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Recent Posts
91
The Modern World / Re: ASL Lovers...why ASL?
« Last post by bbmike on September 28, 2024, 01:23:54 PM »And shrinking... 
92
History and Tall Tales / Re: This Day in History
« Last post by besilarius on September 28, 2024, 01:08:30 PM »1850, Congress abolished flogging in the Navy and Merchant Marine, with many abstaining or absent, and most Slave State members voting against abolishment, ncluding Jefferson Davis
1914. Austria-Hungary. While their German allies had to plan for a two front war, against France in the West and Russia in the east, on paper at least the Austro-Hungarians had to consider a three front war, against the Russians in the east, the Serbs in the south, and, just in case, the Italians in the southwest. For our purposes, though they did have plans for Italy their deployment planning for Russia and Serbia were the most important. The Imperial-and-Royal general staff organized the available forces into three groups:
Minimalgruppe Balkan: Three army corps to deploy against Serbia.
A-Staffel: Nine army corps to deploy in Galicia, against Russia.
B-Staffel: Three army corps constituting the strategic reserve.
The deployment of B-Staffel varied depending upon which of the two mobilization planes was to be implemented, which essentially reflected who was to be the main enemy.
Plan B envisioned a war solely against Serbia, in which B-Staffel would join Minimalgruppe Balkan for offensive operations, while A-Staffel would keep watch on the Russians.
Plan R assumed a war with Russia and Serbia, with B-Staffel joining A-Staffel in Galician for operations against Russia while Minimalgruppe Balkan would take a defensive stance against a possible Serbian offensive.
As was the case with the German and French war plans, the Austro-Hungarian ones also had some flaws. The most important was that at some point a decision had to be made to implement one or the other plan.
Russia. The Russians also developed two different war plans, depending upon whether Germany made a major effort against France, leaving only small force in the East, or if Germany put stronger forces in the East.
Plan G: Presumed that Germany would make its main effort against Russia. As Germany would mobilize much faster than Russia, the Russians accepted that they would have to conduct a fighting withdrawal. Abandoning Poland, they would retreat to the fortified zone running north from the Pripyet marshes through Brest-Litovsk and Kovno. There they would complete mobilization and then assume the offensive and throw the Germans back.
Plan A: Assumed Germany would make its main effort against France, in which case Russia would undertake an early offensive against the Germans in East Prussia with two armies to ease pressure on the French, while concentrating the bulk of her forces for an offensive against Austria-Hungary.
Like all planners, the Russians assumed that their troops were at least as good as those of their enemies. They were correct in the case of Austria-Hungary, but not in that of Germany.
Britain: In a sense, the British really didn’t have a “war plan.” They had a contingency plan in the event they entered a Continental war, intending to coordinate their deployment and movements on the French left flank. In the first days of the war, as the BEF was preparing to ship out, some individuals, notably Admiral of the Fleet John Fisher, advocated ignoring events in France and Belgium to land the expeditionary force on the German Baltic coast for a march on Berlin. Given the total lack of experience in such operations, the lack of preparation for one, the presence of the German High Sea Fleet, German coast defenses, and German preparations if such an adventure were to have occurred (a reserve corps and substantial Landwehr forces were temporarily retained in northern Germany for such an eventuality) this might have been a formula for a disaster.
Oddly, Fisher’s proposal was the only alternative Britain had to placing an army on the French left, demonstrating a serious lack of strategic imagination. If the Baltic proposal or some other alternative plan had been properly studied, rather than just thrown out at the last minute, Britain perhaps might have found a better use for the BEF than to help cover the French Left Flank. Of course, the BEF did well. But in its movements and operations on the French flank from the landing on the Continent, through the advance into Belgium, the subsequent retreat, and the Battle of the Marne, the BEF might have done even better with a better commander than Sir John French. And while the British plan more or less worked, it did ultimately involved the Empire in a major continental commitment, for which it was wholly unprepared.
1914. Austria-Hungary. While their German allies had to plan for a two front war, against France in the West and Russia in the east, on paper at least the Austro-Hungarians had to consider a three front war, against the Russians in the east, the Serbs in the south, and, just in case, the Italians in the southwest. For our purposes, though they did have plans for Italy their deployment planning for Russia and Serbia were the most important. The Imperial-and-Royal general staff organized the available forces into three groups:
Minimalgruppe Balkan: Three army corps to deploy against Serbia.
A-Staffel: Nine army corps to deploy in Galicia, against Russia.
B-Staffel: Three army corps constituting the strategic reserve.
The deployment of B-Staffel varied depending upon which of the two mobilization planes was to be implemented, which essentially reflected who was to be the main enemy.
Plan B envisioned a war solely against Serbia, in which B-Staffel would join Minimalgruppe Balkan for offensive operations, while A-Staffel would keep watch on the Russians.
Plan R assumed a war with Russia and Serbia, with B-Staffel joining A-Staffel in Galician for operations against Russia while Minimalgruppe Balkan would take a defensive stance against a possible Serbian offensive.
As was the case with the German and French war plans, the Austro-Hungarian ones also had some flaws. The most important was that at some point a decision had to be made to implement one or the other plan.
Russia. The Russians also developed two different war plans, depending upon whether Germany made a major effort against France, leaving only small force in the East, or if Germany put stronger forces in the East.
Plan G: Presumed that Germany would make its main effort against Russia. As Germany would mobilize much faster than Russia, the Russians accepted that they would have to conduct a fighting withdrawal. Abandoning Poland, they would retreat to the fortified zone running north from the Pripyet marshes through Brest-Litovsk and Kovno. There they would complete mobilization and then assume the offensive and throw the Germans back.
Plan A: Assumed Germany would make its main effort against France, in which case Russia would undertake an early offensive against the Germans in East Prussia with two armies to ease pressure on the French, while concentrating the bulk of her forces for an offensive against Austria-Hungary.
Like all planners, the Russians assumed that their troops were at least as good as those of their enemies. They were correct in the case of Austria-Hungary, but not in that of Germany.
Britain: In a sense, the British really didn’t have a “war plan.” They had a contingency plan in the event they entered a Continental war, intending to coordinate their deployment and movements on the French left flank. In the first days of the war, as the BEF was preparing to ship out, some individuals, notably Admiral of the Fleet John Fisher, advocated ignoring events in France and Belgium to land the expeditionary force on the German Baltic coast for a march on Berlin. Given the total lack of experience in such operations, the lack of preparation for one, the presence of the German High Sea Fleet, German coast defenses, and German preparations if such an adventure were to have occurred (a reserve corps and substantial Landwehr forces were temporarily retained in northern Germany for such an eventuality) this might have been a formula for a disaster.
Oddly, Fisher’s proposal was the only alternative Britain had to placing an army on the French left, demonstrating a serious lack of strategic imagination. If the Baltic proposal or some other alternative plan had been properly studied, rather than just thrown out at the last minute, Britain perhaps might have found a better use for the BEF than to help cover the French Left Flank. Of course, the BEF did well. But in its movements and operations on the French flank from the landing on the Continent, through the advance into Belgium, the subsequent retreat, and the Battle of the Marne, the BEF might have done even better with a better commander than Sir John French. And while the British plan more or less worked, it did ultimately involved the Empire in a major continental commitment, for which it was wholly unprepared.
93
The Modern World / Re: ASL Lovers...why ASL?
« Last post by JudgeDredd on September 28, 2024, 12:17:47 PM »And growing...
94
Sci-fi & Fantasy Warfare / Re: Songs of Conquest
« Last post by bob48 on September 28, 2024, 10:15:59 AM »Its a pity that it was not followed up, as its not a bad little game at all.
95
Sci-fi & Fantasy Warfare / Re: Songs of Conquest
« Last post by bbmike on September 28, 2024, 09:17:03 AM »Martok, speaking of fantasy games that have civ-building elements, whatever happened to Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes? Were there any plans of a follow up game?
96
Intel Dump / Re: Reevaluating Games
« Last post by Undercovergeek on September 28, 2024, 07:17:23 AM »I’m amazed this morning to find out I have 116 hours in EU4 but for the life in me could not tell you what happened or why - maybe a Portugal game with a race to the new world
Holland looks a great fit for me - play tall and create trade nodes and colonies - just have to escape from under those pesky burgundians
Holland looks a great fit for me - play tall and create trade nodes and colonies - just have to escape from under those pesky burgundians
97
Conventions, Clubs, and Events / Re: The Wargaming Club (TWC)
« Last post by Lancier on September 28, 2024, 06:06:52 AM »Gents, TWC moved to Discord. Here is the club's discord link.. And this is our steam group..
TWC Waterloo tournament started: https://challonge.com/twc_waterloo I put a poll on TWC Discord for the next one so members may decide what it will be.. Civil War, Musket & Pike or Napoleonic (again)
TWC Waterloo tournament started: https://challonge.com/twc_waterloo I put a poll on TWC Discord for the next one so members may decide what it will be.. Civil War, Musket & Pike or Napoleonic (again)
98
Sci-fi & Fantasy Warfare / Re: Warhammer 3!
« Last post by bob48 on September 28, 2024, 05:07:55 AM »Now there is another game i enjoy revisiting on occasions. I always thought that it was good enough to justify some DLC. Being honest, i thought it was actually better than the long awaited MoM game, which had, and still has, a lot of potential. The devs still seem to ignore some of the basic flaws that spoil the game, for me, anyway.
99
Sci-fi & Fantasy Warfare / Re: Warhammer 3!
« Last post by Martok on September 28, 2024, 03:48:06 AM »There are indeed quite a few out there now, which is great. Lots of different ones to scratch different itches. 
I just wish someone would make a spiritual successor to Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes. I still love that game, but at eleven years old, it's getting a little long in the tooth.
I just wish someone would make a spiritual successor to Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes. I still love that game, but at eleven years old, it's getting a little long in the tooth.
100
Sci-fi & Fantasy Warfare / Re: Songs of Conquest
« Last post by bob48 on September 28, 2024, 03:37:43 AM »I actually played AoW 1 and 2 quite a lot, and 3 remains one of my most played games. I occasionally go back to it.