bru888 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 03, 2021 11:39 pm
Battle of the Scheldt is released.
I found some time; so I discovered this scenario with much pleasure, really. An awesome scenario, thanks! 
I would have some suggestions and various things to tell about it, if I may:
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Now, there is no garrison immediately in the town of Woensdrecht… okay, that’s fine.
The German seem to lack some
AT capability, on overall…
So, I’ll suggest adding some.
From Antwerp, the trip should be easier westwards than northwards. So, if we’re about to add some extra strength, then rather northwards from Antwerp! 
So, what about
adding these 3 AT units:
1. One 2 hexes W of Woensdrecht (thus covering 4 units at a time and strengthening an important point – we’ll come back to this later)
And, in the NE of the map, perhaps two “lighter” models of AT guns:
2. One just 1 hex N of Steenbergen (to cover the unit there)
3. One just 1 hex NW of Fijnaart (to cover the garrison and the MG-foxhole)
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I looked it up - there was a lot of discussion about
whether or not to use paratroopers 
(American and then British) in this operation... in the end, they were not engaged there -
alas!
(Source:
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/Cana ... ry-15.html )
BUT I’ve found tracks of the presence of paratroopers on this battlefield – but
German paratroopers and
on the ground from start…
First from the French Wiki, with something that may be translated like this:
“
Hard fighting at Woensdrecht allowed the first phase objective to be reached on 6 October. The Germans of the 67th Army Corps, including the Chill Battle Group, which brought together the remnants of the 85th German Infantry Division reinforced by the 6th Parachute Regiment, saw the priority importance of holding this position as it allowed them to control access to South Beveland and the island of Walcheren.”
The 6th Parachute Regiment…
aha!
And, a little extract from its English “equivalent” Wiki (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Scheldt ):
"
Field Marshal Walter Model, who was commanding Army Group B, ordered: "The corridor to Walcheren will be kept open at any price; if necessary, it will be regained by forces ruthlessly detached from other sectors". Model, a tough and ruthless National Socialist fanatic known for his devotion to Hitler, was called "the Führer's Fireman" because Hitler always gave him the toughest jobs. Model sent the 256th Volksgrenadier division and assault gun companies to allow the release of Battle Group Chill, the "fire brigade" consisting of 6th Parachute Regiment and assault gun companies. On 10 October, the Royal Regiment of Canada launched a surprise attack against the German lines at Woensdrecht, but for the next days was engaged in heavy fighting against counterattacks from Battle Group Chill. Major-General Charles Foulkes of the 2nd Division sent the Black Watch to support the Royal Regiment.[26] The German forces at Woensdrecht greatly outnumbered the Canadians and had Model known of this, he might have launched a counter-offensive. Instead he used attrition tactics by making piecemeal counterattacks."
=> And that’s (very) nice, because there is the possibility to
add a perhaps “small” (but rather decent) counterattack around Woensdrecht, together with a
nice event (including this quote from Model)…
an immersive event when these units have dealt their very first damage, perhaps (it works thanks to selecting the corresponding AI group, I guess) – that would be better than “when they come to sight”, as with all the planes we have… to early won’t make much sense!
Which units?
I’m thinking at 2 or 3 units of Volkssturm, perhaps 2 units of Fallschirmjäger and perhaps 1 or 2 units of armored artillery (like 1 Wurfrahmen rocket-launcher and/or 1 Wespe or Hummel)! Perhaps these German units being labelled “
Battle Group Chill” or something.
Where to deploy them?
Well, between Woensdrecht and Bergen Op Zoom (N of it) there isn’t much room available along the road. Although, there is of course the possibility to deploy some of them in the nearby farmlands.
Right now, we’ve much more room between Woensdrecht and Putte (S of it).
So, I would say there are two options:
A)
Either deployed N of Woensdrecht (and partly in farmlands too) ready to move South very aggressively
as soon as we’ve reached the town (perhaps 1 hex away from it or something);
B)
Or deployed at Woensdrecht directly and in its southern surroundings (perhaps as well partly in nearby farmlands), ready to move South very aggressively
as soon as the German have lost the town of Putte.
Which one would be your favorite?
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I don't think there is any real problem at all (
in terms of overall difficulty and scenario length) with adding this counter-attack and a few small AT-guns here and there.
Oh, by the way, no
German engineer at all!?
Well, perhaps
a little handful of them here and there too (
like 1 unit between the 2 bunkers E of Middelburg)…
However, I think all these different little adds are likely increase the immersion... and remove the feeling, that may happen, of a somewhat "linear" progression from the North of Antwerp, from an “island of resistance” to another. =>
Some good counter-attack!
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The disconnected “roads” in the SW area may look a little surprising, but I think it’s on purpose… to slow us a little down; at least we’ve bridges! And, anyway, it’s in the middle of farmland areas, so there may very well be no “real” road there, so, fine.
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Two very little details:
-> Tactical Status 7/8: “fortific
ations”
-> Minesweeping 1/3: well, text to slightly adapt, as the cargo ships are (
fortunately) present from start
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‘seems that we’ve
too much LCPs from start: I would say 20 extra LCPs for Canadians and 1 extra LCP for Polish, right?
(
Once we've deployed all our troops... I don't think we're supposed to purchase more units and, anyway, would we have the RPs for that?)
*******
Prevent the skies from becoming empty… perhaps around turn 30, or as soon as the German have lost their last plane,
spawn two additional German fighters and one German bomber in the NE!
“
The show must go on!”
*******
We may expect some (short)
rainy periods...
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Last but not least, I would suggest an adaptation of this objective: “
Capture all the castles in Zeeland”
I really like it, but there is a little something…
Let’s start from the beginning, shall we?
With the naval and aeriel powers at disposal, together with the need to progress carefully against the enemy coastal defences… that may at some points offer the option to target some castles – perhaps as
targets of opportunity, but anyway.
We
can destroy these concrete bunkers by "just" using our naval and aerial means, and “
Westhove Castle” is the more likely to be targeted for an obvious reason.
Then, if we’ve
no land troop nearby,
how could it we garrisoned by our own non-present troops?
Well, we may imagine that some paratroopers (
that we’ve not seen) or some partisans (
that we’ve not seen either) have rushed inside these walls (
if not ruins ) to put a stand there.
Concrete effect: the player'll see several nearby German troops on these islands starting to move towards “our” castles which, then, won’t last long
even with the support of our naval guns and bombers!
Then, well, it still counts as a castle that has been captured even if there is no longer any castle/bunker on the map…
Solution?
Well,
it could be possible to check whether there is an allied land unit in the vicinity of these castles once they are delt with in order to switch flag at this time… but that may be rather annoying (at least) to implement. And anyway better have, or keep, the
same treatment for all of them.
I think the easiest way to deal with this possibility (yes, yes, the player may indeed take some initiatives 
) would be to change the “Capture all the castles in Zeeland” into “Neutralize all the castles in Zeeland”… yes, “neutralize”, so spawn them then under the “neutral” flag rather than an allied flag.
(
Of course, with a smart adaptation of all corresponding texts. )
Et voilà ! 
