John Kettler

Update time. The battle with MickOZ is over. As usual, the details are classified, but Treeburst155 has the map and end of game screen. The real AAR will take a few days. Tom did mount several attacks, and I chopped them up, one near the flag on my right, the other near an exit near my center. My attack on the right continued to progress, but I took casualties from what seemed to be stray rounds on my left. Unknown events occurred near the center flag. I believe we have two turns left. Nothing from Peter today. Regards, John Kettler

It's over except for the last movie against MickOZ. My final orders have been issued in a battle of surpassing brutality and really awkward terrain. Tom has reappeared from cybernetic blackout and sent me a turn. He's chewing up some of my guys while I do the same to his. Everything's up in the air. Am expecting an attack as we enter the final turns. Peter sent me another largely depressing movie in a fight which is severely overtaxing my fondness for Wild Bill and his perverse scenario design genius. Even genius needs limits! Frankly, I'm dreading the writeups for these last three. Once I'm done, though, my Section II obligations will be complete and on schedule. It'll be fascinating to see where I wind up when the standings are finally posted. The battle circuit has been spectacularly bloody and grueling. My guts are draped all over Europe. Regards, John Kettler

MickOZ and I have two turns left and have mauled each other, equipment and surroundings mercilessly. The game is too close to call, with multiple positions up in the air, and almost everything imaginable detonating, burning, trying to advance, cowering or dying. To call the situation chaotic would be to impose order upon it. Tom sent me a turn yesterday, to which I replied. Nothing from him today, though. He's moving to expand his breakthrough on my right, I to contain it. Regards, John Kettler

MickOZ and I have turned a perfectly reasonable battle into bloody, chaotic shambles. The situation continues to deteriorate for both of us. What a mess! When I hear again from Tom and Peter I'll be able to reply safe in the knowledge that my article is in. I may even be able to sort out arrangements with MickOZ for our Invitational clash. Regards, John Kettler

First of all, I am continuing in the Invitational, to which end I have commenced negotiations with MickOZ for our pending fight. Fuerte, I'll recheck my files, but I've been here all along, believe you owe me a turn, and thought you were out of town and unavailable. Tom, Peter, and MickOZ, all from Rumblings, will attest that I've sent turns out over the holidays. Bring it! Regards, John Kettler

MickOZ and I are taking turns irritating each other by killing or disrupting critical units. The resultant charnel house is wholly dissonant with the season but is gripping nevertheless. Tom is no doubt buried in family and festivities. Peter did his best, but is in Sweden and has no access to a PC powerful enough to run CM, which he brought with him. Even better than the battle is the recruitment of my nephews into the CM fold. Though they don't have the game yet, they are getting Experiential Ed. here at the house with Uncle John. Happy Holidays to All! John Kettler PS Thanks for an incredible game and amazing scenarios!

Peter, brave soul that he is, tried to send me a turn from Sweden on a friend's XP equipped PC. Not only was the turn file corrupt, but he is missing his mods. MickOZ and I are now at it after he stepped in for George. The next movie will be intense. Nothing today from Tom. Treeburst155, maybe I'm so distracted I can't count. I've fought Holien, Kingfish, CDIC and von Lucke to a finish. Four. I have battles with Tom, MickOZ and Peter in progress. Three more. If I'm only supposed to fight seven battles, then I'm good to go and have repeatedly advertised basic math deficiencies. Oops! Looks as though the way's clear to take up the cudgel against MickOZ in the Invitational, too. Regards, John Kettler

Holien, methinks thou needest to visit here more often. I've had a turn from Tom recently, have had multiple E-mails from MickOZ (stepped in for George) and have sent him all the movie turns to get him up to speed, but have had no turn for some time from Peter and haven't heard a peep from my still unfought foe. Time's running out!!! Treeburst155, can you light a fire, please, under my still hasn't reported foe? Regards, John Kettler

Tom sent me a turn I wish had vanished forever. In it came a series of painful developments which I'm ill equipped to handle. His massing of force is most disturbing. Peter and I continue to maul each other. I did manage to recapture one VL but am suffering severely for the privilege. My force more nearly resembles sausage than a military formation, yet I fight on. I killed something most dear to him last turn by way of a going away present for his holiday trip. Generally, the weapons I have are grossly inadequate to the assigned task. This deficiency is being made up in blood. Lots of it. Regards, John Kettler

The battle with von Lucke is officially concluded, even unto having submitted the long AAR and such to Treeburst155. George and I are engaged in a swirling fight at frighteningly close range while at the same time he's probing both of my flanks looking for a weak spot. I predict further losses next turn and fervently hope they won't be mine. Have inflicted some good thumps early but paid for them too. I have officially decided that every other scenario I've played in Rumblings was for wimps. My current battle against Peter is ultimate proof of the existence of hell, a hell designed by the Satan of scenario designers, Wild Bill. The battle, apparently historical, puts my forces into a boiling maelstrom of destruction of the most stunning proportions and forms while at the same time negating every advantage my force would otherwise have. By and large, I can't see, can't shoot and can't move. Meanwhile, I'm taking fire like you wouldn't believe and from everywhere at once. Casualties are enormous and mounting, tactical cohesion's shredded, defenders are popping up like toadstools after a spring rain, and to complete my bliss, he just got more. Consequently, I'm being counterattacked by the new arrivals who are supported by the initial defenders. Am appealing for the release of micronukes and really need them. Am halfway through this wargamer's hell. Nothing from Tom, nor has anything been heard from the unfought one. Must go now for PTSD treatment! Will the playing out of the fight against Peter lead to permanent institutionalization? Stay tuned! Regards, John Kettler

Treeburst155 and Olduvai, My Merriam-Webster's COLLEGIATE DICTIONARY, TENTH EDITION defines exsanguination as "the action or process of draining or losing blood" and shows the word first came into use circa 1909. It's a derivation from the Latin ex (out of or from) and sanguis, sanguinis (blood). von Lucke and I practiced massive mutual exsanguination in our now concluded game. There were several surprising developments when the shooting stopped and at least some of the smoke cleared. All pertinent details will be found in the end of game screen and the AAR. George and I have clashed. Blood has been drawn, with much more to come and soon. Have received no turn today from either Peter or Tom. Regards, John Kettler

von Lucke has pulled not one but a succession of military tricks from his tactical hat, exhibiting a combat dynamism that is positively breathtaking. He has blown through in several places, is poised for a final rush in others, but took severe losses on some of his efforts. Final orders have been issued to my men in a battle which is being fought from one side of the field to the other, and in places to my front, sides and rear all at once. One last exsanguination and it's done save for the paperwork. Regards, John Kettler

First of all, Fuerte has now been heard from. He apparently was so busy sorting out Windows XP's major graphical conflicts with CM that he was unable to fight at all for a bit. Not only did he send his setup, but I have already sent him the first turn. Mick_Oz, I'm sorry if I've jammed you up, but I was on hiatus here for a while at Treeburst155's suggestion, that I might meet my rapidly approaching deadline in Rumblings to complete all eight mandatory Section II games. Also, as I recall, Fuerte challenged me first. The good news is that I have only one unstarted game remaining in Section II and am about to complete two there. This means that you'll soon have your wish. To get you started, I wish to fight under Jarmo rules, just like in my current fight against Fuerte. If that's not a problem, then please have Treeburst155 randomly assign initial sides and notify me accordingly. Regards, John Kettler

Time for an update. The battle against von Lucke rages on, in spite of casualties in a certain category verging on annihilating to him and crippling to me. He has managed to infiltrate several of my positions with a variety of forces and is consequently contesting most of the VLs. I'm hanging on for dear life in multiple sectors but believe that I'll win the tale of the tape once the smoke clears. If what I expect to happen occurs, I may take a nice haul of prisoners. One turn remains after I get the movie. Peter has reappeared after yet another of the commo problems which seem to plague my tourney battles. As best I can tell, I never got his turn after I'd stormed one of his positions, but he thought I'd broken out the champagne and was resting on my laurels. I fear they'll be somewhat the worse for wear as I press the attack. Tom and I are on the home stretch. To call some of the fighting "desperate" would constitute a gross understatement. I'm trying to keep things from falling apart in one sector while mopping up isolated elements elsewhere. George and I have our game well under way, but so far things are quiet. Bet that won't last! Regards, John Kettler

O Fuerte, where art thou? Thou didst challenge, wheedle, cajole and badger me for a game that thou mighteth finish the Invitational, and yea did I send unto thee a setup, to which thou hast not replied in the span of two risings of the sun. Pray dispatch thy setup unto me, that battle might be joined. Thy waffenbruder, John Kettler

killmore, It never existed. Ever. The chassis is from a whole bunch of apparent KV chassis spliced together, much like a stretch limousine. The turrets with bolts are from the KV-1C. The turret with the twin guns is from the normally single 152mm equipped KV-2, and the smaller tank turrets are from what looks like a BT-5 or BT-7. Am not sure which, since I don't have my references handy at the moment. I don't know what the smallest turrets are from. The rocket launcher is from a BM-13 Katyusha model. I hope this eliminates any further confusion. Regards, John Kettler

Tom has reappeared after an absence of nearly a week. He's chewed up one of my blocking positions but is paying for it at that location and clear on the other side of the board where I continue to grind up isolated elements. von Lucke grinds forward on my right, which is somehow still holding, is trying to work E into F closer to my center in order to outflank and neutralize my G, and has expressed extreme displeasure with the status quo by attacking my H. Nine turns to go! Nothing has been heard from Peter since Saturday, but George has been sent my setup. This leaves only one Section II battle unstarted. Regards, John Kettler

Precisely! This way, you either have perfect knowledge of what you are about to face, and thus can cower in terror based on the certain horrors to come, or, you get to face the realization that you bought the wrong force for the terrain you got while having absolutely no idea what you're about to face. Personally, I think this is one of my all time best wargaming ideas, in that it automatically and effortlessly works to level things out and saves a great deal of negotiation. People can buy incredibly nasty forces, but the purchase process is invariably tempered by the profoundly sobering thought that one's opponent may wind up wielding it instead of being pulped by it. Treeburst155, who is who in the initial assignment of sides, please? Is there anything else I haven't covered? It's been quite some time since I last had to buy a force. Regards, John Kettler

Fuerte, Am ready to fight! I propose Jarmo rules: Blind map; random side assignment by Treeburst155; we buy troops, then get map. He then draws again to determine whether a player fights with the forces he purchased or uses the other person's. I find this instantly resolves all kinds of force selection problems and adds to the pucker factor. What say you? Regards, John Kettler

Treeburst155, Please consider this official notification that I am going to accept Fuerte's challenge in the Invitational, so that he can complete his tourney there. I'm tired of waiting when I could be fighting. Regards, John Kettler

To clarify, I am not presently involved in replaying any scenarios with Kingfish. How Holien came up with that one is beyond me. I am most interested in getting turns from Tom and Peter and renew my pleas for the remaining unfought Section II foes to get the ball rolling so we can fight. Treeburst155, this makes at least three times I've posted concerning the unfought duo. If these two don't act soon, I'll miss deadline. I don't expect to be penalized because of them. Regards, John Kettler

Emphatically concur! PE had maps with the briefings from the beginning. Though visually crude, they provided both tactical context and immersion. Regards, John Kettler.

Iron Chef Sakai, The Allies weren't going to use chemical warfare on the Germans unless the Germans used it first. The retaliatory stocks of mustard agent were secretly forward deployed on a Liberty ship which was hit and leaked agent into the water in which many sailors were swimming after their ships sank as a result of a German air raid. Casualties were severe, and the whole incident was suppressed for many years. A book called DISASTER AT BARI finally revealed the truth. If memory serves, Bari is in Italy. While we're at it, the British were in terrible shape for chemical warfare, but scared the Germans off by feeding them lies through the XX (Doublecross) Committee's network of turned German agents. The Russians had huge chemical weapon stockpiles and pioneered mass use. They even gassed their own people. Regards, John Kettler

Marco, I haven't seen that one myself, but can heartily recommend THE EASTERN FRONT: Armour Camouflage and Markings 1941 to 1945, by Zaloga and Grandsen, Arms and Armour Press, 1983. It's got sections on all the combatants, has marvelous color plates and well chosen black and white photos which have discussions of the paint jobs and markings. The Soviet section has portions devoted to camouflage, markings, tactical insignia, unit insignia, numbering and patriotic slogans. If you contact Steve Zaloga he may be able to help you out with copies of articles on Soviet WW II tank camouflage schemes he wrote for IPMS Quarterly during the early 1970s. He wrote and illustrated the series. I believe the illustrator Jean Restayn has an Eastern Front armor book as well, but my memory's fuzzy. If you need a standard reference and are prepared to do some digging to get it, I suggest RUSSIAN TANKS 1900-1970 by John Milsom, Galahad Books, 1970. The book has lots of black and white photos of an incredible array of combat vehicles, not just tanks, but doesn't discuss much in the way of paint or markings. The book is not focused on those topics, but Restayn's work is. Finally, I've seen some KOKU FAN type reference material at Brookhurst Hobbies. It was quite expensive, but it had some great photos of wild winter camouflage jobs on ISU-152s and 122s. I'm talking polka dots, zebra stripes and other unRussian type stuff. I hope this helps. Keep up the great work! Maybe soon I'll have a computer that actually has the graphic horsepower so I can use your mods. Regards, John Kettler [ 12-03-2001: Message edited by: John Kettler ] [ 12-11-2001: Message edited by: John Kettler ]</p>

It's Sunday, no one's here but me, yet I've seen one turn all day so far, that from von Lucke really early this morning. The casualty production rate in our fight is staggering. Tom and Peter, where are you? And where are the other two Section II people I've yet to fight? I've posted my desire to fight you repeatedly, and I have room for at least one fight right now, maybe two. Someone please send me a turn! Regards, John Kettler