Over the weekend I was watching a DVD of the film ENEMY AT THE GATES, and it struck me that if and when I get around to getting my Eastern Front/Great Patriotic War project off the ground, I need to incorporate 'Not one step back!' into my rules.
Joseph Stalin issued Order No. 227 on 28th July 1942. It was intended to help stiffen resistance and included the command 'Not one step back!' (Ни шагу назад!/Ni shagu nazad!), an order that was ferociously enforced by blocking detachments of the NKVD. Soldiers (including officers) who retreated without written permission were liable to be shot on the spot or sent to a penal battalion (штрафной батальон/shtrafnoy batalyon).
Having looked at my PORTABLE WARGAME rules, the simplest way to incorporate 'Not one step back!' would be to remove the retreat option for Russian units from the RESOLVING HITS ON UNITS table. If I do this, any Russian unit that is hit would automatically lose 1 SP but will not retreat.
I'd like to see if this simple change works ... so a short play-test battle would seem to be in order.
Joseph Stalin issued Order No. 227 on 28th July 1942. It was intended to help stiffen resistance and included the command 'Not one step back!' (Ни шагу назад!/Ni shagu nazad!), an order that was ferociously enforced by blocking detachments of the NKVD. Soldiers (including officers) who retreated without written permission were liable to be shot on the spot or sent to a penal battalion (штрафной батальон/shtrafnoy batalyon).
Having looked at my PORTABLE WARGAME rules, the simplest way to incorporate 'Not one step back!' would be to remove the retreat option for Russian units from the RESOLVING HITS ON UNITS table. If I do this, any Russian unit that is hit would automatically lose 1 SP but will not retreat.
I'd like to see if this simple change works ... so a short play-test battle would seem to be in order.
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Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteThe rule change would make a lot of sense from the historical perspective and one of the great things about the the PW system is that it is able to take this kind of thing without breaking into a sweat!
It will be good to see a Russian Front game again so I will look forward to seing this.
All the best,
DC
David Crook,
DeleteAs you know, the rules were designed to lend themselves to simple and quick changes to mechanisms that do not throw the rules into total disarray. I hope that this projected - and as yet untested - change should reflect the impact of the 'Not one step back!' order. With luck it should be tested in the very near future.
All the best,
Bob
I think the Soviets would need more forces for this to work well. That would be historically accurate anyway.
ReplyDeleteJohn,
DeleteI usually field larger numbers of Russian units in my World War II tabletop battles than I do Axis units.
All the best,
Bob
"I'd like to see if this simple change works"
ReplyDeleteIt won't if you use the single hit destroys a unit rule :-D
Kaptain Kobold,
DeleteTrue ... but only if I was going to use the 'Sudden Death' rule option.
All the best,
Bob
And add a Commissar figure to inflict the hit on their own side!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Bob!
Chris Kemp,
DeleteI think I have a suitable figure in my collection that I can use as a Commissar!
Happy New Year to you as well!
All the best,
Bob