If there's a bustle in your hedgerow...

Hi Airborne Assault fans!

I've chosen to create a blog for this game because it will allow me to easily publish information about my Hedgerows! modification, which will introduce new terrain, new units, and new maps. So far, I've created one map for the game, based on the area of Normandy south of Carentan, between the Vire and Taute rivers.

It was there that the U.S. 30th Infantry Division fought their way southward to capture the heights above St. Lo, thus making it possible for the 29th U.S. Infantry Division to enter and occupy the city. The map info and much of the scenario info was taken from the U.S. Army's Center for Military History.

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The key terrain feature of this map is the hedgerow. These run like lattice-work across the Normandy countryside, divvying up the land into thousands and thousands of enclosed fields. These hedgerows have been in existence for hundreds of years and are formidable 2-meter high earthen barriers topped with dense overgrowth. The Germans made excellent use of these natural fortifications and held the allied advance for several weeks.

The modifications I'm making are an attempt to capture something of the battle of the hedgerows using the really amazing game engine of Allied Assault. It will not be 100% accurate - it cannot be. I don't have access to the game's estabs. But it will be as good an approximation as possible and hopefully further extend the playability of this excellent game... at least until the new titles come out.

It's worth mentioning that Panther Games, the creators of Allied Assault, have announced plans for a Normandy-based game in the future. It will likely be available after they publish Conquest of the Agean this fall, and Battle of the Bulge next year. I hope to have a playable version of the modification, map and new units in September.

Please stay tuned.
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