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+--- Thread: BotB and night rules (/showthread.php?tid=1104)
BotB and night rules - t1M0t8yk - 05-16-2015
I'm considering solo'ing BotB #19. It starts at 04:30, which is clearly night conditions. 4th ed says check the scenario special rules but I see none at either the front of the book nor in the scenario itself. Does the BotB scenario book call out night rules anywhere?
I also have Elsenborn Ridge. I checked its scenario book and found dawn at 0730 and dusk at 1600 so I intend to use these. ER also adjusts the default night rules - visibility is 2 at 0530 and increases by 2 every 15 minutes. After dusk visibility decreases by 2 every 15 minutes. Finally, it appears night visibility is 2. Is all of this correct?
As an aside, besides being a wargaming geek I am also an astronomy geek. It is interesting if ER uses visibility of 2 for all night scenarios. Wacht am Rhein was initiated the day of the new moon in December 1944. Ambient light levels overnight are presumably due to overcast clouds reflecting light from the ground. Amateur astronomers are well-attuned to night light levels. In modern times an overcast sky is quite bright, even brighter than a full moon. I do not know if that is reasonable to assume for Belgium and Luxembourg in 1944, nor if the skies were consistently overcast. If not a visibility of 1 would be more appropriate at the start of Wacht am Rhein.
Incidentally, I also wonder how accurate the dawn and dusk times are. I grew up in Michigan, and at that time of year I think dawn is around 7:30 am and dusk 4:30 pm. I think Belgium is further north than Michigan so those times may be reasonably accurate.
RE: BotB and night rules - zaarin7 - 05-17-2015
Everything I've ever read indicates usfull daylight was about 8 hours during the time of BoB. Also, IIRC, Winter Soldiers has night special rules in it.
You can get the 4th Ed special rules from the APL website.
RE: BotB and night rules - vince hughes - 05-19-2015
Living in and using the UK Sunrise & Sunset times for December here:
http://astro.ukho.gov.uk/nao/miscellanea/UK_SRSS/uk_dec.html
For December and using the map shown (the red and green lines and then carrying them on over into Belgium) I would suggest that the times of Sunrise are appprox 7.30am and Sunset about 3.30pm UK TIME.
Add the hour on for West Europe and you get 8.30am & 4.30pm. Its certainly dark for a long time in the winter's mornings here.