Kopfdorfer
08-12-2009, 07:17 PM
Hey Booze,
I just wanted to put my plug in re: the importance of a single Abbey and grounds called the Abbaye Ardennes just to the NW of Caen. I hope you will consider adding it to your maps. Historically its importance only relates to the Normandy battles, but it would have been (and still is) a major landmark from the air, just to the North of Carpiquet Airfield. It is very apparent if you check on Google Earth. It lies about 2km north of Carpiquet, and about the same distance ESE of Authie, and just north of Route Nationale 13(I think) - the main E-W Caen to Bayeux highway.
The historical importance is much more likely to be known to a Canadian (as I am), as it was inland from Juno beach. It is well known that initially all armoured German forces came up against the east end of the allied lodgement on/after DDay, and as an American with historical interest, you would be well aware of the criticisms levelled at the British Commmonwealth forces for their inability to breakout to Caen while the Americans and part of the British plugged away through the bocage to the west.
What is not usually included in consideration of the reasons for the lack of rapid forward progress is the key positioning and location of the Abbaye Ardennes, which had/has two very high stone towers which afforded the Germans an excellent view which reached over 10 km, nearly to the landing beaches. In addition, on the evening of June 6/7, which incidentally found the Canadians of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division deeper in France than any of her allied sister formations, the first elements of SS Panzer divisions came into the line directly in front of the Canadians, and between them and their DDay objective of Carpiquet airfield. The SS unit in question was (part of) the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitler Jugend. The Germans promptly occupied the Abbey, and until the night of July 8/9, it was the HQ for the 12th SS HJ, as well as the key spotting position for the 12th SS Divisional and 1st SS Panzer Korps Artillery.
If you would like to include it and have artists that would make an original 3d model, that would be great. If you don't have that manpower but might consider including this building complex, I have constructed it a couple of different ways in FMB and installed it in the versions of the (1944 at least) Normandy maps that I use for myself made up from v4.09 modded mission objects. Anyhow though its significance is not known widely - though it had an enormous impact on the Norman campaign - if you would like to consider including it, I am pleased to provide references and further info in great detail, as well as my constructs of the building and its grounds.
I urge you to check it out at least. I do know for a fact that yours would be the first WWII CFS map to include it (thus acknowledging its importance to the Normandy Campaign).
Sincerely,
Kopfdorfer
I just wanted to put my plug in re: the importance of a single Abbey and grounds called the Abbaye Ardennes just to the NW of Caen. I hope you will consider adding it to your maps. Historically its importance only relates to the Normandy battles, but it would have been (and still is) a major landmark from the air, just to the North of Carpiquet Airfield. It is very apparent if you check on Google Earth. It lies about 2km north of Carpiquet, and about the same distance ESE of Authie, and just north of Route Nationale 13(I think) - the main E-W Caen to Bayeux highway.
The historical importance is much more likely to be known to a Canadian (as I am), as it was inland from Juno beach. It is well known that initially all armoured German forces came up against the east end of the allied lodgement on/after DDay, and as an American with historical interest, you would be well aware of the criticisms levelled at the British Commmonwealth forces for their inability to breakout to Caen while the Americans and part of the British plugged away through the bocage to the west.
What is not usually included in consideration of the reasons for the lack of rapid forward progress is the key positioning and location of the Abbaye Ardennes, which had/has two very high stone towers which afforded the Germans an excellent view which reached over 10 km, nearly to the landing beaches. In addition, on the evening of June 6/7, which incidentally found the Canadians of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division deeper in France than any of her allied sister formations, the first elements of SS Panzer divisions came into the line directly in front of the Canadians, and between them and their DDay objective of Carpiquet airfield. The SS unit in question was (part of) the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitler Jugend. The Germans promptly occupied the Abbey, and until the night of July 8/9, it was the HQ for the 12th SS HJ, as well as the key spotting position for the 12th SS Divisional and 1st SS Panzer Korps Artillery.
If you would like to include it and have artists that would make an original 3d model, that would be great. If you don't have that manpower but might consider including this building complex, I have constructed it a couple of different ways in FMB and installed it in the versions of the (1944 at least) Normandy maps that I use for myself made up from v4.09 modded mission objects. Anyhow though its significance is not known widely - though it had an enormous impact on the Norman campaign - if you would like to consider including it, I am pleased to provide references and further info in great detail, as well as my constructs of the building and its grounds.
I urge you to check it out at least. I do know for a fact that yours would be the first WWII CFS map to include it (thus acknowledging its importance to the Normandy Campaign).
Sincerely,
Kopfdorfer