02-18-2024, 12:32 AM
Does anyone know if WDS has any plans to cover the Courland Pocket for their Panzer Campaigns series?
I just got done watching the extremely detailed and engaging 6.5 hour marathon documentary about it on the TIKhistory YouTube channel:
https://youtu.be/uJsjxSfB7Ls?si=oTz-n7gffE9MOKtL
Not sure if the entire operation could be put into a single scenario but it seems it could be diced and sliced up into smaller battles for some interesting game play and to pay homage to this somewhat overlooked theater. There could be a number of alternative and 'what if' scenarios built in too as there is some debate if Army Group North could have been evacuated or deployed in a different way as for them not to be completely trapped and cut off.
As I understand it, Hitler did have some intent to try and use the trapped Army Group as a spring board for launching a counter offensive that could have helped encircle a large chunk of the Red Army at a very crucial time. However, the Germans were not able to organize or execute that plan as the allied fronts were quickly closing in on Berlin and logistics were too difficult to supply and prepare the already exhausted, worn out and isolated Army Group North.
On a side note, if this battle had not taken place, I wouldn't have come into existence to be even be writing this post. My Mother's family lived in Latvia at the time and they had decided to leave when the Red Army rolled through their village and started forcefully conscripting all the able bodied men. My Grandfather hastily got his family together and they took off into the woods and hid for several months until the wars end. Not sure at what point they were able to get off the Courland peninsula but they eventually ended up in an Western Allied displaced persons camp and were lucky enough to eventually immigrate to the US.
Anyway, aside from my faint personal connection to this battle, I think this would make a very interesting title for Panzer Campaigns.
Thoughts?
I just got done watching the extremely detailed and engaging 6.5 hour marathon documentary about it on the TIKhistory YouTube channel:
https://youtu.be/uJsjxSfB7Ls?si=oTz-n7gffE9MOKtL
Not sure if the entire operation could be put into a single scenario but it seems it could be diced and sliced up into smaller battles for some interesting game play and to pay homage to this somewhat overlooked theater. There could be a number of alternative and 'what if' scenarios built in too as there is some debate if Army Group North could have been evacuated or deployed in a different way as for them not to be completely trapped and cut off.
As I understand it, Hitler did have some intent to try and use the trapped Army Group as a spring board for launching a counter offensive that could have helped encircle a large chunk of the Red Army at a very crucial time. However, the Germans were not able to organize or execute that plan as the allied fronts were quickly closing in on Berlin and logistics were too difficult to supply and prepare the already exhausted, worn out and isolated Army Group North.
On a side note, if this battle had not taken place, I wouldn't have come into existence to be even be writing this post. My Mother's family lived in Latvia at the time and they had decided to leave when the Red Army rolled through their village and started forcefully conscripting all the able bodied men. My Grandfather hastily got his family together and they took off into the woods and hid for several months until the wars end. Not sure at what point they were able to get off the Courland peninsula but they eventually ended up in an Western Allied displaced persons camp and were lucky enough to eventually immigrate to the US.
Anyway, aside from my faint personal connection to this battle, I think this would make a very interesting title for Panzer Campaigns.
Thoughts?