Czechoslovakia 1938 "What If" Project

[carlos marighela]

Niehorster rather than Nafziger?

http://www.niehorster.org/037_czechoslovakia/__czechoslovakia.html

Neil

Quite right!

[cuprum]

Don’t forget about the “Benes Line”...

https://www.thingiverse.com/search?q=Czechoslovak+border+fortifications&page=1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czechoslovak_border_fortifications

[SBMiniaturesGuy]

Don’t forget about the “Benes Line”...

https://www.thingiverse.com/search?q=Czechoslovak+border+fortifications&page=1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czechoslovak_border_fortifications

Absolutely! These fortifications were designed to take advantage of the rugged terrain of Sudeten Czechoslovakia, and were better than the French Maginot Line. The only gap was from the direction of Austria, which the Czechs rushed to shore up after the Anschluss. There's an amazing on-line mapping tool that gives information about each bunker and fort, many entries have links to survey reports and photos. You can see the fortifications were designed with overlapping fields of fire where terrain did not provide some measure of protection.

https://mapa.opevneni.cz/?n=48.931465&e=17.892468&r=1a955000010&z=7&m=t&l=cz

[carlos marighela]

They do present an interesting scenario set up challenge for the average wargamer. Apart from the earliest pattern light pattern bunkers, which were in the minority, they were almost all set up so that the firing arcs were to the sides and an earth berm fronted towards the enemy, In this way they provided mutual interlocking support and were effectively impervious to frontal fire.

It's no different to how machine guns are set up for defensive fires in real life, firing laterally across the position and often as not on fixed lines but it goes a bit against the wargaming convention of advancing across a table towards and objective firing directly to its front. Nothing that some set up instructions can't overcome though.

[SBMiniaturesGuy]

Good points! The NUTS Czechoslovakia 1938 book will include some guidelines for certain mission types -- in the Czech-German frontier provinces the Czechs planned a series of fall-backs knowing they'd be under pressure from the German advance. These fall back positions were usually in support of, or supported by fixed defenses (bunkers, pill boxes, obstacles, etc.). They even had pre-planned artillery fire missions as well. So if you're on a Defend Mission there's a high chance you will at least get an MG bunker or other fixed defenses. NUTS is also a Mission Driven system, so the player can be incentivized to do proper bunker placement. The more I've read on the Czech defense plans and readiness, and yes I know this is what they planned on paper, the more I think the German invasion would have stalled and failed.

1. The German Army only had 2 weeks of munitions and fuel for a campaign.
2. The week the Germans planned to launch their offensive it rained heavily, which would have grounded the Luftwaffe and bogged light-weight Panzer Is and trucks down in the mud, in rugged terrain and against fixed defenses.
3. If the Czechs showed determined resistance, the Soviets had negotiated a transit corridor through Romania to Czechoslovakia -- within one week the Soviets planned to fly hundreds of fighters and bombers to stage out of Czech airfields, and possibly a Parachute Battalion. Within 2-3 weeks the Soviet's planned to have an Expeditionary Force of several brigades join the fight.
4. This in turn would have discouraged Polish and Hungarian intervention (remember in real life, they joined the Nazis in invading the Czechs in early 1939), and encouraged the French and British to act
5. Could have precipitated the Oster Plot coup attempt by the heads of German Intelligence and key ranking Generals to remove Hitler. They were planning to use the chaos of a war with Czechoslovakia, which they knew they weren't ready for,  to launch their coup.
5. Germany, even with battlefield successes may have had an economic collapse -- the Reichsbank was *out of gold!* It was only stolen Czech gold and the gold given then from Czech reserves in the Bank of London that kept the German economy from collapse in early 1939.

[Vanth]

The more I've read on the Czech defense plans and readiness, and yes I know this is what they planned on paper, the more I think the German invasion would have stalled and failed.

Interestingly historian Timothy Snyder pointed this out just the other day in Tallinn (comparing it to the present situation).

[carlos marighela]

The trajedy of Munich and the reason that Chamberlain is regarded, almost universally, with such disdain is that it was one of those inflection points, along with the remilitarisation of the Rhineland in 1936. where Hitler could have been stopped cold.

[SBMiniaturesGuy]

The project continues with Czech support weapons and a Bunker. Since I can't find 28mm Czech or Slovak support weapons and officers, I had to modify what I could. It turns out that Eureka Miniatures (Australia) *does* have "off list" 28mm Czech heads, but the shipping to the US is $25. Ouch! So, maybe I'll do that and get some other minis as well, but for now I've decided to use 28mm 3D print Polish support and modify the helmets to look more Czech like since they otherwise have fairly similar uniforms.

For the Platoon leader, a Czech "Poručík" (Lieutenant) is most similar to a Russian Officer's uniform with jodhpur pants and high peaked officer's cap, and with a semi-automatic pistol, so that's what I'll go with.

For defenses I got a rather generic WW2 machinegun bunker I can use for almost any game.


Czech Support weapons


MG Bunker

And to keep myself in the mood while I paint -- some 1930s Czech Jazz and Swing music!

[SBMiniaturesGuy]

Been focused on writing and finishing up the NUTS Czechoslovakia 1938 book, it's now out on Patreon and then on sale next month. This is a skirmish campaign book you can use as background for any other skirmish system. Now I can get on with painting, and waiting for some 3D printed early war Panzer IIIs to arrive as well.

https://www.patreon.com/TwoHourWargames



NUTS Czechoslovakia 1938 - The War That Never Was

“This is the national program from London. Today, Czechoslovakia has stunned the world by rejecting the Munich Agreement and declaring that any move by Germany to annex the Sudetenland will be considered an act of war.”

BBC, September 1938 (fictional)

If Czechoslovakia had rejected the Munich Agreement and held onto the Sudetenland, they might have posed a significant challenge to Germany. Despite Germany's military advantage, they weren't fully prepared for a major war in 1938. Czechoslovakia's industrial capabilities and defensive terrain could have prolonged the conflict, potentially leading to international support and internal pressures within Germany.

This 50-page book includes:

*Munich Agreement & Background
*How the Czechs Could Have Fought
*How the War could have ended - including how it could have toppled the German regime!
*Czechoslovakia 1938 Campaign
*Rules for Mountain terrain, defenses and bunkers
*Campaign Maps
*Three Sample Scenarios
*Units lists for Czechoslovakia, Germany, Poland and Hungary and Soviet Expeditionary Forces

[SBMiniaturesGuy]

Answers to questions on another gaming forum:

1. The Czech Army also had Bicycle infantry, so you can use those per page 13, NUTS Compendium (if you use NUTS)

2. Anti-Tank Rifles: The Czechs had not officially deployed one of their many ATR designs, though they were producing for other nations. The BRNO ATR is also a "What If." And the ATR should have an AR of 2, not an AR of 1.

3. Platoon Support available for your games: The Czechs followed the organization of many armies of the day. Support was organized at the Regiment and Battalion level.

At this level the Regimental commander would decide to attach a Support Weapon platoon to a Battalion or Company, and the Company Commander would decide to attach one Support squad or section to a Platoon, usually one expected to hold or take a key position.

Infantry Regiment
- 3 x Infantry Battalion
- 1 x Machinegun Company
- 1 x Mortar Company
- 1 x AT Company
- 1 x Engineer Company
- 1 x Signal Company

Machinegun Company
- 1st Machinegun Platoon = 4-6 HMG and MMG
- 2nd Machinegun Platoon = 4-6 HMG and MMG
- 3rd Machinegun Platoon = 4-6 HMG and MMG

Mortar Company
- 1st Mortar Platoon = 3 Mortars (80mm)
- 2nd Mortar Platoon = 3 Mortars (80mm)
- 3rd Mortar Platoon = 3 Mortars (80mm)

AT Company
- 1st AT Platoon = 4 AT Guns (37mm)
- 2nd AT Platoon = 4 AT Guns (37mm)
- 3rd AT Platoon = 4 AT Guns (37mm)

Hope that helps!

[SBMiniaturesGuy]

Greetings! Here are organization guides for your Czechoslovakia 1938 games, with Infantry Platoon and Infantry Company organization. A note on weapons for your games:

1. Pistol will be a Semi-Automatic pistol
2. BA Rifle = Bolt Action Rifle (the Czech Vz 24 Rifle is almost identical to the German Kar 98k)
3. The LMG = LMG identical to the British Bren Gun
5. Rifle Grenade Launcher can project Frag or Smoke
6. MMG = Identical to a German Schwarzlose MMG
7. HMG = Identical to an Italian 15mm Besa HMG
8. 80mm Mortar = Functionally the same as a German 81mm Mortar
9. 37mm ATG = Functionally the same a German Pak 35/26 3.7cm

Remember also, that if it comes down to rolling Support weapons as Reinforcements in a game, an Infantry Platoon or Squad may have:

x1 MMG or HMG

x1 Mortar team

x1 ATR team (if using the optional BRNO ATRs)

x1 Engineering Squad

Specialists: Medic, Sniper team, FO team

x1 37mm ATG

Happy gaming!



https://www.patreon.com/posts/nuts-1938-guide-105632759?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

[SBMiniaturesGuy]

Some progress! At least I moved my lazy rear and painted the Czech support weapons. You can see that these uniforms are a darker green than the first batch, basically Vallejo "German Uniform" color. I didn't know that the Czech Army had a Summer uniform in a lighter shade closer to a Russian uniform, and a Winter uniform they'd switch to in the Fall, which is when Fall Grün - the German plan to invade Czechoslovakia would have happened.

[TheDilfy]

Cracking Czech unit.    Love the bases  I'll have uploads my Slovakians, when they're finished.

Some progress! At least I moved my lazy rear and painted the Czech support weapons. You can see that these uniforms are a darker green than the first batch, basically Vallejo "German Uniform" color. I didn't know that the Czech Army had a Summer uniform in a lighter shade closer to a Russian uniform, and a Winter uniform they'd switch to in the Fall, which is when Fall Grün - the German plan to invade Czechoslovakia would have happened.

[carlos marighela]

I think you'll find that the greenish grey uniform, with red waffenfarbe is in fact that of the gendarmerie (četnictvo). Along with the finance guards (finanční stráž) and some reservists they made up  the battalions of the State Defence Guard (SOS), that were responsible for border security. These were the formations that saw most action in September 1938. The uniform of the Czech army, to the the best of my knowledge was always khaki, regardless of season. Czech greatcoats are the same basic colour as the tunic and trousers. Russian Uniform, with the odd bit mixed with English Uniform or similar.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Field_winter_uniform_-_Czechoslovak_Army_(1930-35).jpg

So the uniform colour is fine, I have used Vallejo German Uniform for my gendarmes. The only things to note are that the SOS battalions lacked support weapons above the  sqaud ZB.26 light machineguns and even there it seems they weren't fully equipped, with maybe 2 per platoon rather than 3. That and the fact that the gendarmes tended to use brown knee boots rather than puttees.

[SBMiniaturesGuy]

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind as I have the rest of the platoon to paint still.