Help re DUKW's

Volcano Man · (This post was last modified: 04-07-2011, 08:43 PM by Volcano Man.)

Well no, I like them as amphibious myself. Technically, both ways are wrong. There are plenty of rivers on the map (Maas, Lower Rhine, Ijssel) so preventing them from crossing both canals and rivers is not right, but neither is allowing them to cross both canals and rivers either. In this case, I would rather give them the capability, assuming that the man on the ground could find or manufacture a suitable place to cross and because I have heard the complaints and people want to be able to do it. One DUKW unit crossing a river isn't going to make a difference.

If you want them to cross the river, play the _Alt, if you don't play the stock game. Simple as that. ;)

Gordons HQ · 04-08-2011, 12:03 AM,

Thanks Guys much appreciated and interesting replies.
I am in fact playing the stock campaign, however I can understand the problems of not enough of these vehicles and the difficulties of lauching them into the water down steep river banks.
Yes the artwork is a little misleading in this case, but no problem I will just treat them as motorised infantry. I just thought I was doing something wrong by being unable to get them into the water.

Gordon cheers

keif149 · 04-08-2011, 08:21 AM,

The Abwehr has taken note of this conversation.

Glenn Saunders · 04-08-2011, 10:57 AM,

(04-07-2011, 08:34 PM)Volcano Man Wrote: Well no, I like them as amphibious myself. Technically, both ways are wrong. There are plenty of rivers on the map (Maas, Lower Rhine, Ijssel) so preventing them from crossing both canals and rivers is not right, but neither is allowing them to cross both canals and rivers either. In this case, I would rather give them the capability, assuming that the man on the ground could find or manufacture a suitable place to cross and because I have heard the complaints and people want to be able to do it. One DUKW unit crossing a river isn't going to make a difference.

If you want them to cross the river, play the _Alt, if you don't play the stock game. Simple as that. ;)

As you wish but you would think if they could have been used on the Maas, Lower Rhine, Ijssel, the Allies might have thought about it .... but there is no known cases of this occurring. Odd eh - too bad they didn't think of it!

Volcano Man · (This post was last modified: 04-08-2011, 01:37 PM by Volcano Man.)

Well, FWIW, _Arnhem 1944: The Airborne Battle, 17-26 September_. Middlebrook, Martin. p.419-420 describes an instance where the 4/Dorset Regt used its DUKWs to cross a canal to assist the Polish Airborne.

Take that for what it is. IMO the _Alt scenarios (only) need it because the Germans are little tougher, but preventing them from being amphibious in the stock game is certainly a sound game design decision if the emphasis wants to be placed on the bridges (it makes sense to me if the Allies are strong). It is simply a case of picking the poison and making it fit for balance purposes.

Unfortunately the MG44 designer's notes helps ensure that this issue will continue to be brought up until the end of time since, if I am not mistaken, it makes no mention of the decision on the DUKWs (but I admit that I have no read it in ages). Oh well!

Gordons HQ · 04-08-2011, 07:57 PM,

For what it's worth I have seen pictures of these DUKW's being used to cross rivers in a book I had borrowed from the library.
I'm afraid I can't be more specific than that.
It was some time ago I borrowed this book and I can't remember which river it was, or indeed what the book was called.
All I can say was it was a British unit using the DUKWs and the river was in northern Europe.

Gordon:whis:

Al · 04-09-2011, 12:19 AM,

(04-08-2011, 07:57 PM)Gordons HQ Wrote: For what it's worth I have seen pictures of these DUKW's being used to cross rivers in a book I had borrowed from the library.
I'm afraid I can't be more specific than that.
It was some time ago I borrowed this book and I can't remember which river it was, or indeed what the book was called.
All I can say was it was a British unit using the DUKWs and the river was in northern Europe.

Gordon:whis:

It's possible it may have been a picture from Operation Plunder which was 21st Army Group's crossing of the Rhine in early 1945. This operation did have & use the specialized equipment to cross rivers and flooded ground. Operation Varsity was the airborne component of this crossing.