Twilight War Germany

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I've been working on this article about Germany for the past few months. Its set in 2001 a few months after the US withdrawal from Europe. Not yet finished but all comments and suggestions are welcome.

Will have to post it by installments due to the world limit.

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Geography

Germany is a European country roughly the same size as the American state of Montana sharing a border with nine other nations; Denmark in the north, Poland and Czechoslovakia in the east, Austria and Switzerland in the south, France and Luxembourg in the south-west, and Belgium and the Netherlands in the north-west. It extends over 850 kilometres from its northern border with Denmark to the Alps in the south, and approximately 650 kilometres from the Belgian border in the west to the Polish frontier in the east. Most of Northern Germany is part of the Great European Plain that extends across Europe from the Pyrenees Mountains in France to the Ural Mountains in Russia. The terrain of this region is predominantly flat with hills rarely reaching 200 metres in height, and is crossed by northward-flowing rivers such as the Elbe, Ems, Weser and Oder. Close to the Dutch border and along the Frisian North Sea coast the land is marshy and wetlands predominate, while the Baltic coast of Schleswig-Holstein is marked by a number of small, deep fjords with steep banks. Central Germany is part of the Central European Uplands that extends from the Massive Central in France to Czechoslovakia and Poland. The German uplands include the Rheinish Uplands divided by the Rhine and Moselle river valleys, and a number of other upland regions including the Bergishes Land, the Eifel, the Erzgebirge, the Hunsruck, the Rhon, the Rothaargebirge, the Siegerland, the Sauerland, the Taunus Hills, the Teutoburger Wald, the Thuringer Wald, the Vogelsburg, the Westerwald, the Wiehengebirge and the Harz Mountains. The Central German Uplands are moderate in height and rarely exceed 1,100 metres, and the southernmost portions consist of the Bohemian and Bavarian Forests which form a natural boundary between Germany and Czechoslovakia. Between the Central German Uplands and the Alpine Forelands on the Austrian and Swiss borderlands is some of the most highly productive agricultural land in Germany. The plains of the Maine River and the 300 kilometre Upper Rhine River Valley are rich in loess and loam soils and are extensively cultivated, and are flanked by the Black Forest, the Frankewald, the Odenwald and Spessart Hills and the Swabian and Franconian Albs to the south. The Alpine foreland bordering Austria and Switzerland accounts for a good part of Southern Germany, extending 400 kilometres and bounded by the Alps and Lake Constance in the south and the Bavarian Forest to the east. The German Alps which are divided into the Algauer, Bavarian Alps and Salzburg Alps account for only a small section of the Alps and the country’s area but include the Zugspitze which is Germany’s highest peak. Although located at a latitude north of the United States-Canadian border, Germany's climate is moderate and without sustained periods of cold or heat. The north-western and coastal regions have a maritime climate with warm summers and mild cloudy winters. Farther inland the climate shows continental influences marked by hot summers and colder winters. The Alpine regions and to a lesser degree the Central German Uplands have mountain climates characterized by lower temperatures because of higher altitudes and higher rainfall. Like the rest of Western Europe Germany’s climate is strongly influenced by the Gulf Stream and westerly winds from the Icelandic low-pressure system and the Azores high-pressure system in the Atlantic Ocean, which furnish Western Europe with moderate temperatures and rain laden clouds. Less frequent continental weather systems originating to the east in Russia leads to markedly different weather conditions, with high-pressure air masses bringing cold weather. The average annual precipitation is between 600 millimetres and 800 millimetres per annum, and as high as 2,000 millimetres a year in the southern mountains. Germany’s average annual temperature is about 9° C with variations caused by elevation. In Winter the average temperature is 1.6°C in the north and -2°C or lower in the south and east. During the summer the north is cooler than the south with temperatures averaging between 16°C and 18°C, and 19.4°C or slightly higher in the south, although temperatures can greatly exceed 30 °C throughout the country during heat waves.

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The People

The Germans are largely descended from Germanic tribes who inhabited the North German Plain and Scandinavia in antiquity. Conflict between the Germans and the Roman Empire led to the Romans attempting to conquer the lands north and east of the Rhine River. The failure of the Romans to conquer Germany led to development of a major cultural and linguistic division between Southern and Northern Europe, and a major influence in the development of other European nations such as England, France, Italy, Spain and many Eastern European countries. Until the modern era the Germans absorbed Celts, Huns, Scandinavians, Slavs and others who lived within Germany into the emerging German nation. From the 19th Century until the First World War Germany experienced a massive population growth due to rapid industrialisation and improved living standards. Various waves of foreign immigrants were also absorbed into the wider German population. Workers from Eastern European countries such as Poland migrated to German industrial cities until the Nazi era, followed by many ethnic Germans and others from Eastern Europe after the Second World War. From the 1960’s guest workers from Turkey, Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Tunisia, Morocco and other European countries were integrated into the population of West Germany, and a large number of foreign troops from NATO and the Soviet Union were also present in both East and West Germany. From the 1990’s people from Eastern Europe, Yugoslavia and various Third World countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia also migrated to West Germany although East Germany was far less exposed to immigration. By the start of the Twilight War the combined population of West and East Germany was 80 million people, which on German Reunification was the largest population in Europe after the Soviet Union. In 2001 the population of Germany is predominantly ethnically German or Austrian. Xenophobia has discouraged many foreign refugees from staying to long within the borders of Germany, but many non-German nationals still reside in Germany. These have been joined by significant refugee populations from Poland, Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe, and Gypsies are a common site in rural areas of East Germany. There are also thousands of NATO troops and their dependencies still residing in Germany from America, Britain, Canada, Denmark and the Netherlands, and thousands of Warsaw Pact troops from various countries who are now prisoners of war. Most POW camps are located in Eastern Germany well away from populated areas as German civilians are hostile towards Soviet troops, with another camp in rural Bavaria housing captured French, Belgian and Italian servicemen. Conditions in the camps are quite severe due to shortages. Some Warsaw Pact units have also changed sides over the course of the war. Many are Polish and can occasionally be found near army bases in East Germany, and the entire Soviet 94th Cavalry Division defected en masse in early 2000.

Pre-war Germany was a heavily urbanised nation and the nuclear attacks in 1997 were devastating for the country. The first wave of nuclear attacks hit the German military bases, followed by oil refineries and major airports. By the end of the year most of Germany’s largest cities were in ruins with Berlin, Bremen, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hannover, Karl Marx Stadt, Leipzig, Mannheim, Munich and Stuttgart all targeted, along with cities in the heavily populated and industrial Ruhr Conurbation such as Dusseldorf, Bonn, Essen, Dortmund and Cologne. In addition to the nuclear strikes, many other cities and industrial centres were attacked by conventional bombing or fought over by NATO and Warsaw Pact forces during four years of warfare, or were just simply abandoned during the French invasion of the Rhineland. Nuclear attack and years of warfare, misery, starvation and disease has dwindled the population of Germany to about 30 million people by 2001. Living conditions in Twilight War Germany are as bad as the rest of devastated Europe, and in areas affected by radiation from nuclear attack they are somewhat worse. However in areas under government or military control there are some semblances of pre-war civilisation and life is tolerable and relatively safe. Most people live in pre-war housing which has suffered through lack of repair and maintenance because of the war. Most lack regular running water or power supply, although some limited power and water services have been restored in some areas. The majority of people work in agriculture or light industry producing necessary items such as food, alcohol fuel or clothing. A minority are also involved in criminal actives such as smuggling and various black market enterprises. Medical facilities and supplies are also available in government controlled areas and doctors and nurses travel between different communities, although for certain medical procedures doctors will expect to be paid. In areas more heavily damaged by the war life is considerably harder and the availability of pre-war housing is often inadequate, and the government has built large holding camps to shelter and feed the many displaced refugees. Many of these camps are located on the East bank of the Rhine near the devastated Ruhr or near destroyed cities in the East such as Berlin and Leipzig. Most of these camps resemble Third World shanty towns and life can be hard but they are guarded by Border Guards which give the inhabitants some security, and there is food and shelter and limited medical aid. The camps are regularly visited by medical staff that checks sanitation in case of an outbreak of major epidemics such as dysentery, typhoid or yellow fever. In Bavaria and Austria the Swiss Red Cross has also established a few well run camps near the borders with Switzerland. In areas beyond government control life is often harsh and violent, and they remain lawless regions plagued by criminal gangs, bandits or marauders.

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The Government

Before the war Germany was a federal parliamentary democracy with a constitution and an elected government. On November 28, 1996 the governments of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic declared a unified German Republic reuniting both German states for the first time since 1945. The nuclear attacks in November 1997 destroyed the German parliament in Bonn and many local offices of government in other destroyed cities. Since the nuclear attacks and four years of constant warfare the central German government has exited only in theory beyond some local government in surviving towns and communities, and since the proclamation of martial law in 1997 the German Army has effectively ruled the country. However the German Army has done much to solidify control over its own territory and in the beginning of 2001 established a provisional government in the city of Kiel which survived the war. Although free elections are planned in the future the German government is currently more interested in pacifying the country, feeding the population and rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure and economy.

Before the war organised crime in Germany was not a major issue compared to other countries. Germany’s fairly unique 20th Century history made it hard for organised criminal organisations to establish roots in the country, due to heavy suppression in the Nazi period and the post-war division of the country which excluded Eastern European criminal syndicates. Some native German and immigrant based crime gangs from the Italian and Turkish community had a small presence in the country, and its suspected that the US-based Mafia’s also had a presence within the US bases in Germany, but they were relatively low key compared with other West European countries. In the 1990’s youth gangs started to appear on the streets of major West German cities due to increased immigration from other parts of Europe and the Third World, and organised criminal organisations from Yugoslavia, China and Eastern Europe established a foot hold in Germany. With the nuclear destruction of many German cities most of these urban based gangs were destroyed in the destruction and anarchy, or were pushed out of the countryside and back into damaged urban areas by the emergence of the Freibroderbund and other right wing organisations. In 2001 a few anarchist or immigrant based gangs hold sway over areas in the ruins of some larger cities, but they are not considered a major threat to most surviving communities and they avoid areas under the control of the Freibroderbund or the German military. Salvaging gangs are however a much larger problem as they will violently contest intrusions of their salvaging territory and are better organised and far better armed, with some gangs including deserters from either NATO or Warsaw Pact armies.

In areas under government control martial law has been curtailed to allow civilians restore services and commercial activity. The population is required to register itself at a local government office for census and property taxation. The majority of people are willing to register as it guarantees legal protection for home ownership or occupancy through monthly taxation or rent on property. At registration the government will also issue papers and ration books that will guarantee government provided free medical aid and a quantity of weekly provisions that will feed and maintain people and their families. The abuse, forgery or black marketing of registration papers and ration books is considered a major offence and those convicted will spend time in a hard labour detail. The government has also begun to reintroduce a legal system. In the aftermath of the nuclear detonations Germany’s law system collapsed and most of the federal and state police forces disappeared or were drafted into the army, although a few police officers stayed in their communities and became the nucleus of lawful militia groups that sprung up to defend against gangs and marauders. Although the government has not reformed the police it has hired former police officers with provable documentation as armed peace officers who assist the courts in gathering evidence and arresting suspects. Appointed judges travel around communities to adjudicate over offenses, with most convictions usually leading to fines, community service or prison sentences. Suspects in serious criminal offences are sent to regional administration centres directed by pre-war trained judges, or in the case of treasonous or high profile offences are sent to the provisional capitol in Kiel. Convicted criminals in areas under military authority are automatically sent to hard labour detachments or are in some cases executed.

Throughout Germany the Army remains the principle authority as they provide security for the government to provide medical aid, water and food supply and they guarantee civilians general freedoms and liberties. The Army also controls power and fuel distribution and hold essential equipment for reconstruction projects. The Army has repaired a number of transmitters allowing radio communications between German forces and some broadcasting, and has also relayed a few cable and telephone lines to give a limited telephone and internet services between some military and government locations. A regular radio broadcast service has been also been established in Kiel transmitting music and government news in German, English, and Russian languages, transmitting on longwave and shortwave frequencies. The Para-military Federal Border Guards remained in existence throughout the war although they were placed under army control during the martial law proclamation in 1997. However the Border Guards still perform many of the same security duties they did before the war, and are assigned to defend areas under government control which allows the central government to function.

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The Economy

Before the Twilight War Germany was one of the world’s great industrial nations and had the largest economy in Europe. Germany’s economy was very diverse with a large financial and service sector and a very prominent manufacturing sector based upon mechanical engineering, automobiles, machinery, electric equipment, steel, shipbuilding and chemicals. German industry was profiled by many well known manufacturing giants such as Volkswagen, Siemens, Bayer, BASF, Daimler-Benz, BMW, ThyssenKrupp and Bosch, but large companies accounted for only a small part of the German economy with smaller and medium sized companies accounting for 80% of employment. The main industrial areas of West Germany were the Ruhr district of North Rhine-Westphalia; the traditional centre of German coal, steel and heavy industry, and several large cities such as Bremen, Hanover, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and smaller cities and towns areas along the Rhine River, but almost all areas of West Germany had some industry. In East Germany the industrial areas were concentrated in the cities of Berlin, Dresden, Halle, Leipzig and Karl Marx-Stadt. East German industry had fallen behind the west in technology and its industrial centres had lost their traditional markets in the west, but East Germany industry was considered among the most advanced in the Soviet Block. Although Germany is relatively poor in raw materials, it does have extensive coal and lignite reserves, a very productive agricultural sector and a large forestry industry. Before the war Germany relied heavily on fossil fuels for its energy needs and about 40% of German energy consumption came from imported petroleum, largely for trucks and automobiles. Another 30% came from domestic coal and lignite deposits while most of the rest came from natural gas or nuclear energy with Germany’s 20 nuclear power stations accounting for 10% of demand. Agriculture accounted for only a small section of the economy although it was larger in East Germany. Since the end of the Second World War the number of German farms had declined but production has increased through more efficient production methods. Agriculture in Germany varied by region. In northern Germany cereals and sugar beets are grown, elsewhere farmers produce vegetables or raised livestock producing pork, beef, poultry, milk and cheese. However most Germany cities were surrounded by fruit orchards and vegetable farms and the river valleys in southern and western Germany have vineyards, while beer is widely produced in the southern states such as Bavaria. East German farms were of the Soviet collective type and the government regulating the land and produce, but production was inefficient compared with the west.

Germany’s location at the centre of Europe led to German cities which lay on the intersections of major European east-west and north-south transhipment routes for ship, barge, road and railroads becoming major European transportation and communications hubs. Before the war Germany had one of the world’s largest and most sophisticated transportation systems. The German road network was highly developed and one of the densest in the world. Germany pioneered the building of expressways or autobahn’s during the Second World War, and expressway’s crossed the entire country and even into East Germany who’s major roads dated from before the division of Germany. The German rail network was also highly developed with electric and diesel powered intercity passenger and freight trains and many cities having electrified underground or tram systems. About half of Germany’s rail network was electrified and tracks were of the same gauge in both East and West Germany. Major German seaports such as Hamburg, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Lubeck and Wilhelmshaven also heavily invested in loading technology, equipment and training to compensate for their greater distance from the Atlantic Ocean in comparison with the Dutch and Flemish ports such as Rotterdam and Antwerp. The German inland shipping system was also one of the worlds most highly developed because of the large flat plains of northern and western Germany. Duisburg on the Rhine River was the largest inland port in the world, and navigable waterways such as the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers, and canals such as the Kiel, Mittelland, Dortmund-Ems and the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal permitted economical river transport between the North Sea and the Black Sea in south-eastern Europe. Germany also had a large system of inland and international passenger and freight air travel with major airports including Frankfurt, Munich, Cologne-Bonn, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart and the three airports serving West and East Berlin. Lufthansa the national airline was one of the world’s largest airlines and has an extensive domestic and global route system.

The nuclear attacks on German industrial and urban centres devastated Germany’s manufacturing sector, and the EMP blasts from the nuclear detonations rendered much more inoperable. Germany’s oil refineries were deliberately targeted during the course of the war. The oil refineries in Hamburg and East Germany were knocked out early in the war by Soviet air strikes. Conventional bombing also damaged oil refineries in other parts of Germany, while the three refineries in the Ruhr region were destroyed in the nuclear attacks. Germany’s power stations were also indirectly damaged from air strikes and the EMP blasts of the nuclear detonations. With power plants and oil refineries destroyed or knocked out, surviving factories and services simply shut down and where abandoned, while more were lost in the years of destruction and chaos to looting and anarchy and the French occupation of the Rhineland. However despite the extensive damage and being left idle for years the government has identified three refineries at Ingolstadt, Emsland and Lingen that could be brought back on line. Unfortunately Germany has no domestic source of oil other than a small and largely redundant inland oil field near Brunswick, and the now abandoned Mittelplate oil platform in the German sector of the North Sea. The government does plan to attempt to reopen Mittelplate in the future, but for the present Germany is in talks with the British and Norwegian governments about obtaining oil supplies from still functional offshore oil platforms that both countries are secretly operating in the North Sea. However the government has brought a few coal powered stations in Bavaria and Lower Saxony back on line running at low capacity, which with army engine electricity generators has given limited power services to a few functional hospitals and other facilities. Other power stations are also believed to be salvageable and the government has identified thirty electrical power plants across the country, including a number of small hydroelectric and pump storage stations in the south and Schleswig-Holstein that could be reopened in the near future. The army is currently scouring the country looking for pre-war power plant and oil industry workers to help restore the national power and fuel supply. A great deal of engineering equipment and diagnostic tools has been salvaged from abandoned factories and power plants by government technicians in order to achieve some quick propaganda results and accelerate the restoration project. In addition to conventional fossil and hydroelectric power plants, three nuclear power plants in Bavaria and the north could also be reactivated in the future. Ironically the status of the 1.7 Mw VAK nuclear power station near Kahl-am-Main in Bavaria is unknown to the government despite being among the most salvageable in all of Europe, as it’s under the control of rogue commander of the US 30th Brigade.

Despite the destruction of the war a great deal of Germany’s pre-war industry still exists. The high concentration of manufacturing across Germany left many factories untouched by the war and many have just sat idle for years due to the lack of power and the collapse of the world economy. In areas with limited power supply some clothing and food processing factories have been reopened by the government, while others are producing a limited supply of metals, electronics, chemicals, medical drugs and ammunition. The production of alcohol based fuels such as methanol has now become widespread and the Army has also taken over custody of surviving factories that produced military vehicle or heavy weapons to make badly needed parts. The government in Kiel has issued a number of proclamations stating their intension to restore essential services to German territory under their control. Government agencies are focusing on restoring whatever industrial production, electric power, sanitation, medical facilities and schools they can. The government is aware that industries and trades must be restored before the cadres of trained machinists and craftsmen dies off or the knowledge is forgotten, and power and fuel supplies must be restored to working condition to operate them. Because of the shortages of oil and power Germany’s transport network has largely been shut down. None of Germany’s airports are operational and many were damaged beyond repair, but some are still useable and the Luftwaffe has reopened a few for future use as well as maintaining a small number of air bases across Germany. The rail network was badly disrupted by the war with rail terminals and sections of track destroyed or damaged by nuclear and conventional bombing. All electric and diesel trains have long ceased running, but some old coal powered engines are still operating and rail lines are maintained from Kiel to Bremerhaven and from Kiel eastwards to the Polish border. Engineers are also working on restoring a rail link between Kiel and Bavaria. Much of the pre-war autobahn road network still exists and some sections are maintained to allow for the movement of military convoys. The other main users of the roads are registered independent traders who run their own convoys between various towns and communities, and a small number of civilian owned alcohol fuelled vehicles. In Germany the ownership of non-alcohol fuels is illegal and army patrols have the authority to stop any vehicle in their area and check its fuel, although they rarely check vehicles in a convoy. Trade between different communities is controlled by the Army who patrol the roads to ensure that key transport networks remain safe. The government has also re-established the Deutsche Mark as the unit of currency in Germany, although barter, payment in kind and the use of gold or silver remains a common source of payment. The value of the Deutsche Mark is supported by Germany’s gold reserves which were second only to the United States before the war and were secured by the army in underground bunkers in 1997. The government and the military will now only pay for goods or services in Deutsche Marks to encourage their use, and the Mark is currently trading at 1 Deutsche Mark to 3 US Dollars although the rate can vary in different parts of the country.

In areas beyond military control trading is much more hazardous as the roads are not maintained or patrolled and criminal gangs and marauders are a problem. The canal and river system still exists and flat bottomed barges and river boats are a cheap if slow way to travel around the country. However outside of Northern Germany or in other stable areas in the rest of the country there is no military control over the waterways. The engines of some river boats have been converted to run on alcohol fuel although many rely on towing by work animals. Barges and river boats that regularly use the waterways are mostly controlled by the military or local traders and are well armed with a variety of weapons such as machine guns, grenade launchers or mortars, with sandbags, lumber and metal sheet armour protection. Salvaging is a major and profitable industry in Twilight War Germany, and scavenging over abandoned factories, stores, shopping malls and warehouses can frequently produce a treasure throve of material that can make individuals or gangs rich by Twilight War standards. All manner of goods are traded in the government controlled open city markets or the many black markets across the country, ranging from canned food and cosmetics to clothing and auto parts. Harder to find goods such as alcohol, tobacco, coffee or medical drugs can fetch very high prices. Illegal drugs, petroleum and diesel fuels, ammunition and weapons are also available on the black markets but the authorities will come down hard on any group known to be trading them and black marketers will only deal in well guarded secret locations well away from major cities or military units. The trade of firearms is a major and growing industry in violent times such as the Twilight War. Before the war ownership of weapons in Germany was controlled by strict gun laws which restricted ownership to low calibre hunting rifles and shotguns. Today civilian firearm ownership is legal for those with firearms licences issued by the government, but since the war gun ownership is almost impossible to regulate. Weapons and ammunition of all types are available in the thriving underground black market, and because of the war there is a glut of military weapons, ammunition and equipment available for sale of NATO and Warsaw Pact origin, much of it picked off battlefields or traded by army units of various sources. Many organised salvaging gangs are criminal in nature and are heavily armed, which can make this a hazardous occupation due to competitors fighting over finds or salvage territory.

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History of the War

Pre-German Reunification

In the early 1990’s the unpredictable and confrontational foreign policy of the Soviet Union in the Middle East and the Third World led to increased tensions with the United States, and disquiet among Warsaw Pact member states including East Germany. In 1992 high ranking East German officers opened secret discussions with their West German counterparts about the future of Germany and the possibility of reunification. Although clandestine meetings and some constructive plans continued for a few years, collusion between the West German Bundeswehr and the Nationale Volksarmee (NVA) only really began in earnest in 1995. In the summer of 1995 fighting broke out along the Sino-Russian border over disputed territory in the Far East between Soviet and Chinese border troops. As the fighting escalated and regular forces were drawn into the fighting the Soviet Union and China mobilised their armed forces in Asia, leading to Western powers putting their forces on alert and a tightening of security along the inner German border. By the middle of August 1995 the Soviet 1st and 2nd Far Eastern Fronts crossed the Sino-Russian border into Northern China as the Soviet Union declared war on China. As the Soviet Army advanced through Manchuria and other parts of Northern China, the United States and NATO puts their forces on high alert as tensions increase worldwide. By October the Soviet advance in China had stalled due to stronger than expected Chinese resistance and shortages of manpower and equipment. Chinese counteroffensive against the Soviets supported by Western arms supplies also trapped pockets of Soviet forces in China, with Soviet troops having to fight their way out and taking heavy losses. With industrial production diverted to supporting the war in China living conditions began to fall across the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, while combat ready forces deployed in Eastern Europe were sent to the Far East. By December the Soviet government declared martial law across the Soviet Far East and Central Asia and ordered a general mobilisation of its forces, and requested that other Warsaw Pact states send their troops to the Far East to support the Soviet effort. East Germany along with Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland agreed to send forces to aid the Soviet war effort while Romania refused. As the East German government agreed to send German troops to China, alarmed NVA officers stepped up dialogue with the commanders of the Bundeswehr, and West Germany's Militarischer Abschirmdienst (Military Counterintelligence Service) requested computer files on NVA officers and NCO’s to be made available to assess loyalty during any planned future reunification.

In the spring of 1996 the Soviet Union launched a fresh offensive against China. Despite some initial gains the Soviet offensive soon stalled and casualties increased, leading to a massive mobilisation of Soviet forces. One quarter of the Soviet Army’s Category I divisions deployed in Europe facing NATO were sent to the Far East, while many Category II divisions were also mobilised and sent to the Chinese front. All Soviet Category III divisions were also upgraded and reserve mobilisation only divisions started training for the first time since the end of the Second World War. In April the East German 9th Tank and 11th Motor Rifle Division’s were transferred to China by rail across Siberia as the renewed Soviet offensive in China gathered momentum. However by the end of May the Soviet offensive was in serious trouble and both East German divisions were overrun and destroyed during the breakout from the Shenyang pocket, largely due to poor Soviet communications and leadership. Widespread media coverage of East German and other non-Soviet war casualties and prisoners of war in China was broadcasted around the world, including by West German television networks which was easily picked up in East German homes. In June the Soviets made a second call for troops from their Warsaw Pact Allies, and the East German 9th Tank and 11th Motor Rifle Division’s were reformed in East Germany to replace the divisions destroyed in China. Even within the highly censured Communist Bloc this news was highly unpopular. Following this announcement the NVA and Bundeswehr accelerated reunification plans as a strategy was set in motion between the militaries of both German states which were kept secret from the elected West German government in Bonn and the Communist leadership and its security apparatus in East Germany. By August NATO began to activate the command staff of army corps assigned to CENTAG and NORTHAG in West Germany, and the United States started to build up its forces in Central Europe as USAF squadrons and the 116th Armored Cavalry Regiment are deployed to Germany. Following a third call in September from the Soviet government for more troops to be made ready for deployment to the Far East whether their equipment and training is complete or not, the German’s made ready their plans for reunification which was to begin in October.

The Reunification of Germany

On October 7 1996 the West German Bundesheer crossed the inner-German border as the East German Army remained in its barracks. Other NATO nations were not unaware of West German military preparations with increased military activity noted close to the inner German border in the months before German Reunification. Rumours about the Germans unilaterally planning reunification had been circulated around the intelligence community for some time, but no evidence had ever been uncovered that implicated either German government and their militaries and none believed that the Germans would ever really go ahead with it. The inner German border was opened by selected East German Border Troops in the early hours of the 7th of October and West German forces crossed the frontier. Both the East and West German government and the rest of the world was taken completely by surprise. NVA commanders had carefully coordinated the deliberate placement of many NVA units in barracks or on manoeuvres to stop them from interfering with the reunification process, while pro-nationalist led army units isolated Soviet garrisons and State Security troops until they were reinforced by West German forces. Radar coverage of air corridors over the inner German border was controlled by the pro-nationalist officer corps of the East German Luftstreitkrafte to allow Luftwaffe transport aircraft to land at East German air bases, while data was temporarily concealed from the wider Soviet air defence network. Running on a coordinated timescale assisted by allied East German troops over road, railway and air, over 30,000 West German troops were deployed across East Germany within twelve hours of the inner German border being opened. By the time the East German and Soviet leadership and the commanders of the 15 divisions of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany knew what was happening there was little they could do to stop it. Thousands of West German troops were crossing by the hour backed by heavy armour and aircraft, and by the middle of the day nine West German divisions had crossed into East Germany. Across the Western World most governments and the general populations assumed that the West German government had ordered the Bundeswehr across the inner-German border to liberate East Germany from oppression and the unpopular deaths of German troops in a Soviet war in China. In a state of confusion over who was responsible for sending West German troops into East Germany, the popularity of the move among the German public quickly silenced politicians who had opposed it. With history being made in front of their eyes the West German Chancellor and his government were faced with a potential coup d'état in which they were powerless to oppose. By the evening of the 7 October the Chief of Staff of the Bundeswehr informed the German Defence Minister that the officer cadre of the NVA was fully compliant with the Bundeswehr actions, and that both national armed forces intended to implement the reunification of Germany with or without the support of the government. With power and popularity now in the hands of the military the West German government gave their full support to Bundeswehr operations in East Germany in return for the military not interfering with the continuation of civilian government control of Germany.

In East Germany resistance to reunification was strongest among the State Security forces known as the Stasi, who attempted to disrupt nationalist operations across the country. However Stasi personnel were quickly isolated, overwhelmed or arrested by both nationalist NVA and West German forces. When news reached the rest of the NVA about what was happening very few East German troops were willing to engage West German soldiers despite being ordered to do so by the government and some loyalist NVA commanders. News that the Stasi were being rounded up and that Soviet forces were being locked down in their bases was popularly supported by most NVA troops and junior officers who quickly made contact with West German forces and awaited further orders. Known communist sympathisers and members of the East German government and security forces were quickly arrested in order to prevent a counter coup by pro-regime forces that could rely on Soviet backing. The Soviet Union and her Warsaw Pact allies were expected to fiercely resist German reunification, and the troops of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany soon began to fight their way out of their bases and engage German troops. Warsaw Pact forces massing on the East German border in Poland and Czechoslovakia were faced off by strong West German forces manning border crossings. With the ongoing war with China the Soviets were unsure about how strongly NATO would react if they attacked Germany. Their delay in attacking allowed German forces further time to tighten their control of East Germany. The Chief of Staff of the German military informed the government of the Soviet Union through various diplomatic channels that Soviet forces in Germany would be allowed to withdraw peacefully into Poland under German military protection, but all of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany refused to comply and began to fight both sides of the German Army. The 4th Panzergrenadier Division was the first German unit to engage Soviet forces, and was followed by the 5th, 7th and 10th Panzer and the 1st, 2nd and 11th Panzergrenadier divisions. The 10th Panzer Division was heavily involved in combat with Soviet forces between Dresden and Leipzig, while the 5th Panzer Division overran the Soviet 47th Motor Rifle Division. In Czechoslovakia and Poland five Soviet divisions are moved to the German border as the Luftwaffe launches a series of strikes against Soviet forces in East Germany. Soviet Frontal Aviation squadrons launch retaliatory attacks on Luftwaffe bases in West Germany as Denmark and Norway mobilise their forces, and the Netherlands moves two divisions to the Dutch-German border. By October 16 the 2nd Panzergrenadier Division enters the East German city of Magdeburg as NVA forces join the attacks on Soviet forces spearheaded by the 1st and 4th Motor Rifle Divisions. The Luftwaffe begins to launch long-range interdiction strikes against Soviet forces in Poland, with one group attacking the Gliwice-Katowice complex in Silesia and is decimated by anti-aircraft weapons and the Polish Air Force. By late October NATO fully activates the US III, V and VII Corps and the British I Corps along with the combat squadrons of the Second and Fourth Allied Tactical Air Forces. The Dutch I Corps and the French III Corps are also put on high alert as the US Army deploys the 4th Mechanised Division to Germany, and Britain sends the 2nd Armoured Division and reinforces the British Army Artillery Division and RAF Germany with reserves from the UK. When the expected Warsaw Pact counter attack on Germany begins they will be engaged by both East and West German forces.

At the start of November Warsaw Pact land forces counterattack Germany. Five Soviet, two Czech and four Polish divisions enter East Germany in support of the beleaguered Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, while Soviet air strikes intensify against targets in West Germany. The 1st Panzer Division takes heavy losses during the Pact onslaught as the 1st and 4th Motor Rifle Divisions engage elements of the 2nd Polish Army in the Karl Marx Stadt area, mauling the Polish 1st Motor Rifle Division and the Czech 9th Tank Division that was covering the Polish retreat. As the German Army battles Warsaw Pact forces the 11th Motor Rifle Division is damaged from air strikes and the German Navy loses its first casualty of the war; the fast attack craft Bussard in the Baltic Sea to Soviet air attack. Soviet tactical air power restricts the Luftwaffe's ability to support land forces resisting the assault on Germany, although Soviet air raids against West Germany are stopped in their tracks by the intervention of USAF and RAF fighters who destroy a number of Soviet air strikes against West German military and industrial targets. As Soviet forces invade Northern Norway from the Kola Peninsula they also advance along the German Baltic coast and attack and isolate the East German Volksmarine naval bases at Rostock and Peenemunde. NATO responds to the Soviet attack on Norway by deploying the ACE Mobile rapid reaction force, a force largely consisting of US, British and Dutch marines and some Danish infantry, backed by powerful US, British and Danish air and naval forces from Allied Forces Northern Europe and Allied Forces Baltic Approaches commands. Germany offers to send warships and Marineflieger Tornado strike bombers to aid the Norwegians, but is advised against it by NATO commanders who fear that it will provoke a Soviet attack on other NATO members territory and widen the scope of the war. In Europe the US Army activated the US VIII Corps as the 1st Cavalry, 2nd Armored and 35th Mechanised divisions and the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment are deployed to Germany. At sea the Soviet Navy sends out the bulk of the Red Banner Northern Fleet into the North Atlantic to break through the Greenland-Iceland-UK Gap to harass NATO shipping and influence the campaign in Norway, while a number of ineffective missile boat actions occur in the Baltic Sea with the Germans taking some casualties. As the former East German 9th Tank Division is fully mobilised after being decimated in China and is sent into combat against Soviet forces, the East and West German governments announce the Reunification of Germany on November 28 and the establishment of a new Federal German Republic. The issue of the Reunification of Germany and intervention against the Warsaw Pact splits the members of NATO. The United States, Great Britain, Canada, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and Turkey support NATO intervention, but France, Italy, Belgium, Greece, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain oppose it. By the beginning of December France withdrew all of its forces from West Germany, and with Belgium, Luxembourg and Spain left NATO and declares its neutrality. Italy, Greece and Portugal also declared their neutrality in the German conflict.

As the Soviet Union invaded Iran in the Middle East at the beginning of December the US, Great Britain and Canada fully commit their forces to supporting Germany, with the US 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment crossing the inner German border. Over the course of the next week nine US divisions cross into East Germany and are soon followed by three British divisions, a Canadian division and another US division. NATO’s heavy divisions rapidly advance through Eastern Germany with US and British airmobile forces seizing vital bridges and road junctions and harassing deploying Pact forces. In the North Atlantic NATO naval forces begin to inflict heavy losses on the Soviet Navy and naval bomber forces, with US Navy battle carrier groups fully committed to eliminating the Soviet threat to NATO supply convoys, and US and British ASW assets deployed to hunt Soviet submarines across the North Atlantic and northern shores of Europe. NATO strike bombers also badly damage the main Polish Navy base at Szczecin, followed by further air strikes on Gdansk and the Soviet Baltic Fleet base of Kaliningrad in Russia as part of a campaign to eliminate Soviet naval forces in the Baltic Sea. Most of the Bundesmarine submarine force has also been deployed to the Baltic Sea by December were they inflict a number of losses on Soviet and Polish light warships and naval convoys. On land the I British Corps leads the advance on Berlin with the British 1st and 2nd Armoured Divisions smashing the Soviet 12th Guards Tank and 35th Motor Rifle Divisions that lay in their path. By the middle of December the 2nd Panzergrenadier Division captures Leipzig, while US forces spearheaded by the 1st Panzergrenadier Division drive towards Dresden and heavily damage the Polish 6th Air Assault Division and the Czech 15th Motor Rifle Division. NATO interdiction air strikes against Warsaw Pact targets in Poland and Czechoslovakia are also highly affective, with Luftwaffe and RAF strike bombers proving highly adept at penetrating Warsaw Pact air defences. By Christmas Eve the I British Corps has reached the outskirts of Berlin and the British 6th Airmobile Brigade enters the city relieving the beleaguered NATO troops in Berlin. A few days later the 3rd Panzer Division becomes the first German Army unit to enter the former German capital since 1945. As NATO battles the Soviet Army around Berlin the German destroyer Lutjens becomes the first major Bundesmarine casualty of the war after being sunk by an anti-ship missile strike off the Danish island of Falster on December 23, with the submarine U-14 sunk the following day off the Latvian coast. As the year ends NATO is rapidly clearing Warsaw Pact units from Germany and driving Soviet forces back into the north of Norway. Air superiority has played a major part in NATO’s success with USAF fighters rapidly establishing supremacy over Warsaw Pact opponents aided by superior airborne early warning aircraft. NATO fighter-bomber forces have also heavily hit Pact ground forces and have conducted a very effective campaign of strikes against Warsaw Pact air fields, anti-aircraft batteries and radar networks. Among the Warsaw Pact member states, Romania declared war on the Soviet Union, Bulgaria and Hungary after being invaded by Pact forces for refusing to send forces to aid the Soviet Union. Yugoslavia sends three divisions and some brigades to aid the Romanians, and both Romania and Yugoslavia are offered full NATO membership as the Turkish First Army attacks Bulgaria from Thrace. As more USAF squadrons pour into Europe and the US 5th Mechanised Division is deployed to Germany by New Years Eve the cost to German forces has been heavy. Thousands of German troops and civilians have been killed or injured in the fighting and the Luftwaffe has lost a quarter of its operational strength, while the German Navy has also lost 30 warships, including three submarines and a missile destroyer.

The New Year began with NATO forces taking Berlin with the British Army at the centre of the fighting. The collapse of the Soviet positions in Berlin is soon followed by Soviet troops being driven out of Norway by crack US and British marine forces, and the Dutch Government orders the Netherlands I Leger Korps into Germany. The German Army also begins a series of structural reorganisations to better suit its operational requirements, by creating new commands and consolidating smaller forces under divisional structures. As the US 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment is sent to Germany, the US Army activates the US I, IV, XI, XV and XXIII Corps in America and prepares to deploy them to Europe as Britain activates the British II Corps. Soviet submarine attacks in the Atlantic Ocean also begin to take a toll on NATO shipping effecting equipment and ammunition supplies to Europe. In south-eastern Europe the success of the Turkish Army against Bulgaria leads to unrest in Greece as Pro-Greek forces crush a Turkish nationalist attempt to take over the island of Cyprus, leading to a Turkish invasion of Cyprus and Greece leaving NATO and declaring war on Turkey. With the ongoing war in China and escalating tensions in Korea and the Middle East, the resources of the United States are becoming increasingly stretched. By the middle of January Warsaw Pact forces are in full retreat from Germany and are heavily pressed by NATO air power. The Polish 3rd and 16th Motor Rifle Divisions are mauled by German forces as they attempt to evacuate across the Oder River. With elements of the British Army already on the Oder River as early as January 7, NATO governments express support for a Free Polish government in exile. As the fighting in Central Europe dies down by late January NATO begins to prepare its forces to cross into Poland. Former East German units are now fully absorbed into the new German Army, with the number ‘2’ prefixed to their original East German divisional number. In this period NATO builds up its strength in Europe with the US 38th and 43rd Infantry divisions deployed to Germany along with the British 4th Armoured Division, the 1st Airborne Brigade, the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and the Queens’ Royal Irish Hussars, while Denmark fully committed the Danish Jutland Division and the Slesvig Regimental Combat Team. As more USAF combat units arrive in Europe and forward deploy from their bases in the UK to Germany and the Netherlands, Soviet Frontal Aviation attacks against German infrastructure intensifies with German cities such as Hamburg heavily damaged, and a number of oil refineries destroyed. Scattered Warsaw Pact offensives against NATO, including a Czech assault on Southern Germany which sees the Czech 1st Tank Division briefly occupying the city of Regensburg were ultimately unsuccessful. As spring approached continued Soviet hardline action convinces NATO commanders that a peaceful settlement with the Soviet Union is unattainable and that the war must continue.

Advent Crown

The beginning of April saw the renewal of operations against the Warsaw Pact as NATO launched Operation Advent Crown. While the Warsaw Pact was rebuilding its forces in Poland NATO advanced across the Oder River simultaneously with an amphibious assault on the Russian Kola Peninsula to secure the Norwegian frontier. As NATO airpower once again dominates the sky and bears heavily on Pact land forces with Luftwaffe and RAF strikes against air fields in Poland, NATO launches a three pronged attack into Poland. The German Army is a prominent part of the NATO assault; the First German Army drives through central Poland with the I British Corps in support, the Second German Army strikes along the Baltic Coast and the Third German Army crosses into Poland near Gorlitz and advances up the Oder River. Everywhere along the front Warsaw Pact forces are staggered under the onslaught. The Soviet 3rd Guards Motor Rifle Division is encircled and virtually destroyed northwest of Wroclaw by elements of the Third German Army. The Second German Army’s advance along the Baltic coast of Poland is assisted by the German Navy, with fast missile attack craft harrying Soviet and Polish naval operations and Soviet supply convoys from the Baltic States and Leningrad. NATO special forces are also inserted along the Polish coast with Bundesheer Fernspahkompanie troops performing reconnaissance missions far behind Warsaw Pact lines, and naval Verwendungsgruppe 3402 and British SBS sabotaging a number of depots, command bases and coastal anti-ship and anti-aircraft batteries in Poland well in advance of the main NATO force. Larger German warships also assisted in providing air defence against heavy Soviet air attacks, while the guns of the old Hamburg Class Destroyer Hessen were used against Pact forces near Gdansk. Warsaw Pact resistance is strongest in Central Poland, but by the third week in April the British Army breaks through Polish defences on the Oder and drives into the interior of Poland, and the US 28th Infantry Division is sent to Germany to support the NATO offensive.

By May a number of Polish cities had fallen or are besieged by NATO forces. Local Polish militia and police put up a determined resistance but are hopelessly outmatched and soon overrun. The Third German Army takes Wroclaw and decimates the Polish 3rd Motor Rifle Division as the British Army captures Kalisz and Lodz and the US Army reaching Olesno. Panzergruppe Oberdorf; a mixed group of German and US Army formations moves against the city of Czestochowa as the Soviet 4th Guards Tank and 43rd Guards Motor Rifle Divisions are encircled and nearly destroyed in Silesia. The Czech 15th Motor Rifle Division surrenders to the US 1st Mechanised Division after being pounded by airstrikes and cut off by NATO airmobile units as the Third German Army advances on Katowice. NATO commits seven divisions to operations in Silesia which overwhelms Pact forces in the region. The Soviet 35th Guards Motor Rifle Division is virtually destroyed trying to retake Wroclaw, and the Polish 12th Tank and 2nd Motor Rifle Divisions take heavy casualties in Gliwice and Opole. By the beginning of June with the Soviet and Polish armies in full retreat the Third German Army advances into Silesia and captures Opole, while Pact forces in Bytom, Chorzow, Gliwice and Katowice are heavily damaged by NATO airstrikes. As NATO prepares to besiege the Polish capital of Warsaw the Soviet Air Force transfers elite fighter squadrons from the Baltic Military District to air bases in Byelorussia and Eastern Poland to confront NATO airpower over Poland. The city of Czestochowa proved to be a significant obstacle to NATO’s schedule to capture Warsaw by the end of June as the NATO assault on the city is stiffly resisted by the Polish Army who commits three divisions to its defence against the US 5th Mechanised Division, the 21st Panzergrenadier Division, the 27th Fallschirmjager Brigade and the US 116th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Soviet Spetznatz and airborne forces are also inserted behind NATO supply lines in Poland and Germany to disrupt operations. The US Army 10th Special Forces Group and the British 22nd SAS Regiment are used to track them, with paratroopers from the British 1st Airborne Brigade destroying a large Soviet group on the German Baltic coast west of Rostock. In support of ongoing NATO operations the US 44th, 50th Armored and 36th and 40th Mechanised divisions, the 107th Armored Cavalry Regiment and the British 49th and 51st (Highland) Infantry Brigades are deployed to Germany. NATO naval forces have also eliminated the threat from Soviet naval commerce raiders and hunted most Soviet submarines operating in the North Atlantic. By the middle of June Czestochowa had fallen and NATO forces now surround Warsaw, with the US 4th Marine Brigade and the British 1st Royal Marine Brigade withdrawn from Norway and sent to Germany to reinforce the advance through Poland.

As the siege of Warsaw continues into July the Polish government moves its capital to Poznan as NATO pushes the front in Poland to Wroclaw, Czestochowa, Gdansk and Warsaw. As the British Army crosses the eastern stretches of the Vistula River, the 3rd Panzer and 2nd Panzergrenadier Divisions reach the Neman River in Belorussia. However NATO success in Central Europe is tempered by reversals in the Norwegian front and the Mediterranean, while Soviet Arctic mechanised units cross the Bering Straight into Alaska. The socialist governments of Greece and Italy also join the Warsaw Pact and declare war on NATO. Italy opens a second front against NATO in the south in the beginning of July with Italian airmobile and mountain units capturing a number of Alpine passes in Austria and overwhelming light Austrian forces in the region. By the middle of July the Italian V Corp crossed into Southern Germany and meets up with elements of the Czech Army and advances towards Munich. As the German Army battles the Czechs and Italians on the outskirts of Munich, the Czech 2nd and 14th Motor Rifle Divisions briefly capture Nuremberg before NATO forces are redeployed to the south. Yugoslavia launches a counteroffensive against north-eastern Italy which ultimately fails, but temporarily diverts Italian attention away from operations in Southern Germany and Austria. The 5th and 10th Panzer Divisions are sent to Bavaria, followed by the US 1st Armored and 43rd Infantry Divisions, the British 1st and 2nd Armoured Divisions and the Dutch 4th Mechanised Division. The 10th Panzer Division is involved in heavy fighting with the Italian Ariete Armoured Division in the vicinity of Augsburg as the Czechs and Italians are driven out of Bavaria taking heavy damage from NATO air strikes. In Asia the Soviets cross the nuclear threshold and use tactical nuclear weapons against Chinese forces in Harbin changing the nature of the war. In Poland as NATO approaches Russian territory the Soviets use tactical nuclear weapons against the 7th Panzer Division in Bialystok, which severely damages the German unit and throws NATO into disarray. The entire NATO front in Poland is shocked by the use of nuclear weapons against them and started to slowly withdraw, lifting the siege of Warsaw under heavy Soviet pressure. As the US 46th Infantry Division and British 24th Infantry Brigade are deployed to Poland to shore up NATO forces, the US 5th Mechanised Division detonated a small nuclear weapon in Czestochowa, severely damaging the city and slowing down the Soviet advance in Poland. By August the Third German Army is in full retreat from Silesia but badly mauls the Czech 13th Tank Division in the process. In Northern Poland NATO forces withdraw more slowly and the US 6th Light Infantry Division is transferred from Norway to reinforce them, but Soviet pressure badly damages the British 6th Airmobile Brigade and the US 107th Armored Cavalry Regiment.

By September the Czech and Italians armies renew their offensive against NATO and advance into Bavaria. However they are quickly repulsed by NATO forces in Southern Germany and driven back into Austria and Czechoslovakia, with the Czech 18th Motor Rifle Division badly mauled by Dutch forces. With the Italians V Corps firmly holding the Alpine passes in Austria despite the best attempts of the Austrian Army’s to dislodge them, NATO decides to intervene and sends German mountain troops against them, with elements of the British 1st Airborne Brigade deployed throughout the mountainous Tyrol region and the Bavarian Alps in small mobile units harassing the Italian forces. The success of the British paratroopers and German mountain troops forces the Italian V Corps to request reinforcement from Italian Alpine units in Italy to clear NATO forces from the mountains. The Italian Alpine troops eventually withdraw after being fought to a standstill in the Alps, while paratroopers from the British 1st Airborne Brigade are dropped behind Czech and Italian lines and perform long ranged penetration raids against Pact forces in Austria and Southern Germany. As NATO units enter Austrian territory the Soviet Army invaded from Hungary and Czechoslovakia, rapidly occupying the Austrian capital of Vienna and the eastern regions of Austria. The beleaguered Austrian Army is relieved by NATO airpower and powerful American and German mechanised forces advancing from the West. Under pressure from NATO in the Alps the Italian V Corps withdraws to Northern Italy as NATO forces push the Soviets out of Vienna by October as the surviving Austrian military is absorbed into the Bundeswehr. With tactical nuclear weapons now being used freely by both sides the German Bundeswehr has been hard pressed by a year of nearly constant warfare. The German Army has lost over fifty thousand dead and wounded, the Luftwaffe has lot half of its operational combat aircraft, and the navy has lost 70 warships, including 13 submarines, two destroyers and six frigates. In Poland the Soviets use tactical nuclear weapons against NATO forces in the Warsaw area, badly damaging the US 2nd Armored Division. As the Soviet Army retakes Czestochowa and begins to enter Warsaw, the British I Corps begins a fierce withdrawal action but is heavily outnumbered and the Royal Hussars Regiment is badly damaged. In Silesia the 6th Panzergrenadier Division is hard hit by Soviet air strikes and the 29th Panzer Division takes heavy casualties, while further Soviet nuclear strikes in Northern Poland badly damage the US 40th Mechanised Division and the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Retaliatory nuclear strikes by NATO destroy Warsaw and other targets in Poland, Byelorussia and the Ukraine, crippling the Soviet road and communication networks. As the Soviet offensive in Poland stalls further NATO tactical nuclear strikes severely damage the Soviet 3rd Guards Motor Rifle Division, the Polish 2nd Tank Division and the Czech 20th and 32nd Motor Rifle Divisions. With the world on the edge of nuclear destruction the Warsaw Pact recaptures Silesia as NATO troops withdraw from Northern Poland.

The Nuclear War

The use of tactical nuclear weapons in Europe continued throughout October and November. In addition to the nuclear attack on Warsaw, NATO destroys many targets in Silesia such as Bytom, Gliwice and Katowice and also the Czech city of Ostrava in revenge for a series of Soviet strikes on military targets across Germany and the Dutch port of Rotterdam. From September Germany had been subjected to low yield nuclear attacks against selected military targets. Symbolically the first wave of targets in the middle of September were the US Army Pershing II missile launching sites at Mutlangen, Neckarsulm and Neu Ulm, which destroyed the sites but not the launchers which had been dispersed to other parts of Germany. In late September a second more damaging wave hit the NATO command bunker complex at Linnich, and the American signals intelligence base at Bad Aibling which monitored Soviet military communications as part of a network of similar bases across the world for the intelligence services of the United States, Great Britain and their Western allies. The US Army installations at Ansbach were also targeted along with the USAF bases at Geilsenkirchen, Ramstein, Sembach and Spangdahlem, the British air bases at Gutersloh, Bruggen, Laarbruch and Wildenrath, and the British Rheindahlen military complex which served as the headquarters of NORTHAG in retaliation for the NATO strikes in Poland and Czechoslovakia, which severely disrupted NATO communications and air operations. By mid-November the German Army command centre at Koblenz and the German naval base of Wilhelmshaven, the USAF air base at Rhein-Main and US Army installation at Wiesbaden in the Frankfurt area where also targeted leading to significant civilian casualties. Shortly after the Thanksgiving Day Massacre which led to the nuclear destruction of much of the world, major German cities were targeted in two waves of strikes from intermediate range SS-20 nuclear missiles launched from Western Russia and Soviet ballistic missile submarines in the Arctic Circle. The first wave of missiles hit Berlin, Bonn, Bremen, Cologne, Dresden, Karl Marx Stadt, Leipzig, Munich, Stuttgart and Vienna in Austria, followed by a second missile wave in early December against Dortmund, Duisburg, Dusseldorf, Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover, Mannheim and Zwickau. The nuclear attacks on Germany led to millions of deaths and the destruction of the economy and infrastructure of the country. As the German Government collapsed and the nation was engulfed by panic, rioting and anarchy, the surviving police lost control and the German Army declared martial law by the end of December. NATO and Warsaw Pact supply lines and communications throughout Europe were also devastated which led to a general cessation in offensive operations across Europe. By the end of December the surviving Danish and Dutch governments withdraw most of their troops from NATO operations in Central Europe to help with internal security duties in Denmark and the Netherlands, while the British 49th and 51st Infantry Brigades are also withdrawn to the UK. As NATO forces complete their final withdrawal from Northern Poland in December the British 3rd Armoured Division takes heavy losses covering the NATO retreat into Germany.

The nuclear attack on Germany severely hampered German forces ability to continue operations. In addition to the direct loss of personnel and equipment and the physical loss of command centres, bases and storehouses, the national power grid and oil refining capacity was also destroyed as were many armament factories and fuel depots. The national rail and air transport network also collapsed, as did freight and passenger services from German seaports, which seriously affected the movement of forces around the country and imports of oil, raw materials, foodstuffs and military supplies from NATO allies or former trade partners. The EMP blasts also affected surviving facilities and the electronic and communications equipment of German forces that were close to the nuclear detonations. Surviving staff of the Germany Army Command who had evacuated Falckenstein Barracks in Koblenz before the nuclear attack on it, quickly reformed in the city of Kiel in Schleswig-Holstein. From Kiel the commanders of the Bundeswehr supported by surviving members of the civilian government proclaimed martial law across Germany, which directly put the nation and surviving assets under military control, quelling some civil disorder in areas under the control of German military units. Martial Law also extended to areas of Germany under allied NATO control with NATO units assuming the same powers as the German forces, but also being under the control of German forces while in Germany. In areas under military command the army took control of available resources and supplies to support ongoing military operations and feed and support civilian populations. However many parts of Germany had no law as there was no resident military forces, and rapidly descended into anarchy or came under the influence of unlawful groups that emerged after the nuclear detonations. The national road system was also clogged with desperate civilians and refugees fleeing the destroyed cities to safer areas under military control and the borders with France and Switzerland, with roads clogged by millions of cars and trucks which hampered the mobility of the Army and its ability to reinforce or adequately secure many areas. By the end of 1997 the German Army could still field three operational armies, twenty divisions and numerous independent brigades and regiments. But many surviving units were chronically short of manpower, vehicles, fuel, stores and ordinance, and a year of combat and in some cases direct nuclear attack had taken its toll on the operational effectiveness of many units. The other German services were in even worse shape. The German navy had no more than 30 warships of all types capable of putting to sea, and had lost its main naval base and much of the nation’s critical shipbuilding capacity. The Luftwaffe had lost over two thirds of its operational aircraft since German Reunification as well as many air bases and by the end of the year could field no more than 100 combat aircraft, of which many were heavily worn or lacking in spare parts.

The Aftermath

The war in Central Europe continued, although now at a much slower pace as both sides were exhausted and shocked by the carnage of the nuclear exchanges. By January the front lines stabilised and fighting died away as the opposing armies attempted to rebuild their units and logistics. With Germany and most of the rest of Europe in chaos desperate refugees flooded the border regions with France. In January 1998, the government of the newly formed Franco-Belgian Union ordered the French and Belgian armies to occupy all territory south and west of the Rhine River in Germany and the Netherlands to secure the frontier against refugees and armed groups. With most of the German Army deployed east of the Rhine River and in poor shape to contest the occupation of the Rhineland against the fresh and fully equipped divisions of the French II Corps, light German forces put up sporadic rearguard actions before evacuating across the Rhine or are overwhelmed and eliminated by French armour. The Luftwaffe conducted some air defence sorties over the Rhineland in a desperate attempt to blunt the French advance but is quickly overpowered by the French Air Force, which also strikes against Luftwaffe bases in Bavaria. The Dutch government orders all remaining Dutch forces in Germany back to the Netherlands to resist the French invasion, with the Dutch 4th Mechanised Division returning to Holland by February. By March the French had successfully occupied all German territory south and west of the Rhine, and have enforced the ‘Dead Zone’ across territory 5-10 kilometres east of the Rhine. As the last NATO units cross back into Germany from Poland elements of US 2nd Marine Division are recalled from Norway and reformed in Northern Germany, and many shattered units are withdrawn from the frontline for rest and refit to less damaged areas of Germany. However conflict does continue with the Soviet 122nd Guards Motor Rifle Division crossing the German border and occupying the village of Forst near Cottbus, and the Czech 1st and 22nd Air Assault Brigades conducting a number of deep penetration raids on NATO forces in southern Germany. Sporadic conflict also occurs across the skies of Central Europe with NATO and Soviet aircraft conducting air strikes on Germany and Poland, with the USAF detonating a small tactical nuclear warhead on the eastern industrial district of Krakow in Poland.

Renewed fighting in Central Europe erupted again at the end of June with a new Warsaw Pact offensive against Germany from Poland and Czechoslovakia. NATO commanders were expecting the Soviets to renew the war and had brought many divisions back to operational strength by the summer. NATO forces were also reinforced by the British 5th Mechanised Division and 19th Infantry Brigade which were shipped from the UK in early June. As Warsaw Pact divisions crossed into Germany the British 22nd SAS Regiment staged several raids on Soviet Army headquarters in Central Europe which severely disrupted operations along the front. The Pact offensive is led by the Soviet 7th Guards Tank Army which is stopped in the vicinity of Dresden by the British 4th Armoured Division, while the Polish 20th Tank Division and the Soviet 122nd Guards Motor Rifle Division are badly mauled by NATO forces. The Czech 1st Tank Division is also stopped outside the town of Hanau and chased back across the Czech border by the German Army. The Soviet 35th Guards Motor Rifle Division and the Czech 9th Tank and 14th Motor Rifle Divisions were also heavily damaged, and the Czech 16th Tank Division is destroyed and disbanded. With the Pact offensive against Germany badly stalling, NATO launches a counter-offensive from the Karl Marx Stadt area into Czechoslovakia. NATO forces headed by the British led Army Group Cromwell drives into Czechoslovakia, spearheaded by the British 1st Armoured Division and the US 38th Infantry Division. Czech border guard units are rapidly overwhelmed, with the Czech 3rd Border Guards Brigade virtually destroyed and the Czech 26th Motor Rifle Division heavily damaged. The British 1st Armoured Division flanks the main Warsaw Pact defensive line at Karl Marx Stadt and moves against the Czech capital of Prague but takes heavy casualties in the advance into Czechoslovakia. The British I Corps with US Army mechanised support also fought a major battle with Soviet forces near the city of Fulda, and severely routed them forcing a general withdrawal of Warsaw Pact forces from Southern Germany. Retreating Warsaw Pact units instigate a policy of laying waste to the land for the first time to deny resources to NATO, with vengeful NATO units mauling the retreating Czech 19th Motor Rifle Division. By September NATO forces had taken Prague with elements of the British 5th Mechanised Division being the first to enter the city as the British 1st Airborne Brigade secures Prague Airport, while the British 2nd Armoured Division besieged Brno threatening Pact supply lines into Austria. But the advance into Czechoslovakia stalled due to overstretched logistical lines and shortages, and stiffening in Czech resistance which leads to a cessation of fighting and a stabilising of the front lines. In October the US 70th Light Infantry Division is sent to Germany, which are the last reinforcements that NATO will receive from the Continental United States for the duration of the war. The end of 1998 marks the last period of the nuclear strikes of the war, with surviving urban and industrial areas of the United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain and Italy targeted to eliminate vestiges of industrial capacity, which impacts the rest of the course of the war in Europe.

By the beginning 1999 neither NATO nor the Warsaw Pact is capable of mounting offensive actions in Central Europe due to shortages and exhaustion. The armies and surviving governments are more concerned with pacifying and supplying the areas under their control, and trying to restart electricity supply and industry. With spare parts and fuel in short supply the surviving air forces were grounded. Occasional flights for precision strike, transport and reconnaissance occur but aircraft are now only used sparingly. Naval forces are also docked due to lack of fuel, used only occasionally for escorting high priority troop movements or oil shipments. By the spring the British Army withdraws its forces from Czechoslovakia and moves them to Central Germany as the British 1st Airborne and 1st Special Service Brigades are withdrawn to Southern England to help secure the country. Throughout 1999 the main focus of the armies of NATO and the Warsaw Pact is controlling marauder activity, which threatens to destabilise many areas and undo some of the work done to rebuild local communities. Desertion and rebellion among military units is also becoming a problem in Central Europe, with some heavily armed units overthrowing or disobeying their chain of commands and establishing local fiefdoms or bandit groups across Europe. This however is more of a problem among the Warsaw Pact forces as NATO units by and large retain their military discipline. In the United States after the “Rump Congress” reconvened in Omaha Nebraska in April following the destruction of Washington DC in November 1997. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff refused to recognise the election of a new president, citing numerous procedural irregularities and a general dissatisfaction in how the surviving civilian government had handled the war, disaster relief and food and fuel distribution, the Mexican invasion of the South-West and the Soviet invasion of Alaska. In July the Joint Chiefs ordered the Alternative National Military Command Centre moved from Fort Riche, Maryland, to Colorado Springs, Colorado. This effectively created a second government under military control. Despite the two rival governments coming into almost immediate conflict most of the United States military sided with the new military government in Colorado Springs. Germany along with most other NATO and Western governments also only recognised the military government. In late 1999 the Soviet Army launches a small offensive from Northern Poland into Germany which advanced into north-eastern Germany occupying some communities along the German Baltic coast, and briefly isolated the city of Rostock from the rest of Germany. The Third German Army soon pushed the Soviet forces back into Poland by Christmas, but the offshore island of Rugen was captured and has remained under Soviet or more precisely East German NVA occupation ever since, largely ignored by German and NATO forces that surround it on the mainland.

Following the recent Soviet offensive into Northern Germany, the German Army Command raised seven new light Jaeger infantry divisions in 2000 from a number of independent Territorial Army brigades used for home defence, who were augmented by surplus Luftwaffe, Navy and Border Guard personnel transferred to land forces to replace war casualties and boost numbers. The Army also formed three mountain divisions: one from the two independent German Army mountain infantry brigades, and two from Austrian forces now under German command in Austria and Southern Germany. In the spring of 2000 NATO launched an offensive into Northern Poland to eliminate the threat of further invasion. The objective of the German Third Army assisted by the US XI Corps and the British II Corps is to clear hostile Soviet and Pact forces from the Polish Baltic coast as far as the mouth of the Vistula River in Gdansk Bay. The US 2nd Marine Division launched a successful amphibious assault against the Polish Baltic coast and across the estuary of the Vistula, although a German Navy amphibious landing ship is sunk during the operation. However the rest of the Third German Army and US XI Corps are less successful. The German advance is stalled by Polish counterattack and the risk of being encircled by the Soviet Army, while much of the US 5th Mechanised Division is destroyed by superior numbers from the Soviet 4th Guards and 22nd Army near Kalisz and disperses to escape capture. The rest of the US XI Corps is heavily handled by Soviet divisions sent from Byelorussia to stop its advance, leading to the US 8th Mechanised Division detaching from the US XI Corps and moving towards Latvia. As NATO forces retreat back towards Germany the Third German Army is attacked by Polish tank force and the British II Corps battles Soviet forces to cover the withdrawal, and the British 6th Airmobile Brigade and the US 116th Armored Cavalry Regiment are badly damaged. However the Warsaw Pact counter-offensive soon ran out of steam due to the over stretched supply lines and high casualties, and also because of insurrections within Poland. By September parts of Poland are under the control of various marauders groups and powerful self styled warlords such as Baron Czarny in the ruins of Warsaw, the Margrave of Silesia, and the Militia of the Free City of Krakow. More worryingly for Soviet commanders is the high rate of desertion among Soviet units based in Central Europe, and the number of Soviet and Warsaw Pact units that have turned to marauding. In September the Soviet 95th Cavalry Division defected en masse to NATO, following the earlier example of the Soviet 10th Guards Tank Division and a number of former Polish border guard brigades.

With the Soviet’s clearly unable to launch any further major offensives against Germany, the British 24th Infantry Brigade is withdrawn from NATO service to England to help in the pacification of the UK. The US Central Command also concluded that the German Army is strong enough to defend Germany against any future Soviet invasion, and issued Operations Order Omega, a general order for all American forces in Europe to evacuate back to the United States by ship from the port of Bremerhaven. On November 15 2000 the US Navy Task Force 34 sailed for Norfolk, Virginia, and well over 40,000 America personnel and dependencies in Europe sailed with it. The staff and assets of the US Seventh Army and I and VII Corps, and 12 divisions (one brigade of the 1st Cavalry, the 1st, 2nd and 44th Armored, the 1st, 3rd, 35th, 36th, 40th Mechanised, 6th, 38th and 43rd Infantry Divisions), and the 2nd and 278th Armored Cavalry Regiments decided to return home to America. However a small number of US forces decided to remain in Germany and more arrived in Bremerhaven too late to make the trip or were stranded in Poland when the evacuation orders were issued. American units who departed with Task Force 34 also left behind many armoured vehicles and artillery systems, which were transferred to the German Army control after arrival in Bremerhaven. US forces remaining in Germany are now subordinate to the German Army, although they still retain their own chain of command. Following the American evacuation the British Army moved the British 2nd Armoured and 5th Mechanised Divisions to Bremerhaven and then shipped them to the UK. Unlike the Americans the British took their vehicles and heavy weapons with them on appropriated North Sea Ferries, and a sizeable part of the British Army still remains in Germany. As the winter thawed at the beginning of 2001 the German Third Army began to drive hostile forces out of Eastern Germany, which largely consisted of some straggler units from the Soviet and Czech armies and gangs of marauders, including the troublesome former Soviet 30th Guards Motor Rifle Division which had plagued the borderland region with Poland and Czechoslovakia for some time. By spring the German Army had consolidated its control over Germany excluding the French occupied Rhineland and Rugen Island off the Baltic coast. At the start of 2001 the German Army Command also re-established a civilian central government in Kiel which is now the acting provisional capital of Germany, with pacified areas of the country reverting to limited civil control to free up military forces and resources. The German Army also restructured its forces to better suit its operational needs, with some divisions transferring personnel and equipment to other more damaged divisions, and vehicles left behind by the departing Americans distributed across the three armies and eight corps. In 2001 the German Army remains a powerful force of over 30 operational divisions, although none are at anywhere near pre-war personnel or equipment levels and fuel, supplies, ammunition and ordinance remain in short supply. The Luftwaffe has fared a lot worse from the war with only 40 operational combat aircraft and about a dozen support aircraft and helicopters left in service, while the navy has only 27 ships and a few aircraft left and some of the ships are not operational.

[RN7]

Regions of Germany

Central Germany

Central Germany consists of the states of Hesse and Thuringia which beyond the Frankfurt metropolitan region are largely rural and forested. The state of Hesse is mainly lowlands straddled by rivers, while the topography of Thuringia is more mixed with lowlands and plains flanked by the Harz Mountains in the north and west. The strategically important Fulda Gap land corridor is also in this region, a strategic bottleneck which must be passed from the east to invade southern Germany. From July 1997 parts of Thuringia were briefly occupied by Czech forces during the Warsaw Pact offensive into southern Germany, but the region hasn’t been badly damaged by the war with the exception of Frankfurt which was the target of a Soviet nuclear strike. Today Central Germany has survived the war in good shape by Twilight War standards and most of the towns in the region are under the control of the German Second Army, but many rural areas such as the Thuringian Forest are lawless or under the influence of the Friebroderbund.

The state of Hesse is fairly stable by Twilight War standards, due in large part to the German military presence in the state. Its largest surviving town is Kassel (pop: 40,000) with has many museums and castles and is home to the 35th Jaeger Division who are garrisoned in the Wilhelmshohe Palace above the city. The defence company Rheinmetall also had an arms factory in Kassel producing military vehicles which escaped damage, and the Army plan to reactivate it in the future if power services can be restored to the city. To the south of Kassel the city of Wetzlar (pop: 12,000) was a centre of optics and camera industry. Although Wetzlar has no power supply some of its factories remain intact and the city is garrisoned by the 11th Border Guard Battalion. Other surviving towns in Hesse under lawful control include Friedberg (pop: 3,000), Giessen (pop: 2,000), Hanau (pop: 8,000), Limburg (pop: 3,000) and Marburg (pop: 7,000). Each of the towns have local governments supported by a small local militia force, and can rely on the 12th Panzer Division in Frankfurt or the border guards at Wetzlar for support if needed. The city of Fulda (pop: 8,000) which lays on the western edge of the Rhon mountains is occupied by the US Army 11th Armoured Cavalry Regiment, who withdrew themselves from the authority of its chain of command during Operations Order Omega and returned to Fulda were many of the soldiers had families. The regiment has accepted some local German recruits into its ranks, and has now become the defence force for the Fulda region including the 10,000 people of the rural communities of the Fulda Valley beyond the city. Although the regiment remains on good terms with local German forces in the area the commanding officers refuse to cooperate with the US Fourth Army in Munich, and the CIA has sent some agents to persuade them to join up with Civgov forces in the Balkans.

Frankfurt: Before the war Frankfurt was the largest urban area in the region, with the city and suburbs having a population of 2.5 million people and as many 5 million living in the larger metropolitan area. Frankfurt was Germany’s banking centre and host to many large German and multinational banking and financial companies. From late 1996 the city was subject to Soviet Frontal Aviation air raids which were largely curtailed by NATO air defences. But a few raids did successfully penetrate the air defence network and heavily damaged parts of the city, including the downtown Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the American military garrison in Darmstadt. In 1997 the city was subject to a Soviet nuclear missile strike against Frankfurt International Airport and the US Army installation at nearby Wiesbaden. Although Wiesbaden was destroyed the missile aimed at the airport missed by a few kilometres and impacted closer to the city, leading to huge loss of life and the abandonment of the city. Despite some damage both Frankfurt Airport and the adjacent USAF Rhein Main Air Base have survived, although the EMP blasts knocked out the nuclear power stations at Darmstadt and Karlstein am Main. In 2001 the city of Frankfurt is inhabited by criminal gangs and a few thousand refugees. Many refugees are of immigrant background that were forced out of the surrounding area by the activities of the Friebroderbund and the general xenophobia that swept across Germany in the aftermath of the nuclear attack. The suburbs of Frankfurt and less damaged outlying towns such as Darmstadt, Mainz, Offenbach and Russelsheim host a population of about 200,000 people as well as a considerable number of intact factories and higher educational facilities. The large General Motors/Opel automobile plant in Russelsheim remains still largely undamaged, while Darmstadt hosts a number of intact high technology laboratories at the Technical University of Darmstadt, the Helmoltz Centre for Heavy Ion Research and the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences that have survived the war. Darmstadt was also the mission control centre for European Space Agency commercial satellites and space probes, and was a development site for spacecraft software and support infrastructure. The mission control centre has survived but its role and facilities are now redundant. Rhein-Main Air Base houses units of the USAF 38th Tactical Missile Wing and the 435th Tactical Airlift Wing, with the base guarded by USAF security police and some US Army personnel. For a period the USAF forces were the only organised military forces in the Frankfurt area, but some USAF elements transferred to Bavaria during the American evacuation period. In the winter of 2000 the German Army moved the powerful 12th Panzer Division to the outskirts of Frankfurt to reclaim the area and deter any French Army movement from across the Rhine.

Thuringia has been heavily exposed to the deprivations of the war although some towns and communities have survived. Many areas of the state are under the influence of the Friebroderbund or other unlawful groups, and the few military units in the state are restricted to controlling the region around the former state capital of Erfurt. The city of Erfurt (pop: 11,000) was an important educational centre before the war and is garrisoned by the 4th Border Guard Battalion. The neighbouring city of Weimar (pop: 16,000); the former capitol of Germany between the First and Second World Wars, and Jena (pop: 5,000) are also protected by the 4th Border Guard Battalion along with some pro-government militia units. Beyond this area of the state there is no lawful authority in Thuringia. The town of Eisenach (pop: 6,000) located on the northern foothills of the Thuringian Forest is under the control of the Friebroderbund who have established a well defended citadel in Wartburg Castle which overlooks the town. Other small towns in the state such as Meiningen (pop: 2,000), Nordhausen (pop: 4,000) and Suhl (pop: 2,000) are also under Friebroderbund influence, with Suhl being home to the firearms company Thalmann Suhl who still produce civilian rifles and shotguns on a limited basis. The city of Gera (pop: 4,000) who’s industries were the subject of Soviet bombing raids during the war, is now host to a number of criminal gangs who inhabit the ruins of the factories and make life miserable for the survivors of the city. The small town of Altenburg (pop: 4,000) was the location of a Soviet Air Force base at Altenburg-Nobitz Airport before the war. The airbase was overrun by German troops in 1996 after Soviet personnel refused to evacuate during the Reunification of Germany. Muhlhausen (pop: 13,000) to the south of Nordhausen is ruled by a local warlord who’s gang consists of a few hundred marauders and deserters from the German, Soviet, Czech and Polish armies. The authorities in the town of Gotha (pop: 4,000) have established a Soviet style agricultural commune in the town and surrounding communities, and have put the population to work in the fields in the surrounding countryside and eschew all contact with the German government.


The East

Eastern Germany includes most the territory of the former German Democratic Republic excluding the state of Thuringia. The terrain of the four eastern states, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg Western Pomerania, Saxony and Saxony Anhalt, is mostly lowlands of the North European Plain traversed by rivers. The East has been directly exposed to warfare since German Reunification in 1996, and the borderland with Poland has been a continual battleground for over four years leaving many areas heavily damaged, while some regions were also occupied by Soviet troops. Major cities such as Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig, Karl Marx Stadt and the uranium processing centre of Zwickau were also targeted by nuclear weapons in 1997 and conventional bombing beforehand, and are now very badly damaged and largely depopulated. Surviving cities in the East now resemble towns of the Middle Ages, and on the outskirts of Berlin, Leipzig and Karl Marx Stadt are large ramshackle refugee camps for desperate survivors of the war supported by the central government in the west. Since early 2001 all Warsaw Pact forces have been cleared from the East by resurgent Third German Army forces excluding Rugen Island, and the German Army remains the only meaningful authority across the East. However despite the destruction of Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig and Karl Marx Stadt many other cities and towns in the East have survived, although those near the borders were more heavily exposed to marauding bandits and Soviet incursions from Poland.

The state of Brandenburg surrounds the city of Berlin and was the core of the Kingdom of Prussia until it was dissolved at the end of the Second World War. The region received an influx of refugees from Berlin after the nuclear detonations, although the surviving towns quickly fortified themselves against the hordes of refugees and marauders to protect their population. Today some of the cities and towns have survived the war including Brandenburg (pop: 7,000), Eberswalde (pop: 4,000), Neuruppin (pop: 3,000), Oranieburg (pop: 8,000), Potsdam (pop: 14,000), Prenzlau (pop: 2,000), Rathenow (pop: 3,000), Strausberg (pop: 6,000) and Zossen (pop: 5,000), with Potsdam being the centre of the remaining civil administration in the East with the provisional government in Kiel providing some aid to support the large refugee camp near Potsdam. Brandenburg also shares a border with Poland with the Oder River forming much of the border. The east of the state has been heavily damaged due to the ongoing warfare across the German-Polish border since 1996, and towns such as Frankfurt-an-der-Oder and the former oil refining town of Schwedt are now depopulated burnt out shells. The most significant surviving population centre is eastern Brandenburg is the city of Cottbus (pop: 8,000) on the River Spree which is the cultural centre of Germany’s Sorbian minority. Cottbus was a university city before the war and a centre of industry and technology in the former East Germany, although its factories were bombed by Soviet and Polish air attacks in 1997 and the city was briefly occupied by Soviet forces in 1998. The city is garrisoned by the 26th Panzergrenadier Division who are trying to reactivate several damaged coal fired power stations in the area to restore electricity services to the region. To the north of Cottbus is the village of Beeskow which is host to the former 94th Soviet Cavalry Division who defected to NATO in 2000. Their continued presence and demands on local food supplies has caused a lot bad feeling among the civilian population of the area.

Berlin: The city of Berlin is the former capitol of Germany and was divided after the Second World War and garrisoned by American, British, French and Soviet troops. Although the government of East Germany considered East Berlin to be its capital, the Western powers only recognised Soviet authority in the eastern part of the city as the Soviets refused to allow West Berlin to be the capital of West Germany. However the Soviet garrison allowed East German NVA troops within the city, and during German Reunification East Berlin became one of a few redoubts for the Group of Soviet Forces Germany with the Soviet 5th Shock Army quickly taking control of the state of Brandenburg surrounding Berlin and isolating the NATO garrisons in West Berlin. The French garrison was allowed to evacuate Berlin following the French withdrawal from the Atlantic Alliance in the weeks after German Reunification, but the US and British Army garrisons in West Berlin with some armed police were isolated from other NATO and Federal German forces until the New Year of 1997. Although Berlin was never actually besieged during the war it was blockaded and several large fire fights were fought in and around it during the see-saw fighting of 1996-98 with several of the industrial sectors and the airports being exposed to severe bombardment. In November 1997 Templehof Airport in the American sector of the city was the target of several small nuclear bombs which destroyed much of central Berlin, and today most of the city is even more badly damaged than it was in 1945. Before the war Berlin had a population of 3.5 million people and some of the surviving population fled to surrounding towns during the nuclear attack. Today a few thousand people try to eke out a bare living in the parks and open areas remaining in the city as large sections of the city lie in ruins, and the buildings that remain standing are largely empty. The 28th Panzergrenadier Division is based south of the remains of Tegal Airport in the grounds of the Charlottenburg Palace, the largest of Berlin’s historic palaces which dates to Hohenzollern times and has survived the war. The 28th Panzergrenadier Division conducts salvage and security sweeps through the ruined boroughs of Berlin and has troops billeted in the periphery of the city keeping away most gangs.

The state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern consists of most of Germany’s Baltic coast up to the border with Poland. The region has been heavily affected by the constant warfare with Soviet and Polish forces, but a number of significant population centres remain. The port city of Rostock (pop: 23,000) was subjected to numerous Soviet air and naval raids during the war and was briefly cut off from the rest of Germany during the Pact offensives from 1996 to 1999. However most of the city and its docks have survived the war and are now a base for the 6th Panzergrenadier Division and the Bundesmarine 3rd Naval Flotilla, with elements of the 2nd Luftwaffe Division stationed at nearby Laage Air Base. Other major populated areas include Gustrow (pop: 3,000), Wismar (pop: 4,000) and Schwerin (pop: 6,000) which was damaged in rioting in 1997 and the Pact offensive of 1998. The city authorities were aided by local German forces in restoring order to the area and have established a citadel in the Schweriner Schloss castle to rebuild the city. The city of Neubrandenburg (pop: 8,000) located close to the Polish border is now the headquarters of the VI German Corps. After the nuclear exchanges the surviving authorities fortified the Medieval city walls with brick and timber palisades ringed with barbed wire to stop marauder or hostile forces from entering the city and held out until relieved by German troops in late 1997. During the Warsaw Pact offensives in the spring of 1998 and late 1999 Neubrandenburg was once again isolated as NATO units in Northern Germany were pushed westwards. The city militia successfully resisted hostile incursions due to stocks of captured heavy weapons and mines provided by the German Army which forced Warsaw Pact troops to bypass the city. In 2000 Neubrandenburg was relieved by the German VI Corps who took up residence in the city and established heavy defensive positions around it. Today Neubrandenburg has become the principle martialing ground for operations in Northern Poland and a functional rail link with Kiel has been established. A large POW camp is also located in the outskirts of the city with Warsaw Pact prisoners put to work in the farmlands or on reconstruction work. Other NATO troops as well as now allied former Warsaw Pact units are also a common site in the city and are supervised by the 152nd Military Police Battalion. South of Neubrandenburg is the town of Neustrelitz (pop: 2,000) which has been heavily damaged by the see-saw fighting in the border regions. On the Baltic coast the town of Stralsund (pop: 2,000) was overrun during the last Soviet offensive into Germany which also captured nearby Rugen Island. The German counteroffensive of early 2000 saw heavy fighting around Stralsund leading to the Rugendamm Bridge which linked the mainland with Rugen Island being destroyed. NVA troops on Rugen have been isolated ever since and are currently watched by the 34th Jaeger Division who are is cantonment in Stralsund and Griefswald (pop: 4,000) and a number of small communities facing the island along the Strelasund. South of Stralsund is the remains of Tutow Air Base were elements of the Soviet 16th Air Army were based before the war. The air base was overrun by West German troops in October 1996 and the locality is littered with the remains of wrecked Soviet aircraft.

The south-eastern state of Saxony borders Czechoslovakia and Poland, and before the war was an economically important part of East Germany. Since the Reunification of Germany Saxony has been subject to bombing raids and Pact invasions from Czechoslovakia and Poland, while the nuclear destruction of Dresden, Leipzig, Karl-Marx Stadt and Zwickau caused widespread destruction and carnage. Before the Second World War the city of Dresden was a major cultural and financial centre and an important communications and manufacturing hub, but it was levelled by British bombers during the infamous bombing raid in 1945. The city was rebuilt in the post-war period and regained some of its former glory by becoming a major industrial and technological centre in East Germany with a population over 500,000. Following the Reunification of Germany the city was the site of major fighting between NATO and Warsaw Pact forces, and its industrial sectors were heavily bombed by Soviet Frontal Aviation before the nuclear strikes. Two Soviet nuclear missiles targeted the downtown area and Dresden Airport which devastated the city and caused huge casualties. Firestorms and fear of radiation led to the mass abandonment of the city and today only a few hundred scavengers inhabit the city environs, leaving the rest of the area to various gangs of salvagers and criminals. The city of Karl-Marx Stadt located near the Czech border was formerly known as Chemnitz before the division of Germany. It was renamed by the communist government in 1953 in honour of the German author or the ‘Communist Manifesto’ Karl Marx. Before the war Karl-Marx Stadt had a population of 250,000 but its factories were repeatedly bombed and the city was destroyed during the nuclear attack on Germany. Today it lies in ruins with very few buildings remaining intact and the population has long since abandoned it. However it is located in one of Germany’s largest coal mining regions and the government is keen to restart mining in the area. The 8th Border Guard Battalion has been sent to the area and is based at the remains of a small airport outside the city guarding against marauders, and providing some security for the refugees in the large holding camp on the outskirts of the city. The city of Leipzig was also once a major cultural and economic centre, but it declined in importance after the division of Germany. However it remained an important industrial centre of East Germany with a population of 500,000. Leipzig was targeted by Soviet nuclear strikes in 1997 but was less heavily damaged than Dresden or Karl-Marx Stadt. Although many parts of the city are damaged a few buildings and landmarks have survived and about 12,000 people inhabit the outer suburbs of the city. Leipzig is also located in the centre of one of Germany’s largest coal mining regions, and troops from the 36th Jaeger Division based in nearby Halle in Saxony-Anhalt provide some security for the city and are conducting salvaging operations in the area. Beyond the ruined cities there are very few remaining population centres. The town of Gorlitz (pop: 2,000) which is the easternmost town in Germany is located along the Oder-Neisse River border with Poland. The German town neighbours Zgorzelec in Poland across the Neisse River and has been severely damaged in fighting since German Reunification. Control of the town has changing hands a dozen times between German and Polish troops and militias, and it is currently garrisoned by the 22nd Panzergrenadier Division who now control territory 10 kilometres east into Poland. To the south-east near the Czech border is the small town of Plauen (pop: 5,000) which is guarded by the 11th Panzergrenadier Division from the Second German Army. The garrison at Plauen is guarding against any Czech military or marauder incursions on the region from the south. To the north bordering the state of Brandenburg is Holzdorf Air Base with surviving elements of the 2nd Luftwaffe Division. The continual presence of Luftwaffe personnel at the base has allowed a number of small communities in the area to survive in relative safety.

To the west of Saxony is the largely rural state of Saxony-Anhalt. The state has survived in relatively good shape despite bombing raids and the affects of the war, and its major city of Magdeburg escaped nuclear attack. Magdeburg (pop: 58,000) was the first major city in East Germany to be occupied by West German troops during German Reunification. Although Magdeburg escaped nuclear destruction its industrial district were subject to heavy Soviet air raids, but most of the city landmarks have survived unscathed including the impressive Lutheran Cathedral. The Magdeburg area is home to the II British Corps and the 4th British Armoured Division who have pacified the city and its hinterland. Beyond Magdeburg most towns in the state are small by German standards, but many communities have survived and are involved in food production. After Magdeburg the largest population centre is the small city of Halle (pop: 30,000), an important pre-war educational and technology centre that has benefited from the decline of nearby Leipzig in Saxony. Halle is the headquarters for the VII German Corp whose corps assets and the 36th Jaeger Division and 251st Military Police Battalion are headquartered in Moritzburg Castle, the former barracks of the Soviet 27th Guards Motor Rifle Division. Further inland the fortified town of Dessau (pop: 6,000) has survived relatively intact with a number of surviving castles, palaces, churches and fine examples of Bauhaus architecture. The town militia was armed by retreating German forces during the Warsaw Pact offensive of 1998 who constructed a series of defensive earthworks on the perimeter of the town with ramparts ringed with barbed wire, mortars and machine guns, and also laid minefields on the approaching to the town. The militia soundly repulsed a number of assaults by marauders who plagued the area after the nuclear exchanges but has refused to cooperate with any German military forces in the area since. It is suspected that the town is under the influence of the Friebroderbund who are known to be active in the region, and the German Army is considering sending the 212th Jaeger Division against them. To the north of Magdeburg the small town of Stendal (pop: 2,000) which was garrisoned by the Soviet 207th Guards Motor Rifle Division was severely damaged during the war, as the Soviet troops refused to leave the area during German Reunification leading to a major battle with West German forces which destroyed the division.

The North

Northern Germany consists of the states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, North Rhine Westphalia north and west of the Rhine River, the Frisian Islands and the independent cities of Bremen and Hamburg. The reformed German government has also established its provisional capital in the city of Kiel and Northern Germany has become one of the most stable parts of Twilight War Germany. However many parts of this region have also been affected by the war.

Bremen/Bremerhaven: Bremen was Germany’s second largest port before the war, but it was destroyed by sustained conventional bombing and a nuclear detonation in the industrial Vegesack district in 1997. The city was abandoned after the nuclear attack with survivors making their way to less damaged suburbs such as Delmenhorst and surrounding villages which today host a population of about 20,000. Until 2000 German troops were based in Bremen and cleared the area of most unlawful elements, but they were transferred to other fronts after the American withdrawal from Europe leaving the remains of the city under civilian government. Bremerhaven (pop: 25,000) on the mouth of the Weiser River was historically Germany’s largest harbour and the point from were all overseas passenger ships left Germany. After the Second World War the city grew into a major port as West Germany’s economy expanded and some ships became too large to dock downstream in Bremen. In November 1997 the Soviet nuclear missile aimed at Bremerhaven landed 12 kilometres away in the sea which caused some minor damage but spared the city. Today Bremerhaven is the largest surviving port along the North Sea coast of Europe with its docks and ship handling facilities still fully functional. The port was used by the US Navy Task Force 34 to evacuate American forces from Europe, with the departing Americans leaving behind many of their vehicles and heavy weapons for the German Army. Although some of the armoured vehicles have been distributed to German forces many are still stored in Bremerhaven. The Bundesmarine’s 2nd Naval Flotilla is also based at the city docks and occasional freighters and warships arrive from Britain and Scandinavia. Bremerhaven is guarded by the 21st Panzergrenadier Division and the 2nd Border Guard Battalion and engineers have reactivated a rail link with Kiel.

Hamburg: The city of Hamburg on the upper reaches of the Elbe River was the centre of a metropolitan region that was home to 4 million people before the war. It was also Germany’s largest port and a major media and transportation hub with an extensive manufacturing industry. As such the city’s ship building, metal fabrication, aerospace and oil refining facilities were a major target for Soviet bombing raids from late 1996, which damaged its extensive dock yards and industrial sectors, as well as much of the city’s significant architecture. Following the successful and destructive NATO offensive into Poland in April 1997, vengeful Soviet bombers destroyed and heavily damaged the large Blohm & Voss shipyard, the two oil refineries and the nuclear power plants at Brokdorf, Brunsbuttel and Stade. Firestorms from the burning oil refineries and fear of nuclear radiation led to most of the population evacuating the city to surrounding areas, and because of the level of destruction inflicted on Hamburg’s infrastructure the city was spared nuclear destruction. However large parts of the city and many buildings remain intact, including most of the many bridges and canals and the two Elbe Road Tunnels. A lot of salvageable material also survives in the city and its environs which were never looted due to the rapid evacuation of the city. About 100,000 people remain in the outer suburbs and the 33rd Jaeger Division is overseeing reconstruction and salvaging projects in Hamburg and controls all entry routes to the city. The division is stationed on the northern outskirts of the city with a smaller cantonment at Finkenwerder Airport salvaging the remains of the Airbus aircraft plant located on the south bank of the Elbe a few kilometers west of the inner city.

The southern districts of North Rhine-Westphalia north and west of the Rhine River are part of the Ruhr conurbation which was decimated in the nuclear attack on Germany. From September 1997 military bases in the area were subject to Soviet missile strikes including the British RAF base at Gutersloh. By November the industrial cities of the Ruhr came under direct nuclear attack which devastated cities east of the Rhine and north of the Ruhr River such as Bochum, Bottrop, Dortmund and Gelsenkirchen, leading to huge loss of life and mass abandonment of the area by survivors. Today the ruined urban sprawl north of the Ruhr is an irradiated wasteland avoided by all but the most determined refugees and salvagers. The exodus of people from the Ruhr also led to an increase in the populations of surviving cities and towns in the rural districts in the north such as Arnsberg (pop: 8,000), Bielefeld (pop: 12,000), Detmold (pop: 7,000), Hilden (pop: 4,000), Hoxter (pop: 3,000), Ludenscheid (pop: 7,000), Minden (pop: 8,000), Munster (pop: 19,000), Siegen (pop: 10,000) and Paderborn. However the region is more anarchic than other parts of Northern Germany and areas beyond the sway of local militias have been affected by bandit gangs formed from hordes of desperate refugees from the Ruhr. The region was largely abandoned by the authorities at the end of 1997, except for a small British garrison at Bielefeld. The most significant power in North Rhine Westphalia since 1998 has been the Friebroderbund, who dominate rural communities and smaller towns in the area and effectively controls the city of Paderborn.

Paderborn: Before the war Paderborn (pop: 25,000) was a university city and an important technology and industrial centre, with many German and multinational companies producing computers, software, machine tools, electronics, automobile parts, agricultural machinery and beer. Paderborn survived the war largely unscathed despite some air raids on its factories, and absorbed some refugees from the Rhineland after the nuclear attacks on the Ruhr. Most of its pre-war infrastructure and buildings have survived including the Renaissance town hall and the University of Paderborn. Like many smaller urban and rural areas in pre-war Germany Paderborn was not exposed to major immigration from poorer European countries or the Third World, and German nationalism was a prominent part of its political landscape. The war and later mass exodus of refugees from the larger cities including many of non-German origins caused a great deal of resentment and fear among the local population. With the collapse of local authorities nationalists groups such as the Friebroderbund quickly took control of the city and expelled outsiders by force from the Paderborn area. With over a thousand armed members and many more sympathisers in the area the Freibroderbund has also deterred marauders or criminal gangs from approaching the city and its hinterland, which has given them some popularity among the surviving inhabitants of the city. The influence of the Friebroderbund in North Rhine Westphalia and across the Rhine in the French occupied Rhineland forced the German Army to move the newly raised 31st Jaeger Division to Paderborn towards the end of 2000 to try and regain control of the area. However sabotage, ambushes and Freibroderbund infiltrations has undermined the effectiveness of the 31st Jaeger Division, who after losing a number of fire-fights in the surrounding countryside has retreated to their main base at Paderborn-Lippstadt Airport. With resources tied up elsewhere the Germans have considered asking the British for assistance, as their garrison in Bielefeld has successfully resisted Friebroderbund encroachment on the city and remains in regular contact with the much larger British forces in neighbouring Lower Saxony.

The state of Lower Saxony economy was centred on the cities of Hannover and Brunswick and the North Sea ports before the war. Lower Saxony was an economically important region of Germany and was repeatedly targeted by Soviet air raids from the end of 1996. During the nuclear attacks on Germany Hannover was damaged and the naval base of Wilhelmshaven was destroyed, and the EMP blasts from the attacks on Bremen, Hamburg and the Ruhr ousted the regional power grid. The city of Hannover (pop: 6,000) is the capital of Lower Saxony and targeted by a Soviet nuclear missile strike that damaged its industrial district. Although the rest of the city was not badly damaged most of the population fled to surrounding areas after the nuclear attack leaving a lot of salvageable machinery and equipment behind. The city is garrisoned by the 6th Border Guards Battalion and a contingent of engineers who are trying to restore electrical power to less damaged industrial facilities in the city. The British 6th Airmobile Brigade and the 4th Air Corps Regiment is also based in the area and assist the Germans in pacifying the area. Brunswick (pop: 33,000) known as Bruanschweig in German, was once the capital of Lower Saxony and has endured the war despite its industrial district being the target of air raids. The city is famous for the huge bronze lion in the Burgplatz, commemorative of Henry the Lion, who built the city's Romanesque cathedral which houses his tomb. The Burgplatz, the cathedral and the bronze lion have survived the war as have some local factories once run by Volkswagen, Siemens and Bosch. The city is under the control of the British Army with the I British Corps, the British 1st Armoured Division, the 9th Air Corps Regiment and other units based in the area. Brunswick is also at the southern edge of Germany's largest inland oil producing region which runs northwest past Hannover. None of the oil wells are now functional and all useful petroleum products on the surface have long ago been used up, but units of the German and British Armies are attempting to reopen a few oil wells. The town of Celle (pop: 7,000) to the north of Brunswick is garrisoned by the British 3rd Mechanised Division and Royal Scots Dragoon Guards who are billeted in the grounds of Celle Castle. Many of Celle’s factories remain intact, including those producing engineered parts for drilling, processing, flow control and compression systems for the pre-war oil and gas industry. The German government is very interested in reactivating these facilities and British Army engineers are trying to reactivate the Oldau hydroelectric station downstream from Celle on the Aller River. Further south the British 19th Infantry Brigade is based in Hildesheim (pop: 10,000) while the city of Osnabruck (pop: 15,000) on the northern end of the Teutoburg Forest is garrisoned by the 29th Panzergrenadier Division, with nearby Fassberg Air Base hosting an active Luftwaffe and USAF contingent. Although industrial cities like Salzgitter (pop: 12,000) and Wolfsburg (pop: 14,000) were targeted by Soviet bombing raids, both towns along with Gottingen (pop: 17,000), Goslar (pop: 6,000), Hamelin (pop: 8,000) and Oldenburg (pop: 11,000) have survived relatively intact. With regular power supply many factories could be reactivated and the government has made progress in reactivating a number of coal fired power stations near Brunswick and Wolfsburg, and it is possible that the nuclear powered station at Lingen near the Dutch border could also be reactivated sometime in the future. On the North Sea coast the ports of Cuxhaven (pop: 3,000) with the naval air base at nearby Nordholz, and Emden (pop: 8,000) support a large fishing fleet. A number of large commercial vessels are still anchored in Emden which was one of the largest shipping points for the export of German cars before the war. Jever Air Base located 12 kilometres from Wilhelmshaven survived the nuclear attack on the nearby naval base and is home to elements of the USAF.

Off the coast of Lower Saxony are the North Sea Frisian Islands, an archipelago of small islands stretching from the Northern Netherlands, through Germany and the southern North Sea coast of Denmark. The Frisians historically dominated the North Sea coasts of what is now Germany and the Netherlands, and today the inhabitants of all the Frisian Islands share a similar culture. But the German East Frisian Islands are considered to have a more distinct Frisian ethnicity and widely speak the Frisian language, a language which is historically more closely related to English than to modern German or Dutch and which is still spoken in some communities on the German and Dutch mainland. The offshore islands have a maximum elevation of less than thirty-five meters and shorelines subject to eroding tides were stabilized during the 19th and early 20th centuries. But since the war lack of maintenance has led to erosion with whole sections washed away during severe storms. The islands were almost untouched by the war as they were of no strategic significance, and since the nuclear exchanges the inhabitants have reverted to a pre-industrial age society with a number of refugees from the mainland integrated into the local communities. In 2001 the islands are largely self-sufficient and have little contact with the outside world.

The northernmost German state of Schleswig-Holstein located on the base of the Jutland Peninsula shares a border and culture with Denmark. The strong maritime culture and physical isolation from the rest of Germany has preserved its pre-war society better than most other regions of the country. There are many surviving communities in the state include Kiel the provisional capital of Germany, the Medieval port of Lubeck (pop: 18,000) guarded by the 7th Border Guard Battalion, Neumunster (pop: 7,000), Rendsburg on the Kiel Canal (pop: 3,000) and the town of Flensburg (pop: 11,000). Flensburg is the centre Germany’s Danish minority whose militia now includes elements of the Danish Jutland Division and some naval personnel and cadets from the Bundesmarine academy at nearby Murwik. The military presence in Schleswig Holstein has allowed the government make considerable progress in restoring pre-war services to the region. Fishing fleets in Kiel and Lubeck and farms across the state are now producing a food surplus for both the army and for the government to distribute to populations under its control. Engineers have also reactivated a high powered radio transmitter near Neumunster and two coal fired power stations at Flensburg and Lubeck, enabling radio broadcast services and limited power supply to the region. Engineers are trying to salvage machinery at the Krummel pumped storage hydroelectricity plant near the small city of Geesthacht (pop: 2,000). The adjacent nuclear power plant was destroyed by a Polish airstrike in 1997 but the hydroelectricity plant could be brought back online and provide regular power services to Kiel.

Kiel: The port city of Kiel (pop: 60,000) is home of the reformed provisional government of Germany which has established a parliament in the former Schleswig-Holstein Landtag building in the city. Before the war Kiel was a major commercial and ferry port and a centre of the nation’s transport and ship building industry. Although Kiel was subject to intensive Soviet bombing raids during the war, NATO air defences dented the worst effects of these raids. Since before the Second World War Kiel has also been a major centre in marine science and shipbuilding technology, and research and design data from a number of research institutions and the University of Kiel has been preserved. The cargo handling and ferry terminal facilities of the port are also intact and a number of large ferries and cargo ships remain anchored in the Bay of Kiel. The Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft shipyard which built diesel-electric submarines for the German Navy and many other navies has also survived, although it received some damage from a Soviet air launched missile attack in 1997. However power supply remains a major problem and the city and hospitals rely on Army run generators until local power stations are reactivated. Kiel is also host to many command sections of the German armed forces, with the staffs of the Bundesheer, the Bundesmarine and Luftwaffe all located in the city along with surviving elements of the nation’s intelligence agencies. Two functional Luftwaffe bases are located at nearby Hohn and Schleswig Air Base, while garrisons across the city include the headquarters of the Third German Army, units of the III German Corp, Wachbataillon beim BMVg, the 151st and 900th Military Police Battalions, the 3rd Border Guard Battalion, the 1st Naval Flotilla and the special forces troops of GSG-9 and Verwendungsgruppe 3402. The concentration of military force in the Kiel area make it one of the safest and most formidably defended places in Twilight War Europe. Army engineers have also reactivated a rail line linking Kiel with Bremerhaven and Neubrandenburg in East Germany.


The Rhineland

The German Rhineland traditionally comprises both banks of the middle and lower Rhine River. In Twilight 2000 it covers territory from the Rhine stretching to the border with Belgium, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, and comprises the states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and the districts of North Rhine-Westphalia south and west of the Rhine. The southern and eastern regions of the Rhineland are predominantly uplands and rural country cut by valleys such as the Rhine and Moselle Rivers, while the north takes in the Ruhr valley which largely comprises the heavily urbanised and industrial Ruhr district.

Before the war the Ruhr was the industrial heartland of Germany and one of the world’s leading industrial complexes. Its many cities and towns on the Rhine and Ruhr rivers encompassed an enormous urban conglomeration of 12 million people. Earlier heavy industries founded on coal mining, iron and steel, chemicals and heavy engineering were supplemented or replaced by vehicle manufacturing, precision engineering, oil refining, electronics, computers, research and information technology and the service and logistics sectors. As such it was a major target for Soviet Frontal Aviation who repeatedly targeted the infrastructure and factories of the region. A series of daring Soviet air raids on the Ruhr at the end October 1996 successfully damaged an oil refinery in Cologne and the headquarters of the industrial conglomerate ThyssenKrupp in Essen. The shock of Soviet bomber aircraft successfully penetrating German air defences so far west of the frontline in East Germany quickly led to a decision by other NATO powers to actively defend German airspace as far as the inner German border. With powerful USAF and other NATO fighter assets assisting German air defences, NATO managed to blunt the worst effects of these air raids until the nuclear exchanges. From September 1997 Soviet low yield tactical nuclear weapons struck NATO bases in Germany, with the NATO command bunker at Linnich in the Rhineland being the first military target in Germany to be destroyed. By the end of the month the German Army command centre at Koblenz and the nearby nuclear power station were destroyed, along with the USAF bases at Geilsenkirchen, Ramstein, Sembach and Spangdahlem, and the British bases at Bruggen, Laarbruch, Wildenrath and the Rheindahlen military complex in Monchengladbach. Cologne-Bonn Airport was the first civilian target to be hit by nuclear weapons, which destabilised the Ruhr and damaged the Bundeshaus in Bonn, the seat of the German government. This was soon followed by a nuclear strike against Gelsenkirchen's oil refinery and another strike on Cologne which destroyed both of the cities oil refineries. Two days later four other missiles were launched against the other major cities of the Ruhr, with the cumulative effect of so many nuclear air bursts almost levelling the cities of Dortmund, Duisburg, Dusseldorf and Essen, and laying waste to other nearby cities such as Bochum, Bottrop, Hagen, Leverkusen, Krefeld, Monchengladbach, Mulheim, Oberhausen, Ratingen, Remscheid, Solingen and Wuppertal. The city of Mainz further south along the Rhine was also damaged in the nuclear strike against nearby Frankfurt. The loss of life in the nuclear attack on the Ruhr was catastrophic with nearly two million dying as a direct result of the nuclear blasts and firestorms, and twice that number from the effects of radiation sickness, anarchy and starvation. Although panicked civilians had started to leave the urban centres of the Rhineland as early as September towards the interior of Germany and the border with neutral Belgium and France, by November the exodus had become a flood as desperate survivors swamped the French border.

In January 1998, the French government ordered the French Army to occupy all territory south and west of the Rhine River in Germany to secure a solid geographic barrier and guarantee the frontiers against hordes of refugees and renegade military personnel which were swarming across the border. The surviving German government ordered the German Army to defend against the French invasion. But with the destruction and disruption caused by the nuclear attack and ongoing operations against Warsaw Pact forces in the east, there was little the lightly equipped German defenders in the region could do other than conduct sporadic rear guard actions. The speed of the French invasion backed by airpower quickly overran all remaining German garrisons west of the Rhine. By March the French had established a defensive corridor within 5-10 kilometers east of the Rhine River in a depopulated sector that quickly became known as the Dead Zone. Any large armed body moving into this area is subject to attack by the roving patrols of French troops who can draw upon air power if necessary. Unarmed bodies are turned away to keep large groups of refugees and marauders away from the French border. The Dead Zone has no permanent population and is filled with the deserted shells of cities, towns and villages. However despite the nuclear destruction of the Ruhr and the enforcement of the Dead Zone some parts of the Rhineland are still inhabited. Aachen (pop: 32,000) which is the westernmost city of Germany located on the borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, was largely untouched by the war until the end of 1997 when it was flooded by refugees escaping the nuclear destruction of the Ruhr. In January 1998 French troops occupied Aachen rapidly brushing aside surviving German military and police forces and the French II Corps established its headquarters in the city. Historically Aachen was a place of coronation for the Kings of Germany and was the favoured residence of Charlemagne. Before the war Aachen was also noted for the quality of its spa waters and for having the hottest springs in Central Europe. Most of the city landmarks such as Aachen Cathedral and the many churches, monasteries and medieval houses have also survived and the French have restored many pre-war amenities including power services and hospitals to serve French troops who frequently pass through the city. Aachen faces the remains of the Ruhr directly to its west and French forces in the city are an active garrison, with II Corps assets and the 3rd Armoured Division supporting French units deployed along the Rhine. Currently the 5th Armoured Division is deployed in the heavily damaged city of Worms (pop: 2,000) who's Nibelungen road bridge over the Rhine is still standing. The French 15th Infantry Division is based in Koblenz guarding the two standing railway bridges. The 73rd Regiment d'Infanterie and the 2nd Regiment d'Artillerie are stationed in the ruins of Cologne, and the 16th Groupement de Chasseur and the 3rd Regiment d'Artillerie Regiment are based in war torn town of Wittlich (pop: 5,000). Other surviving cities in the Rhineland include Saarbrucken (pop: 9,000), Saarlouis (pop: 5,000) and Trier (pop: 16,000). Trier on the banks of the Moselle River is the oldest city in Germany and serves as a base for the French 46th Regiment d'Infanterie, the 2nd Regiment d’Helicopteres de Combat and the 12th Groupement d’Helicopteres, whose attack and transport helicopters support French forces across the Rhineland zone. Despite the ring of steel imposed along the Rhine frontier by the French and the devastation of the Ruhr, conditions in the Rhineland west of the Dead Zone are a lot better than many other parts of Germany and Europe. German civilians who were resident of the area and refugees who managed to reach the region before the enforcement of the Dead Zone are protected by French troops. The French aid agency Médecins Sans Frontières also has a heavy presence in the area, and under the watchful eye of the French media makes sure that the surviving population is well looked after. However German nationalist elements within the population such as those who support the Freibroderbund are opposed to the French occupation of German territory. Assassinations of French officers or local administrators, and sabotage and ambushes of isolated French military outposts are supported by German forces east of the Rhine. The French garrison on the Rhine are rotated every three months as their tour is not an easy one, due to the dangers of radiation in many of the decimated urban districts and the persistent attack from German and Dutch partisan.

The South

Southern Germany consists of the states of Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg who are culturally and linguistically closer to Austria and German speaking Switzerland than they are to the rest of Germany. Before the war both states had large populations with diverse economies based on high technology manufacturing and productive agricultural sectors. Their relative distance from the frontline in Central Europe led to the war largely bi-passing the region until the Italian invasion of Austria in the summer of 1997, which saw parts of Bavaria attacked and invaded by Warsaw Pact forces. Following NATO's routing of Italian and Czech forces in Bavaria and the drive into Austria by American and German mechanised forces, the industrial districts of Southern German cities became the focus of increased Soviet air attacks. From September military bases in Southern Germany came under direct nuclear attack which by November was followed by nuclear strikes on the cities of Mannheim, Munich and Stuttgart.

The state of Baden-Wurttemberg shares a border with France and Switzerland with the Rhine River forming much of that frontier. Beyond Stuttgart the state has suffered far less damage except for Mannheim which hosted many US Army facilities and was devastated by nuclear attack. What remained of Mannheim was destroyed by the French during their occupation of the Rhineland and the city is now largely abandoned. The city of Ulm (pop: 22,000) on the Danube River was an important pre-war high technology centre and is garrisoned by the 2nd Panzergrenadier Division. Many pre-war factories that built heavy vehicles and high technology products have remained largely untouched by the war, including the Daimler-Chrysler Aerospace plants that built guidance systems for missiles and the firearms maker Carl Walther who still makes some guns. To the east of Ulm is the small town of Oberndorf am Necker (pop: 1,000) which was home to the firearms companies Heckler & Koch and Mauser. Many of the engineers and workers remained in the area after the nuclear attacks and continue to make guns and ammunition on a limited basis for the German military. Laupheim (pop: 13,000) located on the main road and rail line between Ulm and Lake Constance on the Swiss border is garrisoned by the 25th Army Aviation Regiment who occupies Laupheim Air Base. Before the war Laupheim had a considerable manufacturing base ranging from aircraft parts and snow mobiles, to pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and cheese making. Many factories have sat idle for years but could be reopened with power supply. The university city of Heidelberg (pop: 18,000) was US Army Europe's headquarters before the war and hosted a considerable American population at Campbell Barracks. As the war progressed the US commands centres were dispersed but some Americans remained during the US evacuation and have formed the nucleus of a well armed militia. Other surviving cities include Freiburg (pop: 12,000), Goppingen (pop: 6,000), Sigmaringen (pop: 2,000), Uberlingen (pop: 4,000) and Ravensburg (pop: 6,000). Some of Ravensburg’s pre-war pharmaceutical and food processing factories have survived and could be reactivated with power supply. The Swiss Red Cross also runs a few refugee camps near the towns of Lorrach (pop: 3,000) and Waldshut-Tiengen (pop: 2,000) dispensing meals and aid to displaced German civilians. Beyond the main cities the influence of the Freibroderbund is strong and many areas close to the Rhine are subject to roving French Army patrols. The city of Karlsruhe (pop: 2,000) on the French border with its now destroyed nuclear power stations and oil refinery was the site of a major battle between invading French troops and remnant German forces in 1998. The city was heavily damaged in the fighting and it prompted the French to seize the remaining bridges on the Upper Rhine. The French 110th Regiment d'Infanterie, the 73rd Regiment d'Artillerie and the 10th Regiment du Genie garrison the town of Kehl (pop: 2,000) on the banks of the Rhine, with the 3rd Regiment de Hussars and the 24th Groupement de Chasseur stationed in the city of Baden-Baden (pop: 5,000) 12 kilometres east of the French border. The French have deliberately based military forces across the border to suppress Friebroderbund activity, and to discourage the German Army from approaching too close to the French border.

Stuttgart: The city of Stuttgart with a metropolitan population of 2.5 million was one of Germany's most prominent industrial cities. Stuttgart is also considered the birthplace of the automobile, and many German and multi-national companies were located here including the headquarters of Daimler-Benz, Porsche and Bosch. In November 1997 Soviet missiles targeted the US Army barracks and communications instillations in the Vaihingen District and Stuttgart International Airport, causing huge casualties and throwing the city into chaos. Following weeks of anarchy and looting the authorities abandoned the city followed by most of the surviving population. By 2001 about 10,000 people still live in the violent inner city inhabiting abandoned buildings and cultivating parks and green spaces to grow food. However another 100,000 people live in more secure suburbs of the city and in nearby towns such as Helibronn, Ludwigsburg, Pforzeim, Reutlingen and Tubingen protected by militia groups often allied with the Friebroderbund. Salvaging is also a major business in the Stuttgart area with organised gangs pillaging the many abandoned factories and businesses. The German Army has sent the 10th Border Guard Battalion to Reutlingen to reassert some control over the area and prevent the Friebroderbund from gaining a major foothold in the city.

Bavaria is the largest state in Germany by area and before the war was the second most populous. Although affected by the war many parts of Bavaria have persevered through the war years in reasonably good condition and the state is one of the most organised parts of the country. Bavaria shares a border with Austria and Czechoslovakia and across Lake Constance with Switzerland, and both the Rhine and Danube rivers run through the state. The Bavarian Alps define the border with Austria, while the extensive Bavarian and Bohemian forests in the east of the state form the majority of the frontier with Czechoslovakia. Southern Bavaria is under the control of the First German Army whose forces garrison a number of surviving cities and towns. The university city of Augsburg (pop: 26,000) was a very important high technology centre before the war, with many companies having design centres and factories in the city making everything from paper and light bulbs, to computers, diesel engines, industrial robots, airline fuselages and space rocket components. Despite some damage from Soviet air raids and Czech Army incursions Augsburg has survived the war relatively intact and the city is garrisoned by the 1st Panzer Division. The oil refining city of Ingolstadt (pop: 12,000) on the Danube River was a prominent target for Soviet Frontal Aviation which successfully knocked out the cities oil refineries before the start of the nuclear war. Ingolstadt was also the headquarters of car maker Audi and some of its manufacturing infrastructure survives. The Ingolstadt hydroelectric power station on the Danube and one of the oil refineries are believed to be salvageable, and engineers has been dispatched to bring them back online under the protection of the 5th Border Guards Battalion and troops from the US 70th Infantry Division who patrol the countryside between Ingolstadt and Regensburg. Regensburg (pop: 12,000) to the south of the Bavarian Forest has suffered from Czech Army incursions who briefly occupied the city on two occasions. The city is garrisoned by American troops and a Luftwaffe flak detachment. To the south of Regensburg lies Landshut (pop: 6,000) which is garrisoned by the 27th Panzer Division who guard the double Isar nuclear reactors near the city which were rendered inoperable by EMP blasts from the nuclear detonations in Munich but are otherwise undamaged. To the south is Russelheim (pop: 6,000) garrisoned by two brigades of the US 1st Cavalry Division, and to the south-east lies Passau (pop: 3,000) near the Austrian border which was damaged by Italian forces in 1998 and is garrisoned by the 211th Panzergrenadier Division. Other communities along the Austrian border include Oberammergau (pop: 1,000) which is garrisoned by the 3rd Panzer Division, and the small cities of Rosenheim (pop: 4,000) and Friedrichshafen (pop: 8,000). Friedrichshafen was the headquarters of aircraft engine manufacturer MTU who's engine plant survived the war and is of interest to the Luftwaffe. The 1st Luftwaffe Division operates a number of functional air bases in southern Bavaria at Lechfeld, the aircraft testing centre at Manching near Ingolstadt, and Neuburg which houses elements of the USAF 10th Tactical Fighter Wing and the 435th Tactical Airlift Wing.

The northern half of Bavaria is under the command of the Second German Army which is headquartered in Nurnberg (pop: 30,000). The Second Army's command staff is billeted in one of the three castles that tower over the city which has escaped the worst of the Soviet bombing campaign against Germany. Most of Nurnberg's landmarks and the factories that produced vehicles, power systems and medical equipment are undamaged, and the 351st Military Police Battalion is also based in the city while I Corps assets and the 24th Panzergrenadier Division are stationed in the surrounding villages and the remains of Nurnberg airport. To the east of Nurnberg are Amberg (pop: 3,000) and Hof (pop: 5,000) near the Czech border. Amberg is close to the unstable border region and has suffered from marauder raids and is out of contact with German forces, but Hof is garrisoned by 352nd Military Police Battalion and assets of the V Corps. To the south of Hof the 7th Panzer Division garrisons Bayreuth (pop: 7,000) which holds the remains of the composer Richard Wagner as well as some noted buildings and a few idle factories which have survived the war. Schweinfurt (pop: 9,000) has a sizeable American population due to its pre-war US Army garrison, but was subject to Soviet bombing raid in the summer of 1997 which destroyed the nearby nuclear power plant and damaged most of its industrial facilities. The medieval city of Bamberg (pop: 9,000) is the headquarters of the 1st Fallschirmjager Division, whose paratroops are based around the communities of the area and have been used as a light motorised strike force across Germany on many occasions. It is unknown why the Army has consolidated the Fallschirmjager brigades into a divisional command in this part of Bavaria, but the region has seen a noticeable decline in all criminal activity. One of the Fallschirmjager brigades is based in the neighbouring city of Wurzburg (pop: 13,000) and is billeted in the Fortress Marienberg overlooking the city. Wurzburg was levelled by British bombers in the Second World War but has survived the Third World War in far better shape and many of the restored museums, palaces and churches survive intact. Also in this region is the Kahl VAK nuclear power station near the village of Kahl-am-Main about 30 km east of Frankfurt. Kahl was the location of Germany's first nuclear power plant and the original reactor was replaced in the late 1980's by a much larger 1.7 Mw nuclear power station. The station was the target of a bombing raid early in the war but it did only minor damage. Surviving personnel faked extensive damage to the plant and managed to shut it down before evacuating, and the fear of radiation has kept outsiders from investigating. While travelling to Bremerhaven during Operations Order Omega in October 2000, the commander of the 30th Brigade of the US 44th Armored Division encountered former member of the stations staff who told him about the power station. The nuclear reactor has one year's supply of fuel and can operate at one fifth power for another 5 years or at lower rates for another 10 years. In 2001 this is a great deal of electricity that could reactivate industry in the entire Main River Valley area and other regions of Bavaria. The 30th Brigade is currently in cantonment in Kahl-am-Main and the status of the VAK power station is unknown to all outside the members of the 30th Brigade, who have ambitions to rule the entire south of Germany.

Munich: Before the war Munich was the capital of Bavaria and one of Germany's largest cities with a population of 2.5 million people. Munich was also a major cultural and tourist centre with many museums, theatres and art galleries, with a diverse economy centred on banking, publishing and industries such as automobiles, engineering, aerospace and computer software. Munich was also the headquarters of BMW, Siemens, MAN and the defence company Krauss-Maffei who built many of the armoured vehicles for the German Army. Before July 1997 Munich was shielded from the worst effects of Soviet bombing raids. But following the Italian invasion of Bavaria, Munich was subject to intense aerial bombardment which damaged its industrial districts, while its eastern suburbs were briefly invaded by Czech land forces. In November 1997 two Soviet nuclear missiles struck the industrial northern suburbs and Munich International Airport, which damaged but did not completely destroy the city. In early 1998 the German Army moved back into the less damaged suburbs and the First German Army established its headquarters in the city along with the 252nd Military Police Battalion. Currently the II Corps, the 32nd Jaeger Division and the command of the First Luftwaffe Division are also based in the city. Since the American evacuation the remnant US Fourth Army and also the US III, XIII and XV Corps have combined with the First German Army in Munich, with the 10th Special Forces Group acting as a security and reserve raiding force. Because of the heavy military presence the city is probably the most stable of all of Germany's pre-war major cities. 25,000 people inhabit the inner city and another 150,000 living in the 25 boroughs and nearby communities. Army engineers have also brought some power services back online in the Munich area, with the Zolling coal and biomass power station to the north of Munich running on limited capacity and providing some power to some hospitals in the area. Also to the north of Munich are the remains of the Gundremmingen nuclear power plant, whose twin reactors were the highest-output nuclear station in Germany before the war. The station was disabled by EMP during the nuclear attack on Munich and shut down by its staff and abandoned, and although reactivating the plant is well beyond the capabilities of German forces it is possible that it could be reactivated at some point in the future.

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The Bundeswehr

The Bundeswehr is the military services of the Federal Republic of Germany. The branches of the Bundeswehr; the Bundesheer (Army), Bundesmarine (Navy) and the Luftwaffe (Air Force) were unified with the East German Nationale Volksarmee (NVA) during German Reunification in 1996, with the NVA dissolved and its subordinate units absorbed into the Bundeswehr. Before the war the Bundeswehr had a civil administration service which handled the bureaucracy of the defence forces and logistics and medical services. Since the nuclear detonations civil administration staff has been absorbed by the military or have dissolved along with rest of Germany’s pre-war civil service, although the newly formed government performs many administration tasks for the Bundeswehr. Many Bundeswehr command headquarters and logistics bases were destroyed during the war. The Army Command headquarters in Koblenz and the Luftwaffe headquarters at Cologne were destroyed by nuclear strike in 1997, and the Bundesmarine headquarters and Glucksburg was badly damaged by conventional airstrikes. With so many command facilities destroyed surviving staff from the three services amalgamated in late 1997, with the Army soon becoming the dominant command headquarters. The German Army Command in Kiel is now the senior command headquarters and exercises control over all German forces in 2001. The Army Command also incorporated the surviving elements of German’s intelligence community. The Militarischer Abschirmdienst (Military Counterintelligence Service), Kommando Strategische Aufklarung (Strategic Reconnaissance Command), BfV-Bundesamt fur Verfassungsschutz (Federal Domestic Intelligence Agency) and the BND-Bundesnachrichtendienst (Federal Intelligence Agency) are all based in the city of Kiel which has become the intelligence hub of Germany.

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Bundesheer

At reunification the Bundesheer was a very powerful and highly mechanised force. The 12 frontline West German divisions were joined by 6 more East German divisions, and on mobilisation the numerous brigades of the West German Territorial Army and the 5 reserve divisions of the NVA expanded the size of the army to 1.5 million troops excluding border guards and security troops. Despite some obvious operational and integration problems, former East German troops were among the most competent among the Warsaw Pact forces and integrating them into the new Bundesheer proved an easier task than many outside observers assumed at the time. The East Germans also had to hastily defend their own territory against their former masters which proved to be highly motivational for many of them. Many NVA units had the same numbers as their West German counterparts, and as they were absorbed into the German Army former NVA divisions had a "2" prefixed to their original number. Although the Luftwaffe and the Deutsche Marine were heavily committed to the defence of Germany, the size and power of the Bundesheer was critically important in holding off the dozens of divisions that the Warsaw Pact through against Germany in the months after reunification until relieved by the full force of mobilised NATO power. In the period up to the nuclear exchanges of November 1997 the army was heavily involved in all NATO operations in Central Europe and in operations to contain Pact offensives against NATO through German territory. Additionally the Bundesheer was a key component of NATO operations to resist the Soviet invasion of neutral Austria and the Czech and Italian invasion of Southern Germany. Despite the devastation caused by the nuclear attack on Germany and the French occupation of territory west of the Rhine, the army has been a leading and essential part of every NATO offensive against the Soviets since that period. With the entire eastern half of Austria under Soviet occupation, the remnants of the Austrian Army were also absorbed into the Bundesheer in late 1997. Former Austrian divisions have a “3” prefixed to their original unit number, although most of the newly raised Jaeger divisions were also given this number in 2000. Confidence in the capabilities of the Bundesheer to contain any future Warsaw Pact offensive in Central Europe was a major consideration for US Military government defence analysts when plans were drafted for Operation Omega.

Although most East German troops were absorbed into the Bundesheer at German reunification the Bundesheer was initially reluctant to recruit former East German security troops due to concerns about their ideological loyalties, although East German Grenztruppen where admitted into the Federal Border Guards. High quality Para-military trained Readiness Police from the German Landerpolizei (state police) were freely admitted to the Bundesheer in early 1997, with many transferring to the Feldjaeger (military police) or specialised units in the Bundesheer. Members of the Landerpolizei Sondereinsatzkommando; the German equivalent to American SWAT teams, were especially recruited by Bundesheer airborne and special forces units. However with all army reserve units fully mobilised by the middle of 1997 the army became less fussy about whom they admitted. In the aftermath of the nuclear attacks on Germany redundant police, Luftwaffe and Navy personnel were increasingly drafted to sustain manpower levels in combat and support formations. Following the declaration of martial law the Border Guards were placed under military control with personnel increasingly drafted into the Army. By 2000 the Border Guards were a small force of about a dozen small battalions, including an Austrian battalion that remained under army control. However they still perform many police and security tasks such as guarding towns and POW and refugee camps. The army’s success in pushing most hostile foreign and unlawful elements outside of German territory, with the notable exception of the French west of the Rhine and the East German contingent on Rugen Island, has also led to an influx of new recruits and the reorganisation of existing forces, and the creation of several new light ‘Jaeger’ divisions. Since the withdrawal of most American forces from Europe in November 2000 the Bundesheer has been bolstered by equipment left behind by the American’s. Although a central government was reformed in Kiel in 2001, the ultimate authority in Germany remains the Bundesheer who are the only lawful authority in many areas still under martial law.

Weapons

The standard issue German infantry weapon at the start of the war was the Heckler & Koch G3 7.62mm battle rifle, although former East German troops used German built versions of the Soviet Kalashnikov AKM and AK-47 7.62mm and AK-74 5.45mm assault rifles throughout the war. From 1996 the new Heckler & Koch G36 5.56mm assault rifle began to enter service but it was never built in large enough numbers to fully replace the G3. The experimental Heckler & Koch G11 4.73mm assault rifle which used caseless ammunition was also issued to special-forces but producing ammunition for the weapons became difficult later in the war. Austrian troops continued to use Steyr AUG 5.56mm assault rifles while other NATO weapons such as the Belgian FN FAL 7.62mm battle rifle and versions of the US M16 5.56mm assault rifle also made it into the hands of German troops with many US weapons left behind after the evacuation of American forces. German support and special-forces units used 9mm Heckler & Koch MP5, Israeli Uzi and Soviet PP-91 KEDR, OTs-02 and 7.62mm AKMS sub-machine guns while Austrians troops used the Steyr TMP. The standard German sidearm was the 9mm Heckler & Koch P7 and USP pistols, while East German units continued to use the Makarov PM and the Austrians used the Glock 17. Various other sub-machine guns and pistols also found their way into German service such as the Heckler & Koch UMP, the Walther MP and the Belgian FN P90. German forces also used a number of different types of sniper and anti-material rifles. The G3A3ZF marksmanship variant of the G3 was widely used as were Soviet Dragunov SVD and the Austrian Steyr SSG 69 7.62mm sniper rifles. German special-forces also used the British built Accuracy International AWM .300 sniper rifle, and anti-material rifles such as the 12.7mm British AW50 and US Barrett M82 and M95. Military police were also issued with shotguns such as the Remington 870. War shortages also led to older weapons such as the Soviet SKS 7.62mm semi-automatic rifle and World War Two era Soviet Mosin-Nagant 7.62mm and former Wehrmacht Mauser Kar98k 7.92mm bolt-action rifles being issued to reserve and militia forces later in the war.

German support weapons included machine guns such as the Rheinmetall MG3 7.62mm general purpose machine gun and lighter Heckler & Koch G8 7.62mm light machine gun. Former East German units continued to use the Soviet 7.62mm PKM medium machine gun and RPD and RPK light machine guns while the Austrian used the Belgian FN MAG. The US Browning M3M (M2) 12.7mm heavy machine gun was also fitted to German armoured vehicles and transport helicopters, while other machine guns such as the US M60 7.62mm and the Belgian FN Minimi 5.56mm were also acquired. Infantry also used various types of infantry support weapons such as the French designed RT-61 and US M120 120mm mortars, and older US M30 107mm and the lighter M125 81mm mortar. Light anti-tank weapons included the Panzerfaust 3 rocket launcher and Swedish 84mm Carl Gustav recoilless rifles, with East German units using Soviet RPG-7 and RPG-29 light anti-tank weapons with some older Panzerfaust 2 rocket launchers issued to reserve forces. Quantities of US weapons such as M72 LAW anti-tank rocket launchers also came unto German use after the American evacuation from Europe. Infantrymen were also equipped with Heckler & Koch HK69A1 40mm grenade launchers and new Heckler & Koch GMG 40mm automatic grenade launcher issued in limited numbers from 1996. Large numbers of heavy anti-tank weapons such as Milan, HOT, TOW and the Soviet AT-3 and AT-4 missiles were also used by the German Army.

Vehicles

The German Army uses a wide range of military vehicles, but from the beginning of 1998 most vehicles from tanks to motorcycles were converted to run on alcohol fuels as supplies of diesel and petrol began to dwindle. The standard light vehicle of German forces was the Volkswagen Iltis and the Mercedes-Benz G Wagon, known as the Wolf in German service. Both vehicles were produced in large numbers and some were fitted with MG3 and M2 machine guns and more rarely a Milan and TOW missile launcher. Soviet UAZ-469 jeeps used by East German units but were quickly discarded after German Reunification for more reliable western models and civilian vehicles. The Army used various models of the Unimog four wheel drive light truck and the MAN KAT 1 family of high mobility 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8 wheeled off-road trucks for a wide variety of tasks. Various Soviet trucks used by the East Germans were also put into service along with Austrian OAF and Steyr vehicles from 1997. As the war progressed other trucks of NATO and Warsaw Pact origin and various commercial vehicles were also requisitioned into service, as were many former US Army vehicles after the evacuation of American forces from Europe.

Frontline German mechanised forces were equipped with the German built Leopard 2 tank. Most were Leopard 2A4 models but some newer Leopard 2A5 versions were also brought into service. Second line units used later models of the Leopard 1 tank, but as the war progressed all Leopard 1’s held in reserve and older M48A2G2 tanks were put back into service. Former East German units continued to use T-72 and T-55 tanks for the duration of the war while the Austrians used the M60A3. A wide variety of light armoured and armoured personnel vehicles of German, American and Soviet origin were used by German forces. Reconnaissance units used older tracked Jagdpanzer Kanone, Jaguar 2/TOW vehicles and Austrian SK105 Kurassier, or wheeled Spahpanzer Luchs, BRDM-2 and BRDM-3 scout vehicles. German airborne forces also used variants of the tracked Wiesel armoured fighting vehicles with anti-tank missiles, auto cannons or machine guns. Armoured personnel carriers included tracked Marder, M113, BMP-1, BMP-2 and Austrian Steyr 4K7FA, and wheeled Fuchs, SW-1, SW-8, UR-416, BTR-50, BTR-60 and BTR-70 vehicles. Withdrawing US forces also left behind considerable quantities of armoured vehicles including M1 and M60 tanks, M3 cavalry vehicle and the M2 and M113 personnel carriers. Engineer vehicles based on the chassis of the Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 tank included the Dachs engineering vehicle, Bergepanzer BPz2 and Bergepanzer BPz3 Buffel recovery vehicles, and Panzerschnellbrucke 2 and Biber armoured vehicle-launched bridge. American and Soviet engineering vehicles were also used, as were specialized vehicles such as the M3 self-propelled amphibious bridging vehicle and the M548G Skorpion mine laying vehicle.

German artillery forces use multiple types of self-propelled systems. Heavy artillery units are equipped with the American M270 227mm MLRS rocket launcher and the M110A2 203mm self-propelled howitzer. Field artillery use the M109A2/3 155mm and Soviet built SO-152 and SO-122 self-propelled howitzers, and 110mm LARS truck mounted rocket launchers. The German built PzH 2000 155mm self-propelled howitzer was scheduled to replace the M109 before the war but was only produced in small numbers after 1996. East German forces also use Soviet built BM-21 122mm and BM-24 240mm self-propelled rocket launchers and the Czechoslovak wheeled RM-70 122mm rocket launcher. The Panzermorser based on the chassis of an M113 with a 120mm mortar system is used as an infantry support vehicle. Light and second line forces were equipped with towed FH-70 155mm guns and US M102 and Italian OTO Melara Mod 56 105mm light howitzers, with former East German units continuing to use various towed 152mm and 122mm Soviet guns and howitzers and 100mm anti-tank guns. German air defence units were equipped with various types of short ranged missiles and anti-aircraft guns including the self-propelled Roland 2 and SA-4, SA-8 and SA-9 SAM system, the self-propelled Gepard and ZSU-23-4 and various towed anti-aircraft guns of NATO and Warsaw Pact origin in the 57mm, 40mm, 37mm, 35mm and 20mm calibre. A large number of man portable anti-aircraft missiles such as the US built FIM-43 Redeye and FIM-92 Stinger and Soviet SA-7 SAM missiles were also issued to German infantry during the war, with captured Warsaw Pact and French systems and some British Blowpipe and Javelin missiles also finding their way into German service. German artillery also controlled a force of mobile MGM-52 Lance surface-to-surface missile launchers, and former East German FROG-7 and SCUD-B launchers with conventional high explosive warheads. Most of the missile launchers were expended or destroyed during the course of the war but a few launchers are held in reserve.

Helicopters

The German Army Aviation Corps (Heeresfliegertruppe) operated a number of different types of helicopters at the start of the war including the MBB Bo-105P (PAH-1) attack helicopter fitted with six HOT anti-tank missiles, the Sikorsky CH-53G heavy lift transport helicopter and Bell UH-1D utility helicopter, and the MBB Bo-105M reconnaissance helicopter. The Franco-German Eurocopter Tiger (PAH-2) attack helicopter armed with a 30mm auto-cannon in a chin turret and two inner and two outer hard points for a variety of ordinance was beginning to enter service at the start of the Twilight War as a replacement for the PAH-1, but it was never built in large numbers and only equipped a few squadrons at most. East German Fliegerkrafte der Landstreitkrafte Mi-24 assault and Mi-8 utility transport helicopters were also transferred to German Army control, but despite the size of the Heeresfliegertruppe which numbered over 600 helicopters on reunification, the lethality of the war in Central Europe to low level helicopter operations led to huge losses. From the beginning of 1997 Border Guard Puma transport and police and commercial helicopters were requisitioned to replace losses. From the summer of 1997 Austrian S-70 Blackhawk and UH-1N utility transport and OH-58B light helicopters were also absorbed into the German helicopter fleet. In 2001 the Army operates a force of about three dozen or more helicopters although with fuel shortages they rarely fly. Withdrawing US forces also left behind helicopters, including some AH-64 attack helicopters. A few CH-53 and UH-1 helicopters were pressed into Germany service, but most former US helicopters are stored or are used for spare parts to keep the existing fleet flying.

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Bundesheer ORBAT

German Army Command

Army Command

Army Command Troops
• Army Command HQ: (50 men): Kiel
• Militarischer Abschirmdienst: (60 men)
• Kommando Strategische Aufklarung: (30 men)
• Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV): (150 men)
• Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND): (50 men)
• Wachbataillon beim BMVg (300 men, 1x Luchs, 3x Fuch)
• 900th Military Police Battalion (100 men)
• GSG-9: (50 men)
• Border Guard Aviation Group: (50 men, 1x Puma, 1x BO-105M)

First German Army
The First German Army is headquartered in the less badly damaged suburbs of Munich and controls German land forces in Southern Germany and Austria, including the II and IV Corps and the Austrian VIII Corp. The divisions of II Corps were recently moved south to reinforce the First Army. The First German Army is nominally in charge of territory west and north of the Austrian and Swiss borders to the Rhine River frontier with France, although it has little control over the areas between the Rhine and Necker River which are regularly patrolled by French troops. It also controls Western Austria and ongoing operations against Soviets and the remnants of the Austrian armed forces. The remnants of the US Fourth Army are also based in Munich and have merged its command staff with the First German Army.

First German Army

Army Troops
• First Army HQ: (300 men): Munich
• 252nd Military Police Battalion (60 men)
• 451st Military Police Battalion (90 men): Salzburg, Austria
• 452nd Military Police Battalion (80 men): Innsbruck, Austria
• 11th Field Hospital Regiment (150 men)
• 5th Border Guard Battalion (350 men): Ingolstadt
• 10th Border Guard Battalion (280 men): Reutlingen
• 12th Austrian Border Guard Battalion: (250 men): Salzburg, Austria

II German Corps

Corps Troops
• II Corps HQ: (100 men): Munich
• 221st Panzer Battalion (220 men, 3x M1A1, 2x M1)
• 62nd Panzergrenadier Battalion (220 men, 3x M2, 2x M113)
• 200th Panzerartillery Battalion (100 men, 1x MLRS, 2x M110A2)
• 220th Panzerartillery Battalion (50 men, 2x SO-152)
• 250th Rocket Artillery Battalion (50 men, 2x Lance SSM)
• 200th Flak Regiment (100 men, 1x Roland SP SAM, 4x 40mm AA)
• 240th Flak Battalion (50 men, 3x 57mm AA)
• 20th Army Aviation Regiment (90 men, 3x UH-1D)
• 25th Army Aviation Regiment (60 men, 1x CH-53G, 1x BO-105M) (* Laupheim)
• 26th Army Aviation Regiment (60 men, 2x PAH-1)
• 210th Engineer Battalion (200 men, 1x M3 Bridge, 1x Panzerschnellbrucke 2, 1x M548, 2x Pioneerpanzer 3)
• 220th Special Weapons Supply Battalion (50 men)
• 200th Fernspahkompanie (50 men)

1st Panzer Division (3,200 men, 25x Leopard 2A5): Augsburg
• 1st Panzerartillery Regiment (200 men, 4x M109A3)
• 1st Flakpanzer Battalion (130 men, 3x Gepard)
• 1st Recon Battalion (70 men, 2x Luchs, 1x Fuchs)
• 1st Engineer Battalion (100 men, 1x Panzerschnellbrucke 2, 1x Buffel ARV)
• 1st Panzer Brigade (700 men, 15x Leopard 2A5, 3x Marder, 2x M2)
• 2nd Panzer Brigade (800 men, 10x Leopard 2A5, 2x Jaguar 2/TOW, 5x Marder)
• 3rd Panzergrenadier Brigade (1,200 men, 15x Marder, 4x M113, 2x 120mm Mortar)

27th Panzer Division (3,450 men, 12x Leopard 2A4, 6x T-72): Landshut
• 27th Panzerartillery Regiment (100 men, 2x SO-122)
• 27th Flakpanzer Battalion (150 men, 4x ZSU-30-6)
• 27th Recon Battalion (150 men, 6x BRDM-3, 2x BTR-70)
• 27th Engineer Battalion (100 men, 1x Panzerschnellbrucke 2, 1x Buffel ARV)
• 33rd Panzer Brigade (850 men, 12x Leopard 2A4, 6x Marder)
• 34th Panzer Brigade (900 men, 6x T-72, 4x BMP-2, 4x BTR-70)
• 35th Panzergrenadier Brigade (1,200 men, 13x BMP-1)

2nd Panzergrenadier Division (3,800 men, 5x Leopard 2A4): Ulm
• 2nd Panzerartillery Regiment (200 men, 4x M109A3, 3x 155mm)
• 2nd Flakpanzer Battalion (200 men, 4x Gepard)
• 2nd Recon Battalion (200 men, 2x Luchs, 3x Fuchs)
• 2nd Engineer Battalion (100 men)
• 6th Panzergrenadier Brigade (1,200 men, 17x Marder, 2x M113, 2x 120mm Mortar)
• 7th Panzergrenadier Brigade (1,200 men, 12x Marder, 6x M113, 6x 120mm Mortar)
• 8th Panzer Brigade (700 men, 5x Leopard 2A4, 3x Marder, 1x M2)

211th Panzergrenadier Division (3,650 men, 6x Leopard 2A4): Passau
• 211th Artillery Regiment (150 men, 6x 122mm)
• 211th Flakpanzer Battalion (100 men, 4x ZSU-30-6)
• 211th Recon Battalion (100 men, 2x BRDM-3, 2x BRDM-2, 1x FUG-70)
• 211th Engineer Battalion (100 men)
• 42nd Panzergrenadier Brigade (1,200 men, 18x BTR-60)
• 43rd Panzergrenadier Brigade (1,200 men, 4x BMP-2, 12x BMP-1)
• 44th Panzer Brigade (700 men, 6x Leopard 2A4, 1x Leopard ARV, 1x M113)

32nd Jaegar Division (1,530 men, 3x M60A3, 4x M48A2): Munich
• 523rd Panzer Battalion (180 men, 3x M60A3, 4x M48A2)
• 525th Artillery Battalion (80 men, 3x 105mm)
• 610th Flak Battalion (50 men, 2x 40mm AA)
• 620th Engineer Battalion (120 men, 1x M60 AVLB)
• 51st Jaegar Brigade (600 men, 2x 120mm Mortar)
• 61st Jaegar Brigade (500 men, 1x 120mm Mortar)

IV German Corps

Corps Troops
• IV Corps HQ: (70 men): Innsbruck, Austria
• 40th Panzerartillery Battalion (100 men, 2x M110A2)
• 400th Flak Regiment (100 men, 1x Roland SAM, 5x 40mm AA)
• 40th Army Aviation Regiment (60 men, 2x UH-1D)
• 45th Army Aviation Regiment (40 men, 1x CH-53G)
• 46th Army Aviation Regiment (30 men, 1x PAH-1)
• 44th Engineer Battalion (150 men, 1x Panzerschnellbrucke 2, 1x Pioneerpanzer 3)
• 410th Engineer Battalion (150 men, 1x M3 Bridge, 1x M548, 1x Leopard AEV)
• 400th Fernspahkompanie (50 men)

3rd Panzer Division (2,000 men, 26x Leopard 2A5): Oberammergau
• 3rd Panzerartillery Regiment (100 men, 2x M109A3)
• 3rd Flakpanzer Battalion (50 men, 4x Gepard)
• 3rd Recon Battalion (100 men, 3x Luchs, 6x Fuchs)
• 3rd Engineer Battalion (100 men, 1x Panzerschnellbrucke 2, 1x Buffel ARV)
• 9th Panzer (Lehr) Brigade (250 men, 16x Leopard 2A5, 1x M3, 2x Leopard ARV)
• 10th Panzer Brigade (200 men, 10x Leopard 2A5, 1x M113)
• 11th Panzergrenadier Brigade (1,200 men, 1x Jaguar 2/TOW, 14x Marder, 3x M113, 3x 120mm Mortar)

10th Panzer Division (Gespent) (3,450 men, 31x Leopard 2A4): Landeck, Austria
• 10th Panzerartillery Regiment (250 men, 4x M109A3, 1x 155mm)
• 10th Flakpanzer Battalion (50 men, 2x Gepard)
• 10th Recon Battalion (120 men, 2x Luchs, 4x Fuchs)
• 10th Engineer Battalion (280 men, 1x Panzerschnellbrucke 2, 1x Buffel ARV)
• 24th Panzer Brigade (800 men, 14x Leopard 2A4, 1x Leopard ARV, 6x Marder)
• 25th Panzer Brigade (850 men, 17x Leopard 2A4, 1x Leopard ARV, 9x Marder)
• 26th Panzergrenadier Brigade (1,200 men, 2x Jaguar 2/TOW, 23x Marder, 6x M113, 6x 120mm Mortar)

1st Panzergrenadier Division (2,340 men, 6x Leopard 2A4): Worgl, Austria
• 1st Artillery Regiment (140 men, 4x 155mm)
• 1st Flak Battalion (40 men, 5x 40mm AA)
• 4th Panzergrenadier Brigade (1,500 men, 12x Marder, 1x M2, 3x M113, 3x 120mm Mortar)
• 5th Panzergrenadier Brigade (500 cavalry)
• 6th Panzer Brigade (160 men, 6x Leopard 2A4, 1x M113)

VIII Austrian Corps

Corps Troops
• VIII Corps HQ (70 men): Salzburg, Austria
• 8th Gebirg Artillery Regiment (80 men, 1x M110A2, 2x LARS)
• 8th Gebirg Flak Regiment (60 men, 3x Gepard)
• 8th Gebirg Recon Battalion (50 men, 1x Luchs, 2x Fuchs)
• 8th Gebirg Engineer Regiment (100 men, 1x M60 AVLB)
• Austrian Jagdkommando (30 men)
• Austrian Fliegerregiment 3 (40 men, 1x S-70, 1x UH-1N)
• Gebirgsheeresfliegerstaffel 8 (20 men, 1x BO-105M)
• 42nd Mountain Medical Regiment (100 men)

1st Gebirgsjager Division (1,420 men, 5x Leopard 1A5): Salzburg, Austria
• 8th Gebirg Panzer Battalion (120 men, 5x Leopard 1A5)
• 22nd Gebirgsjager Brigade (550 men, 2x Wiesel-AT, 4x Wiesel, 2x 155mm)
• 23rd Gebirgsjager Brigade (750 men, 3x 120mm Mortar)

310th Austrian Gebirgsjager Division (1,400 men, 5x M60A3): Linz, Austria
• 3rd Austrian Mechanised Infantry Brigade (200 men, 5x M60A3, 7x Kurassier)
• 1st Austrian Gebirgsjager Brigade (600 men, 2x 120mm Mortar)
• 3rd Austrian Gebirgsjager Brigade (600 men)

311th Austrian Gebirgsjager Division (1,200 men): Salzburg, Austria
• 6th Austrian Gebirgsjager Brigade (700 men, 2x 120mm Mortar)
• 8th Austrian Gebirgsjager Brigade (500 men, 1x 120mm Mortar)

Second German Army
The Second German Army is headquartered in Nurnberg and controls German land forces in Central Germany. The Second German Army commands I and V Corps and territory north of the First German Army between the borders of France and Czechoslovakia. The 1st Fallschirmjager Division is the Bundesheer‘s rapid reaction force, and aviation assets have been concentrated with I Corps to support it. However the Second German Army has no control over territory west of the Rhine River which is under French military occupation, but has moved the powerful 12th Panzer Division to the outskirts of Frankfurt as a deterrent to any further French encroachment on German territory east of the Rhine.

Second German Army

Army Troops
• Second Army HQ: (200 men): Nurnberg
• 351st Military Police Battalion (70 men)
• 352nd Military Police Battalion (50 men): Hof
• 21st Field Hospital Regiment (100 men)
• 4th Border Guard Battalion (340 men, 2x MR-8): Weimar
• 11th Border Guard Battalion (290 men): Wetzlar

I German Corps

Corps Troops
• I Corps HQ (100 men): Nurnberg
• 123rd Panzerartillery Battalion (160 men, 2x M110A2, 3x SO-152)
• 150th Rocket Artillery Battalion (50 men, 1x Lance SSM)
• 100th Flak Regiment (150 men, 2x Roland SAM, 5x 40mm AA)
• 10th Flak Battalion (50 men, 3x 57mm AA)
• 10th Army Aviation Regiment (100 men, 5x UH-1D)
• 15th Army Aviation Regiment (90 men, 2x CH-53G)
• 16th Army Aviation Regiment (90 men, 1x PAH-2, 2x PAH-1, 1x BO-105M)
• 14th Engineer Battalion (100 men, 1x Panzerschnellbrucke 2, 1x Pioneerpanzer 3)
• 110th Engineer Battalion (150 men, 1x M3 Bridge, 1x Biber AVLB, 2x Buffel ARV)
• 100th Fernspahkompanie (50 men)

12th Panzer Division (4,000 men, 54x Leopard 2A4): Frankfurt
• 12th Panzerartillery Regiment (200 men, 4x M109A3)
• 12th Flakpanzer Battalion (100 men, 3x Gepard)
• 12th Recon Battalion (150 men, 2x Luchs, 1x Fuchs)
• 12th Engineer Battalion (350 men, 1x Panzerschnellbrucke 2, 2x Buffel ARV)
• 27th Panzer Brigade (1,100 men, 19x Leopard 2A4, 4x Marder, 2x M113)
• 28th Panzer Brigade (1,200 men, 26x Leopard 2A4, 8x Marder)
• 29th Panzer Brigade (900 men, 9x Leopard 2A4, 1x Jaguar 2/HOT, 3x M113, 3x 120mm Mortar)

24th Panzergrenadier Division (2,000 men, 4x Leopard 2A4): Nurnberg
• 24th Panzerartillery Regiment (100 men, 4x 122mm)
• 24th Flakpanzer Battalion (50 men, 2x ZSU-30-6)
• 24th Recon Battalion (100 men, 4x BRDM-3)
• 24th Engineer Battalion (200 men)
• 45th Panzergrenadier Brigade (750 men, 12x BTR-70)
• 46th Panzergrenadier Brigade (500 men, 1x Fuchs, 6x BTR-70)
• 47th Panzer Brigade (300 men, 4x Leopard 2A4, 1x M113)

1st Fallschirmjager Division (2,150 men): Bamberg
• 24th Fallschirmjager Brigade (600 men, 6x Wiesel, 1x Fuchs)
• 25th Fallschirmjager Brigade (600 men, 3x 120mm Mortar)
• 27th Fallschirmjager Brigade (600 men, 2x 120mm Mortar)
• 40th Fallschirmjager Recon Battalion (300 men, 3x Wiesel)
• 9th Fallschirmjager Artillery Regiment (50 men, 3x 105mm)

V German Corps

Corps Troops
• V Corps HQ (70 men): Hof
• 222nd Panzer Battalion (160 men, 3x M1A1)
• 61st Panzergrenadier Battalion (200 men, 3x M2, 2x M113, 1x 120mm Mortar)
• 50th Panzerartillery Battalion (100 men, 3x M110A2)
• 500th Flak Regiment (90 men, 1x Roland SAM, 3x 40mm AA)
• 510th Engineer Battalion (170 men, 1x Panzerschnellbrucke 2, 1x M1 AEV, 1x Pioneerpanzer 3)
• 500th Fernspahkompanie (30 men)

7th Panzer Division (700 men, 5x Leopard 2A4): Bayreuth
• 7th Panzerartillery Regiment (50 men, 1x M109A3)
• 7th Flakpanzer Battalion (40 men, 2x 40mm AA)
• 7th Recon Battalion (30 men, 1x Luchs, 1x Fuchs)
• 7th Engineer Battalion (80 men)
• 21st Panzer Brigade (200 men, 5x Leopard 2A4)
• 22nd Panzer Brigade (100 men, 2x Jagdpanzer Kanone, 1x M113)
• 23rd Panzergrenadier Brigade (200 men, 1x Jaguar 2/TOW, 4x Marder)

11th Panzergrenadier Division (3,470 men, 16x Leopard 2A4): Plauen
• 11th Panzerartillery Regiment (100 men, 2x M109A3, 1x 155mm)
• 11th Flakpanzer Battalion (100 men, 2x Gepard)
• 11th Recon Battalion (70 men, 1x Luchs, 1x Fuchs, 1x FUG-70)
• 11th Engineer Battalion (100 men, 1x Buffel ARV)
• 48th Panzergrenadier Brigade (1,200 men, 8x Marder, 1x M2, 2x M113, 21x 120mm Mortar)
• 49th Panzergrenadier Brigade (1,200 men, 14x Marder, 2x M113)
• 50th Panzer Brigade (700 men, 16x Leopard 2A4, 1x Leopard ARV)

35th Jaeger Division (1,350 men, 1x Leopard 1A5, 3x M48A2): Kassel
• 553rd Panzer Battalion (200 men, 1x Leopard 1A5, 3x M48A2)
• 555th Artillery Battalion (50 men, 3x 105mm)
• 55th Jaegar Brigade (550 men, 1x 120mm Mortars)
• 65th Jaegar Brigade (450 men)

Third German Army
The Third German Army is headquartered in Kiel and incorporates significant elements of civilian government as well as fulfilling its military functions. It controls German land forces in Northern and Eastern Germany and commands the III, VI and VII Corps. Third German Army is nominally in charge of all territory between the Dutch border and Poland, including the Danish border and the North Sea and Baltic coasts. The Third German Army has firmly taken control of all territory under its control and has cleared Northern Germany of most of the marauder and bandit elements and all hostile foreign forces, and is currently in charge of ongoing operations against Warsaw Pact forces in Poland. The US XI Corps in Poland is also under Third German Army control.

Third German Army

Army Troops
• Third Army HQ: (300 men): Kiel
• 151st Military Police Battalion (60 men)
• 152nd Military Police Battalion (90 men): Neubrandenburg
• 251st Military Police Battalion (60 men): Leipzig
• 31st Field Hospital Regiment (290 men)
• 2nd Border Guard Battalion (300 men, 2x MR-8): Bremerhaven
• 3rd Border Guard Battalion (350 men, 2x MR-8 w/20mm, 6x MR-8)l
• 6th Border Guard Battalion (250 men, 1x Fuchs): Hannover
• 7th Border Guard Battalion (350 men, 4x BTR-50): Lubeck
• 8th Border Guard Battalion (250 men, 3x BTR-50): Karl Marx Stadt

III German Corps

Corps Troops
• III Corps HQ (80 men): Kiel
• 344th Panzer Battalion (130 men, 5x M1A1, 2x M1)
• 230th Panzerartillery Battalion (50 men, 2x SO-152)
• 31st Panzerartillery Battalion (150 men, 1x MLRS. 2x M110A2)
• 300th Flak Regiment (90 men, 2x Roland SAM)
• 323rd Flak Battalion (60 men, 1x 40mm AA, 3x 57mm AA)
• 233rd Engineer Battalion (100 men, 1x M3 Bridge, 1x Panzerschnellbrucke 2)
• 310th Engineer Battalion (150 men, 1x M548, 2x Pioneerpanzer 3)
• 30th Army Aviation Regiment (90 men, 1x Mi-8, 2x UH-1D)
• 36th Army Aviation Regiment (60 men, 2x PAH-1)
• 300th Fernspahkompanie (50 men)

29th Panzer Division (3,000 men, 24x Leopard 2A4, 5x Leopard 1A3, 3x T-72): Osnabruck
• 29th Panzerartillery Regiment (100 men, 3x 122mm)
• 29th Flakpanzer Battalion (50 men, 2x ZSU-30-6)
• 29th Recon Battalion (100 men, 4x BRDM-3)
• 29th Engineer Battalion (200 men, 1x Buffel ARV)
• 39th Panzer Brigade (850 men, 24x Leopard 2A4, 2x M113)
• 40th Panzer Brigade (700 men, 5x Leopard 1A3, 3x T-72, 1x Marder)
• 41st Panzergrenadier Brigade (1,000 men, 1x Jagdpanzer Kanone, 9x BMP-1)

6th Panzergrenadier Division (2,000 men, 12x Leopard 2A4, 2x M1A2): Rostock
• 6th Panzerartillery Regiment (100 men, 3x M109A3)
• 6th Flakpanzer Battalion (50 men, 2x Gepard)
• 6th Recon Battalion (50 men, 1x Luchs, 1x Fuchs)
• 6th Engineer Battalion (200 men, 1x Buffel ARV)
• 18th Panzergrenadier Brigade (600 men, 6x Marder, 2x M113, 2x 120mm Mortar)
• 19th Panzergrenadier Brigade (600 men, 9x Marder, 1x M2)
• 20th Panzer Brigade (400 men, 12x Leopard 2A4, 2x M1A2, 1x M3, 1x Leopard ARV)

21st Panzergrenadier Division (1,600 men, 4x Leopard 2A4, 1x M1A2): Bremerhaven
• 21st Panzerartillery Regiment (100 men, 4x 122mm)
• 21st Flakpanzer Battalion (50 men, 2x ZSU-30-6)
• 21st Recon Battalion (50 men, 3x BRDM-2, 1x Fox)
• 21st Engineer Battalion (200 men)
• 361st Panzergrenadier Brigade (800 men, 8x BTR-70)
• 190th Panzergrenadier Brigade (600 men, 3x BTR-60)
• 32nd Panzer Brigade (200 men, 4x Leopard 2A4, 1x M1A2, 2x M113)

31st Jaegar Division (1,490 men, 4x Leopard 1A5): Paderborn
• 513th Panzer Battalion (180 men, 4x Leopard 1A5, 1x M113)
• 630th Artillery Battalion (40 men, 2x 155mm)
• 650th Rocket Artillery Battalion (50 men, 2x LARS)
• 610th Flak Battalion (50 men, 2x 40mm AA)
• 620th Engineer Battalion (120 men, 1x Biber)
• 51st Jaegar Brigade (550 men)
• 61st Jaegar Brigade (500 men)

33rd Jaegar Division (1,500 men, 1x M60A3, 2x M48A2): Hamburg
• 533rd Panzer Battalion (150 men, 1x M60A3, 2x M48A2, 1x M113)
• 535th Artillery Battalion (120 men, 5x 105mm)
• 53rd Jaegar Brigade (550 men)
• 63rd Jaegar Brigade (500 men)
• 93rd Jaeger Regiment (180 men)

VI German Corps

Corps Troops
• VI Corps HQ (80 men): Neubrandenburg
• 283rd Panzer Battalion (180 men, 2x M1A1, 1x M1, 1x M3)
• 172nd Panzergrenadier Battalion (200 men, 3x M2, 1x M13)
• 303rd Panzergrenadier Battalion (200 men, 4x M113)
• 60th Panzerartillery Battalion (90 men, 2x M110A2)
• 61st Panzerartillery Battalion (50 men, 1x M110A2)
• 600th Flak Regiment (70 men, 1x Roland SAM, 1x 40mm AA)
• 62nd Flak Battalion (60 men, 4x 40mm AA)
• 64th Engineer Battalion (100 men, 1x M3)
• 610th Engineer Battalion (100 men, 1x Biber AVLB, 2x Leopard AEV)
• 600th Fernspahkompanie (50 men)

5th Panzer Division (1,000 men, 21x Leopard 2A4): Stargad, Poland
• 5th Panzerartillery Regiment (100 men, 2x M109A2)
• 5th Flakpanzer Battalion (50 men, 1x Gepard)
• 5th Recon Battalion (50 men, 1x Fuchs)
• 5th Engineer Battalion (100 men, 1x Buffel ARV)
• 15t Panzer Brigade (200 men, 8x Leopard 2A4)
• 16th Panzer Brigade (200 men, 13x Leopard 2A4)
• 17th Panzergrenadier Brigade (300 men, 1x Jaguar 2/TOW, 6x Marder)

4th Panzergrenadier Division (3,000 men, 14x Leopard 2A4): Szczecin, Poland
• 4th Panzerartillery Regiment (150 men, 1x M109A3, 1x 155mm)
• 4th Flakpanzer Battalion (50 men, 2x Gepard)
• 4th Recon Battalion (100 men, 2x Luchs, 1x Fuchs)
• 4th Engineer Battalion (250 men)
• 12th Panzergrenadier Brigade (800 men, 8x Marder)
• 13th Panzergrenadier Brigade (900 men, 4x Marder, 2x M113, 2x 120mm Mortar)
• 14th Panzer Brigade (750 men, 14x Leopard 2A4, 1x Jaguar 2/TOW)

28th Panzergrenadier Division (1,500 men, 10x Leopard 2A4): Berlin
• 28th Panzerartillery Regiment (50 men, 4x 122mm)
• 28th Flakpanzer Battalion (50 men, 3x ZSU-30-6)
• 28th Recon Battalion (50 men, 2x BRDM-3)
• 28th Engineer Battalion (100 men)
• 36th Panzergrenadier Brigade (550 men, 12x BTR-70)
• 37th Panzergrenadier Brigade (500 men, 7x BTR-70)
• 38th Panzer Brigade (200 men, 10x Leopard 2A4)

34th Jaeger Division (1,870 men, 6x M48A2): Stralsund
• 534th Panzer Battalion (250 men, 6x M48A2, 1x M113)
• 545th Artillery Battalion (80 men, 3x 105mm)
• 74th Engineer Regiment (200 men, 1x M3 Bridge)
• 54th Jaegar Brigade (600 men)
• 64th Jaegar Brigade (500 men)
• 94th Jaeger Regiment (240 men, 3x 120mm Mortars)

VII German Corps
Corps Troops:
• VII Corps HQ (60 men): Leipzig
• 73rd Panzerartillery Battalion (100 men, 2x SO-152)
• 75th Rocket Artillery Battalion (150 men, 1x SCUD-B, 1x FROG-7)
• 700th Flak Regiment (50 men, 2x SA-8)
• 73rd Flak Battalion (50 men, 3x 57mm AA)
• 75th Flak Battalion (100 men, 1x 40mm AA, 3x 57mm AA)
• 710th Engineer Battalion (200 men, 1x MTU-12, 1x T-72-IMR-2)
• 70th Army Aviation Regiment (90 men, 2x Mi-24, 2x Mi-8)
• 700th Fernspahkompanie (40 men)

22nd Panzergrenadier Division (1,520 men, 3x Leopard 1A5, 4x T-72): Gorlitz
• 22nd Panzerartillery Regiment (60 men, 1x M109A3, 1x SO-122)
• 22nd Flak Battalion (60 men, 3x 40mm AA)
• 22nd Recon Battalion (50 men, 2x BRDM-2)
• 22nd Engineer Battalion (100 men)
• 221st Panzer Battalion (200 men, 3x Leopard 1A5, 4x T-72)
• 221st Panzergrenadier Brigade (450 men, 8x BMP-1, 2x 120mm Mortars)
• 222nd Panzergrenadier Brigade (600 men, 11x BTR-60)

26th Panzergrenadier Division (1,600 men, 3x T-72, 7x T-55AM): Cottbus
• 26th Artillery Regiment (50 men, 3x SO-122)
• 26th Flak Battalion (50 men, 1x ZSU-30-6)
• 26th Recon Battalion (50 men, 1x BRDM-2)
• 26th Engineer Battalion (150 men, 1x T-55 ARV)
• 261st Panzer Battalion (350 men, 3x T-72, 7x T-55AM)
• 261th Panzergrenadier Brigade (550 men, 1x Jagdpanzer Kanone, 1x M113, 6x BMP-1)
• 262nd Panzergrenadier Brigade (400 men, 8x BTR-60, 2x 120mm Mortars)

36th Jaeger Division (1,500 men, 3x M48A2, 4x T-55AM): Leipzig
• 563rd Panzer Battalion (100 men, 3x M48A2, 1x M113)
• 663rd Panzer Battalion (150 men, 4x T-55AM, 1x BTR-60)
• 565th Artillery Battalion (100 men, 2x M109A2)
• 56th Jaegar Brigade (550 men, 1x 120mm Mortars)
• 66th Jaegar Brigade (450 men, 1x 120mm Mortars)
• 96th Jaeger Regiment (150 men, 1x 120mm Mortars)

212th Jaeger Division (1,640 men, 2x M48A2, 6x T-55AM): Holzdorf
• 212th Artillery Regiment (90 men, 1x 155mm, 3x 122mm)
• 212th Flak Battalion (50 men, 2x 57mm AA)
• 212th Recon Battalion (50 men, 1x Luchs, 1x BRDM-2)
• 212th Engineer Battalion (100 men)
• 212th Panzer Battalion (400 men, 2x M48A2, 6x T-55AM, 2x Jagdpanzer Kanone)
• 212th Jaeger Brigade (450 men)
• 213th Jaeger Brigade (500 men, 1x 120mm Mortars)

[RN7]

Luftwaffe

At German Reunification the Luftwaffe absorbed the East German Luftstreitkrafte, which made it a force of 140,000 personnel on full mobilisation with over 1,500 aircraft and helicopters including 700 combat aircraft. Luftstreitkrafte helicopters were transferred to the Bundesheer on reunification, but both air forces were structured for very different operational roles and were heavily reliant on their allies. The Luftwaffe was structured for the air defence of Central Europe in conjunction with NATO and its prime role was tactical interdiction and reconnaissance of enemy forces and close battlefield support for NATO ground troops. The East German Luftstreitkrafte was basically a component of the wider Warsaw Pact air defense network and its main role was to prevent penetration of East German airspace by hostile aircraft. The Luftwaffe had long been reliant on other NATO allies to assist in defending German airspace due to restrictions imposed during West German rearmament in the 1950’s. This arrangement had led to American, British and French air defence squadrons based in Germany being better equipped than Luftwaffe units who were still using older fighters in the air defence role up until the mid 1990’s. The Luftstreitkrafte was heavily reliant on East German based Soviet air units for attack capabilities and was equipped with only a small number of older strike aircraft. This put the Luftwaffe at a great disadvantage in the months after German Reunification when forced to confront the numerically and materially superior Soviet and Warsaw Pact forces in addition to having to integrate very different operational procedures and doctrines within both air forces.

NATO forces in Europe mobilised ground, naval and air forces shortly after West German troops crossed the inner-German border. Although obliged by treaty to defend West Germany they were at a loss when a number of Luftwaffe airfields in West Germany were raided by Soviet Frontal Aviation units in early October. A decision was quickly made to maintain an air defence of West Germany, but refuse to co-operate in any German offensive operations. On the 14th of October USAF and British RAF fighter squadron intercepted incoming Soviet fighter bombers and turned back the attack with heavy casualties. The incident led to a storm of protest from the Soviet Union but also led to a pause in major operations against West Germany, and gave the Soviet Air Force their first glimpse of NATO tactical air power and superior AWAC support. It also forced the Soviets to fight the Luftwaffe over the skies of Eastern Europe, which soon became a fight that was rapidly being won by the Russians. The tactical fighter resources available to the Luftwaffe were F-4 Phantoms and Mig-21 and Mig-23, although the Luftwaffe did have a few squadrons of advanced Mig-29BN and a handful of prototype Eurofighters at the start of the war. Luftwaffe Tornado strike bombers were also vulnerable to Soviet air superiority sweeps and losses of all types of aircraft were high. Fortunately both West and East Germany had very extensive ground based air defence networks, fielding 800 Patriot, I-Hawk, Roland-2, SA-2, SA-3 and SA-10D medium and long ranged SAM launchers, and thousands of short ranged SAM’s and anti-aircraft guns. This caused heavy loss to Soviet missions against Germany as Soviet aircraft were forbidden to cross into NATO patrolled airspace or neutral Austria and Sweden, leaving them vulnerable to the German SAM’s as they approached the restrictive airspace corridors over East Germany. Soviet pilots increasingly disobeyed orders and throughout November there were many incidents of Soviet aircraft being shot down over West Germany by American and British fighters.

By December the situation had become unmanageable as air duels over West Germany became commonplace. With Germany coming under huge pressure NATO split over the subject of intervention. America, Britain and Canada entered the war on the German side, whilst France and Belgium withdrew from the coalition as other nations sat on the fence and undertook a defensive role. With NATO ground forces crossing the inner-German border in the second week of December, the full force of NATO air power was unleashed against the Warsaw Pact, striking airfields in Poland and Czechoslovakia and conducting air superiority sweeps over the entire front up to the borders of the Soviet Union. Soviet air losses were crushing and the dominance of NATO air superiority shocked the Warsaw Pact. For Germany it couldn’t have come to soon as the Luftwaffe had lost approximately 25% of its operational strength and most of its air bases in East Germany were heavily damaged or destroyed. The early months of 1997 brought more of the same for the Warsaw Pact air forces that were hard pressed to cope with the quality of front-line NATO tactical air forces. NATO strikes on airfields and rear areas also caused major problems for Pact land operations as ground forces became vulnerable to air attack. Elite air regiments were drafted in from the Soviet Union in the spring of 1997 to confront NATO air forces in Central Europe, leading to a number of massive air duels across Europe which where the largest since the Second World War. By the summer NATO land forces had almost pushed the Warsaw Pact out of Poland, but the attrition of constant air operations was now taking its toll on NATO resources. The United States was heavily committed to defending other areas outside of Europe, and losses and attritions in NATO air forces had not been replaced. In June the Tornado’s of the German Navy’s air arm; the Marineflieger, were transferred to Luftwaffe control to bolster combat losses and US Air National Guard squadrons started to arrive in Europe to reinforce the USAF. As NATO land forces entered Soviet territory resistance began to stiffen, and although NATO air forces were still dominant there seemed to be no shortage of Soviet opponents and losses intensified.

By early July the Italians entered the war on the Soviet side and managed to seize the Alpine passes through Austria against weak initial opposition. The prospect of Italian forces pouring into southern Germany with Czech and Russian forces alarmed NATO, and soon armoured forces were heading to Bavaria as the Italian air force struck a number of NATO logistic and headquarters targets. A rapid redeployment of forces managed to curtail this threat and whilst the Italian air-to-ground capacity was good its fighter force was obsolete and soon destroyed. However their intervention caused an increased thinning of already overstretched Luftwaffe and NATO assets, although the surviving Austrian air force came under Luftwaffe control. By July the Soviet began using tactical nuclear weapons on NATO forces on Russian soil leading to NATO retaliations. The mounting pressure from Soviet offensives finally broke through NATO defences in Poland and caused a general retreat from the east. NATO air forces were increasingly utilised to stem the Soviet advance and tactical nuclear strikes were increasingly used against Soviet forces in Poland. Soviet retaliation hit NATO forward air bases in East Germany, and by September had hit Luftwaffe, USAF and British RAF bases in West Germany. By November all out nuclear war had broken out destroying most of Germany’s cities, and after the shock of the nuclear exchange the lines stabilised and fighting died away. By the time the French invaded the Rhineland the Luftwaffe had lost 70% of its aircraft fleet and 85% of its combat forces, and could do little or nothing to contest German airspace with the powerful French Armee de L’Air. By 1998 fuel as well as aircraft parts were also increasingly difficult to get and the surviving Luftwaffe fleet was used only sparingly as NATO air operations in Europe were largely suspended. In this period excess Luftwaffe personnel were transferred to the German Army and many air units were disbanded. By 2001 the strength of the Luftwaffe had shrunk to about fifty operational aircraft with some anti-aircraft missile batteries operating from a few air bases across Germany. Operationally the Luftwaffe is divided into three air divisions in Northern Germany, Bavaria and the east which roughly correspond to the locations of the three German armies. Most Luftwaffe aircraft are grounded but small stocks of Avgas are maintained and heavily guarded for emergency use.

Luftwaffe Command

• Luftwaffe Command HQ (50 men): Hohn Air Base

1 Luftwaffe Division

Air Division Troops
• 1 Luftwaffe Division HQ (40 men): Munich
• Flugabwehrraketengeschwader 25 (50 men, 2x Patriot): Neuburg Air Base
• Flugabwehrraketengeschwader 31 (40 men, 2x I-Hawk): Erding Air Base
• Flakbatterie 121 (20 men, 2x 40mm AA): Augsburg
• Flakbatterie 174 (40 men, 4x 40mm AA): Munich
• Flakbatterie 302 (20 men, 2x 40mm AA): Regensburg
• II. Battalion Objektschutzregiment der Luftwaffe (120 men, 2x Wiesel 1 MK20, 4x Fuchs): Lechfeld/Neuburg Air Base

Jagdbombergeschwader 31 ‘Boelcke’ (240 men, 9x Aircraft): Lechfeld Air Base
• 311 Staffel (150 men, 4x Tornado, 3x Alpha Jet)
• 312 Staffel (50 men, 2x Saab 105)
• Flakbatterie 231 (40 men, 3x 40mm AA)

Jagdgeschwader 71 ‘Richthofen’ (220 men, 5x Aircraft): Neuburg Air Base
• 711 Staffel (80 men, 2x Eurofighter)
• 712 Staffel (90 men, 3x F-4E)
• Flakbatterie 271 (50 men, 3x 40mm AA)

2 Luftwaffe Division

Air Division Troops
• 2 Luftwaffe Division HQ (30 men): Holzdorf Air Base
• Flugabwehrraketengeschwader 41 (60 men, 2x SA-10D SAM, 1x I-Hawk SAM): Laage Air Base
• Flugabwehrraketengeschwader 51 (60 men, 2x I-Hawk SAM, 2x SA-3 SAM): Holzdorf Air Base
• 621 Staffel (20 men, 1x An-26): Laage Air Base
• Fliegertechnisches Bataillon 34 (40 men, 1x CH-53G, 1x Mi-8): Holzdorf Air Base
• III. Battalion Objektschutzregiment der Luftwaffe (120 men, 1x Wiesel 1 MK20, 1x BRDM-2, 1x Fuchs, 3x BTR-60): Holzdorf & Laage Air Base

Jagdbombergeschwader 33 (160 men, 8x Aircraft): Laage Air Base
• 331 Staffel (70 men, 4x Mig-23BN)
• 332 Staffel (60 men, 4x Alpha Jet)
• 233 Flakbatterie (30 men, 2x 57mm AA)

Jagdgeschwader 73 ‘Steinhoff’ (200 men, 7x Aircraft): Holzdorf Air Base
• 731 Staffel (100 men, 1x Mig-29BN, 4x Mig-21)
• 732 Staffel (50 men, 2x F-4E)
• 273 Flakbatterie (50 men, 2x 40mm AA, 1x 57mm AA)

3 Luftwaffe Division

Air Division Troops:
• 3 Luftwaffe Division HQ (40 men): Hohn Air Base
• Flugabwehrraketengeschwader 24 (50 men, 3x Patriot): Hohn Air Base
• Flugabwehrraketengeschwader 26 (40 men, 2x I-Hawk SAM): Fassberg Air Base
• Flugabwehrraketengeschwader 35 (60 men, 3x I-Hawk SAM): Kiel Airport
• 613 Staffel (50 men, 1x CH-53G, 1x Bo-105M): Kiel
• I. Battalion Objektschutzregiment der Luftwaffe (120 men, 2x Wiesel 1 MK20, 3x Fuchs, 1x BTR-60): Hohn & Fassberg Air Base

Aufklarungsgeschwader 51 ‘Immelman’ (110 men, 3x Aircraft): Schleswig Air Base
• 511 Staffel (50 men, 2x RF-4E)
• 512 Staffel (30 men, 1x Tornado ECM)
• FlakBatterie 251 (30 men, 3x 40mm AA)

Jagdbombergeschwader 32 (250 men, 5x Aircraft): Schleswig Air Base
• 321 Staffel (110 men, 3x Tornado)
• 1 Marinefliegergeschwader (90 men, 2x Tornado)
• FlakBatterie 232 (50 men, 4x 40mm AA)

Jagdgeschwader 74 ‘Molders’ (180 men, 5x Aircraft): Fassberg Air Base
• 741 Staffel (90 men, 3x F-4E)
• 742 Staffel (50 men, 2x Mig-29BN)
• Flakbatterie 274 (40 men, 3x 40mm AA)

Lufttransportgeschwader 61 (170 men, 4x Aircraft, 3x Helicopters): Hohn Air Base
• 611 Staffel (120 men, 1x C-130H, 3x C-160)
• 612 Staffel (50 men, 3x CH-53G)

[RN7]

Bundesmarine

The main role of the Bundesmarine before the war as part of NATO was to block the approaches to the Baltic Sea and prevent the deployment of the Soviet Navy into the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean. After German Reunification the Bundesmarine inherited the East German Volksmarine, a force structured and equipped for operations in the Baltic Sea. On paper the combined fleet had over 200 warships and 25 submarines, with a powerful fleet air arm of 300 aircraft and helicopters. However besides a dozen or so modern missile warships the Bundesmarine lacked any large surface units and most ships where short ranged vessels and minesweepers. But many former Volksmarine units were capable ships ideally suited to naval operations in the Baltic and proved a useful addition to Bundesmarine capabilities. The West or East German navies did not have any marine or naval infantry forces, but the 28th and 29th Motor Rifle Regiments of the NVA were trained and equipped for amphibious operations, and the Coastal Border Command of the East German Border Troops had 12 marine battalions to guard the Baltic coast. At German Reunification both NVA regiments were absorbed into the Bundesheer and their roles phased out and the Border Troops were dissolved. The Volksmarine also possessed 12 landing ships which were soon put to use as transports along the Baltic Coast.

When hostilities broke out between Germany and the Warsaw Pact in October 1996 the Bundesmarine assumed its NATO duties by deploying its ships to carry out reconnaissance, mine warfare, anti-submarine and anti-ship operations in the Baltic and the approaches to the Skagerrak, while air defence capable ships were stationed off the German coast in the Baltic to assist the Army and Luftwaffe. The Bundesmarine also moved all of its land based Roland-2 SAM systems and AA guns to the Baltic coast to assist in the air defence of Germany, while the highly rated Verwendungsgruppe 3402 and the former East German KSK-18 naval special forces units were also deployed to German naval bases and the Kiel Canal to guard against expected Soviet Spetznas raids. Ships and aircraft of the German Federal Coast Guard were also placed under Bundesmarine control at this time, which largely consisted of a fleet of about 30 cutters and research vessels and a number of former East German Coastal Border Brigade vessels which included intelligence gathering ships. Although having to fight the Soviets alone in the Baltic the Bundesmarine was relieved of its duties to defend the North Sea and the Norwegian Sea by other NATO navies. The Royal Danish Navy also actively assisted the Bundesmarine in defending the Skagerrak and the Danish Baltic coast while most of Germany’s short ranged submarine fleet was moved to the Baltic. However until the intervention of other NATO forces in December losses to attack from Soviet and Polish air and naval units were very heavy. The Bundesmarine lost 30 warships in the Baltic theatre from October to the end of December, mainly small attack craft and minesweepers, but also three submarines, a Lutjens Class missile destroyer and an old Hamburg Class gun destroyer.

Despite receiving some relief by the intervention of other NATO powers in December 1997, which saw US Navy and British Royal Navy warships enter the Baltic Sea by the New Year, losses to air raids and naval actions continued to take its toll on the Bundesmarine. German missile destroyers and frigates were now deployed to the Norwegian Sea and Atlantic Ocean to defend US carrier groups and NATO’s Atlantic convoys. In June the naval air arms fleet of surviving Tornado fighter bombers was transferred to the Luftwaffe to reinforce its beleaguered forces. By September 1997 ten more submarines were lost along with 40 warships, including six missile frigates. Although many German naval ships were at sea when Germany was targeted by nuclear missiles, many were lost in the attacks on Bremen and Wilhelmshaven. By the beginning of 1998 the Bundesmarine had no more than 30 ships capable of putting to sea and little fuel left to power them. With the Soviet Navy now offering little naval threat to Germany most of the surviving Bundesmarine fleet was laid up while many naval personnel were transferred to the army, while some ships were also stripped of heavy weapons and machine guns. The unexpected Soviet counter-offensive of 1999 which saw Rugen Island being seized by Soviet naval infantry and occupied by East German NVA troops saw a small reactivation of the Bundesmarine. Currently the surviving German fleet is organised into three flotillas based at Kiel, Bremerhaven and Rostock. A couple of landing ship transports are still used along the Baltic coast to reinforce German land forces in East Germany and Poland, while a few small fast attack craft and patrol vessels are active in the Baltic and North Sea. But for the most part the remainder of the fleet is anchored at dock and slowly rusting.

Fleet Command

Fleet Troops
• Fleet Command HQ (70 men): Kiel
• Verwendungsgruppe 3402 (40 men)
• 3 Marinefliegergeschwader (60 men, 1x Atlantic, 1x Sea King): Nordholz Air Base
• 5 Marinefliegergeschwader (40 men, 1x Sea King, 1x Sea Lynx): Kiel Airport
• 4 Marinesicherungskompanie (70 men, 1x Fuchs, 2x HMMWV-FS, 2x 40mm AA): Kiel Airport

1st Flotilla

Flotilla Troops
• 1st Flotilla HQ (90 men): Kiel
• 1 Marinesicherungskompanie (60 men, 2x Fuchs, 2x HMMWV-FS, 2x 20mm AA)
• S178 (Type 206A Class)
• D187 Rommel (Lutjens Class) (** Non operational)
• F210 Emden (Bremen Class) (1x Sea Lynx)
• F213 Augsburg (Bremen Class) (** Non operational)
• P573 Fritz Globig (Tarantul I Class) (** Non operational)
• P6116 Greif (Type 143 Class)
• P6143 Luchs (Type 148 Class)
• LST 612 Schwerin (Frosch Class)
• M1061 Rottweil (Frankenthal Class)
• M1064 Gromitz (Frankenthal Class)
• M1086 Sirius (Krebs Class) (** Non operational)

2nd Flotilla

Flotilla Troops
• 2nd Flotilla HQ (50 men): Bremerhaven
• 2 Marinesicherungskompanie (60 men, 1x Fuchs, 3x HMMWV-FS, 2x 20mm AA)
• S175 (Type 206A Class) (** Non operational)
• F214 Lubeck (Bremen Class) (1x Sea Lynx)
• F218 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Brandenburg Class) (1x Sea Lynx)
• P6149 Wolf (Type 148)
• P6155 Alk (Type 148) (** Non operational)
• M1090 Pegnitz (Hameln Class)
• M1094 Ensdorf (Hameln Class)

3rd Flotilla

Flotilla Troops
• 3rd Flotilla HQ (40 men): Rostock
• 3 Marinesicherungskompanie (60 men, 2x BTR-60, 1x 57mm AA, 2x 20mm AA)
• F143 Halle (Koni Class)
• P752 Paul Schulz (OSA-1 Class)
• P855 Heinz Kapelle (Shershen Class) (** Non operational)
• P6127 Dachs (Type 143A Class)
• P6145 Leopard (Type 148)
• LST 616 Grimmen (Frosch Class)
• M314 Stralsund (Kondor Class)
• M1070 Fulda (Frankenthal Class)

[RN7]

The East Germans

The German Democratic Republic ceased to exist as an independent nation when its federal states were re-established and acceded to the Federal Republic of Germany in November 1996. Collusion between the West German Bundeswehr and the Nationale Volksarmee (NVA) had begun as early 1992 when NVA officers became increasingly disillusioned with Soviet foreign policy and where it was leading, and opened secret dialogue with their West German counterparts. Despite being cut off from West Germany since the late 1940’s most East Germans still considered themselves part of an all-German nation in spite of the Communist regime’s best attempts to foster a new East German identity. When the Soviet Union invaded China in 1995 it was clear to the NVA that German troops were going to be used as cannon fodder by the Soviet Army in the battlefields of China. Plans began to be set in motion between the higher military echelons of both German states, which were kept secret from the elected West German government in Bonn and the Communist leadership and its security apparatus in East Germany. Computer files on NVA officers and NCO’s were made available to West German military intelligence by pro-nationalist East German officers to assess loyalty during planned future reunification. West German television intensively broadcasted news about the Soviet war against China in the build up to reunification, which was easily picked up in East German homes and was in stark contrast to news on the state run East German and Soviet networks, further demoralised East German attitudes about the war and their government.

The intelligence services of NATO nations were not unaware of West German preparations to unilaterally invade East Germany. Increased West German military activity close to the inner German border were noted in the months before German Reunification by other NATO forces, but none believed that the Germans would ever really go ahead with it. When the inner German border was opened by selected East German Border Troops in the early hours of the 7th of October 1996 and West German tanks crossed the frontier, the East German leadership and the rest of the world was taken completely by surprise. Senior NVA commanders had carefully coordinated the deliberate placement of many NVA units in barracks or on manoeuvres to stop them from interfering with the reunification process, while pro-nationalist led army units isolated Soviet garrisons and State Security troops until they were reinforced by West German forces. Radar coverage of air corridors over the inner German border was controlled by the pro-nationalist officer corps of the East German Luftstreitkrafte to allow Luftwaffe transport aircraft to land at East German air bases, while data was temporarily concealed from the wider Soviet air defence network. Running on a coordinated timescale assisted by allied East German troops over road, railway and air, over 30,000 West German troops were deployed across East Germany within twelve hours of the inner German border being opened. By the time the East German leadership and the Soviet Union knew what was happening there was little they could do to stop it as thousands of West German troops were crossing by the hour backed by heavy armour and aircraft. Resistance to reunification was strongest among the State Security forces known as the Stasi, who were quickly overwhelmed or arrested by West German forces. When news reached the rest of the NVA very few East German troops were willing to engage West German soldiers despite being ordered to. News that the Stasi were being rounded up and that Soviet forces were being locked down in their bases was actually supported by most NVA troops and junior officers, who quickly made contact with West German forces and awaited further orders. Known communist sympathisers and members of the East German government and security forces were quickly arrested in order to prevent a counter coup by pro-regime forces that could rely on Soviet backing. The Soviet Union and her Warsaw Pact allies were expected to fiercely resist German reunification, and Soviet forces in Germany began to fight their way out of their bases and engaged both West and East German troops. Warsaw Pact forces massing on the German border in Poland and Czechoslovakia were faced off by strong West German forces manning border crossings. With the ongoing war with China and NATO supporting German reunification, the Soviets were unsure about how strongly the rest of NATO would react if they attacked Germany. Their delay in attacking allowed German forces further time to tighten their control of East Germany. Soviet forces in Germany were allowed to retreat peacefully into Poland, but some began to fight both sides of the German Army and were forced across the border or eliminated. When the expected Warsaw Pact counter attack happened in late October they were engaged by both East and West German forces.

As the NVA was absorbed into the Bundeswehr and the Soviets withdrew from Germany, some loyalist NVA, security personnel and politicians left with them forming a Soviet supported government in exile and a nucleus for the creation of a new East German Army. In subsequent months other loyalists who had avoided arrest, or who were former soldiers who had been made redundant after amalgamation or who were simply devout communists crossed into Poland and Czechoslovakia or made their way to the Soviet Union via another route. As the Warsaw Pact advanced into Germany in late October 1996 a number of Germans volunteered to join the Pact armies. Initially these were quietly ignored by Soviet commanders, but as the Soviet offensive into Germany stalled these volunteers were hastily assembled in the Polish Baltic city of Gdansk for training. Since most were veterans of the NVA they needed little training, although they were initially commanded by Russian officers who were selected from those who had served in Group of Soviet Forces Germany and who spoke fluent German. Since they were mainly committed communists the commissar strength within the unit was low and the Soviet officers were gradually phased out. The newly formed NVA were dressed and equipped as standard Soviet units but wore East German ranks and a German roundel on their side and field caps identical to the German Army itself. The first reformed NVA combat unit was the 2nd German Motor Rifle Division “Willi Bredel”, equipped with Soviet supplied tanks and APCs. When other NATO powers fully committed themselves to supporting Germany in 1997, Soviet and Pact armies were quickly thrown back into Poland in disarray and the 2nd German Motor Rifle Division was committed to breaking the siege of Warsaw in 1997, were its performed surprisingly well against NATO troops. However casualties were heavy and the division suffered from at least one NATO tactical nuclear strike and were withdrawn for refitting after the breaking of the siege.

During this time NVA officers scoured POW camps looking for new recruits from captured German servicemen to refill the ranks of the 2nd German Motor Rifle Division and the newly forming 4th German Motor Rifle Division “Karl Marx”. In this respect they were initially successful, but many German soldiers only joined to escape the miserable POW camp conditions and proved neither effective or cooperative soldiers and desertion was rife. By the time of the Warsaw Pact counteroffensive in Poland in the summer of 1998 the strength of the 2nd Division was little more than a large brigade, while the 4th Division was never more than regiment size and was disbanded and re-designated the 4th German Motor Infantry Regiment. Other East German units were also created in this period, notably the Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment, an elite unit of the former State Security troops. Many members were former Stasi who reformed it in exile after German Reunification and acted as security for the reformed GDR government. The 73rd Fallschirmjager Battalion was believed to have been formed from specialised combat troops drafted from the Felix Dzerzhinsky Regiment, and were equivalent in capabilities to Soviet Spetsnaz forces. It is not believed that any East German air or naval units were reformed by the Warsaw Pact, although former East German pilots and sailors did volunteer for service with the Soviet forces. In 1999 Soviet naval infantry recaptured the 934 square kilometre German Baltic island of Rugen, two kilometres off the German coast. NVA units were moved to Rugen Island to form its garrison, and by early 2000 the new government of the German Democratic Republic had established its provisional capital in the town of Binz. The Stasi also re-established itself on the island with plainclothes security police and informers in every community and units of the Felix Dzerzhinsky Regiment guarding government facilities. However Pact forces were soon pushed out of the German Baltic coast by the German Third Army shortly after Rugen was captured, isolating the East Germans on the island. Rugen Island in 2001 is of little strategic importance do either NATO or the Warsaw Pact and the island have so far been ignored. German attitudes towards the NVA ranges from amusement to loathing but most Germans consider them traitors. The Soviet Union still uses the occupation of Rugen as a propaganda tool which rankles the German government and the Third German Army who surround it on the mainland, and it is likely that liberation of the island may be attempted in the near future. In 2001 the NVA forces are split between Rugen Island and units attached to the Soviet 2nd Western Front headquarters in Northern Poland.


NVA Kommando Landstreitkrafte

Command HQ (40 men): Olszlyn, Poland
Wachregiment " Feliks E. Dzierzynski" (330 men, 2x BRDM-2, 4x BTR-60): Olszlyn, Poland & Rugen Island
• Kommando 1 (90 men ): Olszlyn, Poland
• Kommando 2 (120 men, 1x BRDM-2, 2x BTR-60): Rugen Island
• Kommando 3 (120 men, 1x BRDM-2, 2x BTR-60): Olszlyn, Poland
73rd Fallschirmjager Battalion (40 men): Rugen Island
• 2nd Panzer Motorisierte-Schutzen Division " Willi Bredel" (1,500 men, 2x T-55, 1x Leopard 1A3 ): Olszlyn, Poland
• 1st Panzer Regiment (300 men, 2x T-55, 1x Leopard 1A3, 1x BTR-60)
• 1st Motorisierte-Schutzen Regiment (400 men, 1x BMP-1)
• 2nd Motorisierte-Schutzen Regiment (300 men, 1x M113)
• 3rd Motorisierte-Schutzen Regiment (350 men, 4x BTR-60)
• 1st Artillery Regiment (150 men, 2x 122mm, 4x 120mm Mortars)
4th Motorisierte-Schutzen Regiment (480 men, 2x BTR-152, 2x 120mm Mortars): Rugen Island
5th Motorisierte-Schutzen Regiment (220 men): Olszlyn, Poland

[RN7]

The Austrians

German speaking Austria was neutral when war broke out between NATO and the Warsaw Pact in Central Europe. Until July 1997 Austria was physically untouched by the war, although NATO and Warsaw Pact aircraft frequently illegally crossed into Austrian airspace. The entry of Italy into the war radically altered Austria’s defence position. Unexpectedly the Italian socialist government joined the Warsaw Pact and seized the Alpine passes in Austria to open up a second front against NATO. Light Austrian military forces in the west of the country were unprepared for the Italian assault, and were quickly swept aside by Italian paratroopers and airmobile forces that quickly seized the Brenner, Grossglockner, Reschen and Timmelsjoch passes for the mechanised forces of the Italian V Corps to proceed into Bavaria and meet up with invading Czech forces. NATO was caught totally unprepared as the Italian army poured through Austria into Bavaria, and with the Czechs battled the German Army in the outskirts of Munich while the Italian Air Force attacked NATO targets across Southern Germany. However superior NATO air power rapidly eliminated the Italian Air Force over Bavaria as German, American, British, Danish and Dutch land forces were diverted from operations further north and moved into Bavaria. By August the Italian Army had been pushed back into Western Austria were it was heavily engaged by Austrian forces attacking from the east. In concert with the Warsaw Pact offensive in Poland in the beginning of September, the Italian and Czech armies renewed their attacks on NATO in Bavaria which prompted NATO forces to enter Austria to clear the Italians from the Alpine passes. Using the presence of NATO forces in Austria as a pretext to invade, the Soviet Union ordered the Soviet 1st and 2nd Southwestern Fronts to attack Austria from Czechoslovakia and Hungary.

As Soviet troops advanced on Vienna, the Austrian government requested membership of NATO before evacuating the city. Although failing to stop the Soviet Army from occupying Vienna, NATO airpower relieved the beleaguered Austrian Army as American and German mechanised divisions reinforced them from the west. Under mounting pressure from NATO forces in Austria the disillusioned Italian V Corps unilaterally withdrew to Northern Italy which destabilised the Pro-Warsaw Pact socialist government in Rome leading to its collapse. During this period the surviving Austrian armed forces were absorbed into the German Army and Luftwaffe in all but name as it was incapable of mounting independent operations by itself. By late September Austrian cities such as Graz, Innsbruck, Linz, Salzburg and Steyr also came under Soviet Frontal Aviation attack to stem the NATO advance on Vienna, which stalled but did not stop NATO forces from liberating the Austrian capital by the middle of October. With both NATO and the Warsaw Pact now using tactical nuclear weapons across Central Europe, the Soviets launched two nuclear missiles at Vienna in November targeting the Schwechat oil refinery and Vienna International Airport located 18 kilometres away from the city. The missile strikes damaged but did not destroy the city, but forced the shattered Austrian and NATO forces in Vienna to retreat and abandon the city. Soviet forces once again moved into Vienna in the aftermath of the nuclear attack and advanced as far west as Steyr on the Enns River establishing a front line that has more or less remained static ever since.

In 1998 the surviving Austrian government established its provisional capitol in Salzburg on the German border claiming control over all Austrian territory. The Austrian Army has now been fully integrated into the larger German Bundesheer, with Austrian troops serving in the newly formed VIII Austrian Corps under the command of the First German Army. The Austrian Army and a few surviving air squadrons still retain their old unit name and identity, although they have become more germanified over the past few years. Since the beginning of 1998 the country has been split into two opposing halves with the East occupied by the Soviet Army. After recapturing Vienna and advancing to the city of Steyr, the Soviets occupied the border with Czechoslovakia as far as Linz, and a front line was soon established running north to south from Linz through Steyr to Klagenfurt on the Yugoslav border. The Soviet 1st and 2nd Southwestern Fronts in Vienna commands ten divisions of the 8th Soviet Guards Tank Army, and the 16th, 21st and 41st Soviet Armies. The 8th Guards Tank Army is based in Vienna and Wolkersdorf, the 16th Army occupies Graz, the 21st Army occupies Linz, Wels and Steyr, and the 41st Army occupies Klagenfurt and Villach. All points west are under NATO control, and facing the Soviets are the eleven divisions of the First German Army and two American divisions spread over Austria and Southern Germany and controlling Salzburg, Innsbruck, Bregenz, Landeck, Worgl and the outskirts of Linz. The front line in Austria has remained stable for such a long period because Soviet forces are unwilling to advance west due to fuel shortages and war weariness, while NATO forces have been preoccupied with the recent American withdrawal, the French occupation of the Rhineland and ongoing conflict in Poland. However attacks by either side do occur and Austrians troops are highly motivated to reclaim Austrian territory in the East.

[RN7]

The Soviets

German relations with the Soviet Union are uniformly bad due to four years of warfare and the nuclear attack on Germany, but they have also been complicated because of historical rivalry dating from the Second World War period through to the Cold War division of Germany. A recurrent theme in West German-Soviet relations since the end of the Second World War has been Soviet concerns about a resurgence of German militarism, and West German concerns about an invasion or nuclear attack from the Soviet Union. Despite West Germany normalising relations with East Germany and showing a willingness to pacify Soviet concern about German rearmament or territorial revanchism, the Soviets continually feared a unified and rearmed Germany. Although the West German government signed the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty, the Helsinki Accords and validated the Oder-Neisse line dividing East Germany from Poland, which recognized the hegemony of the Soviet Union over Eastern Europe and the existing territorial boundaries of the European states, they refused to recognise East German sovereignty or resolve the border issues between the two German states. From 1980 West German relations with the Soviet Union began to deteriorate over its support of NATO's placing of American Pershing II and Cruise missiles in Western European countries to counter the Soviet deployment of SS-20s targeted on Western Europe. There was also a noticeable decline in Soviet relations with East Germany in this period, with the East German regime continuing to pursue closer economic relations with West Germany and seeking more autonomy in its domestic policy, despite retaining close military ties with the Soviet Union. Although the East German government continued to recognise the unquestioned leadership of the Soviet Union, there was an emergent feeling within both German states that their relations with each other were being held hostage by rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States. Among the officer cadres of the East and West German militaries there was also concern that the Super Powers and the rest of Europe were willing to allow Germany to be used as a nuclear battlefield in any future conflict, and that their armed forces were being controlled and kept down. As Soviet politicians continued to accuse West Germany or militarism into the 1990’s and became increasingly confrontational in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East senior East German officers secretly contacted West German counterparts to discuss closer German relations and possible future reunification. With East German troops taking heavy casualties in supporting the Soviet war with China, plans were accelerated leading to the events of German Reunification in October 1996 and the German-Soviet War.

In Germany in 2001 the Soviet Union is widely disliked and feared as in German eyes the Soviets were responsible for the destruction of Germany in both of the last two world wars. The recent Third German Army offensive against Soviet forces occupying parts of Eastern Germany pushed the Soviet 2nd and 20th Guards Army across the Oder-Neisse line into Poland, clearing Soviet forces from German territory for the fourth time since 1996. However the divisions of the Soviet 1st and 2nd Southwestern Fronts still occupy the entire eastern half of Austria, and a few Russian advisors remain with the East German garrison that occupies Rugen Island. The unrelenting nature of the conflict with the Soviets has drained the resources of the German Army, limiting its capacity to pacify the rest of the nation and confront the French occupying German territory in the Rhineland. Unlike other Warsaw Pact armies whose morale has collapsed or who have become more nationalist focused, the Soviets still remain a largely functional force in Central Europe at least. However signs that there morale is also starting to deteriorate is evident in the recent defection of the Soviet 94th Cavalry Division to NATO, and intelligence sources believe that many Soviet divisions are unwilling to comply with orders to take offensive action. Also desertion has become a problem within many Soviet units, with many Soviet and Warsaw Pact units affected by the problems of desertion and mutiny, although other than a few small roving bands of criminals most don’t cross the border into Germany in large numbers. However the activities of the former Soviet 30th Guards Motorised Rifle Division is particularly troublesome to civilians in south-eastern Germany. The entire division deserted in late 1998 while in control of the town of Pirna after the commander was killed in action, and the executive officer and his subordinates set themselves up as a local warlord terrorising communities across the area. The division had a strength of 4,000 men and 18 tanks before the commanders deserted and it has attracted more deserters and criminal elements from various sources in this region since. However internal rivalry in 2000 split the marauding division with the executive officer retaining half of the force and most of its combat vehicles, while the remainder forming scattered bands of marauders in the region. Pressure from the German Third Army has further dispersed the division, with most of it fleeing to Southern Poland but it still plagues the borderlands between Germany, Poland and Czechoslovakia.

Some Western intelligence agencies believe that the Soviet threat in Europe is now declining as the Soviet armies are being gradually withdrawn to the Soviet Union. However German military analysts would point to the fact that there are still 22 active Soviet divisions in Poland and another 10 in Austria, with many more divisions further east in Soviet and Warsaw Pact territories. The future intensions of the Soviet Army are only really known to the surviving government of the Soviet Union which reconvened in the Russian city of Ryazan after the Soviet capital of Moscow was destroyed by US strategic nuclear missile strikes in November 1997. Despite the disruption of Soviet communications since the nuclear war the commanders of the Soviet forces are still under the instruction of the KGB (Komitet Gosudarstvennoi Bezopasnosti), the Soviet Union’s infamous state security and espionage organisation. The KGB has one or more representatives in the command staff of all major Soviet Fronts and Armies in Europe. The activities of the KGB have been severely curtailed in Germany since reunification. With the demise of the German Democratic Republic the KGB no longer have a large network of operatives remaining in Germany as Western intelligence rivals frequently work together against them. However the KGB remains a force to be reckoned with across Eastern Europe were their resources and influence greatly exceeds any Western rival, and they still retain some support among die-heart communist sympathisers. KGB operations in Austria and Southern Germany are controlled from Vienna, while those in Northern Germany are controlled from Lublin in Poland. KGB agents in Germany remain very well hidden but can be found in Kiel, Munich, Leipzig, and in the Austrian city of Salzburg. Ironically one of the KGB’s greatest rivals in the intelligence community is the GRU (Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye Upravleniye) the Soviet foreign military intelligence service. Technically the KGB has control over all GRU operations and intelligence data, but the GRU is highly resistant to KGB control and never more so than in the Twilight War. Although the KGB has political commissars with some of the divisions in Poland and Austria, unless KGB Border Guard units are also present in the area they have a lot less influence than they had before the war. Among the Soviet military the GRU is far more influential and respected, and GRU Spetsnaz troops are the best and most reliable in the Soviet Army.

[RN7]

The Americans

Operations Order OMEGA called for the evacuation of all US military personnel in Europe from the port of Bremerhaven, and on November 15, 2000 over 40,000 Americans departed with US Navy Task Force 34 for Norfolk which constituted the bulk of American forces in Europe. However not all American forces in Europe made the journey to the United States or were able to reach Bremerhaven on time. Significant command elements of the US Army opted to remain in Germany while thousands of American personnel arrived too late and were left behind. Divisions fighting in Poland were also cut off from higher headquarters during the evacuation order and decided not to risk the journey, and the entire US IV Corps of Civgov in the Balkans wasn’t included in the evacuation order. Many USAF personnel from the Seventeenth Air Force also opted to stay in Germany while stranded Army personnel have joined up with other remaining US forces or have joined German and other NATO units and continue to fight under the command of the German Army. American relations with the Germans generally remains good, although during the evacuation period there was plenty of bad sentiment directed towards them from German civilians and troops who accused them of abandoning Germany. Some American troops trying to reach Bremerhaven had to resort to foraging or extorting food and fuel from local communities they passed through which led to some violent incidents between US troops and German civilians. The fact that significant American forces have stayed behind, both voluntarily and involuntarily, has quelled much of this sentiment

Since Task Force 34 departed from Europe the staffs of the US III, XIII and XV Corps stood down and joined the command staff of the US Fourth Army in Munich. The Fourth Army is now the senior US military command in Europe and controls surviving USAF, Marine and naval units in Germany. The Fourth Army has since combined with the headquarters of the First German Army in Munich but remains independent of German control, although its forces; two brigades of the 1st Cavalry Division, the 70th Light Infantry Division, the 212th Field Artillery Brigade, the 3rd and 107th Armoured Cavalry Regiments and the 10th Special Forces Group work closely with the First German Army. The Fourth Army also controls other tenant and subordinate units from US Army Europe that stayed in Germany including the 32nd Air Defence Command, the 18th Engineer Brigade, the 16th Sustainment Brigade, the 18th Military Police Brigade, the 2nd Signal Brigade and the 6th Military Intelligence Brigade. In addition to US forces in Southern Germany the US XI Corps; the 50th Armoured Division, the 2nd Marine Division, the Canadian 4th Mechanised Brigade and the 116th Armoured Cavalry Regiment; is still fighting in Poland with the Third German Army while personnel from the 5th and 8th Mechanised Divisions are found scattered across Eastern Europe. Although departing US forces turned over most of their heavy equipment and vehicles to German forces, the Fourth Army also commandeered some vehicles and heavy weapons for themselves. An undisclosed number of tanks, artillery, armoured and light vehicles and possibly some helicopters are stored in a few guarded compounds in the Munich area maintained by the 16th Sustainment Brigade. Although the Fourth Army has no stated intension of forming any new military units, it does plan to supply replacements to the XI Corps in Poland and to fully mechanise the 3rd and 107th Armored Cavalry Regiments and the 70th Light Infantry Division.

The Fourth Army also controls surviving elements of the USAF Seventeenth Air Force in Germany. During the nuclear exchanges most USAF air bases in Germany were destroyed including Ramstein, Sembach and Spangdahlem. Squadron dispersals before the nuclear attacks saved many aircraft from destruction, although further attrition and casualty rates have reduced operational numbers. In 2001 the USAF still retains a force of operational aircraft from Rhein-Main Air Base and the Luftwaffe bases of Fassberg, Jever, Laage and Neuburg. The Seventeenth Air Force has re-established a headquarters in Neuburg Air Base located 70 kilometres north of Munich on the Danube River near Ingolstadt. Neuburg has become the main USAF station in Germany with the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing and the 39th Special Operations Wing sharing the base with the resident Luftwaffe Jagdgeschwader 71. Fourth Army intelligence and signals elements have also relocated in the base which is protected by the US 70th Infantry Division that is based in the countryside between Ingolstadt and Regensburg. The USAF plans to transfer the nuclear cruise missiles of the 38th Tactical Missile Wing and some of the transport assets from the 435th Tactical Airlift Wing from Rhein-Main Air Base to Neuburg or Munich in the near future, as Rhein-Main Air is believed to be to too exposed to French forces across the Rhine River. Small quantities of Avgas are stored at each air base guarded by USAF security police teams and US Army air defence batteries located at Rhein-Main and Neuburg. Although Avgas remains in short supply the British have been supplying some fuel to the Americans with occasional RAF and USAF tankers landing at air bases from the UK. The Seventeen Air Force is also in contact with surviving elements of the Third Air Forces in the UK and could potentially draw on British based assets and forces for reinforcement. Since the withdrawal of most of the US Army from Europe the remaining combat aircraft of the USAF have become a valuable asset and bargaining tool for the US Military Government with the Germans. Even with the limited quantities of Avgas fuel now available the Seventeenth Air Force is a powerful force, and combined with the surviving strength of the Luftwaffe would greatly enhance Germany's defensive and offensive capabilities.

The CIA and the DIA; the intelligence organizations of the Civilian and Military US governments respectively, are both active in Germany. Both organizations refrain from violent action against each other but they will try to thwart the plans of each other and incidents are not unknown. The German government continues to only recognise the US military government and the DIA retains good relations with German and British military intelligence. The DIA also has a large network of agents across Germany and Austria in Kiel, Bremerhaven, Hannover, Leipzig, Munich, Nuremburg, Salzburg, Vienna and in the American military bases. The DIA has established an intelligence section within Neuburg Air Base with some fairly sophisticated computer and sensor equipment by Twilight War Standards. The DIA works closely with the USAF and the Army Intelligence who share data with each other, including the monitoring of Warsaw Pact and French radio traffic and encrypted frequencies, and photographic and sensor imagery from USAF reconnaissance flights. With some help from British Army technicians the Army Signals Corps has also re-established a long range radio link with US forces in Britain, including the USAF air bases in England and the main European DIA station in Portsmouth. With long distance flight now a very rare occurrence regular communications with the United States are sporadic and practically non-existent with the Military Government in Colorado Springs. However there is still some naval traffic between the East Coast and Britain and information can be dispatched by radio or other means on US Navy and British warships to Norfolk and then relayed to Colorado Springs. In comparison with the DIA the CIA has a far more limited presence in Germany and is completely out of touch with the Civilian Government in Omaha. The CIA's main powerbase in Europe is now in the Balkans with the pro-Civgov divisions of the US IV Corps in Serbia. However the CIA does have some operatives in Munich, Magdeburg, Paderborn and Vienna, with agents in Paderborn advising more moderate elements within the Friebroderbund who they believe will be a significant power in post-war Germany, but they offer little in the way of traceable arms or supplies.

A number of American units have also turned to marauding or have deserted from lawful military control. There was trouble within the ranks of the US 70th Infantry Division in Bavaria during the evacuation period, but the commanders of the division resolved their differences with the US Fourth Army and have reverted back to lawful US control. But other US groups are more of a problem. The 1st Brigade of the US 40th Mechanised Division has recently turned to marauding and is now in conflict with both German and Soviet forces in Austria. Of more significance to the US Fourth Army is the location of the 30th Brigade of the 44th Armored Division. While travelling to Bremerhaven in October 2000 the commander of the 30th Brigade Major Charles F. Kane discovered the location of an undamaged nuclear power station. Kane and several others in the brigade were former nuclear power workers and inspected the station, and opted to remain in Germany as they believed they could reactive the station using generators. Kane detached the 30th Brigade from rest of the division and has gone to ground since and is training members of his unit to operate the nuclear reactor. The brigade is in cantonment in Kahl-am-Main with 9 tanks and a number of light armoured vehicles. Once the nuclear power station is reactivated Kane plans to establish his own fiefdom across post-war Bavaria. The 11th Armoured Cavalry Regiment in Fulda withdrew themselves from their chain of command in 2000 and has refused to cooperate with other US forces since. Although they are by no means a marauding force the 500 well armed men of the regiment with 4 tanks and some lighter vehicles remain a theoretical threat to the region and the CIA is interested in contacting the regiments commanders.


US Fourth Army

Army Troops
• Fourth Army HQ (220 men): Munich
• 16th Sustainment Brigade (180 men)
• 18th Military Police Brigade (120 men, 1x M113, 2x Peacekeeper)
• 2nd Signal Brigade (60 men): Neuburg Air Base
• 66th Military Intelligence Brigade (40 men): Neuburg Air Base
• 10th Special Forces Group (80 men)
• 4/3rd Air Cavalry Squadron (30 men, 1x UH-60, 1x OH-58D)

1st Cavalry Division (2,400 men, 2x AH-64D, 3x UH-60, 1x OH-58D, 20x M1A2, 13x M1A1, 10x M1): Rosenheim
• 1st "Iron Horse" Brigade (800 men. 18x M1A2, 6x M3, 3x M2, 1x M18)
• 155th Mississippi NG Armored Brigade (750 men, 13x M1A1, 10x M1, 5x M2, 1x M113)
• 4th Aviation Brigade (350 men, 2x AH-64D, 3x UH-60, 1x OH-58D)
• 82nd Field Artillery Regiment (200 men, 1x MLRS, 4x M109A3, 2x M113)
• 8th Combat Engineer Battalion (300 men, 1x M728 CEV, 1x M104 AVLB, 2x M88, 2x M113)

70th Infantry Division (2,000 men): Ingolstadt/Regensburg
• 1st Brigade (690 men, 2x HMMWV-TOW, 4x HMMWV-FS)
• 2nd Brigade (570 men, 1x HMMWV-TOW, 2x HMMWV-FS)
• 3rd Brigade (500 men, 6x HMMWV-FS)
• 83rd Field Artillery Battalion (120 men, 6x 155mm)
• 411th Engineer Battalion (100 men)

212th Field Artillery Brigade (190 men): Munich
• 17th Field Artillery Regiment (90 men, 3x M109A3, 3x M113)
• 18th Field Artillery Regiment (60 men, 2x M109A3, 2x M113)
• 20th Field Artillery Regiment (40 men, 1x MLRS, 1x M113)

18th Engineer Brigade (300): Munich
• 79th Combat Engineer Battalion (90 men, 2x M104 AVLB, 1x M3 Bridge, 2x M113)
• 94th Combat Engineer Battalion (120 men, 1x M728 CEV, 1x M9, 1x M113)
• 249th Combat Engineer Battalion (90 men, 3x M88, 1x M113)

3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment (100 men, 1x M1A1): Munich
• 1st Armored Cavalry Squadron (30 men, 1x M1A1, 1x M109A3)
• 2nd Armored Cavalry Squadron (40 men, 3x M3, 1x M18, 1x M741A6 PIVAD)
• 3rd Armored Cavalry Squadron (40 men, 2x M3, 1x M113, 1x M106)

107th Armored Cavalry Regiment (600 men): Munich
• 1/150th West Virginia NG Cavalry Regiment (100 men, 1x HMMWV-TOW, 3x HMMWV-FS)
• 2nd Ohio NG Armored Cavalry Squadron (200 cavalry)
• 3rd Ohio NG Armored Cavalry Squadron (200 cavalry)
• 4th Ohio NG Armored Cavalry Squadron (100 cavalry)

32nd Air Defence Command (170 men): Munich
• 43rd Air Defence Artillery Battalion (40 men, 2x Patriot): Neuburg Air Base
• 44th Air Defence Artillery Battalion (50 men, 3x M741A6 PIVAD): Rhein-Main Air Base
• 52nd Air Defence Artillery Battalion (40 men, 2x I-Hawk): Rhein-Main Air Base
• 60th Air Defence Artillery Battalion (40 men, 2x Patriot): Munich


US XI Corps

Corps Troops
• XI Corps HQ (100 men): Kolobrzeg, Poland
• 95th Military Police Battalion (60 men)
• 2/4th Attack Helicopter Battalion (100 men, 2x AH-64A, 1x UH-60, 1x OH-58D)

50th Armored Division (2,000 men, 1x AH-1S, 12x M1A1, 16x M1, 5x M60A3): Kolobrzeg, Poland
• 1st New Jersey NG Armor Brigade (510 men, 12x M1A1)
• 2nd New Jersey NG Armor Brigade (630 men, 16x M1, 6x M2)
• 86th Vermont NG Brigade (550 men, 5x M60A3, 8x M113)
• 5/117th Cavalry Regiment (70 men, 1x AH-1S, 2x M115, 1x M106)
• 112th Field Artillery Regiment (150 men, 2x M109A3)
• 104th Combat Engineer Battalion (90 men, 1x M104 AVLB, 1x M88)

5th Mechanised Division (1,000 men, 1x M1A2, 2x M1A1, 1x M1): Poland
• 1st Brigade (400 men, 1x M1A2, 3x M2)
• 2nd Brigade (320 men, 2x M1A1, 2x M2)
• 256th Louisiana NG Brigade (280 men, 1x M1, 1x M113)

8th Mechanised Division (1,000 men, 8x M1A1, 2x M1, 9x Stingray, 2x M8): Latvia
• 1st Brigade (200 men, 8x M1A1, 1x M3)
• 2nd Brigade (250 men, 2x M1, 9x Stingray, 8x M2)
• 3rd Brigade (300 men, 2x M8, 10x M2)
• 29th Field Artillery Battalion (100 men, 4x MLRS, 9x M-109A3, 2x M691)
• 12th Engineer Battalion (50 men, 1x M728 CEV, 1x M88)

2nd Marine Division (4,000 men, 8x M1): Bialogard, Poland
• 2nd Marine Regiment (800 men, 3x LAV-25, 1x M106, 1x HMMWV-TOW)
• 6th Marine Regiment (950 men, 4x LAV-25, 1x M106, 2x HMMWV-TOW)
• 8th Marine Regiment (700 men, 3x HMMWV-TOW, 4x HMMWV-FS)
• 10th Marine Regiment (300 men, 6x 155mm)
• 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion (300 men, 1x M104 AVLB, 1x M88)
• 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion (200 men, 1x LAVAA, 6x LAV-25)
• 2nd Tank Battalion (750 men, 8x M1, 1x M901)

116th Armored Cavalry Regiment (600 men, 8x M8): Nowogard, Poland
• 1/163rd Montana NG Infantry Regiment (200 men, 5x M113)
• 2nd Idaho NG Armored Cavalry Squadron (140 men, 8x M8, 2x M113)
• 3rd Oregon NG Armored Cavalry Squadron (190 men, 1x M115, 2x HMMWV-TOW)
• 148th Idaho NG Field Artillery Regiment (70 men, 2x M109A3, 1x M113)

4th Canadian Mechanised Brigade (1,000 men, 6x Leopard C1): Karlino, Poland
• 1/Royal 22e Regiment (300 men, 1x M113/TOW, 1x Lynx, 8x M113)
• 2/Royal 22e Regiment (250 men, 1x Lynx, 6x M113)
• 1/British Columbia Regiment (Armoured) (250 men, 6x Leopard C1, 2x Lynx, 2x M113)
• 1/Canadian Airborne Regiment (120 men)
• 1st Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (80 men, 2x M109A2)


USAF Seventeenth Air Force

• Seventeenth Air Force HQ (50 men): Neuburg Air Base
• 7160th Security Police Squadron (60 men, 1x Peacekeeper, 2x HMMWV-FS)

10th Tactical Fighter Wing (150 men, 3x Aircraft): Fassberg Air Base
• 509th Tactical Fighter Squadron (60 men, 2x A-10)
• 511th Tactical Fighter squadron (30 men, 1x A-10)
• 650th Security Police Squadron (60 men, 2x Peacekeeper, 2x HMMWV-FS)

36th Tactical Fighter Wing (170 men, 4x Aircraft): Neuburg Air Base
• 21st Tactical Fighter Squadron (40 men, 2x F-15E)
• 22nd Tactical Fighter Squadron (40 men, 2x F-15C)
• 36th Security Police Squadron (90 men, 2x M113, 1x Peacekeeper, 4x HMMWV-FS)

50th Tactical Fighter Wing (160 men, 4x Aircraft): Fassberg Air Base
• 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron (40 men, 2x F-16C)
• 313th Tactical Fighter Squadron (30 men, 1x F-16C)
• 496th Tactical Fighter Squadron (30 men, 1x F-16C)
• 50th Security Police Squadron (60 men, 1x Peacekeeper, 2x HMMWV-FS)

52nd Tactical Fighter Wing (250 men, 6x Aircraft): Jever Air Base
• 23rd Tactical Fighter Squadron (40 men, 2x F-16C)
• 81st Tactical Fighter Squadron (30 men, 1x F-4G)
• 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron (30 men, 1x F-16C)
• 481st Tactical Fighter Squadron (30 men, 1x F-16C)
• US Marine Fighter-Attack Squadron 115 (30 men, 1x F/A-18D)
• 52nd Security Police Squadron (90 men, 2x Peacekeeper, 2x HMMWV-FS)

81st Tactical Fighter Wing (210 men, 6x Aircraft): Laage Air Base
• 91st Tactical Fighter Squadron (60 men, 2x A-10)
• 92nd Tactical Fighter Squadron (30 men, 1x A-10)
• US Marine Attack Squadron 542 (60 men, 2x AV-8B)
• 81st Security Police Squadron (60 men, 1x M113, 1x Peacekeeper, 2x HMMWV-FS)

26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (130 men, 3x Aircraft): Jever Air Base
• 38th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (40 men, 2x RF-4C)
• 497th Reconnaissance Technical Group (30 men)
• US Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 3 (20 men, 1x EA-6B)
• 26th Security Police Squadron (40 men)

38th Tactical Missile Wing (170 men: Rhein-Main Air Base
• 89th Tactical Missile Squadron (80 men, 4x BGM-109G GLCM)
• 38th Missile Security Squadron (90 men, 1x M8, 2x V-150 Commando, 3x HMMWV-FS)

39th Special Operations Wing (120 men, 4x Aircraft): Neuburg Air Base
• 7th Special Operations Squadron (30 men, 1x MC-130E)
• 20th Special Operations Squadron (70 men, 2x MH-53J, 1x UH-60)
• 608th Tactical Airlift Group (20 men, 1x C-23)

435th Tactical Airlift Wing (260 men, 6x Aircraft): Rhein-Main Air Base
• 10th Military Airlift Squadron (60 men, 2x C-23)
• 35th Tactical Airlift Squadron (30 men, 1x C-141)
• 37th Tactical Airlift Squadron (60 men, 2x C-130H)
• 55th Aeromedical Airlift Squadron (20 men, 1x C-9)
• 435th Security Police Squadron (90 men, 2x M113, 1x Fuchs, 3x HMMWV-FS)


Other US Groups

1st Brigade/40th Mechanised Division (400 men, 2x M1, 5x M60A3): Austria
• 1/149th California NG Armored Regiment (100 men, 2x M1, 5x M60A3)
• 2/159th California NG Infantry Regiment (80 men, 3x M2, 1x HMMWV-FS)
• 1/184th California NG Infantry Regiment (160 men, 1x M115, 4x M113)
• 1/143rd California NG Field Artillery Regiment (60 men, 1x M109A3, 1x M113)
30th Brigade/44th Armored Division (300 men, 4x M1A1, 2x M1, 3x M60A3): Kahl-am-Main
• 1/252nd North Carolina NG Armored Battalion (80 men, 4x M1A1, 2x M1, 3x M2)
• 1/120th North Carolina NG Infantry Regiment (120 men, 3x M60A3, 5x M113)
• 1/150th West Virginia NG Cavalry Regiment (60 men, 1x LAV-25, 3x HMMWV-FS)
• 1/113th North Carolina NG Field Artillery Regiment (40 men, 1x M109A3)
11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (500 men, 4x M1A1): Fulda
• 1st Armored Cavalry Squadron (120 men, 4x M1A1, 2x M2, 1x HMMWV-FS)
• 2nd Armored Cavalry Squadron (170 men, 2x M2, 1x M104 AVLB, 1x M88)
• 3rd Armored Cavalry Squadron (180 men, 2x M2, 1x M18, 4x HMMWV-FS)
• 1/144th California NG Field Artillery Regiment (30 men, 1x M109A3)

[RN7]

The French

Although France withdrew from NATO in 1966 it remained a member of the Atlantic Alliance until German reunification in 1996. France had stationed its own military forces in Germany since 1945 as one of the four victorious Allied powers which in the 1990's numbered 80,000 troops. Support for German reunification and intervention against Warsaw Pact forces in East Germany split NATO members, and in disapproval of it the French along with Belgium completely withdrew their membership of the Atlantic Alliance and pulled their forces out of Germany. Following the nuclear exchanges in November 1997 many desperate civilians headed towards the French border. In January 1998, the government of the Franco-Belgian Union ordered the French and Belgian armies to occupy all territory west of the Rhine River in Germany and the Netherlands, to secure the frontiers against hordes of refugees and renegade military personnel which were swarming across the border. By March the French had firmly established a defensive corridor south and west of the Rhine in German and Dutch territory with a large part of the French and Belgian armies garrisoning it. Officially the area within 5-10 km east of the Rhine is a depopulated Dead Zone, and any large armed body moving in this area is subject to attack by the roving patrols of French troops who can draw upon air power if necessary. In 2001 the French army continues to occupy the Dead Zone with all French forces under the command of the First French Army in Strasbourg. The French II Corps is responsible for securing the area north of the Moselle River and south and west of the Rhine in Germany.

Effectively garrisoning this area has not proven to be an easy task for the French Army. The German government refuses to recognise the legitimacy of the French occupation as do other NATO countries including the US military government. All sections of the German government and military consider the French move to have been a stab in the back and there is no current official diplomatic communications between France and Germany. The French government has accused the German Army and intelligence services of aiding and carrying out assassinations and commando raids in occupied territories and Belgium, which in truth it does. German and Dutch partisans wage increasingly violent guerrilla attacks on isolated French outposts and ambush French patrols, while the Freibroderbund is notoriously active west of the Rhine. Although casualties and combat attrition has taken its toll on French forces stationed in the German Rhineland and the Netherlands, they remain well supplied and supported from France. The French II Corps is headquartered in the city of Aachen with French troops occupying Cologne, Koblenz, Saarbrucken, Trier, Wittlich and Worms in the Rhineland, and Baden-Baden and Kehl in Southern Germany. The three divisions and assets of the French II Corps are supported by the powerful French I Corps west of the Rhine in Northern France, and is flanked by the Franco-Belgian III Corps in Belgium and the Netherlands. French troops are also backed by the fully functional Armee de l’Air with combat squadrons on standby in Northern France to support them. The DGSE (Direction Generale de la Securite Exteriure); France’s external intelligence agency runs its German operations from Aachen. Due to the current level of German hostility towards the French the DGSE has no known stations in the rest of Germany, however French agents are active in Kiel, Bremerhaven and Munich but they go to great lengths to conceal their identity. French relations with America deteriorated after France occupied the Rhineland, but since the US government split the French recognises the military government and retains some low profile links with them. French relations with the Soviet Union are very poor and both nations’ espionage services engage in a low intensity proxy war with each other, with the main battlegrounds being Central Europe and the Middle East. A rumour circulating that the DGSE works closely with the KGB in Germany and Eastern Europe has increased anti-French sentiment in Germany although Paris completely denies it.


II French Corps

Corps Troops
II Corps HQ (250 men): Aachen
• 3rd Regiment de Hussars (580 men, 32 AMX-10RC, 10x VAB-HOT, 3x VAB): Baden-Baden
• 16th Groupement de Chasseur (750 men, 18x AMX-10P, 4x VAB, 4x 120mm Mortar): Wittlich
• 24th Groupement de Chasseur (800 men, 20x AMX-10P, 4x VAB, 3x 120mm Mortar): Baden-Baden
• 46th Infantry Regiment d'Infanterie (600 men, 36x VAB, 3x VBL-Milan, 6x VBL-Recon, 4x 120mm Mortar): Trier
• 73rd Infantry Regiment d'Infanterie (500 men, 24x VAB, 2x VBL-Milan, 4x VBL-Recon): Cologne
• 110th Regiment d'Infanterie (550 men, 32x VAB, 3x VBL-Milan, 6x VBL-Recon, 6x 120mm Mortar): Kehl
• 131st Regiment d'Infanterie (400 men)
• 2nd Regiment d'Artillerie (250 men, 8x GCT 155mm): Cologne
• 3rd Regiment d'Artillerie Regiment (280 men, 9x GCT 155mm): Wittlich
• 12th Regiment d'Artillerie Regiment (600 men, 15x MLRS)
• 73rd Regiment d'Artillerie (280 men, 16x 155mm): Kehl
• 6th Regiment d’Artillerie Surveillance (200 men, 12x RASIT, 6x VAB)
• 51st Regiment d'Artillerie (300 men, 4x Roland II, 4x AMX-13DCA)
• 53rd Regiment d'Artillerie (250 men, 8x Roland II): Trier
• 10th Regiment du Genie (250 men, 2x AMX-30 Bridge, 2x EFA, 3x EBD): Kehl
• 33rd Regiment du Genie (300 men, 1x AMX-30 Bridge, 3x EBD)
• 12th Groupement d'Helicopteres Legers (450 men, 12x Gazelle-HOT, 9x Super Puma, 6x Ecureuil): Trier
• 2nd Regiment d'Helicopteres de Combat (350 men, 6x Tiger, 6x Gazelle/HOT, 6x Puma): Trier
• Brigade Logistique (550 men)

3rd Armored Division (4,100 men, 18x Leclerc): Aachen
• 3rd Regiment de Dragoons (300 men, 8x Leclerc, 2x AMX-10P)
• 12th Regiment de Cuirassiers (350 men, 10x Leclerc, 2x AMX-10P)
• 19th Groupement de Chasseurs (900 men, 23x AMX-10P, 6x VAB, 6x 120mm Mortar)
• 42nd Regiment d'Infanterie (830 men, 18x AMX-10P, 2x VAB, 4x 120mm Mortar)
• 11th Regiment d'Artillerie (300 men, 9x GCT 155mm)
• 34th Regiment d’Artillerie (270 men, 7x GCT 155mm)
• 3rd Compagnie Antichar (550 men, 16x AMX-10RC, 10x VAB-HOT, 2x VAB)
• 9th Regiment du Genie (300 men, 1x AMX-30 Bridge, 2x EFA, 1x Leclerc EPG, 2x Leclerc DNG)
• 3rd Regiment de Commandement et de Soutien (300 men)

5th Armored Division (3,950 men, 24x Leclerc): Worms
• 2nd Regiment de Cuirassiers (300 men, 8x Leclerc, 1x AMX-10P)
• 4th Regiment de Cuirassiers (320 men, 9x Leclerc, 2x AMX-10P)
• 5th Regiment de Cuirassiers (300 men, 7x Leclerc, 1x AMX-10P)
• 2nd Groupement de Chasseurs (600 men, 18x AMX-10P, 2x VAB, 2x 120mm Mortar)
• 24th Groupement de Chasseurs (730 men, 27x AMX-10P, 3x VAB, 3x 120mm Mortar)
• 152nd Regiment d'Infanterie (450 men, 26x VAB, 2x VBL-Milan, 4x VBL-Recon)
• 5th Compagnie Antichar (500 men, 12x AMX-10RC, 8x VAB-HOT, 2x VAB)
• 24th Regiment d’Artillerie (300 men, 10x GCT 155mm)
• 10th Regiment du Genie (250 men, 1x AMX-30 Bridge, 1x Leclerc EPG, 2x Leclerc DNG)
• 5th Regiment de Commandement et de Soutien (200 men)

15th Infantry Division (3,900 men): Koblenz
• 5th Regiment de Chasseurs Metropolitains (550 men, 28x AMX-10RC, 3x VAB-HOT, 4x VAB)
• 92nd Regiment d'Infanterie (800 men, 29x VAB, 3x VBL-Milan, 4x VBL-Recon, 4x 120mm Mortar)
• 99th Regiment d'Infanterie (900 men, 34x VAB, 4x VBL-Milan, 7x VBL-Recon, 6x 120mm Mortar)
• 126th Regiment d'Infanterie (750 men, 22x VAB, 1x VBL-Milan, 3x VBL-Recon, 2x 120mm Mortar)
• 20th Regiment d'Artillerie (230 men, 16x 155mm)
• 33rd Regiment d’Artillerie (220 men, 12x 155mm)
• 31st Regiment du Genie (250 men, 2x EFA, 1x RG)
• 15th Regiment de Commandement et de Soutien (200 men)

[RN7]

The British

The British Army on the Rhine (BAOR) has been stationed in Germany since 1945, originally serving as a garrison for the British zone of occupied Germany. After the resumption of civil German government in the late 1940's the BAOR became more concerned with the defence of West Germany from the threat of Soviet invasion as for centuries Britain has been preoccupied with preventing any major European power from controlled the Dutch and Flemish channel ports that could be used to invade Britain or dominate the sea approaches to it. With the formation of NATO in 1949, the BAOR along with RAF Germany became the main British contribution to the defence of Western Europe and a key component of NORTHAG. The British Army has been fighting in Central Europe since 1996 and has lost thousands of troops defending Germany. In 2001 the threat from Russia is as relevant as it was in 1996, while the newer threat from France has also emerged. The British Army in Europe has taken up residence in the cities of Brunswick, Hannover and Magdeburg and remains a disciplined and powerful force. After the American withdrawal from Europe in November 2000 the British 2nd Armoured and 5th Mechanised Divisions were moved to Bremerhaven and transferred by ship to England. However three British Army divisions remain in Germany along with a number of independent brigades and regiments. Brunswick is now the headquarters for British forces in Germany with a number of surviving Army and RAF helicopters located at the remains of Brunswick Airport. Although the main RAF bases in Germany were destroyed or damaged in the nuclear strikes, the training base at Nordhorn survived intact and was reactivated by the RAF. A small force of combat aircraft is stationed at the base guarded by RAF Regiment personnel supported by occasional air supply runs from the UK.

The British Army on the Rhine is independent of German Army control, although the British cooperate with the Germans and could be used to reinforce German forces. Exactly what the British Army intends to do next is unknown, but the French DGSE suspects they are remaining in Germany to ensure that France doesn’t try and take more territory or the German North Sea ports. The British have successfully pacified the region where they are based which has greatly helped the Third German Army reassert control over Northern Germany. They also happen to be in the middle of a major industrial region and the richest oil producing area in Germany, and the Germans would prefer they take up residence somewhere else. However Anglo-German relations remain good and Britain is supplying German forces with small quantities of crude oil, refined diesel and avgas. Britain brought a few North Sea oil rigs back on line in 1998, and has partly reactivated the Teesside oil refinery near Middlesbrough in the North of England. The off shore oil rigs are guarded by Marine Commandos and naval gun boats, and occasional tanker shipments are made to Germany under the cover of darkness through the port of Bremerhaven escorted by a Royal Navy warship. The Germans pay for the British oil with gold or provision supplied to British forces in Germany. Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) also has a few operatives in the British Army bases and the RAF base at Nordhorn. The capabilities of MI6 have been aided by the Royal Corps of Signals technicians that have re-established a long range radio link with the UK, and an electronic warfare capacity is also maintained in the main British Army base in Brunswick. MI6 also has some agents in Kiel, Bremerhaven and Munich who remain on good terms with their German counterparts and both the DIA and CIA, although the British government only recognises the US military government at present.



BRITISH ARMY ON THE RHINE

Army Troops
• Army Command HQ (100 men): Brunswick
• 1/ The Irish Guards (60 men, 1x Scimitar, 1x Fox)
• 4/ The Royal Anglian Regiment (90 men)
• 4/ The Queen’s Regiment (90 men)
• B Squadron, 21 SAS Regiment (30 men, 3x Land Rover WMIK)
• 5th Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery (60 men, 2x MLRS)
• 32nd Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery (30 men, 1x M110A2)
• 50th Missile Regiment, Royal Artillery (30 men, 1x Lance)
• 12th Light Air Defence Regiment (90 men, 2x Rapier SP, 2x FV432)
• 13th Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (60 men)
• 14th Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare), Royal Corps of Signals (20 men)
• 21st Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (30 men): Nordhorn Air Base
• 34 Squadron, Royal Engineers (40 men, 2x FV432): Bielefeld
• 5th Regiment, Royal Military Police (60 men)
• 114 Provost Company, Royal Military Police (30 men): Bielefeld
• 9th Army Air Corps Regiment (90 men, 1x Lynx AH.7, 2x Gazelle)

I British Corps

Corps Troops
• I Corps HQ (30 men): Brunswick
• 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards (150 cavalry)
• The Royal Hussars (50 men, 2x Scimitar)
• 32nd Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers (100 men, 1x Chieftain AVLB, 1x FV180, 4x FV432)
• 7th Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (30 men)
• 101 Provost Company, Royal Military Police (30 men)

1st Armoured Division (1,180 men, 3x Challenger 2, 10x Challenger 1, 2x Chieftain, 1x M1A2): Brunswick
• 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards (100 men, 5x Scimitar)
• 1st Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery (80 men, 2x 105mm)
• 4th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (90 men, 2x M109A2)
• 21st Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers (100 men, 1x FV180, 1x Chieftain AVLB, 1x Challenger AVRE, 2x FV432)
• 7th Armoured Brigade (250 men, 3x Challenger 2, 1x M1A2, 4x Warrior, 1x Sultan)
• 12th Armoured Brigade (260 men, 5x Challenger 1, 2x Chieftain, 1x Sultan)
• 22nd Armoured Brigade (300 men, 5x Challenger 1, 2x Warrior, 1x Sultan)

6th Airmobile Brigade (310 men, 2x Helicopters): Hannover
• 2/The Scots Guards (60 men, 2x Land Rover WMIK)
• 1/The Worcester and Sherwood Foresters (90 men, 3x Land Rover WMIK)
• 4/The Royal Irish Rangers (60 men, 2x Land Rover WMIK)
• 4th Army Air Corps Regiment (60 men, 1x AH-64D, 1x Lynx AH.1)
• 19th Regiment, Royal Artillery (40 men, 2x 105mm)

19th Infantry Brigade (300 men, 2x Challenger 1, 1xM1A2, 2x Leopard 2A4, 1x T-80, 1x Fox, 4x Saxon): Hildesheim
• 1/The Light Infantry (100 men)
• 3/The Light Infantry (70 men, 4x Saxon)
• 1/Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (70 men, 2x Challenger 1, 1x M1A2, 2x Leopard 2A4, 1x T-80)
• 47th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (60 men, 1x M109A2, 1x 155mm)

II British Corps

Corps Troops
• II Corps HQ (30 men): Magdeburg
• Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (300 cavalry): Celle
• The Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars (200 cavalry)
• 28th Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers (150 men, 1x M2 Ferry, 1x Chieftain AVRE, 3x FV-180)
• 22nd Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (30 men)
• 252 Provost Company, Royal Military Police (30 men)

3rd Mechanised Division (4,000 men, 12x Challenger 1, 1x Chieftain, 1x Leopard 2A4): Celle
• 5th Queen’s Royal Lancers (80 men, 1x Scimitar, 3x Fox)
• 2nd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (50 men, 1x M109A2)
• 3rd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery (120 men, 5x 105mm)
• 26th Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers (200 men, 1x Chieftain AVLB, 1x Challenger AVRE, 2x FV-432)
• 4th Armoured Brigade (500 men, 12x Challenger 1, 1x Sultan)
• 3rd Infantry Brigade (1,400 men, 1x Chieftain, 7x FV-432)
• 8th Infantry Brigade (1,630 men, 1x Leopard 2A4, 1x Warrior, 5x FV-432, 2x M113)

4th Armoured Division (3,000 men, 3x Challenger 2, 12x Challenger 1, 6x Chieftain): Magdeburg
• 12th Royal Lancers (80 men, 4x Scimitar)
• 26th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (40 men, 1x M109A2)
• 45th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (60 men, 2x 155mm)
• 35th Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers (100 men, 1x FV180, 1x Chieftain AVLB, 1x Chieftain AVRE, 2x FV432)
• 11th Armoured Brigade (400 men, 3x Challenger 2, 6x Challenger 1, 2x Warrior, 1x Sultan)
• 20th Armoured Brigade (1,050 men, 6x Challenger 1, 6x Chieftain, 7x Warrior, 1x Sultan)
• 33rd Armoured Brigade (1,270 men, 1x Fox, 2x Ferret, 1x BRDM-2, 13x Saxon)

Royal Air Force Germany

• RAF HQ (50 men): Nordhorn Air Base
• 4 Squadron, RAF (60 men, 3x Harrier GR5/7)
• 19 Squadron, RAF (60 men, 2x Falcon F.1)
• 41 Squadron, RAF (90 men, 1x Jaguar GR3, 3x Hawk)
• 230 Squadron, RAF (90 men, 1x CH-47D, 2x Puma): Brunswick
• 1 Squadron, RAF Regiment (60 men, 2x Scimitar, 1x Spartan, 4x Land Rover WMIK): Celle
• 2 Squadron (Parachute), RAF Regiment (60 men, 2x ZSU-4-23, 1x 35mm AA): Brunswick
• 15 Squadron, RAF Regiment (80 men, 3x Rapier, 2x 35mm AA)
• 27 Squadron, RAF Regiment (90 men, 1x Scorpion, 2x Scimitar, 4x Spartan)
• 34 Squadron, RAF Regiment (40 men, 3x Land Rover WMIK): Hannover
• 2622 Squadron (RAuxAF), RAF Regiment (60 cavalry): Brunswick

[RN7]

The Freibroderbund

The Freibroderbund are a group of German partisans dedicated to the restoration of Germany's rightful place among nations, and the expulsion of all foreigners from German soil by violence if necessary. The Freibroderbund evolved from various right-wing organisations and German nationalist sentiment that existed before the war that was fuelled by the nuclear destruction of Germany. The collapse of civil order following the nuclear detonations led to a rise in right wing militias across the country, and in the Paderborn area the Freibroderbund quickly filled the vacuum left by the collapse of central authority. After the nuclear attacks many German nationalist made their way to Paderborn area which is of significance to German historians. In the First Century AD the German tribal leader Arminius led an uprising against the Roman Empire were three Roman Legions under the command of the Roman General Varus were massacred in the Teutoburg Forest. Konrad Kohl the self styled leader of the Freibroderbund in Paderborn has also taken the name Arminius to emphasize the historical connection. The Paderborn area is also believed to have been the location of the Irminsul, the now lost pagan Saxon ceremonial and religious centre which was destroyed by Charlemagne in the 8th Century in his wars against the ancient Saxons. A pseudo-ideological and religious cult with roots dating to the Nazi era has emerged among the Freibroderbund and their supporters around the ancient Germanic history and lore of the area. In 2001 Paderborn is the known centre of Freibroderbund territory, and the area within 50 kilometres of the city and the nearby Teutoburg Forest in the states of North Rhine Westphalia and Lower Saxony is under its control. The Freibroderbund have many sympathisers west of the Rhine and near the borders with France, Poland and Czechoslovakia. Estimated strength of the Freibroderbund in the Paderborn area is about 1,000 armed individuals, although sympathisers in the area would multiply that figure. The strength of cells beyond this region are unknown but are not considered to be as numerous, although they are also significant in the towns such as Dessau, Eisenach, Meiningen, Nordhausen and Suhl.

The Freibroderbund have an extreme agenda in that they want to remove all foreign influences from Germany who they blame for the destruction of the country. With the Soviet nuclear attack on Germany, the French occupation of the Rhineland and NATO armies remaining in the country, the Freibroderbund has no shortage of followers. The Freibroderbund attitude towards non-Germans can depend on the nationality of the individual. They generally don’t go out of their way attack German or other NATO forces unless they are provoked, although they are in conflict with the German troops of the 31st Jaeger Division who have been sent to the Paderborn area to suppress their activities. They are hostile towards all Warsaw Pact and French troops in Germany, and unless outnumbered will attack them at any opportunity. Austrians and German speaking Swiss are considered German and so far have had little problems from the Freibroderbund. Americans and Western Europeans such as British, Danish and Dutch are generally tolerated, although non-white ones will have a difficult time unless they are part of a NATO army. The Freibroderbund is hostile to civilians of African, Middle Eastern, Asian or Eastern European origin. Because of the war French, Italians, Belgians and Greeks also now fall into the latter category and they will be forced out of areas under Freibroderbund control. Most Freibroderbund come from farming or outdoors backgrounds, although many people displaced by the war and the French occupation of the Rhineland as well as a number of German Army deserters have also joined its ranks. The Freibroderbund is armed with a mixture of NATO and Warsaw Pact military equipment as well as civilian rifles and shotguns. German intelligence considers the Freibroderbund to be the most significant home grown obstacle to the re-emergence of democratic government control over Germany. Due to their xenophobic and anti-democratic agenda some analysts have likened them to the Friekorps that emerged in Germany after the First World War which formed the vanguard of the later Nazi movement. German intelligence believes that the Freibroderbund has also infiltrated the 31st Jaeger Division that is based in the Paderborn area. In late 2000 they acquired 4 M60A4 tanks, 300 M-16A3 rifles, 10 60mm mortars, and 19 M-60 machineguns as well as other small arms, several thousand rounds of ammunition and other miscellaneous equipment from units of the US VII Corps heading for evacuation in Bremerhaven, in return for safe conduct past Freibroderbund territory. This has made the Freibroderbund a very significant threat to German Army control of the region.

[RN7]

Credits

Anders Larsson: Polish Army Sourcebook
Antenna: http://www.ludd.ltu.se/~antenna/t2k/index.htm
Bryn Monnery: http://www.oocities.org/littlegreenmen.geo/misc.htm
Chico: http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeedox4/
Chico: Combined German Air Force, 1 OCT 96
Chico: Czechoslovak Vehicle Guide
Chico: Unified German Navy, 7 OCT 96
Chico: USAF Orbat, 1 OCT 96
Christy Campbell: Nuclear Facts, 1984
Dan Hebditch: http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~dheb/2300/Admin/Index6.htm
Dan Hebditch: British Army in the Twilight Era
Game Designers’ Workshop: American Combat Vehicle Guide
Game Designers’ Workshop: Bears Den
Game Designers’ Workshop: Boomer
Game Designers’ Workshop: East Europe Sourcebook
Game Designers’ Workshop: Going Home
Game Designers’ Workshop: Howling Wilderness
Game Designers’ Workshop: NATO Combat Vehicle Guide
Game Designers’ Workshop: Pirates of the Vistula
Game Designers’ Workshop: RDF Sourcebook
Game Designers’ Workshop: Rendezvous in Krakow
Game Designers’ Workshop: Return to Warsaw
Game Designers’ Workshop: Soviet Combat Vehicle Guide
Game Designers’ Workshop: Survivors Guide to the United Kingdom
Game Designers’ Workshop: The Black Madonna
Game Designers’ Workshop: The Free City of Krakow
Game Designers’ Workshop: The Ruins of Warsaw
Game Designers’ Workshop: Urban Guerilla
Game Designers’ Workshop: White Eagle
James Langham: http://thetwilightwar.weebly.com/index.html
Laurence Martin: Before the Day After, 1985
Loonz: http://loonz.freeservers.com/t2k/mystuff.htm
Marshal Cavendish: War Today, 1985
Mitch Schwartz: http://world.std.com/~ted7/t2ksppt.htm
Paul Mulcahy: http://www.pmulcahy.com/
Peter Grinning: Armee de l’Air in the Twilight Era
Peter Grinning and D Hebditch: Royal Air Force in the Twilight Era
Rainbow Six
Richard Bennett: Fighting Forces, 2001
Sean Nolan: Twilight 2000 France
Temple Press: The Encyclopaedia of World Military Power, 1988
Temple Press: The Encyclopaedia of World Sea Power, 1988
Others

[raketenjagdpanzer]

This is staggering. What an amazingly well-done piece of work. You've taken the bits and pieces of the whole and fused them into a satisfying, crystal clear picture of wartime Germany. I doff my hat to you, sirrah. This is really, really well done. Honestly, throw in some color plates and you've got a work on par with what GDW was doing at the height of 1.0.

Bravo!

[The Rifleman]

Absolutely unbelievable work. That probably is the best and most realistic gathering of information on Germany, 2001 I have ever seen. I like the fact that it leans towards a Germany intent on rebuilding (similar to USA rebuilding) as opposed to further chaos. The best part is the intricate detail. Naming individual sub-units gives a DM and players a chance to get a "real" feeling for the units and people they would meet. Also, I LOVE the history of the battles with the fighting built around "real" units in the war. You used the timelines from the manuels and the modules, but added in key events. I like it because it gives a chance to flesh out details for the players and history of units and people encountered, both NATO and Pact. I'll probably be doing some cutting/pasting and making this into a source book. Since you were also so through as to lay out your resouces, I'll will put that into as well, along with your credit. Thank you!

[Rainbow Six]

This is a brilliant piece of work. Very, very well done indeed.

[Hybris]

copy,paste ,print



Excellent work..

[Olefin]

RN - what can I say but that I love what you have done here. Its a great piece of work, full of details and really brings the events in Germany during the war and afterward to life.

I love how you have moved the story on to show what happens after Omega, which was basically ignored by GDW. I especially like how the US units that were left behind are still fighting with the Germans to help them reclaim their country from the Soviet and marauder groups and how the guys cut off in Poland havent been forgotten and left to die.

It shows how the canon can progress and move past the dates that we have from GDW, which is very important to keep Twilight 2000 a living breathing game, instead of an insect trapped in amber where we never progress past what GDW did.

I also like how you still have at least some operational aircraft left for the Luftwaffe - clearly they still would have had some kind of small reserve left and soon might be able to produce at least some aviation gas, just not enough for lots of aircraft.

One suggestion, if you dont mind - you may want to show what the Americans still have left in Europe and how some units probably have grown in size from absorbing men who got to Bremerhaven too late for the evacuation and thus were assigned to the remaining US units.

Either that or formed into provisional units under US control. Also some of the equipment that the Americans turned over the Germans may possibly be loaned to the US units with the proviso that if they do eventually evac back to the states that the loaned equipment has to be given back to the Germans.

[raketenjagdpanzer]

Either that or formed into provisional units under US control. Also some of the equipment that the Americans turned over the Germans may possibly be loaned to the US units with the proviso that if they do eventually evac back to the states that the loaned equipment has to be given back to the Germans.

While I would in no way suggest touching RN's work in being, for my campaign I could potentially see an "Omega II" to gather up those last forces, especially the remnants of XI corps/Vth and VIIIth division stuck in Poland.

[Olefin]

"While I would in no way suggest touching RN's work in being, for my campaign I could potentially see an "Omega II" to gather up those last forces, especially the remnants of XI corps/Vth and VIIIth division stuck in Poland."

That will happen in my campaign eventually as well but not until the war is officially declared over in Europe, which hasnt happened yet either in my timeline or in RN's. And I hope, RN, that you dont see my suggestions as being in any way saying you need to make any changes - just suggestions to what is an excellent work.

Have you given consideration to possibly submitting it to the fanzine as a continuing series of articles so that its not just here on the threads but there as well?

[B.T.]

This is a brilliant piece of work. Very, very well done indeed.

Have you given consideration to possibly submitting it to the fanzine as a continuing series of articles so that its not just here on the threads but there as well?

Hi RN7,

I absolutely agree with Rainbow Six and Olefin (and the others). I think it would be a good idea to do a continuing series, have you contacted Grimace?

Really a great read. I enjoyed it a lot!

Regards from Germany :D!

[Olefin]

Frankly RN7 this is as good if not better than several of the GDW sourcebooks I have seen that were officially part of the canon.

Every time I read it, it only gets better!

[Olefin]

This is staggering. What an amazingly well-done piece of work. You've taken the bits and pieces of the whole and fused them into a satisfying, crystal clear picture of wartime Germany. I doff my hat to you, sirrah. This is really, really well done. Honestly, throw in some color plates and you've got a work on par with what GDW was doing at the height of 1.0.

Bravo!

Completely totally agree!!!!

[RN7]

Thanks for the positive comments. Is everyone happy with the orbats and the inclusion of new German Army units then?

I've tried to create a realistic account of how German forces would develop in the later stages of the Twilight War. I've largely stuck with divisions as opposed to smaller units which can be hard to fit into a larger orbat. I was going to add an orbat for American, British and French forces in Germany as well but I think it might have distracted from the rest of the article.

I would like to add further to the article in the future.

The regional section needs some expansion. If I had the time I could double the coverage on the regions and cities of Germany and add some new sections on cities that I only covered briefly. But there is so much to write about and research and its hard to fit everything in.

The weapons and equipment section also needs some work, also maybe some more information on the equipment of the Luftwaffe and Bundesmarine. I'd like to do it in more detail in the future such as in the GDW sourcebooks or on Paul Mulcahy's website.

Also if anyone wants to add some characters their more than welcome to put them up.

[raketenjagdpanzer]

Actually a US ORBAT would be fantastic...or even a spun-off "US Forces Remaining in Europe" write up ;)

[Olefin]

A US Orbat could be a great spun off thread from this thread where you could give your idea of how the US units still left in Germany have changed since the last time they were detailed - which would be at Omega

Things like:

Did the US forces there form new units from those who showed up too late or add them to the existing units and if so how?

Since some of the US units stayed in Europe and are assisting the Germans in their fight against the remaining Soviet and marauder units did the Germans loan them some of the equipment the evacuating units left behind to make them more combat ready?

How are they now organized and who do they report to?

What is being done to get the units cutoff in Poland back to Germany or at least back in contact with the American units left in Germany.

One big question remains as well - will the Germans try to take back any of their old pre-WWII borders from Poland or possibly help the Austrians push the Soviet units out but at the price of Austria now becoming part of a new Germany?

[TrailerParkJawa]

I really enjoyed this. Had some time off yesterday and spent some of it reading through your work. I enjoyed the section about how things are in 2001 the most.

I did find myself wondering if I would support the West Germans. I can't personally support them crossing the border first. But Im not sure I can't just abandon them and say "hey bud you picked a fight your on your own".

[RN7]

British section updated with ORBAT.

[Cdnwolf]

Trying to work out a board game style map based on the information you gave. Great work.

[Panther Al]

Outstanding stuff.


I am really interested in hearing more about Austria and how the US Forces in the area are working out since that is the zone I played in the most back in the day.

[RN7]

Departing with Task Force 34 from Bremerhaven were the following major units minus their equipment.

US Seventh Army
I Corps
VII Corps
1st Armored Division (16x M1A2, 12x M1A1, 8x M1)
1st Cavalry Division (20x M1A2, 18x M1A1, 10x M1)
2nd Armored Division (1x M1A2, 3x M1A1, 11x M1)
44th Armored Division (4x M1A1, 2x M1, 12x M60A3)
1st Mechanised Division (4x M1A2, 16x M1A1, 10x M1)
3rd Mechanised Division (10x M1A1)
6th Infantry Division (6x M8)
35th Mechanised Division (9x M1A1, 14x M1)
36th Mechanised Division (10x M1, 21x M60A3, 4x M8)
38th Infantry Division (6x M60A3)
40th Mechanised Division (2x M1, 4x M60A3)
43rd Infantry Division (10x M60A3)
2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment (2x M1A2, 6x M8)
278th Armored Cavalry Regiment

According to Going Home they left behind their equipment which is 241 tanks (43x M1A2, 72x M1A1, 57x M1, 53x M60A3, 16x M8)

GDW doesn't break down the equipment levels in most units besides tanks and helicopters. I would also estimate an average of about 30 IFV/APC per division. 1st Arm, 1st CAV, 2nd Arm, 1st Mech, 3rd Mech, 35th Mech, 36th Mech and 40th Mech Divisions are M2/M3 equipped while 44th Arm, 38th Inf and 43rd Inf are M113/M115 equipped and 6th Light Infantry uses light vehicles. Most divisional artillery is self-propelled (MLRS/M109) with a few towed 155mm artillery units in the M113/M115 equiped divisions, while the 6th Light Infantry uses LARS and towed 105mm guns, plus add a small number of M3 and M115 in the armored cavalry regiments as a well as a few helicopters per divisions. Also plenty of HMMWV and trucks and some combat engineer equipment.

By my estimates per division (30x APC, 5-10x artillery and at least 30 light vehicles) departing US forces left behind..

241 tanks (43x M1A2, 72x M1A1, 57x M1, 53x M60A3, 16x M8), 330 IFV/APC (40 M3, 20x M115, 190x M2, 70x M113), 110 Artillery (10 MLRS, 60x M109, 40x 155/105mm) plus a few LARS and ADA, 400 Light Vehicles (maybe more) and about 30 helicopters.

I've distributed some US units around the German divisions but they would only amount to a division and a half of what was left behind.

[Olefin]

I would think that if any US units were issued equipment from the stockpile left behind by the Germans it would be the 1st Cav and the 107 ACR

The 107 ACR's 600 men regard themselves as part of the German Army - thus they would probably get re-equipped with at least some tanks and Bradleys so they could function again as a Cav unit, now under German control as part of their Army

The 1st Cav has a lot of men and a decent amount of tanks and probably IFV's as well - a very powerful unit for 2001 - I could see the Germans giving them some and using them for any operation to try to break thru to the cutoff XI corps, especially if they intend to use such an operation as a distraction for any ops in Austria to clear that area

As for the various outlaw US units - they could consider using the Cav on them as well - i.e. roll up and tell them there is still a war on and they can put themselves back under US and German control and see what happens

as well equipped as the Cav is I dont see what is left of the 11th ACR or the 1st-40 surviving long against them. The 70th could give them a pretty good fight though.

[RN7]

American section updated with ORBAT.

[Panther Al]

Excellent RN - You left the Best Cav unit in the US Army in Europe. Only quibble I have is that Sabre (2nd) would have a tank or three because everyone knows Grim Troop is the best troop....



OK.

A little Biased there...

[Olefin]

RN - two corrections you should probably make

you have the 5th Mech still in one piece in Poland - i.e.

5th Mechanised Division (3,000 men, 12x M1A2, 21x M1A1, 9x M1): Poland
• 1st Brigade (710 men, 12x M1A2, 3x M2)
• 2nd Brigade (1,100 men, 21x M1A1, 6x M2)
• 256th Louisiana NG Brigade (880 men, 9x M1, 12x M113)
• 1/5th Attack Helicopter Battalion (90 men, 1x AH-1F, 1x UH-1H)
• 1st Field Artillery Battalion (100 men, 1x MLRS, 3x M109A3)
• 7th Combat Engineer Battalion (120 men, 1x M104 AVLB, 1x M88)

there might still be survivors in Poland but most of the division is gone after they got overrun back in July of 2000

Also you have the 1st Cavalry Division going home with Omega

according to Going Home they stayed in Europe, with only a small group going home - from Page 13 of the module

1st US CD (3, 000 men, 48 AFVs): Currently in cantonment
near Rosenheim, with 2, 400 men and 43 AFVs present, These
personnel have decided to disobey the evacuation order, and
remain in Germany. The remainder have left for Bremerhaven
in small groups.

So 2400 men and 43 AFV's would still be in Europe while 600 men and 5 AFV's went to Bremerhaven, with the tanks going to the Germans and the men going back to Norfolk

the Germans might have given them back their 5 AFV's as they are still fighting with them against the Soviets and marauders

[RN7]

Thanks Olefin, ammended that.

[boogiedowndonovan]

cool stuff

have you checked out the NATO 1998 orbat on tanknet?

It has a very detailed German section, including Territorials, Luftwaffe and Bundesmarine. The entire orbat focuses mainly on ground combat units, but it does include Luftwaffe and Bundesmarine ground units. It also includes the German Territorial Army which is not just the Heimatschutz brigades and regiments but all sorts of defensive units.


I quickly scanned the US section of your article. Only two brigades for the 1st Cav? 1st and 155th? What happened to the 2nd brigade? disbanded and excess men and equipement sent to the 1st and 155th?

I think it would also be interesting to see what happens with the 11th ACR if the CIA contacts them and convinces them to declare for CIVGOV.

here's a link to the post on this board about the NATO 1989 orbat.

http://forum.juhlin.com/showthread.php?t=3504

[RN7]

cool stuff

have you checked out the NATO 1998 orbat on tanknet?

It has a very detailed German section, including Territorials, Luftwaffe and Bundesmarine. The entire orbat focuses mainly on ground combat units, but it does include Luftwaffe and Bundesmarine ground units. It also includes the German Territorial Army which is not just the Heimatschutz brigades and regiments but all sorts of defensive units.

That Orbats been around a while and I did reference some parts of it in my own orbat but thanks.


I quickly scanned the US section of your article. Only two brigades for the 1st Cav? 1st and 155th? What happened to the 2nd brigade? disbanded and excess men and equipement sent to the 1st and 155th?

See Olefin's post above.

[RN7]

French section updated with orbat.

[Tombot]

I. You are a VERY sick man RN7!
That is a load of over 80 pages. Stuff to read and to work with for this whole winter... Thanks, this is great stuff. I love to read it.

Btw: wasnt the Dead Zone about 50km instead of 5-10km east of the rhine ? If your right, i have to do new maps....(Oh NOOOO!)

II.
Trying to work out a board game style map based on the information you gave. Great work.

Another one of those sick ideas... :) aaaww i would die for a game like that. My wet dream would be (beside a board game) a PC-game with an editor to build all these fantastic scenarios. Endless replay-value.
Like the "Total War"-Series ("Rome"), where you could fight it out with a specific leader OR play on the highest level (small skirmish tactics AND large scale-strategy; pick your own preference).

[natehale1971]

the only thing i really have problems with your write up (and those of others) when dealing with the two German states in the V1 timeline... so many feel that the DNVA would be disbanded, or troops would get the kind of treatment they got in Real Life when unification happened. The East German Army was, in relation to its equipment and training, one of the strongest armies in the Warsaw Pact. It was outfitted with a large number of modern weapons systems... and thus was just to much of an advantage to keep it and use it to fight the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies. They would know their tactics, codes and proceedures to damn well... and that kind of an advantage you just don't give up so easily or quickly.

Especially since the original timeline showed that the Bundeswehr was having a really nasty time dealing with the Soviets and Pact allies, and thus the DNVA would be just to valuable to keep than to 'throw' them away... that's just a waste that I can't see someone fighting for their very existant would do.

Because it would just be too pragmatic to keep the DNVA as a whole, and any 'culling' would be done as the war progressed when evidence that said East German personnel was operating for the Soviets.

The DNVA units would be kept as they were with the same nomenclature, weapons, equipment, ranks, ect. at the start. And the phasing in of uniformed weapons, uniforms, equipment, ect would happen during the rotations from the front. DNVA units that were severely mauled would be disbanded and it's personnel would be transfered to other DNVA units to bring them back-up to strength.

Now i can easily see 'exchange' officers, NCOs... in positions as obseveers and adivsors in a manner similar to how NATO forces would have other nations personnel working with them to coordinate their operations. But these personnel would have an additonal role to look for anyone who'd be operating on the behalf of the Soviets and Pact forces.

I never really liked how GDW said that the DNVA units were forced to change their names and add a "2" to disginguish them form the West German units. Because that would be a major hit on their morale (because being seen as 'second best' just never is something that feels good)... hell, if you're gonna do that, might as well just redesignate them with unit names and numbers that follow the existing Bundeswehr units.

Those are some of reasons why in my campaigns that the DDR was offically still an independent state up until the French invaded the Rhineland... an act that caused the BRD and DDR to unify to create the DBR (Deutsche Bundesrepublik or German Federal Republic). I loved doing it this way since the French were trying so desperately to stop from happening, and their own actions actually caused what they were trying to stop.

When i get a chance I'll be posting the OOB that i came up with for the DNVA and Bundeswehr, that inculded the various branches that were not covered anywhere else... and a couple new groups that were created due to the continuation of the Cold War (such as the straegic rocketry forces & Airborne Landing Forces in the DNVA and the creation of civilian law enforcement agency - the Federal Police - in West Germany).

Land Forces (Landstreitkräfte), Airborne Landing Forces (Luftlandungstreikräfte), Air Force (Luftstreitkräfte), Air Defense (Luftverteidigung), People's Navy (Volksmarine, inculdes Naval Aviation & Naval Infantry assets), Strategic Rocketry Forces (Strategische Raketenstreitkräft), Home Guard Force (Hauptschütz), Border Troops of the GDR (Grenztruppen der DDR), Combat Groups of the Working Class (Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse), Construction Units (Baueinheiten), Peoples Police (Volkspolizei), Peoples Readiness Police (<>), Felix Dzerzhinsky Watch Regiment (Ministry for State Security, Stasi).

If you want, i can send you the OOB for the real world DNVA that I've got if you'd like to see it.

[RN7]

I don't quite understand your train of thought here.

East Germany as an independent state wasn't all that popular with most East Germans in real life. Most East Germans wanted a unified Germany unless they were payed up members of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (The East German Communist Party) and were getting all the advantages that being a member of that organisation brought to them. The Berlin Wall existed for one main reason, to stop East Germans becoming West Germans.

Why would the officer corps of the NVA and Bundesweher secretly cooperate and plan German Reunification if they had no intension of unifiying Germany.

Why would the Soviets and Warsaw Pact attack East Germany and start the Twilight War as we know if East Germany remained an independent state and the NVA wasn't cooperating with the Bundeswehr in the first place. If there was no West German troops in East Germany the NVA wouldn't have been able to take on Soviet forces.

[natehale1971]

I don't quite understand your train of thought here.

East Germany as an independent state wasn't all that popular with most East Germans in real life. Most East Germans wanted a unified Germany unless they were payed up members of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (The East German Communist Party) and were getting all the advantages that being a member of that organisation brought to them. The Berlin Wall existed for one main reason, to stop East Germans becoming West Germans.

Why would the officer corps of the NVA and Bundesweher secretly cooperate and plan German Reunification if they had no intension of unifiying Germany.

Why would the Soviets and Warsaw Pact attack East Germany and start the Twilight War as we know if East Germany remained an independent state and the NVA wasn't cooperating with the Bundeswehr in the first place. If there was no West German troops in East Germany the NVA wouldn't have been able to take on Soviet forces.

basically, what i am saying is that the DDR and BRD would officially be seperate states to rob the Soviets of the propaganda ability to say that the new unified state would be a rebirth of the Third Reich.

The reason why the Soviets attacked, was the fact that the West Germans had been allowed in to allow the East Germans to 'chose their own way'.. the leadership of the Bundeswehr and the DNVA were covertly communicating with each other after the losses of their most promenant units in the Far East Front against the PRC.

Also the DNVA joined the fight against the Soviets once it became evident that the Bundeswehr needed the support since the Soviets and other Pact allies where putting up a more fercious fight than they were expecting.

If you are fighting for your very existance you'r gonna use what tools you have, and not waste them... and maintaing the illusion that East and West Germany was two seperate states would rob those opposed to the fighting in europe as the rebirth of a miltary adventurism regime in the centre of Europe.

In reality, they would operate as a single state... but it wouldn't happen over night, but would happen naturally in a way that East and West Germany would be equal partners.

And not just the West Germans showing up and culling 25% or more of the DVNA as being redunant... because the reality that both German States really need those troops on the frontlines if they are going to survive.

Having the 'offical' stance that the DDR is seperate and working at their first true and free election in decades would be played up in a big way.. creating a good morale boost, and cutting the legs out from under the Soviets.

and when the two German states start working close together they would be brining the DDR up to the levels of the West so that the eventual unification would be beneficial to bought sides... with as little resentment as possible.

that's why i said the survivors of those DNVA units that got mauled would be used to provide reinforcements for other DNVA units in need of replacement personnel. And during the rest and refit periods those DNVA units would start getting Western Weapons, Equipment and vehicles to replace their lost Warsaw Pact gear.

[RN7]

German Reunification is one of the key events of the Twilight War, in fact it pretty much starts the Twilight War in Europe.

East Germany was a member of the Warsaw Pact. Once West German troops enter East Germany they compromise their membership of the Warsaw Pact and their neutrality in any German-Soviet war. As far as the Soviets are concerned the Germans are now the enemy and their not going to distinguish between East and West.

East Germany was also an artificial creation of the post-Second World War political reality of Europe. The Soviet Union and Soviet forces in Germany was the main reason East Germany continued to exist. It wasn't recognised by West Germany and wasn't popular among East Germans unless they were die-hard communists.

Besides adding the prefix '2' to NVA units I haven't altered the NVA Army at all. All the divisions still exist and but start using official German nomenclature from early 1997 but continue to use NVA equipment throughout the war. I did disband most border guards and state security troops as they would be considered politically unreliable, and the NVA air and naval forces were absorbed into their larger West German counterparts.

[natehale1971]

I always read it as the threat that German Reunification was what caused it to happen... while if left alone, the unification would have happened over time. We're forgetting that the West Germans crossed the border into East Germany and enaged the Soviet Forces in Germany by themselves... and that the DNVA and Border Guards all stood aside while this was happening, only getting involved when the Bundeswehr was about to get overwhelmed. during that time the DNVA carried out the coup that removed the civil authorities whom had no problem with them being used as cannon fodder.

The West Germans (and NATO) said they were going in to allow the East Germans to be able to determine their own destiny without being controlled by the Soviet Union.

Did the to German states want to be reunified? I think that the answer was a resounding Yes after what the Soviets had done to their nation during the past half century... the icing on the cake was their best troops being thrown away and seen as being worthless and only good as cannon fodder by their so-called closest allies.

I don't have anything really against what you've created, and don't want you to think that... i was just commenting on some of the things that GDW did with the way they presented Germany. And the disbanding of desperately needed troops on the front and second lines as well as homefront.

The Questionable units whose loyalty would be suspect would have been assigned to homeguard type operations (just as they were during WW2 and other wars that requried massive amounts of manpower), freeing up other units whose loyality was not as merky so that they could be used elsewhere where the were desprately needed.

When it comes to Germany post-WW2, the original idea was to strip away East Prussia and turn the remaining territory into three states (northern west germany, southern west germany and what became east germany) with two international zones (Saar and Ruhr Region). depending on the map and proposals this also inculded Austria and the sudenland...

As to the nomenclature, i understand your reasoning since it was part of how it was done by GDW... i was just mentioning how big a morale hit it would be for a unit to have to change it's name and get the feeling that they were once more being seen as nothing more than 'second best'...



German Reunification is one of the key events of the Twilight War, in fact it pretty much starts the Twilight War in Europe.

East Germany was a member of the Warsaw Pact. Once West German troops enter East Germany they compromise their membership of the Warsaw Pact and their neutrality in any German-Soviet war. As far as the Soviets are concerned the Germans are now the enemy and their not going to distinguish between East and West.

East Germany was also an artificial creation of the post-Second World War political reality of Europe. The Soviet Union and Soviet forces in Germany was the main reason East Germany continued to exist. It wasn't recognised by West Germany and wasn't popular among East Germans unless they were die-hard communists.

Besides adding the prefix '2' to NVA units I haven't altered the NVA Army at all. All the divisions still exist and but start using official German nomenclature from early 1997 but continue to use NVA equipment throughout the war. I did disband most border guards and state security troops as they would be considered politically unreliable, and the NVA air and naval forces were absorbed into their larger West German counterparts.

[RN7]

Richard you should post up your own version of Germany in Twilight 2000 as I'd like to see it.

My own version is not too far removed from canon but is set after Omega. I like most of the original setting of Twilight 2000, although there are parts I don't agree with or find a bit unbelievable. However as regards to Germany and the war in Europe I am for the most part generally happy with it.

[natehale1971]

Richard you should post up your own version of Germany in Twilight 2000 as I'd like to see it.

My own version is not too far removed from canon but is set after Omega. I like most of the original setting of Twilight 2000, although there are parts I don't agree with or find a bit unbelievable. However as regards to Germany and the war in Europe I am for the most part generally happy with it.

will do.

one the things i had about the euro-soviet war that could have been a little better, was the fact that most of the Pact nations didn't like how their troops were being missused during the fighting of the Sino-Soviet War in the Far East... and felt that the Pact should have had a few more countries or units rebelling. The other was that they really didn't cover the creation of units that would have been raised by many nations to answer the call to war.

[RN7]

Thought I'd start having a go at extending the German/Austrian senario a bit.

0545 Hours Brumoski Air Base Austria, 08 April 2001

Three weary eyed Soviet soldiers observed the head lights of four vehicles approaching in the dark from the guard hut on the perimeter of Brumoski Air Base; a small former Austrian Luftstreitkrafte base located about 30 kilometers northwest of Vienna. The officer in charge of the air base, Captain Gavrilov had received a radio transmission the night before from the staff of the Soviet 1st Southwestern Front in Vienna to expect a Soviet Army convoy between 5:30 and 6:00 AM that morning. Captain Gavrilov had roused the garrison of the base, a force of some 36 men of the Soviet Air Defence Forces who had been stationed at the air base since March 2000. In their eleven month tour at the base the garrison had encountered no hostile forces or rarely had any visitors, and had largely concerned themselves with foraging for supplies from the surrounding area. However the commanding officer of the former garrison had informed Gavrilov that Brumoski Air Base was seized by Soviet Paratroopers during the invasion of Austria in October 1997, and had seen some heavy fighting with defending Austrian troops and been bombed a few times by NATO air strikes.

As the Soviet convoy approached the perimeter of the base Gavrilov and his two men stood to attention as other troops within the base manned their positions including a machine gun nest opposite the guard hut. Gavrilov could see two UAZ-469 light vehicles, a large modern truck of Czech manufacture and a Zil 41047 Limousine. As Gavrilov saluted the officer in the front seat of the first vehicle and asked for paperwork, he noticed the officers sleeve patch was of the KGB Border Troops. The officer greeted Gavrilov and handed his paperwork to him, introduced himself as Major Kurakin of the KGB Border Guards and commended him for maintaining such a well turned out and alert garrison in such difficult times. Kurakin informed Gavrilov that an incoming aircraft was expected at Brumoski Air Base at 6:00 AM, and that a dozen men from his garrison was expected to perform an honour guard to greet the arriving passengers.

As Gavrilov’s men assembled on the runway near the control tower none of the troops in the convoy left their vehicles except for Kurakin, although Gavrilov noticed that some of the troops in the convoy wore airborne tunics and were armed with a mixture of weapons including some sub-machine guns of West German manufacture. Kurakin offered Gavrilov a cigarette as they waited on the tarmac of the runway. ”Go ahead Gavrilov take a few. Their Marlboro’s, much smoother than the cancer sticks we get from supply. We got a whole stash of them from an American unit we captured in Poland”. Gavrilov thanked Kurakin and said that he hadn’t actually seen an aircraft in flight since 1999. Kurakin replied that he could be seeing quite a few more in the near future.

6:04 AM the drone of a helicopter could be heard as its lights approached in the dawn sky from the northeast. The helicopter was small and sleek, far less clunky than any Soviet helicopter that Gavrilov had ever seen before. The Mil Mi-34 was a new light liaison helicopter that that had only begun to enter Soviet service in 1993, and before the war only a few dozen had been built. As Gavrilov prepared his men for inspection Kurakin walked towards the passenger door as two Soviet officers stepped out. The first was a stern looking middle aged General in full uniform, while his companion was a powerfully built Colonel in airborne field dress. Both men saluted Kurakin, briefly inspected Gavrilov’s men and walked towards the waiting limousine. Kurakin informed Gavrilov to guard the helicopter until their return and provide some rest and refreshment for the helicopter pilot. Within five minutes of the helicopter landing the convoy sped off in the direction of Vienna.

[RN7]

0700 Hours CIA Balkan Station, US IV Corps Headquarters, Uzice Serbia

“ Sergeant Reynolds is that the radio transmission from our agents in Romania? ” Yes Captain, it’s in code I’ll have it printed off for you in a few moments . It’s the sixth intelligence report we have had in two weeks from the Romanian section, something big is going on there.”

Captain King walked out of the signals hut across the courtyard of the former Yugoslav Army barracks towards the staff office of the IV Corps. King a 30 year old average sized black man shivered in the frigid morning air, and thought to himself its now Spring but it’s still freezing unlike in his native North Carolina, and how did he ever wind up in a God forsaken place like this?

In the main offices of the IV Corps King handed the radio report to a Lieutenant who quickly decoded the transcript. He then proceeded to the executive office were two Colonels and the regional CIA Director were seated around a large table. The Colonel seated nearest King greeted him and introduced himself as Colonel Turner from the 80th Infantry Division and told him to stand at ease. Turner then took the transcript from King and asked him to sit at the table in one of the vacant chairs.

After reading the contents of the transcript out loud Turner turned to the CIA Director and said “ Director Martelli what do you make of all this?”

“ Over the past two weeks we have had reports from our agents in Romania about increased Soviet military activity. Starting with a reported movement of Soviet forces across the Ukrainian border east of the Carpathians, a steady and continual movement of Soviet land forces has been noted from border crossings in the Ukraine and Moldavia over the past two weeks. Reportedly the Soviets have focused their activity along the Siret and Danube Rivers in the east and south of the country and around the city of Ploesti, but they have largely ignored Bucharest and other areas. The Romanian military command hasn’t the resources to confront the Soviet incursion which includes a number of armored units. Reports from Transylvania are very sketchy but agents have noted increased Hungarian activity and anti-partisan sweeps across northern Romania”.

“ Director Do you know what the Soviet are up to?

“ Colonel Turner to be honest I don’t. The Soviets could be trying to consolidate control of the Ploesti oil field, but they might also be trying to eliminate Romanian nationalist forces or simply shoring up their borders in the southern Ukraine and Moldavia where nationalist separatist forces have risen up against the Soviets. It could also be a combination of all three but the size of Soviet forces which is reportedly at least a few divisions in strength points to them being up to something else. If they continue building up their forces and then move west into Yugoslavia or south from Austria we could be in big trouble” .

Martelli turned to the other Colonel sitting at the table. “ Colonel Frazer what is our current position in Yugoslavia?”

“ Director we are strung out across the length of Serbia. Our three divisions are currently fighting a low intensity war with Croatian and Albanians forces along the Serbian border. We are low on ammunition, oil, supplies and have few armoured or heavy artillery units. We are located a few hundred kilometers from the Adriatic Sea, but we have no ships to take us anywhere yet alone a navy or air force to support us. We are allied with the Serbs but we can’t rely on them. The Serbs and the Croats are as changeable as the weather and if the Russians turn up in large numbers the Serbs will quickly switch sides. The other Yugoslav and regional forces such as the Bosnians, Slovenians, Montenegrins or Albanians are not powerful enough on their own to take on the Croats or Serbs. We have had no direct contact with the Civilian Government in Omaha for six months and Civgov hasn’t the resources or means to aid us”

Colonel Turner turned to Director Martelli and stated bluntly. “ Director if the Soviets are heading our way then we are literally dead in the water. We have no were to go and if we stay we will have to abandon our position and fight from the hills, or move across hostile territory to Romania or Greece or to the Yugoslavian coast in the hope that we can find some shipping to take us to America”.

“ Colonels I have been dreading having to make this decision, but it seems now that current events have forced my hand. Thank you for your reports and I think you know what course of action I must now take. Captain King please stay in the room until I prepare a coded transcript for you to transmit to the Defense Intelligence Agency staff at Neuburg Air Base in Germany.”

[RN7]

0730 Hours Vienna, Austria

The convoy of vehicles that left Brumoski Air Base an hour and half earlier progressed at steady speed down the A22 Autobahn along the east bank of the Danube River. In the back seat of the Zil Limousine General Alexei Likhachov remarked to his colleague about how much of Vienna was still intact as he was under the impression that Vienna was destroyed in the nuclear attacks in 1997. Colonel Erdman informed him that the city airport and an oil refinery in the northern district was targeted by nuclear weapons but the rest of the city was spared due to the historical importance of its architecture. As the convoy of vehicles stopped outside an impressive looking building in the old district of central Vienna General Likhachov asked Erdman what the building was.

“General it is the headquarters of the First Southwestern Front. Before the war it was known as the Hofburg Palace and was the official residence of the President of Austria, and was also once the winter palace of the Hapsburg Emperors”.

The General smiled and asked would the First Southwestern Front have a symphony to entertain him over breakfast.

Major Kurakin opened the rear door of the limousine as Likhachov and Erdman left the vehicle and approached the honour guard assembled at the front of the Hofburg Palace. All of the assembled guard troops wore full dress uniform and a tall and impressive looking captain greeted them and escorted them inside the building. A buffet with a selection of food and drink with waiters greeted both officers as they entered the reception chamber as the commanding officers of the First and Second Southwestern Fronts assembled in the room along with the commanders of the 8th Guards Tank Army and the 16th, 21st and 41st Armies. General Likhachov surveyed the assembled officers in the room before greeting them.

“Good morning gentlemen it seems that the war in Austria has been tough on you”.

Colonel Erdman smiled as the other officers glanced at each other before stepping back and averting their eyes away from the attention of Likhachov who was clearly agitated with them. Likhachov walked towards the head of the table and ignored the fine breakfast on display as the officers quickly took their seats at the table.

“ Gentlemen Mother Russia sends its greetings to all of you. Out capital city Moscow as you know was destroyed along with the Kremlin by the Americans in 1997, and the Politburo and the Soviet Strategic Central Command was reformed in the city of Ryazan. Today I am here to update you on the position of our forces in Central Europe and inform you of what our government expects of you. But first let’s have breakfast and you can inform me of how the war has been going for you”.

[RN7]

0900 Hours DIA Station, Neuburg Air Base, Germany

In the signals room of the DIA station in Neuburg Air Base in Bavaria the Corporal manning the radio spills his coffee over his desk as a coded radio message is received.

“ Lieutenant Daley you are not going to believe what has just come over the radio. It’s a coded radio transmission of an older type we haven’t used since the summer of 1999, but it seems to be definetely of US military origin. I’ll have it deciphered it for you in a few minutes”.

*** TO DIA COMMANDER IN GERMANY

MAJOR WARSAW PACT MILITARY INCURSION DETECTED IN ROMANIA, SITUATION IS URGENT. REQUEST MEETING WITH DIA STAFF AT LOCATION OF YOU’RE CHOOSING.

DIRECTOR JOHN MARTELLI, CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, SERBIA***

“ Jesus it’s from the CIA, I’d better let the brass know about this”.

[RN7]

1000 Hours US Fourth Army Headquarters, Luitpoldkaserne, Munich Germany

Lieutenant Riley walked towards the Fourth Army offices in the main building of Luitpoldkaserne Barracks. Saluting the Military Police officer on guard duty at the door and the Sergeant sitting at the reception desk he asked was the General busy as he had an urgent message for him. The Sergeant stood up and knocked at the General’s office door informing him that an officer from Signals had a message for him.

“ Good morning General Fischer we have had a radio transmission from the DIA in Neuburg”.

“ What’s the message about Lieutenant as I have to go across town to meet with the Germans shortly”.

“ Sir it’s a message from the CIA in the Balkans. There’s trouble in Romania and they are requesting an urgent meeting with the DIA. Neuburg sent it straight to us to ask for our instructions”.

“ The CIA! What do those idiots want? If it wasn’t for them and the politicians we wouldn’t be in the mess we are now and we might still have a country to go home to. I’ll have to call the executive officers to discuss this and cancel my appointment with the German Army Staff. Thank you Lieutenant ask the Sergeant to come in as you leave”.

[RN7]

1030 Hours First Southwestern Front Headquarters, Hofburg Palace, Vienna Austria

“ Gentleman your report of the situation in Austria has been very informative. In over three years your ten divisions have not progressed one foot since our initial gains in Austria after the instigation of nuclear warfare”.

The commanders of the First and Second Southwestern Front looked at each other as if they had just been issued a death sentence.

“ However Comrades I am not here to chastise you. The occupation of a hostile country is not an easy task. I served in Afghanistan before the war and also as an advisor in Africa in the 1980’s. In times like this and with powerful NATO armies facing you across the Enns River, the fact that you have held your ground and still occupy Vienna and the eastern half of Austria is to be commended. Our forces in Poland, Romania, the Middle East, China and elsewhere have hardly basked themselves in glory. This sector of the front is however going to become the focal point of our efforts to liberate Europe from capitalism, and your forces are going to play a critical part in that effort. Colonel Erdman will brief you about the wider situation in Central Europe as I have to urgently return to Budapest for discussion with the Hungarian High Command”.

[RN7]

1200 Hours US Fourth Army Headquarters, Luitpoldkaserne, Munich Germany

“Good afternoon Gentlemen, I am sure most of you are acquainted with each other. For those of you who are not I will introduce Lieutenant-Colonel Gallagher of the US Air Force and Director Freeman of the Defense Intellegence Agency. As I am sure you have all heard by now we have received a coded radio transmission from the Director of the Central Intellegence Agency in the Balkans this morning reporting some trouble in Romania. The exact nature of this trouble is unknown but the brief message reported a major Pact incursion into Romania, and if the CIA is worried enough to have contacted us then whatever is going on must be of some interest to us. Director Freeman what intelligence do we have about the situation in Romania?”

“General Fischer our information about Romania is very patchy. The Romanian threw their hat in with Civgov in 1999 and we have had few agents on the ground in the Balkans since. The Romanians split from the Warsaw Pact shortly after German Reunification, and the Soviets along with the Bulgarians and the Hungarians invaded to bring them back into the fold. As far as we know an ongoing civil war has been fought ever since between pro-communist and nationalist elements of the Romanian military. The Soviets occupy Bucharest and some other major towns including Ploesti, while the Romanians are also fighting a vicious war over disputed territory with the Hungarians in the north. If the CIA has directly contacted us after all this time they must be very concerned about what’s happening in Romania”.

“So you believe the CIA are genuinely spooked, do you think we should contact them?”

“I think we should General, if they are worried enough to contact us then it is also highly possible that whatever they are worried about will affect us as well. We also have no intelligence sources of our own to draw upon although we haven’t contacted the Germans or the British yet”.

“Do you think we should contact our NATO allies Director?”

“Not at the moment General, I think we should make contact with the CIA as soon as possible and also explore other intelligence options”.

“Lieutenant-Colonel Gallagher what reconnaissance assets does the USAF currently have available?”

“Sir at present we have two Phantoms equipped for recon missions, but they at Jever Air Base in Northern Germany. There are further assets in England but as ever aviation fuel shortages is a major issue for us. To be blunt we have some avgas but not enough to justify a low priority recon mission over a yet undetermined target in Romania. For such a mission it might be more economical to involve the Luftwaffe or the Royal Air Force”.

“Thank you for your opinions Gentlemen. I think contacting the CIA has to be our first priority to determine what the hell is going on. I’ll conclude this meeting on the basis of that. Lieutenant Riley could you stay and prepare a coded message for transmission to our CIA cousins in the Balkans”.

[RN7]

1230 Hours First Southwestern Front Headquarters, Hofburg Palace, Vienna Austria

General Baranov commander of the First Southwestern Front stood up at the end of Colonel Erdman’s presentation.

“Thank you Comrade Colonel that was a very informative lecture about the situation in Central Europe. I had heard that the Americans had withdrawn from Europe, but I didn’t know events in Poland were so bad”.

“They are General. Most of the US Army left Europe last November but some American forces remain in Poland and southern Germany. The Germans have pushed our forces out of Germany and most of the western half of Poland is under NATO occupation or is controlled by rebellious Polish forces. Although we still have over 20 divisions in Poland the morale of most of our units has seriously deteriorated and has collapsed in many units. Few divisional commanders are willing to comply with orders from our Central Command unless KGB Border Guard units are present. Although a few Polish units are still loyal to us, most of the Polish military can’t be trusted or is hostile to us. The Czechs are in far better condition but they are more concerned with defending their own territory at the moment and loyal East German forces are too small to be of any real significance to us. Basically outside of defensive action we can’t go on the offensive in Poland unless we transfer divisions from the Soviet Union”.

“Surely the Germans have been as badly affected by the war as us, and do the French not still occupy many parts of West Germany?”

“The French still occupy German territory west of the Rhine River and Germany has been devastated by our nuclear weapons. But they have made gains in pacifying many parts of their country, and the Americans also left many tanks and heavy weapons with them when they departed. Our intelligence sources in Germany estimates that the German Army can now field over 30 divisions and most of them are better equipped than our own forces”.

“What of the other NATO forces in Germany Colonel, and what is there fuel situation?”

“General some American are still in Germany. Perhaps as many as six divisions as well as some other brigades and regiments, although some of these units are known to be dispersed or out of contact with their command structure. We are not sure how much of their air force remains in Europe, but we estimate a minimum of a half dozen squadrons in Germany and England. There is also pro-Civilian Government American forces in Serbia estimated to be one western corps in size. We are not sure what the British are up to. Some of their army was observed leaving for England a few months ago from the port of Bremerhaven, but our agents have also reported large British forces remaining in Northern Germany with some of their air force. The Dutch and Danes have withdrawn to their own territory although a Canadian unit is still fighting with the Americans in Northern Poland. As far as we know oil is as in short supply to them as it is to us and we destroyed their refineries. Their using alcohol based fuels to power their vehicles and have only limited reserves of refined petroleum, diesel oil and aviation fuel. But they are still getting some oil from somewhere. We think the British or Norwegians might have reactivated some offshore oil platforms in the North Sea but we are not aware of any functional oil refinery in NATO territory in Western Europe”.

“Colonel Erdman if NATO forces are strengthening in Germany, how will we be able to advance against them in our current situation. Although we still have some ammunition and supplies our fuel reserves are very low and will be rapidly exhausted in any major future offensive. We also have no functional airpower as there is no stocks of aviation fuel in this theatre to support air operations”.

“General in February out Army engineers reactivated one of the Ploesti oil refineries in Romania. It’s only running on 5 percent capacity, but we have been refining stocks of petroleum and aviation fuel from the active oil wells in Ploesti for the past few months. Central Command sent an entire Army from the Ukraine into Romania to secure these stocks and the refinery two weeks ago. We expect to be able to mobilise our army for the first time in years and have fuel for air operations. Outside of the staff of the Strategic Central Command in Ryazan and our commanders in Romania you are the first to know about it. Over the next two weeks we will be reactivating air bases in eastern Austria and Hungary for offensive operations against NATO”.

[RN7]

1500 Hours CIA Balkan Station, US IV Corps Headquarters, Uzice Serbia

“Captain King the Lieutenant tells me you have a radio transmission from the Military Government forces. What are its contents?”

“Director the DIA has agreed to meet with us and have asked for a rendezvous in three days in Austria. The message states 0800 hours at the railway station in a place called Arnoldstein”.

“I’ll need a map to look that one up Captain. Could you go back to the radio and send this message I have prepared for the Military Government. I also have another message for you to send to the commander of the 76th Infantry Division in Titograd. I need them to prepare to evacuate from Montenegro and get ready to move the division to Uzice as soon as possible”.

“Lieutenant can you find Arnoldstein on the maps?”

“It’s on the border with Italy and Slovenia Director, about 8 miles southwest of Villach. It’s a small enough place and we don’t know if it’s still inhabited but according to intelligence we have on Austria Villach is still under the control of the Soviet 41st Army. The Italians are out of the war as far as we know and the Slovenians are anti-Soviet, but it could be a bit hairy if we encounter any patrols in the area.”

[Webstral]

Excellent work, my friend!

[RN7]

1820 Hours Brumoski Air Base Austria

One of the guards manning the guard hut ran into the mess building to inform Captain Gavrilov that a vehicle was approaching the base. Gavrilov slammed his meal down on the dining table and rushed out the door with his jacket and cap in hand. The guards at the gates loaded their weapons as well as brushing themselves down as they weren’t sure who was approaching. Gavrilov grabbed his field glasses and examined the vehicle approaching along the tree lined road in the failing light of the sky as dusk was approaching. “Stand at ease men it’s one of ours, I think it’s one of the utility vehicle that left for Vienna this morning”.

Gavrilov and the guards stood to attention and saluted the officers who stepped out of the UAZ-469 at the gate to the base.

“Good evening Captain Gavrilov please stand at ease. I hope that the General flew off on time this morning, do you have anything left to eat for the Colonel and myself?”

At the officers table Colonel Erdman and Major Kurakin relaxed and took out a couple of bottles of vodka from their bag. “Please give a few glasses to your men Captain and then join us for dinner”.

“You know Captain this is not my first time at this air base, I was here in 1997 when we took it from the Austrians. I was a Captain then like yourself and a member of the VDB. We were sent in from Hungary by helicopter and told that Brumoski was only lightly defended by reserve troops and that we could capture it in 15 minutes. They shot down two of our helicopters and killed 34 of my unit. I got a bullet in the shoulder and some shrapnel in my leg from a grenade. I spent a month in hospital after we took the base, tough sons of bitches those Austrians. I can tell by your accent that you’re a Balt, so are the Major and myself”.

“Yes Colonel I grew up in Vilnius in Lithuania and my family is a mixture of Lithuanian and Russian. Where do you and the Major come from Sir?”

“Were both from Latvia Captain, but the Major is a Russian and I’m German”.

Gavrilov looked at Erdman carefully before replying. The Colonel was well over six feet tall and a lean 250 pounds, and Gavrilov could see by the old scars on his face and flattened knuckles on his large hands that he had probably physically demonstrated to quite a few men the error of taking exception to his German ancestry in the past. “We are a mixed lot Colonel, there were people who claimed all sorts of ancestry in my town when I was growing up”

Erdman smiled “That’s a very diplomatic answer Gavrilov but relax I’m not going to kill you. I’m a Soviet like yourself. My great-grandfather came to Latvia from Germany in the late 19th Century and bought a large farm and a few hundred hectares of land. His first farmhouse was burned down by the German Army during the First World War, and then the land was seized by the Bolsheviks in 1919 and then by the Poles in 1920. By the time he and my grandfather got the farm back on its feet he died and the Nazis invaded and burned it down again. My family doesn’t care to much for the Germans”.

“Captain Gavrilov the Colonel and I will be staying at the base for a few days. We are expecting a detachment of engineers to arrive soon and upgrade the base facilities and resurface the runway. Over the next few weeks your base along with a few others in Austria will be quite a busy place”.

[RN7]

0730 Hours Arnoldstein Austria, 11 April 2001

Six men trudge through the waterlogged fields and woodlands a few kilometers south of the village of Arnoldstein in the emerging light of the dawn. The Slovenian guide had brought them across the border in the early hours of the morning after a stopover in the village of Kranjska Gora near the Austrian border the night before. The Slovenian Army had provided an experienced guide and some provisions to take them into Austria near were the border meets with Italy. Agent Sanchez, Sergeant Jones and three other armed soldiers had made their way up from Uzice in Serbia a few days before. Sanchez had highly sensitive documents in a water tight bag given to him by Director Martelli, with instructions to not allow it to fall into enemy hands at all costs.

Looking around the fields and outlines of farm houses silhouetted in the distance Sanchez thought to himself that the war seemed to have bi-passed this part of Austria. Taking in the morning air he could hear farm animals stirring in the distance, and the fences around fields and even the road signs on the few back roads they had traveled over were still intact. Relaxed but also a bit tense with excitement that they were finally reaching their destination, Sanchez ordered his men to check and load their weapons and be aware as he knew that a large Soviet Army garrison was located in the city of Villach less than ten miles away. Stopping at the first building they reached at the southern edge of Arnoldstein, Sergeant Jones pulled out a detailed map of southern Austria and checked were exactly they were and were the railway station was. Pointing to the street ahead of him the Sergeant spoke to the group. “The station is around the corner about 500 feet down the next street on the left. There should be two large buildings in front of it”.

As the group started to walk down the first street they are startled by a loud voice screaming at them in German. As they stop and look around and draw their weapons, they are surrounded by a force of about twenty men aiming automatic rifles at them from multiple levels of buildings on both sides of the street. Panicked and knowing that they are outgunned and surrounded another voice shouts out at them in American English. “Relax guys were NATO. Please lower your weapons and I’ll come out and meet you ”.

From one of the buildings on the right at the end of the street a tall man emerges from the doorway dressed in civilian outdoor clothing flanked by two other men in US Army fatigues. “ Good morning and welcome to Austria Gentlemen. I’m agent O’Neill of the Defence Intelligence Agency and we have been watching you approach Arnoldstein for the past 30 minutes. My two colleagues are Colonel Parker and Captain Washington from the US Fourth Army headquarters in Munich. The men pointing guns at you are Mountain troopers of the 310th Austrian Gebirgsjager Division”.

“You really got us cold O’Neill we thought you were the Russians. I’m agent Sanchez from the Central Intelligence Agency and my men are from the US IV Corps. Director Martelli sends his regards but he regrets that he could not make the trip as travel is not as easy as it used to be”.

“Don’t worry about the Russians in these parts Sanchez; they don’t come west of Villach unless they’re in tanks. The Germans make a point of placing Austrian troops close to the frontline with the Soviets all the way up to the border with Czechoslovakia. The Austrians love to bushwhack or snipe at any Russian patrol which tries moving west. It’s become like a sport to the Austrians now and the Russians know they are out in the country waiting for them. Please come on into the building and we’ll discuss things over some hot coffee”.

Sanchez and Sergeant Jones followed O’Neill and Colonel Parker into the main door of the building at the end of the street, while the others in the party are offered a flask of coffee and cigarettes outside from Captain Washington and a large shaven headed Austrian NCO. O’Neill sat at the table in the main downstairs room of the building and offers Sanchez and Jones a cup of freshly brewed coffee. “Well Agent Sanchez what is so important that you have come all the way from Serbia to meet with us?”

“Agent O’Neill we have had reports from our operatives on the ground in Romania about increased Soviet military activity. Columns of armor were observed moving across the border from the Ukraine more than two weeks ago, and as of two days ago they are reportedly still moving into Romania from the Ukraine and Moldavia. They are reportedly heading towards Ploesti and to the northwest of the country near Hungary. The Russians have sealed off Ploesti so we don’t know what’s going on there, but newly deployed helicopters have been seen in Romania and aircraft have been heard overflying Romanian airspace at night. We think they’re getting ready for something big, either a move against you through Austria or Czechoslovakia or against us through Romania and Serbia. Whatever they are up to Ploesti holds the key to it”.

“That’s fairly alarming news Agent Sanchez. The Fourth Army and our NATO allies will want to know about this. What does the Civilian Government and the US IV Corps propose to do about it?”

“Director Martelli has given me sealed documents in this bag for you to give to Director Freeman. Off the record if the Soviets are heading for us then we are not going to be able to do that much about it other than moving out of Serbia and fighting a rear guard action. Director Martelli wants to put aside our differences with the Military Government in the wider interest of the American’s still in Europe, and with the agreement of the commanders of our divisions he wants us to rejoin the rest of the US Forces in Europe. But we also have a problem with the Serbs who will turn on us if we show signs of suddenly withdrawing from their civil war with the Croats and the other powers in Yugoslavia”.

“Thank you for your candidness Agent Sanchez and I will have this bag in Munich before the end of the day. I expect the Military Government will make contact with your Director as soon as possible. In the mean time you are welcome to travel back to Salzburg with us this morning, or the Austrians can escort you back to Slovenia”.

“Thanks for the offer Agent O’Neill but I think we need to get back to Serbia as soon as possible. But I think my men could do with a hot meal before we travel if that’s on offer as well?”

[RN7]

1000 Hours CIA Balkan Station, US IV Corps Headquarters, Uzice Serbia, 12 April 2001

Captain King walked into the staff offices and asked the Lieutenant on duty to allow him to speak with the General. “General Collins is in an important meeting with Director Martelli and some of the staff”.

“It’s important Lieutenant we have word from the Military Government and the Serbs are at the gates causing trouble”.

“Come in Captain King the Lieutenant tells me you have some important news for us”.

“General the Military Government has sent a transmission provisionally agreeing to Director Martelli’s requests. They are awaiting a reply to confirm this and what steps the Civilian Government intends to take next. The Serbs are also raising hell outside the compound. A contingent of Serb officers has pulled up at the gates demanding that we send the 76th Division back to Titograd”.

“I thought they would be up here soon enough. Captain could you tell the Serbian officers that the 76th Division is being moved as part of a redeployment of our forces, and I’ll have the Lieutenant prepare a transmission for the Military Government after our meeting is over. Those Serbs are driving me mad; you know they have been playing us for years. The Russians are in Belgrade and Sarajevo and the Serbs claim that they have been fighting them, but our agents have seen Serbian troops in Belgrade and right across Bosnia. They know we’ve been cut off from the Civilian Government and other US forces since 99, and there using us to keep the Croats and Albanians busy while they carve up the remains of Yugoslavia for themselves. If the Russians head towards Serbia they will quickly turn against us”.

“General if we try and extradite ourselves from Yugoslavia the Serbs will also turn on us”.

“I know Director if we pull our 7,000 troops out of Yugoslavia were going to need either a very good diversion or something to intimidate the Serbs with. We also need to contact Colonel Turner with the 80th Division in Split to quickly mobilize them for a move out of Croatia”.

[RN7]

1600 Hours US Fourth Army Headquarters, Luitpoldkaserne, Munich Germany

O’Neill stepped out of the olive colored Mercedes G-Wagon in the forecourt of Luitpoldkaserne. He was feeling tired after the three hour flight from Salzburg in the DIA helicopter, and the drive from Erding Air Base had taken another hour. A heavily built Sergeant greeted him and escorted him to the Fourth Army offices were Lieutenant Riley walked with him towards the Generals office. “General Fischer agent O’Neill has returned from Austria”.

“Thank you Lieutenant. Please come in Agent O’Neill, I’m sure you know Director Freeman. We received the bag that you sent up from Austria last night and have contacted the Civilian Government forces in Serbia earlier today and have requested further instructions from them. Do you have any further information to add from your meeting with the CIA agents?”

“General I met with a CIA agent named Sanchez yesterday morning who seemed genuinely alarmed at the situation developing in Romania. Their agents on the ground in Romania have reported heavy Soviet military activity as well as the movement of military aircraft, and they think that they are preparing for an offensive through Austria against us or against their own forces in Yugoslavia. We haven’t noticed any buildup of Soviet forces along the front in central Austria, and our agents in Vienna haven’t reported anything out of the ordinary. However the CIA seems to think that whatever the Soviets are up to we will find the answer in Ploesti, while Sanchez also expressed some concern about the high probability of the Serbs attacking them if they suddenly withdraw from Yugoslavia.”

“Our own analysts also believe that whatever is going on in Ploesti could provide an answer to what the Soviets are up to, and the fact that aircraft movements have been reported in Romania makes finding that out an even higher priority to us. Other than increasing the alertness of our eyes on the ground in Austria we can’t really do much until we find out what’s going on there. But I will have to contact the Germans now to let them know that we have some concerns about a Soviet buildup in the east so as to warn their forces in Austria. Director Martelli do you have any proposals about how we can help the Civilian Government with their predicament with the Serbs?”

“General other than sending a large military force into Yugoslavia which we can’t do our best course of action might be to create the illusion that we are going to this. The Serbs know that the Civilian Government forces are on their own in Yugoslavia, but if they suddenly find out that this is no longer the case they may back off. However we could only do this if we know for sure that the IV Corps is planning to leave Yugoslavia and we would have to do it during a coordinated withdrawal in cooperation with our own forces, because if the Russians find out what the Civilian Government is up to they would cause them a lot of problems”.

“Director I’ll leave it up to you to organize a suitable schedule for the withdrawal of the IV Corps from Yugoslavia, and I expect you to keep me updated about it and about how you intend to organise a ruse to handle the Serbs. Agent O’Neill I need you return to Salzburg tomorrow and have your assets in Austria keep a close eye on what the Russians are up to in Austria. Lieutenant Riley I need you to contact Lieutenant-Colonel Gallagher in Neuburg to have the Air Force prepare an aircraft for a reconnaissance flight over Romania, the Director has made a list of sites we need to focus on”.

[RN7]

0700 Hours DIA Station, Neuburg Air Base, Germany, 13 April 2001

Lieutenant Daley walked out of the signals room and headed towards the flight control room looking for Major Grant; the Air Force liaison with the DIA. “Major Sir Jever Air Base has just been on to us. Their first RF-4C Phantom is grounded due to engine problems, while the HIAC-1 LOROP optical unit in the second Phantom is not working. They can fit the LOROP system from the first Phantom to the second Phantom but it hasn’t been used in over a year and they still have to test it to see if it’s working. They can still send the second Phantom out with other types of low or high altitude cameras but it will take some time to fit them for whatever configuration we want.

“What’s so special about that LOROP camera then Lieutenant Daley?”

“Sir the LOROP camera has a 66 inch focal mount that can take high-resolution images of objects up to 100 miles out. As the Phantoms are unarmed and the mission is over hostile territory the commander of the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing has stressed his preference for a long ranged optical unit to be fitted in case the Phantom air crew encounters any bogies.”

“How long before they can test LOROP or fit the other cameras on the Phantom?”

“About 12 hours at the earliest Major. However Jever said they also have a Marine Corps F-18D Hornet fitted with an ATARS reconnaissance system. The Hornet was deployed on one of the Navy's carriers but landed in Germany during one of the naval battles in the Norwegian Sea a few years ago. ATARS has low and medium range optical cameras and an infra-red sensor suite. It doesn’t have the range of LOROD but its highly capable and the Hornet is armed. The Marines said that their ready to go whenever we want then to”.

[RN7]

1000 Hours Western Romania

Major Bauer remarked to his navigator Captain Harrison that their flight from Jever had been very smooth so far. Thinking back to the briefing the Air Force had given them at the air base two hours ago, Bauer thought that everything was going to schedule. The Air Force believed that the Warsaw Pact air defence network was as degraded as our own, therefore there would be little or no operational radars, surface-to-air missiles or fighter aircraft. They were given a flight plan to fly east into Hungary and then southeast into Romanian territory, then to head north and then west back into Hungary before returning to Germany. Their flight path would take them over a number of targets of interest to the Fourth Army commanders in Munich; Cluj, Oradea, Ploesti, Suceava, Satu Mare, Timosoara and some adjacent air bases. Also stretches of highways, a few border crossings with the Ukraine, and the Hungarian border city of Debrecen and a stretch of the E71 highway which connected with Budapest.

The Air Force had also instructed the Hornet to remain at an altitude of between 5,000 and 10,000 feet over targets to allow the ATARS medium altitude optical unit to scan at its optimum range and avoid unwanted attention. However over Ploesti and stretches of the highways they were to drop to an altitude of 1,000 feet to allow the low altitude optical unit and infrared scan to work best. Although the ATARS was fitted in the Hornets nose were the 20mm cannon is usually mounted, they were still armed with four AIM-9 Sidewinders and two AIM-120 ASRAAM air-to-air missiles, chaff pods and infrared decoys in case they were intercepted. The Air Force has stressed to Bauer and Harrison the importance of their mission and to avoid combat at all costs. If their mission was compromised by flying at lower altitudes or enemy fighter activity they were either to remain at higher altitudes or return to Germany.

So far they had successfully completed reconnaissance of the selected targets in Hungary and western Romania, and were rapidly heading past Timosoara in a southeasterly direction towards Ploesti. Bauer hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary even when they were at low altitude but he was confident that the ATARS would pick up anything on the ground. Captain Harrison cleared the area ahead for radar signatures and advised Bauer to begin to drop altitude for the low altitude camera and infrared scan as they would be approaching Ploesti in less than five minutes. “Dropping altitude to 2,000 feet for approach Captain, speed now 400 knots”.

“Major there should be a river coming into view in a few moments which flows in a southerly direction a few miles to the west of Ploesti. We should follow the path of the river and then bank northeast and prepare to pass over the city”.

“Captain the river is coming into view, lowering altitude to 1,000 feet and speed to 300 knots”.

“ATARS scan is now active Major. Prepare to bank northeasterly and follow the path of DN1A highway straight in front of us which heads directly into the city. Primary target is an oil refinery lying due north in our flight path on the northern outskirts of the city. The low altitude optical has a field view of 138 degrees, and the infrared has a wide mode of 140 degrees and a narrow mode of 70 degrees. We should get a really good scan of everything in Ploesti at present altitude”.

As the Hornet passed over Ploesti Major Bauer could see a fair bit of activity on the street and roads of the city, with many vehicles neatly parked up or moving around. “Major we have a missile lock, ground based surface-to-air missile heading towards us. Counter measures activated, keep on present course and altitude until we clear primary target”.

[RN7]

1030 Hours CIA Balkan Station, US IV Corps Headquarters, Uzice Serbia

A sharp whistling noise broke the stillness of the morning over the small city of Uzice, as the sound of two loud explosions in the American barracks shuddered through the city. For a few moments there was no sound as smoke billowed out of the heavily guarded American compound. Then the sound of a claxon vibrated across the city as disoriented soldiers and civilians scampered about in a state of confusion. A team of fire fighters and medics hurried across the courtyard towards a burning building which served as a mess hall and recreation area for the troops in the base.

General Collins ran outside the staff offices asking what had happened to some of the panicking soldiers who were assisting the fire fighters. The General followed the soldiers running towards the mess hall as a medic appeared at the door of the building and stopped at the Generals request. “Sir the building was hit by some artillery. Nobody was killed but four of our catering staff is injured. We were lucky it wasn’t during our meal times or it would have been carnage in there”.

Twenty minutes later back in the staff offices Captain King asks to speak with the General. “Come in Captain do you have information about who or what attacked us”.

“General it was a mortar attack, they fired three rounds at us. Two hit the mess hall and one was a dud which landed behind one of the outer buildings. It was fired from a 120mm mortar, probably a UB M-52 which is a copy of the Soviet 2B mortar and has a maximum range of over 5,000 meters”.

“Most of the 42nd Division is camped out on the plains to the west facing Croatia or guarding the five roads out of the city. They must have sneaked in through the mountains to the east during the night. I suppose there no way of telling if it was the Serbs or someone else Captain”.

“No sir the UB M-52 was standard issue to the Yugoslavian Army before the war, anyone in the country could now be using one. Also General I have to report an urgent message from our scout teams in the north who have reported two large Serbian forces heading in our direction. One is in Valjevo about 30 miles due north of us, and the other force has moved down from Belgrade and is currently near Casak to the west. The commander of the 76th Division has also sent a transmission to us. They have reached Priboj about 25 miles southwest of Uzice, but they have been shadowed by elements of the Serbian 1st Provisional Mountain Brigade since they left Titograd”.

“Captain will you find Director Martelli and give him this information. It’s time the Military Government directly intervened to help our situation”.

[RN7]

1030 Hours Central Romania

Major Bauer thinking back over the past 25 minutes commented to Captain Harrison that it had been the scariest moment he had faced in an aircraft since his units duel with Soviet fighters over Norway in 1998. The chaff dispenser had dealt with the ground based surface-to-air missile that had been launched at the Hornet over Ploesti. But the Soviets had also opened up on them with a lot of flak which they were lucky to escape considering their low altitude and flight speed over the city. Harrison had also detected a second ground based missile launched at them as they cleared their primary target in Ploesti, but it must have been a personal short ranged missile as it didn’t trouble them once they increased their altitude and flight speed as they exited Ploesti. Harrison had suggested that they alter their flight plan by veering west into central Romania as there was a lower probability of being detected by Soviet forces. Although they had surprised the Soviets, they were now aware of their presence over Romania and any active air defence would now be looking for them.

The change in their mission flight plan had also added on extra time. They still needed to get a good look at the city of Suceava in the north east near the Ukraine and some of the border crossings. Harrison had suggested they bank to the east to prepare for a fly-over of Suceava. About 20 miles south of Suceava they needed to bring the Hornet up to the northwest, and then approach at an altitude of 8-10,000 feet to let the ATARS get a good scan and optimize their approach over the border crossings before returning home. “Major Bauer can you reduce our flight speed and lower our altitude to 10,000 feet. We need to bank due northeast in five seconds. F**K we have a radar lock on us, abort my last instruction and bank the Hornet south and increase our speed and altitude”.

“What is it Captain?”

“The ALR-67 receiver has detected a radar lock on us. It must be a long ranged radar as were over 25 miles from Suceava and were not near any known military bases. If it is it means long ranged missiles and fighters. Get us as far south as quickly as you can and then bank to the west, we’ll try and double back on our previous course through central Romania and get home. We will have to abort the rest of the mission. Damn we have a missile lock-on. MAWS receiver is detecting two incoming bogies closing fast. Major get us out of here as fast as you can, counter measures and jammers are now active.”

“Altitude now 20,000 feet and speed at 900 knots, where are the bogies Captain”

“First missile is closing fast. Jammers are having no affect, launching chaff”.

“I’ll release the drop tank Captain it will give us extra speed”.

“Chaff failed to defeat incoming missile, launching infrared decoys”

“Decoy has successfully deflected missile, but we have no more left and the second bogie is five miles out and approaching fast”.

“We still have time to take evasive action. Banking Hornet to the west and dropping our altitude. Sidewinders now armed and launching”.

“The Bogie has evaded the first Sidewinder but the second missile has impacted with incoming target. Congratulations Major now get us the hell out of here. Our current direction is due northwest, we should get home on present fuel levels provided we don’t encounter anything else on the way”.

“Captain do you have any idea what that was?

“No Major but it was a long ranged missile that’s for sure and it was a smart one. I thought we were going down for a few moments”.

Bauer lowered their flight speed and altitude to 10,000 feet to save some fuel and allow the ATARS to pick up anything of interest that they might flyover. Flying due northwest into Hungarian airspace Bauer thought to himself that their mission had still been a success. They had completed 80% of their mission parameters, including a low level reconnaissance of Ploesti which was their primary target. Bauer knew that they now hadn’t enough fuel to reach Jever, but they should easily be able to make one of the air bases in southern Germany.

“Major were 50 miles away from the Austrian border but the radar warning receiver is tracking three airborne targets to the north. Soviets are in the air looking for us”.

“Damn I thought we were home and dry. I hope their only Migs. Even a Fulcrum is short ranged, but were going to be in big trouble if their Flankers. They built that beast to take out an F-15 and it has the speed and range to catch us”.

“Major their now heading towards us and closing fast, I have a missile lock-on ”.

“Arming missiles now Captain. Launching both of the AIM-120’s, that should keep them occupied for a few moments. Afterburners on, were getting out of here as fast as possible.

“We won’t make Germany Major, but we should have enough juice to reach one of our air bases in western Austria”.

“Switch IFF on and break radio silence. Hopefully the Soviets will pick up an increase in NATO radio traffic and one of our air defence battery will switch on their radar and scare the Soviets from following us”.

[RN7]

1500 Hours US Fourth Army Headquarters, Luitpoldkaserne, Munich Germany

Lieutenant Riley walked towards the staff office with a printed radio transmissions for the General.

“Lieutenant come in, what have you got for me this afternoon”.

“General Fischer I have two urgent messages for you. The first message is from Agent O’Neill in Austria. The Marine reconnaissance aircraft we sent into Romania this morning has landed safely in Salzburg Airport. It encountered some trouble over Romania and was even pursued by Soviet fighters into Austria, but it has completed its mission and the pilots and the tapes are on their way up to Neuburg for debriefing and evaluation. The second message is from the Civilian Government commander of the IV Corps in Serbia. They are now asking for our direct help with a situation that is rapidly developing with the Serbian army”.

“Lieutenant could you contact Director Freeman who left for Neuburg yesterday and have him contact me as soon as possible. I need him to keep me informed of what intelligence we got from that recon flight and we need to put into action that plan I discussed with him to help the Civilian Government forces in Serbia.”

[RN7]

1100 Hours CIA Balkan Station, US IV Corps Headquarters, Uzice Serbia, 15 April 2001

General Collins sat in his chair at the head of the conference table discussing events of the past few days with Director Martelli and Colonel Martinez; the senior surviving commander of the 42nd Infantry Division.

“Director we have to meet with that vulture Petrovic in a few minutes. His convoy was spotted approaching Uzice 15 minutes ago by one of our patrols on the eastern road and we expect him to pull into the compound at any moment. Are you certain the Military Government were made aware of our situation and are going to help us”.

“General we received a transmission from Neuburg last night acknowledging our request. It was sent directly from Director Freeman himself and has been approved by the commanding General of the US Fourth Army in Munich. They are sending a surprise package for Petrovic as requested. I knew Freeman at Langley before the war, I can assure you he is an honourable man”.

“Colonel Martinez what’s the situation with the other divisions and with our situation outside of town?”

“General the 76th Division is still at Priboj. A force of unknown partisans is blocking the road to Uzice and their still being shadowed by Serbian regulars in the hills. Colonel Turner with the 80th Division in Croatia has reported no trouble since they evacuated Split. Croatian forces have shadowed them but are not obstructed them and they are reporting making good progress towards Slovenia. My own patrols have reported two Serbian forces of brigade strength approaching Uzice about ten miles away. One force is coming from the north with an estimated strength of about 600 troops including some cavalry, while Petrovic’s outfit to the east has well over a thousand troops. They have no armor but they have plenty of light vehicles of the “technical” type and a fair number of towed artillery and mortar pieces. I’ve redeployed the 42nd Division to the northern and eastern approaches to defend the city should the Serbs attack us, but we are running short on heavy ordinance of all types”.

“I’ve met Petrovic on a few occasions before, he is as slippery as an eel and one of the most brutal commanders in the Balkans. His troops have been up to all sorts of racketeering and vices since the war started, the Serbian command knew what they were doing sending him down here to intimidate us”.

Captain King appeared at the staff office door interrupting the discussion. “Sir the Serbian contingent had arrived in the compound. Lieutenant General Petrovic is at the entrance to the staff office and is demanding to speak with you”.

“Thank you Captain King, please let the Lieutenant General in. Now Gentleman when Petrovic comes in don’t say anything to him no matter what he says and let me do the talking”.

At Captain King’s request the three burly Military Policemen guarding the front door allowed Petrovic to enter the staff offices. He stormed straight pass King and walked straight into the conference room ignoring the staff in the reception room. Petrovic was a large man in his late 40’s and wore Yugoslav Army camouflage field dress with a Serbian flag on his arm and the distinctive Serbian Sajkaca field cap with a rank insignia badge. His attire and demeanor had an air of menace around him as his piercing light blue eyes peered at the General and the others in the room. “General Collins why have you pulled your forces out of Montenegro?”

“Good morning Lieutenant General Petrovic, we haven’t pulled any of our forces out of Montenegro”.

“General the commander of our first 1st Provisional Mountain Brigade has reported directly to me that your 76th Infantry Division has withdrawn from Titograd, leaving our forces in Montenegro exposed to Montenegrin and Albanian criminals and bandits. I see that your barracks has also suffered from attack recently. This is what our forces in Montenegro, Bosnia and Croatia have to put up with on a daily basis”.

“Lieutenant General the 76th Division is being redeployed. We don’t know the identity of those who attacked us, although from what our patrols tell us the only military forces in this area are Serbian”.

“What are you implying General. The Serbian Army is an ally of the United States Civilian Government, we are not terrorists. You know the Russian commander in Belgrade and his KGB spies has approached our General Stankovic proposing a military alliance, and they have offered us weapons and fuel supplies in our war against the Croats and other separatists. The General has so far refused to deal with them as he values our alliance with the United States, but if you push our generosity we will be forces to form an alliance with them in the interests of our national security”.

“Lieutenant General the United States also values its alliance with the Republic of Yugoslavia and the Serbian Provisional Army, but our division is being redeployed under orders from our higher command”.

“Please General don’t take me for a fool. Where are your forces being redeployed to and where is your higher command? We know you are on your own in Yugoslavia and are now cut off from the rest of your government who has no military forces outside of America. Do you know that even your rival Military Government pulled its army out of Europe six months ago? There are no more American forces left in Europe and you have no higher command and are completely on your own. If you are now planning to withdraw from our civil war then we will consider you an enemy”.

“Lieutenant General we are well aware that American forces withdrew from Europe last November, as both the Civilian and Military factions of the United States has reconciled their differences and are now fighting under one command again. Some of our army was withdrawn to the United States at the end of last year but they left behind their vehicles and heavy equipment, and part of our army and air force has remained in Europe. We are now under the command of NATO and the US Fourth Army in Munich. They are the ones who have ordered the redeployment of our forces”.

“YOU’RE PART OF NATO! Why we were not informed of this? Where are your forces going to be deployed and is NATO going to help us?

Lieutenant General some of our divisions are being redeployed to Austria to be outfitted with new equipment. Also since the Italians have withdrawn from the Warsaw Pact we can now send our naval forces into the Adriatic Sea without risk of attack. One of our helicopter carriers is preparing to land a contingent of Marines in Split to reinforce our troops in Croatia. NATO is also planning to send military forces to Serbia to aid you. A US Army aviation brigade and a German Army panzer division is preparing to move into Yugoslavia to help you liberate Belgrade from Soviet occupation, and a couple of German and Austrian mountain infantry brigades will also be sent to help you fight the Soviets in Bosnia”.

“My God General you can’t send German soldiers into our territory. My father fought with Tito’s Partisans against the Germans during the last war. They are brutal and will side with the Croatian Chetniks against us. We have long memories in this part of the world; the Serbian Army will not allow it”.

“Petrovic who exactly is now occupying your country? The Germans are our NATO allies and also yours it now seems. I’m not sending anyone into Serbia but you wanted to know who we are taking orders from and where our troops are being sent. If you don’t like it I will tell the German Army commanders when I meet with them later this week, but our forces are still going to Austria whether you like it or not”.

“General Collins you know that Serbian forces are outside of Uzice and awaiting my orders? We can also bring many more forces and tanks down here in a matter of days”.

Before Petrovic could finish his sentence the thumping sound of an approaching helicopter pulsated through the city. Petrovic rushed to the office window and could see a small dark helicopter landing at the helipad in the barracks. Petrovic followed by General Collins, Colonel Martinez and Director Martelli walked out into the courtyard to get a better view of the landing helicopter. The Serbian soldiers in Petrovic’s convoy dismounted from their vehicles and started to draw their arms. Colonel Martinez gestured to the two dozen troops of the 42nd Division and the Military Policemen in the barracks to surround them and aim their weapons at them and neutralize any potential threat.

The helicopter was a German Army Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm Bo 105 with a prominent black iron cross logo on its fuselage. It was a light observation and transport model with four seats. Three men dismounted from the helicopter; Agent O’Neill, an American officer in Marine Corps field dress and an efficient looking German Army officer wearing Flecktarn type camouflage fatigues and a distinct German officers peaked cap.

As Petrovic and the American officers acutely observed the three men walking towards them the sound of more helicopters could be heard approaching the city. These helicopters had a different sound to the small German one that had just landed. Looking up into the sky Petrovic could see two large black helicopters circling the outskirts of Uzice. One helicopter broke away from the other and flew over the barracks at slow speed about 30 feet above the American compound. Petrovic and everyone assembled in the courtyard could see that it was a US Army Apache gunship fully loaded with anti-tank missiles, rocket pods and a 30mm chain gun under its nose. Petrovic was left under no illusion about the firepower of the helicopters and what they were capable of doing to his forces.

“General Collins the Fourth Army sends its regards. I’m Agent O’Neill of the Defence Intelligence Agency, and this is Major Thompson of the Marine Corps and Oberst Schulz of the Bundeswehr”.

“Welcome to Serbia Gentlemen. Lieutenant General Petrovic it would save me a lot of trouble if you could express your opinions of the German Army to the Oberst who has kindly travelled down from Germany to meet with us. I’m sure he would love to hear them and pass on your thoughts to our NATO commanders”.

Petrovic looked at General Collins as if he was fit to kill. “General I need to report to my own commanders and I have get back to my men as soon as possible”. Looking sternly at General Collins Petrovic’s exclaimed” We will remember this day” before walking towards his convoy and ordering his men sharply to leave.

General Collins thought out loud as Petrovic walked towards his vehicle” I’ll bet you will you horrible bastard”. Director Martelli and the other officers smiled.

“Agent O’Neill you timed your arrival to perfection. Where did you get the helicopters from?”

“General we took some of the Seventh Army when they evacuated last November. We have a few in storage along with some vehicles. The Slovenians have agreed to allow your forces to cross their territory into Austria. We agreed to give them a bit of military aid and the Germans have also agreed to base a small contingent of troops in their territory close to Serbia to deter any Serbian attack on them. We will send a helicopter down to pull your staff out when you want to leave, and the Germans will send down the odd flight or two over the next few weeks to give the impression that they are getting involved in their civil war. What did you tell Petrovic to piss him off?”

“I told him the Marines are invading Croatia and half of the German Army will be marching on Belgrade. I think he believed it”.

[Webstral]

Think seriously about turning this into a Twilight: 2000 novel. You could be the shot in the arm that the genre needs.

[RN7]

1000 Hours Kiel Airport Germany, 18 April, 2011

General Fischer and Director Freeman disembarked from the Army OH-58D helicopter on the tarmac of the airport. They had travelled up from Munich that morning with intelligence imagery and documents to brief the command staff of the German Army. The General thought to himself that Director Freeman had been prudent in contacting the DIA station in Portsmouth. The reconnaissance flight over Romania had revealed a lot of new intelligence about Soviet capabilities. Portsmouth would get word to the Military Government in Colorado Springs through the Navy who kept a ship on station in the Atlantic to keep a communications links with America open. Although Colorado Springs or US forces on the East Coast would not be able to send reinforcements, they could fund or put pressure on the British to supply them with some precious diesel and aviation fuel.

A Luftwaffe Captain saluted Fischer and Freeman and escorted them inside the main terminal of the airport. General Fischer remarked to the German Captain that the airport was in very good condition and looked like it hadn’t been affected by the war at all. The Captain replied that reconstruction of the country was now a top priority for the government and Schleswig was now one of the most recovered and stable parts of Germany, although establishing regular power supplies was still a problem to them. On the first floor of the building the Captain directed Fischer and Freeman to a large conference room, were a military police Sergeant led them inside as a team of heavily armed Federal Border Guards in black jump suits carefully scrutinized them.

Inside the conference room a number of high ranking officers were seated around a large table with a detailed map of Central Europe and the Balkans on the wall in the background. The officer seated at the head of the table welcomed them and then introduced them to the assembled officers in the room.

“Good Morning Gentlemen I hope you had a good flight up from Munich? I am General Halder the acting Defence Chief of Staff of the Bundewehr. I expect you already know General Korner of the First German Army in the south. The other men at our table are the commanders of the Second and Third German Armies, the Eight Austrian Corp, the Luftwaffe, the director of Germany’s Military Counterintelligence Service and General Mackenzie of the British Army. General Fischer how long have you known about the recent developments in the east?”

“General Halder we received word last week from the command of Civilian Government forces in Serbia about a major increase in Soviet military activity in Romania. Without any tangible assets on the ground in Romania to confirm this information, we sent a reconnaissance flight over Romania a few days ago to assess a number of targets of interest to us. We also informed the First Germany Army of our concerns which General Korner will confirm”.

“General Fischer why did the US Civilian Government approach you?”

“We believe they were sufficiently alarmed about the developing situation in Romania which had been reported to them by their agents over the past few weeks. They came to the conclusion that Warsaw Pact forces in Romania were massing for either a push into Yugoslavia against them or against NATO through Austrian territory. They believed that a move against Yugoslavia would make their position in Serbia untenable”.

“General did your reconnaissance reveal any new information about the Civilian Governments concerns?”

“Yes we obtained significant aerial photo-imagery of a number of targets in Romania and Hungary in addition to obtaining intelligence supplied to us by Civilian Government agents on the ground. The director and I have imagery samples and documents in our brief case to present to you about our concerns”.

Fischer walked towards the large map on the wall as Freeman handed out prepared intelligence briefings to the seated officers. Pointing to map Fischer highlighted Ploesti.

“Gentleman we believe Ploesti is central to what the Soviets are up to. We have known for some years that there were active oil wells in the Ploesti area. However our reconnaissance flight also detected evidence of an active oil refinery on the outskirts of the city including intact industrial and refining infrastructure, visible emissions and recent industrial waste. Imagery also pointed to fuel storage in locations across the city and the presence of large military forces with military vehicles. Additional reconnaissance of Warsaw Pact garrisons in Romania and Hungary has also confirmed concentrations of armored forces, and detected military convoys on highways and evidence of operational aircraft at air bases. Although the deployment of Warsaw Pact air and mechanized forces is of concern to us, an oil refinery capable of producing petroleum and aviation fuel is critically important to our defense position in Central Europe. Intelligence from our agents behind the lines in Austria has also reported an increase in Soviet activity, and our reconnaissance flight over Romania was engaged by active Soviet air defences and pursued into Austria by Soviet fighter aircraft”.

“General this news is alarming. If the Soviets have regular fuel supplies they can mobilise their forces and move reinforcements from the Soviet Union. With air power they could march all the way to the Rhine or the English Channel”

“General Halder our intelligence did point to an increase in Soviet military forces and the presence of military aircraft. But the size of the forces we detected was significant rather than massive. Without access to satellite imagery we can give no accurate assessment of the level of their forces. However the fact that they seem to have access to regular refined fuel supplies is of greatest concern to us”.

“Do you have any idea what their planning?”

“General we believe their preparing for a renewal of offensive action. They may be planning a move against Yugoslavia, but we consider it more likely they are planning to attack Austria. It may also just be just a ploy to draw our forces south to relieve their position in Poland, and it could be a combination of all of these scenarios. But the fact that they have operational airpower means they can simultaneously attack across many fronts”.

“General Fischer our own intelligence sources in Poland point to the Soviets being largely incapable of sustained offensive action against NATO forces. Although they still retain large forces in eastern Poland, their reliability is questionable. For quite some time they have shown no appetite to engage any major NATO force beyond defensive actions, and most of Poland is in now in turmoil with the Polish military having split into many factions”.

“General Halder that matches our own assessment of Soviet capabilities in Poland, although we believe Czech and Hungarian forces are a lot more cohesive than the Poles. The exact role of Czechoslovakia and Hungary in Soviet plans is uncertain, but if they are involved we can expect the main focus of the Warsaw Pact offensive to be towards Austria. If Soviet forces advance on a wider front through Austria and Czechoslovakia they will directly invade Southern Germany, which means that the First German Army will have to be reinforced from other NATO commands which could affect the integrity of other fronts. The US Fourth Army is prepared to defend Austrian and German territory”.

“General Fischer how prepared are American forces in Europe?”

“It would be difficult to quickly transfer the US XI Corps in Northern Poland to Southern Germany due to fuel shortages, war weariness and poor road conditions in Poland. Unfortunately much of our armored forces are with the XI Corps. However forces of the US Fourth Army in Southern Germany are already highly integrated with the First German Army and at a relatively high state of readiness. We also retain significant stocks of armored vehicles and weapons inherited from the departing US Seventh Army. The Civilian Government in Yugoslavia has also agreed to rejoin NATO and place the three divisions of the US IV Corps under Fourth Army command. The IV Corps is currently preparing to evacuate Serbia through Slovenian territory. The Seventeen Air Force retains well over 30 operational aircraft and could draw on additional reinforcements from the Third Air Force in the UK in an emergency. However aviation fuel is in short supply and at present we could not sustain extended combat operations. Basically lack of all types of fuel is our main problem at the moment”.

General Mackenzie joined the discussion for the first time.” General Fischer you are aware that British forces have access to oil supplies and have an oil refining capacity?

“Yes I am General and I was waiting for you to mention it. We assume that the Soviets are unaware that British forces have reactivated the Teeside oil refinery; if they did I doubt they would be planning to resume any offensive action. I don’t have the authority to ask the British Government to supply NATO forces in Europe with fuel supplies, but Director Freeman has informed Colorado Springs about our defence concerns and our diplomats in Portsmouth”.

“I’m glad you have General as unfortunately I have no control over British fuel supplies to either our own forces or our allies in Germany. However the defence position of the British Army in Germany will be compromised by a new Soviet offensive against NATO territory, and I will be happy to communicate all the issues and concerns from your briefing to our commanders in the UK as soon as possible”.

“If you can help that would be appreciated General Mackenzie. General Halder my staff discussed a few proposals with General Korner in Munich before we departed for Kiel about how we might best prepare our forces in Austria and Bavaria. All we can really do at the moment is prepare a strategy for containing any Warsaw Pact offensive against us and organise our forces to stop it”.

[Dogger]

Awesome stuff RN!!

[FPSlover]

Interesting read. Thank you for sharing this.