T2K and the French & Indian War

[Legbreaker]

I wonder, though, whether the troops will be involved in distilling fuel and growing food. The transfer of administrative functions to civilians so that able-bodied troops can be freed for combat duties seems likely to extend itself throughout the CSS specialities and perhaps some CS specialities.

It does seem the logical thing to do, but it doesn't appear to have occurred in T2K, at least not on a wide scale. The 2000 offensive was after all delayed because the troops hadn't been able to sow their crops for the year because of the later than expected rains.
A unit on the move also needs it's administrative support networks to do exactly as they're told, when they're told - civilians aren't exactly reliable enough, especially when there's a chance of combat. What commander wants their support network to flee the area right when they're needed most

(This begs an interesting question. Do the MPs move to Boston as a platoon, then send smaller groups out from the patrol base)

My guess Absolutely. There's strength in numbers, and it's beneficial to have a base, even just a temporary one, to return to between forays.

I think that the summer offensive of 2000 with the German III corp and the US V ID took the Russians, Poles, etc. by surprise. The Russian IV Army with it's gasoline was probably slated for a late fall/early winter offensive. Once the crops were in. I would imagine that the Spetnaz attached to IVth Army were conducting scouting/recon/road inspection for the tanks, that sort of task. They were probably looking at a drive to the west directed at the junction of the American and British Armies. This is the area the Spetnaz was concentrating on, vs the German III Corp.

The evidence does seem to back up a planned Pact offensive, but I'm not so sure it would have waited until autumn/winter - harvesting has to be done before the crops simply rot in the fields.
What the evidence doesn't show us is whether or not the Pact was taken by surprise. It's certainly possible, but even without aerial and satellite surveillance they'd have to know something was on the cards. Nato hadn't carried out any significant action in the north of Germany for approximately two years and those units there had for the most part done nothing but train, reorganise and build up supplies during that period (down south it was a bit different).
It's possible the Pact 2000 offensive was delayed, either because of weather conditions preventing reinforcements being brought up in time, or because the commanders "smelt a rat" and decided to hold their units for the probable need for a counter attack.

[mikeo80]

The evidence does seem to back up a planned Pact offensive, but I'm not so sure it would have waited until autumn/winter - harvesting has to be done before the crops simply rot in the fields.
What the evidence doesn't show us is whether or not the Pact was taken by surprise. It's certainly possible, but even without aerial and satellite surveillance they'd have to know something was on the cards. Nato hadn't carried out any significant action in the north of Germany for approximately two years and those units there had for the most part done nothing but train, reorganise and build up supplies during that period (down south it was a bit different).
It's possible the Pact 2000 offensive was delayed, either because of weather conditions preventing reinforcements being brought up in time, or because the commanders "smelt a rat" and decided to hold their units for the probable need for a counter attack.

There is also the possibility the the Soviet Military leaders were looking at history. The great winter offensives of 1942,1942, and 1943 during the Great Patriotic War all worked to one degree or another. The Russian Bear was always most dangerous during the winter. (Ask the Swedes, French and Germans!) What better way to drive that offensive then with the Russian IVth Army with it's gasoline (diesel) powered tanks. The delay could have been pre-programmed to allow the Romanian Oil Fields more time to produce and refine gasoline/diesel!!

Obviously from the ORBAT of the Russian Army as presented by Allied Intellegence to Vth ID, the planners of the Allied offensive did NOT expect to run into IVth Russian.

I can see the commander of IVth Russian turning his entire "Ranger"/Spetnaz units loose on the Allied offensive as soon as the drive was anylized and plotted on the gaming table!

My $0.02

Mike

[Webstral]

In the interests of keeping the thread on-topic, I want to point out that the presence of Fourth Guards Tank Army in Belarus with its gasoline has been discussed at length in other threads.