Free France Campaign

[Mascarenhas]

Distintivo_da_FEB_1_GC.PNG (228.59 KiB) Viewed 1120 times

Insignia of the 1st Brazilian Fighter Group.

[ColonelY]

Thanks for the campaign update.

*******
You're right about the OOB for Operation Diadem : Italians, NZ and SA were too far away to take an active role...

[...] This is a moderately-sized map, so I think battalion-level will be appropriate for Operation Diadem.

Battalion-level? Fine!

So, a little complementary info, taken from the book of Dominique Lormier ("L'apport capital de la France dans la victoire des Alliés"):

US 5th Army: 18 British, 65 American and 45 French battalions

British 8th Army: 21 British, 12 Canadian, 12 Polish and 9 Indian battalions

Important French participation in this Italian campaign. The French army thus committed numbers that rivaled those of the Americans and the British.
*******
About the Brazilian Expeditionary Force (good info + several very nice pictures here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian ... nary_Force ; and in its French "equivalent" with less pictures but some nice complementary info : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_exp ... A9silienne )

No, this BEF can't appear on a battlefield within this campaign as Free French haven't fought together with Brazilians and as we haven't the corresponding flag anyway in OoB.

Yes this BEF can definitely be mentioned within this campaign using campaign events. I think that, since their history is also largely unknown despite the fact that they have well contributed too, they deserve it. Now we can't really mention them without making some links with the Free French whose campaign it is. So, I've made a little research and I found two potential opportunities for saying nice and immersive words about this BEF:

1. (Passage translated from the French wiki page:) "The first operations of the Brazilian troops were reconnaissance operations carried out at the end of August. The Brazilians were to replace the French troops who had left to serve in Operation Dragoon (the Provence landings)." We'll have a scenario about Operation Dragoon, so a campaign event before this scenario, that's an option!

2. (Idem:) "On 2nd May [1945], the Brazilians arrived at the gates of Turin and met the French troops who had crossed the border." Well, that may be relatively late in the campaign, but it's another opportunity anyway...

Is not this a perfect setting for the Brazilian Expeditionary Force show up?

[…] Too bad, though. I would LOVE to find a spot for the Brazilian Expeditionary Force insignia! […]

Found. We've two options available now!

[ColonelY]

The victories won in Italy nevertheless required heavy sacrifices, so much so that the battle of Monte Cassino was nicknamed the "Verdun of the Second World War". The fierce resistance of the Wehrmacht, withdrawn behind the defenses erected on the summits of Abruzzo, imposed on the Allied troops a long and trying war of positions...
*******
In this book (the same than before), the chaotic relief is also described; almost devoid of vegetation in winter, without easy roads, bristling with rocks, with in addition to these natural obstacles a big surprise: the mud, the liquid mud, the eternal slippery mud!

Indeed, the climate, so particular of the Italian front, is another bad surprise for the combatants of both camps. Moreover, General Ringel, commander of the 5th German Mountain Division wrote: "It is obvious that the divisions coming from other theaters of operations were at first unable to withstand the bitter cold of the high mountains to which they were not accustomed and the frightful rolling fire of the Allied artillery engaged in the great battles. Although the cold was not as relentless as in Russia, the constant changes in the weather, from rain to snow to frost to storm, seriously disturbed the men. In their first letters to their families, they described how they would have gladly returned to Russia on their hands and knees..."

Still Ringel: "Finally, Alexander and Clark realized that [...] the man whom even the German command had recognized as its most dangerous adversary in Italy was still there: General Juin with his Franco-Africans."

Marshal Kesselring wrote: "The tactics of the Americans and the British were on the whole very methodical. Local successes were rarely exploited. On the other hand, the French attacked with an extraordinary bite, and exploited each success to the full by immediately concentrating their forces on it. We noted the French way of largely overrunning when necessary, by a large-scale maneuver, the German strong points.

On several occasions, mountainous terrain considered impassable was crossed by the enemy, who seemed to have prepared down to the last detail for this operation and was equipped accordingly. It is therefore necessary to methodically guard even those terrains that are considered impossible. Especially remarkable is the great all-terrain ability of the French troops who quickly cross the mountainous areas, with their heavy weapons loaded on mules, and who always try to outflank our positions by wide maneuvers, and to break through from behind."

Général Juin: "All along the road, from Salerno to Naples, we had come up against the British 7th Armored Division in a tight column, unable to get off the road and deploy on a terrain where the mountain held the whole landscape. I had immediately concluded that the widespread motorization of the British and American armies was not without its serious impediments to rapid progress up peninsular Italy."

[...] His troops, less dependent on the road network, with a limited number of armored vehicles, were perfectly equipped for the fight in the mountains. They had a large number of mules, which allowed them to free themselves from the problems posed by motorized transport. Even more valuable was the great experience of warfare in the mountains, acquired during the pacification operations in Morocco and Algeria, as well as during the campaigns in Tunisia and Corsica against the Axis. Thus, the mobility on foot, the endurance of the fighters, the infiltration and the autonomy of the small units, which were predominant qualities in the CEF, were to prove invaluable on the steep terrain of Abruzzo.

The German historian Böhmler will write that "Marshal Kesselring emphasized in my presence that it was always the sectors of the front where he knew the corps of Juin was located that gave him the most concern."

Etc. etc. etc.

Extremely difficult conditions. All winter (at least) in a slimy mud, under the rain or the snow... Often, when the troops progress in the mountains, the supplies do not follow (except the one worn by the mules)... no matter, the French men drink when it rains...

[ColonelY]

Ok, there is no mud in OoB. But this scenario may have more periods on rain (and even maybe still some snow in these heights in spring) than "usual"... That would be a way (the only one at disposal perhaps) to try depicting this a little.

[ColonelY]

Looking for some cool facts to add few nice, historical and immersive events?

Here's few ideas, taken from a list of personalities who participated in the battle of Mt Cassino:

1. Corporal Wojtek of the 22nd Polish Supply Company... sort of a mascot! ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wojtek_(bear) )

2. Alain Mimoun, French athlete winner of the marathon of the Olympic Games in Melbourne in 1956, seriously wounded in the foot by a shrapnel during the battle of Mount Cassino on January 28, 1944 (so the first battle, that is), he narrowly avoided the amputation of his left leg by American doctors and benefited from a successful operation by a French surgeon; he will also take part relatively soon after the landing in Provence (Operation Dragoon) ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_Mimoun )

3. Ahmed Ben Bella and Mohammed Boudiaf, respectively first and fourth president of independent Algeria

[ColonelY]

Played Operation Vesuvius:
(v0.32, lvl III, MV t 35 - 'waited a little to finish enemy aux boats)

Just excellent!

And I've indeed recognized several of my ideas among the other changes made, as you said. Nice!

Two suggestions:

1. We'll face relatively soon the "Sturmbrigade Reichsführer SS"... SS... now you see where I'm going, right? Well, I haven't noticed this during my first playthrough ( ), but actually these SS units should appear under the corresponding SS faction/flag instead of the "regular" German one. (And watch out for enemy income then...)

2. When the new obj "Defend Ajaccio uprising" appear, there is still a change in hex ownership at Bastia and its surroundings (2 hexes away) without apparent reason. We don't have anymore the sec obj to avoid losing Bastia, that's fine. But why this change in hex ownership already?!
So, I've taken a look into the triggers. Folder "Friuli Division + Italian DD". I suggest there to simply remove the "Friendly Friuli hexes" trigger and to don't change the "Spawn Friuli Division" trigger.
The first of these two triggers don't contain a "Trigger Timer" 0-6... and that's why we see these hexes changing ownership (with no apparent reason while playing)... several hexes (6) before this second Italian division is spawned. So one could add another "Trigger Timer" 0-6 as well for this "Friendly Friuli hexes" trigger... But we don't need it, because when you spawn the Friuli Division, all (land) hexes at 2 (hexes) max from Bastia will be occupied by an allied Italian unit and, thus, shall automatically change the hex ownership of the corresponding hexes (there is no recon unit involved).


Congrats, keep up the good work.

[bru888]

Yes this BEF can definitely be mentioned within this campaign using campaign events. I think that, since their history is also largely unknown despite the fact that they have well contributed too, they deserve it. Now we can't really mention them without making some links with the Free French whose campaign it is. So, I've made a little research and I found two potential opportunities for saying nice and immersive words about this BEF:

1. (Passage translated from the French wiki page:) "The first operations of the Brazilian troops were reconnaissance operations carried out at the end of August. The Brazilians were to replace the French troops who had left to serve in Operation Dragoon (the Provence landings)." We'll have a scenario about Operation Dragoon, so a campaign event before this scenario, that's an option!

2. (Idem:) "On 2nd May [1945], the Brazilians arrived at the gates of Turin and met the French troops who had crossed the border." Well, that may be relatively late in the campaign, but it's another opportunity anyway...

Is not this a perfect setting for the Brazilian Expeditionary Force show up?

[…] Too bad, though. I would LOVE to find a spot for the Brazilian Expeditionary Force insignia! […]

Found. We've two options available now!

I'll do it, in honor of Mascarenhas the general, and Mascarenhas the game player and beta contributor! I will go with these visuals so far, a two-part popup campaign message:

Marechal_Mascarenhas_de_Moraes.png (92.18 KiB) Viewed 1080 times

Brazilian_Expeditionary_Forces_insignia_(smoking_snake).svg.png (20.51 KiB) Viewed 1080 times

Your opportunity number 1 will be the tie-in.

[Mascarenhas]

Maybe with a little history twitching, you could use the 1rst Brazilian Fighter Group.. They, in fact, only started combat operations by November 1944, but were operational before this time. So, they could have been employed...

[bru888]

Played Operation Vesuvius:
(v0.32, lvl III, MV t 35 - 'waited a little to finish enemy aux boats)

Just excellent!

And I've indeed recognized several of my ideas among the other changes made, as you said. Nice!

Two suggestions:

1. We'll face relatively soon the "Sturmbrigade Reichsführer SS"... SS... now you see where I'm going, right? Well, I haven't noticed this during my first playthrough ( ), but actually these SS units should appear under the corresponding SS faction/flag instead of the "regular" German one. (And watch out for enemy income then...)

2. When the new obj "Defend Ajaccio uprising" appear, there is still a change in hex ownership at Bastia and its surroundings (2 hexes away) without apparent reason. We don't have anymore the sec obj to avoid losing Bastia, that's fine. But why this change in hex ownership already?!
So, I've taken a look into the triggers. Folder "Friuli Division + Italian DD". I suggest there to simply remove the "Friendly Friuli hexes" trigger and to don't change the "Spawn Friuli Division" trigger.
The first of these two triggers don't contain a "Trigger Timer" 0-6... and that's why we see these hexes changing ownership (with no apparent reason while playing)... several hexes (6) before this second Italian division is spawned. So one could add another "Trigger Timer" 0-6 as well for this "Friendly Friuli hexes" trigger... But we don't need it, because when you spawn the Friuli Division, all (land) hexes at 2 (hexes) max from Bastia will be occupied by an allied Italian unit and, thus, shall automatically change the hex ownership of the corresponding hexes (there is no recon unit involved).


Congrats, keep up the good work.

1. I have a mental block when it comes to the Waffen SS faction in this game. You are right, of course, and I will make the switch but perhaps the mental block comes from knowing how despicable these units were; the officers, of course, and many of the men who followed them as they committed their atrocities. Like men everywhere and at all times, they were stupid people who wanted to feel significant and gain power and rewards and could not find any other way of doing so other than to obey demagogues and war criminals. Sure, there are barbarities on all sides in war — we are going to address the Monte Cassino abbey and the Marocchinate (Italian for "Moroccans' deeds") in Operation Diadem — but there was nothing, nothing done by the Allies that comes even close to the crimes committed in a SUSTAINED, SYSTEMATIC, and OFFICIALLY CONDONED manner by the Nazis and the IJA. World War II holds fascination for me in part because — and this point can be debated — it is the last one in which good was on one side and evil was on the other. But, for the sake of historical accuracy, I will insert the Waffen SS faction for Sturmbrigade Reichsführer SS.

2. Good catch about those premature hex ownership changes near Bastia. The reason was that I forgot the trigger timer on the "Friendly Friuli hexes" trigger, but as you pointed out, this trigger is superfluous in that the spawning of the Friuli Division neatly and exactly accomplishes the same purpose. I will delete the "Friendly Friuli hexes" trigger.

Thanks for the kind words. I am glad that you are enjoying the campaign so far and believe it to be worthy.

[bru888]

Maybe with a little history twitching, you could use the 1rst Brazilian Fighter Group.. They, in fact, only started combat operations by November 1944, but were operational before this time. So, they could have been employed...

This campaign is about Free France and unless the Brazilians appeared on the same battlefield as the French, they are not going to be included here. The BEF arrived, and stayed, in Italy after Free French forces were withdrawn at the insistence of de Gaulle for the landings in France. The only time French and Brazilians met, ground or air, was at Susa, outside of Turin, in May 1945 at the end of the Italian campaign.

Even if this was not true, the lack of a Brazilian flag would bother me. Visuals are very important to me — it's a primary reason why I gravitated to this game rather than Panzer Corps — so the proposal is not feasible for that reason as well. To use the Imperial Japan flag as an approximate substitute for the flag of Brazil would be insulting, don't you think?

So no, sorry; no shoehorning of the BEF into a campaign about Free France. The campaign event message about the BEF will have to suffice. If that is not to your liking, let me know here and I will shelve that plan.

[ColonelY]

There is one campaign variable, namely "Free French land units are receiving a +1 (1/2 star) bonus due to previous successes in ground combat.", which has been earned (or not) in the Tunisia, during the Mareth Line scenario that should apply... as well in the Corsican scenario! (But perhaps not for Partisans anyway...)

(Nice, by the way, that you intend to use again the cruiser_lost campaign variable during the naval scenario about "La Combattante". )

[ColonelY]

The very first time that this is applied, then it would be nice if it comes together with an event (with some cool picture and a short but immersive text!)...

Here it should be in the Operation Vesuvius just after the event "Nous Sommes Ici": the Free French are about to land and they take their XP with them.
(It's historical, by the way, that they've gained a lot of useful experience in Tunisia, experience in mountain combat that will help them later in Corsica and Italy.)

[bru888]

No and no, for the same reason why I did not do the air experience: Too complicated when Free French units are being spawned during the scenario rather than starting on the map. (I would actually have to program separate groups of spawning triggers with differing levels of experience. The alternative would be a repeating trigger that constantly updates experience levels each turn but that would negate any experience gained in combat, or spent for reinforcements, during the scenario.) Besides, the shock troops are already getting a bonus boost and as for the rest, they can get by for one scenario with the basic three-star experience.

[Mascarenhas]

I see your point, Bruce, and I will not insist anymore. You´re correct and sticking to facts is the very best way. If someday someone decides to create " what if" scens, it may be different. Also thanks for the references, as you proposed.
Regards,

[ColonelY]

No and no, for the same reason why I did not do the air experience: Too complicated when Free French units are being spawned during the scenario rather than starting on the map. [...]

Right, it would be similar with what you already explained with air XP...

But I think the following holds still... now for Operation Diadem (instead of Operation Vesuvius):

The very first time that this is applied, then it would be nice if it comes together with an event (with some cool picture and a short but immersive text!)...

[...](It's historical, by the way, that they've gained a lot of useful experience in Tunisia, experience in mountain combat that will help them later in Corsica and Italy.)

[ColonelY]

You are not meant to take a train ride into Dakar. You could do so, I suppose, by boarding in Rufisque, but come on. "Righto, chaps. Everybody got their ticket? All aboard, now. Next stop, Dakar! (If the Vichy don't blow up our train, that is.)"

If anything, the Railroad Yard prevents such nonsense until at least it is cleared. Then you have to go back to Rufisque if you want to take a train. Until the next roadblock; I may put more in now that you have pointed this out.

Everybody and his brother has WHEELS to help cover the distance. When you play these scenarios, do you want to play them historically and realistically, or are you looking for a way to game them?

Well, instead of adding more roadblocks at the risk of unbalancing the scenario (the timer keeps running), we may have another way to neutralize the railway... and, I would argue, in a way that might even enhance the immersion: Let's blow up some bridges!

Look:
There is one NW of the Railroad Yard...
There is another W of Tiaroye (village)...

The first one can be blown up as soon as the sec obj "Destroy the stalled troop train" is achieved!
So simply complete your "Destroy troop trigger train" [trigger] by first blowing this bridge, ovbiously , AND second adding another short and cool event saying few words about the Vichy's French doing their best to delay us on the road or, rather, rails to Dakar. (To enhance more immersion, make it explicit!)
Perhaps something like "The partisans of the Vichy regime, well aware of the strategic importance of the Dakar-Niger Railway, are trying to prevent its use by the partisans of the Cross of Lorraine. In short, instead of putting obstacles in their way, they cut the bridges... literally!"

The second one can be blown up (no event poping-up required this time, I would say) as soon as the "Tiaroye Station" has been captured!

The two times, one could wait until our troops are closing in near these bridges, but then I think it would be a little unfair, because the player may already have put some troops on train and, well, as some of them may be a little tricky to disembark...

The (very) good point about this is that these two bridges are "only" railway bridges, i.e. blowing them won't delay our land troops still able to use the regular bridges...

And, well, if the player really wants to, I think that the Engineers will be able to repair these railway bridges, but it will require some time and organization... So, more complicated but doable if the player really wants to... So, from that point of view, I think it would also be better.

And what about this?

It will be quick to be implemented... much quicker than writing all this!

[ColonelY]

Now, on a subject that is more important to me personally than the railway bridges on the Dakar side (even if I believe that there is a good card to play there too):

[...] Now, with which unit to represent the famous “Bataillon de Choc”? Well, first of all, they were paratroopers and commandos ( https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/1er_batai ... te_de_choc - to be translated using online Tools as this time it hasn't even some sort of equivalent in English... Well, see next post about them!), but we’ve a problem there as the French don’t have any commando unit within OoB…
Anyway, it just can’t be represented by regular French infantry ’42 (yes, I know there is no French infantry ’43 yet either in OoB, but picking some “basic” unit to depict some elite formation…).

What to choose?
“US Airborne ‘43” (to put the emphasis on their paratrooper aspect – BUT the “US” is probably much too visible here) or
“Special Air Service ‘43”(to put the emphasis on their commando aspect…)

The later is the more discrete one, the less obviously non-French unit… besides, we know that commando units in OoB have difficulties to hold a frontline (it’s not their job anyway)… but that shouldn’t be an issue at all as now we should have a 6th unit of Goumiers (represented by the excellent model of Gurkhas within this campaign), an unit perfectly able to hold some frontline. So this shouldn't unbalance the scenario at all.

So, these 2 units of “Bataillon de Choc” (like “Shock Battalion”) represented by the SAS model? Does that sounds good enough?

Perhaps this unit does deserve an short but cool and immersive event, by the way?!

[...] Yes, there are two French Infantry units representing Bataillon de Choc (with enhanced experience to adjust for 1942 quality). I preferred that because metropolitan French seemed a bit under-represented versus 26 colonial units. As far as representing them as paratroopers or commandos, two things: 1) Yes, "U.S. Paratroopers" being visible would irritate me (we are trying to keep this as "Frenchy" as possible), and 2) those British SAS units are too weak in combat. I want to portray Bataillon de Choc as combat fighters, not as raiders. We had enough raiders earlier in the scenario. [...]

Well, well... I keep thinking about it because I’m not that fine with representing the (famous) “Bataillon de Choc” in Corsica by simple regular French Infantry (and moreover an outdated version, even with some XP boost)… like this, there is nothing “special” with them and this even prevent adding a small but immersive event introducing them…

Thinking about it, I took stock... We agree, British or US Paratroopers wouldn't do the trick because they are too explicitly non-French. True, the SAS would have been nice in their own right but are too weak in combat. Moreover, there were already Raiders at the beginning of the scenario (even if the resources did not allow to use their famous "sneak attack" - anyway, we don't need at all this special ability in this scenario, but let's focus, shall we?)...

2 SAS units reinforced by another Gurkha/Tabor (to compensate for the relative lack of efficiency on a frontline) would have been an option, but not necessarily a very satisfactory one...

But wouldn't there be a plan B? Another unit that could do the job? I've then got an idea: why not use the "Chindits" as a model unit?

They are still "special" units, but they are not really raiders (they don't have the "sneak attack" trait and have fewer traits). They have better stats than Marines Raiders or SAS... they have a little "exotic" look (like Gurkhas) - anyway, they were NOT a standard unit, by any means... that's 2 guys instead of 3 per hex (like SAS for example)...

I thought: represent them with the Chindits model, why not? We already use the Gurkhas model for a similar purpose. Having Chindits to represent some shock troops... this is an option that has not been studied yet. So, I went back to look for information, first on wiki…

Translated passages from the Wiki webpage (only existing in French – and Italian!): https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/1er_batai ... te_de_choc
“The shock battalion is an elite unit of the French Army formed in May 1943 in Staoueli, Algeria. Trained in parachuting and commando methods [...] They were to be the French equivalent of the British SAS, the German Skorzeny commandos, and the Chindits units in Burma, and for this purpose they received parachute commando training.”

So there is an historical confirmation: this famous unit is somehow related to the SAS, but to the Chindits as well!!!

And this little touch would add to the diversification of the units present in this campaign...

Yes, "metropolitan French seemed a bit under-represented", or may seem so, within this scenario. Well yes, in this battle for Corsica, the French camp aligned almost only soldiers coming from Africa... well, if it was the case, we have to deal with it. Moreover, the men of this "Bataillon de Choc" were of various origins, some from metropolitan France, but not all either...


So, what about representing in this scenario this “Bataillon de Choc” by 2 units of Chindits (with the same XP than all other Free French troops)?

[bru888]

No and no, for the same reason why I did not do the air experience: Too complicated when Free French units are being spawned during the scenario rather than starting on the map. [...]

Right, it would be similar with what you already explained with air XP...

But I think the following holds still... now for Operation Diadem (instead of Operation Vesuvius):

The very first time that this is applied, then it would be nice if it comes together with an event (with some cool picture and a short but immersive text!)...

[...](It's historical, by the way, that they've gained a lot of useful experience in Tunisia, experience in mountain combat that will help them later in Corsica and Italy.)

Yes, you will see all campaign variables, as applicable, return in Diadem and from now on. Reason: I don't intend to spawn any more Free French units from now on. There will be a "land_experience_2" in Operation Diadem, by the way. This will round out the experience variables; no more after this. Both air and land will have two levels of experience boosters at that point. As I have done with air experience, I will let the pins on the campaign map announce the land experience.

[bru888]

You are not meant to take a train ride into Dakar. You could do so, I suppose, by boarding in Rufisque, but come on. "Righto, chaps. Everybody got their ticket? All aboard, now. Next stop, Dakar! (If the Vichy don't blow up our train, that is.)"

If anything, the Railroad Yard prevents such nonsense until at least it is cleared. Then you have to go back to Rufisque if you want to take a train. Until the next roadblock; I may put more in now that you have pointed this out.

Everybody and his brother has WHEELS to help cover the distance. When you play these scenarios, do you want to play them historically and realistically, or are you looking for a way to game them?

Well, instead of adding more roadblocks at the risk of unbalancing the scenario (the timer keeps running), we may have another way to neutralize the railway... and, I would argue, in a way that might even enhance the immersion: Let's blow up some bridges!

Look:
There is one NW of the Railroad Yard...
There is another W of Tiaroye (village)...

The first one can be blown up as soon as the sec obj "Destroy the stalled troop train" is achieved!
So simply complete your "Destroy troop trigger train" [trigger] by first blowing this bridge, ovbiously , AND second adding another short and cool event saying few words about the Vichy's French doing their best to delay us on the road or, rather, rails to Dakar. (To enhance more immersion, make it explicit!)
Perhaps something like "The partisans of the Vichy regime, well aware of the strategic importance of the Dakar-Niger Railway, are trying to prevent its use by the partisans of the Cross of Lorraine. In short, instead of putting obstacles in their way, they cut the bridges... literally!"

The second one can be blown up (no event poping-up required this time, I would say) as soon as the "Tiaroye Station" has been captured!

The two times, one could wait until our troops are closing in near these bridges, but then I think it would be a little unfair, because the player may already have put some troops on train and, well, as some of them may be a little tricky to disembark...

The (very) good point about this is that these two bridges are "only" railway bridges, i.e. blowing them won't delay our land troops still able to use the regular bridges...

And, well, if the player really wants to, I think that the Engineers will be able to repair these railway bridges, but it will require some time and organization... So, more complicated but doable if the player really wants to... So, from that point of view, I think it would also be better.

And what about this?

It will be quick to be implemented... much quicker than writing all this!

In my ire over "British Babe," I overlooked this but now that you mention it, yes, I will take steps along these lines in Dakar to damage the railway.

[bru888]

Now, on a subject that is more important to me personally than the railway bridges on the Dakar side (even if I believe that there is a good card to play there too):

[...] Now, with which unit to represent the famous “Bataillon de Choc”? Well, first of all, they were paratroopers and commandos ( https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/1er_batai ... te_de_choc - to be translated using online Tools as this time it hasn't even some sort of equivalent in English... Well, see next post about them!), but we’ve a problem there as the French don’t have any commando unit within OoB…
Anyway, it just can’t be represented by regular French infantry ’42 (yes, I know there is no French infantry ’43 yet either in OoB, but picking some “basic” unit to depict some elite formation…).

What to choose?
“US Airborne ‘43” (to put the emphasis on their paratrooper aspect – BUT the “US” is probably much too visible here) or
“Special Air Service ‘43”(to put the emphasis on their commando aspect…)

The later is the more discrete one, the less obviously non-French unit… besides, we know that commando units in OoB have difficulties to hold a frontline (it’s not their job anyway)… but that shouldn’t be an issue at all as now we should have a 6th unit of Goumiers (represented by the excellent model of Gurkhas within this campaign), an unit perfectly able to hold some frontline. So this shouldn't unbalance the scenario at all.

So, these 2 units of “Bataillon de Choc” (like “Shock Battalion”) represented by the SAS model? Does that sounds good enough?

Perhaps this unit does deserve an short but cool and immersive event, by the way?!

[...] Yes, there are two French Infantry units representing Bataillon de Choc (with enhanced experience to adjust for 1942 quality). I preferred that because metropolitan French seemed a bit under-represented versus 26 colonial units. As far as representing them as paratroopers or commandos, two things: 1) Yes, "U.S. Paratroopers" being visible would irritate me (we are trying to keep this as "Frenchy" as possible), and 2) those British SAS units are too weak in combat. I want to portray Bataillon de Choc as combat fighters, not as raiders. We had enough raiders earlier in the scenario. [...]

Well, well... I keep thinking about it because I’m not that fine with representing the (famous) “Bataillon de Choc” in Corsica by simple regular French Infantry (and moreover an outdated version, even with some XP boost)… like this, there is nothing “special” with them and this even prevent adding a small but immersive event introducing them…

Thinking about it, I took stock... We agree, British or US Paratroopers wouldn't do the trick because they are too explicitly non-French. True, the SAS would have been nice in their own right but are too weak in combat. Moreover, there were already Raiders at the beginning of the scenario (even if the resources did not allow to use their famous "sneak attack" - anyway, we don't need at all this special ability in this scenario, but let's focus, shall we?)...

2 SAS units reinforced by another Gurkha/Tabor (to compensate for the relative lack of efficiency on a frontline) would have been an option, but not necessarily a very satisfactory one...

But wouldn't there be a plan B? Another unit that could do the job? I've then got an idea: why not use the "Chindits" as a model unit?

They are still "special" units, but they are not really raiders (they don't have the "sneak attack" trait and have fewer traits). They have better stats than Marines Raiders or SAS... they have a little "exotic" look (like Gurkhas) - anyway, they were NOT a standard unit, by any means... that's 2 guys instead of 3 per hex (like SAS for example)...

I thought: represent them with the Chindits model, why not? We already use the Gurkhas model for a similar purpose. Having Chindits to represent some shock troops... this is an option that has not been studied yet. So, I went back to look for information, first on wiki…

Translated passages from the Wiki webpage (only existing in French – and Italian!): https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/1er_batai ... te_de_choc
“The shock battalion is an elite unit of the French Army formed in May 1943 in Staoueli, Algeria. Trained in parachuting and commando methods [...] They were to be the French equivalent of the British SAS, the German Skorzeny commandos, and the Chindits units in Burma, and for this purpose they received parachute commando training.”

So there is an historical confirmation: this famous unit is somehow related to the SAS, but to the Chindits as well!!!

And this little touch would add to the diversification of the units present in this campaign...

Yes, "metropolitan French seemed a bit under-represented", or may seem so, within this scenario. Well yes, in this battle for Corsica, the French camp aligned almost only soldiers coming from Africa... well, if it was the case, we have to deal with it. Moreover, the men of this "Bataillon de Choc" were of various origins, some from metropolitan France, but not all either...


So, what about representing in this scenario this “Bataillon de Choc” by 2 units of Chindits (with the same XP than all other Free French troops)?

But for this, I am going to revert back to my policy of not answering stuff twice. I already answered this. Don't take it personally.