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Rolling Thunder re-run 4.010 1830 GMT 07 JAN


Gibsonm

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To date seven people have nominated interest in a Festive Season re-run of Rolling Thunder Mission #1

 

Date: Saturday 07 JAN 17 at 1830 GMT

 

Note for some this will be Sunday: Local Equivalent Date / Time 

 

Back Story

Soviet Union was unable to sustain Cold War budgets

Continued attrition would see West win.

Needed to end – one way or another.

TimeLine

1985 Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev becomes General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He is able to delay breakup of Soviet Union / Warsaw Pact an additional year.

Late 1990 (real world 1989 and 1991) popular uprisings in Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Bulgaria depose Communist governments.

East Germany remains loyal and continues to host Group of Soviet Forces Germany and other formations.

Late 1990 NATO forces thinned (US VII Corps and UK 1st Armoured Div) and redeploy to counter Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.

Early 1991 Gorbachev ousted by his Vice President Gennady Yanayev.

17 January 1991 Operation Desert Storm commences.

25 January 1991 Soviet Forces from Belarus and Ukraine “liberate” peoples of Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Bulgaria from “rogue” governments.

February 1991 Soviet Forces in East Germany cross inner German border, forces in Eastern Europe in suitable locations to be second strategic echelon.

Who you are up against ...

 

 

 

 

Oh and keep your respirator handy. :)

 

Edited by Gibsonm
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Rough outline:

25024097992_ec267c4ef7_o.png

The Inner German border has been penetrated.

NATO is fighting savage delay battles from North to South to buy time for reinforcements to come from across the Channel and the North Atlantic.

Each mission will see Soviet first echelon Regimental forces (T-90, T-80 and BMP-2) at less than 100% strength attempting to overwhelm German, British and US forces.

Relax, :) your CT(+) / BG (-) wont face the entire Regt, likely just a Tk Bn, MR Coy, Engr, Arty, Air, ....

You are imposing delay at CT / Coy strength against the Soviet formation to your front. You have a narrow frontage (but not as narrow as you'd like).

Your manned CT will withdraw through the next manned CT and set up a third delay line.

As NATO forces are attrited, players will round out the remaining Blue forces and hold the stop line at the Western most end of your TAOR.

 

Roughly (TBC) the forces will be:

Soviet (for each mission):

Recce (a CRP of BMP-2/T-90S < 100%)

Tk Bn (3 x Tk Coy T-90S or T-80)

1 x MR Coy (BMP-2)

Bridging / Engineers

Off board Arty and Air (liberally allocated)

German:

Recce (< 100%)

Tk Bn (2 x Tk Coy (-) Leo 2A4)

 

The terrain will vary from mission to mission and provide more things to consider.

The fourth Mission will be a counter attack, once the Soviets have culminated / over extended (the country which will conduct this remains unclear at present).

Fun bits:

1. Soviet Forces intend to use persistent and non-persistent chemical and nerve agents as part of the assault. Prepare to be at MOPP-2 (or TOPP-2) throughout.

 

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The intent will be to man the lead German formation with "most" people and some (those more happy with controlling more than one unit) looking after the depth units.

 

As the lead is attrited those people will displace and man the next unit, etc.

 

Focus will be on delaying the enemy by flanking positions / fire, not glacis plate to glacis plate.

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OPERATIONS ORDER - PzBrig 20

 

Firstly my thanks to Harvey Black for writing some excellent novels (The Red, Black and Blue effect) which inspired much of this.

 

Situation:
 
Date: 14 FEB 91
Time: 0630 GMT/Zulu (0730 Local)
Location: West of HANNOVER, North of MITTELLANDKANAL
 
General:

Rolling Thunder 16 back story

 

Enemy:

Overnight elements of the 12 Guards Tank Division, 3rd Shock Army forced a crossing of the Leine river at great cost.

It is expected that having achieved this breakthrough, the Forward Detachment (tactical version of a Operational Manoeuvre Group) of 12 Guards Tank Division, based around 48th Guards Tank Regiment will attempt to exploit west towards the River Weser.

 

It is assessed that the 48th Guards Tank Regiment consists of:

3 x Tank Battalions, equipped with T-90
1 x Motor Rifle Battalion, equipped with BMP-3

 

The Soviets are supported by prodigious amounts of tube and rocket artillery and appear to have access to large amounts of Frontal Aviation (fixed and rotary wing, attack and transport).

 

The Soviets have also used Chemical and Biological agents during their assault and we have no reason to doubt they will continue to deploy them.

There has been no reported Nuclear release to date.

 

Friendly:

 

27168065501_0eb02982f9_o.png

 

Brigade Covering Force: 7th Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion (7th Panzeraufklärungsabteilung) is arrayed East of the Battle Handover Line (BHL).

 

They are tasked with maintaining contact but once the main assualt begins they will fall back through your positions and head West.

 

Verteidigungskreiskommando (VKK) troops are sending reports back from isolated pockets in HANNOVER itself.

 

202 PzGdr Battalion is to your left.


204 Pz Battalion is to your right.

 

South of the MITTELLANDKANAL and across the I WG / 1 BR Corps boundary, the 2 Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) Battlegroup is conducting an area defence centered on BAD NENNDORF.

 

There is a series of Reserve Demolitions sited along the MITTELLANDKANAL with Demolitions Guards from 1 BR Corps. These Reserve Demolitions will be blown as Soviet recon forces approach in order to (IOT) deny the crossing.

 

You command 201 PzBtl.

 

This consists of:

1 x Marder Kompanie - 3 platoons, each of 3 Marder IFV.

Each Marder carries either a Rifle Team (with 3 x PzF-3) and a MG3 Team or a Rifle Team and a MILAN Team. The "2" vehicle (A2, B2 and C2) carries the Rifle/MILAN team grouping.

2 x Leo 2A4 Kompanies - Each having 3 Platoons of 4 tanks.

Each Kompanie has a Commander, FISTV and Echelon (1 x ARV, 1 x AMB, 2 x Tr)

 

This can be displayed graphically below:

 

 

26630339224_0fa5ed341d_o.png

 


Attachments/Detachments:

You have six batteries of 155mm guns in support and access to CAS.

You have also been assigned two platoons from the 200th JagdPanzer Company. Each platoon has 3 Jaguar 1A3 ATGM vehicles.

A Gepard Battery from 7th Air Defence Regiment is in location (not at your disposal) to defend the crossings over the Weser.
 
Civilians:

Large numbers of German citizens are fleeing Westward. These internally displaced persons (IDPs) are choking roads and making movement Eastward on the main routes very difficult. The crossings at PETERSHAGEN have been especially hit.

The obstacles created by this press of people have been increased by vehicle accidents, abandoned vehicles and wreckage caused by air and artillery strikes.
 
It is expected that this movement will thin out in the next couple of hours as people seek shelter in cellars, etc. rather than move in the open as Soviet combat forces approach.

 

Mission: PzBrig 20 will deny penetration within boundary IOT, prevent the crossing of the WESER and maintain contact with 1 BR Corps.
 
Execution:
 
General Outline - The Brigade will deploy all four Battalions fwd.

201st PzBtl - Centre
202nd PzGdrBtl - Left
203rd PzBtl - Far Right
204th PzBtl - Right
 
Grouping and Tasks
 
201st Panzer Battalion

 

Grouping

 

Attached - 2 x Pl, 200 JagdPz Kompanie

 

In Location - Elm 7th Air Defence Regiment, 7th Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion.

 

Tasks

- Conduct Battle Handover with 7th Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion
- Facilitate rearward passage of lines by 7th Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion
- Impose delay within boundary
- Deny penetration of STOP LINE WICKETKEEPER
- Maintain contact and alignment with 202nd PzGdr Battalion and 204 Pz Battalion.

 

202nd PzGdrBtl - Detail Omitted

203rd PzBtl - Detail Omitted

204th PzBtl - Detail Omitted

 

Co-ord

Boundaries - as marked
Brigade Report lines - as marked
Brigade Named Areas of Interest (NAIs) - as marked
 
Admin and Log:
 
Each Kompanie has an echelon.

Re arming will be priority

Recovery assets limited, need to ensure they are not risked/wasted unduly.

 

Command and Signals:

You are the Battalion CO.

Recommend one person be the Artillery person and be given ownership of all FISTV vehicles.

Deployment area mirrors AO.

TRP are deployable.

Manning List to follow.

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Manning List

 

 

26630339224_0fa5ed341d_o.png

 

Note: Happy for people to say they'd like a Marder or a Tank but don't be too wedded to a specific vehicle / Platoon.

 

If you say you want to man a Marder and I need to put you in given unit, I'll put you there but keep you in a Marder.

 

If you want to buddy up with someone (say Commander and Gunner), I'll try and maintain that but if its a case of one vehicle with two people and the others with none, then standby to control a vehicle (or maybe even a Platoon).

 

KpChef/201 - 

VB/201 - 

 

KpChef/2./201 - 

 

I/2./201 -

A/2./201 (Platoon commander's vehicle) 

A1/2./201

A2/2./201

 

II/2./201 -

B/2./201 (Platoon commander's vehicle) 

B1/2./201

B2/2./201

 

III/2./201 -

C/2./201 (Platoon commander's vehicle) 

C1/2./201 

C2/2./201

 

KpFu/2./201 -

 

KpChef/3./201 - 

 

I/3./201 -

A/3./201 (Platoon commander's vehicle) 

A1/3./201 

A2/3./201 

A4/3./201 

 

II/3./201 - 

B/3./201 (Platoon commander's vehicle) 

B1/3./201 

B2/3./201

B4/3./201 

 

III/3./201 - 

C/3./201 (Platoon commander's vehicle) 

C1/3./201 

C2/3./201 

C4/3./201 

 

KpFu/3./201 -

 

KpChef/4./201 - 

 

I/4./201 -

A/4./201 (Platoon commander's vehicle) 

A1/4./201 

A2/4./201 

A4/4./201 

 

II/4./201 -

B/4./201 (Platoon commander's vehicle)

B1/4./201 

B2/4./201

B4/4./201

 

III/4./201 -

C/4./201 (Platoon commander's vehicle) 

C1/4./201

C2/4./201

C4/34./201

 

KpFu/4./201 -

 

I/200 - 

A/I./200 (Platoon commander's vehicle)

A1/I./200

A2/I./200

 

II/200 -

B/II./200 (Platoon commander's vehicle)

B1/II./200

B2/II./200

 

Randoms (people who are indecisive, unsure if they can make it, commitment issues, ...):

 

Edited by Gibsonm
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44 minutes ago, RedWardancer said:

If this timeline is set for 1991, the the 12 Guards Tank Division must be the best of the best to receive the first batch of T-90s.  Without any initial US forces for support.  Now THIS is a challenge worthy of my talents!

 

So I guess that means you'll be there? ;)

 

If so Leo, Marder or something else?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Right so as at "now" we have eight people confirmed (myself + seven):

 

Distribution:

 

Tanks: 2

 

Mech: 4

 

AT: 1

 

I think that will work out OK (of course the more the merrier).

 

I'll do some work this weekend on an OPORD but we'll likely have 1 x well manned mixed Company, 1 x skeleton manned mixed Company and 1 x AI mixed Reserve Company and of course the JagdPanzers.

 

The "plan" is probably to well man the forward units and then as they "thin out" move people to a depth unit (so you might start as a Marder guy in 2./201 attached to 3./201 and as 3./201 takes losses become the 2./201 component of 4./201 , etc.).

 

At some point though we may run out of Marders and you'll likely get a Leopard.

 

We might even use the "pause" feature to mark these major changes (move people and give them an update of what my intent for the fresh CT is, etc. before resuming) - what do people think?

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ORDERS

 

Please review the trace and refer to it as you read.

 

31227628543_720f132f06_o.png

 

Situation:
 
Date: 14 FEB 91
Time: 0630 GMT/Zulu (0730 Local)
Location: West of HANNOVER, North of MITTELLANDKANAL
 
Enemy:

We are likely to be facing elements 48th Guards Tank Regiment (3 x Tk Bn, 1 x MR Bn) exploiting crossing of the LEINE River.

More good news, they have T-90 and BMP-3. 

 

Friendly:

In front of us is the Brigade Covering Force: 7th Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion (7th Panzeraufklärungsabteilung) is arrayed East of the Battle Handover Line (BHL).

They are tasked with maintaining contact but once the main assault begins they will fall back through your positions and head West.

202 PzGdr Battalion is to our left.

204 Pz Battalion is to our right.

South of the MITTELLANDKANAL and across the I WG / 1 BR Corps boundary, the 2 Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) Battlegroup is conducting an area defence centred on BAD NENNDORF.

There is a series of Reserve Demolitions sited along the MITTELLANDKANAL with Demolitions Guards from 1 BR Corps. These Reserve Demolitions will be blown as Soviet recon forces approach in order to (IOT) deny the crossing.

 

201 PzBtl.

 

I have task organised the Bn to create three Combat Teams

 

2./201: Commander, FISTV, Echelon, 2 x Leo Platoons, 1 x Marder Platoon

3./201: Commander, FISTV, Echelon, 2 x Leo Platoons, 1 x Marder Platoon

4./201: Commander, FISTV, Echelon, 2 x Leo Platoons, 1 x Marder Platoon

 

Attachments/Cross Attachments/Detachments:

The Platoon allocation is as per the trace and detailed below.

The JagdPanzer Company (likely locations as per the trace) and Artillery remain under direct command of Bn HQ.

 

SB Manning (based on numbers provided to date):

 

3./201: 2 x Tk player (platoon each), 2 x Mech players (Marder Section each)

2./201: 1 x Tk player, 2 x Mech players (Marder Section each) – will be reinforced.

4./401: under my control initially but will be reinforced/allocated as required.

Rhys – possibly on Red (subject to Internet reliability ;) )

C2, Artillery and CSS units under my control.

JagdPanzer Coy under command CavGunner
 
Civilians:

As expected that IDP / Refugee movement has almost ceased thin out as people seek shelter in cellars, etc. rather than move in the open as Soviet combat forces approach.

 

Mission: PzBtl 201 will deny penetration within boundary IOT, prevent the crossing of the WESER.

 

Execution:
 
General Outline - The Bn will deploy with 3 CT areas:

3./201: Forward

2./201: Centre

4./201: Depth


Grouping and Tasks
 
2./201:

 

Grouping

Attached

I/3./201

II/4.201

Detached

I/2./201 to 3./201

II/2./201 to 4./201 

 

Tasks

- Central delay zone.

- Occupy BPs Mech 2, Tk 4 and Tk 5.

- Engage targets in EA3.

- Engage targets in EA4.

- Engage targets of opportunity.

- Cover withdrawal of 3./201 via Route Alpha.

- III/2./201 to withdraw on Route Alpha once 3./201 is clear

- On Order withdraw via Route Bravo via RV 2./201

- Reform behind 4./201 and occupy BPs Mixed 1 and 2.

3./201:

 

Grouping

Attached

I/2./201

Detached

I/3./201 to 2./201

 

Tasks

- Forward delay zone.

- Occupy BPs Mech 1, Tk 1 and Tk 2.

- Engage targets in EA1.

- Engage targets in EA2.

- Engage targets in Eastern end of EA4.

- Cover withdrawal of Covering Force.

- On Order withdraw via Route Alpha via RV 3./201.

- Occupy BPs Mech 3 and 4.

- Cover withdrawal of 2./201.

- Engage targets in EA5.

- Engage targets of opportunity.

 

4./201:

 

Grouping

Attached

II/2.201

Detached

II/4./201 to 2./201 

 

Tasks

- Depth delay zone.

- Occupy BPs Mech 5, Tk 6 and Tk 7.

- Engage targets in EA5.

- Engage targets of opportunity.

- Cover withdrawal of 3./201 via Route Alpha.

- Cover withdrawal of 2./201 via Route Bravo.

 

201 JagdPanzer Coy:

 

Grouping

No Change

Note: Have gained approval for boundary change for you only.

 

Tasks

- Mobile AT teams.

- Occupy BPs ATGM 1 and/or 2 (Section each) and ATGM 3.

- Engage targets in EA4.

- Engage targets of opportunity.

- ATGM 3 to cover move from ATGM 1 / 2 back to ATGM 4

- ATGM 4 to cover move from ATGM 4 back to ATGM 5

- Cover withdrawal of 3./201 via Route Alpha.

- Cover withdrawal of 2./201 via Route Bravo.

Co-ord

Priority for Fire support:

3./201

2./201

4./201

 

Boundaries - as marked

Likely BPs - as marked

EAs - as marked

Withdrawal Route Alpha - as marked

Withdrawal Route Bravo - as marked

Brigade Named Ares of Interest (NAIs)- as marked

 

Admin and Log:
 
Each Combat Team has an echelon.

Re arming will be priority

Recovery assets limited, need to ensure they are not risked/wasted unduly. Remember tanks can tow tanks now.

CSS will displace early.

 

Command and Signals:

 

I will be the Battalion and Combat Team commanders.

I will retain control of the FISTVs and “do” artillery. TRP are deployable and I’ll move as requested.

I will retain the CSS element.

I will retain 4./201 at least initially.

Deployment area mirrors AO.

 

Non Exercise information:

Who mans which units we’ll sort out “on the night” as the only accurate head count is the one then.

Mission start: 1830 GMT (0530 My Local)

Confirmatory Orders / Discussion 1800 GMT (0500 My Local)

 

Edited by Gibsonm
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