New Material for the Jackson Republic

[ArmySGT.]

Where is all their industrial capacity coming from

The KFS has its industrial base from before the war. The factories, spare parts, tools, and great quantities of materials were hidden in bunkers and kept hidden.

More importantly than that the Rich Five cryogenically froze 2000 loyal followers...... presumably the machine operators, engineers, production managers, trainers, etc.

Where is the resources for the Jacksonian's coming from if they are scavenging from the wreckage

[Project_Sardonicus]

Where is all their industrial capacity coming from

The KFS has its industrial base from before the war. The factories, spare parts, tools, and great quantities of materials were hidden in bunkers and kept hidden.

More importantly than that the Rich Five cryogenically froze 2000 loyal followers...... presumably the machine operators, engineers, production managers, trainers, etc.

Where is the resources for the Jacksonian's coming from if they are scavenging from the wreckage

I completely agree, it's also kinda dull to reduce the game to little more than a bloody 1960s civil war.

I think history is replete with technologically, advanced, wealthy nations that came amiss. Where as the P47s seem like a game changer there's a handful of them to cover, reconnaissance, bombing, ground attack, even one would suspect VIP transport. And they're not flown by the best or most skilled pilots, rather a toxic mix of the wealthiest and most politically reliable. Rather like the DPRK airforce, not to mention the cost in fuel, maintenance and spare parts keeping them in the air.

It seems improbable they'd be used reliably for anything as useful as reconnaissance or tactical bombing. Rather wealthy brylcream boy flyboys, would support ongoing battles or strafe convoys spotted by ground forces for the glory.

If some bright spark in the JFS was a student of history and had a shed to tinker in, they might come up with this as a solution to low flying propeller aircraft.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fliegerfaust

It's no stinger and probably wouldn't work but might achieve the aim of scaring off bullying, KFS flying glory boys.

[Project_Sardonicus]

I have been reviewing some of the material for the Jackson Republic. I have decided to make some changes:

• Replace the Lewis MG with the .30 M1919A6 model. The pan magazines held too little ammunition for the weight.
• Add about eight to sixteen M116 howitzers, 75mm, 9,600 yd eff range, 3-6 rpm, about 1,440 lbs to address the KFS's 105's. Yeah, the 105's out range the M116's but they are transportable by the H-34 helicopters and towable by any truck at least 3/4 ton the Republic has.
• Going to add six to eight FM-2 Wildcats to counter the P-47's. It uses a variant of the Wright R-1820 engine like the H-34 helicopters do.

I am considering changing the organization of the combat units also.

Don't change it the original version is great, setting the KFC and JFS as equal rivals seems terribly dull and unrealistic.

I do suspect the JFS would have developed something far simpler in terms of anti armour warfare. Such as the Panzerfaust or the RPG which would give even the smallest squad, some sort of a realistic armour punch. And those weapons have been hand made in sheds since they were invented.

One thing I always found terribly unbelievable is the KFS having fleets of M1s and M2s. Without the hitech sights, communication equipment etc why bother. And unless the KFS has millions of gallons of hi quality fuel they'd be too slow to do anything useful and a realistic enemy would stick to ambushing their over extended supply lines.

More realistic I'd think would be v300 and v600s, they're from an engineering point of view pretty much a yellow school bus with guns.
A fairly basic maintenance vehicle could switch out engines or tow them and the on board crew could probably change a busted tire.

The SADF in it's various border wars left its tanks behind for all but the most show cased battles. And a fast, heavily armed (if you don't have your own tanks they're all terrifying), long ranged strike force of wheeled vehicles would be terrifying for a foe. I mean with the Stryker brigades it's pretty much current US strategy.

http://www.jedsite.info/afv-charlie/charlie/commando_series/v600/v600.html

I think this would be the most likely "M1 boogy man" to scare the KFS's enemies. Perhaps equipped with first generation ERA armour (relatively simple and cheap to manufacture).

[ArmySGT.]

I do suspect the JFS would have developed something far simpler in terms of anti armour warfare. Such as the Panzerfaust or the RPG which would give even the smallest squad, some sort of a realistic armour punch. And those weapons have been hand made in sheds since they were invented.

The most difficult part is a reliable fuse. Getting it to detonate on impact and getting a shaped charge to reliably form the superheated jet was the hard part. The motor propellants are relatively simply if you have the refining capability....... Even black powder makes a rocket propellant going back to the Revolutionary War.

One thing I always found terribly unbelievable is the KFS having fleets of M1s and M2s. Without the hitech sights, communication equipment etc why bother. And unless the KFS has millions of gallons of hi quality fuel they'd be too slow to do anything useful and a realistic enemy would stick to ambushing their over extended supply lines.

I think the KFS can repair the M1s and M2s, yet chooses not to field them..... More really in the game to offset player ambitions and to prove why the KFS is the economic and military powerhouse that dominates the region. Maxwell's militia has several operational M60A1s that would annihilate the V300s and M2s, also would be capable of taking down the M1s a fair percentage of the time.. Maxwell's militia just doesn't have an economy strong enough to project power and is too paranoid to take their tanks outside.

More realistic I'd think would be v300 and v600s, they're from an engineering point of view pretty much a yellow school bus with guns.
A fairly basic maintenance vehicle could switch out engines or tow them and the on board crew could probably change a busted tire.

That is pretty much in line with both KFS modules. Additionally lots of foot infantry supported by 2 1/2 ton trucks.

[RandyT0001]

Jackson Republic Slang
whirly: crazy
downhill ducks: easy to shoot or kill, synonymous with "fish in a barrel"
downwind ducks: hard to shoot or kill, people alerted to threats
pinball: bouncing from one task to another, often without completing each task; unorganized
O' Hickory Heart or Hickory Heart: stoic, unfeeling person - can be used in a positive (by adults and adolescents) or negative (by pre-puberty youths) connotation
Pop-a-top: civilian name for M20A1B1 rocket grenade launcher and /or the effect of the warhead on a vehicle. (Use of the phrase while in military service is rewarded with push-ups. The phrase was used in a recent movie and has caught on.)
Free State Logic: reasoning or excuses to maintain slavery and/or the rich five status quo; reasoning that is illogical
Fascist Blacks: KFS secret police
Catspaw: descriptor of one skilled in intrusion and/or sneak with camouflage; a stealthy approach

Ballad of the Republic's Army
(sung to the rhythm of Ballad of the Green Berets)

Citizen-soldiers, of the land
Brave people, willing to die
People that mean, what they say
Serving in, the Republic Way

Eagle wings, upon their chest
People who are, Jackson's best
Holding invaders, at the bay
Defend the Republic, every day

Trained to live, off nature's land
Trained in combat, hand to hand
People who fight, night and day
Protect the Republic, day to day

Eagle wings, upon their chest
People who are, Jackson's best
Holding invaders, at the bay
Defend the Republic, every day

Back at home, children are born
"Protect them", we have sworn
Open the letter, from the chest
A passed parent's, last request

Put eagle wings, upon their chest
Make them one, of Jackson's best
Hold the invaders, at the bay
Defend the Republic, enduring days

Thoughts, comments

[Project_Sardonicus]

I think the killer advantages of the JR are their morale and training. The KFS are closer to the conscripts the USSR sent into Afghanistan or Chechnya. Who can be best summed up by one Russian general when discussing their seizure of an airport in the Kossavan war.
"What are they going to do What they always do get drunk and sell their weapons"

JR troops all have garrands as opposed to assault rifles, which at first seems a disadvantage. But has maybe 50% more effective range, not to mention when paired with combat bows they all learned to use as kids.

If their tactic was sniping and disruption they could cause havoc amongst less disciplined KFS troops. Most KFS vehicles are about as heavily armed as a ww1 tank so it's likely the JR would have some anti material rifles. Ok nothing as sophisticated as a Barratt, but more like a T Geweher, would such a rifle if equipped with incedinary bullets be able to blow up fuel tanks or ammo stored in vehicles

But most importantly JR troops are trained from childhood to fight, believe in their cause and are in units made up of willing volunteers who know and trust each other. These are the kind of forces who historically kick out occupying empires.

I think if it came to war. The KFS forces would face empty villages fled in an organised manner and draining ambush and insurgency, whilst JR raiders snuck over the river to cause havoc in their back yard.

[Project_Sardonicus]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wz._35_anti-tank_rifle

this weapon could prove to be an absolute nightmare if someone remembered how to make one. Especially if equipped with some kind of modern hard core bullet (depleted uranium for a few special shots)

And as for cross bows, how improbable would an ultra heavy 2 man cross bow be firing captured KFS rifle grenades silently

[mmartin798]

The KFS are closer to the conscripts the USSR sent into Afghanistan or Chechnya. Who can be best summed up by one Russian general when discussing their seizure of an airport in the Kossavan war.
"What are they going to do What they always do get drunk and sell their weapons"

I never got this kind of impression about the KFS when I read the material. I always feel it is more an integral nationalist state, more like Mussolini's Italy or Nazi Germany. While they don't feel full on fascist, they still feel nationalist to me.

Given that the KFS was started by industrialist expecting a troubled and war torn world, it is not unreasonable that they might have a small number private military contractors. This would give a core for training an army later with some skill. While the KFS has kept the military for rich family members to lead over the 150 years or so, it is not some band of irregulars that would be ill trained and naive. The KFS forces and JR forces would be close in capability and training.

[Project_Sardonicus]

I think KFS are gone into detail in Bullets and Bluegrass and Fallback.

Fallback describes the regular army, with each "noble landowner" raising his own forces. These guys came over as poorly, organized but well equipped bullies. Who relied on overwhelming force and lots of artillery fire power to cow their enemies.

Whilst Bullets and Bluegrass covered the centurions I think they were called The antiMP secret police, who seemed far more disciplined and skilled.

I think in any campaign one needs to steer away from unengaging scraps between roughly equal forces. Certainly the youth camps of the JR seem to describe a much more interesting and skilled opponent.

[RandyT0001]

KFS Raids into the Confederation of Counties
Before the formation of the Jackson Republic

In the year 2062 (2034 for the 3rd edition of Morrow Project), The Kentucky Free State sent the Fifth Regiment across the Tennessee River. Eleven years earlier the army of the Rich Five had begun its expansion into Middle Tennessee for the purpose of expanding the labor force to serve the needs of the Rich Five. This invasion prompted the evacuation of Tennessees MP M&CA Combined Team into West Tennessee the following year. Two years after the M&CA relocation, several counties in West Tennessee formed a confederation for trade and mutual protection, the Confederation of Counties. Consolidation of power in Kentucky was completed and the Kentucky Free State was proclaimed in 2057 (2029 for the 3rd edition of Morrow Project). However, the subjection of Middle Tennessee was not completed for another three years. The commander of the Fifth Regiment had not told the Five Families of the difficulties in conquering Middle Tennessee nor of the formation of the Confederation. He was replaced, arrested, tried and executed within two days. The Rich Five reorganized the military leadership into a patronage system to ensure control and communication. The Inspector General Office of the Army was eliminated as the Secret Police was given policing authority over the Army.

The new commander, Gerald Carswell, of the Fifth Regiment was ordered to attack the Confederation immediately. His letter of refusal was accompanied by a report from the Captain of the Secret Police assigned to the Fifth Regiment listing the shortages of material, abundance of poorly trained troops, and absent morale as detriments to the task ordered. The Five gave him a year to turn the Regiment into an effective force. After nine months delay, the material and ammunition finally arrived. The commander trained his regiment for two months. The following month he sent recon patrols into Confederation territory while the Secret Police sent a few abduction teams to capture and return with some near border community leaders. Units not assigned to patrol duty built flat bottom johnboats for the infantry and pontoon boats for a wood pontoon bridge the artillery could use to cross. After reviewing the intelligence reports from the recon patrols and summations of the interrogations by the Secret Police, Colonel Carswell formulated a plan of attack.

Colonel Carswell was not impressed by Confederation. He concluded that a coordinated attack would cause the Confederation to collapse. He divided his regiment into four columns to attack across four points on the Tennessee River. Each column consisted of a platoon of cavalry, a company of foot infantry and a battery of artillery for support. The plan was that the V-300s of the cavalry would establish a beachhead across the river and protect the infantry as it crossed on johnboats and built the pontoon bridges. Once the artillery crossed the river, an infantry platoon would be left to guard the bridge while the remaining forces would advance to their target. Column A would attack Benton, column B would attack Murray, column C would attack Camden and column D would attack Parson. Once column A and column B had destroyed their initial target cities, they would converge on Mayton and destroy it. Column C would advance to Huntington after razing Camden and column D would advance to Lexton. The assaults would continue through Martin, Trenton and finally to Dyersburg to split the Confederation. The often-quoted paraphrase of Moltke the Elder, oeNo strategic plan survives contact with the enemy would end up as oeNo strategic plan survives a river crossing for Colonel Carswell.

At each river crossing, the cavalry platoon had established an effective defense of the beachhead and the initial supporting platoon had arrived. After a dry summer season, the river was low and the weather was clear with a full moon. The four-hour operation of building the pontoon bridges began. About an hour after the building began the weather turned starting at Benton. Clouds rolled in from the northwest with a drastic increase in southwesterly surface winds. Though slowed the bridge building continued. When the winds and clouds made it to the Parson crossing Benton was in the middle of a hailstorm driven by gale force winds. The advancing line of thunderstorms destroyed the bridges within three hours of the start of construction of each bridge. The Camden bridge site was struck by a F1 tornado. Carswell ordered those forces already across the river to attack their initial targets and destroy them, then return. Because column C had lost nearly all of its johnboats, it was ordered to rendezvous with column D in Parsons after mission completion and return using those boats. For Colonel Carswell four small victories can elevate one to hero status within the family.

Each town was set afire and suffered severe damage. For the attacking forces, the damage was light. One V-300 had a central wheel blown off with an improvised land mine and another had its anti-air machine gun destroyed. Of the infantry, two soldiers were seriously wounded and eight were lightly wounded. There were no combat deaths but the storm had killed seventeen soldiers building the Camden crossing bridge. After the withdrawal was completed, Carswell set up patrols and defensive positions to repel any counter attack. None was forthcoming. Lauded as a hero by the family, Gerald returned to Danville and was soon replaced as the commander of the Fifth Regiment. The new commander moved the regiment farther into the interior of the KFS to suppress a slave rebellion. The lack of any military action by the Confederation convinced the Council of Five that no credible threat outside of the Free State existed. For the next twenty years, the Army of the KFS was too busy suppressing a succession of slave revolts to venture across the Tennessee River. When they did, the response was very different, shocking and troubling.

In Newtonian physics, for every action there is an opposite reaction. If the KFS raids were the action, the reaction was the creation of the Jackson Republic, virtually opposed to the KFS in every way: anti-slave versus slave, democracy versus oligarchy, character versus class, communism versus capitalism, freedom versus servitude, motivation versus stagnation.

More than one hundred years would pass before the Army of the KFS would again advance beyond its borders.

[RandyT0001]

The beginning of a new module I have been working on.

Comments, suggestions

[rob]

a copy

I'd be up for a copy of the module if/when it is done please. Thanks for the work RandyT0001.

[RandyT0001]

Carryall Truck, 4x4 3/4ton (4th Edition)
Crew: 2 +7 passengers
Length: 4.7m
Width: 2.0m
Height: 2.06m
Max. Road Speed: 87kph
Fording Depth: 0.86m
Gradient: 55%
Vertical Obstacle:
Trench:
Ground Clearance: 0.26m
Turning Radius: 7.47m
Armor Value: 4(B), 9(NB), 128(EX)
Payload: 818kg

Mass: 34 (2,613.6kg) including fuel (113.5 liters)
Stats:
SP: 1,156
STR: 103 (56.7kw powerplant)
DEX: 13
PACE: 15
INT: 18

Public officials in the Jackson Republic that require a four-wheel drive vehicle use the carryall truck. The rear seats can be folded forward for additional cargo space or removed for maximum capacity.