gsasl recruits

Hi Recruit!       [Page updated December 9, 2017]  UPDATE NOTE: Links on this page (other than Mission One AAR by Rick Lubben) do NOT lead anywhere…they need repair.

BULLETIN!!!!!!! –Our GSASL group is currently playing Second Campaign a VOTG scenario live on VASL every 3 or 4 weeks. It’s very tough slogging as there are lots of suspect counters. As it has been a busy Fall season for us…we five of us began live online at same time sharing the assault…but have recently been ordered to advance on our own to end of Turn 6 in scenario 1.

[screen shot to be available before Christmas]

You can sign up as reinforcements for our weary AXIS German …. or obtain OOB for Mission 1 ……..Contact:  jim.bennett@shaw.ca for instructions and ORDERS if you wish to join us.]

Meanwhile: 20 active players have been engaged at one time or another with these campaigns.  First campaign…. Eight active German COY were involved in OPERATION HERCULES- The 1942 attack on MALTA designed by Kevin Conelly.  And five Italian COY by last status report. 

Yep….you found the right place. This is where new GSASL Recruits are coming to learn more about Group Solitaire Play for Advanced Squad Leader. We completed our first and second ‘bootcamp for newbies’ during March/April 2015 and again in 2016…. We are now accepting applications from new recruits for Jan/Feb 2018. Join us by emailing the Quartermeister….. jim.bennett@shaw.ca and we’ll start your program of trying to get you to learn the difference between when to advance and when to hold. This won’t exactly be hell week….. but it may seem like it at times.

Day One – Deals with basic SASL play and getting to understand the rules. Day One Training is optional depending on your experience with the solitaire level of play for ASL.  Apply now for 2018

Orders of the Day now published:

Welcome Recruits to DAY ONE Training……. covers basic SASL rules and game.

This next 2018 Session– will be held (for those who can make it) when numbers warrant on VASL. See room that will be labeled SASL Training. Date and time TBA as numbers warrant. Apply now

DAY TWO Training times TBA on as needed basis during 2018. Theme for Day Two will be GSASL rules. **Anyone with suggestions for other resources is welcome to submit ideas to  jim.bennett@shaw.ca

DAY THREE Training (if necessary)  Provides each recruit with a company COY of their own and takes everyone through a practice SASL mission using the VASL online system (if possible for all recruits).Those who indicate they do not have access to VASL will be mentored through other means.

DAY FOUR Training  (if warranted still after DAY THREE) For graduates of Days One through Three. It sends individuals out on a one month GSASL special mission where AARs will be expected to be filed by a date 4 weeks following assignment of missions.

Questions to your Drill Instructor:  Master Sargent Bennett  at jim.bennett@shaw.ca. This fellow also functioned as ‘Quartermeister Bennett’ in OPERATION HERCULES and as his alter ego ‘Obersleutnant J Bennett’, Battalion Commander, 2nd BTN, 1st RGT, 7th Flieger DIV of German Forces.

There was a second full Regiment of Italian Forces ( 9 Compagnia) in this mission as well! Six COY are still on MALTA slugging it out with their British and Maltese enemies.

OPERATION HERCULES….. the FIRST campaign…. 1942 Attack on MALTA.

Bulletin: We began a new Group Campaign focused on playing the German and Italian forces in a mock attack on the Island of Malta during 1942. Hitler fantasized about it, but decided not to. We embarked upon a 5 scenario attempt at doing what Hitler couldn’t.

NEWS from “OPERATION HERCULES”  as AAR’s begin to come in.

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                 NEWLY POSTED ! ! ! ! ! !

Mission 1 AAR from Rick Lubben:

Malta Mission 1 Narrative      (click)

……to follow in mid-October AARs 2016 from other players for Missions 2-4.

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 Siege of Malta (World War II) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia// // //

Axis invasion plan[edit]

Main article: Operation Herkules

On 29–30 April 1942, a plan for the invasion of the island was approved by Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini during a meeting at Berchtesgaden. It envisaged an airborne assault with one German and one Italian airborne division, under the command of German General Kurt Student. This would have been followed by a seaborne landing of two or three divisions protected by the Regia Marina. The Italians, in agreement with Kesselring, put invading Malta at the top of Axis priorities in the region. However, two major factors stopped Hitler from giving the operation the green light. The first was Erwin Rommel. Due to Kesselring’s pounding of the island the supply lines to North Africa had been secured. He was able to gain the ascendancy in North Africa once again. Although Rommel believed Malta should be invaded, he insisted the conquest of Egypt and the Suez Canal, not Malta, was the priority. The second was Hitler himself. After the Battle of Crete in May–June 1941, Hitler was nervous about using paratroopers to invade the island since the Crete campaign had cost this arm heavy losses and he started to procrastinate in making a decision. Kesselring complained. Hitler proposed a compromise. He suggested that if the Egyptian border was reached once again in the coming months (the fighting at the time was taking place in Libya), the Axis could invade in July or August 1942 when a full moon would provide ideal conditions for a landing. Although frustrated, Kesselring was relieved the operation had seemingly been postponed rather than shelved.^[120]

*Above image from Wikipedia article:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ItalianMareNostrum.jpg#/media/File:ItalianMareNostrum

For ‘new recruits’ Training Resources include:

• http://www.delwood.org/SASLIsNotASL.html
• http://firstfire.blogspot.ca/2005/01/sasl-aar-mission-2-pockets-part-1.html — IMPORTANT for recruits!
• Article found in “The General” Vol.31, No.3  submitted by Matthew Ellison Pages 20 – 45. This article from The General is not posted here –only referenced. Scanned copy may be available later.

DAY TWO Training times TBA on as needed basis during 2015. Theme for Day Two will be GSASL rules. **Anyone with suggestions for other resources is welcome to submit ideas to  jim.bennett@shaw.ca

DAY THREE Training (if necessary)  Provides each recruit with a company COY of their own and takes everyone through a practice SASL mission using the VASL online system (if possible for all recruits).Those who indicate they do not have access to VASL will be mentored through other means.

DAY FOUR Training  (if warranted still after DAY THREE) For graduates of Days One through Three. It sends individuals out on a one month GSASL special mission where AARs will be expected to be filed by a date 4 weeks following assignment of missions.

Questions to your Drill Instructor:  Master Sargent Bennett  at jim.bennett@shaw.ca. This fellow also functions for the moment as ‘Quartermeister Bennett’ in OPERATION HERCULES and as his alter ego ‘Obersleutnant J Bennett’, Battalion Commander, 2nd BTN, 1st RGT, 7th Flieger DIV of German Forces.

There was a second full Regiment of Italian Forces ( 9 Compagnia) in this mission as well! Six COY are still on MALTA slugging it out with their British and Maltese enemies.

ORDER OF BATTLE — OPERATION HERCULES

coming soon