wargames no 2 From: kolley@worldaccess.nl (Thomas Kolley) Date: Fri, 02 Jun 1995 00:00:00 +0000 Officers Club INTERNET INFORMATION c Thomas Kolley No 2, 02.06.1995 Answers on reaction of readers (some redesigned for the sake of clearity) *Looking for some idiots to spend there hard earned saving? This is not a commercial PBM or PBEM organisation but a group of serious wargamers. *You f..... s ... o... b....!!!! We have nothing to do with neo nazis and othe idiots, but we try to cultivate the tradidion of the prussian Kriegspiel. *What did you do at highscool? I still looking for a english spelling control for use with eudora or with windows write. Who can help. *What is this crazy thing anyhow? Well, think about it as playing chess be delivering a move by a letter (Fernschach) and recieving a move. *Wy costs it money? Because it does cost me books, CDs, maps, libray memberships, abonnemnets on literature, an internet account, phonebills, computer stuff (modem, etc), photocopies, for non internet player stamps, printouts, envelopes, printhaeds, etc, and not to forget mucho tiempo. *Are you some sort of idiots? Nope, most players are students, former NCOs or even (commercial) succesfull PBM supplier themself. *Some soort of puberal phase you are in? No, some player are in there 30th. Ok, see, you can join without second thoughs... Next move OC 5: Arnheim - Nimwegen: 27.05.1995 Since the first article many things did happen. 1. The first internet player joined the ungoing game. 2. The new game Wacht am Rhein: There are still some positions available. In the german tam the spoken language will be mainly GERMAN , while the allied time will be communicating in English. This are the most actual positions: OC 7 : Wacht am Rhein, Westfront Oktober 1944 - Januar 1945 German Team (all Germans and 1 swiss player) Teamchef...............................................................M..Finger (Swiss) OB WEST..............................Generalfeldmarschall M.Finger OKW/Heerestransportwesen//Chef Heeresruestung/Gliederungen/etc.................GenObst. M.Finger & Obst. Lux Rechtsabteilung........................................Gen.Stabsrichter Finger Abwehr Abt III .............................................Oberst U.Kasperzak Kommandoamt Waffen SS/Pol./Volksturm....Gen d.W.SS G. Lux vorlaeufig 6 SS PzArmee nicht in der Front...........Gfm. M.Finger Luftwaffenkommando West/FJD/V1,V2..............GL J.Kasperzak Gen. der Pioniere u. Festungen beim Ob d.H.l, Insp. d. Festungspioniere....................................Generaloberst Frank Wolters Reihenfolge der Fronteinteilung von N nach S: Marine Oberkomando West.........................................................Admiral Wolter HGr H ...................................................Generaloberst Frank Wolters Befehlshaber Niederlande........................Generaloberst Frank Wolters F.AOK 1.Armee........................General der Fallschirmjaeger F.Wolters HGR B.............................................Generalfeldmarschall J.Kasperzak AOK 15..........................................Generaloberst J.Kasperzak AOK 7...........................................................Guido Lux, HGr G...................................................OB: Gen d.W.SS Zahn 5 PzArmee..............................................Generaloberst Zahn AOK 19...............................................General d.I. U.Kasperzak AOK 1....................................................................................free! Jeder Spieler kann also im Gegensatz zu frueheren Spielen verschieden Rollen spielen und muss diese auch trennen. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Allied side Here is still room for player: Allierte/Allied: 21 Army Group/UK/British 2 Tac Air Force /2nd British Army / Reinforcement................................D.Andriese (dutch player) 1th Canadian army /Commandos (+ some allied Naval units)..free Teamchef/SHAEF/12 US ArmyGroup/+ 3rd US Army + 9 Tac. Air force, Reinforcement...................(You want to be teamchef!) 1th US Army ......................................................available 9 US Army + Teil Air force + Chief AL Truppen....M.Jonda. (GER) 6 th US Army Groep (Dever) + 7th US Army + 1 Tact.Air Force......................................................................................free 1. Franz. Armee (ULTRA).............................................available. Chief Air Force..............................................Clinton Boyda (CAN) If you want to join, read for costs further down. Send me an Email concerning the position and a second choice and state how much money you sending me. Do not contact me for curiosity, it is just to much work seting up something for you. You need at least send the equivalent of DM 30 in your own currencie to me here in holland for the setup and you must state weather (?) (were is my dictionary) you play by INTERNET, EMAIL (Diskette) or Letter. You recieve lots of copied 1:200000 maps of the western Front, all units data, including non-divisional units, a form to write order (still looking for an exampel US army and british army order, please send me) and the first 4-8 pages Stabsblatt, partly in German. a list of your team members and on request some basic military information. You get a place in the club list at the bottom and you might recieve at one time the DSC or the Iron cross (do not take it to serious). No rules as to common PBM games. You need basic military knowledge reqired, the willingness to communicate with other players and you must deliver a move every second thuresday. Untill the game begins you will recieve continuing information over the internet at your adres for free. Al money is refundable, ecept for costs doing so (stamps, ect). Here now some basic onformations: INTRODUCTION AND CONCEPTS Officers Club is a flexibel PBM wargame system which will player allow to act as Formation or Unit commanders in historic battles. Several scenarios will be played by teams of player. A wargame is like a chess game which originally was a training exercise of battlefield tactics and analytic thinking for chinese officer. But while a game of chess maintains a highly abstract view on combat, a wargame in the tradition of the Prussian "Kriegspiel" tries to simulate the tactical, operational or strategic battlefield reality for training purposes or for the prediction of further military events. The Wargames offered try to simulate historic military battles just because of interest in military history and for fun. While we play we have not in mind to glorify war, military aggression or ideologies of the past. In the games it is tried to maintain the highest accuracy ("purist") in research and in the development of presentation and execution. In OC scenarios the common "rules" or "charts" of common "wargames" are not used by the players as they would not be used by a military commander in the field such like a "combat effect chart" or a "movement points chart". They are not able to conduct military operations as purely mathematical exercises of some game mechanism. The game systems are entirely run by the gamemaster/umpire (Leitende). The player uses only "real" means of conducting a battle like maps, a pair of compasses, orders and other means of communication, his own "eyes" and his personal knowledge of commanding an formation or a unit. Some scenarios include also a small element of roleplaying. Players can get involved in personal combat or have for example, to hassle with superiors about artillery support. The scenarios cover on the time scale from a minute up to a historic day in large campaigns per game turn. Time can be manipulated by the gamemaster to slow down or fasten up the game. The largest formations are divisions and exceptionally corps while the smallest units represented are squads or Commando's. The terminology will change according to the periode played. The Games will be designed as team games of 16 or more player. In most game player can join later on. An disadvantage as in most PBM Games is not given. PLAYING COMPONENTS The following will be provided to you: 1. On request some Merklblaetter, mostly in German with basic military infomation. 2. The Scenario Information, called General Idea. Mostly via Stabsblatt. 3. Your personal position information called Special Reports with general and personal order of battle, maps, ev. soundfile and graphical representation of your surroundings, so that you can actually "see" what is going on. also including a "narrative". (For internet player: Part 3 will be updated every turn. LITERATUR: Chochenhausen, F.E.E.A, Anleitung f�r Planaufgaben und Kriegspiel kleinerer Verb�nde,1926. Dupuy, T.N. Understanding War Griepenkerl, Taktische Unterrichtsbriefe, 1892 H�rnauf, v.,Generalmajor a.D., Das Kriegspiel. Seine Anlage und Leitung, 1935 Herzig, K., Der Sandkasten, 1971 Jane's Naval Wargame, 1912 Knoll,W.,Die Entwickelung des Kriegspiels in Deutschland bis 1945, Milit�rgeschichte,1981,H.2 Knoll,W.,Kriegspiele der faschistischen Wehrmachtf�hrung als Vorbereitung des �berfalls auf die UdSSR, Milit�rgeschichte,1982,S.459 Reisswitz, von, B.,"Instruction for the representation of Military Maneuvers with the Kriegsspiel Apparatus",1828 (�bersetzung von Bill Leeson, 5 St Agnell's Lane Cottages, Hemel Hempstaed, Herts.HP2 HJ, UK Tschischwitz,von, W., Anleitung zum Kriegsspiel, 1862 Schmidt, Hauptmann, Das preussische Kriegsspiel, 1873 Tschischwitz, M.v. Anleitung zum Kriegsspiel,1874 Verdy du Vermois, J.v., Beitrag zum Kriegspiel, 1877 About War: Clausewitz, Carl von, Vom Kriege,1832 Chandler,D.G., The military Maxims of Napoleon,1987 Friedrich der Gro�e, Generalprinzipien des Krieges, 1747/48 Madness of War: Werth,G.,Verdun, die Schlacht und der Mythos,1984 THE GAMES: We play historical wargames. Campaigns finished in the last four years: OC 1: Grebbeberg (Netherlands 1940: Platoon level. Winning team (German team): blue. Chef: J.Zahn OC 2: La Gleize (Kampfgruppe Peiper Ardennen 1944: Company level). Winning team: (Allied) red. Chef: M.Finger. OC 9: Huehnerwasser (1866 Prussia against Hanover), Winning team (Hannover): red. Chef: D.Andriese Special: Game played according to the original Prussian Kriegspiel rules. OC 4: Oder - Weichsel operations 1945 (Russian Offensive/Corps Level). Winning team: red. Chef: M.Finger. OC 5: Arnheim-Nimwegen (Battalion level). Red team seems to win. OC 7: Wacht am Rhein (Westfront October 1944 - January 1945). Teams: GER, UK, CAN, Fr. First due date: End of OC 4. Never played, because my player want only WWII: Camerone, Jutland, Leuthen, ST.Privat/Gravelotte, Koeniggraetz. Mayby one time. COSTS Now a less interesting but important part: 1 biweekly move, except setup: Internet (experitmental), DM 5. More paperwork, add. maps, etc. nust eventually be send by mail and will ev. arrive to late for your and will be for a significant part in German. This will cost a DM 1.50 etra for stamps but will occur seldom as far as I can see at he time beeing.. You can also play by Letter, Diskette or Fax. Setup OC 7 Wacht am Rhein: about DM 25 (can still change a little) You can send money in your own currencie except of course rubels, turkish lira and such. Euroscheques must be in FL (dutch guilders) to avoid extra osts. Adres OC: Thomas Kolley Eburonenpoort 63 3991 JV HOUTEN THE NETHERLANDS Up