Been almost a year but dived back into this one and still mapping. Also finalising the Campaign OOB file. Quite a lot of forces but my PC can still handle it in 3D preview mode. 
Operation Windsor 2.0 (Now with trailer)
- Thread starter Ithikial
- Start date
The northern map is done except for flavour objects. Just go to 'rubble it down' to make it look right. Also someone uploaded a copy of the original 8th Brigade Mission papers to Wikipedia.
Glad to see you bringing this one onto the front burner again. Still looking forward to it.
Been working on this one at a feverish pace, taking up most of my 'CM Time.' The Vehicle Pack release is going to help this one immensely and bring the Canadian assault in the early missions much more closer to reality. Also probably gone a little bit overboard trying to get the OOB just right. Is it a little bit over zealous when you can name every artillery field regiment that took part in this operation?
I now have a clear idea how this campaign will be structured. Time limits generally won't be a concern. Terrain objectives will be the main way to proceed down the 'Total Victory' path, but it's going to be rough and despite early success you could wind up being overrun later on as you have nothing left to hold onto your gains. The very tight 36 hour time frame in place means there will be very little refit/replacement. Every unit on both sides being considered a core unit. Though this imposes great risks on the player it also offers great opportunities as you can weaken the enemy considerably in an earlier battle instead of taking all objectives and have an 'easier' time later on. Through a pile of books and articles I think I've mapped out the movements of the German forces enough to make this work. (Down to the company level). Oh well fingers crossed. One map down, one more to go.
As I said before the north master map is largely done except for flavour objects/doodads. I need to get started on the south map which is more just fields and enemy defences rather than a whole town to map out.
First pic - From the north looking south. Northern hangers of the airfield are in the distance.
Franqueville on the northern edge of the map. Base of operations for the German counter attacks into the 5th of July. From some readings, I'll probably need to include a couple of Sherman wrecks to represent some of the losses from the 12 SS counter attack against the Canadians on the 7th of June. Shows you just how far forward/close the Canadians got early in June before the Germans reinforced the Caen front.
Northern Hangers that were the most southerly objective for the Chaud's on the 4th of July. Pictures of the hangers after the battle show they were nothing more than steel frames. Field in front will be a major line of defence.
The village from the east road heading to Caen.
The North Shore's approach. A straight line heading from the base of the picture to the top is what they needed to secure. Caen-Bayeux Railway will be a natural border for the first missions.
Finally the Chaud's approach. Would need to clear the south of the village (right of that centre grain field) and then swing to the right to capture the hangers.
I now have a clear idea how this campaign will be structured. Time limits generally won't be a concern. Terrain objectives will be the main way to proceed down the 'Total Victory' path, but it's going to be rough and despite early success you could wind up being overrun later on as you have nothing left to hold onto your gains. The very tight 36 hour time frame in place means there will be very little refit/replacement. Every unit on both sides being considered a core unit. Though this imposes great risks on the player it also offers great opportunities as you can weaken the enemy considerably in an earlier battle instead of taking all objectives and have an 'easier' time later on. Through a pile of books and articles I think I've mapped out the movements of the German forces enough to make this work. (Down to the company level). Oh well fingers crossed. One map down, one more to go.
As I said before the north master map is largely done except for flavour objects/doodads. I need to get started on the south map which is more just fields and enemy defences rather than a whole town to map out.
First pic - From the north looking south. Northern hangers of the airfield are in the distance.
Franqueville on the northern edge of the map. Base of operations for the German counter attacks into the 5th of July. From some readings, I'll probably need to include a couple of Sherman wrecks to represent some of the losses from the 12 SS counter attack against the Canadians on the 7th of June. Shows you just how far forward/close the Canadians got early in June before the Germans reinforced the Caen front.
Northern Hangers that were the most southerly objective for the Chaud's on the 4th of July. Pictures of the hangers after the battle show they were nothing more than steel frames. Field in front will be a major line of defence.
The village from the east road heading to Caen.
The North Shore's approach. A straight line heading from the base of the picture to the top is what they needed to secure. Caen-Bayeux Railway will be a natural border for the first missions.
Finally the Chaud's approach. Would need to clear the south of the village (right of that centre grain field) and then swing to the right to capture the hangers.
Taking a break from map making and getting the mission order and the OOB right in my mind for both sides. Need some outside thoughts if I'm being a little too harsh (or kind ).
Pretty clear in my mind the campaign won't for the most part be a 'you must win this scenario to proceed' type of affair. There is one exception I can't really avoid without breaking from history. If you don't get past the July 4th morning attack the whole Operation would have been a dismal failure from the outset and called off at lunch time. There's really no other option at that one point. Every unit in the fight will be a core unit so even though you may lose a battle you maybe able to cause enough damage to some of the units in play to make the next battle a 'cake walk.' Mission names are likely to change.
Mission 0 is a small mechanised recon patrol that occurred the night before and was chased off through the wheat field by German arty fire.
Mission 1 will be the 'showpiece' battle and a 3 hour monster. May also do a standalone version.
Mission 2 will be the one which will cause you to swear my name and curse my grand children. One infantry battalion with little support over open ground against a dug in enemy. It was this ill-conceived attack which cost the Canadians a chance at total victory in my opinion.
Mission 3 is the first real 'what if' scenarios where the Canadians get a chance of assaulting the German Command buildings on the east of the airfield. (Never occurred due to hold ups in the previous missions).
Mission 4 even more support to dig out the fanatic SS troops from the village. (Historical and if you failed Mission 1).
Mission 5 is the afternoon second attack against the southern defences where support was released to the Winnipeg's but a nasty Sherman vs Panther tank duel erupted costing the Canadians most of a squadron.
Mission 6 is the first of the counter attacks at midnight of the 5th. The North Shores were ordered to only fire when the approaching the 'Whites of the eyes' of the approaching SS troops from the relatively fresh 1st SS Div counter attacked.
Mission 7 is the next 'what if' scenario as the Germans throw everything at the Queens Own Rifles holding the control towers which are only 1 mile to Caen.
Mission 8 is the dawn counter attach by the 1st SS.
Mission 9 is the third and final counter attack by the 1st SS.
Mission 10 is the last 'what if' as once again everything is thrown at the control buildings at the east of the airfield to dislodge the Canadians.
The OOB for both sides. I think it's a bit OCD but I can now name all the off map support assets that were used during the battle thanks to a copy of the 8th Canadian Inf Brigade Operation order papers from July 4th. Even so it's still scaled back a touch in terms of air support numbers and some arty firepower that was used on nearby targets out of scope fore the areas I'm focusing on. May seem a lot but this was a Brigade(+) level action and not planning on there being any real replenishment given the very narrow time scale. Maybe a small 10% - 20% one time event to represent missing troops finding there way back to the lines (which did happen given the hazardous approach on the morning of July 4th) or the lightly wounded being patched up before the counter attacks.
I'll be able to name virtually all the officers from Company Command up before release. Except some of the 1st SS division personnel.
).Pretty clear in my mind the campaign won't for the most part be a 'you must win this scenario to proceed' type of affair. There is one exception I can't really avoid without breaking from history. If you don't get past the July 4th morning attack the whole Operation would have been a dismal failure from the outset and called off at lunch time. There's really no other option at that one point. Every unit in the fight will be a core unit so even though you may lose a battle you maybe able to cause enough damage to some of the units in play to make the next battle a 'cake walk.' Mission names are likely to change.
Mission 0 is a small mechanised recon patrol that occurred the night before and was chased off through the wheat field by German arty fire.
Mission 1 will be the 'showpiece' battle and a 3 hour monster. May also do a standalone version.
Mission 2 will be the one which will cause you to swear my name and curse my grand children. One infantry battalion with little support over open ground against a dug in enemy. It was this ill-conceived attack which cost the Canadians a chance at total victory in my opinion.
Mission 3 is the first real 'what if' scenarios where the Canadians get a chance of assaulting the German Command buildings on the east of the airfield. (Never occurred due to hold ups in the previous missions).
Mission 4 even more support to dig out the fanatic SS troops from the village. (Historical and if you failed Mission 1).
Mission 5 is the afternoon second attack against the southern defences where support was released to the Winnipeg's but a nasty Sherman vs Panther tank duel erupted costing the Canadians most of a squadron.
Mission 6 is the first of the counter attacks at midnight of the 5th. The North Shores were ordered to only fire when the approaching the 'Whites of the eyes' of the approaching SS troops from the relatively fresh 1st SS Div counter attacked.
Mission 7 is the next 'what if' scenario as the Germans throw everything at the Queens Own Rifles holding the control towers which are only 1 mile to Caen.
Mission 8 is the dawn counter attach by the 1st SS.
Mission 9 is the third and final counter attack by the 1st SS.
Mission 10 is the last 'what if' as once again everything is thrown at the control buildings at the east of the airfield to dislodge the Canadians.
The OOB for both sides. I think it's a bit OCD but I can now name all the off map support assets that were used during the battle thanks to a copy of the 8th Canadian Inf Brigade Operation order papers from July 4th.
Even so it's still scaled back a touch in terms of air support numbers and some arty firepower that was used on nearby targets out of scope fore the areas I'm focusing on. May seem a lot but this was a Brigade(+) level action and not planning on there being any real replenishment given the very narrow time scale. Maybe a small 10% - 20% one time event to represent missing troops finding there way back to the lines (which did happen given the hazardous approach on the morning of July 4th) or the lightly wounded being patched up before the counter attacks.I'll be able to name virtually all the officers from Company Command up before release. Except some of the 1st SS division personnel.
O
Odin
Guest
Looks awesome @Ithkial. Have you got you head around the CM AI and new trigger system?
Been working on the other master map for the south of the airfield and the control buildings to the east. Finally something to show but still needs some work. The 'guts' of the map is done however.
The South Map in all it's glory. Note the big open space in the centre is the runway proper which in planning was heavily avoided due to obvious deathtrap and long lines of fire. The other master map for the campaign (Carpiquet village and northern hangers) starts literally at the left hand edge of this picture. The village in the foreground is part of Marcelet where heavy fighting took place in late June and the Canadian 8th Brigade based itself during Operation Windsor.
The rough cut away of the south master map you'll fight across with the Winnipegs in their morning attack to take the southern hangers. Historically they didn't stand a chance, one infantry brigade, no real support up against two plus well dug in and fortified Waffen SS companies with an open mille of ground to cover to reach them. In the campaign this mission will probably be the toughest, but like history you'll get a second chance.
Canadian final approach view up towards German positions at the top of the rise.
German positions looking back. The second attempt to take and hold the positions turned into a nasty tank duel between a squadron of Shermans and a company of Panthers. Definitely good tank country and the Panthers won out with little loss.
The South Map in all it's glory. Note the big open space in the centre is the runway proper which in planning was heavily avoided due to obvious deathtrap and long lines of fire. The other master map for the campaign (Carpiquet village and northern hangers) starts literally at the left hand edge of this picture. The village in the foreground is part of Marcelet where heavy fighting took place in late June and the Canadian 8th Brigade based itself during Operation Windsor.
The rough cut away of the south master map you'll fight across with the Winnipegs in their morning attack to take the southern hangers. Historically they didn't stand a chance, one infantry brigade, no real support up against two plus well dug in and fortified Waffen SS companies with an open mille of ground to cover to reach them. In the campaign this mission will probably be the toughest, but like history you'll get a second chance.
Canadian final approach view up towards German positions at the top of the rise.
German positions looking back. The second attempt to take and hold the positions turned into a nasty tank duel between a squadron of Shermans and a company of Panthers. Definitely good tank country and the Panthers won out with little loss.
The Command Buildings to the east of the airfield. Historically they were never under threat from the Canadian advance as phase two of the operation never got off the start lines. This campaign however will give the player a crack at taking these buildings as first planned with the Queens Own Rifle regiment. It will allow me to dabble in a bit of fiction for a change and create some desperate holding actions during the German counter attack phase of the campaign.
Note: Lot's of stand ins for the moemnt like the trees.
Creating this southern map definitely gave me a further appreciation of the fighting over the two days. You can clearly see why the Canadians never opted for a direct 'over the airfield' approach, but at the same time appreciate the serious miscalculation regarding the forces needed for the secondary southern approach. Some commentators reckon they should have taken a full second brigade for the southern approach rather than having one battalion brought over 'on loan' for the assault. I don't know, look's like a suicide mission either way.
Some of the larger more macro-history texts on the Normandy campaign gloss over this operation as a precurser to the much larger Charnwood that was about to begin or state it's aim were simply to take possession of a badly needed airfield. I, along with some other historians who have written papers on the operation think this is wrong on both accounts. But July the Allies were not hard pressed for airfields and had dozens of temporary fields already operational, in addition no where in the Brigade briefing papers was there any mention of preserving the essential infrastructure of the airfield for later use. The allies gladly blasted the crap out of it with a World War 1 style creeping barrage! It did keep the pressure on I SS Panzer Korps holding Caen and reinforced further in Rommel's mind that Caen would fall any day now due to the weight of men and material. It did pull units, especially the reinforcing 1st SS Panzer Division away from intended defensive positions to the south facing the British in the salient created by Epsom.
Operation Windsor was a fight for high ground. The airfield was the highest point on the north bank of the Orne in this sector. The sharp drop you can see on the south master map on the Canadian 'final approach' descends all the way down to the Orne river itself and then rises again towards the infamous Hill 112. Following Charnwood the Canadians would heavily man these positions with their artillery regiments to support not on the 3rd Infantry Division but also the newly arrived 2nd Canadian Infantry Division as they took part in operations south of the Orne into late July and August. Given the importance of the high ground on the southern edge of the airfield, it's all the more strange why only one infantry battalion with little support was assigned to secure it.
Note: Lot's of stand ins for the moemnt like the trees.
Creating this southern map definitely gave me a further appreciation of the fighting over the two days. You can clearly see why the Canadians never opted for a direct 'over the airfield' approach, but at the same time appreciate the serious miscalculation regarding the forces needed for the secondary southern approach. Some commentators reckon they should have taken a full second brigade for the southern approach rather than having one battalion brought over 'on loan' for the assault. I don't know, look's like a suicide mission either way.
Some of the larger more macro-history texts on the Normandy campaign gloss over this operation as a precurser to the much larger Charnwood that was about to begin or state it's aim were simply to take possession of a badly needed airfield. I, along with some other historians who have written papers on the operation think this is wrong on both accounts. But July the Allies were not hard pressed for airfields and had dozens of temporary fields already operational, in addition no where in the Brigade briefing papers was there any mention of preserving the essential infrastructure of the airfield for later use. The allies gladly blasted the crap out of it with a World War 1 style creeping barrage! It did keep the pressure on I SS Panzer Korps holding Caen and reinforced further in Rommel's mind that Caen would fall any day now due to the weight of men and material. It did pull units, especially the reinforcing 1st SS Panzer Division away from intended defensive positions to the south facing the British in the salient created by Epsom.
Operation Windsor was a fight for high ground. The airfield was the highest point on the north bank of the Orne in this sector. The sharp drop you can see on the south master map on the Canadian 'final approach' descends all the way down to the Orne river itself and then rises again towards the infamous Hill 112. Following Charnwood the Canadians would heavily man these positions with their artillery regiments to support not on the 3rd Infantry Division but also the newly arrived 2nd Canadian Infantry Division as they took part in operations south of the Orne into late July and August. Given the importance of the high ground on the southern edge of the airfield, it's all the more strange why only one infantry battalion with little support was assigned to secure it.
O
Odin
Guest
Trying to cross the airfield looks like a death sentence. Are you going to make the campaign playable as either side?
Canadian only I'm afraid. I've already got to use some 'gamey' tricks to make it a 'fair' fight and still follow the rough historical pattern.
Destroyed beauty. Using 4 mod tags for 4 different types of rubble.
Great work.
Video update on this little project...
Excellent work. I can't imagine how long you have been working on this project.
V
vatoutine
Guest
impressive work !!
Was always going to call this Operation Windsor since it's covering pretty much the whole operation except a few skirmishes on either flank. Just sounds a bit... bland?
Reading through the 12SS unit history by Hubert Meyer again and Kurt Meyer who was running the division by this stage stated the young German's of his division 'would fight like lions.' Thinking... "The Lions of Carpiquet." Too dramatic? Thoughts?
Oh and that southern battle I've hinted at. People are going to hate me afterwards I think.
Reading through the 12SS unit history by Hubert Meyer again and Kurt Meyer who was running the division by this stage stated the young German's of his division 'would fight like lions.' Thinking... "The Lions of Carpiquet." Too dramatic? Thoughts?
Oh and that southern battle I've hinted at. People are going to hate me afterwards I think.
Go with "Lions of Carpiquet". Drama defines the game. It makes the scenario uniquely yours.
Was always going to call this Operation Windsor since it's covering pretty much the whole operation except a few skirmishes on either flank. Just sounds a bit... bland?
Reading through the 12SS unit history by Hubert Meyer again and Kurt Meyer who was running the division by this stage stated the young German's of his division 'would fight like lions.' Thinking... "The Lions of Carpiquet." Too dramatic? Thoughts?
Oh and that southern battle I've hinted at. People are going to hate me afterwards I think.
I definitely agree. There is nothing like a unique name.
Only issue is it's a Canadian campaign and the Lions remark is referencing the Germans... issue or not?