Backhand Blow Highlight
Hello there!
Today is the day we’ll look at another Operation to be featured in WARNO in the near future: Backhand Blow.
This Operation focuses on a daring NATO counter-attack close to Hanau, east of Frankfurt, during our fictional World War III.
Let’s look at what’s in store!
[h2]A bit of imagined history[/h2]
The Operations currently playable in WARNO, Black Horse’s Last Stand, and Red Juggernaut, or having been revealed (Backhand Blow, The Kitzingen Ruse, and Götterdämmerung), all take place in the same World War III timeline.
WARNO’s Operations, planned to be included before and at launch, are all battles that occurred across a two-week period in June 1989, chiefly centered on CENTAG’s area of operations, including Fulda, Frankfurt, Würzburg, Bamberg, and other locations.
However, because of our development pipeline, we are not releasing the Operations chronologically. As our war begins on June 21st, 1989, one of the first battles is depicted in Black Horse’s Last Stand. Two days after the invasion, on June 23rd, we switch our perspective to Warsaw Pact, with the Soviet armored attack in Red Juggernaut, northeast of Frankfurt.
Backhand Blow is even later, almost a week after the Soviet offensive into West Germany, taking place on June 26th. After heavy fighting and the surge of NATO reinforcements directed toward V Corps, the Warsaw Pact attacks aimed at encircling Frankfurt have ground to a halt - for the time being. Some ferocious defensive fighting and NATO counter-attacks to the south have frustrated the Soviet planned encirclement. But time is still of the essence, as the Soviet pause will probably not last long.
Taking advantage of this lull, NATO command organized a lightning counterstrike near Hanau. This will regain the initiative, at least locally, and inflict a crushing defeat on the concentrated Soviet armor found in the region.
[h2]Backhand Blow[/h2]
We love our history. And with WARNO, this is not any different. When looking at names for Backhand Blow, we focused on a famous counter-offensive on the Eastern Front in 1943, the so-called Third Battle of Kharkiv. Led by the German Field Marshal Erich von Manstein, this counterstrike eliminated the threat from the Soviet offensives in the wake of the Battle of Stalingrad. The German attack destroyed the Soviet spearheads south of Kharkiv and led to the city's and Belgorod's retaking.
This offensive would later be known as the “Backhand Blow” from von Manstein, referring to the German strategy of letting the Soviets penetrate the lines, take ground, overextend themselves, and then strike. This was subsequently presented as the “reactive” option for the Battle of Kursk and the strategic conduct in the summer of 1943. Instead, the real-life “active” option was taken by Hitler, which resulted in the massive Operation Citadel and the success of the Soviets.
Back to more modern times. Different actors and battle conditions are at play, but the essence of Backhand Blow is the same as its historical namesake. A counterstrike aimed at an enemy that (by the looks of it) is overextended. This time, the parts will be played by NATO’s American 3rd Armored Division and the Soviet 79th Guards Tank Division. The battlefield is northeast of Frankfurt, at Hanau and the recently occupied Bruchköbel.
[h2]Backhand Blow in-game[/h2]
In this Operation, as NATO, you will have to strike fast and hard. The Soviet tank forces in the field are reorganizing after their head-long dash from Fulda. Destroying the mass of armor, or at least damaging them, would allow local NATO units to regain the initiative and keep Warsaw Pact units threatening Frankfurt off-balance.
To accomplish this mission, you’ll have access to heavy-hitting tank forces of the American 3rd Armored Division, specifically the 2-32nd Armored Battalion, as well as a recon company from the 4-7th Cavalry.
At your disposal are plenty of M1A1 Abrams, M3A1 Bradley CFV recon units, some Scouts, and several supporting units, including M163 Pivads AA, M48A1 Chaparral, and M106A2 Mortars. A drawback is that your air forces are limited, two A-10A Thunderbolts (AT), as is your infantry, which includes some Mechanized Infantry, as well. Don’t get bogged down in drawn-out urban fighting.
Backhand Blow will require commanders to focus on speed and mobility to control the battlefield, which is relatively open. In this Operation, Command Zones give you Command Points, which both sides need to win the scenario. These Zones are located in the middle of the map. There is just one minor issue: you start with zero Command Zones and the enemy with all. And the clock is ticking.
That means that if you want to have a shot at success in Backhand Blow, you will have to use your tank forces’ mobility and superior firepower to take each of the three Command Zones as quickly as possible. The Command Zones themselves are on small settlements surrounded by scattered woods.
A silver lining is that in Backhand Blow, you have the element of surprise, at least in the beginning. Move swiftly, use your M1A1 Abram’s to dominate the battlefield at long ranges, and defeat the Soviet's armor in a lightning counterstrike.
[h2]WARNO’s Operations in more detail[/h2] Backhand Blow is in development, but we have already released two Operations in the recent SOULT milestone: Black Horse’s Last Stand and Red Juggernaut. Read more about these Operations by clicking their name. You can also find an in-depth intro video in their dedicated DevBlogs.
In case you missed it: what are Operations? They are single-player scripted tactical battles, playable from one side only, NATO or Warsaw Pact. These World War III scenarios contain historically realistic formations, special gameplay objectives, and mission parameters. Not only are we working on quite a few more
Today is the day we’ll look at another Operation to be featured in WARNO in the near future: Backhand Blow.
This Operation focuses on a daring NATO counter-attack close to Hanau, east of Frankfurt, during our fictional World War III.
Let’s look at what’s in store!
[h2]A bit of imagined history[/h2]
The Operations currently playable in WARNO, Black Horse’s Last Stand, and Red Juggernaut, or having been revealed (Backhand Blow, The Kitzingen Ruse, and Götterdämmerung), all take place in the same World War III timeline.
WARNO’s Operations, planned to be included before and at launch, are all battles that occurred across a two-week period in June 1989, chiefly centered on CENTAG’s area of operations, including Fulda, Frankfurt, Würzburg, Bamberg, and other locations.
However, because of our development pipeline, we are not releasing the Operations chronologically. As our war begins on June 21st, 1989, one of the first battles is depicted in Black Horse’s Last Stand. Two days after the invasion, on June 23rd, we switch our perspective to Warsaw Pact, with the Soviet armored attack in Red Juggernaut, northeast of Frankfurt.
Backhand Blow is even later, almost a week after the Soviet offensive into West Germany, taking place on June 26th. After heavy fighting and the surge of NATO reinforcements directed toward V Corps, the Warsaw Pact attacks aimed at encircling Frankfurt have ground to a halt - for the time being. Some ferocious defensive fighting and NATO counter-attacks to the south have frustrated the Soviet planned encirclement. But time is still of the essence, as the Soviet pause will probably not last long.
Taking advantage of this lull, NATO command organized a lightning counterstrike near Hanau. This will regain the initiative, at least locally, and inflict a crushing defeat on the concentrated Soviet armor found in the region.
[h2]Backhand Blow[/h2]
We love our history. And with WARNO, this is not any different. When looking at names for Backhand Blow, we focused on a famous counter-offensive on the Eastern Front in 1943, the so-called Third Battle of Kharkiv. Led by the German Field Marshal Erich von Manstein, this counterstrike eliminated the threat from the Soviet offensives in the wake of the Battle of Stalingrad. The German attack destroyed the Soviet spearheads south of Kharkiv and led to the city's and Belgorod's retaking.
This offensive would later be known as the “Backhand Blow” from von Manstein, referring to the German strategy of letting the Soviets penetrate the lines, take ground, overextend themselves, and then strike. This was subsequently presented as the “reactive” option for the Battle of Kursk and the strategic conduct in the summer of 1943. Instead, the real-life “active” option was taken by Hitler, which resulted in the massive Operation Citadel and the success of the Soviets.
Back to more modern times. Different actors and battle conditions are at play, but the essence of Backhand Blow is the same as its historical namesake. A counterstrike aimed at an enemy that (by the looks of it) is overextended. This time, the parts will be played by NATO’s American 3rd Armored Division and the Soviet 79th Guards Tank Division. The battlefield is northeast of Frankfurt, at Hanau and the recently occupied Bruchköbel.
[h2]Backhand Blow in-game[/h2]
In this Operation, as NATO, you will have to strike fast and hard. The Soviet tank forces in the field are reorganizing after their head-long dash from Fulda. Destroying the mass of armor, or at least damaging them, would allow local NATO units to regain the initiative and keep Warsaw Pact units threatening Frankfurt off-balance.
To accomplish this mission, you’ll have access to heavy-hitting tank forces of the American 3rd Armored Division, specifically the 2-32nd Armored Battalion, as well as a recon company from the 4-7th Cavalry.
At your disposal are plenty of M1A1 Abrams, M3A1 Bradley CFV recon units, some Scouts, and several supporting units, including M163 Pivads AA, M48A1 Chaparral, and M106A2 Mortars. A drawback is that your air forces are limited, two A-10A Thunderbolts (AT), as is your infantry, which includes some Mechanized Infantry, as well. Don’t get bogged down in drawn-out urban fighting.
Backhand Blow will require commanders to focus on speed and mobility to control the battlefield, which is relatively open. In this Operation, Command Zones give you Command Points, which both sides need to win the scenario. These Zones are located in the middle of the map. There is just one minor issue: you start with zero Command Zones and the enemy with all. And the clock is ticking.
That means that if you want to have a shot at success in Backhand Blow, you will have to use your tank forces’ mobility and superior firepower to take each of the three Command Zones as quickly as possible. The Command Zones themselves are on small settlements surrounded by scattered woods.
A silver lining is that in Backhand Blow, you have the element of surprise, at least in the beginning. Move swiftly, use your M1A1 Abram’s to dominate the battlefield at long ranges, and defeat the Soviet's armor in a lightning counterstrike.
[h2]WARNO’s Operations in more detail[/h2] Backhand Blow is in development, but we have already released two Operations in the recent SOULT milestone: Black Horse’s Last Stand and Red Juggernaut. Read more about these Operations by clicking their name. You can also find an in-depth intro video in their dedicated DevBlogs.
In case you missed it: what are Operations? They are single-player scripted tactical battles, playable from one side only, NATO or Warsaw Pact. These World War III scenarios contain historically realistic formations, special gameplay objectives, and mission parameters. Not only are we working on quite a few more
