![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
winterbadgerI think I've found a project to work on. I've been interested in a new set of World War II miniatures rules, I Ain't Been Shot, Mum, probably to supplement rather than replace playing Flames of War. And I was looking for some small actions to fight with just a few early war troops to try them out. Something with infantry, some support weapons, not a lot of tanks or heavy artillery. And it hit me--the Netherlands.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands was invaded by Germany in May 1940. Less than a week later, after some tremendously heroic fighting on the part of the Dutch, the nation surrendered. The failure to properly equip the armed forces, together with fear of the Germans' horrendous city-destroying bombing raids (which were nothing compared to what they did to the UK during the Battle of Britain or to what the Allies did to Germany and Japan later in the war), left the government no choice but to evacuate the Royal Family and then order the military to lay down its arms.
A lot of the fighting was between the lightly armed Netherlands armed forces and the equally lightly armed German paratroopers (Germany assumed that this new weapon of war--the airdrop--would prove devastating to the Dutch defense plan). There were a few armoured vehicles on both sides (more on the German side, obviously; the Dutch had armoured cars and small tanks called "tankettes", but only one actual tank, and only one guy trained to drive it, at the time of invasion). The Germans had a good deal of air support, but a lot of the Luftwaffe was busy bombing strategic targets. So this would actually be a super test bed for some game scenarios.
And it occurs to me that with some of the English-language material that's out there on the Web (plus probably available at uni libraries in town or the LoC), it would be a good subject for a short campaign book with a selection of scenarios, like those that TFL and Skirmish Campaigns produce. A nice project for me to sink my teeth into, and one that, if published, I could dedicate to my dad, the consummate Dutch-American. :-)
The Kingdom of the Netherlands was invaded by Germany in May 1940. Less than a week later, after some tremendously heroic fighting on the part of the Dutch, the nation surrendered. The failure to properly equip the armed forces, together with fear of the Germans' horrendous city-destroying bombing raids (which were nothing compared to what they did to the UK during the Battle of Britain or to what the Allies did to Germany and Japan later in the war), left the government no choice but to evacuate the Royal Family and then order the military to lay down its arms.
A lot of the fighting was between the lightly armed Netherlands armed forces and the equally lightly armed German paratroopers (Germany assumed that this new weapon of war--the airdrop--would prove devastating to the Dutch defense plan). There were a few armoured vehicles on both sides (more on the German side, obviously; the Dutch had armoured cars and small tanks called "tankettes", but only one actual tank, and only one guy trained to drive it, at the time of invasion). The Germans had a good deal of air support, but a lot of the Luftwaffe was busy bombing strategic targets. So this would actually be a super test bed for some game scenarios.
And it occurs to me that with some of the English-language material that's out there on the Web (plus probably available at uni libraries in town or the LoC), it would be a good subject for a short campaign book with a selection of scenarios, like those that TFL and Skirmish Campaigns produce. A nice project for me to sink my teeth into, and one that, if published, I could dedicate to my dad, the consummate Dutch-American. :-)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-03-20 09:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-20 09:48 pm (UTC)