Home Guard

[MkV1b]

I am a new player and wish to create a Battle using the British Home Guard. The encyclopedia says they are included; but although I have set the date to September 1940 the options are all North Africa including the map.

Can you assist please?

[Imp]

Thats probably because the home Guard was not formed then, try later possibly mid 41 without looking. They are probably under the misc tab also as not regular units.
On the map game selects location based on what happened hence N.Africa. If you want Britain (no idea if included) or another location do the following.
On battle screen select view map
Select map generator (by save button)
Select help
Choose editor help
About 3rd page lists all Bat Locs
Choose one or more & exit back to the map.
Press ( , ) or think top button & enter the 3 numbers.
( = ) will regenarate using same location

[MkV1b]

Thanks for the prompt response. My understanding was that the LDV became the Home Guard by a decree of 22nd July 1940.

It's a great game and I will try and hunt for my units and maps during the suggested later period.

[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by Imp

Thats probably because the home Guard was not formed then, try later possibly mid 41 without looking. They are probably under the misc tab also as not regular units.
On the map game selects location based on what happened hence N.Africa. If you want Britain (no idea if included) or another location do the following.
On battle screen select view map
Select map generator (by save button)
Select help
Choose editor help
About 3rd page lists all Bat Locs
Choose one or more & exit back to the map.
Press ( , ) or think top button & enter the 3 numbers.
( = ) will regenarate using same location

Home Guard are available from 1/41 in the Misc section for scenario design use.

Generated battles will automatically proceed to advance the clock to a date/location where the opponents did fight in WW2.

The LDV/HG did not fight - the "sea mammal" did not happen after all - so if you want to play with them then you will need to create a scenario in the editor for your what-if.

cheers
Andy

[MkV1b]

Excellent..thanks

[DRG]

One excellent feature of the game is the ability to circumvent hard coded battle locations using the built in map features

Let's assume you wanted to fight with the Home guard vs the Germans in May 1941 . If you choose that date and those opponents you will always end up in the Western Desert but the fix for this is simple

Once you are in the purchase screen click on VIEW MAP. Then click on the top right hand button to change the map ID to 1 for this example. There is a list of them in the HELP file under EDITOR but let's use 1 because it's Northern Europe.

Once you select that you'll see you are in a desert version of that map. No problem..... simply click on the bottom middle button to go to the map generator. Once there change the last item ( season ) to ( 1 ) and Jungle to NOT ( 0 ). Now click on the blue > arrow button and redraw the map. When you get one you like click on the red ^ arrow button and you can fight the Germans with the Home guard on simulated English countryside

Once you have spent some time poking around with the other items on the map generator you'll be able to generate a map exactly to your requirements

Don

[DRG]

Originally Posted by MkV1b

Thanks for the prompt response. My understanding was that the LDV became the Home Guard by a decree of 22nd July 1940.

A good write up about the home guard and why we don't start them until 1/41 can be found HERE


Don

The Dorset Home Guard
Prior to the outbreak of the War, the government had not planned a volunteer home defence army but with the impending fall of France in June 1940, the population had other ideas. With the imminence of invasion, groups of armed men had already started to patrol the countryside, Dorset included. It was obvious that the best way to harness this enthusiasm was to legitimise the force with the creation of the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV). On 14 May 1940, Anthony Eden called for 'men of all ages who wish to do something for the defence of their country...to take the opportunity for which so many of you have been waiting'. Many volunteers were in reserved occupations (munitions workers, farmers, etc), were physically unfit or too old (over 41 years old) to join the regular army.

Having created 'a new army out of nothingness', the LDV was initially poorly equipped, lacking uniforms and weapons. In many cases, during the early days, the only uniform item was an armband and the only weapons being shotguns. In addition, there were no HQ staffs or base locations and little money to organise them. Old soldiers and retired officers, many of them decorated Great War veterans, provided some military knowledge and backbone but the LDV relied heavily on the 'natural leaders of the community' for its local energy. By the end of July 1940, around 1.5 million men had volunteered for service, reflecting the seriousness of the invasion threat in summer 1940. However, it was not until 1941 that the force was properly equipped and organised, as well as being subject to military discipline.

The LDV became known as the 'Home Guard' when Winston Churchill, on 27 July 1940, casually used the name during a radio broadcast. The name was immediately popular with both the public and volunteers and it stuck, with new armbands and badges reflecting the change of name being promptly issued. The majority of the Home Guard Detachments proudly wore the cap badge of the county regiment.

The force was made up of local detachments, with their task being to guard nearby key points. They mainly patrolled after work and at night. Some detachments, such as the Home Guard volunteers of the Whiteways Torpedo works near Weymouth, provided a large detachment to guard the vital factories. Others, Home Guardsmen, manned Royal Artillery anti-aircraft batteries along the coast to thicken up the defence against enemy bombers. See below for an order of battle of the Dorset Home Guard battalions.

In the event of invasion, the Home Guard would have been called out to occupy their static defensive positions that General Ironside, Commander-in-chief Home Forces, had developed to check the expected German landings. In battle, the Home Guard were to hold or delay the enemy on the beaches or on inland defensive lines, while regular troops, released from static defences into mobile columns, would counter-attack. The Home Guard defences around Blandford were a particularly important part of the defensive scheme.

In the summer of 1940, it just as well that the Nation's defences were not tested, as patriotic enthusiasm alone, with little weapons and equipment to back it up would probably not have been enough. If, however, Hitler had persisted in his plan to invade Britain rather than turning east to Russia in 1941, the fully organised, trained and equipped Dorset Home Guard would have given a good account of itself.

[MkV1b]

My thanks again for the responses. I created a quick scenario using the correct date and map 99. Worked fine..but next time I will select the German (airborne)forces. I retire from work in February 2010 so as I will have the time to explore this brilliant game with it's map modifications at my leasure.

The more you put in the more you get out.

[iCaMpWiThAWP]

Originally Posted by MkV1b

My thanks again for the responses. I created a quick scenario using the correct date and map 99. Worked fine..but next time I will select the German (airborne)forces. I retire from work in February 2010 so as I will have the time to explore this brilliant game with it's map modifications at my leasure.

The more you put in the more you get out.

Scenario?where?