Battalion Restructuring
See Command Memo of August 26 for further detail on the creation of a third battle formation.
There will be a battalion of Heer troops commanded by Dan Bearden.
There will be a mixed battalion of Waffen SS/Heer troops commanded by Rich Moran.
There will be a battalion of Waffen SS troops commanded by Sepp Hahne .
There will be a battalion of Heer troops commanded by Dan Bearden.
There will be a mixed battalion of Waffen SS/Heer troops commanded by Rich Moran.
There will be a battalion of Waffen SS troops commanded by Sepp Hahne .
Re-vamped Tactical
The men developing the tactical this year recognized that it was stale and needed an overhaul. The Allied leadership was especially committed to this. Their partnership on this has been excellent.
First, it will be a judged tactical. Axis and Allies will provide at least 3 judges each. Judges will be responsible for managing the recycling of troops who have been KIA or wounded. While we will retain the Axis advance in the morning and the Allies advance in the afternoon approach, there are no guarantees. Objectives have to be legitimately taken in the judges’ opinion. If an objective is not taken, the defending troops will be re-deployed to keep the battle flowing and to ensure that defending troops get back in the fight before they are bypassed.
We expect that there is a 95% chance that we’ll be in the same area as last year. A detailed map with objectives marked, can be found below.
Instead of the familiar East/West axis, we’ll be fighting on a North/South axis, with roads available for troops and vehicles on the left flank, center and right flanks.
All troops will be dropped off on the southern E/W road (McLean/Dunlop Rd). The Allies will deploy north using the three N/S roads/trails, set up their defense with three phase-lines.
The Axis will have objectives for each phase-line. The Axis will have until noon to capture all nine objectives (3 for each battalion).
At noon, we'll pause and reverse. The Allies will attack three phaselines held by the Axis.
When the battle is over, we should be in the southern end of the battlefield and close to our original drop off points to be collected by the buses.
While the battle will not be pre-determined, we will mimic history to the extent that we will manage the flow so that the Axis attack will peak in the north with a "high water mark" assault prior to noon. And similarly, the flow will be managed in the afternoon so that we end near the buses, with an ammo-burning finale resulting from the Allied counter-attack to collapse the last major Axis offensive of the war.
In sum, we’ll get you on and off the battlefield efficiently and make sure you have a hard fight during your time there.
WHAT HASN'T CHANGED:
To distill it down to the essentials, what we have is a battle that moves on a north south axis (which IS different from the last few years), with three AO's, a western, center and eastern AO. Each AO has a north/south road. Each of those roads are assigned to a battalion with several objectives intended to keep us all busy all day. Three battalions for the Axis and three battalions for the Allies will face each other, one for each side in each AO.
Axis will attack south to north in the morning with a "grand push" to crush the Bulge pocket before noon; we'll pause at noon (the Allies want to eat lunch) and the Axis will set up a defense in reverse with the Allies attacking north to south in the afternoon, with a final grand slam at the end of the day.
What will be different this year:
1) Battalions will have total discretion within their AO. For example If you want to bypass and cut off an objective and set up a flanking echelon attack on multiple rear objectives, you can do that. The only time the TOC will intervene is if a unit is sitting unengaged and for some reason can't get in the fight.
2) Judges will determine if an objective is taken.
3) Reenactors will have published rules to follow that the judges will administer (we realize that the judges will only be policing the major areas of contact).
4) Reenactors will have to recycle according to those rules if hit.
5) While we will still have the TOC move troops according to a schedule, this will only be done when a battle for an objective has stale-mated. This is more of a concern in the afternoon when we are working our way back to the buses. This should not be construed as "someone has to lose." What we are trying to do is retain the attack/defend structure that works well without letting it get stale and without a pre-determined outcome that encourages a "dog and pony show" environment.
6) We will simulate an FJ drop in the Allied rear with an objective mutually chosen by Allied and Axis command. After the battle for that objective, the FJ force will re-join the main Axis force.
Tactical maps and Operational Orders provided by Allied Command below. Judging Rules jointly developed by Axis & Allied Command below:
First, it will be a judged tactical. Axis and Allies will provide at least 3 judges each. Judges will be responsible for managing the recycling of troops who have been KIA or wounded. While we will retain the Axis advance in the morning and the Allies advance in the afternoon approach, there are no guarantees. Objectives have to be legitimately taken in the judges’ opinion. If an objective is not taken, the defending troops will be re-deployed to keep the battle flowing and to ensure that defending troops get back in the fight before they are bypassed.
We expect that there is a 95% chance that we’ll be in the same area as last year. A detailed map with objectives marked, can be found below.
Instead of the familiar East/West axis, we’ll be fighting on a North/South axis, with roads available for troops and vehicles on the left flank, center and right flanks.
All troops will be dropped off on the southern E/W road (McLean/Dunlop Rd). The Allies will deploy north using the three N/S roads/trails, set up their defense with three phase-lines.
The Axis will have objectives for each phase-line. The Axis will have until noon to capture all nine objectives (3 for each battalion).
At noon, we'll pause and reverse. The Allies will attack three phaselines held by the Axis.
When the battle is over, we should be in the southern end of the battlefield and close to our original drop off points to be collected by the buses.
While the battle will not be pre-determined, we will mimic history to the extent that we will manage the flow so that the Axis attack will peak in the north with a "high water mark" assault prior to noon. And similarly, the flow will be managed in the afternoon so that we end near the buses, with an ammo-burning finale resulting from the Allied counter-attack to collapse the last major Axis offensive of the war.
In sum, we’ll get you on and off the battlefield efficiently and make sure you have a hard fight during your time there.
WHAT HASN'T CHANGED:
To distill it down to the essentials, what we have is a battle that moves on a north south axis (which IS different from the last few years), with three AO's, a western, center and eastern AO. Each AO has a north/south road. Each of those roads are assigned to a battalion with several objectives intended to keep us all busy all day. Three battalions for the Axis and three battalions for the Allies will face each other, one for each side in each AO.
Axis will attack south to north in the morning with a "grand push" to crush the Bulge pocket before noon; we'll pause at noon (the Allies want to eat lunch) and the Axis will set up a defense in reverse with the Allies attacking north to south in the afternoon, with a final grand slam at the end of the day.
What will be different this year:
1) Battalions will have total discretion within their AO. For example If you want to bypass and cut off an objective and set up a flanking echelon attack on multiple rear objectives, you can do that. The only time the TOC will intervene is if a unit is sitting unengaged and for some reason can't get in the fight.
2) Judges will determine if an objective is taken.
3) Reenactors will have published rules to follow that the judges will administer (we realize that the judges will only be policing the major areas of contact).
4) Reenactors will have to recycle according to those rules if hit.
5) While we will still have the TOC move troops according to a schedule, this will only be done when a battle for an objective has stale-mated. This is more of a concern in the afternoon when we are working our way back to the buses. This should not be construed as "someone has to lose." What we are trying to do is retain the attack/defend structure that works well without letting it get stale and without a pre-determined outcome that encourages a "dog and pony show" environment.
6) We will simulate an FJ drop in the Allied rear with an objective mutually chosen by Allied and Axis command. After the battle for that objective, the FJ force will re-join the main Axis force.
Tactical maps and Operational Orders provided by Allied Command below. Judging Rules jointly developed by Axis & Allied Command below:
| morning.pdf |
| fig_2014_tactical_op_or.docx |
| fig_tactical_judging_rules.docx |
| afternoon.pdf |