Stabsblatt 89 (and recruitments message) From: kolley@worldaccess.nl (Thomas Kolley) Date: Sat, 30 Sep 1995 00:00:00 +0000 Stabsblatt: Officer's Club Grand Strategy. -confidential- -eyes only- Nr. 89 Auflage 25 Herausgeber, Redactor, Zensor, Druck: Th. Kolley Preis DM 4 (& Mitgliedschaft). Email DM 2 hompage: http://www.ts.umu.se/~hanz/west/west.html 1. Angetreten zum Rapport .(Briefing) Officer-s course, staff officers only Losses (from the internet): The wounded and the dead represented 14% of the allied army's strength but suffered 70% of the total battle casualties. Before D-Day army planners estimated the casualty rate for riflemen at around 70%. In reality, the rate was much higher, about 83 percent, and the typical rate of loss in infantry platoons exceeded 90%. Riflemen accounted for 68% of an infantry division's authorized strength, but suffered almost 95% of its casualties. A Study on casualties concluded that in a typical battle, 90% of a division�s casualties took place in the forward sectors assigned to the rifle battalions. Example: The 4th Infantry Division had a 252.4% turnover rate. This means that basically none of the original infantrymen that landed on D-Day did not make it to VE day. Of course this doesn't include those in the service areas. Even some of the replacements didn't make it. Units and formation (Einheiten und Verb�nde) Th. Kolley A military UNIT is a force composed of troops of the same arm of service, e.g. an infantry company or an artillery battery. A FORMATION is a force composed of units of different arms of service. The smallest true formation is a division,thought brigades usually contain units of different arms and are conventionally regarded as formations. A Battalion is a unit 600-1000 strong; a regiment, composed of tree battalions, is about 3000 strong; a brigade, which contains two regiments or several battalions, varies in strength between 3000 and 6000; a division has three regiments or brigades with supporting troops and is between 10000 and 25000 strong; a corps contains two or more divisions, brigades and supporting corps units; an army contains at least two corps and supporting troops and an Army group at least two armies. Size and organization varies greatly from country to country as for different periods in history. The formations and units loose strength significantly during periods of intense fighting. There are different types of formations of units divisions like infantry, airborne, light infantry, motorized, mechanized, cavalry, armor, artillery and several others. Brigades are often also independent units, used be many armies. The number of the divisional subunits divert, most divisions would have 2 to 3 regiments or brigades and supporting artillery. A Regiment consist of battalions and a battalion consists of companies. The basic artillery unit is a battery. There are several other types of units within a division, depending of its type: Engineer, Signals, supply, military police, etc. So please refer in your orders correctly to units and formations or in German Einheiten und Verbaende. Basic tactics (experienced officers may skip this lesson) The effectiveness and importance of the main types infantry, artillery and armor/cavalry differs depending of the period portrayed. The basic operation a Officer has to conduct are offensive and defensive operation according to his orders. Following Clausewitz the defensive is the stronger option. But history proved this to be not always right. There are five principles for offensive operations witch are concentration (Schwerpunkt), surprise, speed, flexibility and audacity. Concentration is used to archive local superiority a 3:1 ratio or 5:1 against a well dug in enemy should be build up. The enemy defensive efforts must than be disrupted be rapid dispersion. Surprise includes also attack the enemies weak points and avoiding the strong points. There are certain types of offensive operation witch are movement to contact, attack, exploitation and pursuit. Defensive operations account a static or dynamic style, involving organization of covering force areas, main battle areas and the rear area of a unit or formation. Movement is an important part of tactics. Infantry on foot will march between up to 50 km a day, if not opposed by enemy forces. It should be understood that efficiently moving units is as important as the fighting itself. Geographical limitations can be considerable for maneuvering. It is very important to become aquatinted with the terrain. There is signals problem with Airmarshall Sir Fleck: Quote: "Help! Who knows how to move data from PC to Workstation (via MODEM., at university)? I have no problems with sending them home with sz, but the other directin with rz? 2. News from the stars and stripes Writers wanted, who of the Allied team can fill out this space as I did before. Your text must be in the weekend before PD. ++stop press++++++Situation+++ +++++at the belford area continuing heavy fighting is reported, there are more allied tanks and airplanes involved. se of belford first allied tanks spotted. +++north of belford an French attack makes slow progress, 1 bridge taken, second also but seems not to be able to take Chat. Lambert south of Le Thilot (map 17). The HQ as STG of 338 ID seem to put up a stand there against Combat Command B of 5 DB (French)++ ++ Further north more fighting�s reported+++ +++heavy explosions at venlo. Probably the Germans are using V1 or V2 as a short range weapons. The responsible officer will probably be shot. +++at metz 2 ad and 35 usid tried unsuccessfully to capture two bridges at magny and courcelles sur niel (Map 14) over the Moselle. Units of 36 vgd and 17 ss pgd resisted succesfully+++hagondange was lost through an attack of 26 usid and 9 usad, thought 17 SS div could inflict losses on the attacker. The allied airforce had a good day, only hampered by overcast weather (map 13)+++Koeln, no reaction from special operation on this issue but it seems that from enemy press we learned that agent was captured by the gestapo this morning ++still there a more reports about fighting in the netherlands+++air attacks are reported in breskens or Vlissingen and walcheren, thougt not so heavy as the devastating attack yesterday+++ +++north of aachen an major allied attack of a corps of 9th US Army (Gen.Reiner) has started, al depends on the german reaction (AOK 7, Gen. Niemann) to through in reserves, allied air support is north of aachen reported+++ +++an big tank battle is starting at this time south of s' hertogenbosch between 107 Panzerbrigade and 4 USAD, we let you know about it more asap. +++51 highland division took meilen late in the afternoon from 353 division+++an attack of 2nd british army's 53 division was successfully stopped in its tracks by 275 division of LXXX Korps (General Niemann). The division blowed a bridge w of boxmeer and beugel+++43 division (General Andriese) sended messages (with loudspeakers) to the surrounded German forces in Berlicum and Heeswijk: ' You are surrendered and you can better surrender, further withstand is useless". +++the luftwaffe seems to be nonexistence+++es Breskens it seems that 64 divisione tries to chicken out+++ 3. Das Oberkommando der Wehrmacht gibt bekannt. Writers wanted, who of the German team can fill out this space as I did before. Your text must be in the weekend before PD. North of Aachen there was an attack of 2 allied division. The 89 ID, GM Bruhns had to pull back, because the enemy had the advantage in MAN 4:1, in SUP 11:1 and in armor: 2:1. But we inflicted heavy losses on the attacker. Estimated are 20% losses to our 10%. 107 Panzerbrigade at s�Hertogenbosch managed to hold up to hold up 240 allied tanks for a while but 20 IV, 20VI, 10 JP and 5 STG, no pack seem only enough to archive a 1 : 1, while the enemy had the advantage in SUP and MAN. But we managed to blow both bridges over the Afwaterings Kanaal, so the enemy will go nowhere. 4. OC 7 : Wacht am Rhein , Westfront Oktober 1944 - Januar 1945 Note that we are now in the normally bi-weekly rhythm. note that this Auswertung will arrive probably not before Wednesday because of a heavy normal live workload. Next PLAYDAY: 05.10.1995 (22.10.1944). EMAIL moves must be in 1 day earlier. Mail: PD until 10.00h. Dear experts, for research for my ungoing wargame Wacht am Rhein I sought out SECOND FRONT AND DUTCH UNITS You might be also interested. Thomas Kolley Many Dutch served in W.W.II in the German or Allied Armies. Not etc etc If you are interested to read more ore to join the game please contact me. We wait for 1 US Army General, 1 Waffen SS General and 1 CiC of the Luftwaffe, The last position costs only DM 3.50 move. We have also several free divisional positions. Thomas Kolley Up