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

[JDR Dragoon]

Players notes and considerations.

This turn is Night (01 am to 04 am). Visibility is still only 1 hex (1,5 kilometers). Most units have been able to replenish their fuel during the night, but a few are still lacking. Nothing of major tactical importance though.

With the end of the enemy airborne operation, the missing REFORGER units of the 4th Infantry Division can finally land. This means that most of the Divisional troops of the 4th ID, including the artillery, remainder of the divisional cavalry squadron, engineers and attack helicopters are now ready to join the fray. They still have to conduct a road march across most of West Germany though, but by choosing less conspicous routes, they are able to avoid the Soviet special forces that has been such a pest in the past. Only one brigade of the 4th ID is now missing from the field.



In the area west of Göttingen the Covering Force continues to withdraw, pursued by the Polish 10. Armor and 2. Mech. Div. The problem here is now less one of trying to delay the enemy and more one of making sure that all units get back safely across the Weser and Fulda rivers. The pressure of over 24 hours of nonstop combat is beginning to show here, and the enemy ability to constantly cycle in fresh units means that a retreat behind my main line of resistance is only a matter of hours away.



Further to the south the action dies down a bit. The combined 5. PzG. and 13. PzG. Brigade Covering Force continues to withdraw slightly in the face of the advancing Polish 5. Arm. and 4. Mech. Div. Further to the south in the US V Corps sector, American patrols and outposts reveal Soviet engineer units and mechanized infantry snuggling into Bebra, no doubt in preparation for a crossing of the Fulda.



At Bad Hersfeld things are rapidly going to pot as my Covering Force receives a mauling. The 3-36 Infantry Battalion is overrun, and many helicopters are shot down while trying to evacuate the infantry. Overall the battalion has now suffered in excess of 80% casualties and will need a long period of rebulding before being ready again. In addition, 3 Cobra Attack Helicopters of the 11th ACR supporting the withdrawal are shot down by WAPA airdefences. Great.... Giving up the Covering Force battle here, most of the US 3rd AD and 11th ACR units withdraw back across the Fulda, blowing the bridge at Bad Hersfeld behind them. Further to the west, two american armor battalions plus attack helicopters continue to contest the approaches to the Fulda river.



In front of Fulda the 39th GMRD presses forwards fitfully. The most dangerous threat here comes from the T64 equipped Tank Regiment advancing south of the ”Gap”, but the congested terrain of the Rhön means that the American tankers of the 8th ID have little trouble stopping them. A BMP equipped Motorrifle Regiment tries to probe the approaches to Fulda itself, but gets stopped by the 11th ACR and 8th ID.



In the Meiningen Gap things have begun to go as I feared they might. The combination of two identified WAPA Tank Divisions combined with a battle weary 12. Panzer Div. plus an airborne threat to their rear and flanks, have prompted a withdrawal to the next phaseline, which runs through Bad Neustadt proper and through the forested heights south of the city. But this is likely only the beginning. Barring rapid reinforcement, I will be forced to fall back to the next phaseline in the forested hills east of Bad Kissingen and then onto Bad Kissingen itself. Luckily the terrain here mostly favors the defence, except in the open areas between Würzburg and Schweinfurt, but by falling back I have to give up the obstacles and fortifications I spent so much effort erecting. I still manage to exact a price, since VII Corps artillery wipes out a company of engineers trying to clear the minefields blocking the road leading towards Bad Neustadt.



To the south of here the fight to contain the 106th GABD continues. To the north of the Main river the 762. Jägerbataillon, supported by Company C/1st Ranger Battalion is forced to give up the Victory Hex at Schweinfurt in order to avoid being encircled. Once the enemy occupies this, as he no doubt will, I will have lost 4000 points from objectives out of 10000. The presence of the 106th GABD´s assault gun battalion (with SU-85 assault guns) supports the notion that the majority of the 106th GABD is located north of the Main. This means, that only a single regiment is south of the river. Seizing this opportunity, the 3rd Brigade/1st Infantry Division launches a spirited counterattack towards Schweinfurt from the south. The two mechanized infantry battalions, supported by a single company of tanks and a battalion of 155mm self-propelled guns succedds in attacking, driving back and destroying an enemy paratrooper company in BMD combat vehicles from the village of Gochsheim S of Schweinfurt. The Brigade is now poised to continue the attack, with more of my troops looking to join the fray as well. If all goes well, I should at least be able to limit this airborne infestation to the areas north of the Main. Further to the east, the 34. Panzer Brigade and the 3rd Brigade/3rd ID continue to give ground grudgingly against the 27th GMRD, primarily because the tactical reserves backing this line up has been sucked up against the 106th GABD and because an enemy breakthrough here might mean a brigade or more being cut off and destroyed east of the Main river. To the north the 36. Panzer Brigade holds the line though, inflicting a severe price in destroyed T62s on the 27th GMRD. In addition, the Reconnaisance Battalion of the 12. Panzer Div. is tasked with guarding the divisions rear against marauding Soviet airborne troops.



North of Bamberg the 6th GTD continues to probe the NATO lines along the Main. This draws out a heavy response from the US 3rd ID Covering Force, which destroys a number of T64 tanks for no losses to themselves. Properly chastened most of the 6th GTD armor withdraws out of sight. This being settled, the final bridge across the Main to the north of Bamberg is blown.





To the east further HQs, likely from the 7th GTD, can be seen. One of the HQs, situated in the village of Weidhausen, gets taken under fire by the M109 howitzer battery attached to the 2nd Squadron/2 ACR, which wrecks the surrounding town and makes it impossible to conduct roadmarches through the rubble choked streets. That should at least slow him down some.



The withdrawing 2nd ACR units briefly make contact with an East German 7. Panzer Div reconnaisance unit checking out the status of the bridge across the Main south of Kulmbach. Finding it blown, the unit turns back after calling in some artillery.



The number of HQs identified by SIGINT here remains high, prompting suspicions that more East German units are lurking out there.



And the enemy receives another kick in the teeth. The discrepancy between the actual number of VPs and the number he gets from objectives is now beyond 1000 points. That means, that the loss of an entire 1000 VP location, such as Coburg or Hof has now been weighed up by the number of casualties inflicted by me on him. If this course of action holds true, he should be down another 1000 points in the next 24 hours. I can only hope that this level of attrition will wear him out before it does me! Next turn dawn will return and with that the return of air operations...