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Scenario Author:
RhinoBones
Author's E-mail Address:
RhinoBones@aol.com
Last Scenario Revision Date:
August 12, 1999
VERSION 1.1
Background
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Following the initial Russian/Austrian clashes in the area around Lwow,
several events transpired which set the scene for the Russian offensive
into Silesia.
Silesia, which was the industrial heartland of Prussia, presented the
Russian planners with a valuable target, which was well within their reach
of operations. Unfortunately for the Russians though, the German high command
was almost as well informed about the Russian plans, as were the Russians.
This is normally attributed to the fact that Russian radio operators sent
transmissions in the clear without the slightest safeguards against radio
interception. The age of electronic warfare was born much earlier
in this century than is typically believed.
One of the more critical events involved changes which were being made to the German command structure. General Falkenhayn had recently replaced Moltke as commander of the armies and the Hindengerg-Ludendorff team had been elevated to the position of command for the entire Eastern front, not just the Prussian sector. The Central Powers had unity (though certainly not total cooperation) of command for all Austria-Hungary and German forces. The Eastern Allies would never come close to this level of control and as a consequence, never attained the level coordination needed to conduct large-scale campaigns over the vastness of the Eastern front.
A second event was the formation of the German 9th Army under the command of the very capable General Mackensen. This army was drawn primarily from the Western front and therefore was composed of veteran divisions.The 9th would serve as a powerful weapon against the tenacious, but inadequately supplied and administered, Russians troops.
The Russians defended well against a German spoiling attack in the later
days of
October and then set to preparing for their own offensive into Silesia.
The 1st
Russian army under General Rennenkampf held the right flank along the
Vistula
River just North of Warsaw. The 2nd and 5th armies were scheduled
to jump off
on the 14th of November and drive Westward from the L—dz into Silesia.
Mackensen, however, struck first on the 11th before the Russians were
ready and
properly tore into the Russian 1st army. Owing to the confusion
and general
incompetence, the on going destruction of the 1st army was not reported
to the
Russian high command for three days, a delay which actually permitted
the
Russian offensive to jump off on as planned.
On scheduled, the Russian 2nd and 5th armies moved out on the 14th and
were
immediately thrown into a defensive posture by the on rushing German
9th army.
Complete destruction of the Russian formations would have occurred
except for
the tremendous efforts of reinforcements to force march 60 miles and
join the
battle just in time to halt the German drive. To the South and
East the Russian
divisions had a less difficult, though still hard fought, battle to
repulse the
Austria-Hungary armies from moving North in a pincer movement.
The irony of
this battle is that this failed offensive into Silesia would be the
furthermost
Western penetration of Russian armies until 30 years later, in the
last year of
the Great Patriotic War.
Victory Conditions
-----------------------:
For victory in a solitaire game, the German-Austrians must take the
Russian/Pole
cities of L—dz, Radom and Warsaw. The Austria-Hungarians must
make sure that
Russians do not break their right flank with spoiling attacks against
the
fortress complexes at Przemysl or Czernowitz. For a PBM game
victory the
German/Austria player needs to hold any six of the nine objective city
hexes.
Remarcks
--------------
This scenario opens on November 11th, 1914 with the German and Austria-Hungary
armies deployed for their offensive into the Warsaw salient.
The Russian 1st,
2nd and 5th armies are concentrating but not fully prepared for their
offensive
into Selisia.
The scenario is designed to be played in the solitaire mode from the
German-Austria side. Play from the Russian side is possible but
not recommended
unless the German side receives a substantial boost in prestige.
Last Update Changes
-------------------------------
v1.0 12-26-98, Released
v1.1 08-12-99, Added capability of Austrians to purchase replacement
units. Added updated equipment file and limited total Russian units
to 90.
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