US 43rd MP Brigade Mutiny

[schnickelfritz]

To mutiny and disperse into nothing, or not?

Has anyone else not bought the fate presented in Howling Wilderness of the US 43rd MP Brigade? After reading The Last Submarine and the story of the 43rd, including the failed mutiny and how the power players basically seemed to disappear afterward, I just don't agree. I can see some casualties due to the fighting, but not a wholesale disintegration. With electrcity at hand and the prepared positions available to them (not to mention armor and artillery), it just doesn't make sense to me. I can see some disaffected troops deserting, but I would expect that by now, most the the unit members would believe in the safety in numbers.

I had a medium size group of players walk in the front door and get caught in the middle of the failed coup. From there I developed a timeline where some of the PC's assumed command from the dying Col. Fort and were able to rally the troops. By providing security and electricity to the local authorities (and some earnest good faith negotiation), what was left of the 43rd was able to help rebuild the local area.

The key here was Holyoke Dam, the reservoir of fish, and the electrical power. The locals were able to supply a pool of skilled and unskilled labor to help bring the other generators online and bring some amount of normal life back to the Boston area.

The 43rd was also able to begin training raw refugee recruits into a viable militia and salvage what armor/transport it could.

The gangs of Boston fought amongst themselves until the survivors struck out in numbers into the countryside, where they met a hail of lead and shrapnel.

Any thoughts?