Escape from Kalisz questions

[Michael Lewis]

My PC's are trying to escape on horseback from Kalisz.

I'm trying to think of some interesting encounters while they escape.

How would the Pols and Commie's try and control the town?

I know the Nazi's would divide the town into sections and take them one at a time. They would try and close exit points from these sections, blow holes through walls to avoid streets.

I assume the bad guys would set up positions at major cross roads. Probably won't be in small groups to avoid ambush.

Anything I'm missing?


Thanks,

Michael

[Raellus]

Seems like this question would fit in the other thread you recently started about Escape From Kalisz. If I can figure out how to merge them without deleting anything, I will. If any other mods are reading this and have merged threads before, please feel free to do so.

[HorseSoldier]

Yeah, encirclement will probably consist of blocking positions on major avenues of approach/egress plus roving patrols between them while an offensive force sweeps, clears, and mops up any resistance. During the start time for Escape from Kalisz they'd want to keep combat power relatively massed in the blocking positions against the risk of a big chunk of US combat power slamming into them (and because a battalion + sized convoy will have a big enough foot print that patrols should pick it up with time to shift forces to engage if necessary).

So, on the way out, if they stick to secondary roads, trails, or cross country in forests or other covered terrain, they'd probably be looking at foot/horse cavalry patrols or, at worst a motorized recon element that might have a BRDM or two. These guys would probably be platoon or reinforced squad size, but with radio or other signaling means to bring in reinforcements pretty quickly. Course of action would be to take out small groups they have numbers on and pin larger groups in place while waiting on QRF to show up and finish the fight.

Once the PCs transition the frontline sort of area, patrols will remain a risk but various support units could also be encountered. These might be a good way to feed PCs intel, give them a chance to trade up on transport, etc. They could also have a chance to help their escape if they chew up a signal unit, grab gear to drop a bridge from an engineer unit, etc.

Mines to interdict roads that aren't covered are a likely danger in the front line zone. Patrols might mine trails, ford sites on streams and other choke points as well, with AT or AP mines. If you don't want to randomly blow up PCs with their horses, you could also throw them an encounter with civilians, other US personnel, or even the bad guys who've just struck a mine (circa 2000, I'm thinking word on mine locations is not being distributed very efficiently, so friendly casualties are a constant risk for covert sort of fields that aren't amply marked). You could also mess with them with a dummy minefield that is very well marked.

Mine strikes might tend to draw patrols as well.

Encounters with other US personnel are possible, and could go a lot of different ways. Things going too smooth? Saddle your PCs with a humvee full of wounded American military personnel. Going badly? They could always be helped any number of ways by another US .mil group they team up with, or just happen to be near when those guys resolve some problem -- blast through a patrol, breach a minefield, whatever. And under limited visibility conditions (or not so limited, if PCs are trying to look camouflaged and nondescript) friendly fire is a potential risk as well. And another American group getting shot to pieces is an excellent way to nudge players off a route you don't want them on.

And civilians or local militia are another possibility, and again could go various ways based on what you're thinking and how the PCs play it.