 HALFAYA
PASS MAP NOTES: Also known as "Hellfire Pass". My second
map. This became a memory nightmare. Huge files. I've given
thought to chopping off a good chunk of the east side of this map for the
sake of reducing file size but wasn't sure how it'd effect playability. Can't really remove the west side because of
the town. I suppose another row of 120pix
could be shaved off the north end but the ocean is there to give the map
orientation to reality. (See map at right)A NOTE ABOUT REALITY/HISTORY vs. THIS CC MAP CREATION This maps relationship to reality is vague at best in a geographic sense but in a strategic sense I think reality is fairly well preserved. The scale in CC doesn't allow this particular location to be properly represented in the geographic sense. The CC map would have to be at least 50 times bigger.  The
real location is a large valley (1.25 miles across or more) with a switchback
road leading up through the pass. This area was one where Rommel helped
solidify his reputation as a great military leader and perfected the use
of 88's in desert warfare and demonstrated their diverse capabilities
beyond AA guns. He created a series of strategic emplacements that would
pick off Allied tanks as they attempted to move up through the pass. In
one attack only one out of 35 or 40 tanks made it through the pass
unscathed and operational. I felt the real important issue here was to demonstrate that in this region the only real militarily effective way through this area was the pass itself. It was all important to reaching and controlling areas inland. I felt by placing minefields that force troops and vehicles to the road (one of Rommel's tactics) & creating a single point through which vehicles can pass and making the cliffs difficult for troops to move through would help accomplish this historical relationship. I tried to simulate the dug in advantage the Germans had by creating a series of weapon pits along the pass ridge. Also I plan on adding a gun to the mod gun file that simulates something else Rommel did. I've seen a number of photographs of captured Matilda turrets mounted in a concrete bunker that were used along the pass to supplement Rommel's 88 emplacements. The gun will be stationary with only a turret graphic as the gun with a grey area around it simulating the bunker. I'll probably only make one available over the course of the campaign in the expert setting with three available in recruit setting. Don't want to give too many as the low profile nature of this gun will make it very difficult to take out. Still trying to investigate whether or not MGs were mounted in these emplacements as well. Probably not. The mountings or MG opening in the Matilda probably wouldn't allow it. |