T2K Austria Sourcebook

[Raellus]

Cool. A GM could use such a table to roll for faction vehicles or random encounters, or PC vehicles, or whatever. Mind if I include it in the sourcebook? I'll give you a shout-out in the credits.

I'd like to include an Italian vehicles table too, since the Italians spent at least a year, in force, in Austrian territory. Paul's given me permission to link to his site for purposes of the sourcebook.

I just got an Osprey Men-at-Arms book on the Hussite Wars and came across a nugget that I'm going to incorporate in the New Hussite faction write up.

Before he died of a variant of the plague, General Zizka, the blind, undefeated Hussite military leader, asked that his skin be turned into a war drum so that he could continue to lead his troops into battle after his passing. It is unlikely that this dying wish was actually fulfilled. Nevertheless, my Huss II is going to claim to possess this drum, further asserting that it will make his rag-tag "army" invincible.

[Tegyrius]

Originally Posted by Raellus

Cool. A GM could use such a table to roll for faction vehicles or random encounters, or PC vehicles, or whatever. Mind if I include it in the sourcebook? I'll give you a shout-out in the credits.

Go for it! That's sorta why I offered it up.

I'd like to include an Italian vehicles table too, since the Italians spent at least a year, in force, in Austrian territory. Paul's given me permission to link to his site for purposes of the sourcebook.

Excellent. I'd included the links to his site for our internal reference, but hotlinking the stats from the main document will improve usability.

I just got an Osprey Men-at-Arms book on the Hussite Wars and came across a nugget that I'm going to incorporate in the New Hussite faction write up.

Before he died of a variant of the plague, General Zizka, the blind, undefeated Hussite military leader, asked that his skin be turned into a war drum so that he could continue to lead his troops into battle after his passing. It is unlikely that this dying wish was actually fulfilled. Nevertheless, my Huss II is going to claim to possess this drum, further asserting that it will make his rag-tag "army" invincible.

That is amazingly creepy. I'm sold.

- C.

[Olefin]

One thing to keep in mind for the sourcebook is how big the US presence was in the Austria. According to the US Vehicle Guide the whole US 4th Army, consisting of two corps was based in Austria for much of the war.

That includes the 1st Armored, 43rd Infantry, 70th Infantry, 35th Mechanized Infantry, 1-40th Mechanized Infantry, and the 107th Armored Cav Regiment plus the HQ's for the Army and two Corps. Thats a very large US contingent for such a small area - and very well could mean that many US troops stayed behind or deserted in Austria over the course of the war or when the Going Home orders were given, instead of just the canon mentioned 1-40th at Salzburg.

The 107th now considers itself part of the German Army and you could see it playing a role in the future of Austria as the Germans begin to drive the Russians out in early 2001 as Russian units start to fall apart and go home or turn bandit. Also the personnel of both the Army and one of the Corps HQ stayed in Europe, and again could play a part in the future of Austria.

Especially if those Americans, due to their long stay, now see Austria as their future home or have found Austrian wives or husbands.

Thus you could see a lot of American deserters and marauders here operating either against the Soviets or trying to carve out their own little empires, especially after Going Home as well as lots of American equipment either abandoned, captured or given to units in the area.

Also several of the German units in the area may have US soldiers in them who decided to join them instead of Going Home, especially those with Austrian loved ones.

You could also see the Germans and remaining American officers trying to get the 70th rejoin the fold and join them in trying to free Austria.

A further wildcard could be the Civ Gov units in Yugoslavia. If they decide that they have had enough, they may try to move to the north to join up with the NATO units in Germany and the few US units that have stayed behind as part of the German Army. You could have CIA agents from there trying to gather supplies in Austria for those units as well.

[boogiedowndonovan]

good thread and good work Rae,

just a few comments I would like to add

Before the Steyr AUG, the Austrian Army used a locally produced variant of the FN-FAL called the Sturmgewehr 58 (StG 58). Wikipedia says that it was replaced in 1977 but some units used it up until 1985. I would assume that some would remain in armories and return to use in T2k.

The Austrian Armed Forces had a navy up until 2006. Well, more accurately a Naval Squadron of....2 patrol boats, 2 officers and 30 men. The patrol boats were used on the Danube River. Pirates of the Danube anyone???? Anyone know if the Naval Squadron could have escaped up the Danube to Germany?

Austrian Special Forces are called JagdKommando. From the Wikipedia description, it sounds like they are Ranger equivalent. The Austrian Ministry of the Interior operates a counter terrorism unit called Einsatzkommando Cobra.

M47 tanks apparently went out when Austria acquired the M60A1? It doesn't show any M47 in the Austrian Army inventory on the 1989 orbat. copy of just the Austrian Army and Air Force portion is below.

Steyr, Austria is apparently a major industrial center and in T2k is occupied by the Warsaw Pact. Steyr-Daimler-Puch and associated industries, Steyr Mannlicher (maker of Steyr AUG and other firearms), Steyr Truck, Steyr Tractor and Steyr Motors are based there. Possibly, the Soviets are still using the facilities to repair vehicles and equipment. Maybe a prototype ASCOD or two is in the local Soviet garrison motorpool. Or maybe some now dead Steyr Mannlicher employees were able to spirit away some leftover Advanced Combat Rifles left over from the US Army Advanced Combat Rifle trials.

I'm intrigued by the 70th ID, mainly because the US Vehicle Guide shows 2000 men and no AFVs, but Going Home shows the 70th ID with 2000 men and 6 AFVs. I am sure it was an oversight by GDW, but an interesting story could be created as to how the 70th ID aquired the 6 AFVs in the span of 2-3 months, as well as why the 70th ID left Austria and is in Ulm, Germany "no longer accepting orders".

War Drum made of human skin...morbid but cool in a game sense.

[Raellus]

Thanks for the info, Boogie. I like the idea of the Soviets rebuilding Austrian vehicles in Steyr. I'll also make sure to throw a few SG 58s into the mix.

I'm sure that some of Austria's tiny Danube navy could have escaped. I'm not sure how much good it would have done in opposing the Soviet invasion, or how many resources the PACT would have dedicated to its destruction.

I used the 'Schlangenfresser' (Snake Eater) nickname for the JagdKommandos in homage to an old Cold-War elite forces uniform book I've had since I was 12.

I'm still thinking about how to handle the matter of the fighting in Austria between the summer and late autumn of 2000.

@Panther Al: Thanks for the char-gen notes. I would add an Austrian PC a skill point or two in mountaineering/climbing as well. Do you mind if I use your char-gen framework for the sourcebook? You would, of course, receive a credit for its creation.

[Olefin]

I'm intrigued by the 70th ID, mainly because the US Vehicle Guide shows 2000 men and no AFVs, but Going Home shows the 70th ID with 2000 men and 6 AFVs. I am sure it was an oversight by GDW, but an interesting story could be created as to how the 70th ID aquired the 6 AFVs in the span of 2-3 months, as well as why the 70th ID left Austria and is in Ulm, Germany "no longer accepting orders".

I could think of several ways - could be that they scrounged enough spare parts by cannibalizing several old wrecks to get seven vehicles operational. In this case they could be a mix of Soviet, Austrian, Italian and American tanks (AFV are tanks in game terms by the way)

Or possibly they absorbed a remnant unit that had tanks of its own - i.e. Germans or Austrian forces, possibly even renegade Italians or Czechs who joined the US unit.

[Panther Al]

Originally Posted by Raellus

Thanks for the info, Boogie. I like the idea of the Soviets rebuilding Austrian vehicles in Steyr. I'll also make sure to throw a few SG 58s into the mix.

I'm sure that some of Austria's tiny Danube navy could have escaped. I'm not sure how much good it would have done in opposing the Soviet invasion, or how many resources the PACT would have dedicated to its destruction.

I used the 'Schlangenfresser' (Snake Eater) nickname for the JagdKommandos in homage to an old Cold-War elite forces uniform book I've had since I was 12.

I'm still thinking about how to handle the matter of the fighting in Austria between the summer and late autumn of 2000.

@Panther Al: Thanks for the char-gen notes. I would add an Austrian PC a skill point or two in mountaineering/climbing as well. Do you mind if I use your char-gen framework for the sourcebook? You would, of course, receive a credit for its creation.

Go for it. As to the mountaineering/climbing in basic? Good idea. At least one point there.

[Raellus]

Here's an updated draft of the sourcebook. In addition to a few revisions to the original draft, this one includes sections on Austrian Geography and places of interest, expanded factions info., weapons tables, notes on generating Austrian military PCs, and some other stuff.

[AcesandEights]

I gave this a look through a week or so back, very nice write up!

I was just wondering, on a somewhat related note, does anyone know what sort of equipment, load out and structure of regiments and battalions Italian alpini or alpini parachutists (e.g. 4th Alpini Parachutist rgt.) would have?