10_01s: War in the NORTHAG Sector - MC 04 North German Plain '85

West Germany, June 10th 1985: The Soviet "Berserker" strategy for the Warsaw Pact's assault on NATO involved several key elements. One was the thrust by 8th Guards Army and 1st Tank Army through the Fulda Gap. Equally important, however, was the drive by 20th Guards Army, 3rd Shock Army, and 2nd Guards Tank Army through the northern sector of the NATO front. Held by varied formations of NORTHAG, NATO's Northern Army Group, this region, though criss-crossed with water obstacles, featured some of the best tank country in Germany. With several major German cities within a few days striking distance of the border and an unobstructed path into Germany's industrial Ruhr heartland, as well as the open borders of the Netherlands beyond, it made a tempting target. As the communist units moved out of their barracks in secret the night before the assault, the NORTHAG sector remained quiet. The British Army of the Rhine (BAOR), the West German I and parts of III Corps, the Dutch I Corps, and the Belgian I Corps were scattered throughout the sector, unaware of the massive red hammer that was about to shatter the early summer quiet. From the veteran British tankers, to the conscript Dutch riflemen, no one had really expected this day to ever arrive. But with the roar of attacking jets and the rumble of advancing tanks, northern Germany once more was the scene of deadly combat. [Size: large] Designer note: Explicit Supply is possible.