From August to September 1941, the war game was conducted over 3,400 square miles (8,800 km²) of Louisiana. The area was bounded on the west by the Sabine River, on the east by the Calcasieu River, and on the north by the Red River at Shreveport. The two fictitious factions were supposedly at war over Mississippi River rights. There were two phases to the Louisiana Maneuvers. In Phase 1 of the exercise, both sides were given offensive missions. The Red 2nd Army would cross the Red River on September 15 and invade the Blue homeland. The Blue 3rd Army would move north to intercept the invaders and drive the Red force back across the river. In Phase 2, the Blue Army was both twice as large as the Red and equipped with its own armored division, the 2nd, which had switched sides since Phase 1. Blue's mission was to advance upon and seize Shreveport, Louisiana. The Red force was much smaller and tasked largely with positional defense for a 100-mile zone south of the city. The Blue Army emerged victorious, due chiefly to General George S. Patton, who commanded the Blue 2nd Armored Division.