"Cardboard" Division Units
Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2000 7:15 pm
I was reading up on some history and found these units used by Rommel to "increase" the size of his forces.
He had his mechanics rig up wood and canvas tank shells and fasten these to Kubelwagons and other small vehicles. He then had these units mix with his actual tanks during the offensive. This caused the British to retreat at what appeared to be a 1000 yrd front of solid tanks approaching them. The Russians made similar mockups for their T-34s to fool German recon.
Could these "dummy" units be added to SPWAW to add to the fog of war. They could appear to be the actual tank until spotted within a certain distance (modified for exp of spotting unit). The German units actually were mobile while the Russian were static.
Rommel was reported to say with a bit of humor to one of the "cardboard" tank commanders that it would be okay if a few losses occured.
Note: Another tatic used by Rommel was to have his Light Division parade in a town known to have British spies. He had his units circle the town a few times making his forces appear to be much larger than actual. No wonder he was called the "Desert Fox".
He had his mechanics rig up wood and canvas tank shells and fasten these to Kubelwagons and other small vehicles. He then had these units mix with his actual tanks during the offensive. This caused the British to retreat at what appeared to be a 1000 yrd front of solid tanks approaching them. The Russians made similar mockups for their T-34s to fool German recon.
Could these "dummy" units be added to SPWAW to add to the fog of war. They could appear to be the actual tank until spotted within a certain distance (modified for exp of spotting unit). The German units actually were mobile while the Russian were static.
Rommel was reported to say with a bit of humor to one of the "cardboard" tank commanders that it would be okay if a few losses occured.
Note: Another tatic used by Rommel was to have his Light Division parade in a town known to have British spies. He had his units circle the town a few times making his forces appear to be much larger than actual. No wonder he was called the "Desert Fox".