HFQ Official Snippet #26 (I think)

Somehow my mind drifts to the Finnish Winter Campaign against the Soviets in 1939-40. Aspects of similarity include the hatred between both sides and the terrain of deep woods with snow. The good thing here is that the ICA is the vastly better equipped and strategically superior against a winter-decimated CoGA on the thin edge of supply. In this aspect it more reflects the winter campaigns of 1943 & 44 by the Soviets against the Nazis.

An unfortunate aspect of these kind of campaigns is the innate viciousness of cornered rats. Any ICA prisoners are more burdens than prizes when the captors cannot keep themselves fed. Add to this the already high feelings engendered by the Inquisition and the Devil is in command!

Whew! RFC, I'm glad to hear that the medical procedure went well, and that your family's prayers (and ours) have been answered. As to driving again - doesn't that take you away from the computer and the writing you could be doing?

I deeply appreciate the snippet, and the prospect of seeing some TL butts meet their Maker and finding out that He isn't Langhorne. Obviously the series isn't going to tell us what happens in the afterlife, but I'd sure enjoy seeing the TL's reactions when they learn that they've earned permanent residence in a very warm place, and that Shan-Wei doesn't live there - but Langhorne does! Pardon me for a moment while I enjoy a good laugh... BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Since a bunch of these TLs are going to freeze to death after running away in terror, and hypothermia makes you feel warm as you near death, I suppose they will die quietly, then notice that it's getting uncomfortably hot. Pardon me again - BWAHAHAHAHA!!!

Sorry, seeing evil vanquished always causes me to launch into evil laughter. And boy do these guys need to be vanquished! Go BGV!!!

And please assure us that we'll see the scene where Clyntahn finds out what happened to the invincible AoS. Seeing him give himself a hernia trying to lift and hurl heavy, valuable objects while spouting a torrent of invective is one of my guilty pleasures... Seeing him suffer a stroke during one of his tirades would be even more entertaining!

Best news of all is that our favorite wizard and pusher is as well as can be expected medically at this point.

isaac_newton wrote:

Henry Brown wrote:I'd say the new 4.5 inch mortar is going to be fairly important as the series continues. It is described as having 4000 yards extra range compared to the older 3 inch mortar. If I'm not mistaken, the old mortars could fire something like a mile to a mile and a half. So the new M97 mortars should have something like 3.5 to 4 miles of total range. If the ICA can work out a good system for forward fire control that is going to be a pretty substantial advantage on any battlefield. Or better yet, put the 4.5 mortars on high ground so they can direct their own fire.

First of all, I'm really glad to hear that things are going well - so double thanks for snippetting - and a great snippet too. As with some of the others, I've bean really longing to get back to BGV!


One these new mortars - is the extended range purely due to the larger diameter allowing more explosive or might that be due to a new propellant?

Interesting too seeing that Wyrshym takes the defeat of the Army of Shiloah as well in the past, so that probably means we won't see the messengers bringing that bit news to the Gof4 - shame

Firstly, very happy to hear the MWW aka RFC is doing well after his "peacemaker" has been fitted.

Secondly, has the concept of the mountain "Screw-gun" been considered anywhere?

www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/poems_screwguns.htm

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RML_2.5_inch_Mountain_Gun

Charybdis wrote:Somehow my mind drifts to the Finnish Winter Campaign against the Soviets in 1939-40. Aspects of similarity include the hatred between both sides and the terrain of deep woods with snow. The good thing here is that the ICA is the vastly better equipped and strategically superior against a winter-decimated CoGA on the thin edge of supply. In this aspect it more reflects the winter campaigns of 1943 & 44 by the Soviets against the Nazis.

An unfortunate aspect of these kind of campaigns is the innate viciousness of cornered rats. Any ICA prisoners are more burdens than prizes when the captors cannot keep themselves fed. Add to this the already high feelings engendered by the Inquisition and the Devil is in command!

My guts tells me the simmering anger Green Valley has been displaying in his internal monologues will lead to an act of brutal practicality regarding prisoners. Unless there are non-arctic troops following his vanguard, BGV will leave these temple boys to freeze. They won't last long enough to starve. From that perspective he might not even leave them with more than 1-2 days of food and then burn down anything that might shelter the SOBs.

If he captures this garrison whole, he cannot leave them able to join other TLs and he can't take them with him. Leaving any sized force to guard the prisoners will reduce his firepower to use against Fairkyn, Ohlarn and finally Guarnak. So, whether BGV has enough troops to guard these prisoners will really tell us how he planned for this offensive. Did he accept from the beginning that prisoners were a luxury he would dispense with? Or regardless of his growing animosity, will he take prisoners and provide for their welfare once in custody?

There is a real nasty part of me that wishes the former knowing full well that doing that would perpetuate evil. If simply reading the book leaves one feeling that way, imagine what actually being in a similar situation would make one feel? The Eastern Front on '39-'40 or '43-'44 if the Russian commanders knew about the German concentration camps, could the combat have become more brutal than it was? I shudder to think.

PeterZ wrote:
My guts tells me the simmering anger Green Valley has been displaying in his internal monologues will lead to an act of brutal practicality regarding prisoners. Unless there are non-arctic troops following his vanguard, BGV will leave these temple boys to freeze. They won't last long enough to starve. From that perspective he might not even leave them with more than 1-2 days of food and then burn down anything that might shelter the SOBs.

If he captures this garrison whole, he cannot leave them able to join other TLs and he can't take them with him. Leaving any sized force to guard the prisoners will reduce his firepower to use against Fairkyn, Ohlarn and finally Guarnak. So, whether BGV has enough troops to guard these prisoners will really tell us how he planned for this offensive. Did he accept from the beginning that prisoners were a luxury he would dispense with? Or regardless of his growing animosity, will he take prisoners and provide for their welfare once in custody?

Hi Peter,

Last year, I looked up the table of organization and calculated that BGV has a total of 76,000 troops, and that his first corp had approximately 28,000 troops. In snippet 23, Howsmyn lets us know that “twenty-seven thousand or so men” of BGV’s first corp had been re-armed with improved weapons.

We know that Wyrshym has 60,000 men, with about 5,000 at Esthyr’s Abbey, and 11,000 at Fairkyn. BGV has plenty of men to guard surrendered troops from both Esthyr’s Abbey and Fairken. Given BGV’s current force superiority, and the fact that not all of Wyrshym’s remaining troops can be at Guarnak, BGV can probably take Guarnak with as few as 20,000 men of his first corp. Depending on how the battles go at Esthyr’s Abbey, and Fairken, a larger problem may be does BGV have enough of the new cartridges to take Guarnak without resupply.

Snippet 9 let us know that all of the ICA troops were trained for winter marches, but that the troops of BGV’s first corp had been trained in “winter war fighting”. So, BGV can bring in his second corp to take over prisoners. BGV will maintain EOC policy regarding prisoners. I think that knowing he had to maintain that policy was the reason that he refused to review more snark images from Hyrdmyn.

I am more interested in seeing BGV’s evolving logistics, so that he can continue to control the tempo and battle locations of his northern campaign.

James

First and foremost, RFC, I'm delighted that the medical procedures you've undergone have been successful. And I'm sure I speak for us all when I say that we really really don't mind if you slow down a bit, take things a little easier, and get some rest – please?

And thank you for the snippet. And after the Army of Shiloh's fate, I'm looking forward to reading about Clyntahn's next seizure when he hears about what's happened to this section of the AoG. But only in due time, RFC!

Thanks!!1

and be well!!!!

PeterZ wrote:

Charybdis wrote:Somehow my mind drifts to the Finnish Winter Campaign against the Soviets in 1939-40. Aspects of similarity include the hatred between both sides and the terrain of deep woods with snow. The good thing here is that the ICA is the vastly better equipped and strategically superior against a winter-decimated CoGA on the thin edge of supply. In this aspect it more reflects the winter campaigns of 1943 & 44 by the Soviets against the Nazis.

An unfortunate aspect of these kind of campaigns is the innate viciousness of cornered rats. Any ICA prisoners are more burdens than prizes when the captors cannot keep themselves fed. Add to this the already high feelings engendered by the Inquisition and the Devil is in command!

My guts tells me the simmering anger Green Valley has been displaying in his internal monologues will lead to an act of brutal practicality regarding prisoners. Unless there are non-arctic troops following his vanguard, BGV will leave these temple boys to freeze. They won't last long enough to starve. From that perspective he might not even leave them with more than 1-2 days of food and then burn down anything that might shelter the SOBs.

If he captures this garrison whole, he cannot leave them able to join other TLs and he can't take them with him. Leaving any sized force to guard the prisoners will reduce his firepower to use against Fairkyn, Ohlarn and finally Guarnak. So, whether BGV has enough troops to guard these prisoners will really tell us how he planned for this offensive. Did he accept from the beginning that prisoners were a luxury he would dispense with? Or regardless of his growing animosity, will he take prisoners and provide for their welfare once in custody?

There is a real nasty part of me that wishes the former knowing full well that doing that would perpetuate evil. If simply reading the book leaves one feeling that way, imagine what actually being in a similar situation would make one feel? The Eastern Front on '39-'40 or '43-'44 if the Russian commanders knew about the German concentration camps, could the combat have become more brutal than it was? I shudder to think.

I think your gut has valid reason for concern. I hope that there are no atrocities, but the anger along with combat fatigue can make for a dangerous mix...

The Siddarmarkans worry me even more that way. Zion will be lucky if the Army of the Republic doesn't enter the city playing "The Pikes of Kolstyr."

Don

I'm also glad to hear that you are doing better, David. (and thanks for the snippet).

PeterZ wrote:

My guts tells me the simmering anger Green Valley has been displaying in his internal monologues will lead to an act of brutal practicality regarding prisoners. Unless there are non-arctic troops following his vanguard, BGV will leave these temple boys to freeze. They won't last long enough to starve. From that perspective he might not even leave them with more than 1-2 days of food and then burn down anything that might shelter the SOBs.

If he captures this garrison whole, he cannot leave them able to join other TLs and he can't take them with him. Leaving any sized force to guard the prisoners will reduce his firepower to use against Fairkyn, Ohlarn and finally Guarnak. So, whether BGV has enough troops to guard these prisoners will really tell us how he planned for this offensive. Did he accept from the beginning that prisoners were a luxury he would dispense with? Or regardless of his growing animosity, will he take prisoners and provide for their welfare once in custody?

There is a real nasty part of me that wishes the former knowing full well that doing that would perpetuate evil. If simply reading the book leaves one feeling that way, imagine what actually being in a similar situation would make one feel? The Eastern Front on '39-'40 or '43-'44 if the Russian commanders knew about the German concentration camps, could the combat have become more brutal than it was? I shudder to think.

I don't know what he will do, but if he leaves them with no weapons or warm clothing and barely enough food to survive, then then won't be any sort of threat for the next couple of months - at which time, BGV can send a force to walk them back to POW camps.

I agree that if he wants to burn the place to the ground and leave, that would finish off the forces. And he might just do that. And frankly, given the CoGA forces handling of civilians and POWs, I don't see any reason for him not to do so. Why show them any more mercy then they've shown Allied forces?

The only problem with that is he won't be able to have a special welcome for the Inquisitors assigned to the Abbey. But I suppose knowing they're freezing to death would be good enough.

I'm not sure, however, what honor dictates in the handling of prisoners (excluding Inquisitors), should he accept them. If he takes prisoners, then leaving them to die is probably a violation of Cayleb's orders. But BGV can just blow the place to heck, take the living inquisitors, and leave the remaining forces without taking them as prisoners. Not sure...

-- Bob G