Strategic Arms Quest 3/2: Armor Edition
- Thread starter 7734
- Start date
- Original
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
New dies, new powder formulations, new casts, and another bullet press. That said, who's going to shoot it that isn't a machine gunner? Only Northern Force has a lot of I.Gew rifles; Southern Force is like... eight to ten percent I.Gew equipped, mostly from the old Nyasaland Brigade that got beat the shit out of it in the initial retreats.
Machine guns ain't nothing. Plus there's that northern factory that makes the rifles and if we're going to import anything then better our standard gun than old style ammunition.
Himmelhand
Giant Sinkhole 2020
- Location
- Midwestern US
It depends on if that factory is using all its capacity supporting the north.
As far as streamlining the south, whatever we can do to move central supply dumps towards the front would keep the logistics more responsive. If there's a way we can cut rough landing strips near forward supply areas, we could use air mail to more tightly match upcoming supplies to demand. Air cargo doesn't make much sense for anything bulk in this case, so that won't help the ammo situation.
- Location
- Cibao Wilayet, Caliphate of Quisqueya
Go for Plan North. The South is full of defensible terrain and friendly locals. Giving them training, discipline and equipment will be enough to slow down invaders who don't know the terrain as well.
The real issue is finding some way to get our commander to get off his ass and let us press for fast strikes. A slow advance will have us suffer a logistical nightmare coming from being camped out in the bush rather than raiding and demoralizing opponents right in their home base. If need be how mobile can we get our artillery to be?
Its worth noting the Ugandan Bush War and the Rwandan Civil War were both won primarily by small scale units (talking Platoon sized or Less IIRC) and given we're in East Africa, might as well try to replicate these tactics. Its also worth noting that if this is just like historical East Africa, then the mountains are high enough to worry about frostbite, while immediately after them are the hot balmy jungles and savanna. Marching a large army there will be a logistical nightmare anyway.
The real issue is finding some way to get our commander to get off his ass and let us press for fast strikes. A slow advance will have us suffer a logistical nightmare coming from being camped out in the bush rather than raiding and demoralizing opponents right in their home base. If need be how mobile can we get our artillery to be?
Its worth noting the Ugandan Bush War and the Rwandan Civil War were both won primarily by small scale units (talking Platoon sized or Less IIRC) and given we're in East Africa, might as well try to replicate these tactics. Its also worth noting that if this is just like historical East Africa, then the mountains are high enough to worry about frostbite, while immediately after them are the hot balmy jungles and savanna. Marching a large army there will be a logistical nightmare anyway.
NothingNow
Corpse Wrangler
- Location
- Tampa
[x] Plan North: You're not confident in Schwarster's positions, and more importantly you're concerned by the fact he's only reported sporadic enemy contact. If you can work out a way to extend his supply area into the highlands proper, you can press the enemy dearly from a secure location in the massive highlands around the Great Lake.
[x] Get Schwarster to stick to small unit operations, and work on extending supply lines through road improvements or whatever means we have to improve the transportation network to the Great Lake, and then supply by sea or something until we can figure out land routes.
[x] See what he'd need to start running search and destroy operations, or at least burn us a big enough buffer that large enemy formations won't be able to live off the land.
[x] Get Schwarster to stick to small unit operations, and work on extending supply lines through road improvements or whatever means we have to improve the transportation network to the Great Lake, and then supply by sea or something until we can figure out land routes.
[x] See what he'd need to start running search and destroy operations, or at least burn us a big enough buffer that large enemy formations won't be able to live off the land.
Honestly, streamlining is likely a lost cause. Colonies don't end up on different standards because their units are considered loyal. Especially not from recently acquired areas.
Honestly, infantry guns, modernish Field Guns and mortars should be pretty damn mobile if we can get them. As it is, Von Lettow-Vorbeck managed to haul 10.5cm SK L/40 Naval Guns all across German East Africa on a pretty quick timescale, so we should be able to do fine with equipment that doesn't weigh two tons. Especially if we can get artillery tractors worth a damn.
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
The biggest artillery that North Force says it has in store are regimental 5,5 guns and a battery of 7,5s on decent carridges.
The biggest artillery that South Force says It has are three 30cm mortars and twelve 15,5cm guns, all set up around Herzstein or the Banchu Ford, one of the few areas where infantry can cross the Zambieze in force. You don't want to know how much screaming this entailed from the previous supply corps.
Artillery can be fairly mobile; the issue therin that its expensive. While Schwarster might not be an aggressive general, unless he tries to mass his army for a grand Decisive Battle he's going to have to set battalion frontage and security zones. Considering how the Colonial regiments take their cues from Seebats, who have an incredibly aggresive view of security zone clearence, it can reasonably assumed the North Force will sacrifice cohesion for speed until the first major obstacle.
- Location
- Germiston, South Africa
[x] Plan North: You're not confident in Schwarster's positions, and more importantly you're concerned by the fact he's only reported sporadic enemy contact. If you can work out a way to extend his supply area into the highlands proper, you can press the enemy dearly from a secure location in the massive highlands around the Great Lake.
As I understand it we are currently just deciding North or South. Specific gambits come later.
As I understand it we are currently just deciding North or South. Specific gambits come later.
[x] Plan North: You're not confident in Schwarster's positions, and more importantly you're concerned by the fact he's only reported sporadic enemy contact. If you can work out a way to extend his supply area into the highlands proper, you can press the enemy dearly from a secure location in the massive highlands around the Great Lake.
The brainstorming in this direction seems more hopeful.
The brainstorming in this direction seems more hopeful.
- Location
- Buskerud, Norway
[x] Plan North: You're not confident in Schwarster's positions, and more importantly you're concerned by the fact he's only reported sporadic enemy contact. If you can work out a way to extend his supply area into the highlands proper, you can press the enemy dearly from a secure location in the massive highlands around the Great Lake.
Himmelhand
Giant Sinkhole 2020
- Location
- Midwestern US
So, to leverage our staff, we have the following:
Mapping and air contacts: will be much more useful on the northern front since the south probably has a lot of tree cover. We can lean on them to help improve logistical path finding into the rough terrain of the highlands.
Native contacts: Chiku can help us especially in the south where local auxiliaries are more common, but will be helpful in securing the assistance of locals wherever we go.
Armor: Not actually sure what we can do with this unless we can second the armor units as extra tractors when we encounter terrain that's bad for tanks.
Mapping and air contacts: will be much more useful on the northern front since the south probably has a lot of tree cover. We can lean on them to help improve logistical path finding into the rough terrain of the highlands.
Native contacts: Chiku can help us especially in the south where local auxiliaries are more common, but will be helpful in securing the assistance of locals wherever we go.
Armor: Not actually sure what we can do with this unless we can second the armor units as extra tractors when we encounter terrain that's bad for tanks.
Fezzes
Knight of King Stannis Baratheon
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
I assume Folgers gives us practical experience on what can and can't be done with tanks, which would inform our supply route decisions and such.
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
If the frontage opens up some and they can get out of the river swampage, South Force is actually good tank terrain with all the glacial moraines.
Pretty much. With you backing him he can also use "supply issues" to decline getting thrown into problematic engagements that would get his dudes wrecked.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] Plan South: You're panicking at the disaster of supply that is Holn's army. Three rifle calibers, dozens of makes and model of tractor and boat, and if reports are correct he's got more types of main battery artillery than the Irromic Empire's used since it's formation. If you can clean house behind his operation, he'll be in a prime position to advance and seize ground, forcing the enemy into a limited-frontage battle your armies spent the last six years turning into an art.
I like the idea of solving the supply issues down here, so Holn can breakout and get to better terrain for Folgers and our tanks to be better utilized.
I like the idea of solving the supply issues down here, so Holn can breakout and get to better terrain for Folgers and our tanks to be better utilized.
[X] Plan South: You're panicking at the disaster of supply that is Holn's army. Three rifle calibers, dozens of makes and model of tractor and boat, and if reports are correct he's got more types of main battery artillery than the Irromic Empire's used since it's formation. If you can clean house behind his operation, he'll be in a prime position to advance and seize ground, forcing the enemy into a limited-frontage battle your armies spent the last six years turning into an art.
-[X] Trying to rearm an army is hard in peacetime, and is hell in wartime - when you have production to do so and clear supply chain.
Trying to untangle it from the front is not feasible; Maintain existing supply chains for now, but concentrate on improving supply lines and forming new, appropriately armed formations, and subsequently moving them to Holn, while advicing the good general to send those we soon wouldn't be able to supply either to the rear to be reformed, or to the front - letting some of his problems deal with his other ones.
-[X] Trying to rearm an army is hard in peacetime, and is hell in wartime - when you have production to do so and clear supply chain.
Trying to untangle it from the front is not feasible; Maintain existing supply chains for now, but concentrate on improving supply lines and forming new, appropriately armed formations, and subsequently moving them to Holn, while advicing the good general to send those we soon wouldn't be able to supply either to the rear to be reformed, or to the front - letting some of his problems deal with his other ones.
[X] Plan South: You're panicking at the disaster of supply that is Holn's army. Three rifle calibers, dozens of makes and model of tractor and boat, and if reports are correct he's got more types of main battery artillery than the Irromic Empire's used since it's formation. If you can clean house behind his operation, he'll be in a prime position to advance and seize ground, forcing the enemy into a limited-frontage battle your armies spent the last six years turning into an art.
Pretty sure we're just choosing our problem right now, the solutions come next update.
Pretty sure we're just choosing our problem right now, the solutions come next update.
Tiny_Dic
Carbon Cringe Lifeform | Hyperborean Coomer
- Location
- My Room
[X] Plan South: You're panicking at the disaster of supply that is Holn's army. Three rifle calibers, dozens of makes and model of tractor and boat, and if reports are correct he's got more types of main battery artillery than the Irromic Empire's used since it's formation. If you can clean house behind his operation, he'll be in a prime position to advance and seize ground, forcing the enemy into a limited-frontage battle your armies spent the last six years turning into an art.
KleverKil'Vanya
Ortillery Operator
[X] Plan South: You're panicking at the disaster of supply that is Holn's army. Three rifle calibers, dozens of makes and model of tractor and boat, and if reports are correct he's got more types of main battery artillery than the Irromic Empire's used since it's formation. If you can clean house behind his operation, he'll be in a prime position to advance and seize ground, forcing the enemy into a limited-frontage battle your armies spent the last six years turning into an art.
[x] Plan North: You're not confident in Schwarster's positions, and more importantly you're concerned by the fact he's only reported sporadic enemy contact. If you can work out a way to extend his supply area into the highlands proper, you can press the enemy dearly from a secure location in the massive highlands around the Great Lake.
Because I'm an asshole like that. Also, I see ways to fix the north, and any progress in that direction would be immediately useful because they would actually be doing something.
Because I'm an asshole like that. Also, I see ways to fix the north, and any progress in that direction would be immediately useful because they would actually be doing something.
CthuluWasRight
Fresh Meat for the SV Grinder
- Location
- Canada
[X] Plan North: You're not confident in Schwarster's positions, and more importantly you're concerned by the fact he's only reported sporadic enemy contact. If you can work out a way to extend his supply area into the highlands proper, you can press the enemy dearly from a secure location in the massive highlands around the Great Lake.
TortugaGreen
Constantly out of the loop
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[] Plan North: You're not confident in Schwarster's positions, and more importantly you're concerned by the fact he's only reported sporadic enemy contact. If you can work out a way to extend his supply area into the highlands proper, you can press the enemy dearly from a secure location in the massive highlands around the Great Lake.
I thought about choosing south, but I feel more strongly about getting on with the quest than about any preference for sorting out the southern border.
EDIT: we fucking tied again.
I thought about choosing south, but I feel more strongly about getting on with the quest than about any preference for sorting out the southern border.
EDIT: we fucking tied again.
Last edited:
Fezzes
Knight of King Stannis Baratheon
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
[X] Plan South: You're panicking at the disaster of supply that is Holn's army. Three rifle calibers, dozens of makes and model of tractor and boat, and if reports are correct he's got more types of main battery artillery than the Irromic Empire's used since it's formation. If you can clean house behind his operation, he'll be in a prime position to advance and seize ground, forcing the enemy into a limited-frontage battle your armies spent the last six years turning into an art.
Something is borked, because I didn't vote for this suboption. As I've said, from everything I can tell we're not voting for solutions yet, only for the problem we want to try and fix first.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Neither did I, it's more than a little weird.