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I'd also like a Brigade. Also, I took the liberty of going ahead and setting up a Roll20 room. Roll20 is pretty much a chatroom with a map where you can push tokens around, and as such pretty helpful for some spontaneous planning and stuff. You can join here: https://app.roll20.net/join/1997552/GbgsBw
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Feb 8, 2017 22:48
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This is probably too much to hope for, but is there any room for conditionals in orders? Something like "Advance to that ridge. If there are any enemies in the valley below, stay there and engage. If not, cross through the valley and up that other ridge." Would that fly, or is that more of a situation for a Change in Orders?
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Feb 9, 2017 10:48
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Well, throw me into the 78th, I suppose.
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Feb 9, 2017 20:58
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aphid_licker posted:The war effort is absolutely inconceivable without a constant supply of poetry I'd say it would still be good if you formally wrote down what your actual orders to your subordinate brigades are, in terms of intent. Just so that everybody (including observers) have a quick reference handy.
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Feb 10, 2017 00:08
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Tias posted:How far will the artillery shoot? Pasteur Ridge seems to make sense, but we shouldn't limber them up there if they can't fire far enough. Yeah, we also don't know their actual objectives. It's quite possible that they'll be defensively minded, but for all we know they might end up having quite asymmetrical objectives to ours. It might just be that they'll be shooting to capture places like Faibleimpot or Bouclecourt, which would drastically shift the overall dynamic of the battle. The only thing that seems vaguely certain is that they'll probably also be wanting to capture Saint Croissant, because rail lines are important.
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Feb 10, 2017 13:41
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Tevery Best posted:Another matter: the spotter plane. I'm somewhat leaning towards the former option. We'll be dealing with a lot of inertia in this format, and I'm worried that if we pull it late we won't really be in a position to meaningfully capitalise on whatever intel we'd get from it. One way or the other, it'll be a fairly direct and unsubtle push up the western ridge. Meanwhile if we call it in early, it could be very valuable in case the entente actually do come in from an easterly position. If nothing else, it should give us a general idea of their intended Schwerpunkt early on, which should be very helpful for the 19th when deciding on their defensive position.
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Feb 11, 2017 14:40
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aphid_licker posted:e: edited Oh my god, all those big guns  . https://youtu.be/MDNIljQBlSM?t=5m14sI'll see about nailing down the orders in the coming day or two. It'll be tricky to find positions for them all that are neither too exposed nor too far backwards.
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Feb 12, 2017 23:20
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Alright, in the process of nailing down the orders, a few questions have popped up: -If a unit of artillery is on a hill and fires over the heads of a lower unit, does that waive the requirement to be at least 2" away from that unit? Intuitively I'd say yes, but I figured it would be best to be sure. -Without getting into the nitty-gritty of the mechanics, is shooting at a target from an elevated position more powerful in terms of killing poo poo than doing so from same elevation? Particularly for artillery? -You've mentioned spotting information propagates through the entire brigade from each company to all the rest. What is the limit on that? How far away can a company be from the rest for its spotting information to still reach everyone in time for them to open fire on whatever the "scout" has spotted? -Can spotting information be at all transferred between units of separate brigades? Specifically, if e.g. companies of the 79th brigade is inside a town and sees enemies there, could that information be used for my howitzers to blast any eligible targets in there? So anyways, questions aside, here's a general outline of what I'm thinking so far. These are by no means actually finished orders, just a general idea to make sure there are no conflicts with the other brigades or in case I'm doing something incredibly stupid.  Following just behind our vanguard the 79th, our heavy 15cm guns would deploy on pasteur ridge to offer fire support against any targets within or just around our first objective. Assuming no particularly heavy resistance at that point in time, the 10.5cm guns would take up a position within the farm just southwest of that point. They also be able to hit the town proper as well as the areas around the city. The infantry would be deployed around and south of these positions, to contain any breakouts or to serve as a reserve for securing the town. Perestroika fucked around with this message at 16:39 on Feb 13, 2017 |
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Feb 13, 2017 16:08
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steinrokkan posted:You are trying to set up positions at the same place as the 19th division, including our artillery placements. The 43rd should stay on the other side of that NE road, I think. Also the line you have outlined is very close to the town, if you march there hoping to switch to combat formation at the line, you will get shredded by any defenders. Fair enough. I'll switch over to the northern side, then, probably doing something similar in and around Ferme do Confit.
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Feb 13, 2017 16:26
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For the spectators, behold the intricate and organised planning produced by the finest minds of the german military academies:
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Feb 13, 2017 21:33
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Jaguars! posted:I'll try do orders for the vacant 79th brigade tonight, but if anyone wants to post some sooner, they're welcome to take over and I'll just wait for the next unit to come. Yeah, that would be great. Since 79th is supposed to be the first into the city, it'd be really useful to have something to orient myself on to coordinate with them. So far I'm tempted to just build up in front of the city and leave it at that, sending a runner to order the actual push via a change in orders. Having something more specific to go on could make it feasible to incorporate the whole actual attack within the first set of orders.
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Feb 14, 2017 09:45
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Alright, going to go with some actual formatted orders. Potentially still subject to change depending on the degree of gently caress-upyness on my part. Edit: gently caress me, I just realised I've used one too many MG markers in the relevant pictures  . Assume the proper three MGs in their place instead.78th Brigade Orders  1. Enter the area in marching order as the second brigade in the division, following immediately behind the 79th. Follow along the road at best speed. 2. On the lower level of Pasteur Ridge, enter battle order and break off from the road towards Ferme de Confit. The larger part of the brigade will take up positions: -The 15cm howitzers will remain on the ridge and unlimber there. -The 10cm Howitzers will take up position within the rear of the farm with the trench mortar at their side, and they all also unlimber there. -Brigade Command deploys in front of them, staying the requisite 2" away to allow them a free field of fire. -The MGs and a battalion (3 companies) of infantry go in front of them at the southern edge of the farm. 3. The remaining three battalions of infantry will act depending on this conditional: 3a. If there are enemy units inside the city limits of Saint Croissant or north of the road that runs east/west through it, they will attack directly southwards into the city. The desired final position has a line four companies wide inside the city limits, and whatever's left in the outskirts behind them. 3b. If there are no enemies inside the city or north of the street, the three battalions will shift west and instead enter the city along the direction of the railway. The desired final position has the majority of them inside the city limits, with the westernmost elements in the outskirts. Map of the final positions, with case 3b in bold and 3a translucent. Ideally all but the very southernmost of the infantry companies should be within Brigade Command's 8" order radius.:  After this is done, the brigade switches into Defense Stance and considers this set of orders completed, sending a runner. Everybody digs entrenchments as normal. Standing Oders When sighting an enemy in attack stance, keep moving along original path When attacking the enemy, launch a bayonet charge When an enemy company Breaks Off or Retreats Suppressed, do not pursue Break off automatically at 2/3 casualties The preferred battle formation has the infantry and MGs in front, followed by Brigade Command and the mortar, and then the howitzers behind in two lines by type. Each line of artillery keeps a distance of 2" to allow for free fields of fire. 
Perestroika fucked around with this message at 21:09 on Feb 14, 2017 |
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Feb 14, 2017 20:54
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Trin Tragula posted:Official Historian's Survey: Turn 0 Achtung: The following letter has been censored to preserve the secrecy of important operational details. 1. Quite well Flawlessly, I'd say. Towards the beginning it was a bit scattershot everyone was overcome with sheer é 2. Very confident, at least for the first phase. We have advantageous terrain and forces around Saint Croissant Saint Baguette, and should be able to secure it swiftly and consolidate from there. Moving up the artillery in a timely manner to keep pace with the rest of the army could pose a challenge. will make for a splendid invigorating workout! 3. As mentioned before, the securing of Saint Croissant Saint Éclair appears perfectly possible. The later push towards the secondary objective seems more doubtful pleasant, as it would take us through very defensible beautiful and absolutely picturesque terrain. 4. Likely the initial major clash, while both sides are still aggressively moving forwards. If things go well, we could give the french a significant mauling around Saint Croissant Saint Madeleine and establish an advantage to go from there. If things go bad not quite as ideal, we'd be having much more trouble making any headway towards the secondary objective opportunity to show those frogeaters what for! 5. Best case, we beat the French to Saint Crossaint Sankt Apfelstrudel and inflict severe casualties as they try to dislodge us. From there on we'll drive them back and use our numerical national superiority to encircle and contain them. Things will likely slow down a bit around that point, but on the next day we would then be able to force a breakthrough towards our final objective. We may have to call in the army reserves to amass sufficient power for that last breakthrough, though give them an opportunity to watch our splendid maneuvers in action. And then, back home by Christmas! 6. Worst Case, the French don't attempt to even contest Saint Croissant, and/or initiate a strong flanking maneuver. Prepared full-strength positions on the southern ridges would be hell for us to assault. Similarly, a strong flank would see us scrambling to redeploy, possible leaving our centre dangerously weak and incapable of properly thrusting southward. We'd probably still hold Saint Crossaint or at least the immediate surroundings, but would be too weakened or strung out to realistically go any further. Back home by Easter!
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Feb 16, 2017 14:42
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Well guys, here we go. Hold fast, keep your bayonets mounted, and never forget what this war is all about!  
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Feb 16, 2017 19:46
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Jaguars! posted:umm... where's our artillery? I'm guessing/hoping Trin just left it out while in marching orders for ease of use?
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Feb 17, 2017 10:18
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aphid_licker posted:That French cav bde is a thing of beauty and I want one. Maybe a slightly less dead one. Bring back the Totenkopfhusaren, imo. With a proper crown princess at their head to lead them. 
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Feb 17, 2017 14:41
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You're killing me, Trin! 
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Feb 17, 2017 19:22
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Trin Tragula posted:
Holy poo poo, that's some loving Élan right there  . Golden crosses for the lot of them!
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Feb 17, 2017 20:53
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Crazycryodude posted:That honestly sounds like our best shot. Call in the reinforcements, hold the French roughly where they are, win the game on a technicality. I mean, it wouldn't bet a huge technicality. Our objective is essentially to ensure a clear route from the northeast to the southwest. If we can hold both objectives and somehow firm up a front along that line, we've more or less achieved what we were supposed to do in an operational sense.
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Feb 17, 2017 21:23
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Jaguars! posted:Amazing Yeah, that seems about right. The 15cm guns are a bit short range-wise at their current intended position, but by the time the orders reached them they'd already be unlimbered and everything. Better to make full use of the more mobile brigades that can relocate more quickly.
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Feb 17, 2017 21:37
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Yeah, I'd also say infantry would be most effective here. We mostly need bodies to shove into the line to help stabilise the whole thing and prevent a breakthrough. Some cav in addition to that for sweet flanking could come in nice, but might be more of a gimmick at this stage. Also somebody make sure to piss in that general's wine for that terrible bit of non-intelligence about the French coming in from the south.
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Feb 18, 2017 10:57
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aphid_licker posted:How's this? Alright! Trin, do we have any sensible information as to when that third runner would become available? Should I just put in my adjusted orders with this batch, or would there be another break by the time that runner arrives?
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Feb 18, 2017 12:03
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2nd Reserve BDE Right, since time is pressing, here are some provisional orders for the 2nd Reserve Brigade. I'd be obliged if anybody else could take them over after this one.  The Brigade will enter in Marching Order, and follow the road up to Pasteur Ridge for one turn, which should put it about at the edge the ridge. From there it will switch into Battle Order and wheel around to straddle the ridge northeast to southwest. Then it will advance in good order along the ridge until its indicated final position. Individual companies should avoid going up/down elevations during this move to ensure the best possible speed. Once at the final position, the brigade will switch to Defense stance and request further orders. Under no circumstances is the Brigade to move into the range of the french artillery battery to the southeast, and will stop their movement early if need be to avoid that. Any friendly artillery met near or on the final position should ideally be shuffled behind their line. Desired final positions:  The Battle Order to be used for the advance is virtually identical with the final positioning:  Standing Oders When sighting an enemy in attack stance, keep moving along original path When attacking the enemy, use rifle fire When an enemy company Breaks Off or Retreats Suppressed, do not pursue Break off automatically at 3/4 casualties Perestroika fucked around with this message at 20:38 on Feb 18, 2017 |
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Feb 18, 2017 20:31
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Saros posted:Oh god marching order, didn't we learn anything? Just for a single turn, at the very back of the map. If they encounter meaningful resistance that far back, we're hosed no matter what. 
Perestroika fucked around with this message at 21:27 on Feb 18, 2017 |
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Feb 18, 2017 21:21
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aphid_licker posted:Yeah putting the reserves under 19D now that its HQ is safe seems like the obvious move. I just looked, and there does seem some weirdness to be going on. From the looks of it my dudes swung much further south and west than intended, and ended up west of StC? At least those guys have my battle formation and such. Meanwhile the guys right north of StC seem to be Crazycryodude's, as they have those 7,7cm FKs attached. So in terms of the R20 map, it actually looks like the MG and infantry with the green dots are mine. Trin? Any hope of clarification who is who down there?
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Feb 20, 2017 10:45
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Great, thanks! Now to find a way to safely extricate my dudes from their without getting shot in the back a lot.
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Feb 20, 2017 12:10
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aphid_licker posted:You've come to the wrong division if you value doing things safely So yeah then, what would be your orders for 78th given this development (aside from carting the arty into range, obviously)? Still redeploy to east of StC, or hold that flank, or do something terribly foolhardy audacious with some flanking shenanigans?
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Feb 20, 2017 17:04
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Just dropping a note that I will still get my orders in before the deadline today, so not to worry. Just gonna have to get through a math exam first. 
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Feb 21, 2017 08:24
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Exam sucked, so it's time to vent my frustrations on some frenchmen! Since I'm not entirely certain when the runner will come around these are a bit conditional-heavy, so let me know if they're too vague to be useful. As usual, feel free to yell at me if any of this is terrible idiocy 78th Brigade Orders General Orders/Conditionals: -The execution of these orders is to be delayed until 1200, to allow the other brigades to maneuver securely. -Any piece of howitzer artillery that is currently shooting at enemies when these orders would go into effect, or that has been firing in either of the preceding two turns, will belay the following orders. Instead, it'll stay where it is and keep on shooting. -The brigade switches to Attack Stance, if it is not still in that stance.  Infantry, MGs, Brigade Command, and Trench Mortar Retreat backwards into the woods in good order, continuing to present the formation's front to the enemy. Once no longer under fire, wheel about and move over towards the east of St. Croissant. Anchor the line of 79th's artillery on both sides without interfering with their field of fire southwards, and establish a line through Ferme the Beurre and eastwards as shown below. If there aren't enough infantry companies available to fill all indicated spots, first ignore the positions on the west flank indicated by the green dots. If there are still further missing, take off those at the very rightmost flank indicated by the red dots. If there are still further missing, remove those directly in front of the MGs. Howitzer Artillery Unless affected by the conditional order above, re-limber at 1230 (or alternatively one turn after the infantry started moving, whichever happens later) and wait for the infantry to come by. As soon as the infantry comes by, follow and take up the positions indicated below, staying the minimum 2" away from friendly units directly in front and unlimbering there. Under no circumstances is any howitzer to move ahead of the infantry. If any (or all) of 79th' 7.7cm FK batteries have been destroyed or displaced, AND if there are no enemy units north of the road, a 10cm Howitzer battery will take its place as indicated by the dotted blue line. If any howitzer batteries remained stationary as per the conditional order above: If any of these batteries in question did not fire for two consecutive turns at any point during these orders, they are to re-limber and move to their new positions like the rest. Desired final positions:  Once all positions have been reached, switch to Defense Stance and dispatch a runner to report these orders fulfilled. Standing Oders When sighting an enemy in attack stance, keep moving along original path When attacking the enemy, use rifle fire When an enemy company Breaks Off or Retreats Suppressed, do not pursue Break off automatically at 3/4 casualties Perestroika fucked around with this message at 22:23 on Feb 21, 2017 |
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Feb 21, 2017 13:44
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Holy hell, that was one goddamn slaughter for both sides. Medals for those guys at the MGs, because goddamn that french push just utterly evaporated. If nothing else, army command better appreciate that I managed to get not a single scratch on our precious guns despite heavy fighting. Not even a single scuff! 
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Feb 22, 2017 12:56
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aphid_licker posted:
Would you want me to orient the positions/fields of fire further towards the east or west of Brioche? The southwestern edge of Bois de Gooneville looks like a decent position for the 15cms, but that wouldn't be very useful if the plan is for the 76th to keep holding their current position anyways.
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Feb 22, 2017 21:06
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Orders, (slightly) fightin' 43rd, for the use of:
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New orders have been posted here: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3809300&pagenumber=13#post469698956
Perestroika fucked around with this message at 17:39 on Feb 23, 2017 |
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Feb 23, 2017 12:13
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Tevery Best posted:Perestroika, we want to reposition you to interdict Dejeuner with artillery and prepare for an assault under artillery cover. Ah, alright. I was mostly going directly by aphid's orders, which implied a more defensive mindset. I'll put the artillery in a more aggressive position relative to the infantry, but there's not much room to go any further south without immediately coming under fire from the artillery already on L'Oeuf.
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Feb 23, 2017 14:00
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78th Brigade Orders Revised v1.3 - thrice the élan, zero the life expectancy! Preparations The Brigade switches to attack stance. Howitzers limber and begin moving into a southwestern direction. Infantry and command wait for one turn upon receiving this order. Then they move southwest into Fraisechamps during the next turn, and then wait there during the third turn. During this move, they are to stay well out of range of enemy artillery, especially from the southwest. Now, on the beginning of the fourth turn, there are two possible courses depending on enemy disposition on Dejeuner Ridge and l'Oeuf Hill, henceforth dubbed Fall Rot and Fall Blau (indicated by arrows of the appropriate colour on the map): A. If there are more than 18 infantry companies or more than 4 pieces of unlimbered, deployed artillery heavier than arse hortillery up there: Proceed with Fall Blau. B. If there are fewer than the named forces up there: proceed with Fall Rot In case there are any discrepancies, follow the lead of 76th BDE above anything else. If they charge, go Fall Rot, if they retreat, go Fall Blau. Fall Rot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L6HPUzi1_8 Sound the whistles, give the orders, sing the songs, and charge directly up Dejeuner Ridge in concert with 76th. Stay at 76th' left flank, and sweep away all those who would oppose you. Prioritise enemies not yet engaged by 76th BDE. Desired final positions:  Once there, switch to defensive, dig in, and dispatch a runner for further orders. Howitzers are to stay limbered unless there's something within their line of fire to shoot at. Fall Rot end. Fall Blau -The infantry, command, and MGs will back away from the current frontline in good order, then wheel about to move westwards. Similarly, the howitzers will them on the move west. -Once northwest of Brioche, the brigade will form up in a linear formation as shown below. The guns are to remain limbered. The 15cms are to remain the requisite 2" away from forces directly in front of them. -The next move depends on the disposition of the french forces on l'Oeuf and Dejeuner Ridge at the time: A. The only artillery on the hill/ridge is arse hortillery: Move into the indicated southernmost position, unlimber the guns, and start blasting away. The final move into arse hortillery range should be done within just one turn. Artillery crews are advised to bring parasols to guard against french shells. B. There is french artillery heavier than arse hoes on the hill/ridge: Bring the line forward until just outside of their artillery range and unlimber the guns there. In either case, if at any point in time a battalion or more of enemy infantry comes within 10" of the line, the brigade is to stop right where it is, unlimber its guns, and engage. Desired final positions:  Once the brigade comes to a stop and unlimbers its guns, switch to Defence Stance and dispatch a runner to report these orders fulfilled. Fall Blau end. Standing Oders When sighting an enemy in attack stance, keep moving along original path When attacking the enemy, bayonet charge When an enemy company Breaks Off or Retreats Suppressed, pursue them Break off automatically at 3/4 casualties If things go well take all the credit If it ends in a hideous failure blame General Best Perestroika fucked around with this message at 18:14 on Feb 23, 2017 |
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Feb 23, 2017 17:37
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Tevery Best posted:I've been rewatching this scene from Gettysburg over and over again. Pretty sure this is me on the battlefield right now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaU_VpMu0cE
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Feb 23, 2017 21:08
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Watch this game turn out to have both opposing army groups expend 70%+ of their fighting forces squabbling over a lovely little town in the middle of nowhere. 
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Feb 24, 2017 13:37
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78th Brigade Orders - 1500 General orders/conditionals: -Any unit shown at the edge of a ridge is assumed to be positioned in such a way that it is wholly on top of the upper level. -If the french brigade to the west is seen moving towards Brioche/StC in a way roughly following the indicated arrow, the positions of the infantry and 10.5cm guns is shifted somewhat north, as indicated by the dotted blue line shown below. Essentially mirror the formation but at the northeast corner of the ridge, rather than the southeast one. Infantry and MGs Finish up destroying the french brigade. Once they've been wholly pushed away, reform and take up a position on the eastern ridge as indicated below. The Brigade command is to take up a position on the hilltop, but oriented as closely towards StC as possible. This should just barely allow it to remain in decent contact with Division HQ. Artillery The 10.5cm guns will unlimber where they are, and open fire on whatever french forces are within range. Once no further targets are in range anymore, they will limber again and follow the infantry, taking up a position on the ridge behind them and unlimber there. The 15cm guns will remain limbered for the moment. They will continue southwest, and follow close behind 76th' advance. Under no circumstance are they to move ahead of their infantry, nor are they to move in a way that would bring them within 8" of active enemy infantry. Once they reach their final position as indicated below, they will unlimber. Should 76th' advance be stalled by significant (8+ companies) enemy forces, they will instead position themselves on the next-highest ridge behind 76th and unlimber there, to give fire support as quickly as possible. Desired final positions:  Once all positions have been reached, switch into Defense stance and begin entrenchment. Standing Oders When sighting an enemy in attack stance, keep moving along original path When attacking the enemy, bayonet charge When an enemy company Breaks Off or Retreats Suppressed, hold position Break off automatically never - fight to the last man Perestroika fucked around with this message at 15:29 on Feb 25, 2017 |
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Feb 25, 2017 15:26
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Great, the Inselaffen finally arrived. 
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Feb 25, 2017 19:00
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Crazycryodude posted:I knew I could smell those disgusting Woodbines they seem so attached to. Now, where exactly is it wafting from? Turns out we're in an alternate timeline, the BEF landed only just now, and will be crushing into our rear from the north. But anyways, since this appears to be a fairly major deployment of an unexpected enemy, our superiors probably won't be too cross should we have to ask for further reinforcements. Who knows, perhaps we'll get some giant insects to properly counter them.
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Feb 25, 2017 20:19
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Not gonna be able to add much to the discussion today, though I should have more time tomorrow. Anyhow, current plan is to get those fifteens up ASAP, probably slightly further north than initially intended. Sucks about that MG in the town, but it looks like my dudes will just have to weather that for the time being. Any scouting detachment I send would just get murdered before they get any spotting info back, so I'd rather leave them stationary to get the first shots in against the approaching brits. Edit: Actually on that note, Cryo, it might be nice if you could include a conditional to shoot them in the flank a lot if the push up Dej instead of heading for Q. Perestroika fucked around with this message at 09:52 on Feb 26, 2017 |
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Feb 26, 2017 09:47
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