All the players received a personal briefing, giving him some info on his units. To add a roleplaying dimension and typical SCW flavour to the campaign, the players also received some additional hints...
(The following introductory text was sent to all players)
The following notes add a bit of flavour and of role-playing to this campaign. The SCW is especially suitable to that.
What follows does not mean that your subordinates will outright disobey the orders you give - you'd shoot them. Nor that you can blatantly disobey the orders you receive - you'd be shot.
On the other hand, every commanding officer can try and convince, cajole or even intimidate both senior and junior officers; "interpret" orders; embellish reports; or simply not do their very best to implement orders they disapprove.
Be aware that when a battalion commander is described as good, reliable, competent, he'll be in all likelihood represented on the tabletop by an experienced CD player; while a poor battalion commander will be represented by one of our novice players.
A few words about your forces
Your divisional assets are mainly good, reliable professionals. You shouldn't have any problems with them.
The attached assets are a mixed bunch. The cavalry Regiment includes a Moroccan Squadron, and it is a good, experienced unit. You'll certainly find very useful the additional artillery Groups. The Guardia Civil can always be trusted. The tankette Battalion, the heavy AA Battery and the air support are Italian; the tankettes are dangerous to infantry in the open but only the flamethrowing versions can damage a tank. The aircrews are good, the rest less so. Now that the CTV has been established, the use of so many Italian units under Spanish command is absolutely exceptional and you can expect the CTV to try and meddle in their utilization.
The Regiment in line is a battered, mediocre pre-war unit that has seen little action and can barely hold the positions.
The reserve Battalion is a training unit and you'd better not throw them in a serious fight.
The 2nd Brigade is your best unit. The Tercio, with its Elite troops, and the feared Moroccans, should cut through the enemy like a hot knife through butter. However, most of these units are small in numbers. Also, the Brigade is commanded by a famed, and hard-headed, veteran of the Foreign Legion.
The Column Lopez Cardoso is a force that has been fighting in the battle for Madrid since October 1936, and it has the typical motley composition of those times. The Requetes are good, tough, proud troops. On the other hand, the presence of a political unit like the Falange Bandera is a thing of the past and you know that in the Alto Mando nobody will complain if they should suffer heavy losses and be disbanded.
The 6th Blackshirt Legion is a unit you'd much prefer to replace with Spanish troops. They are weak in numbers, they have no combat experience, and their morale is shaky. Also, their commander is a political amateur and will appeal to the CTV if you give him disagreeable orders. Their only advantage is their artillery.
A few words about your Brigade
Yours is the best Brigade in the Division and in the whole Army too. And you are probably a better general than your divisional commander. You are General Tella, a famous veteran of the Army of Africa, and a Foreign Legion officer.
As to your troops, you have an ideal balance; an elite Bandera of the Tercio, the indomitable Moors of a Tabor from Melilla, and an African Light Infantry Battalion. All of your Battalion commanders can be trusted and they are personally loyal to you.
The only problem is you have few men in these excellent units; and that's a good reason not to waste them. Be sure that the orders you receive make sense and use your men at their best and for worthwhile purposes. Avoid having to do with politicians, amateurs and the Italian uninvited meddlers.
A few words about your Column
Your Column is named Lopez Cardoso after your own name. It is a mixed unit, typical of the heady days when you thought you would be the first to drive in Madrid. This means it is a motley collection, but it also has its advantages; such as your own private battery and engineer section. You have become accustomed to your autonomy of those days. After what you have seen, you hate the godless reds, and your men know you won't complain if they take no prisoners.
You are very protective towards your units, good ones and less good ones too, and you don't want them to be frittered away.
The 2nd Infantry Battalion from Sevilla is an experienced, reliable unit and the commander is a professional you trust. The Carlist Requetes are very good, tough fighters, but they are too proud and their commander is like them. Also you should avoid having them side by side with Moroccan troops, since they are devout Catholics. As to the Falange, they are your weakest unit, with poor leadership.
A few words about your Legion
Yours is an Italian Blackshirt unit from the Italian CTV, the 6th Legion or Legion Pittau (your name). You are aware your troops aren't well trained, but the enemy isn't either, and the Guerra Celere has already won at Malaga. Also, you have a prized asset, a whole attached artillery Group.
The Cohort commanders are political leaders more than soldiers, just like you; but the "Audace" Cohort commander is a steadfast, reliable WWI veteran, too.
The lending of CTV assets to the Spaniards is exceptional. You should really insist that the other Italian assets, the tankettes and the air support, should primarily support you. For propaganda reasons, it is important that your Legion achieves some success on its own, too.
Finally, you have the following confidential directions from the CTV Stato Maggiore: you should never break up your command, giving away Cohorts or the artillery Group. If ordered to do so, you should resist, stall, delay and ask the CTV for its previous approval.
A few words about your Regiment
Your Regiment is a pre-war infantry unit. It has followed you when you immediately chose the right side. After an initial period of confused and bloody fighting, you have been stationed in this quiet sector and you haven't seen much action; nor new weapons, nor good replacements, nor any kind of support. Your requests have remained unfulfilled.
You have your three infantry Battalions stretched out thin on a too long frontline. All their commading officers are averagely good professionals, but they haven't good Company commanders. Your Battalions are well dug-in, but they haven't enough men and MGs. You have not one piece of artillery!
Now things are finally moving on "your" front, but if Division want really aggressive operations from you, you'll absolutely insist on being properly equipped and supported.
A few words about your forces
Your divisional assets are mainly good, reliable professionals. You shouldn't have any problems with them.
The attached assets are a mixed bunch. The artillery is good, only you'd need more. The Guardia de Asalto is a welcome addition. The tanks are invaluable, especially because the enemy has nothing like them; unfortunately their mixed Soviet-Spanish crews are just averagely competent.
You also have a nice air support group, but again it's the training and experience of the crews the weak spot.
The Brigade in line is a battered, mediocre unit that has been sent here with little preparation and no support; it has seen little action and can barely hold the positions.
Your reserve is a Youth Battalion; enthusiastic boys and girls with a small cadre of veterans. You'd better not throw them in a serious fight.
The Movil de Choque Brigade is your best unit, maybe the best in the Republican Popular Army. It is commanded by the famous El Campesino, and, as its leader, it is a solidly communist unit. It is a veteran Brigade, and because of its political reliability it's well equipped. Be aware that El Campesino believes very much in his own judgement.
The XII International Brigade is made by Italian, French, Belgian and Polish volunteers. This is another high-quality, well-organized Brigade, hardened by the fights in Madrid, and sturdily disciplined.
The 70th Mixed Brigade is just that - it has three battalions originally formed by anarchist volunteer columns. The fourth battalion is of Carabineros, and it's there to keep the others in line! The Brigade commander is an anarchist too, so he'll tend to make war on his own, and he'll always suspect you are ready to sacrifice him and his soldiers - and of course he's right.
A few words about your Brigade
Your Brigade is the renowned Mobile Shock Brigade, the best unit in the Republican Popular Army, and you are El Campesino, the well-known communist leader. Your units are well equipped and uniformly made of high-quality Veterans. The one who can win this battle is... yourself, and you'll make sure that the credit goes to the right person - yourself. And of course to your Brigade. Luckily, your Battalion commanders and commissars have been hand-picked through the Party and are solidly loyal to you and to the Party. Unfortunately the "Lenin" Battalion commander is better at communism than at war.
Don't let the divisional commander order you around to menial tasks. Don't let your precious, politically reliable veterans be wasted, and especially not to help out the anarchists of the 70th Brigade! You intensely dislike them. And of course you hate fascists - give them no quarter.
A few words about your Brigade
Your Brigade is the 70th Mixed Brigade and it is a traditionally anarchist unit. For this reason, it isn't very well equipped - you aren't politically reliable so you get no cannons. You'll have to win by sheer guts.
Three of your Battalions were originally anarchist volunteer columns, and up to now they are still made of faithful anarchists. Just like yourself. And being an anarchist, you dislike the militarization of the people's militia, and the blind discipline now expected from you.
Your Brigade is the only one in the Division to have a fourth Battalion, but you aren't happy with it; it is a Carabineros Battalion that has been added exactly to keep you anarchists in line. You cannot trust the Carabineros' commander. Luckily you managed to intercept the machine guns intended for them and to distribute them to your under-equipped men! Similarly, should you capture any equipment, you won't be such a fool as to give it to Division.
Try to avoid side-by-side deployment of your three anarchist battalions with the Carabineros, and with the divisional Guardias de Asalto too, for that matter.
Be aware that you and your men are probably considered expendable pawns. If there's a short straw to be given, it will be for you.
A few words about your Brigade
Yours is an International Brigade: it is made of Italian, French, Belgian and Polish volunteers. They are very strongly motivated, hardened by the battles in Madrid, used to act as shock troops and very disciplined for this war's standards. The Italians are especially tough.
They are also overwhelmingly communist, just like you; you are the famous General Lukacs, and you're proud of your Brigade's fame as the "fire brigade".
Because of all the above, your Brigade is well-equipped, too; it's also supported by an attached International Battery. The French-Belgian Battalion commander is a veteran and can be trusted; the Pole is a replacement and untried. As to the Italian one, he's good but he'll always insist on being committed against the Italian fascists.
Remember that you are here to set an example for the Spanish troops.
A few words about your Brigade
Your Mixed Brigade has held this line for a lot of time. It has three infantry Battalions, one of which, the "Leones Rojos" has a lot of veterans, even though their commander is a newcomer. However, you have no artillery, no AT guns, no supporting units of any kind. Your Battalions are well dug-in, but they are stretched very thin on the ground; you can't possibly cover the whole front. You hope that, now that things are moving, you'll get at least the Brigade battery you have been promised for months.
You are a professional officer, but above all you are a militant socialist. You resent the way in which communists, who were a minority just a few months ago, are getting the upper hand throughout the government and the army. Although the Battalion commander of the "Dimitrov" is your best officer, you dislike him because he's a communist and an arrogant careerist. Any hot spot you have to deal with will be for the communists of the "Dimitrov"; while, if they are successful, the merit will be yours.