Red Star/White EagleThe Russo-Polish War, 1920
Designed by Dave Williams
Published by GDW, 1979
Introduction
Players two (optionally three)Period 1920
Time scale one week per turn
Space scale 14 miles per hex
Unit scale battalion to division
Components
1 flat cardboard box1 22”x27” unmounted hex map of Poland and western Russia
1 24-page rules booklet
6 pages of charts and tables
1 ½ sheets of ½” diecut counters
1 six-sided die
Counter Manifest
50 West Front Russian (white on red)37 Southwest Front Russian (black on red)
7 Russian reserve divisions (red on white)
36 Russian replacements (red on white)
3 Galician units (white on dark green)
10 Lithuanian units (black on dark green)
1 Byelorussian unit (green on white)
3 Lithuanian-Byelorussian units (black on green)
4 Ukranian units (black on green)
10 German Freikorps units (black on grey)
83 Polish units (black on blue)
7 Polish Legion/Volunteer units (black on dark blue)
9 Polish moto-mechanized units (white on dark blue)
32 Polish replacement units (blue on white)
14 red star markers (red on white)
14 white eagle markers (white on red)
16 arrow counters (black on white)
24 blanks
A complete and very detailed counter manifest has been made available at the end of this article. There is a total of 360 counters.
What the reviewers say
“Following the ‘war to end war’ within a few months, the Russo-Polish War of 1919-1920 was a clash between the territorial ambitions of resurrected Poland and the Bolsheviks’ desire to export their Revolution. Although all but forgotten today, the campaign must rank as one of the most bizarre of our century. It saw the Poles in Kiev, then a resurgent Red Army advancing to the gates of Warsaw, only to be defeated in an even more dramatic reversal of roles that secured Poland’s survival - until 1939! ... In 1920, Marshal Pilsudski worked a miracle with a flank attack by a mere three divisions which sent the Red Army’s entire West Front reeling back in defeat from Warsaw. That Dave Williams succeeded with so simple rules to capture the essential features of this highly volatile campaign is another miracle.” Friedrich Helfferich in F&M 21. “It is arguably -- for reasons of art, concept, and play -- one of the very finest wargames ever produced.” Paul Pigulski in F&M 67.“But those [the ease with which a Red player can win a marginal victory, and the generous supply rules] are just blemishes on an otherwise beautiful and exciting design. The victory conditions need to be adjusted a little, but Red Star/White Eagle offers a wild and wooly game of a very neglected piece of history.” Michael Peck in Paper Wars 22.
“What GDW has given us in Red Star/ White Eagle is a game of maneuver and attrition -- a wild and wooly simulation of an obscure little war.” Henry Robinette in Campaign 104.
“Red Star/White Eagle covers the Russo- Polish War of the 1920’s and was designed by Dave Williams, whose last effort, if I’m not mistaken, was AH’s Anzio (which now seems destined to be Tom Oleson’s life work, aside from collecting Ferraris and money, to revise and update). Not too complex, the game has lots of different nationalities and unit types (including armored cars) with an odds/ration CRT giving retreats and elims/exchanges. Rail nets, cavalry charges, simple supply, etc. and handled in the GDW mold.” Richard Berg in toto in S&T 79.
Player’s Value
Red Star/White Eagle (RSWE) is a good example of the product GDW was publishing in the late 1970s. The company was still concentrating on somewhat esoteric topics (this game was the first on the conflict to be published by a professional company), but giving them a quality graphical treatment. By this time, GDW had acquired its justly deserved reputation for clean and nicely colored maps and counters, and for well-researched orders of battle.RSWE is not an overly complicated game, but it does have a large amount of chrome rules peculiar to the situation (command of two separate Soviet fronts; Polish national rally; control of Ukrainian - Galician - Lithuanian - German units; the Danzig dockers’ strike; and the American volunteer Kosciusko Squadron) and the period (armored trains; moto-mechanized units; trench lines; cavalry charges; and river flotillas). There are four scenarios: Gates of Warsaw (covering the climactic battle for the city in August-September 1920); long and short version of the Byelorussian phase of the war (July to August or October); and the campaign game (April to October). Unlike many games, both players have a chance to attack, as the system captures the seesaw nature of the historical conflict well.
Collector’s Value
RSWE has always enjoyed high prices, both for its good play value and its status as an uncommon item (the press runs for such GDW flat box items as RSWE and Citadel were much smaller than for the Europa series). People who obtain copies usually hang on to them. Boone lists low, high and average prices of 12/50/30.00 at auction and 10/100/ 59.17 for sale.Other games on the Russo-Polish War
F&M 78 has an anthology of games on the Russian Civil war, which includes this period. Games known to me include: Pilsudski (Panzerfaust 1969); White Eagle Eastward (S&T 156); and ROK 1920 (Encore & Novina, 1995). Related games include: Rossiya 1917 (AWE 1995), a large and mostly military-oriented study of the war for up to five players that includes the Russo-Polish war as a sideshow; and Freikorps (MDG 1999), an alternative-history game that postulates a Red victory at Warsaw followed by an invasion of Germany (designed by the author of this review ... isn’t that special).Other games by Dave Williams
Anzio (AH 1969 & 1970); Anzio Beach head (S&T 20); and Flight of the Goeben (S&T 21).Variants
Issue 11 of The Grenadier contains three variants for RSWE: The March to the West (one of the Bolshevik goals in the Russo-Polish War was to have the Bolshevik forces reach Germany and unleash the proletariat to overthrow capitalism in central Europe); The Red Scare (the entry of the Bolshevik forces into central Poland raised fears of Bolshevik invasion and revolution throughout Europe) ; and Lvov (Lvov was as important an objective to the Southwest Front as Warszawa was for the West Front).
The following detailed counter manifest of all 360 counters is courtesy of Web-Grognards
(http://grognard.com/info1/redstar.txt)
RUSSIA
white on red West Front Russian
8-6-7 d1 17th infantry division (4-3-7 d1)
8-6-7 d1 29th infantry division (4-3-7 d1)
7-5-7 d1 4th infantry division (4-3-7 d1)
7-5-7 d1 5th infantry division (4-3-7 d1)
7-5-7 d1 15th infantry division (4-3-7 d1)
7-5-7 d1 16th infantry division (4-3-7 d1)
6-4-7 d1 2nd infantry division (3-2-7 d1)
6-4-7 d1 8th infantry division (3-2-7 d1)
6-4-7 d1 10th infantry division (3-2-7 d1)
6-4-7 d1 11th infantry division (3-2-7 d1)
6-4-7 d1 18th infantry division (3-2-7 d1)
6-4-7 d1 19th infantry division (3-2-7 d1)
6-4-7 d1 21st infantry division (3-2-7 d1)
6-4-7 d1 27th infantry division (3-2-7 d1)
6-4-7 d1 33rd infantry division (3-2-7 d1)
6-4-7 d1 54th infantry division (3-2-7 d1)
6-4-7 d1 55th(-) infantry division (3-2-7 d1)
5-3-7 d1 6th infantry division (3-2-7 d1)
5-3-7 d1 57th infantry division (3-2-7 d1)
4-3-7 d1 12th infantry division (2-2-7 d1)
4-3-7 d1 48th(-) infantry division (2-2-7 d1)
4-3-7 d1 53rd infantry division (2-2-7 d1)
4-3-7 d1 56th infantry division (2-2-7 d1)
3-2-7 d1 143th infantry brigade (2-1-7 d0)
3-2-7 d1 164th infantry brigade (2-1-7 d0)
3-2-7 d1 85th infantry brigade (1-1-7 d0)
3-2-7 d1 86th infantry brigade (1-1-7 d0)
3-2-7 d1 87th infantry brigade (1-1-7 d0)
2-2-7 d0 Mozyr infantry regiment (1-1-7 d0)
1-1-7 d0 140th infantry regiment (blank)
1-1-7 d0 149th infantry regiment (blank)
1-1-7 d0 185th infantry regiment (blank)
1-1-7 d0 473rd infantry regiment (blank)
6-6-10 d3 c9 10th cavalry division (3-3-10 d3 c5)
6-6-10 d3 c9 15th cavalry division (3-3-10 d3 c5)
2-2-10 d1 c3 2nd cavalry brigade (1-1-10 d0 c2)
2-2-8 d1 Caucasian cavalry brigade (blank)
1-1-10 d0 6th cavalry regiment (blank)
1-1-10 d0 34th cavalry regiment (blank)
1-1-10 d0 85th cavalry regiment (blank)
1-1-10 d0 86th cavalry regiment (blank)
1-1-10 d0 90th cavalry regiment (blank)
1-1-10 d0 Mozyr cavalry regiment (blank)
5-1-4 d0 1st artillery brigade (blank)
4-1-4 d0 2nd artillery brigade (blank)
3-1-4 d0 3rd artillery brigade (blank)
(4) 2-1-25 d0 armored train (blank)
black on red Southwest Front Russian
7-5-6 d1 25th infantry division (4-3-6 d1)
6-4-6 d1 7th infantry division (3-2-6 d1)
6-4-6 d1 24th infantry division (3-2-6 d1)
6-4-6 d1 41st infantry division (3-2-6 d1)
6-4-6 d1 45th infantry division (3-2-6 d1)
6-4-6 d1 46th infantry division (3-2-6 d1)
6-4-6 d1 58th infantry division (3-2-6 d1)
6-4-6 d1 60th infantry division (3-2-6 d1)
5-3-6 d1 44th infantry division (3-2-6 d1)
5-3-6 d1 47th infantry division (3-2-6 d1)
3-2-6 d1 Cossack infantry brigade (1-1-6 d0)
3-2-6 d1 Moscow Konarmiya infantry brigade (1-1-6 d0)
1-1-6 d0 392nd infantry regiment (blank)
1-1-6 d0 536st infantry regiment (blank)
2-2-4 d0 3rd marine brigade (blank)
4-2-9 d0 Konarmiya armored batallion (2-1-9 d0)
8-8-9 d3 c12 4th Konarmiya cavalry division (4-4-9 d2 c6)
8-8-9 d3 c12 6th Konarmiya cavalry division (4-4-9 d2 c6)
8-8-9 d3 c12 11th Konarmiya cavalry division (4-4-9 d2 c6)
8-8-9 d3 c12 14th Konarmiya cavalry division (4-4-9 d2 c6)
5-5-10 d2 c7 8th cavalry division (3-3-10 d1)
4-4-9 d1 c6 Special (Kotovski) KA cavalry brigade (2-2-9 d1 c3)
3-3-9 d1 17th(-) cavalry division (1-1-9 d0)
3-3-9 d1 c4 25th Bashkir cavalry brigade (1-1-9 d0 c2)
1-1-9 d0 1st cavalry regiment (blank)
1-1-9 d0 3/17th cavalry regiment (blank)
1-1-9 d0 7th cavalry regiment (blank)
1-1-9 d0 21st Konarmiya cavalry regiment (blank)
1-1-9 d0 22nd Konarmiya cavalry regiment (blank)
(6) 2-1-25 d0 armored train (blank)
(2) 2-1-F d0 flotilla (blank)
red on white Russian Reserve divisions (and repl.ctrs.)
4-3-7 d1 3rd infantry division (2-2-7 d1)
4-3-7 d1 13th infantry division (2-2-7 d1)
4-3-7 d1 22nd infantry division (2-2-7 d1)
4-3-7 d1 23rd infantry division (2-2-7 d1)
4-3-7 d1 26th infantry division (2-2-7 d1)
4-3-7 d1 35th infantry division (2-2-7 d1)
4-3-7 d1 39th infantry division (2-2-7 d1)
(20) 2-3 infantry (1-5)
(16) 2-3 cavalry (1-5)
black on dk green Lithuanian
1-1-4 d0 1st Lithuanian infantry regiment (blank)
1-1-4 d0 2nd Lithuanian infantry regiment (blank)
1-1-4 d0 3rd Lithuanian infantry regiment (blank)
1-1-4 d0 4th Lithuanian infantry regiment (blank)
1-1-4 d0 5th Lithuanian infantry regiment (blank)
1-1-4 d0 6th Lithuanian infantry regiment (blank)
1-1-4 d0 7th Lithuanian infantry regiment (blank)
1-1-4 d0 8th Lithuanian infantry regiment (blank)
1-1-4 d0 9th Lithuanian infantry regiment (blank)
1-1-4 d0 10th Lithuanian infantry regiment (blank)
black on grey German Freikorps (optional)
(10) 4-6-7 d2 Freikorps infantry (2-3-7 d1)
GALICIA
white on dk green Galician
2-2-6 d0 1st Galician infantry brigade (blank)
2-2-6 d0 2nd Galician infantry brigade (blank)
2-2-6 d0 3rd Galician infantry brigade (blank)
UKRAINE
black on green Ukrainian
3-2-6 d1 1st Ukrainian infantry division (1-1-6 d0)
3-2-6 d1 2nd Ukrainian infantry division (1-1-6 d0)
3-2-6 d1 3rd Ukrainian infantry division (1-1-6 d0)
4-2-6 d1 6th Ukrainian infantry division (2-1-6 d1)
POLAND
black on blue Polish
8-4-7 d2 7th infantry division (4-2-7 d2)
8-4-7 d2 13th infantry division (4-2-7 d2)
8-4-7 d2 14th infantry division (4-2-7 d2)
8-4-7 d2 15th infantry division (4-2-7 d2)
7-4-7 d2 4th infantry division (4-2-7 d2)
7-4-7 d2 10th infantry division (4-2-7 d2)
7-4-7 d2 16th infantry division (4-2-7 d2)
6-3-7 d2 8th infantry division (3-2-7 d2)
6-3-7 d2 11th infantry division (3-2-7 d2)
6-3-7 d2 12th infantry division (3-2-7 d2)
6-3-7 d2 17th infantry division (3-2-7 d2)
6-3-7 d2 18th infantry division (3-2-7 d2)
6-3-7 d2 21st mountain infantry division (3-2-7 d2)
5-3-7 d1 Siberian infantry brigade (3-2-7 d1)
5-3-7 d1 XVIII infantry brigade (3-2-7 d1)
4-2-7 d1 1st Reserve infantry brigade (2-1-7 d1)
4-2-7 d1 7th Reserve infantry brigade (2-1-7 d1)
4-2-7 d1 IX infantry brigade (2-1-7 d1)
4-2-7 d1 X infantry brigade (2-1-7 d1)
4-2-7 d1 XI infantry brigade (2-1-7 d1)
4-2-7 d1 XII infantry brigade (2-1-7 d1)
4-2-7 d1 XVII infantry brigade (2-1-7 d1)
3-2-6 d1 2nd Reserve infantry brigade (1-1-6 d1)
3-2-6 d1 3rd Reserve infantry brigade (1-1-6 d1)
3-2-6 d1 5th Reserve infantry brigade (1-1-6 d1)
3-2-6 d1 8th Reserve infantry brigade (1-1-6 d1)
4-2-7 d1 Rybak mountain infantry brigade (2-1-7 d1)
2-2-7 d1 33rd infantry regiment (blank)
2-2-7 d1 6th T infantry regiment (blank)
2-2-7 d1 4th Pomeranian infantry regiment (blank)
1-1-7 d1 32nd infantry regiment (blank)
1-1-7 d1 145th infantry regiment (blank)
1-1-6 d1 101st infantry regiment (blank)
1-1-6 d1 201st infantry regiment (blank)
1-1-6 d1 102nd infantry regiment (blank)
1-1-6 d1 105th infantry regiment (blank)
1-1-7 d1 4th mountain infantry regiment (blank)
2-2-4 d0 1st marine brigade (blank)
7-7-9 d2 1st cavalry division (4-4-9 d2)
6-6-9 d1 Jaworski cavalry brigade (3-3-9 d1)
5-5-9 d1 1st cavalry brigade (3-3-9 d1)
5-5-9 d1 2nd cavalry brigade (3-3-9 d1)
5-5-9 d1 8th cavalry brigade (3-3-9 d1)
5-5-9 d1 9th cavalry brigade (3-3-9 d1)
4-4-9 d1 3rd cavalry brigade (2-2-9 d1)
4-4-9 d1 4th cavalry brigade (2-2-9 d1)
4-4-9 d1 7th cavalry brigade (2-2-9 d1)
2-2-9 d1 c3 Kopa cavalry brigade (1-1-9 d1 c2)
1-1-9 d1 7th cavalry regiment (blank)
1-1-9 d1 14th cavalry regiment (blank)
1-1-9 d1 201st cavalry regiment (blank)
1-1-9 d1 202nd cavalry regiment (blank)
1-1-9 d1 203rd cavalry regiment (blank)
1-1-9 d1 211th cavalry regiment (blank)
1-1-9 d1 214th cavalry regiment (blank)
1-1-7 d1 1st Frontier Guard cavalry regiment (blank)
1-1-7 d1 3rd Frontier Guard cavalry regiment (blank)
1-1-7 d1 5th Frontier Guard cavalry regiment (blank)
1-1-7 d1 8th Frontier Guard cavalry regiment (blank)
1-1-7 d1 9th Frontier Guard cavalry regiment (blank)
1-1-7 d1 11th Frontier Guard cavalry regiment (blank)
1-1-7 d1 13th Frontier Guard cavalry regiment (blank)
2-2-0 d0 1st Peasants and Workers militia regiment (blank)
2-2-0 d0 2nd Peasants and Workers militia regiment (blank)
2-2-0 d0 3rd Peasants and Workers militia regiment (blank)
2-2-0 d0 4th Peasants and Workers militia regiment (blank)
2-2-0 d0 Warsaw Students militia regiment (blank)
1-1-0 d0 Warsaw Womens militia regiment (blank)
1-1-0 d0 Warsaw Priests militia regiment (blank)
6-6-0 d0 Warsaw artillery brigade (blank)
2-2-0 d0 Lwow garrison regiment (blank)
2-2-0 d0 Modlin garrison regiment (blank)
(8) 2-1-25 d0 armored train (blank)
(2) 3-2-F d0 flotilla (blank)
Kos Squadron counter
white on dk blue Polish Legion/Volunteer division
6-4-3 d0 Nowicki tank regiment (3-2-3 d0)
3-2-8 d0 5th motorized infantry regiment (blank)
3-2-8 d0 Sikorski motorized infantry regiment (blank)
3-2-3 d0 Warsaw tank batallion (blank)
2-1-2 d0 4th tank batallion (blank)
2-1-8 d0 Kopa armored car batallion (blank)
2-1-8 d0 1st armored car batallion (blank)
1-1-8 d0 2nd motorized infantry batallion (blank)
1-1-8 d0 3rd motorized infantry batallion (blank)
black on dk blue Polish Moto-Mechanized
10-4-6 d1 Volunteer infantry division (3-2-6 d1)
11-6-7 d2 1st infantry division (6-4-7 d2)
9-5-7 d2 2nd infantry division (5-3-7 d2)
9-5-7 d2 3rd infantry division (5-3-7 d2)
2-1-9 d1 1st cavalry regiment (blank)
2-1-9 d1 2nd cavalry regiment (blank)
2-1-9 d1 3rd cavalry regiment (blank)
blue on white Polish repl. counters
(16) 2-5 infantry (1-5)
(16) 2-5 cavalry (1-5)
black on green Lithuanian-Byelorussian
6-3-7 d2 1st Lithuanian-Byelorussian infantry division (3-2-6 d2)
4-2-6 d2 2nd Lithuanian-Byelorussian infantry division (2-1-6 d1)
1-1-7 d1 41st Lithuanian-Byelorussian cavalry regiment (blank)
green on white Byelorussian
5-5-9 d1 Bulak-Balakhovich cavalry brigade (2-2-9 d1)
(14) red star counters
(14) white eagle counters
(16) arrow counters
(24) blank counters
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