Encirclement

[Blackcloud6]

Yesterday I finished playing Beyond Normandy #21: 43rd (Wessex) Division Attacks.  The SS almost got surrounded in Mouen, but they managed to keep a corridor to the rear open.  This got me thinking about encirclement.  PG has no rule for personnel units receiving fire from opposite flanks or from both the front and the rear.  One of the goals in WWII infantry combat was to outflank or encircle the enemy.  So, should there be a rule/house rule for PG that gives a detrimental effect on receiving such fire?  Or just the mere fact that the unit is receiving such enough to replicate the effect?  I can see arguments for both ways.

One could say that a unit that is encircled suffers a +1 to any morale checks or recovery or something like that, but there are cases where being encircled embolden units to fight to the death.  Maybe this should be left up to the scenario designer to decide?

[goosebrown]

We don't have a concept of ZOC here but we could find some way to consider a unit or set of units to be cut off from supply/reinforcement/retreat that would kick in some morale effect after a given period of time. I like the moral +1 or conversely a -1 for encircled units after an hour? two hours? Something like that. 

I think that a platoon/company has enough stuff for a couple hours in combat but at some point those guys are going to be thinking about how they are going to get more stuff or leave an untenable position.

[Blackcloud6]

I went back through my PG files today and there was a Daily Content article on Isolation for PG.  This was during the 3rd Edition.

[Blackcloud6]

We don't have a concept of ZOC here but we could find some way to consider a unit or set of units to be cut off from supply/reinforcement/retreat that would kick in some morale effect after a given period of time. I like the moral +1 or conversely a -1 for encircled units after an hour? two hours? Something like that. 

I think that a platoon/company has enough stuff for a couple hours in combat but at some point those guys are going to be thinking about how they are going to get more stuff or leave an untenable position.

I do think this would matter in the longer scenarios.

[cjsiam]

I wonder if there aren't two types of encirclement/enfilade...

1) more operational---getting ammo, getting back to supply---that probably isn't going to make THAT much difference in this type of tactical 
   scenarios---though special rules maybe should consider such more...

2) the Tactical enfilade---where you start receiving fire from 180degree directions....you start to consider "getting out of dodge" cause suddenly
it's much harder to find safe cover....That kind of encirclement I think should be impacting Assaults and willingness of troops to "stay put" ....

I recall--like 4 or 5 months ago? a discussion of some optional rules someone proposed about cutting you off from your map-edge resulting
in -1 to morale for such encircled units?? ... if units can see enemy forces have cut them off from their "board side" they have a morale disadvantage....

surrounding units in Towns or forests should definitely impact morale....surrender should become more likely....

[rerathbun]

Isolation for PG:

There was a Daily Content article by Alan Sawyer titled "Unit Isolation."  It can still be found here:

http://www.avalanchepress.com/pg_isolation.php