Red Tide 85

The Red Tide 85 campaign began on 13 JUL 2012 and ended on 01 SEP 2012.

Campaign Rules

Red Tide Campaign Rules

Starting Situation / Background

A week ago the Warsaw Pact invaded West Germany. They have now advanced some 100 km into West Germany and are threatening a breakthrough south of Hanover. Warsaw Pact forces are now in their exploitation phase, bringing up tank divisions to help maintain the momentum. NATO has scraped together an ad-hoc multinational brigade to help stem the tide in this region. If the Warsaw Pact advance can be stopped in this vital sector, then the rest of their advance will suffer and they will seek an end to the conflict. If NATO fails to stop the Warsaw Pact advance, then the path to Paderborn and Dortmund will be open, and all will be lost.

Operational Map

Click on map to go to image page, then click it again to go to full screen, then again to zoom in to full size. NOTE: The actual front line for BLUEFOR is 2km from the Red color on map. Yellow bracket denotes both how much the OPFOR commander can redeploy his force for the next Main Battle and the rough width of the map in each Main Battle scenario.

Table of Organization and Equipment (current)

OPFOR Current TOE

References used:

FM 17-95-10 The Armored Cavalry Regiment and Squadron

FM 100-2-3 The Soviet Army

TRADOC Pam 350-16 Heavy OPFOR Tactical Handbook

ST 100-7 OPFOR Battle Book

FM 100-60 Armor-and Mechanized-Based Opposing Force

FM 100-63 Infantry-Based Opposing Force

...these are 1990s based, of secondary importance here

• Note: some organizational structuring has been simplified for practicality reasons

1st Tank Regiment

Current strength: 75%
Has been depleted below 30%: NO

Original AFV strength: 108

Original MBT strength: 81

Original PC strength: 27

Organization	MBT strength	PC strength	Support strength
1 BN	18x T-72M1	8x BTR-80	co tank: 1
2 BN	17x T-72M1	7x BTR-80	co tank: 1
3 BN	23x T-72M1	8x BTR-80	co tank: 1

1st TNK REGT Support
co tank: 1 MTLB FO: 1 BRDM-2: 6 ZSU-23-4: 4 2S1: 17 ...always with additional support of (until abused): MT-55 bridging assets Recovery vehicles

2nd Tank Regiment

Current strength: 19%
Has been depleted below 30%: NO (happened in the last battle, after campaign ended)

Original AFV strength: 108

Original MBT strength: 81

Original PC strength: 27

Organization	MBT strength	PC strength	Support strength
1 BN	3x T-72M1	0x BTR-80	co tank: 1
2 BN	6x T-72M1	3x BTR-80	co tank: 1
3 BN	8x T-72M1	1x BTR-80	co tank: 1

2nd TNK REGT Support
co tank: 1 MTLB FO: 1 BRDM-2: 1 ZSU-23-4: 4 2S1: 9 ...always with additional support of (until abused): MT-55 bridging assets Recovery vehicles

3rd Tank Regiment

Current strength: 63%
Has been depleted below 30%: YES

Original AFV strength: 108

Original MBT strength: 81

Original PC strength: 27

Organization	MBT strength	PC strength	Support strength
1 BN	14x T-72M1	8x BTR-80	co tank: 1
2 BN	15x T-72M1	5x BTR-80	co tank: 1
3 BN	18x T-72M1	8x BTR-80	co tank: 1

3rd TNK REGT Support
co tank: 1 MTLB FO: 1 BRDM-2: 4 ZSU-23-4: 4 2S1: 18 ...always with additional support of (until abused): MT-55 bridging assets Recovery vehicles

Motorized Rifle Regiment

Current strength: 70%
Has been depleted below 30%: NO

Original AFV strength: 117

Original MBT strength: 36

Original PC vehicle strength: 81

• T-72B is represented by T-72M1 with BM-42M (because of lack of ATGMs)

Organization	MBT strength	PC strength	Support strength
1 BN	5x T-72B	19x BMP-2	co IFV: 1
2 BN	6x T-72B	15x BMP-2	co IFV: 1
3 BN	8x T-72B	23x BMP-2	co IFV: 1

MOT RIFLE REGT Support
co tank: 1 MTLB FO: 1 BRDM-2: 5 BRDM-2 AT: 4 ZSU-23-4: 3 2S1: 8 ...always with additional support of (until abused): MT-55 bridging assets Recovery vehicles

BLUEFOR Current TOE

US Task Force

Current strength: 51%
Has been depleted below 40%: NO

Original AFV strength: 72

Original MBT strength: 32

Original PC + AT vehicle strength: 40

• M2A1 is represented by M2A2(ODS) with LRF damage

Organization	MBT strength	PC strength	Other strength	Support strength
A CO	1x M1(IP)	4x M2A1	None	co tank: 1
B CO	0x M1(IP)	1x M113A2	None	co tank: 1
C CO	9x M1(IP)	4x M113A2	None	co tank: 1
D CO	3x M1(IP)	9x M113A2	6x M901 ITV	co tank: 1

DE Task Force

Current strength: 60%
Has been depleted below 40%: NO

Original AFV strength: 72

Original MBT strength: 32

Original PC + AT vehicle strength: 40

• Marder can be represented by CV90/40-B (optional)
• Jaguar can be represented by M113 TOW (optional)

Organization	MBT strength	PC strength	Other strength	Support strength
1 CO (Kp)	2x Leopard 2	9x Marder	None	co tank: 1
2 CO (Kp)	0x Leopard 2	0x Marder	None	co tank: 1
3 CO (Kp)	9x Leopard 2	3x Marder	None	co tank: 1
JÄGER CO (Kp)	3x Leopard 2	11x M113	5x Jaguar	co tank: 1

UK Task Force

Current strength: 71%
Has been depleted below 40%: NO

Original AFV strength: 66

Original MBT strength: 30

Original PC + AT vehicle strength: 36

• FV432 is represented by M113A3
• Striker is represented by M113 TOW with no TIS

Organization	MBT strength	PC strength	Other strength	Support strength
A CO (COY)	3x Challenger	11x Warrior	None	co tank: 1
B CO (SQN)	7x Challenger	2x Warrior	None	co tank: 1
C CO (SQN)	5x Challenger	1x Warrior	None	co tank: 1
D CO (COY)	2x Challenger	11x FV432	5x Striker	co tank: 1

Supporting Assets

• Gepard is represented by 2S6s with guns only

BRIGADE Support
co vehicle (OPMV): 1 M113 FO: 1 Gepard: 2 M109: 11 ...always with additional support of (until abused): Biber bridgelaying assets Recovery vehicle assets Medic section

Attachment Table

Attachments are temporary forces that get assigned to your side when limited objectives are achieved during the Main Battle scenario. These units do not below to your TOE, rather they are temporarily attached from other organizations. Most but not all attached units gained throughout the campaign will get carried over to following Main Battle scenarios, providing that they survive of course, however at any point all attached units may be withdrawn.

BLUEFOR Attachment Fate Roll (1-10)

The following results of the BLUEFOR Attachment roll applies only to the BLUEFOR side when the limited objective for that week has been accomplished (with the exception of the loss of all attachments results, which always applies):

• BLUEFOR begins the campaign with attachment #4
• Leopard 1A4 is represented by Leopard 1A5 with no TIS and with M833 ammo

Roll	Attachment/Effect	Comment
1	All attachments removed	Always occurs, regardless of limited objective status
2	M901 ITV x1 PLT	None
3	M966 x2 PLT	None
4	ATGM Team x6 (x3 TOW, x3 MILAN)	None
5	Leopard 1A4 x2 PLT (6 VEH)	None
6	AH-64A x1 VEH + Chinook w/infantry x2 VEH	Only present for one Main Battle scenario
7	Minefield, advanced x4 Vehicle emplacements, two tier x8	Only present for one Main Battle scenario
8	M109 x12 VEH (arty tubes)	Only present for one Main Battle scenario
9	M60A3(TTS) x1 PLT	None
10	M1 x1 PLT	None

OPFOR Attachment Fate Roll (1-10)

The following results of the OPFOR Attachment roll applies only to the OPFOR side when the limited objective for that week has been accomplished (with the exception of the loss of all attachments results, which always applies):

• OPFOR begins the campaign with attachment #8
• Mi-8 is represented by MRH-90

Roll	Attachment/Effect	Comment
1	All attachments removed	Always occurs, regardless of limited objective status
2	T-55 x4 PLT	None
3	T-62 x3 PLT	None
4	BMP-1 x3 PLT	None
5	T-72B x2 PLT	None
6	Mi-24 Hind x2 VEH + Mi-8 w/infantry x3 VEH	Only present for one Main Battle scenario
7	BMD-2 x2 PLT (behind enemy lines)	Only present for one Main Battle scenario
8	2S3 x18 VEH (arty tubes)	Only present for one Main Battle scenario
9	BM-21 x6 VEH	Only present for one Main Battle scenario
10	T-64B x2 PLT	None

After Action Reviews

Recon Battle:
none.

Main Battle:
none.

Result

OPFOR victory, 8 missions. The result was very close, occurring in the last 6 minutes of the last battle (it was a last battle before the Peace Talks Meter reached 10).

Awards

The following award was made so that individuals can display them in their forum signatures if they so desire. They are simply for fun, for a bit of nostalgia in remembering the campaign. The only requirement is that you abide by the forum rules on signature sizes (400 x 60 maximum), and that you are honest to those that participated when choosing to display them.

Participation Award

All those who participated in the Red Tide '85 campaign may display the following ribbon in their signature if they so desire.