NGP85 "81: Better Dead than Red v1.1"

[JDR Dragoon]

FROM: COMCENTAG

TO: COM GE III Korps, COM US V CORPS, COM US VII CORPS.


Terrain:

From the north the terrain is dominated by the Weser river, running S-N in the GE III Korps sector scant kilometers from the border. The Weser river valley is extremely mountanous and an obstacle to any attacker. Further to the South the Fulda river, which runs into the Weser near Kassel, dominates the terrain, surrounded by forested hills and low mountains.



Near the town of Fulda the eponymous gap starts, leading to Frankfurt am Main to the west. East of the Fulda river and the Vogelsberg mountains the terrain opens up somewhat, with clear going towards the Rhine river for most of the way. There are several excellent E-W running major roads in this area, facilitating a rapid advance.




South of the town of Fulda itself, the forested Rhön mountain range and the lack of any major E-W running roads makes enemy advances difficult in this area. To the south of the Rhön is the so called Meiningen Gap, which leads W to the Spessart mountain range, and the town of Mannheim on the Rhine river beyond, and towards the town of Würzburg on the river Main to the SW.



Between Meiningen and the city of Coburg the terrain is ideal for the defender, who can rely on both the Main river and the low mountains of the Steigerwald. Obvious invasions routes running towards Bamberg and Schweinfurt originates near Coburg, where many W, SW and S running roads originate, yet the defence here is also buttressed by the Main River and the forested heights of the Frankenwald.




Furthest to the E lies the town of Hof, where the so called Hof-gap leads SW towards Bayreuth (off map), but also gives another major road W through the Frankenwald towards Bamberg and the open terrain beyond the Steigerwald.