1903 German Staff Ride (Aufmarsch I Westlich)

[miketr]

This also to serve as a test of my land combat system.

Strategic Assumptions:
Franco – German War in isolation with the bulk of the German army deployed vs. France.  A covering force of troops will be left in the East to keep an eye on Russia.

Objectives:  Destruction of the French Field armies and reduction of major fortress to remove ability of France to continue the war.  This to be achieved by a series of rapid strikes to keep the French Army off balance an unable to reply.

Opening Move:  Coup de main vs. French Forces in Meurthe Region.  French forces made up of 20th Army, HQ Nancy, 20,000 troops peace time with another 20,000 available at M+15.  Four cities have fortifications with only one at active readiness.
   
German forces made up Gardekorps, Bayerisches-Armeekorps I, Österreicher-Kaiserjäger and Österreicher-Kavallerie-Division I with 150,000 men available at M+0 and to be designated Armee I.  The units of Armee I will advance into the Meurthe Region, seek out and destroy the French 20th Army and reduce the French Fortifications.

Remaining forces to assemble in three armies in Metz (Armee II), Straßburg (Armee III) and Mülhausen (Armee IV).

Follow on Moves: M+15

Armee I will advance South West to cut off the French 20th and 7th armies along the frontier and their associated fortress.  Armee II will follow up Armee while Arme III attacks French 21st Army and Armee IV attacks French 7th. 

Once French frontier has been cleared Armee's to advance west toward Paris destroying French formations as encountered. 

[miketr]

AAR

Pre-Setup
Germany Declares War, Orders General Mobilization
France Declares War, Orders General Mobilization
Germany has Initiative

June, H1
Mobilized Units Available to Move
Strategic Movement from Garrisons
German Action

Armee	I			Base Combat	Actual Combat
Gardekorps	1895	50,000	m	20	24
Bayerisches-Armeekorps I	1895	50,000	m	20	24
Österreicher-Kaiserjäger	1895	25,000	m	8	9.6
Österreicher-Kavallerie-Division I.	1895	25,000	m	8	9.6
		150,000		56	67

France
No units at mobilization readiness
Land Movement, Armee I advances into Meurthe

Air Combat
NA

Ground Combat
German Armee I vs. French 20th

As 20th has not completed mobilization, strength is 20,000 men.

Name	Type	Tech	Size	Status		Base Combat	Actual Combat
20th Army	Cavalry	1895	20000	a	0.8	6.4	6.4

#	Name	Size	Tech	Status		Base Combat	Actual Combat
10	Toul	3	1895	r		2	1.6
14	Commercy	3	1895	r		2	1.6
15	Bars le Duc	3	1895	r		2	1.6
16	Toul	3	1895	r		2	1.6
18	Nancy	3	1895	a		2	2

Note Fortress #10, 14, 15 and 16 have not had chance to mobilize, combat effectives 0.  Fortress #18 50% effectivess.
67:7.4, Odds table 7 :1

Combat Modifiers
French Fortress -1 to German Die Roll, GM Modifier, German Strategic Surprise +1 to German Die Roll
German Die Roll, 6, result vs. French 100%, French Die Roll, 5, result 7.5% A
French Forced to Retreat / Eliminated and Advance for Germans, Breakthrough achieved.
German Losses, 7.5% of involved forces, 11,250 troops KIA / MIA / Casualties / POW (need a table for this)
French Losses, 100% of involved forces, 20,000 troops KIA / MIA / Casualties / POW and fortress #10, 14, 15, 16 and 18 Captured / Destroyed.
German Forces advance into Haute-Marne.

French Action
No movement, units mobilizing
Fortress of Haute-Marne under siege, not required to attack.
No combat

June-H2
Mobilization of Active Readiness and Reserve Readiness units complete.
--Mobilization of French Fortress in Haute-Marne disrupted.
Germany Strategic Movement from Garrisons
France Strategic Movement from Garrisons
--French strategic movement to Vosges disrupted
--German strategic movement to Meurthe unavailable, just captured
--French German strategic movement to Haute-Marne unavailable as province contested. 

Moves of Note, French 21st Army moved to Doubs to linkup with 7th army and Vosges evacuated.

Armée d'Franche Comte
7th Army	Infantry	1895	40000	a		1.6	16	16
14th Army	Infantry	1895	30000	a		1.2	12	12
21th Army	Infantry	1895	40000	a		1.6	16	16
			110000					44
Armée d'Côte-d'Or
12th Army	Cavalry	1895	25000	r		1	8	6.4
13th Army	Infantry	1895	25000	r		1	10	8
15th Army	Infantry	1895	15000	r		0.6	6	4.8
16th Army	Infantry	1895	15000	r		0.6	6	4.8
25th Army	Marine	1895	25000	a		1	8	8
			105000					32
Armée d'Aube
8th Army	Infantry	1895	30000	r		1.2	12	9.6
9th Army	Infantry	1895	25000	r		1	10	8
10th Army	Cavalry	1895	25000	r		1	8	6.4
17th Army	Infantry	1895	15000	r		0.6	6	4.8
18th Army	Infantry	1895	20000	a		0.8	8	8
24th Army	Marine	1895	15000	a		0.6	4.8	4.8
			130000					41.6
Armée d'Meuse
1st Army	Infantry	1895	30000	r		1.2	12	9.6
2nd Army	Infantry	1895	30000	a		1.2	12	12
6th Army	Cavalry	1895	40000	a		1.6	12.8	12.8
23th Army	Marine	1895	20000	a		0.8	6.4	6.4
19th Army	Infantry	1895	25000	a		1	10	10
			145000					50.8
Armée d'Marne
3rd Army	Infantry	1895	25000	a		1	10	10
4th Army	Infantry	1895	25000	r		1	10	8
5th Army	Cavalry	1895	30000	r		1.2	9.6	7.68
22th Army	Infantry	1895	30000	r		1.2	12	9.6
11th Army	Infantry	1895	25000	r		1	10	8
			135000					43.28

Armee I				Base Combat	Actual Combat
Gardekorps	1895	46,250	m	18.5	22.2
Bayerisches-Armeekorps I	1895	46,250	m	18.5	22.2
Österreicher-Kaiserjäger	1895	23,125	m	7.4	8.88
Österreicher-Kavallerie-Division I.	1895	23,125	m	7.4	8.88
		138,750		52	62
Armee II
Armeekorps II	1895	50,000	a	20	20
Armeekorps III	1895	50,000	a	20	20
Armeekorps IV	1895	50,000	a	20	20
Kavallerie-Korps I	1895	25,000	a	8	8
Reserve-Armeekorps II	1895	50,000	r	20	16
Reserve-Armeekorps III	1895	50,000	r	20	16
		275,000		108	100
Armee III
Armeekorps V	1895	50,000	a	20	20
Armeekorps VI	1895	50,000	a	20	20
Armeekorps VII	1895	50,000	a	20	20
Kavallerie-Korps II	1895	25,000	a	8	8
Reserve-Armeekorps IV	1895	50,000	r	20	16
Reserve-Armeekorps V	1895	50,000	r	20	16
		275,000		108	100
Armee IV
Armeekorps VIII	1895	50,000	a	20	20
Österreicher-Infanterie-Division I.	1895	25,000	a	10	10
Österreicher-Infanterie-Division II.	1895	25,000	a	10	10
Österreicher-Infanterie-Division III.	1895	25,000	r	10	8
Österreicher-Infanterie-Division IV	1895	25,000	r	10	8
		150,000		60	56
Armee N
Marinekorps	1895	25,000	m	8	9.6
		25,000		8	10
Armee E
Armeekorps I	1895	50,000	a	20	20
Reserve-Armeekorps I	1895	50,000	r	20	16
Reserve-Kavallerie-Korps I	1895	25,000	r	8	6.4
		125,000		48	42

Attached Map situation after strategic movement complete.

[miketr]

Comments on turn steps for combat engine.

Broke month up into 2 halves.  Each side acts once each half.

I. Strategic Movement
Units not in contact with enemy units and at active or higher readiness can be moved.
Player 1 and then Player 2

II. Land Movement
Units can move Infantry 2 province and Cav 3.
III.  Air Combat.
TBD
IV. Land Combat.
Unit in same province must fight.
Phase II to IV player 1 then player 2.

Observations.   Having 150,000 men mobilized before start of war paid off big dividends.  French 20th army destroyed and all fortress in province wiped  The French not having chance to mobilize was big blow, 4 of 5 forts useless. 

I will post next report later, perhaps tonight or tomorrow.

Michael

[Walter]

Like I said in IRC, not so sure with the status of the French units. Thinking of it some more, I would think that there would probably be enough tensions between France and Germany to at least bump up most (if not all) the units/citadels from reserve to active status (especially those along the border, although it seems more likely they'd be mobilized) prior to the start of a war. The fact that that has not happened would indicate that the French Army Command is completely incompetent and ought to be shot for treason.


One thing I am starting to doubt is the "Units can move Infantry 2 province and Cav 3" which is something that has been mentioned before by the mods IIRC.

This would mean that when you look at the attached two pieces of map, it would take me just as long to cover the distance on the left hand part of the map of Russia as it would take me to cover the distance on the right hand part of the map of the Netherlands (if you can see the arrows on that one that is). Another example: I can move cavalry units from the easternmost bit of Manchuria all the way across China and into Afghanistan in 4 turns. Compare that to Dutch cavalry units starting in the province of Groningen moving SSW and which would end up in Paris in 4 turns. That's ~4800km vs ~570km.

Hell, looking at it and assuming that one turn would be half a month as mike has been using and the quality of the roads being much better in 1903 and the European infrastructure being much better than the US infrastructure (insult intended ;D ), Jackson's Foot Cavalry could probably easily cover the distance from Groningen to Paris in less than 1 turn (probably 10 days if the conditions are good) but it would even take his famous troops something like 12 turns to move from the easternmost part of Manchuria to the Chinese border with Afghanistan. So looking at it now, I do not think that the province movement idea is a good one to be used.

[miketr]

Coup de main.

As I said in IRC I think the best thing is that units can make use of either strategic movement or normal unit, not both.  So for the Germans to achieve this the units would have to start their turn within movement distance of the French units.  Its classic attack directly out of garrison the type of move expected in cold war of the soviets forces in Europe.

The details of how any diplomatic crisis plays out would be key I agree.  If its a slow slide to war then its very possible for everyone to have fully mobilized before a shot is fired.   Its also possible that IF the German units were based next to the border and as soon as the French attempted to mobilize then Berlin orders an immediate attack.  Lots of IFs here I agree.  No system is going to be perfect.

I will respond later on normal movment.

Michael

[Jefgte]

Jef position

The imbalance of economic power and the superiority of the German army will not allow France to face a few days before being overwritten.
The movement of 300,000 men to the border will not change anything to the final result.
It is the same for all Germany's neighbors on the European continent.
No state and no European army can't resist more than a few days at the Great German Army.
Germany became the greatest power in Europe.

As I write in my diplomacy, the relations of France with respect to Germany are cold and minimal.
There is no crisis or tension now.

[miketr]

Movement and other considerations.

Any system that is more accurate becomes almost but default more complex involving trade offs in terms of how much effort for people to moderate.  As pointed out not all provinces are the same size even within same regions let alone across the globe.

We could certainly change the speed of the ground units.  For example infantry to 3 and cav to 5.

Any other thoughts on how to improve things?

Michael

[miketr]

Jef position

The imbalance of economic power and the superiority of the German army will not allow France to face a few days before being overwritten.
The movement of 300,000 men to the border will not change anything to the final result.
It is the same for all Germany's neighbors on the European continent.
No state and no European army can't resist more than a few days at the Great German Army.
Germany became the greatest power in Europe.

As I write in my diplomacy, the relations of France with respect to Germany are cold and minimal.
There is no crisis or tension now.

Just to be clear I am not suggesting that its at all likely for a Franco German war, this is just a map exercise for me to test a combat system.

Yes at this point the economic imbalance between France and Germany is bad and looks to be getting worse.  The military one is going to get worse now that I am actively expanding the German army.

Back to the system being tested.  Jefgte any comments on the system itself?  Good, bad, don't care?

Michael

[Jefgte]

...Back to the system being tested.  Jefgte any comments on the system itself?  Good, bad, don't care?

Interresting SIM
IMO, add the chronologie of the SIM
Day1
Day2
Day3
...

;)

[Jefgte]

There will be probably crisis before Day 1 (precursor sign)
So, French Army is stronger than you wrote, particuliary on the east regions.
Full Army mobilisation take 4 to 9 days
Reserve take 9 to 12 days.

References:
http://www.fortiffsere.fr/armee1914/index.htm

---
The most interresting in your SIM is that you respect Belgium & Luxembourg neutralities.
This is really new & different than 1914 & 1940 !!!

[miketr]

A couple of things, first and for most realism vs. playability.

Currently there is a tech to allow units to mobilize in a week.  Which makes me think that it takes two weeks or more  to mobilize units below that tech.  Yes WW1 was faster in some cases but slower in others and again I am trying to come up with a one covers all system here. 

I already noted what happened with the 150,000 Germans into France before the French units could react.  IF those units were in Alsace-Lorraine to start then it would be reasonable I think.  The problem is those units were in Vienna, Berlin and Munich.  So again the solution is to allow units to do strategic (rail) movement OR normal movement in a month half not both.

So the way things would have played out is this.

June - H1
Everyone mobilizes and those 150K Germans are moved to the border by rail.
June - H2
Everyone moves by strategic to their assembly areas along the borders.  The 150K German troops could move now BUT if they do the French units are going to be ready and assembled.
July - H1 everyone can now fight.

This will slow things down a bit but its not  1 to 1 match of what happened in WW1 but it works and avoids mobilized units attacking from half way across Germany.  Otherwise would have to move to a weekly instead of a bi-weekly.  Which doubles the amount of actions. Trade offs between playability and realism.  Before I try doubling the number of actions in a month I want to see how this plays out.

Michael   

[Jefgte]

...The 150K German troops could move now BUT if they do the French units are going to be ready and assembled....

All east fortresses are ready to defend. Fortresses soldiers live in the nearest towns & villages of the named fortresse.