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File Details
Location : Eastern Europe Opponents : Central Powers vs. Russian Empire Date : 2 MAY 1915 Scale : 20km/hex Description : EASTERN FRONT 1915 Gorlice-Tarnow and The Great Retreat Todd Klemme Version 2.0 The scenario is meant for Play-by-Email or to be played against the Russian AI. Playing as the Russians against the Central Powers AI will not give you much of a challenge. Date: May 2, 1915 Map Scale: 20km per hex Time Scale: One Week Turns Unit Scale: Divisions Formation Scale: Armies First Turn: Central Powers Length: 20 Turns (variable ending) UNIT COLORS: CENTRAL POWERS GERMANY - Various on Black AUSTRIA-HUNGARY - Various on Grey (Czech, Bosnian and Croatian units are a slightly darker shade of grey) ALLIED POWERS RUSSIA - Various on Green SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: The Russian loss penalty is set at 8 times the normal victory point rate for losses. The CP loss penalty is set at 4 times the normal VP rate. While there are VP objectives, this scenario can be won and lost by not being careful with your casualties. On turn 1 the Russians get a bonus of 100 Victory Points (for play balance). There are several hexes east of Warsaw that contain asterisks (*). If the Central Powers occupy any of these hexes, the Warsaw forts will be abandoned (and withdrawn from the map). The Russians had no intention of being encircled and trapped in Warsaw. The Poltusk and Novogeorgisk forts do not withdraw. Russian supplies and replacements will increase incrementally after turn 10 Expect storms and mud in August and September. The Central Powers have approximately 8 divisions of rail transport per turn. The Russians have approximately 5 divisions of rail transport per turn. In addition to engineer units, both sides automatically repair 3 rail hexes per turn. The Russians will experience 20% shock penalties on Turn 1, 10% Shock penalties on Turn 2, and return to normal on Turn 3. A large part of the German 11th Army will be withdrawn on turn 20. HISTORY: In late April of 1915, the Central Powers began moving divisions into position for an early May assault on the Russian position at Tarnow, in Austrian Galicia. The Russian army was sure that an attack was coming but the Central Powers were able to keep secret the offensive's location until the attack was launched on May 2. The offensive was small in scale compared to the entire Eastern Front and was meant only to relieve pressure on Germany's struggling Austro-Hungarian allies. Within 2 weeks, the Central Powers had an amazing success on their hands. Entire Russian divisions had been wiped out and large holes had been blown in the Russian front line. At this point, the Central Powers decided to launch a full-scale attack along the entire front. There didn't seem to be any way to knock Russia out of the war completely, but perhaps the Tsar's offensive capability could be crippled for the duration of the war. Orders were given and the entire German/Austro-Hungarian front lurched forward. Russia's situation was dire. Supplies were trickling to the front and many units were under-equipped by as much as 50% in small arms and artillery shells. The Russian army in Poland was extended in a large "bulge" that ended west of Warsaw. The Russian command (STAVKA) feared that the entire Polish salient would be surrounded in a huge pincer movement and cut off. The prudent course, as many argued, would be to pull back and straighten the defensive line. However, STAVKA decided that losing Warsaw would be too costly on morale and public opinion so, in June, the Russian armies were ordered to hold their ground. By late July, it became clear that this was a mistake. The order was given to fall back on all fronts. Warsaw was abandoned and fell to the Central Powers on August 5. By late August the Russians had retreated 200km, but the front was beginning to stabilize and supply stocks were growing slowly. And here, perhaps, the Central Powers should have stopped. Many argued that there was nothing to be gained by pushing the Russians further back into the Motherland. Others argued that the Russians had not been broken and would soon recover their offensive capabilities. The attack was continued until mid-September, despite worsening weather and increasing losses. The Russians were pushed back a further 100km. Russian losses were horrendous, but German and Austro-Hungarian losses during the final month were equally disastrous. Germany was exhausted. Austria-Hungary was near total collapse. But to the Central Powers, it did appear that the objective had been achieved and Russia had been permanently crippled. The appearance was deceiving. In 9 months, the Russian army would prove that they still had some fight left in them. DESIGNER'S NOTES FOR BOTH PLAYERS: This is 1915, not 1945. Armies move slowly and supplies even more slowly. Use rail movement whenever possible and avoid trying to mount offensives in difficult terrain. Try to use your engineers to repair rail lines where you need the most supplies. CENTRAL POWERS PLAYER: Your German formations are your heavy-hitters. The main infantry divisions have excellent proficiency and good supply distribution. Although the Central Powers supply value is high, the Austro-Hungarian formations have low supply distribution so the units will be struggling after a few fights. The main Austro-Hungarian divisions have low proficiency values. In particular the Czech, Bosnian and Croatian divisions (the units whose icons are a darker shade of grey) have little enthusiasm for your "Teutonic" war and will not fight well. Your main goal is to wipe out Russians. You will need to take victory point objectives to win big, but your primary focus should be on inflicting losses on the enemy. The Russian player suffers 8x loss penalties for casualties. If you can pull off the giant envelopment dreamed of by the German High Command, you will be able to wipe out the Russians wholesale. However, keep in mind that you suffer 4x loss penalties for casualties, so don't go berserk. T |
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