I bought a copy of Frank Chadwick’s BARBAROSSA 25 when it was first published in 1988, and I’ve read it many times.
I would rate it as being almost as influential in generating my long-term desire to re-fight the Axis invasion of Russia as reading about Lionel Tarr’s wargames The book outlines how Frank Chadwick devised a bathtub campaign of the invasion with everything being scaled down by 1:25 … approximately. (This seems to have been done so that the maps from the board game FIRE IN THE EAST could be used as the campaign maps.) I was so taken with the concept that I bought the tabletop rules that the campaign was designed to work with (COMMAND DECISION) and even painted and based a two-battalion Hungarian infantry regiment (with supporting artillery) to use with them.
I never used my Hungarians, and I even lent them to another wargamer for a time. They eventually ended up in my shed … from which they were rescued some years ago. Some have even been recently renovated and now form part of my newly-flocked Eastern Front/Great Patriotic War collection.
They are now awaiting their turn to have their bases flocked ... which should be in the very near future.
BARBAROSSA 25: COMMAND DECISION CAMPAIGN MODULE was written by Frank Chadwick and published in 1988 by Game Designers’ Workshop (GDW) (ISBN 0-943580-98-6).
Bob -
ReplyDeleteThe Barbarossa-25 book is one of those items that, even if the project never sees the light of day, is something just to have and to read. My own copy formed the inspiration for my Crusader-5 project (which also never saw the light of day apart from my 'Brick-Hex' map), and thence to my Operation Battle-Hex (see http://archdukepiccolo.blogspot.com/2018/12/battleaxe.html )
At the moment I am sparing some thoughts upon Andrew Rolph's 1942 East Front operation adapted for PW games.
Cheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeleteYou are absolutely right! I think that it has inspired a lot of twentieth century wargamers to think about - if not actually fight - campaigns or mini-campaigns.
Andrew Rolph’s books are an excellent alternative way to fight campaigns, and contain pretty well everything that you need to know.
All the best,
Bob
Your newly renovated forces are looking splendid Bob. I don't know the Barbarossa-25 book but the picture on the cover is very inspiring!
ReplyDeleteMaudlin Jack Tar,
DeleteFrank Chadwick’s book is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to bathtub a campaign.
I will try to include the book’s cover illustrations in a future blog post because they look like the sort of tabletop battle I want to fight … and I suspect this is true for many other wargamers.
All the best,
Bob
I was an avid Command Decision and Combined Arms player for many years, collecting lots of GDW material as a result.
ReplyDeleteI've moved away from that level, becoming more interested in operational level games.
Interestingly, so has Frank Chadwick it seems. The latest game he has been working on for years now is an operational set, called (at last iteration) "Breakthrough" with battalion stands and three turns per 24 hours. Still waiting for release.
Neil
Neil Patterson (Neil),
DeleteI followed a similar path, although I moved on to operational-level wargames before I really got into COMMAND DECISION. This led to to my involvement in. NOT QUITE MECHANISED, MEGABLITZ, and HEXBLITZ.
I’d love to see what Frank’s operational-level rules look like, but it seems that like you I’m going to have to be patient.
All the best,
Bob
A brilliant work that is providing the doorway to my own campaign after all of these years (on target thus far for a late September start).
ReplyDeleteIrishserb,
DeleteThis sounds very interesting, and I look forward to reading more about your campaign later this year.
All the best,
Bob
Hello there Bob,
ReplyDeleteYears ago I fought the GPW as a campaign using this book for the orbats and Command Decision for the table top battles. No models - we used counters from the game Squad Leader and the Cross of Iron expansion. It was enormous fun and I remember, as the commander of the Germans, being properly schooled by the Russians who seemed to have anti tank rifles and mortars by the bucketful!
A great resource and very inspirational.
All the best,
DC
David Crook,
DeleteI never knew this! It sounds as if I need a long chat with you about how it went.
All the best,
Bob
I would like to know more as well!
DeleteArchduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeletePerhaps we can persuade David to write a blog post about it?
All the best,
Bob
So wish I had bought the Campaign Booklets for CD .. Barb, Bast, Beng and Market :( my loss ;) There are other sources but Frank does it well - good call to your earlier self
ReplyDeleteGeordie an Exile FoG,
DeleteI also have OVER THE TOP (which is the WW1 rules and scenarios) and COMBINED ARMS (which is the WW3 rules and campaign) as well as his ARMIES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR.
All the best,
Bob
Hmmm, never heard of this before Bob, (nor the other books too) but it does look rather good. Bookmarked for possible future purchase...
ReplyDeleteSteve J.,
DeleteUnfortunately they are all out of print and I’m not sure how much second-hand copies might cost.
All the best,
Bob
There are copies on eBay at present. Prices range from exorbitant to reasonable. There are certainly copies og Barbarossa for around £25 and over the top for £12.
ReplyDeleteNeil
Neil Patterson (Neil),
DeleteThe prices you quote are much cheaper than the ones that I have seen on the second-hand book sites. Still a bit high, but not unrealistically so.
All the best,
Bob