(What is a meson mine? I've played around with the idea of command-controlled nuke missiles as mines, essentially dropping missiles and then having the controlling ship target them on anything that flew within their range. Meson mines are a new one on me.)
No one is likely to win by going solely on the defensive unless there are other powerful factors in play: an attacker that faces the collapse of his government if his plans go awry, an attacker gambling on a quick win before some powerful third party steps in, etc. Otherwise, for a defender to fight purely on defense gives the initiative to the enemy. Among other things, if it's clear that I'm not attacking, then he can allocate more resources to his attack - bad for me.
However, a lot depends on unstated variables. Is he stronger than me, am I stronger, or are we about matched? Can I gain an attrition advantage by remaining on defense initially, or can I force him to starve his attack of resources by drawing his attention with a vigorous attack of my own? What does the strategic field look like?
An immediate attack that threatens his supply line or some target important to him might prompt him to recall his attack in order to see to his own defense. Wait until he's deeper, time it right, and my attack might force him to strand his attacking force in order to divert resources to block my attack. A focus on defense with a careful marshalling of forces and his successful invading force could find itself facing a Stalingrad moment - cut off with no way home. Or, it might be useful for me to allow him to spend himself on the attack, thinking I'm preoccupied with defense, then time my own invasion for the point where he's both spent and isn't expecting a riposte.
Conversely, he is unlikely to be resting his whole strategy on one attack. I should expect probing thrusts to test my front for potential weaknesses, efforts to pin down front-area forces so they can't be diverted to counter his attack, efforts to widen the breach, secondary thrusts to draw my interior forces away from the primary axis of attack.
The actual strategy depends on a host of unstated variables. There are few if any hard and fast rules in war, other than the rule to do whatever works best.
No one is likely to win by going solely on the defensive unless there are other powerful factors in play: an attacker that faces the collapse of his government if his plans go awry, an attacker gambling on a quick win before some powerful third party steps in, etc. Otherwise, for a defender to fight purely on defense gives the initiative to the enemy. Among other things, if it's clear that I'm not attacking, then he can allocate more resources to his attack - bad for me.
However, a lot depends on unstated variables. Is he stronger than me, am I stronger, or are we about matched? Can I gain an attrition advantage by remaining on defense initially, or can I force him to starve his attack of resources by drawing his attention with a vigorous attack of my own? What does the strategic field look like?
An immediate attack that threatens his supply line or some target important to him might prompt him to recall his attack in order to see to his own defense. Wait until he's deeper, time it right, and my attack might force him to strand his attacking force in order to divert resources to block my attack. A focus on defense with a careful marshalling of forces and his successful invading force could find itself facing a Stalingrad moment - cut off with no way home. Or, it might be useful for me to allow him to spend himself on the attack, thinking I'm preoccupied with defense, then time my own invasion for the point where he's both spent and isn't expecting a riposte.
Conversely, he is unlikely to be resting his whole strategy on one attack. I should expect probing thrusts to test my front for potential weaknesses, efforts to pin down front-area forces so they can't be diverted to counter his attack, efforts to widen the breach, secondary thrusts to draw my interior forces away from the primary axis of attack.
The actual strategy depends on a host of unstated variables. There are few if any hard and fast rules in war, other than the rule to do whatever works best.
