The initial O.B. is crucial in VERDUN, since it embodies the Germans' "surprise" factor which contributed so much to their success. There are significant errors in both players' OBs, but the Germans are most heavily shortchanged.

XV Corps The game is accurate in the number of battalions in the original attack-; three corps were involved (the VII Reserve. XIII and III) with 54 infantry battalions plus flamethrower detachments. The corps involved, however, made up less than half of the line as it appears on the game map, only the portion from the Meuse River to Ornes! The remainder of the line east of the Meuse was held by the XV Corps, and the small section across the Meuse was held by the VI Reserve Corps, which can be ignored. The XV Corps contained, nominally, 18 battalions, but was somewhat understrength. For game purposes, the XV corps consists of 14x Infantry Battalion, 2x 77mm Gun battallion, 1x 150mm Howitzer battallion, ix 150mm Gun Battalion, 30x Ammo. These units may not be committed until February 24th, and if they are used the German player must maintain a continuous line of infantry units or their Zones of Control across the board, or he is prohibited from making infantry attacks.

Artillery Both player's initial artillery OBs are in error, both in number of units and in assigning factors to them. For the Germans, delete the following units; 2x 420mm, 3x 380mm RR, 2x 305mm, 2x 280mm, 3x 210mm. Add the following units: 2x 420mm, Range 10; 2x 380mm RR, Range 38, Factor 4; 3x 305mm, Factor 6; 5x 210mm, Factor 6. For the French, delete 2x 210. Add the following units - 1x Mxd, Range 16, Factors 4-1; 6x Fort, range 6, Factors 1-0.

My reasoning is as follows. For the 420s, only the non-road-mobile Gamma Morser had a range of 15,000 yard, and only one battalion was produced. (The remaining initial 420 should be restricted to moving within one hex of the RR.) The more extensively produced Gamma-M Morser had a range of only 10 - 11,000 yds due to it's shorter barrel. There were only two 380mm Naval guns at Verdun, and they were limited to a fixed 40 rounds per day per gun, (they sould not be able to use sa- turation fire), thus their numbers and factorys. The 305s and 210s were upfactored to better represent their considerable abilities, and the considerable numbers of 210s present, as well as the crucial role they played in the German artillery tactics.

The French unit represents the 160 and 240mm Naval guns (field mounted) which were present at Verdun, and the Fort units represent the fixed armaments of the forts. They should be placed one to a fort, except that one should not be placed in fort Vax. They do not count for stacking.

More Verdun Game Variants

Introduction
Initial Order of Battle
Forts
Artillery CRT Variation
Observation
Use of the Artillery Shell Table

Verdun: The Situation (Background and History)

Introduction
Artillery
Other Weapons
Barrages
Observation
Forts and Terrain
Infantry