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Old 09-03-2013, 01:27 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Raellus View Post
I've run into a bit of a problem with the ORBATs. When I created a summer 2000 map, I placed a few U.S. and German in Austria with city locations- trouble is, I can't remember where I got the city information from. Most units in the U.S. Army Vehicle Guide are only listed as being in a particular country, but no city is specified. The same is true of the Soviet units listed as being in Austria (no cities are mentioned).

Now, fast forward to the time of Going Home and exact cities are listed for both NATO and WTO forces in Austria. In many cases, units have moved. For example, in the U.S. Vehicle Guide, an American unit is listed as being in Linz (once again, I can't remember where I found this) on July 1st, while in Going Home, Linz is occupied by a Soviet unit. I'm not sure which information to include in the sourcebook.

What should I do? Should I just list units known to be in Austria as of July 1, 2000 (the date units in the vehicle guides are listed as being in-country) and then give specific locations for the units left in the winter of 2000-2001, as given by Going Home? I can't expand on the 1-40 MIR until I've figured this out.

I want Austria to be playable using my sourcebook from July 1, 2000 onward, keeping continuity with what's already been mentioned in canon.
Hmmmm...hard to say without tracking down the original source for having units in specific locations in the summer. As you say, the US Army Vehicle Guide only states units are in Austria, but not where specifically. The NATO Vehicle Guide (at least the V2 one) has specific locations for a couple of German Divisions (10th Panzer and 1st Panzer Grenadier) in Austria, but locations given are both quite far to the west (I do have a recollection somewhere of Allied forces being in Innsbruck, maybe in Going Home?).

For Linz to have changed presumably hands there must have been some sort of offensive by the Soviets at the end of summer / autumn? (May not neccessarily be a full scale offensive, perhaps just an opportune Soviet Division or Army Commander taking advantage of the US withdrawal). If that's the case that would suggest that the situation on the ground must have changed, with at least part of central Austria (the northern part) changing from Allied control to Warsaw Pact control during the second half of the year?

One way to deal with that in the sourcebook might be to summarise the situation as of 01 June 2000 and then add an additional paragraphs (or full chapter) devoted to events between June - December 2000 and the effect they have on the situation in Austria, including the amended order of battle? That then gives anyone using the material the option of which time period they want to use (but obviously increases the word count / time required to complete).

An alternative may be to take the info given in Going Home (the source of which you can be 100% certain of) and go on the basis that given lack of fuel, (possible) lack of motivation to go on the offensive by one or both sides, and the fact that elsewhere the front lines seem to have remained relatively stable (the 5th and 8th Divisions' drive east being notable exceptions) and take the view that units concerned are not likely to have moved much between June and December?
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