IN THE LAST FEW YEARS I HAVE DISCOVERED COMPUTER. GAMING. WHILE IT WILL NEVER REPLACE MINIATURES FOR ME,IN SOME CASES IT IS THE PREFERRED METHOD. I FOUGHT THIS CAMPAIGN OUT OVER ONE WEEK OF VACATION USING "MECH BRIGADE" BY SSI AND A COMMODORE 64. MECH BRIGADE IS A TACTICAL LEVEL GAME OF ARMORED WARFARE IN THE 1980's AND 1990's. I DEVISED A HYPOTHETICAL DISSOLUTION OF YUGOSLAVIA INTO 6 SMALLER COUNTRIES, TWO OF WHICH GO TO WAR IN 1990. I WILL FIRST GIVE THE GAME MECHANICS, THEN A BRIEF "HISTORY" OF THE WAR. I PLAYED THE C IN C OF THE DEFENDING CROATIAN ARMY OF SIX WEAK BRIGADES ORGANIZED ON THE AMERICAN PATTERN AND EQUIPPED WITH LATE 1970"s VINTAGE AMERICAN SURPLUS EQUIPMENT. THE COMPUTER CONTROLLED THE SERBIAN AGGRESSORS CONSISTING OF TEN SOVIET STYLE REGIMENTS ARMED WITH THE LATEST EQUIPMENT. I USED THE SIMPLE POINT TO POINT MOVEMENT MAP REPRODUCED BELOW. EACH TURN REPRESENTED ONE DAY. AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH DAY I ROLLED A DIE AT EACH POSSIBLE POINT OF CONTACT TO SEE WHICH SIDE HAD THE INITIATIVE THERE. IF IT WAS ME I CHOSE WHETHER OR NOT TO ATTACK. IF I CHOSE NOT TO THERE WAS NO FURTHER FICTION AT THAT POINT. IF I CHOSE TO ATTACK, DEFENDERS WOULD BE GENERATED RANDOMLY BY THE COMPUTER. IF THE COMPUTER HAD THE INITIATIVE, IT ATTACKED INTO THE DEFENDING BOX. I COULD CHOOSE TO WITHDRAW INTO ANOTHER FRIENDLY BOX OR FIGHT. IF I HAD MORE THAN ONE UNIT DEFENDING, I COULD CHOOSE WHICH TO ENGAGE. ONLY ONE REGIMENT OR BRIGADE COULD BE ENGAGED AT A TIME. THE ADVANTAGE TO HAVING MORE THAN ONE UNIT IN A BOX IS THE ABILITY TO SUSTAIN COMBAT. IF A UNIT WAS FORCED TO FIGHT A SECOND TIME IN A SINGLE DAY IT SUFFERED A 25% STRENGTH REDUCTION. A THIRD FIGHT IN A SINGLE DAY WOULD CAUSE A 50% REDUCTION, BEYOND THAT A UNIT WOULD DISSOLVE. AFTER EACH BATTLE THE COMPUTER WOULD DETERMINE THE LEVEL OF VICTORY. VICTORY COULD BE MARGINAL, SUBSTANSIVE,OR DECISIVE FOR EITHER SIDE OR A DRAW. A MARGINAL DEFEAT REDUCED A UNIT BY 25%, SUBSTANTIAL DEFEAT BY 50%, AND A DECISIVE DEFEAT REMOVED THE UNIT FROM THE MAP PERMANENTLY. THESE REDUCTIONS WERE IRREVERSABLE ON THE OTHER HAND, VICTORIOUS UNITS HAD THAT BATTLES LOSSES REPLACED. THE RATIOINALIZATION BEING DAMAGED EQUIPMENT SALVAGED FROM THE BATTLEFIELD BY THE VICTOR AND A POLICY OF DIVERTING WHATEVER REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE SUCCESSFUL UNITS. I PRINTED UP PENNIES TO SERVE AS MARKERS FOR THE VARIOUS UNITS AND KEPT TRACK OF THE STRENGTH LEVEL OF EACH. AT THE END OF EACH DAY A DIE WAS ROLLED. IF A 0 CAME UP THE U.N. OR WHATEVER PUT AN END TO THE FIGHTING. ANOTHER D10 WAS ROLLED AND COMPARED TO THE VALUE OF THE CITIES STILL REMAINING IN CROATIAN HANDS. IF THE ROLL EQUALLED OR EXCEEDED THE CITY TOTAL THE CROATIAN COLLAPSED.THE CAPITAL OF ZAGREB WAS WORTH 5, OTHER TOWNS 1. THE GAME WAS ARRANGED TO SIMULATE THE SITUATION FACED BY NATO TODAY. THE ENEMY HAS AN INITIAL SUPERIORITY AND THE STRATEGIC INITIATIVE. THE CROATIANS MUST FIGHT DELAYING ACTIONS, INFLICTING MAXIMUM AND THEN FALLING BACK BEFORE THE TACTICAL SITUATION GETS TOO CRITICAL. THIS TRADING SPACE FOR LIVES POLICY ONLY GOES SO FAR BECAUSE THERE'S NOT MUCH SPACE TO TRADE. THE FIRST SERBO-CROATIAN WAR FEBRUARY 1988: 18 MONTHS OF INTERNAL DISTURBANCES CULMINATE IN THE DISSOLUTION OF YUGOSLAVIA INTO SIX INDEPENDENT STATES: CROATIA, SLOVENIA,MONTENEGRO,BOSNIA,MACEDONIA,AND SERBIA. AUGUST 1988: TREATY OF VIENNA SIGNED BY THE WARSAW PACT AND NATO GUARANTEES THE NEUTRALITY OF THE SIX STATES. IN SPITE OF THE TREATY SERBIA DEVELOPS STRONG MILITARY TIES WITH THE SOVIET UNION. CROATIA IS QUICKLY ARMED BY THE U.S. AS PART OF PRESIDENT BUSH'S "COUNTERWEIGHT" DOCTRINE. JUNE 6TH 1988: SIX MONTHS OF STEADILY INCREASING TENSION CAUSED BY A BORDER DISPUTE BETWEEN SERBIA AND CROATIA CULMINATE IN A SERBIAN INVASION. DAY ONE: A DAWN STRIKE BY SERBIAN TAC AIR ELIMINATES CROATIAN TAC AIR CAPABILITY. CROATIAN FIGHTERS CATCH RETURNING SERBIAN PLANES AND WIPE THEM OUT. BOTH SIDES ARE LEFT WITHOUT TAC AIR SUPPORT. TWO SERBIAN COLUMNS EACH SPEARHEADED BY A TANK REGIMENT STRIKE ACROSS THE BORDER AT WITTBACH AND HOPSBERG.THE 1st AND 3RD MECHANIZED BRIGADES ARE DRIVEN BACK. THE 1st BEING PARTICULARLY BADLY MAULED. 3rd MECH POSTED IN THE CENTER FALLS BACK TO AVOID BEING CUT OFF. DAY TWO: THE SERBIANS CONCENTRATE ON A SINGLE POWERFUL THRUST AGAINST THE CROATIAN RIGHT AT LUNESBERG. THE DEFENDERS DEPLOY THE 2nd & 3rd MECH AND THE 6th ARMORED. 3rd MECH IS SENT REELING BACK WITH HEAVY LOSSES BY A MOTOR RIFLE REGIMENT. 2nd MECH REDEEMS ITS DEFEAT OF THE PREVIOUS DAY BY AMBUSHING A TANK REGIMENT IN CLOSE TERRAIN FWD ANNIHILATING. 6th ARMORED REPELS AN ASSAULT BY A MOTOR RIFLE REGIMENT. AS THE SERBIANS PREPARE TO SEND IN THE SECOND WAVE. THE CROATIANS FALL BACK ON THE CAPITAL. 5th ARMORED PROBES SERBIAN POSITIONS AT WITTBACH AND IS DRIVEN BACK IN A CONFUSED NIGHT BATTLE BY A MOTOR RIFLE REGIMENT. DAY THREE: HALF-HEARTED SERBIAN THRUST WITH A MOTOR RIFLE REGIMENT TO ZAGREB IS BLUNTED BY 6th ARMORED. HEAVY FIGHTING AROUND CHESSBURG. 4th MECH MOUNTS A TEXTBOOK DEFENSE THAT SNARES AND DESTROYS A TANK REGIMENT. 5th ARMORED DESTROYED BY ANOTHER TANK REGIMENT. 1st AND 4th MECH LIMP BACK TO ZAGREB. DAY 4: THE FIVE REMAINING CROATlAN BRIGADES PREPARE FOR A LAST STAND IN FRONT OF THE CAPITAL. SERB TANK REGIMENT ENCOUNTERS 6th ARMORED AND IS BADLY MAULED. NO FURTHER ACTION OCCUR THAT DAY. DAY 5: 6th ARMORED MOVES ON CHESSBURG AND FINDS IT UNDEFENDED.4th MECH MOVES ON LUNESBURG AND CATCHES A BATTERED TANK REGIMENT TRYING TO REORGANISE. IT DESTROYS THAT FORMATION, BUT THE SERBS RUSH UP REINFORCEMENTS AND THE 4th FALLS BACK TO ZAGREB. DAY 6: NO ACTION DAY 7: 6th ARMORED MOVES ON WITTBACH WHERE IT MEETS AND DESTROYS A SERB TANK REGIMENT. 2nd MECH ATTEMPTS TO RETAKE LUNESBERG BUT IS BEATEN BACK BY A MOTOR RIFLE REGIMENT. 2nd IS ON THE VERGE OF DISSOLUTION. DAY 8: SERBIANS ATTACK 6th ARMORED AT WITTBACH. THE 6th DESTROYS THE SPEARHEAD MOTOR RIFLE REGIMENT THEN FALLS BACK TO CHESSBURG. 4th MECH ATTACKS OCKFEN BUT IS BEATEN BACK BY A DEFENDING MOTOR RIFLE REGIMENT. SERBIAN COLUMN ATTACKS THE CAPITAL WHICH IS DEFENDED BY TWO BATTERED BRIGADES. THE 2nd MECH IS DESTROYED BY A MOTOR RIFLE REGIMENT BUT IN THE DECISIVE BATTLE OF THE WAR 1st MECH SUCCESSFULLY BEATS OFF A TANK REGIMENT. THE SERBIANS HAVE NO FRESH FORMATIONS TO THROW IN AND THE CAPITAL IS SAVED. DAY 9: REMAINING CROATIAN FORMATIONS ARE CALLED BACK TO DEFEND THE CAPITAL. 4th MECH DESTROYS A TANK REGIMENT IN A REARGUARD ACTION AT CHESSBURG. DAY 10: THE SERBIAN ARMY HAS BEEN BLED WHITE. THE BADLY BATTERED CROATIANS MOVE TO REOCCUPY THEIR COUNTRY. DAY 11: A SINGLE SERBIAN MOTOR RIFLE REGIMENT TRIES TO ARREST THE PROGRESS OF THE DREADED 6th ARMORED AT CHESSBURG AND IS DESTROYED. DAY 12: REMNANTS OF THE SERBIAN ARMY STRAGGLE BACK ACROSS THE BORDER WHILE CROATIANS COMPLETE THE LIBERATION. DAY 13: 6th ARMORED CROSSES THE BORDER. AT YALOVICH AND MEETS NO RESISTANCE. THE SOVIET UNION THREATENS INTERVENTION IF THE BORDER IS NOT SECURED. THE SOVIETS AND U.S. IMPOSE AN ARMISTICE ON THE COMBATANTS. SERBIAN TACTICS THEIR SOVIET BLOC EQUIPMENT IS BETTER AT CLOSE RANGE SO THE SERBIANS DEPEND ON AN ALL OUT OFFENSIVE ON A NARROW FRONT THROUGH CLOSE TERRAIN IF POSSABLE. ANY INFANTRY PRESENT IS DISMOUNTED AS CLOSE TO THE OBJECTIVE AS POSSABLE. THE ADVANCE IS HEAVILY SUPPORTED BY ARTILLERY. CROATIAN TACTICS A POSITION SHORT OF BUT NEAR THE OBJECTIVE WITH COVER AND A GOOD FIELD OF FIRE IS SELECTED. THE IMPETUOUS SERBIANS WILL HOPEFULLY ADVANCE ACROSS THE OPEN FIELD OF FIRE AND BE DESTROYED. A COUNTERSTROKE IS THEN MADE AGAINST THE ENEMY INFANTRY AND SUPPORT UNITS. IF THE CROATIANS DEPLOY INFANTRY, THEY ARE PLACED WELL FORWARD. A SECOND LINE OF ANTI TANK WEAPONS IS DEPLOYED 1000 YARDS BACK AND 500 YARDS BEHIND THEM ARE ANY TANKS AND TANK DESTROYERS PRESENT. WHEN THE ADVANCING ENEMY BECOME EMBROILED WITH THE INFANTRY, THE SUPPORTING LINES ARE ABLE TO SCOURGE THEM ALMOST UNIMPEDED. Back to MWAN # 24 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1986 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com