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Poland, November 16, 1914, German army of 221 units opposed to Russian army of 221 units for a battle of complexity 1.1 at Regiment(III) level on a 15 Km/Hex map for 24 turns of Full Day each. by Jaroslaw Flis submited on 22-10-2005 Rugged-Defense Playing Statistics
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DURCHBRUCH FORGOTTEN BATTLES Scenario No 1 A step from victory A step from disaster Version: 7.0 for Opart FB.exe only included in this download For more information, see the home page of Jarek German supply radius -9 Russian supply radius -7 UNIT COLORS GERMANY white boxes (numbers/counter) RUSSIA - black boxes (numbers/counter) STRATEGIC SITUATION German Player has initial advantage, but Russian reinforcements are numerous and appear from different directions. Additional German and Austro-Hungarian reinforcements during turns 13-16 can change the balance. The aftermath is available in attached PowerPoint presentation. HOUSE RULE It is forbidden to assign more artillery units (including HQ's) to an attack than there are infantry regiments engaged in the attack. SIGNIFICANT EVENTS SUDDEN DEATH The game is over if one of the Players reaches 250VP. From turn 18, the losing Player gets a TO that allows him to end the scenario earlier, with a normal victory tally. If the PO is losing then the theatre option can also occur. To balance initial setting Germans get 150VP in turn 1, and Russian 30VP in turns 2,4,6,8,10. STRATEGICAL AND OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES There is area in the South-East corner of the map that gives a strategic menace of the Russian frontline if occupied by Germans. This gives 10VP for the German Player for each turn when his unit occupies new hex in the area. The converse is true for the Russians for area in North-West corner. This wasn't a battle for terrain itself. From strategic point of view, the objective was to stop the "Russian Steam-Roller" advancing westward. From operational point of view, the objective was to destroy enemy forces. For the reasons loss intolerance is 300. Each Player gets 10VP for each enemy destroyed HQ, including Army HQ-supply unit. ALTERNATE REINFORCEMENTS There was very important factor of the battle of Lodz - lack of knowledge about enemy's forces. To reduce the benefits of hindsight, both sides' reinforcements can be altered. Each side's historical reinforcements are divided into pools. Each Player gets three TO's at turn 1. If he doesn't choose any of the TOs, he gets the historical units at the historical locations. If he chooses one of the TOs, he gets different units, and they appear in different locations, but the number of troops stays the same. Each historical pool has its alternative, based on units historically engaged in adjacent areas. One option allows the increase in strength of the left wing at cost to the right wing, the second - the contrary. The third option allows to shift forces from the center to the flanks (Germans) or from flanks to the center (Russians). Twin sets of options are available at turn 7. The Players can then alternate his next three pools of reinforcements. Each option has historical number and strength of units, so it doesn't change play balance. Options are juxtaposed in attached htm file. The whole mechanism is shown in attached presentation. Expected reinforcements are shown in TO window at turn 2. The TO's are information only - no effect if clicked. Reinforcements' enter hexes are described on the map and secured by excluded zone to prevent enemy occupation. CAUTION. Exclusion zone is removed if a unit attacked from the hex. Unit in enter hex is always supplied as long, as the exclusion zone exists. Unit leaving blocked enter hex or attacking from it, exposes for lack of supply. "WHIRL" BATTLE If both Players selected priority for opposite direction at turn 1(one Player for South only, second for North only or vice versa), the balance of power on adjacent areas is changed. News about it can appear at turn 5. Then timetable of the second wave of reinforcements is changed. The TO's allowing North-South choice don't appear. The reinforcements for each Player enter the battle on one side only. There are 3 possible pools and one of them is random chosen. The expected reinforcements are announced in TO windows in turn 8. The whole mechanism is shown in attached presentation, too. Options are balanced - each side gets the same number and weight of units as historical North-South pools. The flanks-center TO's at turn 7 are still available. RESTRICTED AREAS Five Russian units are deployed at area in North-East corner of the map with "garrison" order. They could be activated as reinforcement according the chosen options or when Germans enter their activation zone shown on the map. The second event causes earlier enter of Guards Cossack CD, too. The German Player gets two Austro-Hungarian cavalry divisions by the same mechanism if Russian unit enters the area in South-West corner. RUMOURS Each Player gets "empty" units called "patrols" at turn 1, except the game against PO. The patrols may be used to perplex the opponent, as they look like normal units when partially uncovered. This is for better simulation "fog of war" - not only lack of information, but false information, too. They also could serve other ends. For one, they are great for converting hexes off the main axis of advance and so slowing any enemy counterstroke. For another - a player can also place them so as to draw an advancing enemy unit of the road and into trees or a river. The patrols can be used as "battue" for routed enemy unit, too. SECOND LINE UNITS Russian reserve infantry divisions cooperate with corps HQ's. The same is valid for Austro-Hungarian Landsturm and HQ's of Austro-Hungarian divisions. FORDING CAPABILITIES The shown rivers are really small, so all units have improved fording capabilities:
The capabilities depend on readiness and supply, of course. If the total fording capability in the location, including that of the moving unit is greater than 20%, the moving unit is exempt from river movement costs. If the total fording capability in the location, including that of the moving unit is greater than 10%, the river adds only one point to the movement cost. Total fording strengths less than 10% have no effect on river movement. PROCEDURE I've used 15 km hexsize, however the map simulates 5 km/hex, to get the proper troop density and movement rates (with movement bias 150). Attrition divider has been reduced to 9 for the same reason. Both sides shock effect of 111 makes the game quicker. Army HQ's have supply ability. Unit defending in urban hex doesn't get any bonus. This is to simulate lack of WW2 type street fighting in 1914. Some type of units can't be divided. These are: recon cavalry regiments, Russian regular rifle regiments (red numbers), Russian Opolchene (territorial) regiments, Austro-Hungarian Landsturm regiments, rifle battalions and patrols. CREDITS Thanks to Yves Le Rhun for his ACOW BioEditor. Thanks to Curt Chambers for his ODD Editor. Thanks to Richard Bradley for lanuage support. Thanks to Pavel Voylov for his information about Russian commanders. Thanks to PaweÍ BÍaszczyk, Richard Bradley, Jeremy Mac Donald, Andrzej Fiett, Erik Nygaard, Grant Whitley and Colin Wright for testing and comments. HISTORY The Battle of Lodz was one of most mobile and dramatic struggles of WWI. At end of October, after an unsuccessful offensive to Warsaw and Deblin, German and Austro-Hungarian Forces started to withdraw towards the German border. The "Russian steam-roller" could now move westward. To stop it, Germans have divided their forces. 5 divisions of reserve troops were left to hold the front line. They would be supported by Austro-Hungarian 2nd Army, transferred from the Carpathian front. 7 divisions of first line, supported by two reserve corps from East Prussia and III Cavalry Corps from West, have moved to Torun (Thorn) area. This new 9th Army has stroked the north flank of Russian front. 1st Army was defeated near Wloclawek, and right wing of 2nd Army - near Kutno. 1st Army has fallen eastward, two corps of 2nd Army - to the south. Germans started to fill the appearing gap. "Durchbruch bei Brzeziny" (Breakout through Brzeziny) is beginning of the scenario. The German idea was to repeat Tannenberg, but the situation was very different to 3 months earlier. The Russian commander of the 5th Army started to organise a sizeable counterattack. His three corps - veterans of successful battles of Galicia and Vistula River - have arrived from the south to rescue the threatened 2nd Army and 1st Army has started to group near Lowicz to cut off the German left wing. The Germans were a step from destruction of 2nd Army, but the counter-attack of Russian 5th Army dislocates the German right wing and the advance of Russian 1st Army forces the German to retreat precipitately. The German left wing - the Schaeffer Group containing 3 IDs and 2 CDs - was encircled, 20 km away from the main German army, until a bold maneuver by the 3rd Guards Division allowed the group to escape from the pocket. Form operational point of view the first Battle of Lodz became a draw. Additional reinforcements from the West allowed another German offensive at the end of November when theGermans, supported by the north flank of the Austro-Hungarian 2nd Army captured the city during the Second Battle of Lodz, but failed to destroy its defenders. The frontline has stabilised on the NS line Bielawy-Borowa. Unit Name Abreviations Ul. - Lancers Kür. - Cuirassers Gr.G. - Grenadier Guards Jäg. - Rifle Jäg.R.z.Pf. - Mounted Rifle G.R.z.F. - Garde Foot Regiment Füs. - Fuisiliers Ers. - Ersatz Rdf - Bicycle b.h. - Bosnia-Hercegovinian |