Time for another series from yours truly. Essentially anecdotes, stories and bits of information that you can drop into the conversation during your wargaming sessions...
Lets start with WW2. The Desert. Hans von Luck commanded a recon battallion on the far right of Rommel's army (giving him a degree of independence) and he fought a gentleman's war with the British opposing him. AT 5pm on the dot, all combat finished for the day so the British could brew up their tea and the Germans their coffee. At 5.15pm von Luck and his British counterpart would inform the other of prisoners taken and to let them know they were well cared for and safe.
Once, von Luck heard that the British had received a month's supply of cigarettes - and offered to swap a prisoner (the heir to the Players Cigarette fortune) for 1 million cigarettes. The British refused - but offered 600,000 instead. von Luck accepted - but the heir himself was outraged and demanded that the 1 million cigarette ransom be paid as 600k was insufficient to represent his status. He therefore refused to be exchanged.
On another day, a German corporal reported that they had captured a British supply truck. von Luck was informed that the truck had been captured after 5pm - so he told the corporal to take it back. The corporal protested that 'kreig ist krieg' and that the contents had already been pilfered by the German troops. von Luck therefore called Rommel and informed him that he was worried about British activity to his right flank and wanted to investigate. Could another battallion cover him while he was away? Rommel approved and von Luck's battallion was replaced in the morning.
That evening - at 5:30pm - the British stole not one but two German supply trucks - just as von Luck had anticipated!
What a top chap!
Lets start with WW2. The Desert. Hans von Luck commanded a recon battallion on the far right of Rommel's army (giving him a degree of independence) and he fought a gentleman's war with the British opposing him. AT 5pm on the dot, all combat finished for the day so the British could brew up their tea and the Germans their coffee. At 5.15pm von Luck and his British counterpart would inform the other of prisoners taken and to let them know they were well cared for and safe.
Once, von Luck heard that the British had received a month's supply of cigarettes - and offered to swap a prisoner (the heir to the Players Cigarette fortune) for 1 million cigarettes. The British refused - but offered 600,000 instead. von Luck accepted - but the heir himself was outraged and demanded that the 1 million cigarette ransom be paid as 600k was insufficient to represent his status. He therefore refused to be exchanged.
On another day, a German corporal reported that they had captured a British supply truck. von Luck was informed that the truck had been captured after 5pm - so he told the corporal to take it back. The corporal protested that 'kreig ist krieg' and that the contents had already been pilfered by the German troops. von Luck therefore called Rommel and informed him that he was worried about British activity to his right flank and wanted to investigate. Could another battallion cover him while he was away? Rommel approved and von Luck's battallion was replaced in the morning.
That evening - at 5:30pm - the British stole not one but two German supply trucks - just as von Luck had anticipated!
What a top chap!