Start Lines in Scandinavia

[Froonp]

As the map for Scandinavia was nearly all redone, the starting lines had to be redone as well.
Based on history maps, and on the WiF FE Scandinavia Minimap, here is what I implemented as start lines in Scandinavia for 1941, 1942, 1943 and 1944.
I'd like to have comments and correction to these if they are not correct.
Here are the start lines for 1941 :

[Froonp]

Note : The yellow line marks the place south of where the WiF FE European map begins. In this area, the start lines are established by the WiF FE European maps, who are at the same scale than the MWiF one (so they aren't subject to modification).
Here are the start lines for 1942 :

[Froonp]

Indeed, the start lines for 1941-1944 are the same in Scandinavia, but I made 4 maps in case there are modifications to be done.
Here are the start lines for 1943 :

[Froonp]

Here are the start lines for 1944 :

[Froonp]

As a note, here are the starting dates of the MWiF / WiF FE scenarios :
Fascist Tide : S/O 39 (Europe)
Global War : S/O 39
Missed the Bus : J/A 40
Barbarossa : M/J 41 (Part of Europe, 5 Turns)
Lebensraum : S/O 41
Day of Infamy : N/D 41 (Pacific)
Waking Giant : N/D 41
Guadalcanal : M/J 42 (Pacific, 5 turns)
Brute Force : M/J 42
Darkness Before Dawn : J/A 43
Decline and Fall : M/J 44

[bj_rohde]

One question: In all these, there's one hex in Finnish/German control that can effectively cut the Murmansk railroad with a ZOC, should that be possible from the setup of these scenarios?

Bjarne

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: bj_rohde

One question: In all these, there's one hex in Finnish/German control that can effectively cut the Murmansk railroad with a ZOC, should that be possible from the setup of these scenarios?

Bjarne

I think it is ok. If the Finns are using a ski division it won't have a ZOC. And if they have a corps sized unit there, the USSR can counter with their own unit in the railway hex - that lets supply get through though it would stop unit and resource rail movement.

I believe this makes taking and holding the Finnish borderlands more important (the hex you are talking about is a Finnish Borderland hex). Typically in WIF, the USSR doesn't see any point in DOW Finland in 1939 (as done historically). Perhaps this will provide a little more incentive.

[Peter Stauffenberg]

I wonder about the 1943 starting lines. The history books say the siege of Leningrad was lifted January
27 1944. The starting lines are from July/August 1943. So why is the hex 1xSE in Soviet hands. This hex
restablishes supply to Leningrad. Shouldn't this hex still be German in the 1943 scenario?
 
Look here for more details about when then siege of Leningrad was broken:
http://www.sparknotes.com/history/european/ww2/section12.rhtml

[mldtchdog]

I wonder about the 1943 starting lines. The history books say the siege of Leningrad was lifted January
27 1944. The starting lines are from July/August 1943. So why is the hex 1xSE in Soviet hands. This hex
restablishes supply to Leningrad. Shouldn't this hex still be German in the 1943 scenario?

Look here for more details about when then siege of Leningrad was broken:
http://www.sparknotes.com/history/europ ... on12.rhtml

January 12, 1943: Red Army launches operation Iskra to push German 18th army out of the Schlusselberg-Mga salient. The 67th army attacks from the city and the 2nd shock attacks from the Volkhov river.
January 18, 1943: Schlusselberg is recaptured by Soviets opening up a narrow corridor to Leningrad.
January 29, 1943: Fighting dies down around Leningrad.
July 22, 1943: Red Army launches the Mga Offensive with the 8th and 67th armies (253,000 troops) to secure the precarious link with Leningrad.
August 23, 1943: Mga offensive called off. Little gain for high cost. 20,890 killed, 59,047 wounded (soviet)
January 14, 1944: Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts launch offensive to free Leningrad
January 17, 1944: German 16th and 18th armies are being mauled
January 19, 1944: Soviet 2nd shock and 42nd armies link up at Ropsha signalling end of siege.
January 29, 1944: Kuchler orders retreat of his army group to the River Luga to save it.

From "The Eastern Front: Day by Day, 1941-45"

So there was a land supply line established with Leningrad in 1943. How wide it was I'm not sure but I think the start line as represented is reasonably accurate

[Froonp]

Moreover, these are the start lines of the WiF FE game, so changing them was outside of my thoughts. Thanks mldtchdog for the historical justification [:D].

[Greyshaft]

In the 42, 43 and 44 scenarios isn't the border line to the northwest of the 'E' in Estonia is redundant???

[Peter Stauffenberg]

Schlusselburg is on the lake Ladoga and Soviet capture of this city made it easier to get supplies across lake Ladoga to Leningrad. During the Winter lake Ladoga was frozen so supplies could be transported from the eastern bank of lake Ladoga to Schlusselburg and further into Leningrad.

But Mga lies south east of Leningrad and the offensive to capture this city (thus regaining rail supply to Leningrad) started in July 1943 and called off August 1943 with little gains. So the Soviets failed to reopen rail supply to Leningrad until January 1944.

January 1944 is seen by the Russians as the time Leningrad was liberated, not January 1943 (when sending somesome supply from the other side of Ladoga to Schlussenburg became possible).

If you look at the WIFFE map you see the hex SE of Leningrad is a rail hex so Soviet control of this hex means you have rail supply to
Leningrad. And this didn't happen until January 1944. But it's maybe not a big deal to change the starting lines where they are for the 1943 scenario. These starting lines are printed on the WIFFE map and people are used to them.

The important question is this. Will the MWIF situation for Leningrad (supply, production, unit strength etc.) change by Russian control of the hex SE of Leningrad?

[Peter Stauffenberg]

Doesn't this line show that Hanko is controlled by the Finnish player in these scenarios. If you don't draw this line you may think Hanko is still Soviet controlled.

[Froonp]

ORIGINAL: Borger Borgersen

Doesn't this line show that Hanko is controlled by the Finnish player in these scenarios. If you don't draw this line you may think Hanko is still Soviet controlled.

Anyway, there are no lines in MWiF. Those lines were just for the picture for better see the areas.

[composer99]

ORIGINAL: Borger Borgersen

Schlusselburg is on the lake Ladoga and Soviet capture of this city made it easier to get supplies across lake Ladoga to Leningrad. During the Winter lake Ladoga was frozen so supplies could be transported from the eastern bank of lake Ladoga to Schlusselburg and further into Leningrad.

But Mga lies south east of Leningrad and the offensive to capture this city (thus regaining rail supply to Leningrad) started in July 1943 and called off August 1943 with little gains. So the Soviets failed to reopen rail supply to Leningrad until January 1944.

January 1944 is seen by the Russians as the time Leningrad was liberated, not January 1943 (when sending somesome supply from the other side of Ladoga to Schlussenburg became possible).

If you look at the WIFFE map you see the hex SE of Leningrad is a rail hex so Soviet control of this hex means you have rail supply to
Leningrad. And this didn't happen until January 1944. But it's maybe not a big deal to change the starting lines where they are for the 1943 scenario. These starting lines are printed on the WIFFE map and people are used to them.

The important question is this. Will the MWIF situation for Leningrad (supply, production, unit strength etc.) change by Russian control of the hex SE of Leningrad?

Leningrad is a USSR home country city (ergo, primary supply source). In any given turn, USSR units occupying it, provided the USSR has owned it since the previous turn, are always in supply and hence always at maximum unit strength (doubled because of the swamp).

The only thing that might be affected is provision of resources to Leningrad for production - but a German/Axis ZOC on the rail line in question would prevent resources from getting through.

[composer99]

ORIGINAL: Froonp

As a note, here are the starting dates of the MWiF / WiF FE scenarios :
Fascist Tide : S/O 39 (Europe)
Global War : S/O 39
Missed the Bus : J/A 40
Barbarossa : M/J 41 (Part of Europe, 5 Turns)
Lebensraum : S/O 41
Day of Infamy : N/D 41 (Pacific)
Waking Giant : N/D 41
Guadalcanal : M/J 42 (Pacific, 5 turns)
Brute Force : M/J 42
Darkness Before Dawn : J/A 43
Decline and Fall : M/J 44

Just thought I'd mention here that Lebensraum should start in M/J 41, and the 1941 start line mentioned in this topic applies (obviously, I suppose) only to the Waking Giant scenario.

[Peter Stauffenberg]

ORIGINAL: composer99
Leningrad is a USSR home country city (ergo, primary supply source). In any given turn, USSR units occupying it, provided the USSR has owned it since the previous turn, are always in supply and hence always at maximum unit strength (doubled because of the swamp).

The only thing that might be affected is provision of resources to Leningrad for production - but a German/Axis ZOC on the rail line in question would prevent resources from getting through.

Then there is no need to alter the printed 43 starting line. [:)]

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: composer99

ORIGINAL: Froonp
As a note, here are the starting dates of the MWiF / WiF FE scenarios :
Fascist Tide : S/O 39 (Europe)
Global War : S/O 39
Missed the Bus : J/A 40
Barbarossa : M/J 41 (Part of Europe, 5 Turns)
Lebensraum : S/O 41
Day of Infamy : N/D 41 (Pacific)
Waking Giant : N/D 41
Guadalcanal : M/J 42 (Pacific, 5 turns)
Brute Force : M/J 42
Darkness Before Dawn : J/A 43
Decline and Fall : M/J 44

Just thought I'd mention here that Lebensraum should start in M/J 41, and the 1941 start line mentioned in this topic applies (obviously, I suppose) only to the Waking Giant scenario.

Off the top of my head I do not remember how I handled this, only that I did.

The program knows the start lines for Barbarossa based on country boundaries, including the partition of Poland. Therefore the special file on Start Lines (i.e., Controlled Hexes) is not used. Barbarossa is limited to just Eastern Europe & Russia so the details elsewhere in the world are irrelevant.

I am not sure about the differences between the S/O 1941 and the N/D 1941 start lines. Are there any?

[Froonp]

am not sure about the differences between the S/O 1941 and the N/D 1941 start lines. Are there any?

In the board game, there is none, at least none on the map. There is only a 1941 start line.

[composer99]

Yes, but Lebensraum doesn't start in S/O 1941 - it starts in M/J. There is no scenario in WiF:FE, to my knowledge, that starts in S/O 1941.