Highway to the Reich Eindhoven Historical Campaign Day Two

The following post is Day Two of the Historical Campaign for Eindhoven, a nine day nine hour scenario in Highway to the Reich by Panther Games. Breaking the blog post up into structured segments for each day should allow for better tactical analysis and reassessment of the battle plan based on the situation on the ground (as well as a more organized approach to writing an after-action report for a scenario as long as this).

Highway to the Reich Eindhoven Historical Campaign Day One

The Eindhoven campaign is one of three historical campaigns (Arnhem, Eindhoven, and Nijmegen) that are part of the scenario list for the original Highway to the Reich by Panther Games. The scenarios also include some coup de main campaigns and a number of smaller and what-if scenarios. Arnhem and Eindhoven clock in at nine days and nine hours where Nijmegen is approximately half that at four days and ten hours of total scenario time.

Arnhem Coup de Main Campaign (Repost)

Arnhem, Netherlands: This mission is the Grand Campaign for the Arnhem map in Highway to the Reich and lasts for approximately ten days, running from D1 08:00 to D10 22:00. This is one of those missions where the force disposition can change from one start to the next.

Tropico 4 Eva Peron One Year Anniversary Post

The following post will detail a sandbox game (not tied to a specific set of campaign progression goals) utilizing the stock Tropico 4 game. The decision is being made up front to forgo the Modern Times DLC, as it in my opinion makes some undesirable changes to the game (most regrettably various facilities are made obsolete and there is a texturing issue with some of the new buildings that make the game look ugly). That DLC does have its positives however, such as some rather useful edicts like Health Care Reform and my favorite (so far) Police State.

Highway to the Reich Nijmegen Meeting Engagement

Nijmegen, Netherlands: This scenario pits the Allies 8th Armoured Brigade against the Axis 107th Panzer Brigade (Reinforced). On paper this is a fairly even scenario and the units are prepositioned by the mission designer to effectively reach the primary objective area at approximately the same time.

The Allied force consists of 2,702 men, 341 armored fighting vehicles and 36 gun units providing an Anti-Personal firepower rating of 1,450, an Anti-Armor rating of 1,695, an Armor rating of 1,496 and a Bombardment rating of 135. During the battle I would have several airstrikes at my disposal as well.

IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 - Aircraft Sampler

Until the release of Cliffs of Dover back in March*, IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 (which itself was released 2006) was considered to be the final installment in the very successful flight simulation series put for by 1C: Maddox Games which dated back to the original IL-2 released in 2001.

Although I have that original game (Christmas present from my mother-in-law back in 2002!), for anyone remotely interested in this series who wants to experience all of the glory prior to Clunky Donut (Cliffs of Dover), the only route to go is to purchase 1946. It is still enjoyable and challenging to fly.

Operation Pierce Arrow (Repost)

Vinh, Vietnam - This mission presents you with three targets that you must do enough damage to within the allotted three hours to achieve a decisive result. This however cannot be accomplished in the first pass (best case scenario is a draw) and will require you to return your flights to a base, reload and attack again.

There are two base types in this mission which require some care in the use of the auto-return function. First up we have the big sexy carriers down in the lower right corner of the map, the USS Constellation (CVA-64) and the USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14). The problem here is one of distance.

Battlefields (Repost)

"Battlefields" is a classic single player mission from Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis. It is perhaps one of the most remade missions in the history of the series. There is nothing quite like charging a machine gun nest across an open field with armor support, only to then be counterattacked in strength by mechanized infantry.

In my version of the classic, I pit the United States Army against the Takistan Army. The US forces are comprised of a Stryker platoon supported by howitzers, mortars and A-10’s. The Takistan forces are holding a desert outpost and are very well entrenched. Their reinforcements consist of local mechanized forces and are supported by antiaircraft platforms and howitzers.

The Dragon's Jaw (Repost)

Thanh Hoa, Vietnam: This scenario is a hypothetical attack on the North Vietnamese Ham Rung Bridge by the US Air Force flying out of the Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand. The mission starts with your forces airborne over Laos and en route to The Dragon's Jaw in Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam.

I honestly tried to follow the tutorial for this mission written by Adam Parker, but dare I criticize a fellow combat writer by suggesting that mixing war fiction in with what purports to be instructions on how to play a war game is something that should be avoided at all costs.

Arnhem Coup de Main Campaign (Repost)

Arnhem, Netherlands: This mission is the Grand Campaign for the Arnhem map in Highway to the Reich and lasts for approximately ten days, running from D1 08:00 to D10 22:00. This is one of those missions where the force disposition can change from one start to the next.

This scenario pits the Axis - SS Panzer Korps 2 against the Allies - XXX Corps. The Axis have infantry, artillery, and naturally armor units to combat the Allies parachute infantry that feature some AT guns and zero armor support until the Guards come online at D5 as reinforcements.

Helmut Grimm, Patrol 5 (Repost)

Wilhelmshaven, Germany: After having the torpedoes replaced per my standing orders, U-24 set sail from Wilhelmshaven for the assigned patrol grid of AN-49 at 15:03 on 12/29/39. The mission would be a long and fruitless patrol with little to write home about other than spending the New Year at sea in an Iron Coffin.

The patrol grid objective was successfully concluded after having reached it around 23:00 on 12/31/39 and maneuvering around for the required 24 hours. I wanted to save my fish for actual cargo ships and did not pay too much mind to coastal merchants at first.