British Home Guard in Seelowe

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Jimbonsx
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Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2015 8:45 am

British Home Guard in Seelowe

Post by Jimbonsx »

Vic
First off, great game series, I bought this in the strength of watching that video and haven't looked back.
The issue I'd like to raise: the Home Guard in Seelowe is badly inaccurate. By September 1940 the Home Guard was not designed or equiped to work in the same fashion as regular Army units - the idea of a brigade acting as a coherent whole is wrong: their original mission was to defend 'strategic' points and - later - to act as a type of 'stay behind' unit, performing acts of sabotage. They simply weren't armed, equipped or organised for anything more substantial. In DCFWTP Seelowe, these units are anomalous and have fighting capabilities that are at odds with their equipment, training and organisation.
Just to rub salt in my wounds (having had a Panzer regiment stopped cold by a HG unit one-on-one in open terrain with no entrenchment!), even if you allow their use in this format in September, there is no way it could/should happen in August 1940 - I had the pleasant surprise of being able to select the early invasion with Italian naval support for additional supply. There's no provision to amend the HG capabilities in the scenario to reflect 30 days less training/equipment.
What are your thoughts?
vakarr
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RE: British Home Guard in Seelowe

Post by vakarr »

Yeah I like the "Britain Stands Alone" system where the Home Guard doesn't have units but is assumed to be in any unconquered territory and just adds defensive points and movement penalties to the terrain until defeated. Having said that, the stop lines are not fully implemented in the game - just some fortified areas- and there aren't any hills in southern England apparently - so the HG can't defend as well as it might. The HG are also able to move around at will - from one side of the map to the other - which is not historical, they were local units meant to use their local knowledge, and they had limited mobility.

I used my "historical" landing format and found that the Germans had difficulty until they were able to land some mobile units, at which point they begin to literally run rings around the British. I didn't check how strong a HG unit was compared to other units but maybe they look stronger than they are (or perhaps they were well entrenched) and perhaps your Panzer regiment was having difficulties of which you weren't aware (e.g. supply problems or it had begun to lose integrity). Make sure you land sufficient artillery to support the German units as they don't have artillery regiments or supporting armour in the first wave units - which isn't historical.
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Vic
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RE: British Home Guard in Seelowe

Post by Vic »

When designing the scenario I envisioned them a bit more like a pool of HG backed up by ad-hoc reservists, police and aux units. Hence for example their armoured cars.

They are however still relatively weak. They do best when being entrenched in towns and cities. (and not moving around!)

In many ways the Sea Lion scenario is the least historical of the three and maybe a 'fun' element to have 'HG' units also played a role here. As well as some balancing issues to make it hard enough for the Germans to reach London.

Best wishes,
Vic
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