Setting the stage - (fictional) Struggle for Yamki, July 11th 1943

[Hamaha15]

Single missions for KV-1, T34-76-43 & Panzer IV Ausf. G on the brink of the big clash at Prokhorovka

 

Hello all,

 

the initial idea was to create dynamic gunnery practise scenarios for each newly released tank with moving targets and constantly adjusted range indications. The intention was to use the Soviet PT-47 and the German TZF telescopic gun sights to full advantage with “someone else” calling the correct parameters thus relieving the player from the range finding task. The fictional missions are embedded in a historical setting. You can experience the same fight from both sides. The historically accurate facts of the three missions presented here are the frontline and the pouring rain on July 11^th, the day prior to the big clash at Prokhorovka.

 

Playing the missions lasts approx. 30+ min. After achieving the main objective, the player and his tanks are granted invulnerability. The games end automatically for the Russian side as soon as the German HQ platoon at the Sovkhose Stalinsk has been wiped out and for the German side as soon as all the ten tanks of the reinforcing company have been knocked out.

 

Mission text is available in English, German and thanks to the support of tigre88 also in idiomatic French.

 

Notes for Russian tankers:

 

•          You need to enter the marked tank position in order to initiate the range finding function and the survival time sequence.
•            After initiating those features apply hull-down-, back ‘n’ forth- and reverse-slope-tactics to reduce exposure to enemy fire.
•             Open fire at the enemy tanks as early as possible. Ammunition shortage isn’t your concern.
•             The German artillery observer is hidden at the edge of Sovkhose Stalinsk at a distance of 1600 m. When firing HE-rounds you have to set the AP-reticle of your gunsight to that value!

Notes for German tankers:

 

•           After the Stuka raid the Russians are dizzy for a while. Advance as closely as possible during this period.
•           Use the rolling terrain for cover and apply hull-down- and back ’n’ forth-tactics to reduce exposure to enemy fire.

 

The new detailed AI are really out to kill. Now, when replacing the old grey German tanks by the new yellow ones a lot of reprogramming had to go into taming the beasts on both sides to give the player a chance to survive – and to participate in the game in the first place. If you want to win straight forward, tick the invulnerability box from the beginning.

 

The Russian APHE and HE rounds seem to have the same ballistics. That becomes obvious when shooting at the artillery observer in a distance with HE shells. If you aim with the HE reticule the round overflies the target. You score a hit when aiming according to the AP reticule. The German TZF sight appears to work correctly.

Those who understand German will note that the voice commands confuse frequently – but not always – 6 and 12 o’clock as well as 10 and 1 o’clock. I haven’t understood the pattern of the malfunction yet. However, it would be interesting whether native Russian speakers observe the same confusion in their language. Maybe we get a feedback.

Does anybody know the accurate Russian commands and their sequence given to the gunner of a KV-1?

 

 

Enjoy

 

 

Struggle for Yamki.zip

 

 

   

 

Russian TMFD-7 (?) Gunsight

 

  

 

German TZF Gunsight

 

Edited July 31, 2020 by Hamaha15

[Fercyful]

Thanks for the missions and the gunsight tutorials! ? (the module really needs a nice official PDF manual)

 

[Tom25briklebritt]

Thanks!

 

[Koenigstiger]

@Hamaha15

 

"Those who understand German will note that the voice commands confuse frequently – but not always – 6 and 12 o’clock as well as 10 and 1 o’clock. I haven’t understood the pattern yet. However, it would be interesting whether native Russian speakers observe the same confusion in their language. Maybe we get a feedback."

 

The announcement about the "times" works so that the middle of the tank of the tank (hopefully in the direction of the enemy) is always "12 o'clock". An enemy on the right would then be, for example, "2 o'clock" or "3 o'clock". Then on the left side "9 o'clock" or "10 o'clock". Since back then there were only analog clocks - in contrast to today - it was and is a simple system for assigning goals.

 

Good luck and bon chance

 

Guenther

[Hamaha15]

Yep. That's easy if it works correctly...

 

However, if you see the enemy tank in front of you and the voice shouts "Tank six o'clock" the error must be on the AI side. I would appreciate to get feedback on that issue before I report a bug. Maybe that's a local issue on my PC.

 

Another erratic episode: once during the testing of the T-34 mission I heard the German voice commands. They measured the same distances as the proximity trigger linked to the player's tank. If the AI confuses directions  the range finding appears to work correctly...

 

Cheers

 

[Hamaha15]

22 hours ago, Fercyful said:

Thanks for the missions and the gunsight tutorials! ? (the module really needs a nice official PDF manual)

 

 

Hello Fercyful, there's a tutorial around. Just found it:

 

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/19658-tank-gunsight-tutorial-around/