Strategy

[con20or]

So far this is only a musing of an inkling of a shadow of an idea, so if it doesn't work out don't blame me :silly:

Basically, I love reading about military strategy on the grand scale - and the appreciation of geography that good generals had, or tricks and ruses that they employed always fascinate me, usually because I would NEVER have thought of them.

So I'm going to post a few scenarios or questions and people can reply with their answers of how they would approach it. You are all welcome to post your own questions and scenarios, and they are more than welcome, but actually required:)

Honour Code: Googling the type of scenario is cheating.

PS - So far I only have two scenarios in mind so if this doesn't catch on it will die a quick death.

PPS : To be even more honest, since I've started typing this I've forgotten the second one so this is in serious danger of dying an early death:)

Scenario 1.

Green Army are locked in stalemate with red army at Norbville...but they are threatened at SOW city where they are outnumbered.

How do they arrange it so they have superior forces at SOW to rout the red army, but maintain their position at Norbville?

Green army has full access to the river, and plentiful transports.

Note: This isn't something I have dreamt up but a real military scenario that was accomplished.


Air power is non-existent here.

Hints will be given if needed, but there is a very specific strategic advantage that green army has over the red army that I am looking for.

Good luck!

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[SamSmith]

What do the little green squares along the river signify?

[Hancock the Superb]

I'd accomplish this in one of two ways.

The first would be a troop reorganization. The IV unit is brought down the river while the I, II, and III units are taken up river. (Obviously not all at once, otherwise you would abandon the front). The movement must take advantage of darkness so it is difficult for enemy observers to count the number of ships moving in which direction. This would place three units in SOW City, while hopefully convincing the enemy opposite Norbville that green has recieved reinforcements.

The other is an amphibious assault behind red lines in front of Norbville using the I unit, and using the diversion to quickly transport the II and III unit down to SOW City. Obviously, timing is crucial, and the I unit must be withdrawn quickly to their lines in Norbville after the transfer is complete. This plan seems to be significantly riskier.

I will acknowledge that there are numerous opportunities to get in between the two forces and decend upon a flank, but it seems to me that is not what the question is about.

In all of this, I'm assuming that the river does provide mobility, but also a defensive bonus of some sort (but not equivilant to one unit). The enemy is also assumed to not react in terms of movement (ie. I'm not trying to draw a red unit away from one place to another).

This reminds me of a battle Alexander the Great fought, but I don't remember which one.

[con20or]

SamSmith: Green squares - a small hint, they're supposed to represent the line of march of troops down to SOW city from Norbville.

Hancock: Some good ideas, and yes your right about no flank attacks. This one is using the river to the best of their advantage.

Another small hint, what way do rivers usually flow?

[con20or]

Seems there aren't many grand-strategists around, or have I just done a very poor problem of explaining the problem?

[william1993]

Rivers usually flow downstream (depending on which direction the person is looking in/where they are going)so I think maybe II and III can go to SOW city and 1 can fortify Norbville. Also, make sure they do it at night. Then II, III, IV can cross river and take out the red army at SOW. Then some transports (if they have guns) can sail back and forth to prevent the other red army from Crossing the river, while some others can bombard the red army at SOW while the battle commences, just like the Tyler and Lexington did at Shiloh. This is one idea.

[Marching Thru Georgia]

Norbville is the seat of sedition and should be sacked and burned down to its' foundations. I hope Uncle Billy is nearby. :laugh:

[con20or]

Good guess william, and good point MTG!

Ok, what really happened was that the a small green holding army could be left at Norbville, and the majority marched along the river bank towards SOW City. Because the river ran towards the sea, the troops could get back to Norbville rapidly time to help in defence or alternatively to overwhelm a smaller force if the red army decided to folow them along the bank to SOW City with the majority of their troops.

Knowing this, the red army didn't follow them, and the green army managed to defeat the red army at SOW City without being greatly outnumbered by the arrival of extra red army troops.

Here's a overly complicated map that doesn't explain things very well at all.

http://etw.heavengames.com/galleries/11 ... 48x548.jpg

This culminated in the battle of Blenheim.

Congrats to Martin James for spotting it early on and also not ruining it for everyone else:)

If I have my facts wrong anywhere here, thats fine, it was to demonstrate the benefit of the direction of flow of a river that so impressed me.

Anyone got any other examples?

[Little Powell]

Interesting stuff, thanks for posting con20or. I remember playing an online Gettysburg simulation similar to this that was basically multiple choice, and your choices would bring you to another page demonstrating the outcome. It was interesting seeing my friends play it, who were not very familiar with the battle. Some of them did very well, others horribly.. :laugh:

Wish I could remember the site..

[con20or]

Ok, an easier one this time.

These rectangles represent big units like a Corps rather than individual regiments, so once again this is strategy on the grand scale rather than a smaller fight.



Scenario 2

The grey army have taken up defensive positions on a long ridge.

In Option 1, the ridge is convex towards the attacker, in Option 2 it's concave.

In each case, what benefits do the curve of the ridge confer, and to who?

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