Hello commander!
Happy to see everyone enjoying the fruits of our LANNES labor! However, the Eugen team never rests on its laurels; we are already getting busy with the next WARNO milestone: MASSENA!
Let’s check out what’s in store!
A word about MASSENA
First off, as is tradition, before we can kick off today’s DevBlog, a couple of words on the update’s name (and historical namesake): MASSENA. As you know, we named all of our milestones after famous French marshals during the Napoleonic wars.
André Masséna was Napoleon’s ablest lieutenant during the early days of Bonaparte’s campaign in Italy. The latter even nicknamed Masséna the “Dear Child of Victory”. He was also the marshal originating from the lowest social ranks, and a tarnished reputation surrounded him as Masséna became notorious as among the worst looter of the French army (and surprisingly very stingy).
Very active during the early years, isolation crept in for Masséna. Italy was relegated to a secondary theater after the action moved to Germany, Poland, and Austria. However, our general had a thunderous return in 1809 when, with the Grande Armée being fixed in Spain, Napoleon had to turn to Masséna and his troops for support.
The apex of the general’s career came soon after, during the battles of Aspern-Essling and Wagram. Unfortunately, our aging Masséna soon lost his vigor and energy. Sent to invade Portugal, he endured terrible hardships, with the invasion ending up in failure. Masséna retreated to Spain before being forced home to France. He was never to see active field service again, playing no real importance during the rest of the Napoleonic wars. He he died of natural causes in 1817.
What will MASSENA bring?
WARNO’s next milestone, MASSENA will introduce two German divisions of a new type: territorial commands. For our Steel Division 2 veterans out there, think Korück!
These commands were tasked with securing the rear area of the main NATO and Warsaw Pact armies against special forces and potential airborne assault operations. They guarded key locations, infrastructure, ammo and fuel depots, artillery, and other army assets. Although made up of second-line troops and equipment, these new divisions will be well-rounded in no small part to the heavy SAM and artillery forces they would be guarding. This makes them ideal candidates for defensive or support decks.
Within WARNO’s war scenario, these territorial command divisions would likely square up against the airborne divisions from recently released LANNES. Our territorial forces would aim to pin down and prevent the paratroopers from reaching their objectives.
Territorialkommando Süd
We will start with West Germany’s Territorialkommando Süd (TerrKdo Süd) as our first new division. In real life, TerrKdo Süd was more of an administrative command than a field one, controlling traffic, performing basic counter-intelligence, security, etc. The formation was situated in both NATO’s CENTAG and SOUTHAG area of command, in central and south West Germany.
However, should an airborne assault occur during our World War III scenario, or perhaps Warsaw Pact forces making a lightning breakthrough, TerrKdo Süd would have been in command of all the rear units. This includes two full reserve brigades with tanks and a plethora of smaller formations.
One important feature of TerrKdo Süd is that while the division is composed chiefly of rear-line units, it will receive some (foreign) support. In case of a breakthrough and an unopposed Soviet drive on the Rhine, there would be one particular nation rather desperate to prevent Ivan from advancing through CENTAG’s to their border: the French.
TerrKdo Süd receives some reinforcements from France’s Armée de l’Air and 4e Division Aéromobile. The latter was France’s only air assault “division,” though more the size of a small brigade. This formation is equipped with a ton of Gazelle combat helicopters and a regiment of heliborne infantry specialized in anti-tank warfare. That means a lot of Frenchies lugging around MILAN systems!
Which units can you play with?
What units can you expect with the new TerrKdo Süd division?
- The LOG category is pretty standard with an emphasis on heavy movers and suppliers: you get to play with the MAN Kat 6x6 truck and CH-53G helicopter.
- Lots of cheap INF slots. This includes many veterancy-locked Jäger, Heimatschutzen and Sicherungs squads, including organic M40A1 and MILAN 1 anti-tank teams, as well as some Feldjäger and Pioniers.Jäger infantry can deploy in M113A1G transports; the rest of the soldiers in soft-skin vehicles.
- Next to the Germans, some French airmobile squads, as well as MILAN 2 anti-tank teams in Super Puma helis, are available.
- TNK category is average, both in terms of slots and quality. Alongside the KanJpz, we encounter the mainstay of the German tank reserve arsenal: the M48 Patton in its 90mm M48A2CGA1 and 105mm M48A2GA2 variants. The latter is an up-gunned version with the M60 Patton’s main gun, giving it the same firepower but on a smaller, weaker chassis. Finally, the French P4 MILAN 2 offers a light but fast and powerful tank destroyer.
- The AA category is one of the stronger categories. With the formation’s task of protecting SAM sites, you’ll get quite a lot of affordable anti-air units. This includes the monotube FK20-2 20mm, as well as the good ‘ol Flak L/70 Bofors. Consider these very effective against choppers!
- Other units include Roland 2 and Roland 3 units, and the towed I-Hawk. To round it out, you also get to deploy Fliegerfaust squads.
- The ART forces of the TerrKdo Süd are pretty strong too in terms of availability and price, but come mostly as towed units. It includes the 120mm Tampella mortar, 105mm FH M1A2 (A2) (this model is already used as a placeholder for the 82nd Airborne Division’s M102 unit), and the 155mm FH155-1 (another name for the FH-70, deployable with our existing German divisions). The only self-propelled artillery unit is the older HS.30 Panzermörser 120mm mortar carrier.
- RECO is clearly not this division’s strong suit. There is limited availability and choice, including Aufklärer (4-man) and Jäger-Aufklärer squads, as well as French Gazelle Lisse (unarmed) and Gazelle Canon (20mm) recon helicopters.
- Lacking a helicopter force of its own, TerrKdo Süd instead relies entirely on French assets. This comes in the form of Gazelle Canon, Gazelle HOT 1 and Gazelle HOT 2.
- Air support is pretty decent, with several variants of the Luftwaffe’s F-4F available in anti-tank, bomber, and fighter roles, as well as the new F-104G bomber variant with its Mk.83 bombs.
- The French Armée de l’Air lends additional support with a single card each of Mirage 2000C RDI fighters and Mirage 5 F cluster bombers.
TerrKdo Süd is a pretty good defensive and support division. This is because of its many cheap infantry and tanks, allowing it to hold the line against enemy attacks. However, the formation lacks modern equipment to be confident on an offense, especially main battle tanks, armored transport carriers, and self-propelled artillery.
See you on the battlefield
That’s it for the first preview of MASSENA. Come back next week for a look into the new Warsaw Pact division!
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See you on the battlefield, commander!
