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

[JDR Dragoon]

This is an AAR of the (old) 81: Better Dead than Red v1.1 scenario by CapCav

I will play as NATO. It´s 1981, so no Thermal Sights, no Abrams, Leopard 2 or Bradleys (at least not in my sector anyways). Just plain old M60s, infantry in M113s and West Germans driving Leopard 1s. This against WAPA driving T64s and BMP infantry carriers. My opponent was burroughs. The game had to end early due to physical disability, before a clear decision was reached.

The (made up) timeline is as follows:

Autumn 1980: In an attempt to stop the trafficking of weapons and fighters into Afghanistan, the USSR invades the border regions of Pakistan and Iran in order to clear them of fighters and support. Iranian counterattacks into the southern soviet republics serves to broaden the war and draw in additional soviet forces. As a consequence of the ongoing Iran-Iraq conflict (launched by Saddam in order to take advantage of the Soviet attack), the Soviet intervention serves to oust the regime in Tehran, which is replaced by a Soviet puppet under the leadership of Iranian communists. The war between Iraq and Iran continues, with Iran heavily supported by the USSR and gaining ground.

Winter/spring 1980/1981: In order to safeguard the oilfields from Soviet intervention, the US, France and Great Britain deploys expeditionary troops in support of the Iraqi army in order to insure, that the Iranians will not threaten the Gulf States any further. This serves to drive the Iranian forces back, with the soviet support increasing to compensate.

April 1981: As a consequence of the worsening international situation, GSFG troops are retained in East Germany beyond the expiration of their tour of duty when it ends in April. As a consequence, NATO collectively moves to the level of Military Vigilance (serving personnel confined to quarters, all leave cancelled, absent personnel recalled/reactivated).

Late-April 1981: The movement of troops from the western military districts of the USSR into Eastern Germany and Czechoslovakia is detected. NATO declares a state of Simple Alert. Germany recalls reservists of the Field Army (Feldheer, 12 divisions) in order to bring active divisions up to war strenght. The United States implements REFORGER in order to bring units in West Germany up to their full war strenght. Units already in Germany are spread into assembly areas outside their peacetime garrisons in order to lessen the effects of a WAPA attack. In an attempt to implement "crisis management" and in order to assure the Warsaw Pact that NATO does not harbor any offensive design, implementation of the deployment parts of the General Defence Plans are put off for the moment in the hope that the Warsaw Pact is merely posturing in order to leverage a political advantage. Intensive shuttle diplomacy between the respective parts.

Early May 1981: The movement of Polish troops into E. Germany has been detected as well, but so far the Warsaw Pact has declined to mobilize their forces in E. Germany (consisting of the E. German Army (Nationale Volkarmee) plus the soviet troops of the GSFG) and move them into assembly areas, which strenghtens the assumption that WAPA is merely posturing. NATO declares Reinforced Alert, with Germany going to total mobilization and the US federalizing National Guard units and calling up reserves. It is still hoped that diplomacy might be able to save the day like during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, if only both sides refrain from overt threatening military moves.

Mid-day, 9th of May 1981: The movement of WAPA troops into forward asembly areas has been detected. East Germany and Poland starts mobilizing their reserves. War is now imminent and likely to happen within 48 hours. NATO declares General Alert and mobilized units finally starts to roll towards their General Defense Positions within an hour of the alert being given.

CENTAG Five-Paragraph Order to follow....