Desert Shield and Storm

 In a letter to the American Legion Magazine, March 2021, John Walsh wrote that Shield and Storm did not show capabilities for future warfare.  Instead, they were, he opined, postscripts to conventional war.  Enemies are not likely to engage the USA force-on-force because we have too many big weapons. 

I suspect Mr. Walsh is correct.  Warfare has moved beyond the big-army phase.  Instead, insurgencies, irregular warfare, and hit-and-run operations are tactical problem. We could win a war by destroying a country from afar but that is not acceptable. Instead, combined arms operations using highly mobile forces are necessary.  

Wargamers will be modeling scenarios in which the objective is to engage the enemy directly in smaller operations where both sides are highly mobile and both sides may have man-carried missiles as well as other technological advances.  Scenarios might be borrowed from the American western expansion instead of the European colonial era.  The battle of Little Big Horn is not a good example but I am sure others can be found. 

Rebellion: 2021! A Steam Punk Campaign, Part 1.

 

Rebellion: 2021! A Steam Punk Campaign, Part 1

 

Context

In this Steampunk universe, motive power is based on steam, not the internal combustion engine.  Gas provides lighting.  Airships are used for military and passenger transport.  Trains haul heavy freight over land.  Steamships carry freight over the seas.

Weaponry mass produced after 1860 in our universe does not exist in this Steampunk universe.  This includes machine guns and accurate, large-bore artillery. Bullets can be mass-produced but production cost and logistics are prohibitive for armies with small budgets.  Soldiers are expected to aim their rifles instead of spraying bullets. 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk

 

 

Alternate History

After the American Civil War, the United States slowly tried to heal itself while also expanding to the west.  A bellicose attitude appealed to the national psyche, leading to a war with Spain and other conflicts. When a devastating and unnecessary war exploded in Europe, the USA joined in decisively.  This was a contributor to a world-wide flu epidemic that killed uncounted millions of people.  The Constitution was amended to ban alcoholic beverages.  This led to an enormous violent crime wave, political corruption, and wide-spread breakdown in respect for established institutions. Economic activity was feverishly intense in the 1920s but it led to a stock market crash and the Great Depression.  The American citizen was reeling from these blows and just starting to feel recovered when another war broke out in Europe. A generation of young people was sent over the Atlantic and fought its way across the continent.  The trench warfare of WWI had been replaced with a military dogma that called for constant frontal attack based on the theory, derived from analysis of the war between Russia and Japan, that aggressive offense would always overcome defensive positions.  Millions died in insane charges.

Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Assaut-Kin-Tch%C3%A9ou.jpg

 

By the end of the war, the American voter was finished with trusting their government.  Isolationism was the preferred policy stance for almost everyone.  The draft was remembered as gross overreach by an oppressive government.  A small standing army was retained but for the most part, the national defense would henceforth rely on voluntary support from local militias.

Europeans agreed that their governments had been devastatingly incompetent.  Revolutions across the globe destroyed nation-states and returned to smaller entities.  Citizens strongly believed in their right to bring down any oppressive government.  Most families had guns and were willing to use them.  Exceptions were empires in Britain, Japan and central Russia which emerged from WWII shaken and shrunken but still strong.

Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Revoluci%C3%B3n-marzo-rusia--russianbolshevik00rossuoft.png

 

The remnants of the old governments persisted in their warlike tendencies.  Simmering conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, South America, the Balkans, central Asia, north Africa, east Africa, southern Africa and other places exploded successively.  These conflicts did not become world wars because most countries lacked the national will for heavy commitment into foreign wars.  The USA sometimes sent expeditionary forces that were small and composed only of professional soldiers.  This allowed them to support allies and train their troops without losing a lot of resources or inciting a political backlash.

In the year 2021, the state of Wisconsin was a largely agricultural state populated by people who cherished their liberties and distrusted central governments. Many were combat veterans and still owned rifles, with which they practiced grimly in preparation for the time when resistance to the central government might be necessary.  They anticipated that day might come soon, because the state legislature had developed a taste for raising taxes on the smaller towns to support the large cities. In January, most people in the small city of Fort Atkinson ignored the presidential inauguration.  Instead, they turned their attention toward Madison.  A delegation was sent to the capitol formally informing the Governor and the legislature that recently enacted tax increases would not be paid. They declared themselves to be a Free City. The simmering pot had come to a boil.

Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/German_airship_bombing_Warsaw.JPG

 

 

The Battle

Three platoons of the mech infantry company sent by Madison to restore order came in armored personnel carriers. They were accompanied by a tank unit. All vehicles were steam powered. They drove east on Highway 12 then took Highway 18 to Jefferson.  A field artillery unit was loaded onto a barge on the Rock River.  They would move southwest toward Fort Atkinson. An elite platoon of airborne infantry was carried by airships.  When the units arrived by road and boat for the assault on the city, the airborne unit would drop through the clouds into Barrie Park by the pavilion for a surprise assault from the rear.  The field artillery piece would be fired from the boat. In sum, the State units had one artillery unit, two APCs, two regular infantry, one tank unit and one airborne ranger unit.  The battle plan for the State forces was to capture the fortified municipal building.  However, they were unaware of the ambush that has been set for them.

 

Map 1.

 

The Free City was defended by a citizen militia company composed of six mech infantry platoons.  All were combat veterans.  Sentries monitored the train station and roads while fortifications were constructed in strategic locations. Encircling the city with a wall was not possible.  Instead, defense relied on stopping the advance of the attacking force north of the city where Business 26 enters the town near the Rock River (see first map).  A wooded area at that location (Klement Park) offered cover and allowed ambushing either the road or the river, or both (see second map).  City leaders hoped to hold out until militia units from other towns could come to their aid, just as hundreds of patriots rushed to Lexington and Concord in 1775.  Four steam-powered Humvees were placed in the park.  Two others were behind the industrial center where they could reinforce at the opportune moment.  The Humvees carried anti-tank guns as well as machine guns.  They were lightly armored. The defenders were in an excellent position for an ambush but were unaware of the airborne rangers and did not know the barge with its artillery unit would be coming toward them.  The ambushers had cover and the advantage of surprise but they had placed themselves in a box.

All reinforcements arrived in Round 5.

 

 

 

Map 2.

 

In picture 1 below, you can see the attacking units advancing toward the positions where the ambushers could begin firing.  The APCs each carried one unit of infantry (3 figures) who offloaded as soon as the action began.  The ambushers were forced to fire both east and west.  This prevented them from being able to concentrate their fire.

 

Picture 1.  The attacking units are moving toward the ambush point. 

 

As the battle progressed, the infantry moved after leaving their APCs.  Damaging armored vehicles that were protected by cover was not possible for the infantry so they moved into the park where they had clear shots.  The reinforcing airborne rangers also moved toward the ambushers.  Two Humvees held in reserve by the defenders advanced on the column and began hitting the tank with antitank rounds.  However, their shooting was poor.  They destroyed the tank but were too damaged to resist fire from the nearest APC and were eventually destroyed.  The ambushers destroyed the artillery unit on the barge and some of the infantry but in the end only one Humvee remained and it had to flee (see picture 2).

 

Picture 2. The surviving defender retreats.

 

On the second run-through, the ambushers were more protected by their cover and the reinforcing Humvees had better aim.  The final result was a clear victory for the defenders. See Picture 3.  The APC was destroyed in the next round.

Picture 3. Alternate Ending: The ambushers were successful.

 

 

Conclusion

The airborne rangers were important to the attack.  The attackers also had a tank but that was not more effective than an APC because the Humvees had anti-tank weapons.  It seems they should have left their tank at home and brought another APC with infantry unit.

The ambushers had placed themselves in a box.  They could not concentrate their fire on the road. After the attacking infantry breached the tree-line, the four Humvees were in trouble.  And when the attacking APC was able to move to where it could get a clear shot, the advantages of the ambush position were nullified.

Seven units against six was a toss-up.  Either side could win in this scenario, depending on the luck of the die.  More battles will have to be fought before we know whether the Free City or the Government forces will prevail in this war.

 

A great blog

 http://wargamingmiscellany.blogspot.com/2015/08/one-hour-wargame.html

Notice how attractive the abstract terrain looks without being cluttered.  He is not striving for realism.  Instead, he thinks of it as being more like a 3D board game.  Very cool.

Scenario 26/The Triple Line Scenario

 This is scenario 26 from One Hour Wargames.  The author borrowed it from Asquith who based it on a battle from the War of 1812.

The defenders (Gray army) are set up strangely at the beginning.  One scout unit is at the bridge.  Most of the infantry are in the center of the field.  One is on the hill.

The objective for Green army is to take the hill.  The army that possesses the hill at the end of battle is the winner. 

The defenders have one mortar unit, one half-track and 12 infantry soldiers.  The Green army is larger. It has one scout car, one mortar unit and 24 infantry soldiers.  Both vehicles are lightly armored.

One figure is one unit.  Hits are determined by a deck of cards that includes face cards and jokers.  A face card is a miss. A hit destroys the target.  A 5 or higher is a hit except when infantry shoots at an armored vehicle. The vehicles get two points protection because of its light armor.  A joker is a mine and when turned up it destroys the shooting unit. 

All cover is impenetrable to both vision and shooting.  

Infantry move 3 inches.  Vehicles move 6 inches.  Both can shoot 12 inches.  Shooting is line of sight except for mortars.  Mortars can shoot anywhere on the board but only if a forward observer has line of sight on the target.  They can only see 12 inches. 

Units on top of the hill are not visible to the attackers.  However, they can see down the hill and also shoot up to 12 inches.  They can direct the mortar toward any target they can see. 

When the Green army appears on the border, the Gray half-track realizes it is time to retreat, very quickly.  Informing the second line, the Gray army all heads toward cover. 

Notice that the Gray mortar is on the hill behind the buildings.

This a close-up shot from the Green side at the beginning of the battle.

Green army advances toward the hill, eventually forming a half-circle just out of range.  Neither side can shoot or fire mortars because the distance is more than 12 inches.  They cannot see each other yet.  The Gray army positioned most of its units behind the trees but move a few onto the hill to protect the mortar.

Finally, Green army rushed the hill.  Green units called in mortar strikes. The scout car held back in reserve then moved in on the right when it was clear that was where it was most needed.  At the end of the battle, four Green infantry soldiers were left but they had the hill. 

This was an exciting battle.  It only lasted 20 minutes. I believe the tactics chosen for both sides were reasonable. However, I wondered if the outcome would have been different had the balance of forces was changed a little, so I took three infantry soldiers from the Green army and added three to the Gray army.  This time, the remnants of the Green army were wiped out at the top of the hill.  Part of the problem was the scout car was blown up by a mine. This allowed the half-track to shoot down attackers as they climbed the hill. 

Finding and Selecting Scenarios

Scenario books can be very pricey.  Some are so pricey that only a rich collector will buy them.  Many of the classics are not available as E-books.  Fortunately, most rule books have at least a few scenarios in them. For example, Wargaming Nineteenth Century Europe 1815-1878 by Thomas has five scenarios.  Also by Thomas is One-Hour Wargames which includes 30 scenarios.  When I bought the E-book it was only ten bucks but the price seems to be going up.

Clearly, lots of scenarios are available but when browsing you might say "water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink" because they don't look interesting to you.  Let me suggest another perspective.  

Tip #1.  Do not just look at diagrams.  Lay the terrain out on your table and see how that looks.  Think about the tactical challenges facing both sides. How would you dispose your forces?

Tip #2.  Read the history about the battle but then ignore it.  History is interesting and learning more about is part of being a wargamer.  However,  you can always change the time period to suit your interests and your collection of miniatures.

Tip #3.  When considering a scenario ignore the weaponry and rules as well as the era.  You can change all that.

Tip #4.  Focus on terrain, balance of forces, objectives, victory conditions and and the timing of reinforcements.  By balance of forces I mean numbers and strength, since the two sides probably will not be equal.  Think in terms of ratios, such as 6-4 favoring the attacker.

Tip #5.  Remember that the scenario you are considering is a source of inspiration, not a straight-jacket. Authors sometimes develop their own scenarios based on the essential features of an historical battle, but often they cite another source from which they have borrowed and modified the scenario.  You are free to do the same.    

There you go.  Scenarios are easily found.  You have plenty to choose from.  So many, that now you have a different problem: which one should you try first?  

Have fun!

Sequential Eclecticism

 One of the reasons we like wargaming is the scope for endless variety.  We can dabble in different eras, different scales, different rulesets, different board sizes, different sizes for our battles.  We can deviate from miniature wargaming and try board games.  The sky is the limit.

The danger we face is we might wake up one day and realize we are surrounded by piles of junk.  We have not touched some of it for a year.  The clutter is depressing and the lack of focus makes us feel like we have lost our way.  Does this sound familiar?

My suggestion is sequential eclecticism.   Focus on one or two eras that interest you.  Settle on a style of play that you enjoy and stick with it for awhile. 

Decide which of your old stuff comprises a collection that you enjoy owning and looking at even if you do not use it.  Get rid of the rest of it.  Sell it online, give it to a thrift store, or toss it in the bin. It will lighten your heart to declutter.

Next year, when you think maybe you want to get back into whatever you ditched this year, remind yourself of why you got rid of it.  Then, if you still want to return to it, go right ahead.  Buying and selling and buying again can be an enjoyable aspect of the hobby.

At any given time, you will have a focus or perhaps two of them.  Experience will deepen your understanding of how to game in that focus and the greater depth is satisfying in itself.  "Know thyself" is what Hamlet said, if I remember correctly.  I know I am not skilled in craftwork such as painting so I am not going to bother with it.  I know I cannot remember complex rules so I do not play that way.  I know I can have fun on a card table so I do not try to set up on an enormous table. 

I also know my interests will change in the future, as they  have in the past.  So what: this hobby has no destination.  It is all about enjoying the journey.   

The Double Passthrough Scenario

 Variations on this scenario have appeared in several scenario books.  The concept is simple: each side seeks to cross the board and exit off the other side.  The winner has the most units exiting the board.   Destroying some enemy units along the way will be necessary to ensure a win. 

Moving the terrain around changes the tactical challenge.  

As you can see, I set the battle up on a card table.  The first picture shows the view from the perspective of the Green army.  The second picture is a close up shot of the scout car. The third picture is an aerial view from the Black army perspective.  The figures are 1/72.

This was played solo. Instead of automating the decisions of the enemy, I played both sides to the best of my ability.  The rules were simple.  Cards were used instead of dice.  The jokers were left in.  Turning up a joker when firing blows up the shooter. 

Infantry can move three inches and shoot six inches.  Vehicles can move six inches and shoot 12 inches.  Mortars can hit anywhere on the board if a spotter has the target in sight. 

A 5 or higher is a hit against infantry or mortars; the target is destroyed.  A 5 or higher is a hit from a vehicle to a vehicle.  Infantry can hit a tank with a 9 or a 10.  

All cover is impenetrable.  No units can see through or shoot through cover. 

Playing this through takes about 20 minutes. I played it twice.  Both times Green army moved first.  Both times, Black army was able to pass through a few more units.