I am a great admirer of this project, and I would like to share few thoughts. At first I will just make one remark, that about geographical issues I will write in private to Elassar, because i those details are not so important for this thread. If somebody is really deep into geography of wartime Poland, the condition of roads, railroad scheme, map of forests and swamps, please write me PM, I can share my resources and knowledge.
Here I would like mostly to refer to the game itself, and the scenario. As for condition of Polish Army and its readiness on the brink of World War Two:
To a certain extent I followed vanilla's lead for the starting strength levels along with all the sources saying that Poland was not anywhere fully mobilized on Sept.
This statement is partially true. Poland announced mobilization on 31th August 1939, the day before Germans launched their attack. According to polish historians, Polish Armed Forces mobilized 75% of its planned maximum. However Polish leadership was not surprised at all, and since Germans annexed remaining part of Czechoslovakia in march 1939, Polish army was mobilizing its forces in secret. Instead of calling to arms in newspapers and media, polish reservists started to individually receive letters from military authorities, calling soldiers for „exercises”. This process was on since spring 1939, and as you may guess, those soldiers which arrived for „exercises” remained in their units till the beginning of the war. How to understand this? Polish peace-time units, namely 30 infantry divisions (Numbered from 1 to 30, including 21st and 22nd divisions which were mountain divisions) , 3 independent mountain brigades, and many independent territorial battalions, 11 Cavalry brigades (they were stronger than German counterparts) and 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade, 2 independent tank battalions (200 7TP tanks - equivalent for german Pz. 3), Border Guard Corps, as well as the Air Force and the Navy were mostly completed in personnel. This was 75%, and this units were operational before the war even broke out, due to the secret mobilization. They were in in field entrenchments across polish border. Navy destroyer squadron was sent to UK just before the war, according to „Peking” plan. Airplanes were moved to field airfields, so they avoided destroying on the ground when the Luftwaffe made its first strike. Those units were ready.
The units that actually started to mobilize since August 31st were „reserve” divisions (Numbered from 31 to 39), additional Armoured Calvary Brigade and territorial battalions. Those were those missing 25% of polish mobilization plan. Therefore Polish units at the start of the game should have entrenchment 1 (unless in fortification), and be full strength. Additional units should appear in production queue, and those could be under strength a bit, or even different category, as second-line infantry, because mobilization took place over German bombings, chaos etc.
The other thing is, Germans also weren’t 100% mobilized. Here is the short summary of German mobilization waves in 1939:
German Army (Heer) Infantry Mobiization ... relics.eu)
In 1939 Wehrmacht had 1-46 Peacetime Heer Units.
Welle . Formed Number of Divisions. Division Series Designation/notes.
2. August 39. 15 52-79 From reservists.
3. August 39. 22 199-246 Landwehr (older personnel).
4. August 39. 14 251-269 From reserve units.
5. September 39. 11 81-98 Reservists.
6. October 39. 6 307-341 All disbanded 1940.
7. December 39. 13 164-198 From reserve units.
We could debate if Polish infantry division was considerably weaker than German infantry division in September 1939. My opinion is that they had almost the same firepower, with slight advantage for Germans in artillery. I would agree though it was slower, because Polish infantry divisions depended on horse transport way more then German ones. (Polish Division had 50 cars, German around 1000). The perfect solution would be that polish divisions would have one action point less then german. I saw you gave German infantry divisions Infantry Weapons 1. Poles and Germans used the same rifle k98, Germans used MG34 and Poles Browning Automatic Rifle as a squad gun. Germans did have MP40’s but in 1939 only squad leader had it, so I wouldn’t consider this as a big advantage.
Germans also did have far more better communications, especially radios, when Poles strongly depended on wire communication(Polish division had as many radios as German...battalion). I would even agree that Polish divisions would have 2 action points less then German(because it took more time for Poles to organize attack or maneuver), but this is debatable. Its just my idea, and I would apply it to other minor allies countries, because it was the factor that gave Germans advantage over Poles, Belgians, French, Yugoslavians, Greeks etc., they were just operating faster. That would also encourage german player to encircle enemy, not just simply destroying units in frontal tank assaults.
Other way could be applying different levels of mechanization, which first level would be not so expensive, giving additional action points. Later in Barbarossa, and in vast Eastern front, German player, in order to cover large front may start „saving” MPP’s on mechanization of infantry, and this would also be historically accurate. But that’s just an idea.
However note I am NOT in favor of deterministic gameplay here (where Poland and France are made so weak that their demise is a no-brainer cinch so that both sides can speed on their merry way to Barbarossa), but at the same time both sides now have the benefit of hindsight that their counterparts back then did not have, and given a redo Poland's leadership would have been sure to have pulled back most of their units from the border. I was actually toying with giving the first turn to the Allies, and allowing the Polish side a chance to redo their starting locations, something which has been de riguer in many games over the decades.
Here actually lays one of the reason why Poland got badly in the September Campaign. Polish leadership couldn’t abandon Western Poland from couple of reasons. First, in the western part of the country lived German minority, and this fact was exploited by German propaganda, claiming that this minority was oppressed by „polish regime”, and thus should be liberated. Germany was also consequently denying Polish-German border established by Versailles Treaty. If Polish troops would withdraw from western Poland, local Germans inspired by Nazis could make some provocations, and call German Army to their aid. Therefore Poland would lost its most economically valued territory, without dragging in Western Allies into war, because, Germans could try to make another bloodless annexation, like they did with Czechia, Austria and Klaipeda/Memel. The whole Polish geopolitical plan to avoid war, was drew on the principle, that If, Germans really attack Poland, it must be war since the first minute, and it need to become a large European war, where Germans would need to face Britain and France. The logic behind this was, that it would scare away Hitler. We know it didn’t, but that was the circumstances in which it was decided to defend Poland all across its border. Generals weren’t happy about that, but it weren’t them to decide. The main reason was to avoid Czechoslovakian scenario, It had to be a „hot” war since very first moment.
So how many units on the map? Depends on the ratio you use. If 100% German divisions are represented on the map, therefore it should be the same for UK and France. I know Ellasar did not deployed all German forces too. That’s a matter to adjust after tests i guess, to check if the map is not to „thick” with units.
The deployment of Polish troops on the map is a bit inaccurate, the places and division numbers are not always correct. But in this matter of course we need to take into consideration the most important factor: play-ability. There is no point in putting everything supper accurate if it would ruin the game. Let’s us first test run it as it is, and se the outcome. Based on this, we can see how we can adjust the scenario so it would give players nice game and historical flavour. I do have my concerns about divisions, their numbers and names, but please understand, I am a nerd xD. It doesn’t matter if the game would work fine. I just guess we need to also have an idea, what impression we would like to give for the Allied and Axis players in this first turns of the game.
Because current opening with Poland is very predictable and boring. Let us shape this Crusade in Europe scenario beginning in something not that obvious. One thing, I already mentioned, would be to put polish units in mobilization on production queue. Therefore after German first attack, Allied player would have some flexibility were to deploy those reserves. It would also be historically accurate, because some polish divisions concentrated in the rear in first days of the war.
Another thing I would change, is that Poland surrenders after German capturing Warsaw. Bollocks. Poland did not capitulate before Germans, the Government run to exile through Romanian border. Remaining forces continued to fight, trying to get to Hungarian, Romanian or Latvian borders (those countries had friendly relations with Poland), so from there they could evacuate to France. And many them did, around 100k Poles run through neutral countries to Western Allies. Last Polish units fought till 2nd October and 5th October. Germans needed a full month to „clear up” the perimeter.
Soviet invasion - it should depend on German advance progress. Stalin was hesitating to join attack to Poland, because he was afraid what UK and france would do in that case. There should be territorial trigger for this event, mainly Germans reaching Vistula river line, the line which Ribbentrop-Molotov pact draw as a border between zone of influence of USRR and 3rd Reich.
Anyway its your project, and you can throw all this remarks in to the bin. I am just trying to give my insight, but I won’t be super serious about it. It’s just game that we enjoy, and I would like to add my effort to your magnificent work.
Cheers
Jazon
