Steel Rain - Fulda Gap '85 Campaign Game (dannybou vs Arnhem)

[Arnhem]

Season's Greetings all. A thought for the countries and people caught in that killer Tsunami of Boxing Day.

Campaign game - better WP (better 10_01s), following options selected;
Auto Defensive fire (think this option doesn't apply to us danny), Artillery Setup, Night Fatigue, Programmed Weather, Indirect Fire and Airstrikes by the Map, Counterbattery Fire, Optional Surrender, Limited Air Recon.
dannybou Russians, Arnhem NATO

********************************************************
The curtain rises

All right, pipe down and listen up! This is it people, we are right in the middle of the path a no-shit for real shitstorm. Command just got the word from Army HQ, the curtain’s gone up and the Reds are a-movin’ this a-way. We’ve been caught with our pants down and as usual no one seems to know why. But, that’s someone else’s problem right now.


Time, people, remember that if you forget everything else today, we are in the business of buying time, we buy it for the heavies behind us, we buy it for the Herr Schmidts and Frau Kloepers so they can have a chance of making it to the rear, we buy it cos the German Army can’t and won’t fall back a single inch, we buy it cos it’s a couple of hours drive to the outskirts of Frankfurt from where we stand, we buy it cos hell, it says so in our orders.



You people have been round the block at least once, a truckload of you twice, so I won’t feed you the bullcrap about getting out there and doing your best. You know the odds as well as I do, the simulations say we won’t last till nightfall, I say Hell! No! We’ve got the training, we’ve got the hardware, screen and delay, use your heads out there, keep them back for as long as you can but don’t lose your commands in senseless last stands.



Keep it together, watch each other’s backs, use the terrain, buy the good guys some time. Good luck and good hunting. I’ll see you on the other side. Blackhorse!



CO, 1st Squadron, 11 ACR speaking to B Troop.

Outskirts of Bad Hersfeld

0300hrs, 10th June 1985

 

[dannybou]

Well Comrades, it is time to push the Western Imperialists back into the Chanel. We will drive hard and fast, do not stop becuase of interdiction strikes to lick your wounds. Leave the medics to take care of the casualties and push the wrecked tanks off the road. The spearheads must move to contact rapidly and overwhelm the defences of NATO. DO this and you will earn a Hero of the Soviet Union Title. Fail and it is the gulag Comrade!!

 

[freightshaker]

GO BLACKHORSE!!!! I'm refueling the choppers as we wait. They've loaded up a few TOW's with T-80 written on them. Make sure someone shuts the water off in Fulda and locks the door in Weilflicken (wild chicken).

:horse:

 

[KG_Norad]

Tom Clancy: "Imbedded with BlackHorse I am sure to get a good story or two!"

 

[Arnhem]

Interdiction is hitting WP forces hard, danny has suffered 1500+ infantry, 40 gun and 140 vehicle casualties before I even got a shot off. More from where they came from though...

I've started to see enemy units assembling in force in front of Bad Hersfeld, Fulda and Bamberg. The ACRs and other forward units will have their work cut out for them. Most of my command will only release around midnight of the second day with the last units fully in the field by dawn of the 11th. So all I have to do is to beat back the Red Tide for another 18 hrs with 2 bdes, deal with a Guards Airborne Div somewhere in my rear and try to think of creative posts for this thread. Life is peachy.

 

[dannybou]

Turn 4

The 27th Guards Division has made contact with US forces in the North. The darn NATO airforce is causing casualties with interdiction strikes. Where is our Red Air Force? Tell them to get off their 'hinds, stop drinking vodka and get into the war Comrades!!!

Still not much to report, other than massive movements of our troops are goinf according to schedules. The East Germans in the South aren't encountering too much. Let's keep it that way Comrade, just don't know if we can trust them!!

 

[Arnhem]

June 10, 1500hrs (Turn 4)

The first NATO units have moved out of their kazernes and are moving out to the front. Spetnaz forces hit several major installations hard during the opening hours of the conflict causing much damage and worse still, confusion.

11 ACR is fully spun up and taking the fight to the Russkies. 3rd Squadron has hunkered down in Bad Hersfeld itself, scouts report enemy infantry and tanks on the approaches to the town, hope the mines we dropped on the way will slow them down some.

In Fulda itself, enemy units seem to be skirting past the town and trying to get on the main road into Frankfurt via Steinau. HHQ and 1st Squadron are not decisively engaged and will continue to make a nuisance of themselves in an attempt to slow down the advance as much as possible.

In Bamberg, 2nd Squadron of 2 ACR finds itself having the unwanted attention of an East German Panzer Div, air assault infantry has dropped in it's rear and it faces upwards of a regiment of T-72's.

Up north the 2nd PzG Division is hunkering down for a fight to the death for Kassel, the civilian population is streaming east but with no prior warning, the majority were caught flat footed. The panzergrenadiers of the 2nd will buy some time for them in blood.

The incessent buzzing of scouts helos and Hinds prancing around my rear with near impunity is annoying to say the least, Stingers managed to get a few but they're just too many of them. I hate having someone take a peek at what's in my larder when I can't return the favour.

In some good news, a forward deployed Leopard unit of the 5th Panzer ambushed the divisional HQ of the 27th Guards MRD, an accompanying SP gun and BMP-2 battalion got worked over by Warthogs courtesy of said Leopards destroying the column's AA cover.

P.S. So that' what weilflicken stands for, what a hoot! LOL

 

[freightshaker]

Can't remember how to spell it but it's a "wonderful" place to visit. I've seen it snow in Aug.

 

[Arnhem]

Hi freight,

spelling looks right, the game map shows it's in the middle of arse end of nowhere, I'm sure it's a charming place.....

********************************

June 10, 1800hrs (turn 5)

I spoke too soon when I said Fulda was being bypassed, danny has put a regiment’s worth of air assault infantry in my rear, ought to be fun trying to extricate.

A regiment of T-80’s has appeared on the outskirts of Kassel, nothing stands in their way except for a couple of grenadiers, whoopee. Looks like it’s only 1 MRD tasked to this area at the moment, ought to be an interesting fight if the rest of 2 PzG can make an appearance.

Bad Hersfeld is being assaulted by a Guards TD and a Guards MRD, I’m seeing something like close to 3 regiments of armour in the initial wave, fight fair you commie bastards!

2nd Squadron of 2 ACR has managed a fighting withdrawal to the west bank of Bamberg, losses have been moderate but it seems I’ve given as good as I’ve gotten. Danny seems to have an unusual interest in the squadron’s SP gun battery, going after it with Hinds, Hips and 2 battalions of air assault infantry…..

Other than that, I’m pretty much sitting on my hands waiting for units to be released, my turns take about 15 mins to complete, can’t say the same for Danny, last I heard his wrists were going on strike……

 

[dannybou]

Kassel front

Comrade Secretary, our glorious 27th Guards Division has started it's attack on Kessel. The Americans are holding but we are in the process of encircling them. Cowards as they are, they will surely surrender then, no??????

Badhersfeld Front

Two Guards division are converging Comrade, and lead elements are in contact. Movements are better and we suffer less from interdiction strikes now. Thank you for speaking to the Air Marshall for me and getting his pilots in the air instead of in the bottle!!

Two more divisions are enroute to Fulda. This one will be a tough one, but we will prevail rest assure (shaking, scared of ending up in a gulag!!)

Bamberg sector

The East Germans are attacking this city and are in the process of positioning themselves for a final offensive to destroy the US elements in that area. Two more divisions are enroute as well Mr Secretary.

Mr Secretary asks: Well my dear General, what do you need from the Soviet people??

Mr Secretary, with all due respect, a batallion of M1 tanks!!

 

[Arnhem]

Mr Secretary asks: Well my dear General, what do you need from the Soviet people??

Mr Secretary, with all due respect, a batallion of M1 tanks!!

Heh, I was wondering if you were parodying Galland's supposed request for a squadron of Spitfires when I read this, after seeing the turn replay I can understand why :whist:

******************************************************

June 10, 2100hrs (turn 6)

2 PzG reports that it's component brigades will be ready to roll by midnight, what units there are in Kassel right now are holding back the Pact but some hot German loving in the form of 5 inches of precision, CNCed Rheinmetall smoothbore never hurt anyone!

The 3rd Squadron at Bad Hersfeld is surprisingly intact after skirmishing with what seemed like the entire WP, M and I Troops suffered the brunt of enemy attention but the other 2 troops are fully intact, I hate having to surrender some very defensible terrain and a bridge across the Fulda river but it's either that or lose the entire squadron the next turn.

Around Fulda itself, the 2nd Squadron is straddling the road to Frankfurt, units of the 39th Guards MRD found out the hard way as they were caught on the march by Brads and M-1's positioned on a small rise crossing the road. In the town itself, HHC and 1st Squadron are hemmed by air assault infantry and the rest of 39th Guards trying to force their way across the river.

A pair of PzG battalions ambushed and decimated a Spetsnaz unit that blundered into their positions in the vicinity of Mellerichstadt, now for the fund part as they wait for what that unit was scouting for.

Bamberg has been ceded to the enemy after a regiment plus of T-72's found it's way across the river and flanked the positions of the 1st of 2nd ACR, my cav troops are way too precious to gamble on half chances. Better to live to delay another day.

On a side note, danny is going after my ACR's artillery assets aggressively, I've had all of my ACR SPA's either surrounded or roundly beaten on, Are those arty deployable mines annoying him more than I give them credit for?

 

[dannybou]

Heh, I was wondering if you were parodying Galland's supposed request for a squadron of Spitfires

Yes I was Chris. The M1's are more than a match for my T-72's!!!

 

[Arnhem]

Yes I was Chris. The M1's are more than a match for my T-72's!!!

But you got more of them pesky varmints, throw in a couple of T-80's and better morale........I want my mummy

*******************************************************

June 11, 0300hrs (turn 7)

NATO is on the move, most of my major formations have moved out for the front lines and are itching to get into the fight, danny has pulled a beautiful move on 3-11 ACR at Bad Hersfeld and cut off it's escape route west, it looks like I'm going to lose that squadron in the next couple of turns.

Kassel is turning out to be a veritable cauldron with most of 2 PzG Div rushing to it's defence, danny has used the many bridges in the area to get his units across the Fulda river and he's trying to box in the units in the city. I have some units probing further south of that city so there's probably another division somewhere in the area.

In Fulda itself, elements of 1-11 ACR are holding on to the crossing while 2-11 ACR has managed to stop the 39th Guards MRD cold, inflicting heavy losses and disrupting units. Meanwhile, 3rd Armoured reports enemy paratroopers being sighted in the vicinity of Alfeld and Gelnhausen, units are deploying to clear the road to Fulda so 11 ACR can be relieved.

Further south, 3th ID has spotted the East German 4th Armoured on the move towards Schweinfurt, it's units are moving up to engage. 2-2 ACR has been shunted to the south of Bamberg and is no longer in any position to delay the enemy advance.

The Cav troops are in a desperate way, although casualties have been lighter than I expected, I find myself being surrounded by danny's units as he takes backroads and cuts off their escape westward, a brilliant opening move on his part, probably the only good thing about the impending destruction of half of my foward Cav units is that the heavies coming up from the rear will have time to deploy, now come the heavies, we shall see if their sacrifice is in vain.

 

[Arnhem]

June 11, 0600hrs (turn 8)

Kassel has become an urban shooting gallery as 2 PzGD fully engages the 27th GMRD, the confused nature of city fighting has seen the front lines blurring and the action brutal, a knife fight in the dark.

A little south of Kassel, units of another new division, 57th GMRD have crossed the Fulda and are trying to carve a route westward which takes them past the Kassel cauldron.

3rd AD has engaged paratroopers blocking the roads towards Bad Hersfeld and Fulda, the BMD equipped division will not go quietly.

An East German formation is on the outskirts of Schweinfurt, the 1st Bde of 3rd ID awaits them at their pleasure.

The Cav Situation
3-11 ACR at Bad Hersfeld is fighting for it's life, it is trying to claw it's way out of a ring of steel with the aid of airstrikes but the situation is grim, ammo is running low, troopers have been fighting through the best part of 24 hours and they have the undivided attention of 1 infantry and 2 tank regiments. It looks like the Russkies are playing for keeps.

What looks like another division has pulled up behind the 39th GMRD at Fulda, pity the air force is fighting for it's life overhead otherwise a couple of B-52's would waste some pretty neat looking road bound columns. 2-11 ACR has pulled back from it's blocking positions and has taken up alternates westwards. In the town itself, 1-11 ACR is making a retrograde movement, V Corps assets are moving into position to cover their withdrawal.

2-2 ACR finds itself surrounded just south of Bamberg (damn the map edge! ), question is do I dig in and make them come to me or try to fight my way out?

 

[dannybou]

Northern sector

Comrade Commissar, we have NATO swines fully engaged and are enveloping them. We are throwing all we have at them as they will surely disrupt. Then, it'll be over for them.....

Fulda front: Here Comrade, the fighting will be heavy and ferocious. As you know, NATO had always prepared for our attack across this part of Germany so they are defending well across the river. For now that is....

Bamberg front: US force are surrounded and cut off. We outnumber them and it will be a matter of time before we possess them.

Oh one more thing Comrade Commissar, any news on that batallion of Mi's I asked for????

 

[dannybou]

Comrade Secretary, I beg to report that...

Northern sector:

There is major fighting in Kassel. The Divisional commander had managed to get his division isolated, nut it is being rectified Comrade. The Divisional Commander you ask? He..... "died" in the line of duty Comrade......

Bad Hersfeld is overrun and our glorious forces have totally destroyed the NATO forces in that sector.

Central sector:

Fulda is being vacated by the US brigades Comrade. They are running as the cowards that they are. We will endeavour to surround them and detroy them. Pardon me Comrade Secretary?.... Oh... yes of course we WILL surround them and destroy them.

Southern sector

The East Germans are so far performing as well as can be expected. Our forces are in contact with US forces at Schweinfurt and have spotted West German forces in Werreck. I fear heavy losses on this front, but after all, aren't our East German Allies to be used like that anyways??? :devil:

We have spotted US forces at Kitzingen. Unknown strength or composition, but it would make sense for them to have good strength in that area. Some divisions are coming up to make contact Comrade. All in all we are doing well.

 

[Arnhem]

June 11, 1200hrs (turn 10)

It was turning out to be really bad morning, a gaggle of long, red arrows adorned the eastern side of the huge map that was the north wall of his spacious briefing room, short blue ones that somehow didn't have the authority of their red coloured brethren met the red arrowheads head on at places like Kassel, Fulda, Schweinfurt.

He has just received news of the destruction of half of his ACR assets, the 2-2 at Bamberg and 3-11 at Bad Hersfeld. It was already too late for them by the time it had become clear that the Russians were bent on the destruction of his foward deployed elements rather than bypassing them and heading for the Channel as all the earlier projections had thought. The surviving cav troops were understandably more circumspect about mixing it up with the WP heavies, still losses to the survivors had been extremely heavy and squadrons were little more than troops by now.

Still, all wasn't lost, the 2 PzG at Kassel was taking the fight to the Russkies, reports from Heinz had his troops surrounding a tank regiment and inflicting heavy casualties on a MR regiment, the enemy had a foothold on the west side of the city after having successfully forced a crossing but now that the Division was fully assembled they were taking the fight to the 27th Guards MRD.

Fulda had been abandoned after local WP forces suddenly increased in number exponentially. What was left of 11 ACR was fighting for it's life, the odds didn't look good but V Corps assets were trying their darndest to get their cav comrades out of the deep end.

The 3rd AD is was in contact with what looked like at least 2 East German formations, the Division was fully formed up and should be able to hold the East Germans at bay with the help of the West German 12th Pz which had taken up positions in support of 3rd AD.

And that was it, the cupboard was bare, nothing left to throw at the onrushing red tide, the loss of the his highly trained cav units pained him but they had died in their prime role of buying time for him, SACEUR would see that their debt would be repaid in full, and then some.

 

[Arnhem]

June 11, 1500hrs (turn 11)

The deadlock between 2 PzG and 27th GMRD continues as the Kassel cauldron continues to eat men and machines up at a nightmarish pace. A little south of Kassel, the 57th GMRD has crossed the Fulda in force, reserves are moving forward to counter this threat.

3rd AD has engaged enemy forces on the outskirts of Fulda and Gelnhausen, the new M1's are doing well by all accounts, a pity we don't have enough to go around.

The assault on Schweinfurt continues, the 3rd ID bde assigned to it's defence is giving ground slowly, making the East Germans pay dearly for every inch of ground gained.

 

[dannybou]

The WP offensive is moving well considering I AM STILL WAITING FOR THAT BATALLION OF M1's!!!!! (Wakes up from a nightmare)

 

[freightshaker]

Looks like my former apartment in Oberrode (W of Fulda) isn't there anymore. Oh well, hope Eugen got out ok (landlord).