Hi Guys,
Yith and I were talking about running a game as the Doughboys later on this year. Perhaps not something factual or based on an actual event, but something more along the lines of Kelly's Heroes or Saving Private Ryan (It will upset many to understand that Saving Private Ryan isn't real! 
)
The "In the Pocket" game was originally the 1st Doughboys game, but rapidly turned into me just doing everything when the other fellas went off and did their own thing, which is why there was a bit to be desired for during that game!
Onwards and upwards!!
I'm quite liking the idea in the film "The big red one" where the 1st ID go and recon ahead in Holland, and come across a mentalist asylum, which they liberate from the Germans!
Any game ideas, along the lines of the PBI games, small unit fighting a small unit rather than generic allied vs axis.
A game, great. Like the PBI one(s), even greater.
We have thinking caps on. 
I suppose I should spew forth the results of my thinking cap then. In no particular order and hopefully showing how I reached my conclusion (like GCSE maths...).
I thought the strength of OP Lightning was that it had a 'specific' and believable setting, but the story was fabrication. The results of the actions of 12 guys was not stepping stones towards representing major counter offensives and such large scale actions.
This structure is obviously easier to create with a commando party than a US infantry 'group'
It Would be nice to run a game portraying the 'doughboy', a regular infantry group and not something special like the Rangers or such. As such there is the general problem, if wanting to make it 'realistic' that the superiority of numbers, supplies and general offensive nature of the US army would make a one-sided game. Also the doughboys is a new group and, as yet, does not have the 'loyal' following of PBI that would enable us to field high numbers of US infantry, and I assume no one wants to have another Infantry and Airborne together game.
One view would be something in Italy, but that would require a site that is rather specific and 'Italian' feeling, which is harder to find and a more central site would be more useful, lending itself to representing France, basically. Add to this that a large proportion of 'French' scenarios have already been done and we don't want to repeat old ground if we can help it.
This leads me to suggest that a scenario based upon 'Patton Stalled' would be a nice idea.
"3rd army has pushed into Lorraine but has run into supply problems and its advance has ground to a halt outside Nancy. This has enabled the rapidly retreating German forces to consolidate their position and a short stalemate has occurred. Allied supplies are given a priority to the North and Market Garden leading to Patton's force literally sitting there with no petrol to continue the advance in the first days of September 1944.
Patton is, obviously, reluctant to just sit there waiting and so he relies heavily on the infantry units to conduct extensive recon, procure any fuel, and take the fight to the consolidating Germans whilst he awaits supplies.
The Germans meanwhile are stabilising their line and fortifying their positions around Metz. Volksgrenadier formations are being rushed to the front and the remains of units that have been retreating through France are attempting to hold and disrupt the US forces to buy time for a stronger defence to be constructed."
This would -
1. Give us considerable leeway in creating a series of 'missions' that would be both believable for small groups of regular US and German infantry and enabling a variety of attack on defence.
2. allow us to create our own story without representing major offensives and maintain a believable historical setting.
3. It, the setting, hasn't been done already.
4. Rural France is easier to represent in terms of sites (though admittedly I have only been to a few)
5. It Credibly allows us to ignore tanks, artillery and all the rest of such mcgubbins, whilst constructing a story around regular soldiers.
6 The 'missions' written can be diverse and interesting enough to maintain a good game if there is a low turnout of players.
5. The US infantry kit people have - OD3 and M41s - is correct.
Well those are my thoughts chaps. Sorry for the essay that accompanies them.
Fully marks Craig, don't ever put your own ideas down, even if they are long winded.
There's a lot of detail there, and some really good ideas, especially ones that wouldn't take too much shoe-horning into a game scenario.
Things to consider and research for this idea:
Units/divisions under Patton's command (3rd Army I think):
Wiki says:
# V Corps: 1945-??, 1990-91, 2003-??
# VII Corps: 1990-91
# XII Corps: 1944-??
# XVIII Airborne Corps: 1990-91
# 87th Infantry Division Nov. 1944 <----
Against who: Which particular unit of the Germans would have opposed the US in this region of the country.
Format of the games:
# Stealing Jerry cans from the Krauts, seizing/sabotaging munition supplies, recon missions etc.
At the time it was XX Corps and XII Corps, as a lot of his command had been stripped away. The Divisions are on my home computer. I belive XX Corps was 5th Infantry, 90th Infantrty and 7th Armoured.
German forces were 5th Panzer Army, though as far as I understand that was the emains of Army Group West and so included loads of stuff. Though it would be nice to have the Germans as Heer infantry, as that is what the majority were.
http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/gabel3/gabel3.asp
I read it last night 
, it tends to spend a lot of time talking about the general military situation in Europe, and then on the 'post-supply-problems' part of 3rd army's advance.
Right, I've been giving this a tad of thought and I think that the most useful thing to do now is to choose a site. The individual scenarios can be written around a suitable site and such.
Now I only know a few, but what do people think. Obviously somewhere in the 'Midlands' is a bonus as it is easier for those in the south to get to. A natural reaction is fearful silence, as Alex is a member and we are close by for setting thigs up. But with it being quite up North, and there already being two games there this year it feels a tad wrong.
What is needed in the site? Well most sites would work really. As a region Lorraine is rather open and farmland-y, but it obviously has woods and towns so those can easily work.
Given that the structure would be the same as in PBI games, and that I would suspect the turnout to be relativly low - compared to CIA games and Taffy' and such - a small site would work fine.
So what/where to chaps think?
Agreed, a small site is what we need... ideally not one we've used before and one that we know the site owners... Plus midlands is better than Yorkshire...
Makes it tough doesn't it?
I mean I don't know many Midlands sites that I'd consider that haven't already been used.
We might have to bite the bullet and use a site that has been used. Though I confess something that is more than 'a wood' would be nice. That is one of the reasons I like Grange Farm, it had wood, but also 'hedges', little buildings and open fields. I have been looking through some pictures of sites but they never tell the whole story.
Do you have any site ideas Webby?
I'm thinking mate, a few sites I know either aren't suitable, or the people who run it are a bunch of Cunning stunts!
Okay... there is something else we need to consider. Commanders for the enemy.
We need to find someone to do that and be in with the organisation of the event from the start.
Ideas?
The list, from what I gather/know, would be
JD7
Chomley
Steiner
Gadge/Evo
My then thinking would be
Chomely Organises anough with CiA
Gadge/Evo Organise enough with PBI
Steiner lives in Italy or something - and is organising one in Oct...
What about Rich (Lardy)? I know he has been talking about running one at his local site?
I think you'd probably find that Gadge and Evo would be up for it depending on the dates...
JD7 has helped in the past and knows what he's doing.
Lardy is a good bloke, not sure if his style of play will match what is needed or if he's done anything like that in the past, might be good as a second to someone with more experience?
Agreed that Chomley wouldn't want to do it I think, too much other stuff on for him. Though you never know.
Fandanglos has helped in the past as well.
Unless one of us has a secret German Officer's Uniform hidden away?
Well I was wanting to get a site, to write some Ideas around it, and then to thrust them at people, yourselves included. So there would be something specific rather than vague.
The Craig plan, as I may decide to call it, is to have one officer per side who basically doesn't take part in the fighting. As we will have the numbers for about a squad or so to turn the fighting part over to NCOs on either side and have the officer(s) at the back directing the individual engagements more.
The idea is that each of the engagements has not one but two 'objectives' in it, and the officer on either side would choose how to go about accomplishing either. In the simplest terms the US side might have an engagement where they have to either take a bridge, or secure a fuel dump. The German and American commanders would be aware, obviously, of both objectives and would have to decide how to go about taking one/holding them. After ordering the NCOs to certain missions the NCOs would do the fighting/commanding in the field.
In this regard, firstly, does it sound good? I think it would give give more immersion with the separation of the chain of command, and be more 'tactical' when it comes to how engagements are undertaken. It would also enable one 'player' on each side to stand back and make sure things are working OK.
Secondly, if firstly so, would the 'playing without really shooting' change the choice of German officer? Would most people want to 'play?'
Essay again, sorry, just putting my thought out there.
Yes this can work.
In order to avoid the worry about playing and not shooting, we have in the past made the officers on each side the organisers...
goood.
Now can we think of a German who would be happy to be an organiser with us? Running it in conjenction with th 'Landser' or 'Hoenstaffen' of course, but would they be happy to have their game spent looking at maps in a wood?
Or should I start looking at crusher caps. 
It doesn't have to be that bad for them... they can get some play in as well!
yeah - though you do know that if I do it I want to spend all day looking at maps in woods?
So, I think that you and Webby know these Germans the most, who do you chaps think should be a good choice to ask?
