Let me tell you how I played out the scenario. I have used it for the start of a game played entirely in the US with a group of 'civilians', so it's primarily a back story to the game, but.......
The date of Iraq's invasion/incusrion/what ever you want to call it, occured in 1996. The Iraqi forces had been reequipped by the Soviets after their war with Iran in the 80's. Guns for oil as it was. They also had Soviet 'advisors and technicians' in country. At the time there WERE the 6th largest army in the world, yada yada...
The second thing I had was the relationship between the Saudi's and US was on-off affair. There WAS pressure agains them resulting from 'infadels on Saudi soil.'
So the stage is set per se.
Day one: The Republican Guard Corps with Special Forces roll into Kuwait. Yes there was saber rattling for a short time before. But as they were as stated in essence a Soviet satellite/client, no actions were taken before K-day.
On the SAME day, in the early morning hours, a large freighter was making passage up the Suez from the south. In the narrow track of water, which is not all that deep either, it is scuttled by explosions. Egyptian forces are searching for crewmen from the freighter. This action effectively closes the Suez canal. US forces from the east coast are now faced with an added minimum of two weeks transit as they have to go south around the Cape.
The sun rises on the Persian Gulf. The Indian Ocean CTF (I have it as the Eisenhower) has been dispatched to the Gulf with the Amphibs in tow. As they approach the coast of Oman, south of the Straights of Hormuz, a super tanker is making passage. BOOM!! An unexplained explosing rips through the tanker, setting it adrift and on fire. Was it a missle? mine? torpedo? Nobody knows, but the CFT is stopped short until it can be determined.
Iraq has also sent a message to the Saudi's telling them IF they do not evict the infadels, or make effort to interfer in Kuwait, they might face the same. It does have the effect of causing the Saudi's to hesitate, buying time for the Iraqi to consolidate, which they do rapidly. Much faster than might be expected. (it's my game guys, in their ideal world.)
Day Two: Kuwait has fallen rapidly in the face of overwhelming forces. Follow-on has come across the desert from the north west and is positioning along the Saudi northern border. Iraq sends it's warning again, and this time says if the infadels are not sent packing immediately, Saudi will pay. NO forces from the US are forthcoming at the moment, but there is a scramble in CONUS to find units to deploy. The RDF is centered around the 24th Mech Division and 9th Infantry as well as the 6th ACCB. The ready brigade from the 82nd sits on the tarmac waiting for a green light.
Day Three: The US limited number of troops in Saudi have NOT been sent packing. The Suez is still closed and will probably be for a while. Secondary exlposions have occured on the freighter. SoH are shut as the tanker continues to burn and drift. NO OIL IS COMING OUT OF THE GULF. Oil prices have shot through the roof in the US. Up three dollars at the pump in three days. First brigade of the 24th have been loaded on Fast Transports and are heading for the long trip to PG. Marine regiment from Okinawa is loading rapidly for transit to PG.
Day Four: Early morning. Iraqi corps rolls south across the Saudi border. A second corps heads southwest across the desert for KKMC. Special Forces brigade heads for the major pipeline running across the north Saudi.
Saudi gives the green light to US for aid. Combat airwing from US, which has prestaged in Italy during the past couple of days, heads for Saudi. Ready Brigade from 82nd is given green light and is wheels up within a very short time. Mission is to secure airheads for the 9th as much as anything. 9th is loading at McChord for a very long flight. Heavy elements of the division are loading on vessels in the Puget Sound.
The Iraqi forces are making good headway down the coast and across the desert. By afternoon, the pipeline has been breached, rather two pumping stations have been damaged enough no oil flows west.
The first wave of the 82nd gets a warm greeting. Iraqi fighters jump them. Yes it is a bloody loss for the Iraqi, but they still manage to down four C141 loaded with paratroopers, who were not prepared to make a jump. It was suppose to be a landing at a 'friendly' airfield.
Iraq warns Saudi's their oil fields will burn if they do NOT turn the infadels away. Too late for them to do such, as there is now blood in American eyes.
MEU elements from the IO task force are airlifted in jumps from ship to Bahrain. Oman has given permission for landing of heavy elements of the division. Marines begin amphibious landing OTS into Oman. They face a 500 plus road march north. A logitics nightmare.
Mine sweepers are working hard to clear the straights.
The cargo vessels at Diego Garcia with equipment for a heavy brigade slice are underway. WHERE will they unload? Oman does not have all the facilities they might need. (I was/am not 100% on this, but that is where the vessels need to unload at this time.)
Day Five: Iraqi forces fighting Saudi forces along the coastal highway with good results against the Saudi's. KKMC is being approached. Heavy fighting.
82nd has the remnants of their ready brigade on the ground in the Saudi capital. Speed bumps against the Iraqi armor. First elements of 9th are on the ground. Marines are forming for movement north. Every HET in Oman has been given to help with the move, which is barely enough for the tank company and AmTracks. Crews go with their vehicles.
Long range attacks on Iraqi forces by Naval Aviation off the Eisenhower has slowed the process, however hard lessons are learned by the surviving aviators. Iraqi Air Defense is better than thought. The Iraqi air force is also in the furball, though suffer heavy losses.
Day Six:
Some time after midnight, reports of oil wells afire reach HQ. The threat has been fulfilled. Iraqi SF units are busy in the oil fields. 9th elements are sent to clean them out.
Marines from Bahrain are forming hasty defense line at Dahrain. By mornings light the Iraqi are within 30 miles of their location. Air attacks continue against the column with AAA/SAM fire taking the toll. It's a war of attrition at this time. USAF is busy up north, as the ALOC has moved south around the area where Iraqi fighters have still attacked transports.. with success at a cost.
By sundown, the air above northern Saudi has become a black oily cloud as close to 200 wells and counting are afire.
In the US, two refinerys have had 'unexplained' explosions: BP Houston, and Belle Chase LA. over the past two days. The oil prices are through the roof. Pump price of gas is rapidly approaching ten dollars a gallon. Srock market is in turmoil with bubble burst. down 20% in the week. Precious metals are up as is the rest of the commodity market.
Day Seven:
Marines from Oman are still half a day from Dahrain as Iraqi artillery, much of it MRL, rains down on them. 9th elements have arrive to assist the defense of what the US knows is a life line to the gulf at Dahrain.
Troops are spread thin on the ground. (Note there is no build up of two months to fight this war. It's boots on the ground into the line fighting.)
To make a long story short... Yes the Iraqis are pushed back north. It's a bloody fight from day one. The corps coming from the north through KKMC has reached the capital by end of day 9. SCUD attacks decimate facilities, primarily port side and airfield. USAF has taken a hit from the first wave of SCUDS. The SCUDS were more effective than thought as well. So much for intelligence reports and suppositions.
Oman is used until the straights are cleared, which took the better part of two weeks before the Eisenhower was allowed passage. They never did learn what caused the tanker to explode. It sank when it was run aground out of shipping lanes.
Other attacks occured in the US before the war in Europe started. One of mention is the LNG carrier that wiped out Perth Amboy NJ and much of the area, which caused quite a panic in NYC with reports of a nuclear attack. The ensuing firestorm was what did the majority of the damage to the city. Cost of life was extremely high as well. The American people are enraged, much like they were after 9/11.
Nasty Guard is mobilizing for a war in the Gulf. In GW1(2) there was a problem with the NG round out brigades. I recall two in particular that did not meet the criteria for deployment within the alloted time. MS brigade for 1 CAV had major problems, as did the LA guard brigade for the 5th.
Personally I never liked the round-outs and being MY game, I had the guard organized in 25 divisions regionally much as they had through their histories. The Regular army had 18 divisions and six brigades and 9 cavalry regiments/brigades of with four were ACCB, for 23 division equivalent active. The USMC had three active and one reserve division. Total force ready withing 120 days (on paper at least) was 52 divisions. Note that not all of the NG elements were full strength, nor were all the regulars for various reasons. This count does not include special operations units.
Just my take on the start of the Twilight war. I know it is not even close to canon. As for the war in Europe, it starts and funcitons much as what was envisioned by the cold war. NOT with intrigue of the Germans, though when the war started, there were defections by DDR units to FRG units, but it was a bloody long and hard fought war from the start. It started in October, at the end of REFORGER, as divisions were worn out from field exercise and the division returning to the states was in trumoil of going home.
Soviets rolled from barracks to the attack. The Norway theater was filled by 10th Mountain, 6th Marines task force, and 34th Infantry from Minnesota area (it was their war time mission to defend Norway.) As the game I have is set in Minnesota, the loss of troops from the 34th hits home.
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