[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