Friday 20 July 2012

George Gush Quote

George Gush and Andrew Finch's "A Guide to Wargaming"

"...the wargame general's skill, like that of his real counterpart, should lie not in guaranteeing victory, but in committing his men with all the advantages possible, and ensuring that defeat for his force will not be disastrous for their own side, while their success 'will' be disastrous for the enemy." (p.133)

Saturday 14 July 2012

Brits in Basra v Northern Ireland

I have been working on a simulation of urban counter insurgency. I noted in difference in troop numbers between the British occupation of Basra and West Belfast in Ireland.

General Shirreff noted in the Chilcott Inquiry that a single battalion command was responsible for Basra, a city of 1.3 million people. He could put no more thatn 13 half platoons, less than 200 soldiers. In the summer of 1972, the British Army had 28,000 soldiers most of them infantry or in the infantry role in Northern Ireland. During operation Motorman which was to seize back control of the no-go areas in West Belfast from the IRA, the army put 10,000 soldiers into the city. This was day and night.

Britain won in Northern Ireland and lost in Basra....

Monday 9 July 2012

Connections Wargaming Conference in USA

In the USA there is a relatively new conference that discusses all aspects of wargame design

http://connections-wargaming.com/

Based in Washington, 23-26th of July 2012. It has much in common with the Conference of Wargamers.

I note that many of big and some of the smaller names of wargaming will be there.