Twilight Spain

[Enfield]

I'm going to be focusing much of my campaign around Spain/The Iberian Penninsula. I am creating this thread to brainstorm my ideas in order to refine the work I'm doing.

A lot of this project comes from the backstory of one of the players. His character, a US Army Ranger, met a female Spanish staff officer before the war broke out, and they had fallen in love and now he wants to find her and either stay with her or bring her back to his home state in Rhode Island. I liked this story arc and decided something could be done with it.

The main source for Spain is Mediterranean Cruise and the Twilight timeline for V1 and V2.2.

Spanish Nuclear Targets
Madrid (Industrial center and capital)
Gibraltar
San Roque Refinery (near Gibraltar)
Santa Cruz de Tenerife Refinery (Canary Islands)

Spanish Army Order of Battle
South:
II Brigade (Malaga Coast/Anadusia)
VI Brigade (Andalusia interior)

North:
V Brigade (Galcia)
X Brigade (Madrid region)
XII Brigade (Valencia)
XI Brigade (Badajoz Province)

Spanish Army Small Arms

(WIP)

[StainlessSteelCynic]

As a point of trivia that might actually be useful: -
Spain is one of the world's largest producers of olive oil (in the 2000s it's something like 40+% of the world's total production if I remember right) with Andalusia being the main region for olive oil.

And from something I read somewhere on the net, it's apparently also the least densely populated nation in Europe - so lots of open land in the rural areas.

[Vespers War]

As a point of trivia that might actually be useful: -
Spain is one of the world's largest producers of olive oil (in the 2000s it's something like 40+% of the world's total production if I remember right) with Andalusia being the main region for olive oil.

And from something I read somewhere on the net, it's apparently also the least densely populated nation in Europe - so lots of open land in the rural areas.

Yeah, Spain's roughly 50% of olive oil production for the last couple years. Close to 70% of their production comes from Jaen province, which is in Andalusia (the rest of Andalusia produces 5% of Spain's olive oil).

Spain's also a leading producer of oranges, mandarins, and onions, and is usually second to Italy for lemons, limes, grapefruit, and tomatoes. There are also massive vineyards, and by the mid-80s Spain had gone from a grain importer to a grain exporter.

Spain also had around 15,000 fishing vessels in the mid-80s, with about 2,000 being deep water ships and the rest being coastal craft. One-third of the EC's fishermen were Spaniards.

[Raellus]

Yes!

I just read a couple of books about the Spanish Civil War. I've got tome thoughts about what Spain might look like in the v1 timeline.

[Legbreaker]

Hmm, apparently it makes pretty good biodiesel, however this is rare mainly because it's expensive and more financially beneficial to use for other purposes.
That may change of course in T2K.

[Raellus]

I think the Catalans and Basques would make a play for autonomy/independence during the Twilight War. With Madrid nuked, I don't see any way of stopping separatists from achieving their goals, short of armed force. But would there even be a central government around to order such thing? Would most Spaniards have the stomach for that? Probably not.

[Rainbow Six]

Spanish Nuclear Targets
Madrid (Industrial center and capital)
Gibraltar
San Roque Refinery (near Gibraltar)
Santa Cruz de Tenerife Refinery (Canary Islands)

Minor point, but Gibraltar isn't Spanish. It's British Sovereign territory.

[Vespers War]

Minor point, but Gibraltar isn't Spanish. It's British Sovereign territory.

I expect that would remain the case only so long as the British are able to project power overseas.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Considering that it has a permanent British population (military and civilian) and has elements stationed there from all three of the British Armed Forces, it's unlikely to be completely ignored by the British even if they can't project power overseas - until it gets nuked that is.
It plays a significant role not simply by controlling access to the Mediterranean but in British military communications in the Med and Northern Africa (both of which are highly likely the reason it gets a nuke in the first place)

It's not self-sufficient but it has a fairly healthy relationship with Spain in terms of purchasing goods & services from Spain and also employing Spanish locals.
With that in mind and as a bastion of British military force in the region it's likely to be attractive to Spanish people in the vicinity as a refuge from lawlessness etc. etc. - until it gets that nuclear warhead or two.

I'm inclined to think that after being treated to a nuke, there wouldn't be much left worth worrying about so that the British government could safely ignore it (even to the point of forgetting about it completely).
But the reason I mention all of the above is that, as long as any attacks don't render it completely destroyed or uninhabitable, Gibraltar makes an interesting adventure location that could be expanded into something akin to the Free City of Krakow (with the bonus of having waterborne adventures)

[Legbreaker]

From the bit of research I've done, unless directly hit with a nuke, Gibraltar should still be operational in 2000. During WWII, still decades before tunnelling was completed (1968), it was able to house 16,000 men with supplies for 16 months. It's internal volume has only increased since then, with measures installed to minimise damage from nearby nukes. Not sure occupants would survive a direct hit, but it'd still be a better chance than almost anywhere else on the planet besides a few purpose built shelters.
Some of the WWII tunnels have had to be closed for safety reasons (speed of tunnelling rather than longevity was the priority), but if the space was really needed, I'm sure some of those areas could be made a bit safer and used as storage/refugee shelter.

[Enfield]

I think the Catalans and Basques would make a play for autonomy/independence during the Twilight War. With Madrid nuked, I don't see any way of stopping separatists from achieving their goals, short of armed force. But would there even be a central government around to order such thing? Would most Spaniards have the stomach for that? Probably not.

I'm going with the idea of a nominal government, but that the country is actually balkanized, with some parts in anarchy, others devastated, and the rest in cantonments.

In general, what I have concocted is the idea that the Royal Family and Prime Minister were evacuated somewhere, but if they are contacting anyone, it seems to be from some bunker that no one is actually physically in touch with. The main central government figure is the Minister of the Interior, who gives orders in the name of the prewar government.

My campaign will also detail three military cantonments, one surviving civilian government provincial capital, and a number of surviving communities struggling to keep going. Separatists will largely be in the same boat, being more focused on surviving and stockpiling goods than anything else.

[Enfield]

Considering that it has a permanent British population (military and civilian) and has elements stationed there from all three of the British Armed Forces, it's unlikely to be completely ignored by the British even if they can't project power overseas - until it gets nuked that is.
It plays a significant role not simply by controlling access to the Mediterranean but in British military communications in the Med and Northern Africa (both of which are highly likely the reason it gets a nuke in the first place)

It's not self-sufficient but it has a fairly healthy relationship with Spain in terms of purchasing goods & services from Spain and also employing Spanish locals.
With that in mind and as a bastion of British military force in the region it's likely to be attractive to Spanish people in the vicinity as a refuge from lawlessness etc. etc. - until it gets that nuclear warhead or two.

I'm inclined to think that after being treated to a nuke, there wouldn't be much left worth worrying about so that the British government could safely ignore it (even to the point of forgetting about it completely).
But the reason I mention all of the above is that, as long as any attacks don't render it completely destroyed or uninhabitable, Gibraltar makes an interesting adventure location that could be expanded into something akin to the Free City of Krakow (with the bonus of having waterborne adventures)

Yes, Gibraltar is British, and should have been identified as such. Trying to work out what if anything would have survived. I know there are tunnels beneath it, and I'm wondering if there would be a bunker that would still be operational.

[Enfield]

As a point of trivia that might actually be useful: -
Spain is one of the world's largest producers of olive oil (in the 2000s it's something like 40+% of the world's total production if I remember right) with Andalusia being the main region for olive oil.

And from something I read somewhere on the net, it's apparently also the least densely populated nation in Europe - so lots of open land in the rural areas.

Thanks for noting that one. While I had been researching Spanish agriculture, I had not known the bolded part.

[Olefin]

I have Med Cruise and have played it too back in college - the V1 canon from the module includes both info on Gibraltar and Spain

Spain first

"CONDITIONS IN SPAIN

Despite the urging of both sides, Spain, a member of NATO, maintained a policy of neutrality throughout the war. When the United States entered the war in 1996, the Spanish government closed American bases within its territory (the U.S. naval base at Rota was the most important of these), and denied passage rights to American military ships and aircraft.

With the nuclear strikes, however, the refineries and oil processing facilities of Spain, like those of other neutral countries, were attacked to deny them to the enemy. Taking advantage of the disorder which followed the nuclear attacks, Basque and Catalan separatists soon entered into open revolt against the government in Madrid, and a low-level civil war began.

Between these revolts and the civil unrest caused by the world-wide depression of 1997-2000, the Spanish government was placed under increasing strain, and it was unable to hold onto the areas in revolt. The area of the western Pyrenees is under Basque control; Catalonia (roughly the area from the eastern Pyrenees south to the latitude of Valencia) is effectively independent as well.

The Spanish government nominally controls the rest of the country, but this control is limited to sporadic antimarauder sweeps by the army or the Guardia Civil (a paramilitary national police force).

In 1999, a military coup overthrew the constitutional monarchy, but they were unable to reunite the country. Nominally, the junta of generals controls the whole country, but they exercise government control effectively only within the range of their rifles."

Given that Madrid was most likely NOT nuked (i.e. the govt area itself) but the refineries and oil processing centers were. Interesting enough the base at Rota does not appear to have been nuked.

The Basques and Catalonians have made their areas basically independent.

The V2 canon is different

"Iberian Peninsula: Although neutral, Spain and Portugal suffered the fate handed out to France because of their ports and oil handling facilities. The central governments are both a shambles, now represents mostly by roving bands of Guardia Civil and army units which lead a semi-marauder/extortionist existence.

Gibraltar and the area within 20 kilometers of it are in anarchy; the
rest of the peninsula is insular, terrorized, devastated, or independent."

Thus a lot depends on if you are writing a V1 or V2.2 guide

[Olefin]

Spanish Army 1989 - i.e. V1 timeline - about 300,000 men

1st Armored Division
2nd Infantry Division
3rd Infantry Division
4th Mountain Division
5th Mountain Division

other troops

1st and 2nd Cavalry Brigades
Airmobile Infantry Brigade
Parachute Infantry Brigade
Spanish Legion Command
Special Operations Command
Army Aviation
Artillery Corps
Engineer Corps

Also there were Territorial units as well

If you look at V2.2. however - where the European Armies started to reduce their forces its a much smaller force - the Army was reduced to only about 190,000 men, most of the Territorial Units were gone and the number of divisions was reduced with only two divisions left

Division Castillejos
Division San Marcial

the rest of the forces from 1989 are still there but much reduced - the Spanish Legion for instance went from four regiments to two, the Airmobile Brigade was reduced etc.

So again what is left of the Spanish Army depends on your timeline

[Enfield]

Spanish Army 1989 - i.e. V1 timeline - about 300,000 men

1st Armored Division
2nd Infantry Division
3rd Infantry Division
4th Mountain Division
5th Mountain Division

other troops

1st and 2nd Cavalry Brigades
Airmobile Infantry Brigade
Parachute Infantry Brigade
Spanish Legion Command
Special Operations Command
Army Aviation
Artillery Corps
Engineer Corps

Also there were Territorial units as well

If you look at V2.2. however - where the European Armies started to reduce their forces its a much smaller force - the Army was reduced to only about 190,000 men, most of the Territorial Units were gone and the number of divisions was reduced with only two divisions left

Division Castillejos
Division San Marcial

the rest of the forces from 1989 are still there but much reduced - the Spanish Legion for instance went from four regiments to two, the Airmobile Brigade was reduced etc.

So again what is left of the Spanish Army depends on your timeline

Thanks very much. I agree with what you're saying. The V1 Timeline interests me more, but I also may modify that for my own campaign. Of course, generally most armies are reduced by the Twilight War anyway.

[Olefin]

I agree that most armies have been reduced by the Twilight War - Spain however didnt see the same level of conflict as the others - but it also depends on your timeline - the much larger army of V1 would have a bigger presence than the smaller army of V2.2

Also Spain appears to be in worse shape in V2.2 than in V1 - i.e. the Spain of Med Cruise appears to be in better shape than the Spain of V2.2

[Enfield]

I agree that most armies have been reduced by the Twilight War - Spain however didnt see the same level of conflict as the others - but it also depends on your timeline - the much larger army of V1 would have a bigger presence than the smaller army of V2.2

Also Spain appears to be in worse shape in V2.2 than in V1 - i.e. the Spain of Med Cruise appears to be in better shape than the Spain of V2.2

Yes, this is true.

One thing I am trying to work on is equipment, and I am figuring out what was in service in the 1980s as a guideline, and trying to decide what 1990s introduced equipment to include.

I like the names of Spanish units.

Another note: many Spanish cities have older buildings including castles and fortifications, which I think might be used in a similar way to Free City of Krakow.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Yes, this is true.

One thing I am trying to work on is equipment, and I am figuring out what was in service in the 1980s as a guideline, and trying to decide what 1990s introduced equipment to include.

I like the names of Spanish units.

Another note: many Spanish cities have older buildings including castles and fortifications, which I think might be used in a similar way to Free City of Krakow.
These links will hopefully be helpful: -
PDF - Spanish Army Order of Battle & Table of Equipment 1980-1989
https://www.fireandfury.com/orbats/modcwspanish.pdf
Wiki page - Structure of the Spanish Army in 1989
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structure_of_the_Spanish_Army_in_1989

Miniature wargaming companies sometimes have really extensive OOBs & ToEs but they're not often free. I got lucky with the PDF for Spain linked above because Fire and Fury deals more with 1940s and earlier. Anyway, here's the link to their OOB/ToE lists
https://www.fireandfury.com/extra/ordersofbattle.shtml

EDIT: I found this as well but decided it was just providing the same info as the Fire and Fury OrBat. However after a quick read through, it does have some extra detail that could be useful (such as the 13th Engineer Regiment was tasked with railroad repair)
NATO 1980s OrBats PDF - Spain starts on page 127
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/graveyard/26912082/images/1377961481421.pdf

[Enfield]

These links will hopefully be helpful: -
PDF - Spanish Army Order of Battle & Table of Equipment 1980-1989
https://www.fireandfury.com/orbats/modcwspanish.pdf
Wiki page - Structure of the Spanish Army in 1989
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structure_of_the_Spanish_Army_in_1989

Miniature wargaming companies sometimes have really extensive OOBs & ToEs but they're not often free. I got lucky with the PDF for Spain linked above because Fire and Fury deals more with 1940s and earlier. Anyway, here's the link to their OOB/ToE lists
https://www.fireandfury.com/extra/ordersofbattle.shtml

EDIT: I found this as well but decided it was just providing the same info as the Fire and Fury OrBat. However after a quick read through, it does have some extra detail that could be useful (such as the 13th Engineer Regiment was tasked with railroad repair)
NATO 1980s OrBats PDF - Spain starts on page 127
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/graveyard/26912082/images/1377961481421.pdf

Wow, thank you very much, that is a huge help.

[Vespers War]

It's a little bit later, but GHQ (https://www.ghqmodels.com/pdf/31Spain.pdf) has a brief history up to and OrBat for the 1990s. It's simpler and less detailed than the Fire and Fury OrBat, but discusses some of the outside influences on the military reorganization from the perspective of 2004 or 2005.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

That GHQ OrBat makes from some interesting reading in regards to the development of the modern Spanish military (and just Spanish recent history in general as well). Nice find :)

[lordroel]

Will we see the Spanish Legion Command become something the the French Foreign Legion, where they take all nationalities and not only Spanish speaking as they do now, this can bolster their strength i think.

[Raellus]

Will we see the Spanish Legion Command become something the the French Foreign Legion, where they take all nationalities and not only Spanish speaking as they do now, this can bolster their strength i think.

That's an interesting idea. I'm sure a few foreigners could find their way to Spain during the war, but I reckon that most folks would be serving their own home countries', very busy militaries during the Twilight War. And, even if they weren't, it would be very difficult to get to Spain by sea during a world war involving nuclear weapons.

During the Spanish Civil War, the Spanish Foreign Legion was manned mostly by Spaniards, many of whom were criminals. It had a particularly nasty reputation during what was a very nasty conflict.

Therefore, I think emptying Spanish prisons to bolster the Legion would produce more manpower than foreign volunteers during the Twilight War.

[mpipes]

One thing to keep in mind was that Spain and Portugal were both NATO members by 1996.

That likely means some Spanish combat veterans as well as troops in Germany. Would Spain sit idly by with France invading NATO allies?

In my campaign -

[1993] In Norway, King Harold declares a state of emergency and persuades the Storting (parliament) to pass a number of emergency measures. Among these is permission for foreign units to be based on Norwegian soil (normally not allowed unless by war). The U.S. 10th (Mountain) Division, elements of the U.S. 6th Marine Regiment, Canadian Airborne and 3 (Commando) Brigade Royal Marines deploy (the Americans using pre-positioned material in caves in north Norway). The Canadian 1st Infantry Brigade is to be added as a reinforcement if required. Norway also shops around for more tanks and ATGMs, managing to purchase over three-dozen non-upgraded Leopard 2A3s from German stocks and getting Spain to deploy a battalion of Spanish AMX40s manned by Spanish Foreign Legion troops as well as an infantry battalion of Spanish Legionnaires together with a battalion of 105mm towed guns (designated as the Norway Battlegroup).

With this clear invasion of another NATO ally, Danish and Dutch units soon cross the border into Germany, as well as Norway, entering combat. In Norway, as more crack British commandos and U.S. Marines join the battle, bolstered by Dutch marines and Danish special ops troops, the front line moves east again toward the Soviet naval facilities on the Kola Peninsula, and elite Soviet paratroopers and naval infantry are isolated and destroyed. Meanwhile, a still mobilizing Portugal and Spain begin to deploy units to Germany, with a handful going to Norway. Spanish A7Fs prove especially useful in attacks on Pact naval ships and shipping in the Baltic Sea.

On July 29th, a carefully orchestrated air campaign is unleashed on Italy from Spanish air bases and from the USS America and USS Kennedy as well as Spanish carriers. U.S. F117 and F19 aircraft operating from Spain attack the air defense network in Sicily and Sardinia, followed by F111 strike aircraft attacking airfields up and down the length of the southern half of the Italian Peninsula. U.S. naval aircraft and submarines search for and attack the Italian and Greek surface and submarine fleet. The Spanish and Portuguese air forces attack airfields in Sicily and Sardinia, respectively, with A7Fs and Ps used extensively. By the end of August 2nd, the Italian surface fleet has lost most of its major units, including the Garibaldi, which was struck by no less than seven Harpoon ASMs before breaking in half when her magazine exploded. What remained of the Italian surface fleet moved northward into the Adriatic Sea.
Operation Carthaginian begins August 1st with the airdrop of the U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade (deploying from Cairo and Alexandria), elements of the German 15th Airborne Division, and the Canadian Airborne Regiment, as well as a battalion of Spanish paratroopers, outside of Messina, Sicily supported by the landing of Spanish and U.S. Marines. On the morning of August 3rd, Canadian paratroopers and another battalion of Spanish paratroopers seize the municipal airfield, and a stream of C130 and C17 aircraft began airlifting in additional forces. By August 9th, NATO wraps up active combat operations with the defeat and surrender of all Italian forces on the island. NATO now possesses secured lines of communication and supply to Turkey using Spanish, Portuguese, and American airpower based on the island. With the western and central Mediterranean secure, the U.S. and Spanish navy advance into the eastern Mediterranean and then into the Red Sea and Persian Gulf supported by both the Egyptian and Israeli navies. The USS America begins patrolling the western Indian Ocean and eastern Med operating from Alexandria and the Persian Gulf. The USS Independence likewise patrols the Persian Gulf and the eastern Indian Ocean.

On Thanksgiving Day, the Soviets unambiguously cross the threshold with ICBMs and SLBMs launched against strategic targets in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and France. Military targets are hit (including the first decapitating strikes at U.S. targets), industrial targets clearly vital to the war effort, followed by economic targets of military importance (transportation and communication, oil fields and refineries). The Soviet ICBMs’ primary targets include major industrial and oil centers in both belligerent and neutral nations. Neutral nations are targeted to prevent their possible use by the other side. Mexican, Portuguese, Spanish, Brazilian, Venezuelan, and Australian refineries are attacked using missiles armed with FAE warheads from SSGNs and SLBMs (an indication to NATO intelligence that the Soviets have limited numbers of deliverable nuclear warheads left). Numerous warheads are aimed at logistical stockpiles and command-control centers of the armies in the field. The civilian political command structure is first decimated, then eliminated (almost by accident in some cases). The exchanges continue, fitfully and irregularly, through November and then gradually peter out in early 1998.

Spain reacts to the violation of German territory by unexpectedly invading France and occupying a broad swath of French territory in southwest France. The Spanish army occupies towns and villages as deep as 30km inside France as far west as the Garonne River with armor and infantry units occupying the city of Pau. The invasion leads to scattered fighting as combat erupts throughout the area. Cooler heads prevail, and a cease fire of sorts takes shape, but Spain refuses to evacuate French territory as long as French troops remain in Germany. Portuguese troops reinforce the Spanish troops, and a combined mechanized infantry force patrols from Pau.

In late May ['98], the Pact forces in southern Germany renew their offensive in an attempt to seize the scattered surviving industrial sites in central Germany. Actually, the most intact parts of Germany were those areas in the south which had been under Warsaw Pact occupation, as neither side was willing to strike the area heavily. Galvanized into renewed action, NATO forces make a maximum effort to reform a coherent front, with the Spanish II Corps and the American III and VI Corps carrying the brunt of the early fighting, and the Pact offensive finally stalls along a line from Frankfurt to Fulda.

In Europe in July, NATO mounts a massive counter-offensive into Austria with the German II and IV Corps and U.S. V Corps along with the Iberian I Corps, and the Brazilian EF, pushing Warsaw Pact forces back into Austria and closing in on the Czech border. Italian troops in conjunction with Austrian rear guard troops force the passes into eastern Austria and penetrate to the Czech border as the Italians re-enter the war on the NATO side, rolling up the Pact forces as they tear into the Pact’s flank. The combined NATO force enters Czech territory before running out of steam after capturing Budweis. However, NATO is spent at this point and is not in a logistical position to make any further follow up. Stories start to circulate of clashes between Czechoslovakian 24th Motor Rifle Division troops and Soviet troops relieving them of occupation duty in Austria, when the 24th's commander (backed by his commissar) refuses to hand over scarce vehicles and supplies. The 24th MRD is quickly and quietly recalled home given internal security duties at home, where it is noted they take great delight in hunting down Soviet deserters and marauders who try to cross the Carpathian Mountains.

BAOR was pulled out of Czechoslovakia in the spring [98] and moved back to central Germany, encamping in an area stretching from Osnabrück to Hanover and Braunschweig to Paderborn. For the rest of the year, they were involved in a number of anti-marauder actions and some rebuilding work. The Spanish II Corps and Iberian I Corps, along with the BEF and the ANZA I Corps take the place of the BOAR in the front lines, firmly establishing a well-deserved reputation as elite front-line troops.

[Olefin]

Spain will definitely have sent some combat formations into the war - there is no way the Spanish govt - who had just fought so hard to get accepted into NATO would have sat this out. That is one place where the canon should have been modified to include the Spanish into the NATO forces. Have a feeling the original writers really didnt think about Spain until they wrote Med Cruise and then wrote those few throw away paragraphs about it.

Now that doesnt say the whole Spanish Army gets thrown into the war on the main fronts. But at least there would have been a division sized force sent, most likely mountain troops that would have been used when Italy went to war with NATO and invaded thru the Alps.

If you use V1 of the timeline I would bet on either troops from the Spanish Legion or the 4th or 5th Mountain Division. And no one division of Spanish mountain troops doesnt throw the canon off in any way - if anything it would help explain how the Germans and Dutch managed to stop them - i.e. Spanish troops bought them time to redeploy.

[Olefin]

These links will hopefully be helpful: -
PDF - Spanish Army Order of Battle & Table of Equipment 1980-1989
https://www.fireandfury.com/orbats/modcwspanish.pdf
Wiki page - Structure of the Spanish Army in 1989
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structure_of_the_Spanish_Army_in_1989

Miniature wargaming companies sometimes have really extensive OOBs & ToEs but they're not often free. I got lucky with the PDF for Spain linked above because Fire and Fury deals more with 1940s and earlier. Anyway, here's the link to their OOB/ToE lists
https://www.fireandfury.com/extra/ordersofbattle.shtml

EDIT: I found this as well but decided it was just providing the same info as the Fire and Fury OrBat. However after a quick read through, it does have some extra detail that could be useful (such as the 13th Engineer Regiment was tasked with railroad repair)
NATO 1980s OrBats PDF - Spain starts on page 127
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/graveyard/26912082/images/1377961481421.pdf

Like this summation of the Spanish Army

Until 1965 the Spanish Army was composed of “classical” regiments and divisions. In 1965 a reorganization was undertaken that divided Army forces in Intervention and Operational Defense formations adopting the brigade as the main component of Divisions. This is the organization shown by Andy Johnson. However since 1984 a modernization plan was underway aimed at improving the intervention ability of the army and updating its equipment.

The META plan, as it was called only achieved its objectives partially, however the army was reorganized and this was the situation in 1989. Since 1994 Divisions were abolished and brigades were adopted as the highest level formation, but when Spain became part of Eurocorps, the decision was taken to maintain the Brunete division updating it with a third mechanized brigade.

In the Spanish Army, brigades are composed of 2 regiments of 1 or 2 battalions each. Although infantry regiments are only administrative units, they keep the traditions of older units and are commanded by Colonels.

Brigades are commanded by Brigadiers. In case of war, a Corps sized unit would have been committed to operations in the Southern theater of operations. This Corps could have been either mechanized or mountain

[StainlessSteelCynic]

That's basically what's written in the GHQ OrBat that Vespers War linked to. It's worth noting that in one of those OrBats it mentions that Spain's NATO role in a war would "probably" be to send mountain troops into the Italy/Greece/Turkey area and an armoured force to the Rhine. So there's lots of room to play around with.

[Legbreaker]

Well actually it seems unlikely you will find Spanish troops on the front alongside other NATO members.
Basically, "no troops were to be deployed outside of Spain on a sustained basis" and the command structure is not integrated into that of the rest of NATO. http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-13103.html
It would seem their role in the event of WWIII would be to secure a strategic base of operations (ie their own borders) in order to facilitate counter attacks upon the PACT forces when the rest of Europe was lost.
Spain, the ultimate REMFs/pogues...

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Well actually it seems unlikely you will find Spanish troops on the front alongside other NATO members.
Basically, "no troops were to be deployed outside of Spain on a sustained basis" and the command structure is not integrated into that of the rest of NATO. http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-13103.html
It would seem their role in the event of WWIII would be to secure a strategic base of operations (ie their own borders) in order to facilitate counter attacks upon the PACT forces when the rest of Europe was lost.
Spain, the ultimate REMFs/pogues...
Which is probably why the GDW writers didn't include them in the main events?

[Olefin]

Given the situation in southern Germany when the Italians suddenly invaded that would be the most likely time for them to be used. Have a mountain division slow down the Italians until the Germans and Dutch can redeploy but take heavy casualties in the process involves them in the war but not in a way that changes the overall canon.

I.e. the Spanish sent the division then after the Italians were stopped the survivors were pulled back to Spain. Spain gets hit in the nuclear exchange as detailed and after that the Spanish military is too busy at home especially after the Basques and Catalonians begin to rebel against the central government.

A very small change in the canon which has them involved in the general war but then unable to help further as Spain deteriorates into yet another civil war and what they have stays in Spain.

Adds some new info to the overall T2K story but in a way that doesnt change the canon in any way except to show how Spain might have been involved more than just sitting it out - which is basically not going to happen as I said. They fought too hard to get into NATO to sit out the war and do nothing.

[Legbreaker]

Which is probably why the GDW writers didn't include them in the main events?

Makes sense to me.
Spain could well have been reserved for a future publication (or just ignored as irrelevant to the core play area). Given they don't appear to have participated in any serious fighting the area seems perfect for a book similar to Bangkok - suitable to either T2K or Merc with few alterations necessary.
Doesn't help they were effectively cut off from the rest of Nato by France and Italy pulling out and essentially becoming another set of enemies.

[Legbreaker]

They fought too hard to get into NATO to sit out the war and do nothing.

They very nearly left four years after joining. One of the main reasons they remained is because of their restrictions on deployment and maintaining their own separate command structure. Even when operating with other Nato countries, they still operate under their own officers who have no requirement to follow, let alone listen to another nations Generals - Spain is free to do their own thing which is basically protect their borders, the Canary and Balearic Islands, while providing logistic support to Nato. With the land corridor cut by France, the Mediterranean effectively a no go zone due to Italy and Greece, and the English Channel a risky proposition, Spain is essentially sidelined from making any real contribution and should really be considered more of a neutral country (as far as the impact they could have on the overall conflict).
With France blocking the land route, and Spain not having the necessary strength in either ships or ground troops to open a separate, unsupported front in Italy the only way Spanish troops are getting into the fight is the long way around the UK and into Germany.
With their national restrictions along with unavailability of additional transports (look at how long it took the US to deploy their units who've clearly got priority) it seems very unlikely more than just a few liaison officers and support staff would be in greater Europe. Just can't see how combat troops could be involved against Italy or the Pact.

Also keep in mind that IRL the Socialists were in control of the government right up until 1996 (they regained power in 2003). Pretty sure there would have been no political will to go against their own self imposed restrictions and go to war with politically like minded countries such as those of the Pact. Italy can arguably be included in that list.

[Ewan]

The Spanish Navy and Air Force could be used against Italian naval forces in the Med and also protect convoys going to Turkey. Also protecting convoys coming across the Atlantic, think there might be a Harpoon article somewhere about that.

In addition army units could be deployed to Yugoslavia or Turkey to aid these countries against Italian or Warsaw Pact forces.

[Ewan]

You might find this useful
https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a127635.pdf
The section under Reinforcement Forces is a particularly interesting read.

[Legbreaker]

The Spanish Navy and Air Force could be used against Italian naval forces in the Med and also protect convoys going to Turkey. Also protecting convoys coming across the Atlantic...
That's basically what Spain suggested would be their role back in the mid 80's.
Worth noting that although they had a relatively large navy, most of their ships were quite old.
In addition army units could be deployed to Yugoslavia or Turkey to aid these countries against Italian or Warsaw Pact forces.

That goes against their declared position though.
"Observers later reported that Spain had offered to coordinate its national military missions with those of NATO, especially control of the sea between the Balearic Islands and the Canaries. Spanish forces were to be commanded only by Spanish officers, however, and no troops were to be deployed outside of Spain on a sustained basis."

[Legbreaker]

You might find this useful
https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a127635.pdf
The section under Reinforcement Forces is a particularly interesting read.

Good find, however that details the situation in 1982, four years before they imposed their restrictions.

[mpipes]

Come on Guys!!

A lot of opinions being voiced here are based on how real history played out. In whatever version of the TW2K you use, history goes flying out the door by 1992. You don't have a collapsed USSR nor an aggressive Soviet military expansion policy playing out in any of these TW2K scenarios using REAL world military ORBATS in 1996 after 4-years of headlong military contractions in the wake of the failed Soviet Coup.

Does anyone really believe Spain and Portugal are just going to sit passively by as the Soviets blow up Europe and China? At the very least, ALL of Europe, certainly NATO, is going to begin full mobilization as soon as Germany and Russia start a war. NO ONE is going to believe that all of NATO will NOT be involved or that the Chinese War will NOT eventually drag other Pacific countries in. If they do, ALL those delusion disappear at least by the invasion of the Persian Gulf countries.

Portugal and Spain both in the late 1980s were desperate to have a face on the world stage and badly wanted to be part of the "NATO club." Once they were in it, they were committed and they knew it. Trade was inextricably tied in, their economies were tied in, and their populations (as a whole) were scared shitless of the Communist and the Soviet Bear. They knew in that day that if they did not stand up and put their big boy pants on and REALLY contribute to the war, their reputations with the other members of the club would not recover for decades. They were going to have to fight, and they needed to be prepared to fight.

Spain, in particular, saw their membership in NATO as their best chance toward eventually getting Britain to relinquish control of Gibraltar back to Spain, so they were not going to muck it up by giving NATO the finger. They would be anxious to be perceived as ESSENTIAL NATO allies in Europe (and hopefully get to bail out the Brits in a major way) to earn the political capital to get Gibraltar back. Any other considerations would be secondary (and in my opinion after war the UK would cede Gibraltar back to Spain with a NATO base having a substantial UK presence there).

NOTE: I have always had a problem with how canon treated Spain, Portugal, and Italy. I just don't see Spain and Portugal sitting around passively or Italy remaining a PACT ally once the USSR starts indiscriminate use of nuclear weapons. After TDM, I don't believe for a second that the Italian alliance with Greece and the PACT remains intact, and I think Spain would react rather violently if France invaded Germany (or at least Andorra with which it has close ties). Spain and France will end up fighting, even if somewhat in a low intensity fashion.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

There's a lot of supposition there without any information from Spanish sources to support that particular point of view.
I think in this particular situation we're going to have to agree to disagree and really, that's all okay because ultimately, you can do whatever the hell you want with your own gameworld.

However, if a Spanish sourcebook is to stand any chance of becoming an official source and take a place in the canon, then there's some aspects that must be clarified. For example, it needs to clearly state what timeline it follows in regard to the various editions of the game.
In some cases, it's going to have to follow the real world logic more than the impassioned idea that "the Spanish were afraid of the communists so would have stood hard with NATO against the Soviet Bear".
Spain was so damned Socialist that their official communist political party was a partner member of their United Left Coalition, an organization that also had a pro-Soviet political party (albeit a minor party) as one of their members.
I don't think the Spanish were afraid of communism anywhere near as much as the Americans were.

[Vespers War]

I could see Spain being extremely wary about deploying forces to the east if the situations with ETA and Morocco both went bad at the same time. Deploying an expeditionary force to help Morocco would be a priority for both Spain in particular and NATO in general to make sure the Straits of Gibraltar remain friendly on both coasts.

Tweaking the outcome of Black October in Algeria so that it gains support from the USSR rather than Bendjedid dismantling the socialist system (and even removing the word "socialism" from the constitution entirely) puts Morocco under more of a threat, given Algeria's pledge to support Western Sahara. A combined Polisario uprising and Algerian invasion would demand a Spanish intervention that would be even more of a priority than sending forces east.

Similarly, if Euskadi Ta Askatasuna had things go slightly differently, it could have repercussions on Spanish deployments. In 1995, they very nearly assassinated Jose Aznar, the Conservative politician who became Prime Minister the next year, and there was an attempt on Juan Carlos I on Majorca in 1996. Either or both of those attempts succeeding would force a much stronger reaction than Spain actually had, likely involving military action in the Basque region.

Between the two of these, enough forces could be tied up that Spain has little or nothing left to send to an eastern front. Spain's populace wasn't nearly as enthusiastic about NATO as its leadership (only 52.6% supported remaining in NATO in the 1986 referendum), and Spain's military wasn't integrated into NATO until 1999 in the real timeline; that might have been accelerated slightly in T2K timeline, but it would need to be massively accelerated to significantly affect the Twilight War. If someone felt so inclined, the government's decision to send Spanish troops to fight a "foreign" war while significant problems were on Spain's doorstep might even be the catalyst for a second civil war.

[mpipes]

Now a civil war with the Basque had not crossed my mind, and I concede that the Soviets would have worked hard to make that happen.

[Enfield]

Makes sense to me.
Spain could well have been reserved for a future publication (or just ignored as irrelevant to the core play area). Given they don't appear to have participated in any serious fighting the area seems perfect for a book similar to Bangkok - suitable to either T2K or Merc with few alterations necessary.
Doesn't help they were effectively cut off from the rest of Nato by France and Italy pulling out and essentially becoming another set of enemies.

I agree. The way I'm writing it up in my own campaign book is:

"Spain is not tormented by huge marauder groups like some parts of the world. Instead, it has suffered separatist rebellion, rioting, looting, and anarchy, as well as disease outbreaks, and corruption. In general, when government forces or civilian militias realize that non-Spanish NATO troops are in a given area, there will be surprise, wariness and, some cases, hostility, though not outright violence, but the following may happen in the worst reactions.

1. Military or police units may interdict them and try to send them back to where they came from.
2. More powerful military units may outright try to take them prisoner, certainly will want to know where they came from and why.
3. Civilians and others may be very wary of them, fearing invasion or something. In general, many civilians blame NATO and the Warsaw Pact for the War, and are not happy to see them. They are thought of as being warmongers and dangerous. People will be reluctant to help them or give them any information.

Marauder bands tend to be gang enforcers, groups of Anarchists on the warpath, looters/rioters, deserters, or separatist insurgents. The deserters usually become road robbers, gang members, or join the separatists. "

[Enfield]

Given the situation in southern Germany when the Italians suddenly invaded that would be the most likely time for them to be used. Have a mountain division slow down the Italians until the Germans and Dutch can redeploy but take heavy casualties in the process involves them in the war but not in a way that changes the overall canon.

I.e. the Spanish sent the division then after the Italians were stopped the survivors were pulled back to Spain. Spain gets hit in the nuclear exchange as detailed and after that the Spanish military is too busy at home especially after the Basques and Catalonians begin to rebel against the central government.

A very small change in the canon which has them involved in the general war but then unable to help further as Spain deteriorates into yet another civil war and what they have stays in Spain.

Adds some new info to the overall T2K story but in a way that doesnt change the canon in any way except to show how Spain might have been involved more than just sitting it out - which is basically not going to happen as I said. They fought too hard to get into NATO to sit out the war and do nothing.

Generally, I like that approach to why they are not directly involved towards the end better than them just dropping out.

[Enfield]

You might find this useful
https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a127635.pdf
The section under Reinforcement Forces is a particularly interesting read.

Thank you for posting this, much appreciated. I think someone could build a more interesting canon from this. Personally I don't always care about that anyway, after all I'm not building a sourcebook for publication but trying to produce an interesting campaign for my players. Nevertheless, others who are more interested in fitting canon could still work with it.

[Legbreaker]

Thank you for posting this, much appreciated. I think someone could build a more interesting canon from this. Personally I don't always care about that anyway, after all I'm not building a sourcebook for publication but trying to produce an interesting campaign for my players. Nevertheless, others who are more interested in fitting canon could still work with it.

Note that document is written from NATO's perspective on how they wanted to utilise Spanish forces. What Spain were actually willing to do is in the link I posted, which is also several years newer.
Given IRL the Socialists were in power up until 1996 (the beginning of the Twilight War) it seems extremely unlikely that would have changed - simply wasn't time to develop the necessary plans, doctrine and command structures which would have effected not only Spain but all the member nations of NATO.

[mariamoreno]

Excellent forum I congratulate you very informative I came to your page for an announcement in 123movie (https://spiritualmessages.vpweb.co.uk/blog/2017/08/20/-14th-August-2017-Happiness-Within.aspx) and the truth I do not regret

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Excellent forum I congratulate you very informative I came to your page for an announcement in 123movie (https://spiritualmessages.vpweb.co.uk/blog/2017/08/20/-14th-August-2017-Happiness-Within.aspx) and the truth I do not regret

SPAM
Feel free to delete my comment when you delete the above post.

[Southernap]

Well actually it seems unlikely you will find Spanish troops on the front alongside other NATO members.
Basically, "no troops were to be deployed outside of Spain on a sustained basis" and the command structure is not integrated into that of the rest of NATO. http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-13103.html
It would seem their role in the event of WWIII would be to secure a strategic base of operations (ie their own borders) in order to facilitate counter attacks upon the PACT forces when the rest of Europe was lost.
Spain, the ultimate REMFs/pogues...

If you wanted to spice it up you might run across some of the Spanish Naval and Air Forces in the Caribbean and Southern US. Considering that their Naval forces and Maritime Patrol aircraft (P-3s and maybe their AV-8s) would have been running to support convoys between the US and Europe. So a Spanish ship stuck in a place like Puerto Rico, Grenada, some port in FL or the US Gulf Coast because of lack of parts, supplies, damage whatever might be a possibility. If not some left over planes somewhere that escaped nuclear attacks against the Spanish territories in the Atlantic (like the Canary and the prime NATO base at the Azores).

I would also wonder if the French might not have pushed into the Pyrenees in the T2K world to chase their own Basque and related terror groups. Let alone the historical "ownership" of territories in the Pyrenees near the Bay of Biscay that are real world Spanish land, used to be in the 1700s belong to the French.

Having been thru Spain more than a few times on my experiences with the US Military. The internal politics of Spain are very, very complicated to a US citizen. There is still plenty of bad blood about the Spanish Civil War (see the recent real world news articles about whether to dig up Franco and the rest of his lot and bury them in some unmarked grave or if that is dishonorable, it is almost to the same scale as the US Civil War debates). As well the Spanish had numerous terror groups that, if memory serves me right, that were being influenced or leaned heavily towards the KGB ruble for payment and advisory. So its Army more than likely would have been trying to lock down security and backing up its Guardia Civil (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Guard_(Spain)). Who are some folks, that I have seen operate in real life and they are the law in Spain. The Guardia aren't folks you mess around with, they like to use the baton first and ask questions after their arms get tired.

With respect to targets for nuclear attacks. Assuming that the Cold War doesn't end. Not only is Rota/Gibraltar a nuclear target. the USAF 16th AF has its HQ located at Torrejon AB (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torrej%C3%B3n_Air_Base) its roughly 30km from city center of Madrid. As well Zaragoza AB (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaragoza_Air_Base) that is up near the French-Spanish Border region. You could leave both of those bases alone if you accept V1 of the timeline where Spain with the collapse of NATO (see Italy pull out and Greece pull out, with the Germans starting the war) declares itself neutral and kicks out NATO forces from Spain. If you go the V2 route, then either have any potential nukes for these bases miss or they aren't targeted at all because the 16th AF will have moved all its forces out just prior to the use of nukes in 1997.

With respect to land forces OrBATs another idea is at Wargame Vault. There is a company there called MicroMark Army. They produced a number of PDFs for the Cold War armies. Here is just the European selections (https://www.wargamevault.com/browse/pub/3426/MicroMark-Army-Lists/subcategory/5776_5893/COLD-WAR-NATO--NEUTRAL-EUROPE) and they do have listed both Spain and Portugal.

If you are curious as to what one of the lists looks like see the attachment of one I bought for another project. It is what a Canadian armored division looked like on paper when in Italy in 1943.

[RN7]

If not some left over planes somewhere that escaped nuclear attacks against the Spanish territories in the Atlantic (like the Canary and the prime NATO base at the Azores)

The Azores are Portuguese.

[Southernap]

The Azores are Portuguese.

I realized that after I posted and was just too lazy to go back in and edit my post.

[Enfield]

If you wanted to spice it up you might run across some of the Spanish Naval and Air Forces in the Caribbean and Southern US. Considering that their Naval forces and Maritime Patrol aircraft (P-3s and maybe their AV-8s) would have been running to support convoys between the US and Europe. So a Spanish ship stuck in a place like Puerto Rico, Grenada, some port in FL or the US Gulf Coast because of lack of parts, supplies, damage whatever might be a possibility. If not some left over planes somewhere that escaped nuclear attacks against the Spanish territories in the Atlantic (like the Canary and the prime NATO base at the Azores).

I would also wonder if the French might not have pushed into the Pyrenees in the T2K world to chase their own Basque and related terror groups. Let alone the historical "ownership" of territories in the Pyrenees near the Bay of Biscay that are real world Spanish land, used to be in the 1700s belong to the French.

Having been thru Spain more than a few times on my experiences with the US Military. The internal politics of Spain are very, very complicated to a US citizen. There is still plenty of bad blood about the Spanish Civil War (see the recent real world news articles about whether to dig up Franco and the rest of his lot and bury them in some unmarked grave or if that is dishonorable, it is almost to the same scale as the US Civil War debates). As well the Spanish had numerous terror groups that, if memory serves me right, that were being influenced or leaned heavily towards the KGB ruble for payment and advisory. So its Army more than likely would have been trying to lock down security and backing up its Guardia Civil (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Guard_(Spain)). Who are some folks, that I have seen operate in real life and they are the law in Spain. The Guardia aren't folks you mess around with, they like to use the baton first and ask questions after their arms get tired.

With respect to targets for nuclear attacks. Assuming that the Cold War doesn't end. Not only is Rota/Gibraltar a nuclear target. the USAF 16th AF has its HQ located at Torrejon AB (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torrej%C3%B3n_Air_Base) its roughly 30km from city center of Madrid. As well Zaragoza AB (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaragoza_Air_Base) that is up near the French-Spanish Border region. You could leave both of those bases alone if you accept V1 of the timeline where Spain with the collapse of NATO (see Italy pull out and Greece pull out, with the Germans starting the war) declares itself neutral and kicks out NATO forces from Spain. If you go the V2 route, then either have any potential nukes for these bases miss or they aren't targeted at all because the 16th AF will have moved all its forces out just prior to the use of nukes in 1997.

With respect to land forces OrBATs another idea is at Wargame Vault. There is a company there called MicroMark Army. They produced a number of PDFs for the Cold War armies. Here is just the European selections (https://www.wargamevault.com/browse/pub/3426/MicroMark-Army-Lists/subcategory/5776_5893/COLD-WAR-NATO--NEUTRAL-EUROPE) and they do have listed both Spain and Portugal.

If you are curious as to what one of the lists looks like see the attachment of one I bought for another project. It is what a Canadian armored division looked like on paper when in Italy in 1943.


Interesting. I included oil refinery targets in the hit list for Spain. The Air Force bases as further targets make sense.

Did they do a micro mark ORBAT for Spain?

[Southernap]

Interesting. I included oil refinery targets in the hit list for Spain. The Air Force bases as further targets make sense.

Did they do a micro mark ORBAT for Spain?

With respect to land forces OrBATs another idea is at Wargame Vault. There is a company there called MicroMark Army. They produced a number of PDFs for the Cold War armies. Here is just the European selections (https://www.wargamevault.com/browse/pub/3426/MicroMark-Army-Lists/subcategory/5776_5893/COLD-WAR-NATO--NEUTRAL-EUROPE) and they do have listed both Spain and Portugal.

See the boldface in the first reply.

[Olefin]

One thing that could easily be added to the game and I may address it in the next fanzine would be Spanish volunteers who chose to fight with NATO even if the country doesnt. I.e. similar to the division that fought in the Soviet Union during WWII.

[Ewan]

One thing that could easily be added to the game and I may address it in the next fanzine would be Spanish volunteers who chose to fight with NATO even if the country doesnt. I.e. similar to the division that fought in the Soviet Union during WWII.
Excellent idea 👍

[Legbreaker]

That's about the only way I can see them being anywhere but Spain and it's territories.

[Olefin]

FYI keep in mind the Spanish territories for sure - those little possessions in North Africa most likely didnt get nuked - and could be interesting places for what trade remains - and thus places to run into Spanish troops who are garrisoning them - even possibly taking advantage of the chaos in Morocco and Algeria to try to gain territory -

i.e. per the East Africa canon Morocco lost Casablanca and Algeria took a major pasting - Skikda (Philippeville), Algiers, Arzew, and Oran all got nuked in Algeria

[Olefin]

FYI - this was posted on the Facebook T2K group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/twilight2k/?fref=nf

A piece of fandom history from Spain. In 1994 the fanzine Mercenario dedicated an article to "Spain in Twilight: 2000", titled "NukEspaña". I just retrieved my original copy and read it again. It is pretty good, a mix of post-apocalyptic RPG fiction, prospective/uchronic speculation and a lot of our characteristic dark humour and self-awareness of our defects and darker venues.
The fanzine can be donwloaded here: http://www.sinergiaderol.com/R…/Mercenario/Mercenario-03.rar

Its in Spanish and not sure there was ever a translated version

[Olefin]

can anyone open the rar file - havent had any luck with it - and hard to read the pics posted on the FB group

[StainlessSteelCynic]

can anyone open the rar file - havent had any luck with it - and hard to read the pics posted on the FB group
There's definitely some problems happening.
I get a 404 error when trying to download the RAR file from the link you posted but using the link on the facebook page informs me that to download the full 33.4 MB file will take over an hour (on broadband) - there's something screwy going on with the download from facebook and I'm wondering if that has caused some corruption in the RAR file when you downloaded it?

Oh, interesting - I'm downloading the RAR from the facebook link as I type this - the time left has jumped up to two hours, now down to 47 seconds, back to one hour...
Waiting, waiting... done.

Okay, I got the RAR file and I can open it without problem, maybe you need to download it again?
If that doesn't work send me a PM so I can forward my download to you.

[Olefin]

There's definitely some problems happening.
I get a 404 error when trying to download the RAR file from the link you posted but using the link on the facebook page informs me that to download the full 33.4 MB file will take over an hour (on broadband) - there's something screwy going on with the download from facebook and I'm wondering if that has caused some corruption in the RAR file when you downloaded it?

Oh, interesting - I'm downloading the RAR from the facebook link as I type this - the time left has jumped up to two hours, now down to 47 seconds, back to one hour...
Waiting, waiting... done.

Okay, I got the RAR file and I can open it without problem, maybe you need to download it again?
If that doesn't work send me a PM so I can forward my download to you.

sent you a PM

[StainlessSteelCynic]

@ Olefin - done :) As mentioned, let me know if there's problems with it and we'll try something else.

If anyone else wants the RAR file and has trouble getting it from facebook, send me a PM and we'll organise something :)

[pmulcahy11b]

can anyone open the rar file - havent had any luck with it - and hard to read the pics posted on the FB group

I'm about to give it a try...and "the archive is in an unknown format or damaged." I used WinRAR to try to open it.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Paul, if you're still having problems with the RAR file, I can send you the one I downloaded (to the email listed on your website), if you want?

[Benjamin]

Given that Free League now has control over the T2K and they have specifically said they’ll be using a modified v2 timeline (albeit with an added sandbox style campaign set in Sweden); V2 is probably the best version to base any future material that you actually have plans to publish.

As for my take on Spain...

Spain entered NATO in 1982 but held a referendum just 4 years later asking whether to remain or leave the Alliance. The vote went by an at least 13% margin to remain in NATO.

While Spain had a socialist government until 1996 it’s military had close working ties with the US going back to the 50s and Franco. It is more than likely that these ties would remain. It’s very likely that Spanish air and naval assets were heavily involved in ASW within the Western Med and eastern Atlantic Ocean. In return this would prompt Soviet retaliation, probably in the form of cruise missile attacks, against US and other NATO bases throughout Iberia. One thing to remember is that while West German/German forces were at war with Warsaw Pact by October/July (depending upon the version of canon one uses); It wasn’t until a month after the Mid-November Soviet invasion of Norway that the US, British and Canadians moved East to aid the Germans. This gives NATO members a month in which to decide whether to fulfill their treaty obligations to defend their allies.

I think you might see the Spanish and Portuguese up their contributions to ACE Mobile Force as the Italians withdraw and I like the idea of Spain sending a “volunteer” division (Think Blue Division but way less Fascist) to Germany sometime in early 1997 while retaining a limited role overall.

It will get interesting though in July 1997 when Italy and Greece enter the war against NATO. Imagine a naval battle centered around the mini-carriers Spain and Italy each had. Harrier vs. Harrier and then for fun add in a British carrier arriving on scene just in time to save the Spanish. Frenimies forever.

Benjamin