Confusion Confounded
US Marines attack towards the East German border.
The big news today is happening in the north. The Dutch I Corps , German I Corps, and a contingent from the US Marine Corps have crossed the old border with East Germany from Hamburg into Brandenburg. In doing so, they are opening a second thrust on Berlin in a giant pincer move that, if successful, will entrap the entire Soviet Group of Forces in Germany.
This attack has collided with a Soviet counterattack towards Hamburg from Schleswig Holstein. It appears that most of the troops involved have come from the forces occupying Denmark. There are reports of outbreaks of fighting in Denmark as soldiers and civilians who have been in hiding have launched scattered attacks on the remaining garrison.
All in all, the situation in the north of Germany is very confused.
NZ Scorpions counterattack along the Maas River
Meanwhile, the Warsaw Pact forces in Amsterdam and the Ruhr have responded to being cut off by NATO forces with renewed attacks. The ANZAC Brigade, part of the British II Corps, apparently had it’s efforts to resupply interrupted by an urgent request from the US 1st Cavalry Division for additional troops to hold an East German attack across the Maas. The counterattack apparently cleared up a considerable bridgehead across the river.
Canadian Leopards attacking near Kassel.
In the Ruhr, the Warsaw Pact forces have been launching non-stop attacks to link up with their forces around Frankfurt. So far the Canadian Battlegroup and the bulk of British II Corps have managed to keep the route to Hanover open, but have lost much of the ground recovered in recent days. It will be interesting to see if the Soviet forces can continue to make headway as their stocks of fuel and ammunition run low.
The US effort has focused on re-opening the thrust from Leipzig to Berlin. The fighting here has been heavy and incredibly bloody, with neither side gaining a decisive advantage, although the Warsaw Pact forces here have been gaining ground slowly.
T-72 tanks advancing in southern Germany.
In the south, a surprise counterthrust by Warsaw Pact forces has penetrated deeply into the West German defences. There are hopes amongst the NATO commanders that the French will intervene to help stabilise the situation.
Would be interested in seeing a discussion of such a system off this forum somewhere, BK.
They have the potential to have an awesome abstract representation of logistics, requiring supply to travel through friendly locked regions for full VP value, and taking off percentages for contested (my control) more for contested (your control) and obviously enemy locked regions more. The system would preserve the absolute value of VPs and keep it in background. But once again, Phils barbecue, tasting good, and almost done in any case.
I’ll have to look for the book.
Oh, agreed BK, and probably none at all for me as I’d ratehr feel the doom. I was merely pointing out the German legacy. Blitzed really is a fascinating book.
The problem with that combination is the hallucinations that come after several days. One Sergeant who worked for me in the time period of TY related his Vietnam experience of being on patrol in an extremely hostile environment and suddenly chasing his Grandmother on an enemy held-road trying to save her from his patrol. The grandmother was an NVA courier, and he almost got shot when the rest of the patrol took out the target, and again when they had to hold him down screaming…until the hallucination blinked away. So no thanks, a little valium to take the feeling of anticipating doom away.
Fellow Khan—I agree the logistics aspect of this campaign could be a little clearer, but it is a company level game being extrapolated to theatre scale, and both sides have benefited from magical supply lines at one time or another. I’m not even sure it would be worth bringing supply in, as then you’d also have to begin in deep strike air missions that would almost certainly indelicate any LOCs NATO or WTO tried to establish. For what the game is on the table, I think it’s better to just roll with it.
And on the subject of rolling with it, in the Bundeswehr it’s probably not Valium, but Pervitin/Meth that’s keeping us going. If you don’t know it, read Norman Ohler’s fascinating account of its use in the Wehrmacht during WWII, and to an extent by the Bundeswehr later.
We have crossed into some surreal zone here. Reminds me of a Kodak moment in staff school when the G3 suggested that I arrange to forage a 150,000 gallon daily fuel deficit from local supplies in a division sector. And here we have 4 entire corps, with a daily requirement of 5 million gallons, trying to move a corps into Brandenburg at the same time two corps link up with a southward thrust by one corps, fighting all the way. All operating off an intermittently connected railhead in Hannover and a marginal logistics over the shore operation near Cuxhaven. God knows where the two corps in Leipzig are getting the fuel. C’est magnifique, mais ce n’est pas la guerre: c’est de la folie.
Meanwhile we’ll play along. NORTHAG and CENTAG G4 must be on 2 valium every four hours to make this work.
Ja, sehr gut on the secrecy, Jagdpanzer. I believe we are getting the better of those Red Spies.
Know that well, Storm Caller. Born in Nova Scotia, lived in Calgary as a kid. Just playing with references as I could! That said, I’ll stick to my WWII South Alberta Light Horse when I want to play Canadians!
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Confusion indeed. We must make the most of the confusion.
Offense is the only way to victory!
US will be in Berlin! Great Job US ARMY and USMC United!
Stay on point lads.
Not our High Command, German HQ knows what is going on, but held back on info so we could not give our enemies any info ahead of time, KGB spy rings have penetrated some Command Structures
In absence of orders, attack!
Don’t worry, we know what we’re doing. At least, that’s what we’re telling people. The British II Corps will be where they need to be, and the ANZACs will be back on the front lines as soon as possible… after a bit of a refit.
Kubikhan,
About the Canucks and the maple leafs thing two different sides of the country! Just saying! Lol
Like seeing the Canucks on the on the map! Go Leafs!
Cany wait for the B-52s and the massive bombing attacks.
Canadian Leopards, great. Can we get the upgraded stats for them? FA 15, SA 5, TA 2?
Same gun?
Sounds like it will be not such a ‘Good Friday’ at the front; Confusion and Chaos in High Command(s) might have been a better title for this article