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Author Topic: Fortifications/Castle Brian  (Read 2159 times)

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Ice Hellion

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Fortifications/Castle Brian
« on: January 12, 2017, 03:53:08 PM »

I visited today a fort of the Maginot Line and I thought that this could be an idea for an entry point of a Castle Brian.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouvrage_Hackenberg

How would you see a small entry point for such a fortress?

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Takiro

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Re: Fortifications/Castle Brian
« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2017, 05:17:00 PM »

I envy you there Ice Hellion. What a cool experience.

BattleTech wise the Maginot Line would be an important precursor of the Castle Brian.

However, instead of a Line the Castle Brian is more of a Ring.

The Line also unfortunately took on the role of primary defense of France where the Castle Brian is a hard point on a planet which makes it difficult to wipe out defenders quickly thus securing your objective without headaches.
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wolfcannon

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Re: Fortifications/Castle Brian
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2017, 01:18:51 PM »

Also dont forget you had major and minor castle brians.   in the major castle brians they were multi lvl underground fortifications that could withstand orbital bombardment, and depending on the planet, more than one.   
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Ice Hellion

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Re: Fortifications/Castle Brian
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2017, 02:13:38 PM »

The Line also unfortunately took on the role of primary defense of France where the Castle Brian is a hard point on a planet which makes it difficult to wipe out defenders quickly thus securing your objective without headaches.

The thing is that the original idea of the Line was to give France enough time to mobilise its army and not to defend everything all the time.

Also dont forget you had major and minor castle brians.   in the major castle brians they were multi lvl underground fortifications that could withstand orbital bombardment, and depending on the planet, more than one.   

This is also why I thought about it as there were small forts protected by bigger ones with more artillery.
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"In turn they tested each Clan namesake
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Each chased the Ice Hellion, hunting it down.
All failed to match the predator's speed and grace.
Khan Cage smiled and said, "And that is how we shall be."

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Takiro

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Re: Fortifications/Castle Brian
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2017, 04:16:14 PM »

What is really interesting about the Maginot Line is it was a good idea for the role originally intended however as time went on and on it evolved into a totally different monster.

For example what I found most fascinating was French propaganda about the line's formidability was aimed at dissuading the Germans but instead was accepted more by the Allies who eventually bought into the invulnerability of the fortifications. Speaks a lot to the folly of man.
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Ice Hellion

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Re: Fortifications/Castle Brian
« Reply #5 on: January 14, 2017, 02:34:03 AM »

For example what I found most fascinating was French propaganda about the line's formidability was aimed at dissuading the Germans but instead was accepted more by the Allies who eventually bought into the invulnerability of the fortifications. Speaks a lot to the folly of man.

And there was also around the same time a formula to foresee the advance of a breakthrough.I quote it from memory: "The length of the advance is equal to the width of the breakthrough divided by 2."
This is in line with the slow methods of WWI and the methodical battle that was the core of the French army doctrine after WWI and in early WWII.

It makes sense within this doctrine but how the Germans played (to summarize it) is a bit like in the Asterix in Britain comic book or animated... where the British are fighting and resisting to the Romans and Caesar learns that they stop the fight every day at 5PM and on Friday, they leave for 2 days.
Guess what? Caesar decides to fight after 5 PM and on week-ends, winning and earning a "this is not fair play" comment by one of the Briton chief.
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"In turn they tested each Clan namesake
in trial against the Ice Hellion's mettle.
Each chased the Ice Hellion, hunting it down.
All failed to match the predator's speed and grace.
Khan Cage smiled and said, "And that is how we shall be."

The Remembrance (Clan Ice Hellion) Passage 5, Verse 3, Lines 1 - 5

Takiro

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Re: Fortifications/Castle Brian
« Reply #6 on: January 14, 2017, 06:59:01 AM »

"Not fair" speaks a lot to an established mindset which you see again and again throughout history. The Americans weren't fair to the British during the Revolutionary War cause they hid behind trees and shot officers rather than lining up in formation to get slaughtered. Asymmetrical warfare seen in Vietnam and the War on Terror is viewed in much the same way. One side has rules of engagement and the other suicide bombings. People forget that conflict is the most simple thing, kill the other guy to get what you want. There really isn't anything glorious about it, people die. If your in that desperate struggle between life and death the only rule is survival.

My buddy says that winning the last war hurts because you don't have to address your failures. France and the Maginot Line are perhaps the best examples of that. They learned all the wrong lessons, bought into their wrong headed beliefs, and most tragically thought they were superior to their enemy. Did they have a bigger army with more tanks? Yup but they failed to use them correctly unlike the Germans who lost the war and were determined to get their vengeance.
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