu May 21, 2015 7:31 pm

Re: Free France Campaign

Post by jeffoot77 »

commentary on Bir Hakeim mission :

+ : one of the best defensive mission i have played! very pleasant to play , only some entries for tanks is a good idea as the 7 lost recons patrols.

- : too easy ! if the player has understood that with only 4 entries for tank , it is easy to put 2 antitanks to block each entrie , nothing can enter the oasis!
I think that there are not enough entries: with 8 antitanks, it is easy to stop 4 roads but with 6 or 8 entries, it will be more balanced. Or maybe in the end, no more planes from english support and much more planes for axis. just a fact: i finished the mission without any ground losses! only bunkers were destroyed.

thxs for this campaign, each mission is so exciting !
my custom mini-campaign in order of battle :
http://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=374&t=79333&p=676302#p676302

Panzer corps mods archive (folders or zip versions) : http://jeffoot.freeboxos.fr:41226/share/pbUWeVhzCpRuG8YD/
ColonelY
Colonel - Ju 88A
Colonel - Ju 88A
Posts: 1519
Joined: Tue Jan 07, 2020 8:46 am

Re: Free France Campaign

Post by ColonelY »

jeffoot77 wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 12:21 pm [...]
- : too easy ! if the player has understood that with only 4 entries for tank , it is easy to put 2 antitanks to block each entrie , nothing can enter the oasis!
I think that there are not enough entries: with 8 antitanks, it is easy to stop 4 roads but with 6 or 8 entries, it will be more balanced. Or maybe in the end, no more planes from english support and much more planes for axis. just a fact: i finished the mission without any ground losses! only bunkers were destroyed. [...]
8) This reminds me of my suggestion at the time to also add air reinforcements for the Axis forces... :wink:
ColonelY wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 4:36 pm
ColonelY wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 4:16 pm 06BirHakeim: 8)

[...]


And I suggest :idea: adding a last wave of Italian planes and a last wave of German planes as well
[...]

On the opposite, we need to keep some enemy planes spawning to maintain more action there up... :wink:

:arrow: One could indeed consider adding more enemy planes in the skies of Bir Hakeim. :idea: I think a nice way to do it would be to add several more planes once enough of them have been shot down... (That may be the key! :wink: )

Like this, we're sure they won't saturate the sky: if the player has too many difficulties to handle this, he won't make much damages to them and thus won't see as well some reinforcements - a way to "replace" some of the lost enemy units so that, yeah, the action is maintained. :D
Example (with triggers):
Once 6 enemy bombers have been shot down, spawn perhaps 2 or 3 additional. (Not 100% back anyway, but still a little more... :wink: )
Once 12 enemy bombers have been shot down, spawn perhaps 4 or 5 additional.
Same thing with enemy fighters...


But I wouldn't "dismiss" our British air support! :|
*******
The same consideration/module could be applied as well for the Normandie-Niemen scenario (as I've already mentioned it once)... otherwise, at a certain point, the aerial superiority becomes undisputed... :?

By the way, Bru, during your test when the B-25C was shoot down (so much emotions for our poor good old Admiral :lol: :wink: )... were your own fighters active or were they kept aside (for the sake of this test)? :?:
:arrow: When I played, my dogfighters haven't even bothered about really going to cover the B-25 C... There was no need (at all), as they and the AAs at disposal have dealt already enough damages to the enemy fighters, so that not any single one has tried its luck against the B-25 C... Thus the suggestion I made about :idea: spawning one enemy fighter near the B-25 C once it has reached some border of the map (why not just before it moves back over Kursk - then easier to involve some AA and to call back some dogfighters to help our Admiral - so more challenge, more tension, but not a sacrificial addition either), and perhaps even two times during the scenario (but that could be too much, I don't know, it should be tested to be sure about it)... :wink:
*******

About having more openings at Bir Hakeim... Well, the point is that we've a limited amount of roads available for this map. :|

But, indeed, making one or two discrete openings on the map may be a nice addition towards more challenge for the scenario, yet more on the easy side... 8) New discrete openings, but allowing a tank unit to go inside... hmmm... perhaps one in the West and the other in the East? :?: (Tanks are likely to follow the "cliffs" at some point during this battle...)

:!: Dilemma: On one hand, this could increase the challenge and creating some effect of "surprise" to the player, but on the other hand it's known that the Frenchies have had time to prepare their defenses... how to conceive in a relevant way that such openings were not spotted during their preparations? :?
ColonelY
Colonel - Ju 88A
Colonel - Ju 88A
Posts: 1519
Joined: Tue Jan 07, 2020 8:46 am

Re: Free France Campaign

Post by ColonelY »

jeffoot77 wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 12:21 pm each mission is so exciting !
:D Glad to read this. :D
bru888
Order of Battle Moderator
Order of Battle Moderator
Posts: 6213
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2016 5:39 pm
Location: United States

Re: Free France Campaign

Post by bru888 »

Regarding Bir Hakeim:
- I added Axis air units when you suggested them. I feel we have enough now.
- The miracle of Bir Hakeim is that, due to the fortification, extensive entrenchment, and a good number of AT guns, a small Free French force held off three Axis divisions for 15 days. That is what I wanted to portray. If it's on the easy side, that's OK. An uninformed or lazy player could still lose the scenario, and that's OK, too.
- Bru
bru888
Order of Battle Moderator
Order of Battle Moderator
Posts: 6213
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2016 5:39 pm
Location: United States

Re: Free France Campaign

Post by bru888 »

ColonelY wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 10:08 pm
jeffoot77 wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 12:21 pm each mission is so exciting !
:D Glad to read this. :D
Wait until you get a load of Operation Vesuvius. :)
- Bru
ColonelY
Colonel - Ju 88A
Colonel - Ju 88A
Posts: 1519
Joined: Tue Jan 07, 2020 8:46 am

Re: Free France Campaign

Post by ColonelY »

bru888 wrote: Sun Jan 31, 2021 9:37 pm
ColonelY wrote: Sun Jan 31, 2021 8:11 pm 06BirHakeim: 8)

[...]

-> I still think you should add a last wave of Italian planes (a simple duplicate of the last trigger?) and a last wave of German planes as well (idem). :wink:
To increase a little the challenge, and keep some action in the skies... And I'm not worried because this won't unbalance this scenario, as it's not just a question of on overall how many planes the enemy will have. Indeed, here the player should have relatively soon more planes on this battlefield than the enemy, thus being perfectly able to handle some more. Alright, I will take your word for this. Added a fourth wave for Italian and German planes. Also changed the schedule to make it more challenging:


Image0269.jpg


And, since there are more targets of opportunity, raised from 40 to 50 the amount of damage that Groupe Alsace must inflict.

[...]

Et voilà ! :D Your contributions are invaluable.
:D Yeah, sorry, as you had of course indeed already added more enemy planes in this scenario (I'd forgotten this :oops: ) together with the apparition of the Free French famous Groupe Alsace (that, I hadn't forgotten! :wink: )... By the way, I'm glad that jeff suggested to remove the British aerial support but not the Free French planes. :wink:


8) Yet, having thought again at the awesome Bir Hakeim scenario, I've just got another idea about The Lost Patrols...

In playing this scenario, I had knowingly delayed the evacuation of some of them, especially the two from the North, in order to make them take part in the fighting by chasing the Italian survivors who were trying to get away from the front line... which was clearly a useful but unplanned job... :lol: :roll:

:arrow: Hence the idea: :idea: add an event, which can appear only once (or not, depending on the player's choice)... As soon as one of the British recon units has inflicted the slightest point of damage (maybe even in return of fire in case of attack), then a text like "Remember, your top priority with these guys is to evacuate them before it's too late!" and as a picture, well, there are several already available!
:wink:
Post Reply

Return to “Order of Battle : World War II - Scenario Design”