From: XXX@pyra.co.uk CHANGE THIS TO YOUR NAME
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.starwars
Subject: Battle Fleets in ROTJ
Summary: Who had the better strategy ?
Keywords: Empire Rebel Alliance
Date: 2 Sep 92 16:14:56 GMT
Organization: Pyramid Technology Ltd.


Folks,

In a recent posting, Tim asked about the starfleet battle toward the end of
ROTJ  and  I  think he raised a very good point, namely the fact  that  the
Rebel Alliance forces may be overcommitted.

Analysing  battle tactics of both sides, the Emperor has clearly the better
and classically more acceptable strategy in that he does not commit all his
forces  prior  to the expected battle ("Send the fleet to the far  side  of
Endor.   There  it will wait until called for").  This does not  presuppose
his  sending  all his ships - don't forget, there was a sizeable number  of
TIE  fighters  (Death  Star escorts maybe ?) waiting for  the  Rebel  fleet
shortly after the latter emerged from hyperspace.  I do take issue with the
Emperor's  mix  of  ships in his first-line and reserve  fleets;   I  would
expect  that both the main battle fleet and the reserve would be made up of
TIEs,  destroyers,  escorts,  support  vessels etc., but that  is  just  my
opinion and I am more than willing to be proven wrong.

Compare  the  Emperor's strategy with that of Admiral Ackbar and the  Rebel
fleet.   We  see  the  fleet jump into hyperspace (albeit  in  two  waves),
subsequently emerging close to Endor and the orbiting Death Star.  There is
no  indication  that  Ackbar  holds back part of his fleet  as  a  reserve;
rather  he  would appear to commit all his ships including his own  command
ship and (as Wedge puts it) the Medical Frigate (sp?) to battle.  Thus when
the  DS blows away the latter, everyone is surprised !  OK - like 9 out  of
10 for bravado, but minus a few thousand for strategic planning.  Shouldn't
the  Admiral  have  thought  of this eventuality - that  the  DS  may  look
incomplete  but  that  its weapon system may be fully  functional  ?   That
perhaps  Mon Mothma's statement at the briefing that the Imperial fleet was
spread throughout the galaxy in a vain attempt to engage the Alliance could
be  flawed  ?   Or  based upon questionable intelligence  provided  by  the
Bothans ?

If  you look at our Terran history, specifically with regard to battles  on
land,  sea or in the air, fortune tends to favour those with the element of
surprise  (the  Nips  at  Pearl  Harbour, the Empire  at  Endor)  and/or  a
strategic  plan  encompassing  a reserve (the  Anglo-Prussian  alliance  at
Waterloo and the Empire at Endor again).

Wow - and there I was saying let's not analyse these films to death !

I'd be interested to hear others' comments.

All the best everyone.

Hugh.
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| Hugh Schoenemann         *  Disclaimer : "It was him - honest !"   -mm-------|
| Pyramid Technology Ltd.  *                                       ---mmmm-----|
| hugh@pyra.co.uk          *  Great unwritten lines  from  the   -----mmmmmm---|
| Tel : +44 252 373035     *  movies no. 42 : Kubrick's 2001   -------mmmmmmmm-|
|                                                                              |
| Bowman   : OK HAL. I'll go in through the emergency airlock.                 |
| HAL 9000 : Without your space helmet, Dave, you're  going  to  find  that  a |
|            little difficult.                                                 |
| Bowman   : GULP !                                                            |
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