Historical case studies are tremendously useful for understanding the principles of war, from the tactical to the grand strategic. But they are less immediately useful for the practitioner headed into combat.
The Tactical Notebook publishes lots of exercises like this, as well as pieces about finding sources and running games. It also sponsors decision-forcing case studies conducted over Zoom.
Great essay! Even the bunker and trench systems change under drone attack. Battlefield depth is radically different as the front line becomes a front "zone".
I wonder what the battle of the cherkassy pocket would look like and if the breakout would have improved. Or how different Kiev or Kursk would have looked like and if modern intelligence and technology would have made a difference and for who? Or the Americans in the Bocage. Would drones have made a difference?
The Bocage is a great example, like the treelines in Ukraine but even denser. I'd bet that drone surveillance would tip the scales in favor of the side with the fires advantage, but American tanks would also have to contend with better ATGMs - would be interesting to game out.
Along similar lines to Kiev is Bagration, where the defenders had pretty good intelligence on enemy preparations but misread their intentions. Technology can't always make the difference.
Funny, I just wrote a piece comparing a Ukrainian Mechanized Brigade and a WWII American infantry division
Nice, will take a look.
The Tactical Notebook publishes lots of exercises like this, as well as pieces about finding sources and running games. It also sponsors decision-forcing case studies conducted over Zoom.
Great essay! Even the bunker and trench systems change under drone attack. Battlefield depth is radically different as the front line becomes a front "zone".
I wonder what the battle of the cherkassy pocket would look like and if the breakout would have improved. Or how different Kiev or Kursk would have looked like and if modern intelligence and technology would have made a difference and for who? Or the Americans in the Bocage. Would drones have made a difference?
The Bocage is a great example, like the treelines in Ukraine but even denser. I'd bet that drone surveillance would tip the scales in favor of the side with the fires advantage, but American tanks would also have to contend with better ATGMs - would be interesting to game out.
Along similar lines to Kiev is Bagration, where the defenders had pretty good intelligence on enemy preparations but misread their intentions. Technology can't always make the difference.