Here's the latest map draft for the upcoming Die Festung Hamburg, covering the 1985 Warsaw Pact offensive in the North German Plain sector. Some details are still missing (airfields, bridges, map labels, etc) but we're getting near.
The absence of significant elevations and the vast road network should help Warsaw Pact's mechanized offensive, but things are made harder by the extended urban areas and by several formidable water obstacles.
On this latter point, I think some additional details could be interesting:
- The final stretch of the Elbe river is one to four kilometres wide, and even before reaching Hamburg it could be very difficult to cross. We're still evaluating which ones among the several available crossing methods could be used in specific areas.
- The Elbe-Lübeckkanal had features built specifically to slow down a Warsaw Pact offensive and make any crossing attempt problematic. Consequently, it is represented as a major river despite being relatively narrow. See this footage of 6. Panzergrenadierdivision experimenting the Kanal:
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If I had to deal with M113s again, I'd drown them in the canal too! They were so slow they took turtle strikes from the rear and their armor wouldn't stop snowballs!
ReplyDeleteSuper excited for this!
ReplyDeleteFor the West German 6th PzG division, how will their interaction with LANDJUT work? I assume no Danish units since it's so too far South on the peninsula. Are you thinking of a rule for them for them like the one for the 33rd brigade in TDOW?
Also, iirc, the Dutch had a rule in UAIS where before their first combat, they have to roll to see if they desert. Are you thinking of something like that for DFH?
The 6. PzG division had as main task the defense of the Schleswig-Holstein peninsula, so its possible area of responsibility will be limited AND it will have to react appropriately to the Warsaw Pact axis of advance - that is, if consistent WP forces exit from the north map edge it will have to follow.
DeleteWe should have some Danish forces represented, Tony Morphet already prepared a first OOB.
As for the Dutch, you remember correctly but we'll have to "tone down" the original UAIS rule: Having a whole scenario practically decided by a single die roll is not a good idea :)
The UAIS rule on the Dutch is one of the most annoying. That rule based on a complete misunderstanding of the Dutch openness and more informal relation between the different levels of leadership. The Dutch military have often proven to be highly reliable. The Dutch political decisionmaking process however must be considered more of a problem. I am curious if and how the rules will turn out to be. YES, I am from the Netherlands.
DeleteCentral Front's North German Plain (both original & unified rules) restrict 6PzG to north of the Elbe so I imagine it will be similar?
DeleteIt will be something similar, but probably not that mandatory.
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