How about playing Soviet characters from one of the mobilization divisions then that were basically equipped with WWII/Korean War era equipment - i.e. old T-34/85's for tanks, WWII rifles and submachine guns, etc.. - given how the Soviets basically never threw anything away that would be a great way to introduce something like what you described above

Love to see the PPSh-41 and PPS-43 as part of their equipment

Interesting musings, as always, Chalkline.

I imagine those plans would fall apart relatively quickly. Many wartime exigencies would interfere with any large scale civilian evac- the use of roads by friendly military units (either heading to or from the front), enemy interdiction by means of airstrikes, long-range artillery, battlefield tactical missiles (with conventional warheads, initially), and or area denial munitions.

Also, I reckon it's likely that resources allocated for evacuations, on paper, would be quickly redirected to service military needs once war breaks out- especially if it doesn't start off so well for the Polish army. No plan survives contact with the enemy.

Lastly, when enemy attackers advance more quickly than expected, the resulting disruption, even carnage, can be severe. This happened to German civilians on both fronts in the final months of WW2. In East Prussia, especially, there are scores of documented reports of T34s machinegunning and even running over columns of civilian evacuees, and Soviet artillery mercilessly shelling same. Sometimes, the identity of the evacuees was unknown to the attacking force- the Germans used the same trains to move troops and civilians back and forth between the front and rear areas- but others it was abundantly clear. This was payback for the way the rampant German military treated civilians in Soviet territory (although this does not justify Soviet vengeance measures, it does explain why they were so callous and widespread).

Lastly, in a country the size of Poland, there's only so many places displaced civilians can go, and really no place that is not within reach of the enemy.

-

I think that would be a lot of fun. If the GM is careful then he can make modern equipment 'treasure' so the players should be up against essentially militia.

Really, it was never going to work as you said as modern warfare is just too fast. As we've seen with recent conflicts it's really hard to tell apart a civilian convoy escaping or some logistical element removing vital infrastructure. It should be remembered that due to the hostile climate in winter Russian troops move in buses or van-trucks that are difficult to tell apart from civilian elements. There was no satellites, tasking is very much on a "I just saw it, should I shoot it? By the way, everyone's shooting at me so make it quick" situation.

This does give the GM a good way of depopulating areas if they don't want the players inadvertently shooting civilians and the upset this causes. In my games an encounter roll doesn't show you the enemy it just shows the presence of the enemy. I've had whole firefights with players just shooting at muzzle flashes and the enemy doing the same. In situations like this the GM might not want the guy on the Mk19 encountering furtive civvies in the bushes unless he's going for hard pathos.

Those camps should be found on occasion abandoned, reoccupied by some group or even never able to move and simply stranded. I think the civilian element and their role in the game is really underexamined. My players hated the 12th Dresdens in Krakow before they even met them because they encountered the starving refugees they'd excluded from the city as 'unwanted mouths' in camps outside the perimeter.

This is an overview. As there's now four standard Twilight 2000 systems and a myriad of conversions I'm putting this up so GMs can think about how Soviet ERA is represented in their games rather than giving rules values.

Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) is now well known but when the last of the GDW Twilight 2000 games were written it was just assumed to be exactly like the Israeli "Blazer" ERA. However the Soviet ERA was fundamentally more effective than NATO believed at the time.

During The Cold War the Western view was that Soviet ERA was a desperate attempt to provide some sort of protection for their comparatively lighter and less armoured MBTs. This was later found to be totally wrong and the ERA packages where the foundation of MBT armour survival systems. In game terms you will not see any vehicle with over 30mm of base amour in the Warsaw pact without ERA and this goes for legacy vehicles dragged out of depots. Yes, you might see a T-34/85 festooned in Kontakt-1.

Once the true nature of WTO ERA packages is understood you can bet your favourite boots that NATO will reverse engineer them. ERA kits for all sorts of WTO ERA will be developed for NATO MBTs. Whether indigenous NATO ERA packages gets to the troops or NATO relies on captured munitions is up to the GM. Other-than-Europe campaigns might have surprises for players when an MBT trundles into view clad in WTO-style ERA.

During the pre-2000 period the following Soviet ERA was available:

4C20 Kontakt-1
4C22 Kontakt-5
4C23 Kaktus (prototype)

Kontakt-1
4C20 Kontakt-1 was implemented in 1985 and was an interim solution to get ERA onto vehicles before the more mature Kontakt-5 could be implemented. Oddly enough this ERA has soldiered on for really no good reason even after it was superseded in 1989. Vast amounts of this ERA have been manufactured and this may have been because of the late Cold War tensions an urgent need for ERA was felt. As such buckets of this stuff is still around even after being liberally sold off at bargain basement rates.

Each unit of munition is 5.3kg and an entire MBT can have its ERA package installed in two hours by its three man crew. On average the ERA package for an MBT would weigh 1,200kg. Any MBT equipped with Kontakt-1 is a "B Variant". This stuff is enormously resilient, burnt-out MBTs with their entire hull armour destroyed by fire have been seen with their Kontakt-1 packages unharmed.
Due to the dynamics of the Kontakt-1 package the blocks must be installed at a 68º angle. This means that nearly all vehicles require a special underframe to support it and not a bunch of lugs as listed in the rules (a hold over from the early Blazer mounts).

Because Kontakt-1 is so stable it has nearly no effect on kinetic energy rounds, the reason for it being rapidly superseded. The Soviets intended their ERA to work against KE rounds from the very inception of the program and this is why Kontakt-1 can only be considered an interim solution.

Against HEAT Kontakt-1 is very effective.
- 9M113 Konkurs = 86% reduction (MILAN 2 equivalent)
- M72 LAW = 92% reduction
- 9K112 Kobra (125mm) = 58% reduction

For armour reduction Kontakt-5 has an average penetration reduction of 60% for a single-warhead HEAT round

Kontakt-5
4C22 Kontakt-5 is the main level of defence you will see on Cold War MBTs of the Warsaw Pact. The Soviet Union was very aware that the Nazi German's stinginess in helping their Axis allies equip with modern equipment was one of the factors in their defeat and had plans to equip every MBT in the WTO with this armour package. Kontakt-5 really is the standard for Cold War ERA and was designed to be fielded with a slat armour package covering the rear third of the MBT as had been developed during their Afghanistan experience. The proliferation of NATO 120mm guns hastened the introduction of this munition.
Kontakt-5 was an adjustment to the sensitivity of the installation. It was designed to be immune to strikes of 30mm autocannon yet activate against anything heavier.

Kontakt-5 is heavier than Kontakt-1 and the mass of an MBT's armour package is around 2,000kg. Individual "Dynamic Elements" (blocks) weigh 10.35 kg.

For armour reduction Kontakt-5 has an average penetration reduction of 60% for a single-warhead HEAT round and 20% for a KE round. This values vary as seen with the Kontakt-1 values above. Here is an excerpt of a NATO study from 2007:

Kaktus
4C23 Kaktus is the Dissolution Period prototype that led to Relikt ERA, the most modern Russian ERA apart from the little-seen Malakit on the T-14 series. It is not impossible that Relikt was finished if you use a non-standard no-dissolution campaign as it was brought into service in 2006. As such Kaktus was certainly available but issued on a very small scale as it was preferred to wait for Relikt, a Twilight 2000 war would probably change that.

Kaktus has a unique characteristic. Prior to Kaktus all high-efficiency ERA required heavy MBT armour behind it to not only survive the remaining penetrative HEAT jet but also to absorb the shockwave of the ERA itself. Kaktus however can be mounted on light vehicles and the up-armoured versions of the BMP were the primary beneficiary of this ERA. The BMP-3B comes standard with this package. Generally you need at least 20mm of RHA equivalent (don't forget Soviet 550BNA HHA is equivalent to 1.3 times standard RHA) to support this ERA package ruling out the flimsier vehicles such as the poor old PT-76.

Kaktus can be attached at any angle to the vehicle.
The size of the blocks varies so I would simply use Kontakt-5 as a base (10.35kg). As this stuff can go on any vehicle a rough estimate is 2,000kg for an MBT and 1,100kg for a smaller APC/IFV. As usual this includes the slat armour package for the rear third of the vehicle.

It is an extremely effective ERA and is claimed by NII Stali to be 1.9 to 2.0 times the effectiveness of Konatkt-5. For armour reduction Kontakt-5 has an average penetration reduction of 90% for a single-warhead HEAT round and 40% for a KE round.

(because I think I'm funny. Here's something to bring back those 'good memories')

"Cosmoline" MIL-SPEC Grease (MIL-C-11796C, Class 3)
1.0L Can (1 quart) 0.9kg, $4 V/V
3.8L Can (1 gallon) 3.2kg, $9 V/V
7.6L Can (2 gallons) 6.4kg $16 V/V
11.4L Can (3 gallons) 9.5kg $23 V/V
19.0L Pail (5 gallons)15.9kg $26 V/V
205.0L Drum (54 gallons) 181.4kg $200 V/V

Soviet/Russian Vehicle Thermographic Sights

It's well known the Soviets preferred to sink R&D into light intensification rather than thermographic sights before the dissolution of the USSR. The main reason was the resolution of the Gen-1 thermographs; out past a certain range the target appeared as a blob and couldn't be clearly identified and the risk of blue-on-blue was too high for a widely deployed vision system. In this regard Soviet thermographs were slightly inferior in resolution to western variants.

However they did actually mass produce and deploy a system, and this was the Agava-2 Gen-1 thermographic on the command variant of the T-80, the T-80UK, first appearing in 1992 after the dissolution.

What's not widely known is they had a Gen-2 variant, the Agava-M1, ready for widespread fielding in 1995 for general retrofitting. Unlike what you'd expect this had nothing to do with the French systems they were looking at but an in-house model developed from the earlier Agava-2.

However the breakup of the federation and the collapse of the economy meant like so many nascent systems this project was shelved due to being sourced from countries now outside Russia. Once the technology was secured the project was continued on shoestring budget and resurfaced as a retrofit in 2016.

Depending on your backstory this means that Soviet thermographs might now be available for a variety of vehicles, but probably not in any uniform fashion. The first vehicles would be the T-80UKs getting updated and their old Agava-2s bolted onto other vehicles.
Like all thermal sights it's a fairly evident installation being an armoured drum on the top left of the turret possibly allowing players to realise something's up with the vehicle. Small vehicles such as the BMP-1 to -2s, BTRs and BRDM-2s would need them mounted on the hull or a new armoured bulge mounts on the turret top.

Government and Law in the Polish People's Republic during the Twilight War

(This is uses the 1st edition timeline rather than the ludicrous 2.2 edition where Germany invades Poland. Again. If you have any doubts about the likelihood of this just ask a German for their opinion of it.
I've covered some of this in prior posts.)

A fundamental paradox of the Eastern Bloc was that even when the USSR began to institute limited reforms the Soviet buffer-states tended to remain rigidly authoritarian due to their unpopular governments. This is an important factor in the makeup of the Polish state during the war.
When the NATO troops cross the Polish frontier the The Polish People's Republic (Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa) or PRL, immediately went over to war footing. Martial law was decreed and the system of Wojna Ludowa, or "People's War' was introduced.

People's War is critical to understanding Twilight 2000 Poland.
Under the Wojna Ludowa concept every single citizen works together to repel the invader. The concept of "civilian" disappears and is replaced with either "combatant' or "supporting non-combatant". All personal projects and the tiny Polish private sector is immediately halted and the full weight of the communist state is thrown at the enemy. Any reference to "civilian" in the rules regarding Poland should be ignored, they make no sense unless the individual is 'trapped' behind NATO lines and then they legally under PRL law should attempt to pass through the lines to Polish-held areas to assist the war effort.

The PRL had universal conscription pre-war and any male between 16 and 56 years old is either working in supporting industries or drafted back into the army. Any female between 16 and 56 was expected to take up the support tasks the draftees had to abandon to fight and later would become frontline troops in their own right. Every single non-combatant becomes a member of the OP-PRL or the OTK, the Polish Civil Defence and the Polish Territorial Army respectively. In the case of OTK duties these are off-hours duties such as guarding infrastructure or patrolling facilities and enforcing martial law. All non-combatants are expected to either evacuate the facility along with its infrastructure if the enemy threaten if at all possible and if not they are expected to fight to repel the enemy. Children and the elderly are evacuated to the USSR or the Baltic States if possible or as far east as can be achieved.

The ruling PRL political party, the PZPR, hands over power to the Wojskowa Rada, 'Military Council', or WR, and the civil authorities simply support the war effort. The Milicja Obywatelska, 'Citizen's Militia' (police force), or MO is not conscripted and their paramilitary wing the dreaded Zmotoryzowane Odwody Milicji Obywatelskiej, 'Motorized Reserves of the Citizens' Militia', or ZOMO are used where military police action is required, usually against the PRL's own citizens although they can operate as light motorised infantry in their BTR-60s.

Martial law is onerous. A strict curfew operates between 0600 to 2200 and anyone violating curfew is immediately arrested. "Shooting on sight" is not a phenomenon, authoritarian states respond to crises by becoming even more legalistic if that is possible and instead offenders for any crime appear before military tribunals and are made an example of by long and demeaning trials. Censorship was of course already in place pre-war.

Unless the crime is active treason the usual punishment is harsh forced labour under heavy guard, which is given every licence to mistreat prisoners, while the offender is used as a propaganda exercise. Crimes that are particularly abhorred by the state are avoiding work, hoarding supplies, spreading enemy propaganda (defeatism is later added to this) and smuggling, all of which not only violate martial law but also offend communist ideology and thus incur extra approbation from the authorities. Smuggling is especially heavily policed and deterred as it is considered stealing from the state, the war effort and the people. Note that only East Germany allowed conscientious objectors in the Eastern Bloc, if you can fight and are ordered to you must.

As before the war any right to strike is forbidden and mandatory confiscation of war material is common.

Those convicted of actively aiding and abetting the enemy are stripped of their citizenship, executed by hanging and afterwards placards detailing their crimes are affixed to their publicly displayed bodies and at the place of their crimes. As the military situation deteriorates more capital crimes are added to the list depending on the locality, situation and attitude of the relevant authorities. In the case that too many abettors are captured, say in the case that a NATO canton is overrun and the Polish workers are recovered, then the captives are marched into the Polish hinterland, placed into camps and used for rubble-clearing, demining and UXO clearance while being subject to harsh treatment 'befitting traitors' and enduing re-education. Note that the re-education is undertaken by the civil authorities and their lack of restraint towards political criminals was well known. This system has a powerful deterrent effect.

The PRL steps up its denunciation state. This is a state in which citizens are encouraged to monitor each other and denounce any unpatriotic activity or even conversations. In some places the MO will simply write this off as harmless but in other, especially sensitive areas, the MO will be rigid in its behaviour towards such transgressions. Denunciation states invariably fall prey to civil axe-grinding where petty rivalries can played out by frivolously denouncing rivals. Oddly enough this useless 'noise' can make the secret police less effective as they have trouble discerning real security threats from the backbiting but it can be hell for unpopular community members as they're dragged into the police compound on frequent allegations.

As you can see this means the Poland the players see in the game will be very different than the one depicted in the books. The Poles will ferociously defend their country partly due to innate patriotism but also due to the severe nature of the PRL and its treatment of those who undermine the fight against the invader. Polish Free Legion personnel not only risk themselves but their families who will be arrested, detained, interrogated and probably sent to holding camps in the interim as hostages until the authorities can think of what to do with them. Family members in the army will probably be demoted as untrustworthy, they should have informed on their traitorous relatives in the state's eyes, and in all doubt sent to units where political control is pervasive and rigid.

Wow, that’s total national mobilization. With measures like those in place being the domestic norm, I wonder how the poles would view civilian populations in neighboring (western) states?

Well, the weird thing is most people don't realise how the Eastern Bloc and especially the Soviets saw The Cold War.

The Soviets saw the Cold War as essentially a tradition going back to the Allied Intervention in the Russian Civil War¹, on their side Western aggression never really stopped and the West simply used them to bleed out the Nazis in The Second World War. The Soviets had endured eight million dead and had demanded that Germany be demilitarised (like Austria) but instead the West re-armed them, a serious red line. This is largely due to the fact that for the entire Second World War the Nazis had been saying they'd make peace with the West and then combine with the USA and Britain to crush Bolshevism and as far as they could see this was exactly what was happening. So when the West created NATO it was the sum of all their fears; their view was that the West was going to crush them while they were weak after fighting the Nazis thus the Iron Curtain and the Warsaw Treaty Organisation (fun fact: they called NATO "The North Atlantic Pact" :) )

So this gives you an idea how they saw Western societies and their peoples as well as their readiness. In Communist perspectives the workers of the West were too fragmented to resist being mobilised for war so mobilisation would only occur on a cost basis but that the West, as usual being suspected of being uncaring of workers lives due to their belief in eternal class war, would use their troops right up the point it looked like the economies would suffer too much.

So in game terms you can expect communists to see the West as eternal enemies, always ready to invade and always trying to undermine their 'perfect system'. Soviet troops especially will be distrustful of British, German and US troops. This is odd because in GDW's game those are the only troops that see combat in Poland so T2K is a worst-case scenario for the Soviets.

¹In Britain's case the antagonism really goes back to the 1820s, something we called The Great Game and something they see as just some sort of weird Russophobia

Yep, if you’re sitting on the eastern side of the IGB, or the Oder, T2k looks very much like the west once more taking advantage of a situation to make a land grab/power grab.

Your description really does make Poland sound like a place where there is a “rifle behind every bush”. I don’t imagine the Germans would be seen as anything less than a implacable foe, and US, UK, Danish, and Canadian troops with them would be equally guilty by association.

Kind of makes me wonder how badly the Soviets (supposed allies) behaved to have some Poles and Polish towns become neutral or supportive of NATO troops.

The Polish people feared a new partition, yes, but they loathed the Soviet Union, because they saw the Soviet Army as one of occupation. And frankly, that's exactly what it was. The Soviet army was not there to defend Poland, but to create a buffer to secure the USSR. Everyone in the Warsaw Pact knew this, but only two-and-a-half countries made it out of the conundrum that was the Eastern Bloc's fear of being occupied by Soviet armed forces ad perpetuum.

Yugoslavia left the bloc early, when the USSR war still weak. Having liberated itself during the war, Tito wasn't depending on Stalin as much as others. So, when the Soviet leader finally botched his relationship with Tito for good, Tito could leave the Soviet sphere of influence with Western help. Yugoslavia was not as important for the Soviet security cordon and when Stalin died, Khrushchev went for a climate change. So, Yugoslavia was safe.

Albania went second, and the matter is quite complicated, but in the end, Albania wasn't worth any effort and the split became public during the Khrushchev thawing. So the tiny Adriatic state, never having been occupied in the first place, left the Eastern Bloc per se almost quitly.

Next were Hungary and the ČSSR, both failing in their endeavors ultimately. In both cases, however, the enterprise to leave the Soviet zone of influence was almost doomed from the start. Hungary and ČSSR were direct neighbors of the USSR and thus extremely important to the defense of it. Them being part of the Soviet empire was not something that could be discussed. Also, in both cases, the split was to occur on the basis of local leaders aiming at not only leaving the Soviet empire, but also Marxist socialist ideals as preached by the USSR. In both cases, popular revolts were important parts of the political shift, something the Soviets always feared for themselves. So they went down hard on both, Hungary and the ČSSR.

Thus, when Romania aimed at leaving the direct zone of influence and especially occupation by the USSR, their leaders looked at the lessons others had endured and counted two and two together: being a direct neighbor of the USSR, Romania couldn't hope to leave the bloc entirely. But it got rid of occupation quite early. This left being tied militarily to the USSR by means of the Warsaw Pact. This was hardly negotiable, but Romania pulled off to never participate in big exercises and especially not having Soviet troops on its soil.

Romanian leadership had a narrow and slippery path to walk, in order to accomplish that. First of all, any form of official disobedience to Marxist socialist ideals was out of the question. Second, any form of popular unrest was, too. And third, the economy had to provide enough so that the USSR couldn't bully Romania into submission. The latter part worked, thanks to large scale investment into heavy industries, especially steel. This led to considerable fallout as the USSR basically sanctioned Romania, but Romanian leadership cooperated with the West as a consequence.

Romania only barely made it. While the Soviets never set foot into the country militarily, Romania's economy was so desolate and the security apparatus so immense that Romanians struggled probably the most during the fall of the regime in 1989. In the end, Ceaușescu and his wife were the only Eastern Bloc dictators to get killed by their own people for what they had done to their country. However, the killing of the Ceaușescus had profound impact on Erich and Margot Honnecker, the East German counterpart of Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu.

Encounter Weapons

1 Assault Rifle 1-6, SAW 7-10
2 Assault Rifle 1-6, Battle Rifle 7-10
3 Assault Rifle 1-6, Battle Rifle 7-10
4 Assault Rifle
5 Assault Rifle 1-5, w/Grenade Launcher 6-10
6 Carbine 1-9, w/Grenade Launcher 10-10
7 Carbine 1-7, SMG 8-10
8 Civilian Weapon 1-8, Unique/Odd 9-10
9 Marksman's Rifle 1-7, Sniper Rifle 8-10
10 Pistol 1-8, Improvised/Melee 9-10

Own Military 1-7, Other Military 8-10

Grenades: 1d6-3(+2 if Regular)

Mortar Shells as Rockets

Usually an NPC thing, this is a concept for GMs to use so they can have artillery that doesn't automatically turn the PCs into a set of smoking boots.

These are mortar bombs repurposed as rockets for use in the simple tube MLRS. They don't have quite the range of the usual rocket nor do they have the same explosive power although they are pretty close. Usually I give clear numbers for things like this but in this case it's really what the GM needs for the scenario. The basic guidelines are:

- Longer range than a mortar but shorter range than the rulebook rocket

- Lower accuracy. This is the big one. These things swamp the area but the chances of fragmentation is lower due to the wider dispersion. This is to keep the game playable.

- Same damage as the mortar bomb placed in the craftshop-made rocket hull, mortar bombs must be a smaller calibre than the MLRS rulebook rocket munition.

- Non-trivial chance of 'loony bombs'. These are rockets that fly off in odd directions.

If the players start to become cavalier about these rockets remember that the crews of the MLRS might have issue rockets they keep in reserve that are accurate, powerful and long ranged. Never sneer at the GM.

Some MLRS suitable for this:
(incomplete list)

Soviet:
- BM-21 "Grad" (122mm)
- 9P138 "Grad-1" (122mm Short)
- BM-21V "Grad-V" (122mm)
- LPRS "Grad-P" (122mm Short)
- BM-14MM 2B2R (140mm)
- BM-14-17M 8U35M (140mm)
- RPU-14 towed 8U38 (140mm)

Czech:
- RM-70 (122mm)
- RM-70/85 (122mm)

Yugoslavia:
- M-63 "Plamen" (128mm)
- RAK-12 towed (128mm)
- M-77 "Oganj" (128mm)

USA:
- M91 towed (115mm) [This would require barrels to be manufactured to replace the VX rocket containers which function as a barrel]

Ammunition Belt Loader.
Quickly loads loose rounds into the appropriate belts.
Wt: 5.0kg
Price: $10(V/V)

(These are usually in the box containing the complete weapon along with its tools, two spare barrels and so on)

Shown: 7.62x54mmR Belt Loader from the PKM on its storage box (image not in Juhlin forums)
There is a Swedish version that does M31 link belts so I'm assuming there are NATO versions

FV101 Skorpion 30 (not a misspelling)

This is the FV101 Scorpion rearmed with the Soviet Shipunov 2A42 30mm automatic cannon.

The 2A42 is 100kg lighter than the FV101's standard L23A1 76mm gun and produces about half the recoil force: 5,100kg vs 16,500kg for the standard 76mm.

It is the standard weapon taken from wrecked BMP-2s:
"A stabilized 30 mm 2A42 autocannon with dual ammunition feeds, which provide a choice of 3UBR6 AP-T and 3UOR6 HE-T / 3UOF8 HE-I ammunition. The gun has a selectable rate of fire, either slow at 200 to 300 rounds per minute or fast at 550 rounds per minute. This gives a continuous fire time of 100–150 seconds (or only 55 seconds, depending on the rate of fire chosen) before running out of ammunition. The original stabilization provides reasonable accuracy up to a speed of about 35 kilometres per hour."

500 rounds are in a basket fixed to the floor of the turret basket. The weapon is infamous for the amount of fumes it puts into the turret and two high volume fans have been placed in the turret roof. Even so, firing the weapon at its full rate of fire often has the crew leaving their hatches open. Normally the weapon is only fired in short bursts.

Death of a Division - the logistics story
So I've been rethinking Death of a Division using the rail lines as a supply line but going over it the scenario idea doesn't work as I wanted the PCs to play surviving corps-level logistics groups falling back down the rail.
However I thought I'd share with you where the original logstics rail lines went through to see if they can help in any way.
The Fifth starts its final journey in canton at Chojnice and I'm assuming that's where the initial rail-head is.
- Chojnice to Tuchola: Direct Rail
This is a simple trip. The convoy escorts and trains can go straight there.
- Tuchola to Torun: Rail through Dworzec Kolejowy "Wierzchucin", skirt Bydgoszcz on the north and the east.
This is to avoid crossing the Vistula which the rails don't anyway. While dangerous it's still not out of the ordinary.
- Torun to Krośniewice: Aleksandrów Kujawski, Włocławek, Ostrowy on Route 91. Nowy Ostrowy (8.1km by road, 5.6km to Krośniewice) is the railhead, the rail continues south. Coal station.
Here things start to come unstuck. The lines are very long and unprotected. The logistics guys would be voicing concerns big time by now. They've stopped short of Krośniewice at Nowa-Ostrowy (just outside Ostrowa) and captured a coal loading area which is ideal for a rail-head. While dodgy as for the length of the line it's a good set up.
However at that point the enemy gets across the Vistula at Torun and cuts the line. I'm assuming the convoy guards have massed at Włocławek awaiting orders. When Kutno, up to that time contested, is cut they get marooned.
- Nowy Ostrowy, Kutno, Łęczyca, Ozorków, Łódź.
The division can't get into Łódź and there's no falling back. At this point they have to leave the rail lines. All rail assets are blown in place to deny them to the enemy.

Survival Trivia:
Running distilled water steam through a gas mask filter will remove benzine and toluene. Something the Russians worked out after the collapse of the Russian economy and rampant pollution.

Communist 'Human Wave' Attacks.

It's often said that communist forces, especially Russian and Chinese commanders, use 'human wave assaults. This is entirely untrue and was even untrue during the Russian infantry actions after The Great War.

Frequently what is termed a human wave assault derives from two sources:

The first being Second World War accounts from Axis troops which the West accepted for political reasons. These commanders were keen to portray themselves as 'apolitical professional Prussians' rather Nazi accomplices. However Soviet troops of all nationalities were considered by the commanders as frankly inferior (or worse) and to have been beaten by them would admit losing to soldiers worse than their portayed scientific, cool soldiering. Thus the myth of the mindless wave of human meat assaults driven on by the NKVD 'barrage troops'. In historical fact the Axis used more barrage troops than did the Soviets and Soviet soldiers were simply sent back forward and not shot - unlike their commanders.

The second reason is from accounts of the actual troops. To them being massively outnumbered seems that the troops are endlessly pouring in, no matter how many they put down. This comes from an important concept in Eastern soldiering; you're more likely to be killed in a retreat where the enemy gets a free shot at you and then having to assault all over again than in pressing the attack. At the point of commitment the soldiers have it ingrained into them there's no turning back, the better-equipped troops have essentially endless munitions to pour onto you if you don't disrupt them. This does indeed look like fanaticism.

This doesn't mean that these attacks are stupid. People who have assumed this over the last century have paid dearly. For instance, here's an qualifier for The Battle of Kapyong during the latter Korean Civil War that is illustrative:

The PVA attacks had been launched quickly and aggressively, placing their light machine guns on the flank in support and attempting to close to attack the 3 RAR perimeter with grenades. Contrary to some contemporary western accounts, the PVA did not use human wave tactics. Rather, using a tactic known as 'one-point-two sides', they used massed forces and infiltration to achieve local numerical superiority and to penetrate the gaps between the forward companies, before attempting to envelop the 3 RAR while drawing their fire to the front, away from their threatened flanks. They would normally attempt to close with UN defensive positions using darkness or poor visibility to cover their movement and to counter US air superiority, before attacking using massed force, coordinated with close fire support. However, although normally well-planned and closely supported by machine-gun, mortar, and artillery fire, PVA attacks in Korea were often inflexible in execution once launched. This was mostly due to the lack of radio communications below battalion-level, with the PVA instead relying on whistle blasts, bugle calls, and runners for command and control, and although their 60 mm (2.4 in) and 81 mm (3.2 in) mortars had provided particularly effective indirect fire support, these problems were again evident during the fighting at Kapyong

What does this have to do with roleplaying?

Using mindless forward assaults rapidly becomes boring for most players, they like enemies they have to out-think. A fight where every players gets a perfect target picture of the enemy who only moves directly towards them would be considered dumb in a 1990s corridor-shooter video game. It's very same same.

Enemies that stop short and dig in, forcing you to attack them, enemies that suddenly swing off to the flank and out of sight, enemies that feign retreat, enemies that act like they value their own lives are all realistic, threatening enemies.

Dams.

Europe has an estimated 150,000 dams that have exceeded their lifespans.

It is highly likely that these dams will fail without the excessive upkeep required for such old structures. In fact even the dams with plenty of life will fail anyway.

But these old dams will go first. Poland is dotted with old dams and these will fail during the campaign period causing unexpected hazards, population shifts and serious environmental problems.

Fallout likes dams. They are natural sediment-traps and all that washed-away fallout heads there. Whenever the dams fail they don't just inundate the downstream areas with filthy, disease-bearing water but the radiation problems will become acute. The players may find themselves very thirsty . . .

"Water water everywhere but not a drop to drink"

EDIT: Don't eat bottom feeder fish

An article on the problem relating to Poland's bridges, very few of which can carry the weight of a western MBT

https://breakingdefense.com/2020/02/...ridge-problem/

KPV ground carriage: 105 kg, $1,000 -/R
KPV ground tripod: 39kg, $400, -/R
Soviet 6T7 heavy tripod*: 16kg, $350, R/C
*Cannot mount DShK or DShKM

Vehicle Mounts for Weapons.
These ubiquitous items are all considered 'V/V' availability.
Weight is usually minimal but is useful for scrounging, carrying that pedestal mount back up a gully is going to be tiring
Pedestal/Pintle Mount: 22kg, $400
Takes any size weapon from 5.56mm to 12.7mm by using adjustable sleeves Sleeves are held in box affixed to side of pedestal.
The MTPU KPV-T Pedestal Mount weighs 300kg is -/R and costs $1,000 w/o weapon
(Allows 360º firing arc when mounted in centre of cargo area.)
Firing Station Mount:
NLT/PLT equivalent: 6kg, $100
NMT/PMT equivalent: 7kg, $200
NHT/PHC equivalent: 10kg, $300
Double Mount: x2kg, x$2
Additional Mount: 13kg, $450
Takes any size weapon from 5.56mm to 12.7mm
(Allows 45º to 180º firing arc when on hatch or side of a cargo area etc. The Double Mount is a double position for two weapons however the weapons must feed from opposite sides. The Additional Mount is a smaller mount attached to either the ring or mount that mounts a weapon of smaller size than the main mount. Penalties for these heavy stations should be decided by the GM)
Catch Bag: 2kg, $20
Catches links and brass
Ammo belt can holders:
(Each holds 1 belt)
5.56mm 1.5kg, $5
7.62x39mm 1.8kg, $5
7.62mm 2.0kg, $5
12.7mm 3.0kg, $6
14.5mm 5.0kg, $10
30mm Grenade 6.0kg, $8
40mm Grenade 6.5kg, $8
(These are brackets and boxes for ammunition boxes that are affixed to either the inside or the outside of the vehicle. The can be made in multiples simply by modifying the values.
Gun Shields:
Found very useful after Vietnam and Afghanistan, these shields are widely available. They can be fitted to any mount including tripods. The PHC comes with a 45º shield standard.
45º Shield: 23kg, $1,200
(This light shield bends slightly around the weapon and protects mainly from the front)
90º Shield: 38kg, $1,800
(A better and more protective version of the 45º shield, this shield imparts a -1 to observation rolls)
180º Shield: 45kg, $2,500
(This shield wraps right around the weapon station and is gives a -2 to observation rolls and -2 to responding to unexpected fires from the flanks.)
360º Open Turret: 225kg, $5,000
(A heavy weapon station often mounting multiple weapons. This station often needs a spotter to find targets but makes the gunner unable to be targeted by direct fire, shooting at the gunner uses the vehicle tables. Due to the lack of transparent plates this station gets a -4 to observation. As it is hand-traversed it requires and -4 to react to targets at unexpected fire from a direction the weapon is not aiming at. The front section of the station is a 90º shield and there are armour plates protecting the sides and rear of the gunner. The gunner can use personal weapons over the top of the shields in which case they have half cover and brackets on the side shields are placed to accommodate the storage of those personal weapons. This mount can only mounted on a level hatch.)

EDIT: Gunshields are rated vs 7.62mm MG rounds

T-55 Fender Tanks
These are the fuel tanks found on T-55s and were ubiquitous throughout the soviet army for carrying extra fuel. They carried 95 litres in a flat, easy to stow configuration that had carry-strap loops on all sides.

T-55 Fender Tank.
C/V 2.5kg empty, 79.0kg full. $5

Stowage Upgrade
A comprehensive effort to wrap your vehicle in external stowage racks and stowage boxes
Benefit:
- Adds another 10% stowage per vehicle tonne.
- Acts as 'slat armour' for 30mm or 40mm grenades (your kit sacrifices itself to save your life)
Drawbacks:
- Costs 10% more fuel
- Makes some driver tasks more difficult by one level, GM choice (such as squeezing through gaps, fast turns etc)
Tasks:
Scrounge (Average) per tonne of vehicle. One period per task
Mechanic (Average) per tonne of vehicle. One period per task

Equipment Required:
- Two people
- Arc welder for steel vehicles, heavy drill for aluminium vehicles
- Basic tool kit

Group Encounter #2: ‘Patrol’

What is a ‘patrol’?
I mean, that seems a dumb question but non-military people (such as myself) may not understand that a ‘patrol’ is a technical definition. A good one is:

‘A patrol is a detachment of ground forces sent out by a larger unit for the purpose of
gathering information or carrying out a destructive, harassing, or security mission.
Patrols vary in size, depending on the type, mission, and distance from the parent
unit. Most combat patrols are platoon-sized, reinforced with crew-served weapons.’
Note the important concepts:
- The Patrol is part of a larger unit.
- The Patrol has a set purpose.
- The Patrol is composed of sub-units with different tasks.
GMs creating a Patrol from Encounter #2 need to identify these qualities and detail them:
1) The Larger Unit
This unit does not pat the Patrol on the head and send them off into the wild blue yonder. They view the Patrol as a valuable asset and will only risk it if the mission is vital. Patrols will be supported somehow, be it by direct and indirect fires or by rapid reaction forces.
The patrol and its parent unit will maintain contact somehow even if they do not have electronic communications at hand. Common method are flare signals, recognition panels and/or other pre-timed signals. Patrols may have to check in with other elements of the parent unit, a patrol not arriving at a checkpoint will have the parent unit notified. Note that rapid reaction forces may get there too late to help their Patrol but will probably be able to work out what happened through the battle site. The GM should think this through and have the have the parent unit react with what information it has, adapting as the situation matures.
Obviously PCs not considering this may find themselves in hot water very quickly.
2) The Mission
The Patrol unless tasked to deal with the PCs has a job to do and a bunch of hillbilly stragglers is probably not it. This means the Patrol may not engage in combat if it jeopardises the mission.
There are essentially three types of encounter: ‘they see you, ‘ you see them’ and ‘you see each other’. If the players spot the patrol they may be able to divine what the mission of the patrol is, even just by the way it is moving or staying still.
In meeting engagements where the two groups stumble onto each other there may be an exchange of fire but this still does not mean the Patrol will press an attack if it is not in theirs and the mission’s interests. Having a Patrol bump into the PCs, fire off some shots from the scouts and fall back while firing off three flares really should scare the players.
Remember that as noted above the Patrol has methods of maintaining some contact no matter how slight with the parent unit. If they decide to not engage the players and avoid them they will probably notify their parent unit as soon as possible

3) Sub-Units
In nearly any conceivable situation the PCs will not know the location of the entire Patrol. The elements are kept separate so they cannot be taken out with an ambush. A Patrol officer usually has a designated manoeuvre unit for dealing with situations where the scouts discover something hostile and a heavy weapons unit for hitting the problem once the manoeuvre unit fixes the problem in place. Ideally the scouts should find the problem, if the Patrol engages the manouevre unit engages it and when the Patrol officer thinks he has a good idea of the problem’s dispositions he unmasks the heavy weapons of the support unit onto it.

Thinking on this we can use the following definition of Patrol Sub-Units:

Elements of Combat Patrols
Patrol Headquarters - this is the command group of the patrol. It is composed of the
patrol leader, and other support personnel essential to the patrol such as the radio
operator, Corpsman, and forward observer.
Assault Elements - engage the enemy at the objective.
Security Elements - secures the objective rally point, isolates the objective, and covers
the patrols return from the objective area.
Support Elements - provides supporting fires for the assault unit attack and covering fires
if required, for its withdrawal.
Elements of Reconnaissance Patrols
Patrol Headquarters - the command group of the patrol. It consists of the same personnel
as a combat patrol.
Recon Element - maintains surveillance over the objective.
Security Element - provides early warning, secures the objective rally point, and protects
the reconnaissance unit
Now, I’ve been quoting liberally from a document on patrolling here to hopefully whet your appetite. I recommend non-military GMs such as myself review it, it’s an easy read, to add some grit and reality to their encounters. It looks like Ivan isn’t a gaggle of guys smoking cigarettes anymore . . .

Interactive Topographic Map of Poland

Make sure you seize those heights!

https://en-gb.topographic-map.com/ma...443%2C17.86171

Polish P-3 Concrete Prefab Trench Reinforcement
From an earlier post

Having a hell of a time calculating this. Guesstimating the size and plugging it into a concrete calculator gives me about 200kg each which seems way off.
[Edit: Pre-cast concrete manholes of similar dimensions weigh between 15kg and 35kg. I'm just giving a number of 25kg as a round number)

Anyway:
Concrete Prefab Trench Reinforcement P-3 (Polish)
2.0mx0.5m(average)x0.15m, 25kg
Price $2 (C/V)

(Note: I also have some data on Soviet precast bunker sections SBK, PRU-3 & PRU-2 as well as their standard fittings. However I'll wait to update all this when I get images working on this forum)

Slat Armour

I don't know if this is covered in any rules or house rules such as Paul Mulcahy's.

A vehicle must have at least 5mm of RHA-equivalent to mount slat armour effectively.
Vehicles mounting slat armour are no longer amphibious. It takes one hour per ton of slat armour to mount or dismount the slat armour package.
1) Slat Armour (as fitted standard or by divisional-level workshops)) usually weighs 15% of vehicle mass, extends 0.5m from the vehicle hull. This armour weight must be subtracted from the vehicle cargo weight (including external cargo weight).
2) Light Ad Hoc Slat Armour (LAHSA) weighs 10% of vehicle weight but is one level less effective (covered below)
3) Medium Ad Hoc Slat Armour (MAHSA) weighs 20% of vehicle weight and is as effective as pre-war slat armour (entry #1)
4) Heavy Ad Hoc Slat Armour (HAHSA) is an urban survival package made in the field that covers the entire surface of the vehicle above the belly. It weighs 30% of vehicle weight and also protects against top-attack. No pre-war slat armour protected against top-attack.
Slat Armour adds 500mm of armour vs HEAT rounds to areas protected by the hull. LAHSA provides 350mm of armour. Slat armour does not cover the rear of the vehicle unless it is HAHSA.
Slat armour increases the difficulty of drive rolls by one level unless the driver elects to disregard the slat armour's survival.
On a failure roll 1d6;
1-5 = usual fail result.
6-6 = slat armour in that sector of the vehicle is damaged.
On a fumble that sector is physically ripped off the vehicle or two adjoining sectors are damaged, GM's choice.
Damaged slat armour is scrunched against the vehicle side, dragging on the ground or similar. It provides no armour benefit on that side.
Slat armour usually covers the front and hull sides of the vehicle as well as all around the turret if any.
To work out sectors on the hull roll 1d10:
1-2 = Hull front.
3-6 = Left hull side
7-0 = Right hull side
To work out sectors on the turret roll 1d4:
1 = Front
2 = Right Side
3 = Left Side
4 = Rear
Most failed driving roll damages are only to the hull.

I should note that ad hoc armours are field expedients. The might be bed springs, chain link fences or similar scrounged material. They require a scrounge roll for each sector covered.

For every 10% a vehicles external cargo weight is exceeded subtract 10% from speed and fuel endurance. Reduce mobility by another level.
Each ton of slat armour requires a man/period to create with a minimum of one period per sector.

Repairing a sector of slat armour that survives a HEAT strike requires one period and a mechanical roll. The materials required require one scrounge roll.

Communication Wire
WD-1/TT and WD-1A/TT have two twisted, individually insulated conductors and the WD-1A/TT has two insulated conductors bonded together. The conductors have the following characteristics:
• Four tinned-copper strands and three galvanized-steel strands.
• Inner insulation of polyethylene and outer nylon insulation jacket.
• Tensile strength of approximately 90kg/200 pounds (both conductors).
• Weighs 21kg/48 pounds per l,600m/1 mile.
WF-16/U has four copper-cadmium alloy standard insulated conductors in two pairs. One pair is olive drab; the other brown. The olive drab conductor has a ridge along the side for night identification. Conductors have the following
characteristics:
• Copper-cadmium alloy stranded.
• Tensile strength of 90kg/200 pounds.
• Weighs 29kg/62 pounds per 1,600m/1 mile.
• Four-wire, field wire.
Spiral-Four cable is used to provide four-wire transmission line for carrier communications. It also can be used for longdistance voice-frequency (VF) circuits.
WF-8/G has four stranded-copper conductors separately insulated with polyethylene and spiraled around a polyethylene core. One pair of the spiral-four cable is colored for identification. The spiraled conductors are covered by an inner jacket of polyethylene, carbon-cloth stabilizing tape, steel braid, and a thermoplastic outer jacket. The steel braid adds tensile strength to the cable, permitting the cable to be used in self-supported aerial cable lines. Telephone Cable WF-8/G is part of Cable Assembly CX-1065/G and Telephone Cable Assemblies CX-1606/G and CX-1512/U.
CX-11230 ()/G is inter-area coaxial cable. It provides a four-wire cable transmission medium for wideband PCM and time division multiplexing (TDM) carrier systems. Cable assembly CX-11230 ()/G has two twisted coaxial tubes jacketed in lowdensity polyethylene. The tubes are protected by mylar tape and a medium-density polyethylene jacket. The two tubes terminate in a universal connector at each end. A copper-clad steel braid strength member is part of the cable assembly.
The cable is sturdy enough for both ground and aerial use.
CX-4566A/G is a twenty-six pair cable that has a stranded conductor with 26 pairs of color coded wires. It provides cable distribution for local telephone lines and circuits, interconnects communication shelters, and is used in conjunction with distribution boxes and cable stub CX-4760/U. It terminates in a universal connector at each end. The cable is sturdy enough for both ground and aerial use. It is supplied in 76m/250-foot lengths on Metal Cable Reel RC-435/U. Other lengths and the related connectors and inserts U-185B/G, U-186A/G, U-187A/G and MX-3227/U are all produced by Associated Industries.
Reel DR-5 is a metal spool-type container used to store, transport, lay, or recover field wire. It will hold 4,000m/2.5miles of field wire and can be mounted on Reeling Machine RL-207/G, or Reel Unit RL-31-.
Reel RL-159/U is a metal spool-type container used to store, transport, lay, or recover field wire. It will hold 1,600m/1 mile of field wire and can be mounted on Reeling Machine RL-207/G, Reel Unit RL-31-E, Reeling Machine RL-172/G, or Axle RL-27().
Spool DR-8 is a metal container used to lay or recover field wire. It will hold .4 kilometer (1/4-mile) of field wire and can be mounted on Reel Unit RL-39 (component of Reel Equipment CE-11).
Reel DR-15-B is a metal spool-type container used to store, transport, lay, or recover Field Cable. It holds .4 kilometer (1/4-mile) of cable and can be mounted on Reel Unit RL-31-E or Reeling Machine RL-207/G.
Reel RL-435/U is a lightweight cable reel used to store, transport, and install a 30.5m/100-foot length of Field Cable CX-11230/G.
It can be mounted on Reel Unit RL-31-E or Reeling Machine RL-207/G.
Wire Dispenser MX-306/G is a cylindrical canvas and tape container that holds approximately 800m/0.5-mile of Wire WD-1/TT or WD-1A/TT. The wire of two or more dispensers may be prespliced in tandem when it is necessary to lay a
wire line of more than 800m/0.5-mile without stopping to splice. The dispenser has many useful features.
Axle RL-27-B is used to lay and recover field wire. The axle is a machined-steel bar 0.75m/2.5 feet long used for mounting wire reels. The axle has two knurled handles, one removable for mounting Wire Reel RL-159/U on the axle. The axle has roller bearings and is equipped with a removable crank for re-winding wire. The axle can be carried by two individuals or placed on some improvised mounting.
Reel Unit RL-31-E is a light-weight, portable, folding A-frame of steel tubing used for paying out and recovering field wire and field cable. The reel unit features:
• Brake unit for controlling speed of the reels during payout of the wire.
• Crank for reeling in wire on reels.
• Carrying strap for carrying the reel unit litter style.
• Divided axle when two reels are mounted on the reel unit. This axle allows either reel to operate independently. (When the divided axle is used, two cranks and two brakes are necessary for operation. They are issued with the equipment.)
The reel unit can carry a single Reel DR-5 or DR-15-B, or two Wire Reels RL-159/U. Reel Unit RL-31-E can be mounted on ground or vehicle. A special vehicular installation kit is available.
Reel Equipment CE-11 is a lightweight portable unit designed to be carried by one person. It consists of Reel Unit RL-39 and a sound-powered telephone handset with case and carrying strap. Reel Unit RL-39 mounts Spool DR-8 having a
capacity of 400m/.25-mile or Field Wire WD-1/TT or WD-1A/TT (Spool DR-8 not included as a component). When Telephone Set TA-1/PT is used, it is carried on the belt.
Reel Unit RL-39 is a chest-type reel having an axle with carrying handles, carrying straps, and a crank for rewinding. Reel Unit RL-39 mounts Spool DR-8-A, which has a capacity of 400m/.25-mile of Field Wire WD-1/TT or WD-1A/TT (wire not included as a component). Lines may be laid with this equipment either by handcarrying the reel or by strapping it to the back. To recover telephone wire, the wireman snaps the carrying handles to the carrying straps and rotates the reel with the crank and axle. This reel is normally used to lay short local circuits, up to 400m/.25-mile over difficult terrain, or in a forward combat area.
Wire Pike MC-123 has a two section pole, joined by metal fittings. The top section terminates in a hook, fitted with a roller.
This hand tool is used by wireman to lay or recover wire from a truck. During wire laying, it is used to place the layed-out filed wire along the side of the road. For wire recovery, it is used to provide an even feed and guide for the wire to the reeling machine

Travel (T2K 2.2):
Drivers should roll the appropriate skill for their vehicle once per period with the task difficulty based on the terrain.
Nice neat roads, graded and equal to pre-war conditions are an Easy Task.
The usual deteriorated roads with slight battle damage are a simple Average Task.
Straight out cross country is a Difficult Task, as is heavily battle-damaged or ruined roads.
Ruins are a Formidable Task.
Tracked vehicles reduce the task difficulty by one level.
If a Catastrophic Failure is rolled, roll on the following table:
01 - Blown Tire or Shed Track
02 - Blown Tire or Shed Track
03 - Blown Tire or Shed Track
04 - Blown Tire or Shed Track
05 - Blown Tire or Shed Track
06 - Ditched
07 - Ditched
08 - Ditched
09 - Seriously Ditched
10 - Seriously Ditched
Blown Tire or Shed Track
- The players must spend one hour and a mechanical roll (Easy) to replace the wheel or track. Double time if one player for wheeled and quadruple time for one player if tracked.
Ditched
- The vehicle has gone off the road and into a hazard. The players can self extract using the same times as above.
Seriously Ditched.
- The vehicle is in dire straights and cannot self-extract from the hazard. Another vehicle of equal weight or clever engineering is required to extract the vehicle. This can be a whole scenario.
No matter what outcome the Catastrophic Failure gives the GM should immediately roll for an encounter.

The GM is open to varying the nature of the outcome and adding twists and environmental hazards.

Players often have horses and horses aren't meat-scooters, they are thinking things with personalities. Here's some personalities to give them:
(This is not a 'roll on table')
Horse Personality Table
- Hydrophobic. Hates water. One level harder to cross water. Can detect flash-floods by smell with 100% accuracy.
- Ornery. Plain mean, this horse often attempts bite or kick attacks at anyone nearby. Constantly watching you out of the side of its eyes. Bites your feet in the stirrups. Can kill unwary stable-hands.
- Loves to Roll. When near patches of sand or shallow water this horse attempts to roll without warning.
- Greedy. Incredibly focused on food. The horse pushes other horses away to get at their food which causes fights. Can overeat itself to death. Is prone to wind-sucking.
- Wood-Chewer. Chews on wood nearby, destructive. Ambles off occasionally to pursue this vice.
- Skittish. Jumps in fear at everything. Thinks branches are snakes. Shies at a blowing leaf. Infuriating. Shies when trying to jump. May give alarm of an unknown stealthy approach.
- Bolter. This horse suddenly starts galloping for no reason. Highly dangerous for inexperienced riders. Ride roll or be thrown. Horse raises head so it does not have to respond to bit.
- Placid. Big, dumb and lovable. Likes to sook and get hugs. Not frightened of anything apart from very high level threats. Likely to return to a fallen rider.
- Nosy. Always interested in what you're doing. Pokes big head through windows, looks into your knapsack, wanders off to look at stuff.
- Jaunty Gait. High falutin' step, a pleasure to ride if a bit tiring.
- Lazy. Fat old pig. Lies down if left alone. Needs to be urged to do anything. Ambles along slowly. Occasionally just stops dead in its tracks and needs a few minutes to be got going again.
- Animal Friend. Has one other type of herd beast it is inseparable from. Will cry out and fret if separated, possibly hurting itself by trying to get over fences to its friend. When with little friend horse is defensive and will fight threats if friend, but not rider, is threatened. Little friend has its own personality to be determined by GM. ('friend' tend to be goats)
- Devoted. A mixed blessing. It will defend a fallen rider against anyone or anything including friends trying to help. Tends to follow rider around getting in the way.
- Brainless. Dumb as a box of hammers. Can't work out how to get through gates or over rocks. Tends to stand still and gaze at the world in wonder.

Scenario Idea:
The PCs are advancing through unknown territory when they encounter an honest-to-goodness carrier pigeon carrying the message "2nd platoon, Echo Company, 2/1 Marines under attack at grid 51.732403, 18.484480. DO NOT EAT PIGEON"

The justly famous T2K campaign overview Going Home has the famous Last Train to Clarkesville section where US and Polish train buffs use an old steam locomotive.
This is entirely unnecessary. The US Army MOS 65A and 65B all included steam locomotive trades and these personnel were trained in WarPact steam locomotive use.
Similarly all WarPact countries stockpiled steam locomotives, no need for one to be in a museum, and trained specialist troops to use them. Trains weren't just left out in the weather but rather were kept up to date in maintenance and ready for operation. Purposefully they were not updated to include any electronic equipment.

Hard Tack
Essentially extremely dry hard bread, hard tack is a block of nutrients. It must be kept very dry but if done so hard tack can last a decade without changing the taste.
All that is needed is flour, a small amount of salt and some water.
The dough is made very dry and thick. Biscuit-shapes about three inches across are then formed pierced with many holes to allow every bit of moisture to escape. This is then baked very slowly at a low heat in an oven, easily made out of cleaned steel drums, for two periods (eight hours). These ovens can be used for storage when cleaned afterwards.
The amount processed is up to the GM. Really players should be able to convert all 'wild food' taken from fields into 'domestic food' using this method in a few days maximum. This can be done while tending stills at no extra fatigue cost for example. In fact apart from the dough making and unpacking of the ovens players could even sleep through the process.
Softened hard tack tastes no different to unleavened bread and is often used as thickener in stews and chowders. It is prone to contamination by insects but these are easily removed by various means, they add only a tiny amount of protein and taste bitterish.

(I've had to miss a ton of data on equipment due to the difficulty of linking or posting images, I'll see what I can do about that in the future)