Recon, Fords, and River Crossings

[T-Square]

The Recon section of the rules really doesn’t address using Recce Units for finding river fords.  River crossings can be very important to the success or failure of an attack.  I’m proposing the following for using Recce to find fords across rivers.

There are several types of rivers. The type of river present is at any time is scenario driven.
   Rivers that are impassible except by watercraft or bridges. 
   Small rivers and streams that are passable at any point along them acting only as linear terrain. 
   Fordable rivers that have defined fords and are passable only at those fords. 
   Rivers that are fordable, however, the fords have to be located. 

For fordable rivers a Recon Unit may attempt to locate a ford by positioning themselves at the river’s edge.  This simulates the Recon Unit searching along the length of the river one Army Tactical Distance centered on the Recon Unit.  Then, as a Recce Action, roll 1d6.  On a 4, 5, or 6 the Recon Unit has found the ford.  Again roll 1d6.  On a 1, 2, 3 the ford is 5cm wide.  On a 4, 5 the ford is 10cm wide.  On a 6 the ford is 15cm wide.  The player may decide where along the Army Tactical Distance to place the ford as long as the entire ford is located within the Army Tactical Distance searched.  The ford spans the entire width of the river and is available to that player’s side for the rest of the game.  The opposing side may not use the other side’s ford but may search for the ford in that area if they choose to.

For a failed fording Recce Action, the player may perform another Recce Action to look for the ford in the same area on the next turn with a penalty of +1 to the die roll.  On the third attempt the Recon Unit has fully failed to locate a ford and must move to another area to search.  The follow on area may not overlap the area previously searched.

The Recon Unit may move to another area along the river to search for a ford after failing to find a ford on the first or second time.  Again the area being searched may not overlap the previously searched area(s).  The new search restarts at 4, 5, or 6 to locate the ford in the new area.



We can debate whether this action should be for Recce Units only or if Recce Support can also perform this action.

[kustenjaeger]

Greetings

But the majority of recce was focussed on finding bridges in WW2 because needed for vehicles. While there were examples of fords being of tactical importance (eg 133rd US Infantry crossing the Volturno -  (in Blumenson's From Salerno to Cassino))  - this sounds like a scenario house rule to me.

Regards

Edward

[Dr Dave]

...the majority of recce was focussed on finding bridges in WW2 because needed for vehicles.

I hate to be a wet blanket but I'd have thought that this was in fact a tiny part - if any part at all. Bridges would be marked on maps and there for all to see. I doubt the Irish Guards Group kicked off wondering if they'd be a bridge ahead. They knew that there was - it was on everyone's maps.

The main purpose of recce was and is the locate and id the enemy. 

[AJ at the Bank]

Thank you Terry - this is v interesting.    

I like the idea of a Reece/RSU being able to 'locate' a river ford, when such fords have to be located - and this is a very neat way of doing it.

Just a couple of questions -

(1) Do you think that being able locate a ford 50%+ of the time is a bit high please? I guess the river could then be covered with fords - would seem to negate the river somewhat easily though?
(2) Why restrict the opposing side from using an already located ford please?
(3) If the opposing side cannot use an opponents located ford ..there seems no point in searching in a similar location does there - am I missing something please? The opposing side has the same chance of locating if they just go to a point on the river they wish to cross no?

[T-Square]

AJ

The percent of finding a ford can be adjusted for the scenario.  The 4-5-6 was an example.  A harder to ford river could be 5-6 and the hardest just a 6.  What I provided is the concept of finding fords.

As far as the opposition using a ford, again this could be scenario driven.  Plus, in the real world, your opponent ain't going to send you a message saying, "there's a ford right here."

Based on the scenario you could say there are areas of the river that can't be forded while others might be fordable.  This allows you to design scenarios that are fun and challenging.  That's what the whole idea of gaming is about.

[AJ at the Bank]

Thanks Terry

This sounds like a very good rule addition - nice!
Adam

[sultanbev]

You might want to add that in an attack-defence game, the defender will already know where the ford is and mark it on a map, thus giving the attacker more work to do to find a ford, with the opponent declaring it if the attacker's recce makes the successful D6 roll within say 15cm of it. Plus the defender could use the ford at any time without penalty.

Similar rules could be brought in for hidden tracks through forests, hidden gullies that block attackers' vehicle moves, and so on. I did have a set of variable terrain rules once, still knocking around somewhere - where markers were placed in the middle of woods, fields and even hills, and once units reached those markers, a D20 was rolled and a table consulted to see what beneficial or hindering terrain was actaully there.

Mark

[T-Square]

Mark

You are as devious as I am.  I like those ideas.

Terry