Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy 127 - Introduction

Table of Contents

Editorial

"In trying to defend everything he defended nothing."— Frederick the Great

Raiding is probably one of the oldest military tactics. It varies in scale from mere robbery and cattle rustling on the one hand, to vital sabotage and information gathering missions on the other. Killing an enemy general can have a profound effect on a war. Destroying the enemy’s airplanes, fuel, and ammunition supplies, can hamper his ability to conduct offensives. Capturing the enemy’s technology – such as the German radar at Bruneval – can lead to the development of successful countermeasures like chaff, developed following the raid.

By their very nature, raids can be hard to defend against. The defenders do not know if or where a raid may come from, and simply cannot defend everywhere without spreading their forces too thin. Resources spent guarding or watching against raids cannot be used elsewhere and can weaken the main line of defense. So the defender has to rely on reaction, waiting for an attack and sending reinforcements to repel it, or to catch the raiders as they flee. It is truly a dilemma, as Frederick the Great said.

All of this leaves plenty of gaming opportunities for us wargamers. There is not a period in history which did not have raids. So, whether it is Greek Hoplites stealing sheep, or modern raiders destroying supplies behind enemy lines, let the raiding commence!

In our next issue, we will look at the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. He rose from a mere second lieutenant in the artillery, to being crowned Emperor of France and almost conquering Europe. We will delve into the man and his early battles.

- Guy Bowers

editor@wssmagazine.com