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

[JDR Dragoon]

Players notes and considerations.

This turn is Dawn (04 am to 06 am). Visibility is still only 1 hex (1,5 kilometers). A few units still need refuelling, but again nothing too problematic.

I am a little miffed that the enemy special forces continue to elude and irritate me, since HQ 4th ID and most of the associated logistic units were stopped by a roadblock of felled trees west of Worms on their way to the front...

The good thing is that more airpower is coming online, as dual-purpose fighter bomber units switch from air-superiority tasks to close air support. 4. ATAF reports the following units available: One Wing of Luftwaffe F4F Phantoms (JagdbomberGeschwader 35, with 2 Staffels/Squadrons) and one Wing of F4E Phantoms from the USAF (50th Tactical Fighter Wing w. 3 Squadrons). With their loads of napalm, bombs and clusterbombs they will provide a wellcome addition to my airborne armada. It might still be possible to free up even more dual-purpose units later, with the influx of air-superiority fighters arriving from CONUS.

In the GE III Corps sector the Covering Force units are now falling back towards, Münden, Kassel and Melsungen (erronously labelled on the map as Hann. Münden). I reckon that I must withdraw the Covering Forces at Münden (w. of Göttingen) and Melsungen, while the Panzerbrigade 14 south of Kassel will likely be able to hold (but do I want that, since I might need it in reserve to counter the expected crossings of the Weser and Fulda rivers?). With the sun coming up, enemy close air support begins in earnest again, with sustained strikes against Luftlandebrigade 26 and Panzerbrigade 14. This causes losses, but also means that the W-German Korps area AA defences shoot down 3 SU7 fighter-bombers! My own answer, consisting af bomb-armed Alphajets and Phantoms directed against the Polish 10. Arm. Div. causes heavy casualties among the BMP equipped infantry battalion hit, but the Alphajets are badly scattered by the enemys AA defences and will likely take some time before they are ready again. The number of enemy units reported moving along the roads towards Hessisch-Lichtenau suggests, that a reinforcing division might be moving up.





In the US V Corps sector the remaining US Covering Forces withdraw across the Fulda, blowing the last bridge. Meanwhile WAPA bridging equipment is being brought up in strenght near Bebra. I figure that he will try to push across the Fulda next turn. Here my side of the river is fully covered by mines and by good quality mechanized infantry and armor. In addition, the 3rd AD reserve brigade (the 1st) is moving into counterattack-position with 3 battalions of armor. So I am confident that I will be able to put a sizeable dent into the 57th GMRD forces as they cross. In addition the located artillery gets a dose of counterbattery fire and a 20th GMRD probe towards Bad Hersfeld gets badly mauled by the defending 3rd AD.



The rest of 8th Guards Army is suspiciously silent. No enemy activity is detected on the road to Fulda or in the Rhön, apart from the units already in contact (which receives a proper drubbing courtesy of the 11th and 3-8 CAV), but the interdiction conducted against units moving behind the front suggests that sizeable enemy forces are present nonetheless. Aerial recon reveals the position of an enemy helicopter FAARP close to a located artillery position, but since I am unable to get a spotter into place, I will have to forgo striking at the landed helicopters. Aerial Recon also reveals enemy T62s, likely of the 9th TD, moving into my now abandoned positions east of Bad Neustadt. An enemy T62 battalion also moves into the minefield adjacent to the town, where it is taken under concentrated fire by Panzergrenadierbattalion 352 and Panzerjägerkompanie 350. They then proceed to call in an A-10 strike, and to top it all off, the US V Corps Attack Helicopter Battalion moves across the Corps boundary and engages as well, using illumination provided by artillery. Under this barrage the offending T62 battalion breaks and retreats in disarray. Everywhere else my forces fall back slightly. To the south of Bad Neustadt a Tank Regiment of the 79th GTD continues forwards as well. The reinforcing brigades of the 4th ID will soon be here...



The fight against the 106th GABD hangs in the balance. Heavily supported by airpower the soviet paratroopers continue to gradually push me out of Schweinfurt, inflicting crippling casualties on C Coy/1-75 Ranger Btn. in the process. The remnants quickly withdraw by helicopter. The entirety of the 1-75 Ranger Battlion is now Hors-De-Combat due to losses and will likely be out of the running for the next 24 hours while receiving replacements. In addition the victory hex in Schweinfurt falls into enemy hands. Only 6000 points to go before I lose by default.... Soviet airstrikes also hits the 3rd Brigade/1st Infantry Division heavily, halting the momentum of my attack and forcing the armoured infantry to regroup. My faltering attack is restored by bomb and napalm laden Alpha Jets and Phantoms who launch punishing strikes against the Soviet airborne infantry. Company C/2-63rd Armored Battalion, supported by engineers and a W-German Heimatschutz motorized infantry company then follows up by overrunning the remnants. All in all, about a battalion (2 infantry companies and 1 company equipped with BMD combat vehicles) are wiped out by this onslaught! The Reconnaisance Battalion of the 12. Panzer Div. has also arrived and is blocking the further advance of the enemy paratroopers.



Further to the east the 12. Panzer and 3rd ID pulls back slightly yet again, after having given the 27th GMRD another bloody nose through the judicious use of artillery and a single A-10 strike mission.



Finding the road towards Bamberg blocked by the blown bridges across the Main river, the 6th GTD begins to probe west. Meanwhile the remaining units of the 3rd ID continues to disengage in order to concentrate against the airlanding near Schweinfurt. Further to the east the 3-7 CAV and 2nd ACR prepapares to delay the enemy movement through the forested and mountanous area of the Frankische Schweiz, S of Lichtenfels. The number of interdiction attacks made by the USAF on units using the road between Kronach and Lichtenfels suggests, that enemy strenght is very much building here and that the aggregate Cavalry units might be unable to hold on for long. Just how short this period might be was hammered cruelly home when E Troop/2nd Squadron/” ACR suddenly reported being in contact with a BTR equipped Motorrifle Battalion of the East German 11. Mech. Div., a hitherto undetected formation. Before the Troop could withdraw it was subjected to heavy strikes by rocket-equipped MiG-17s. This development scuppers a lot of what I had hitherto been hoping for, since the Main river has now been compromised as an obstacle. Since I wasn´t really observing or actively trying to prevent such a thing from happening it was bound to take place, but I was hoping to be able to bluff him for another turn. The priority now is to in sure that all parts of the 2nd ACR gets safely back to Bamberg without being cut off.



And yet again the relative score is comfortably in my favor, advancing by another 100 points. The loss of Schweinfurt means that the overall score is to his advantage though



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