SAVING PRIVATE RYAN OPENING BATTLE SCENE AND ASL

[FrankH.]

Something reminded me of what I was thinking when I first saw the beach landing scene in Saving Private Ryan.

My only thought was "Smoke, smoke!" (Smoke would have come in handy there, I thought). Probably would not have had that thought if I had not played ASL.

But there was no smoke in the movie. Did infantry or other sources of smoke have any effect during Omaha? during other beach assaults? I know the Japanese island defenders tended to fire smoke as a defensive measure immediately prior to landings.

I guess in rules terms infantry embarking from a LC would not have stopped to fire smoke, but did any LC have smoke projectors?

There were rocket LC that fired rockets prior to beach landings, and I think some of those were used during Overlord. But those were to blast the enemy positions.

Frank

[SamB]

On one of the beaches (I forget if it was Omaha or Utah) grass fires from the shore bombardment created smoke that helped screen the landing.

The Allies had overwhelming firepower. Smoke would have also blinded the Battleships and destroyers and aircraft that were providing fire support.

That said, had I been landing (59 years ago today) I would have been grateful for smoke to blind the Germans.

Sam

[Anonymous]

Hi Frank,
while smoke could have been a possible solution, it's hardly a solution even in ASL in an Amphibious Landing. You can't just stay in the water and throw smoke at your enemy using AFV, cause doing this is asking for some heavy fire in return (and btw, I remember AFV not arriving to Omaha along with the infantry... I may be wrong here, however. Also keep in mind that firing from the water is rarely a sure thing). The only righteous way to win an opposed Amphibious landing is by pushing harder and harder (check out BR:T for that), trying to achieve local superiority and get a foothold on a part of the beach. Then bring on the reinforcements there and go for encirclement of enemy positions. That said, you better not think about how many lives it will take getting that foothold, or maybe just think about that and think how foolish we are when we pursue a war. Bye,
Niky

[Anonymous]

Hi folks,

I would like to know if there are any scenarios that cover the actual landings at the beaches.
I don't know any...

Thanx,

Andreas

[Fred Ingram]

I vaugly remember a monster scnario called "Gold Beach"

http://ucsu.colorado.edu/~snowm/monster2.html

There were pictures on some website once - but I cannot find that URL

[Fred Ingram]

AHHHH

Swwt success

http://ucsu.colorado.edu/~snowm/aslpix.html

8) :lol: :P