COMMONWEALTH
SUMMER
Version 8.3
September, 2000
INTRODUCTION
The motivation behind Commonwealth Summer grew from my love of
the CC3 WF Mod, and a wish for more action involving the
Canadian, British, and Polish forces in Normandy in 1944. I have
always been fascinated with the Normandy Campaign-the tactical
successes and failures that occurred on both sides of the
hedgerows. The Germans not only lost the opportunity to possibly
drive part, if not all, of the Allied forces back into the
English Channel soon after D Day, but Montgomery also made
decisions and declarations during the stalemate around Caen which
will forever generate debate.
It was the British and Canadians that bore the brunt of Germany's
elite Panzer Divisions during the Normandy Campaign. In the 60
days that followed the invasion, the region surrounding the
Norman city of Caen was host to some of the most bitter and
intensive small unit actions of the entire campaign.
By focusing on the Normandy Campaign, there is the potential to
limit availability of units within a narrow timeframe, and
consequently play historically accurate operations/campaigns and
scenarios with Canadian, British, or Polish units exclusively. I
encourage anyone to create new grand campaigns that focus on
British and/or Polish units. The campaign included with this
release, "Normandy Campaign" is designed for Canadian
forces only. The campaign on the German side focuses principally
on the 12. SS.
PHILOSOPHY
I'm not really into Plato. Camus is more to my liking. This
aside, Commonwealth Summer (CS) has been designed to bring out
the feel of fighting in the hedgerows. Some of the differences in
tank capabilities between the Germans and Allies will be smoothed
out in the close quarters of the hedges and the city streets of
Caen, Falaise, etc. The fancy, powerful stuff you remember from
WF will be either unavailable, extremely limited, or too
expensive to buy in most cases (if you play the camp and ops).
This is middle-class fighting in the hedgerows-mostly Shermans
75s vs. Mark IVs, Enfields, Stens and Brens vs. Mausers and
MP40s. Where the Germans do have an edge in infantry weapons or
tanks, the Commonwealth forces more than make up for in
artillery, air, and naval support.
Mod or sub-mod?
Commonwealth Summer (CS) began as a sub-mod of the Western Front
Mod. CS is crafted principally from the data and graphics built
by the original WF Mod Team instead of data directly from the
original CC3 game. Nonetheless, there have been extensive
changes, and notably, new operations and a new grand campaign
called "Normandy Campaign."
CHANGES IN DATA
A. FLAVOUR AND APPEARANCE
1. The time frame of this sub-mod covers June 6th, 1944 through
August 25, 1944, from D-Day until the liberation of Paris.
Determining what units to include and exclude in this sub-mod
were largely based on their availability during this time frame.
2. Canadian and Polish units were added. Both countries fought
with the 21st Army Group in Normandy. The 1st Polish Armoured
Division entered combat the beginning of August. Canadian forces
landed at Juno Beach during D-Day and fought until the end of
hostilities in Europe.
3. English spelling has been retained to the extent of the
knowledge of the North American designer. For example,
"armor" is spelled "armour."
4. A new RUNames file has been added to so that the Allied name
file would have a more distinctive Commonwealth flavour. Polish
names were left out since most of the time frame of the sub-mod
involves action with British and Canadian units.
5. A slightly revised RRusVox file that includes original CC2
voices.
6. Several new vehicle graphics for both the Allied and German
units.
7. Several new unit requisition graphics.
8. The White Star: White stars were left on the inset maps and in
the scenario editor, and appear on many, but not all Commonwealth
vehicles. The white star, and the white star in a circle was a
universal recognition used by the allies to identify vehicles,
especially from the air. There was no strict enforcement of the
use of the star, and the British and Canadians applied them
inconsistently after D Day. Many were painted out as the campaign
in NW Europe progressed, especially since German gunners used the
large white stars on the sides of vehicles as a targeting sight.
9. Commonwealth medals have been added. The organization is not
perfect as some medals were only issued to officers, but this is
CC3, and nothing can be perfect.
10. British Army rank badges were added.
11. The Union Jack has replaced the Stars and Stripes in the
scenario editor and terrain file.
12. CC4 explosion graphics are a part of this sub-mod.
B. CHANGES IN WF RUTEAMS FILE
1. All American units have been eliminated.
2. Recon has been changed to the official abbreviation of
"Recce" for Allied units.
3. Command unit descriptions have been changed to reflect the
designations and abbreviations used at the time, for example
"Coy" for company.
4. Several distinctive units have been added (Black Watch, le
Regiment de la Chaudières, Guards, 7th Armoured Div, Black
Watch, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, etc. Their rarity has
been adjusted to the best historical knowledge and within the
limits of available dates.
5. Morale settings were more or less subjective and involved some
guesswork since there was a lot of variability in the morale of
British, Canadian, and Polish troops. Even the most veteran
British Divisions at Normandy had their share of morale problems
in Normandy, while other supposedly green troops demonstrated
superb morale.
6. Commonwealth Infantry units have been altered to the typical
British Infantry Section during June, 1944. Ten men now comprise
most sections with one Bren gun and one commander armed with a
Sten. Exceptions have been made to allow for PIATS to occur in
some sections, perhaps more often than they would have occurred
historically.
7. Replacement units are added (minimal experience/morale) and
become more plentiful as time progresses. The British encountered
a significant manpower shortage as the Normandy campaign
unfolded. Experienced troops became increasingly scarce or
fatigued, especially for the infantry where casualties approached
80% by the end of the campaign.
8. Bren support teams have been added as was the practice of
massing Bren guns from a single company in order to concentrate
supporting or defensive fire effectively.
9. Special PIAT teams with two PIATs have been created in order
to beef up the anti-tank capability of Commonwealth infantry
which is woefully lacking defense against German tanks.
10. R.A.F. Observers (Hawker Typhoons) were added to replace the
P-47 and P-51. Typhoons either carry 127mm rockets or HE bombs.
Two types of R.A.F. Observers: on foot, and Universal Carrier. An
individual rocket was estimated to have an 8% chance of hitting
the target. A salvo of 8 thus had a 64% chance of scoring at
least one hit in ideal conditions.
11. A Forward Observer Bombardment (naval support) has been
added. Naval bombardment was the bane of German forces in the
Caen sector. It was sometimes well coordinated and extremely
powerful. Naval support was so destructive the Germans wanted to
withdraw beyond the range of naval guns, but Hitler would not
have it. The FOB unit is rare and/or unavailable after mid-July
when most German forces had been forced inland out of range of
most naval fire.
12. A Forward Observer with smoke barrage capabilities has been
added (this is a very recent addition and has not been tested
very much).
13. Royal Marine Centaur tanks (95mm howitzer) are included, but
they become scarce to unavailable within weeks of D-Day.
14. RAM APCs, and Priest APCs have been added. The Priest APC was
a modified Priest with the gun removed, first used in Normandy to
transport Canadian infantry into battle. This was the first real
use of an APC to transport large numbers of infantry directly
into battle. Canadian commanders were so impressed by the success
of these armoured infantry carriers, that obsolete RAM tanks were
later converted to APCs after removing the turrets (Priest SPGs
on loan had to be returned to the Americans). Even though the RAM
APCs were not used until after the Normandy campaign, they have
been added for fun.
15. A turretless M3A3 has been added. The British (specifically
the 7th Armd. Div.) were known to convert some M3A3 Stuarts to
high speed recce vehicles by removing the turrets (known as
"Jalopies").
16. Sherman types have been changed to reflect that which was
available in Normandy during the summer of 1944. Sherman types,
as with most of the Commonwealth armour found in this sub-mod,
are constructed primarily on an article by Peter Brown (AFV News,
November, 1996). Entitled "21st Army Group Tanks", the
article extensively cites the "Half Yearly Reports on the
Progress of the Royal Armoured Corps" completed by the RAC
during WWII. These reports shed light on the composition of 21st
Army Group armoured units at the beginning and end of the
Normandy campaign. Sherman IIs, IIIs, and Vs, (75mm) were the
main battle tanks for most of the 21st Army in Normandy, with
Sherman Vs being the most numerous of the three. The Polish 1st
Armoured was supplied with Sherman 76s on a replacement basis,
but these were extremely rare in Normandy w/ Commonwealth forces
and have not been included.
C. CHANGES IN WF GETEAMS FILE
1. PzIVH rarity was increased to reflect its availability and
Shurzen was added. At the time of D-day, the majority of the 748
Mark IVs in Normandy were Ausf H. Production of Ausf J only began
in June, 1944. PzIVJ command tank was replaced with PzIVH command
tank.
2. PzVA rarity was generally increased over the PzVG to reflect
the relative abundance of this particular model of Panther in
Normandy.
3. Some German tanks were removed entirely with rarity, or simply
eliminated from the data. Tanks like the Sturmtiger, Jagdtiger,
Hetzer, and Ostwind, for example, post-date the Normandy
campaign. Others tanks were very rare in Normandy (like the
Königstiger and Jagdpanther), and their rarity has only been
included in a couple operations.
4. The experience of 12th SS Hitlerjugend was increased slightly
to reduce the possibility of surrender and to increase
performance slightly. These soldiers were young and green, but
highly trained. They were also led by some of the most
experienced and battle-tested leaders Germany had to offer.
Hitlerjugend and other SS units surrendered infrequently during
the Normandy campaign. Most SS soldiers came to realize that they
stood a good chance of being shot if they surrendered.
Unfortunately, the practice of killing prisoners was something
that happened on both sides of the hedgerows.
5. Germans have indirect Wurf observer, as well as 105mm
artillery, Hummel self-propelled heavy howitzer battery, and 88mm
air burst indirect fire observers.
6. Wittmann tank unit added with slightly better reload time,
accuracy rating, and more AP40 rounds to reflect the very
experienced tank crew serving under Germany's greatest tank ace.
The tank and gun characteristics are otherwise IDENTICAL to all
other Tiger I tanks.
7. Some changes in infantry: 716th Infantry Division (Coastal
Defense). This infantry was typically of lower morale, and many
of them were not native Germans. Anti-Stalinist Russians were
among the many national and ethnic groups that served in the
German Army and helped garrison the Atlantic Wall. There were
even some Korean soldiers serving in the Werchmat in Normandy!
Specific Panzergrenadier regiments added, 16th Luftwaffe
Division, remnant units, etc.
8. Panzerfaust 30 is the only panzerfaust available. Production
of Pf 60 did not begin until September, 1944, after the Normandy
Campaign. Pf 100 was not available until November, 1944.
9. Panzerschreck teams were expanded by adding two additional
soldiers, one armed with a panzerfaust. This is a partial
Panzerzerstörergruppen unit. The original Panzerschreck team was
retained as well.
10. German air observers were limited (Ju 88 HE observer was
eliminated) due to the infrequent and random appearance of the
Luftwaffe during the Normandy campaign.
11. German tanks crews are now armed with either an MP40 or
Walther P38 instead of a Mauser rifle.
D. CHANGES IN GAMEPLAY
1. Infantry survivability has been adjusted to the level of
Dreaded 88's 1940 Mod.
2. Minimum ranges on large ordinance (50mm and up) have been
increased between roughly 2-5 meters in order to reflect the
range from the TIP of the gun muzzle instead of the center of the
tank or gun (as the CC3 engine measures it).
3. Upgrade paths in general have been minimized, and have been
reduced dramatically for Germans reflecting the rare chance of
upgrading/replacing equipment, vehicles, within the scope of the
Normandy Campaign.
4. Smoke Barrage (British) unit must be ordered to fire
"smoke" in order to target indirectly.
5. All mortars have been tweaked for a slight increase in blast
size and kill ratings.
6. 17pdr gun was penetration was increased slightly to more
accurately reflect its armour penetration capabilities at close
and longer range. Its medium range capability was decreased
slightly by the same data tables.
7. Artillery observers were added for both Commonwealth and
German forces (indirect). They are fairly rare, and are roughly
as accurate as mortars. They were included to add a little more
realism (though not always more balanced play) to the game. The
closer you bring your artillery observer to the action, the more
accurate his fire. This fire is capable of disabling or
destroying tanks. Commonwealth artillery includes 25pdr and 5.5
inch batteries. German artillery is 105mm batteries, rockets
(Wurframen), 150mm Hummel, and 88mm air burst.
E. RARITY
The 16 rarity columns for Commonwealth Summer are as follows:
1. June
6th, D-Day
A-principally Canadian units G-units defending Normandy coast, no
tanks.
2. June 6th, D+8hrs A-British mixed units G-units defending
coast, 21st Panzer
3. June
7th (D+1)
A-Canadian units G-12. SS
4. June 8th (D+2) A-British 6th Airborne only G-mixed units,
principally elements 21st Panzer
5. June
9th (D+3)
A-Canadian units G-12. SS
6. June 10th (D+4) A-British units (+- 50th Div) G-mixed units of
Panzer Lehr
7. June
11th (D+5)
A-Canadian units G-12. SS
8. June 12th (D+6) A-British units (tanks x-rare) G-mixed units,
elements of Pz Lehr (tanks x-rare)
9. June 13-23 A- 7th Armoured Div units G-SS Tiger tanks, Heer
units
10. June 24-July 3 A-British units (during Op Epsom) G-mixed
units of Heer and SS
11. July
4-17
A-Canadian units G-12. SS
12. July 18-24 A-British units (during Op Goodwood) G-mixed units
13. July
25-August 6
A-Canadian units G-mixed units (Tigers of schwere Pz. Abt. 102
and grenadiers, etc.)
14. August 7-10 A-Canadian forces (during Op Totalize) G-mostly
12. SS with supporting Tigers, other mixed units
15. August
11-16
A-mixed Canadian forces (during Op Tractable) G-mixed units
trying to escape Falaise Pocket
16. August 17-25 A-1st Polish Armoured Div ONLY G-many mixed
units, mostly SS counterattacking out of Falaise Pocket
Green
denotes rarity column used in campaign play
These dates follow significant operations or phases of the
Normandy campaign from D-Day until the liberation of Paris on
August 25th. Individual unit's rarity has been adjusted to these
time frames, but their occurrence is not necessary limited to
within their respective dates. British 6th Airborne units only
appear in the June 8th rarity column, however, they were present
before and after. Rarity was only used to restrict units in
operation and campaign gameplay. With rarity "off" all
units will show up and players can design their own scenarios.
For those who wish to design scenarios/ops for almost infantry
only the dates of D+6 have been edited so that there are only 2-3
tanks available and they are left as extremely rare. A few
halftracks for each side have been included at minimum rarity
also. This column roughly represents the British 50th Division's
offensive in the Seulles Valley against Panzer Lehr.
The 16 historical operations run the spectrum from mostly
infantry to mostly tanks. They all have researched operational
briefings, and attempt to capture the spirit, and in some cases,
historical reality of the actual battle.
F. CONSIDERATIONS FOR FUTURE UPDATES
1. further limiting AP40 (Pzgr.40) rounds in German tanks and AT
guns since this type of AP ammunition seemed to be exceedingly
rare by June, 1944.
2. changing crew personnel weapons in allied tanks from rifles to
primarily side arms.
3. lowering MG accuracy for tanks
4. your comments and suggestions
FINAL NOTES:
Anyone is welcome to edit the CS files for their own
enjoyment/mod releases and, if desired, send the changes along
for consideration as an official update or add-on. Editing rarity
for new operations and/or campaigns is encouraged. There are a
lot of possibilities!
This will probably not be the final version of Commonwealth
Summer. If you have questions or comments contact Cathartes at
gaviota@qnet.com
Credits:
Atomic Games
WF Mod Team. The Commonwealth Summer Mod is based on a
substantial amount of data and graphics that the WF Mod Team
created.
Commonwealth Summer Mod Team (in alphabetical order):
Cathartes-data editing, game interface, gadget and vehicle
graphics (unless otherwise noted below), historical operations,
Villers-Bocage map (available for download separately),
playtesting.
GS_Marcks-Tetrarch, RAM APC, Sexton, and Priest APC
graphics/gadgets, Commonwealth voice file, music sfx, and
Lingevres map (available separately), playtesting.
Sabot edited rarity for, and designed grand campaign: Normandy
Campaign, as well as the 'Maczuga' operation, playtesting.
Pz_Weisse-RUNames file, music sfx, playtesting, and provided
important historical information on names and composition of
British Infantry units, ranks, armour units, and others.
Zonbie---in addition to all his work with the WF Mod that laid
the groundwork for this one, provided valuable input, guidance,
and helped specifically with vehicle shadows and edited the
cc3.exe for the Monty touch, playtesting, and made a comfy home
for Commonwealth Summer on the West Front web site.
AND...
Atilla-Caen map (available separately)
Schrecken-submitted vehicle/teams/weapons data on Centaur,
Tetrarch, Sexton, and RAM APC armoured vehicles.
Tim-title suggestion and info on medals/ranks.
Historical Sources
Web sites
http://www.geocities.com/Augusta/8172/panzerfaust.htm
http://home.swipnet.se/normandy
Books
Decision in Normandy, Carlo D'este, Harper Perennial, NY, NY,
1994.
Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two, Peter Chamberlain
and Hilary Doyle, Arms and Armour, London, 1999.
Gold Beach, Christopher Dunphie and Garry Johnson, Combined
Publishing, Conshohocken, PA, 1999.
Invasion! They're Coming!, Paul Carell, Schiffer Publishing Ltd.,
Atglen, PA, 1995.
Normandy 1944 The Canadian Summer, Bill McAndrew, Donald E.
Graves, Michael Whitby, Art Global, Montreal, Quebec, 1994.
Panzer Commander, Hans Von Luck, Dell Publishing, NY, NY, 1989.
Six Armies in Normandy, John Keegan, Penguin Books, NY, NY, 1994.
Other
Canadian Veterans Services
Close Combat Net Forum
Various issues of AFV News
