Panzer Commander

It's been a while since I've posted. Moving and the new job have absorbed the bulk of my time. I have not been able to make any F2F contacts for ASL here in Lubbock, so it is probably going to have to be VASL until I can convert someone to the One True Game. ASL posts, therefore, will probably be a little sparse until I can get a schedule working. In the WWII vein, however....

I had the pleasure of finishing a new book this afternoon. Based on recommendations from the GS forums, I picked up Panzer Commander, by Hans von Luck. Hans von Luck was the commander of the 7th and 21st panzer divisions under Rommel. As a strict study of tactical doctrine, the book is somewhat lacking. I had hoped for a little more in that arena. However, it was an extremely pleasant read. I am a big fan of the writing style of Stephen Ambrose and this book presented his history and doings in much the same vein. I was particularly struck with the sentiment (and I have seen it in other books) of camraderie between former enemies (soldiers from different armies): German and Russian, German and American, German and French, and German and British. Having never been in the military, the respect that seems to exist, even for enemies, between professional soldiers is very appealing. The distinction between the Weremacht and the SS also struck me as profound, and seemed to be readily accepted, even by von Luck's Russian captors.

If you are looking for a strict study of tactical/strategic doctrine, I'd suggest that you keep looking. If you want a decent feel of what being a soldier in the German Army during WWII was like, this is an excellent read.

Light Airline Reading

So as some of you know I flew out to PA this week for a job interview. I AGONIZED over what to bring on the plane to read. I finally decided to get a book out of my collection that I had only half finished. The book is Strategy, by B.H. Liddell Hart. I then proceeded to finish the section I was on (Napoleonic Wars) and skip WWI for now to get to WWII (my not-so-secret love affair where history is concerned). I was TOTALLY blown away.

This guy is amazing in his analysis of strategy and its application to the battlefield. He even takes a chapter and sums it up. The whole time, I'm thinking about ASL (and other wargames I've played, but mostly ASL) and how all of this applies perfectly...For example.

The points he makes in Chapter 20 (his summary) are as follows:

Positive:
1.) Adjust your end to your means
2.) Keep your object always in mind
3.) Choose the line (or course) of least expectation
4.) Exploit the line of least resistance
5.) Take a line of operation which offers alternate objectives
6.) Ensure that both plan and dispositions are flexible - adaptable to circumstances

Negative:
7.) Do not throw your weight into a stroke whilst your opponent is on guard
8.) Do not renew an attack along the same line (or in the same form) after it has once failed

Now, several of these have more applicability to a campaign game (simply because it is longer and usually has a larger field of operation with more objectives, however, even longer (non-tournament-sized) scenarios can benefit from these suggestions (eg. the 8 turn scenarios in the modules themselves). Not to mention the possibilities for games that actually offer operational strategy gaming (like MMP's OCS and RCS series or the GMT games). Admittedly there are some "gamey" things you need to consider to stay within the prescribed rules, but it certainly give the player some broad guidelines for good strategy. I was VERY impressed.

I highly recommend giving this book a read if you are at all interested in military history. You'll be glad you did.