BAOR PART II
So starting from my IRL ORBAT:
https://www.orbat85.nl/documents/BAOR-July-1989.pdf
(I'll be updating this soon and will most the newest version)
The alert period, August-October 1995, would focus the minds of the UKCICC and The Cabinet. With the Soviets starting to mobilize, albeit for China, and ramp up production, gone would be advantage NATO would have in receiving advance warning of any Soviet moves. I can foresee the following:
1) a ninth Armd Bde being added to BAOR, it was a wish that was expressed many times throughout the 80's. Personally I envisioned the Guards Bns (two) and Household Cav regt in BAOR being consolidated (there is a document at Kew titled
"Reformation of a Guards Bde in BAOR" however this document is being held from release due to, as stated,
"correspondence with members of the Royal Family"). Now to make up numbers, the loss of an Armd Regt and two Armd Inf Bns from their parent Bdes. I took the Armd Regt in the UK that was split between Bovington/Catterick that assisted in Training and made it a fully fledged Armd Regt (its TTW role was providing the ADR, however I just reformed 5th RTR to take over the role). OR the second Armd Regt in 22 Armd Bde could have been used. This Bde had four Bns because it's TAOR was in front of the Hildesheim Canal (the Water Sandwich was on the west bank), with the redeployment, IRL of 19 Inf Bde, 22 Armd Bde was reinforced with an additional Armd Regt. The two Inf Bns can be found from UKLFs, either from the two JTP 362 Bns (see my doc, both were equipped with SAXON and had a TTW role of LOC duties. When released there are indications they would have been used in the Water Sandwich). OR Inf Bns which were in the MHD role (I'll get back to my thought on this when I touch on the MHD discussion)
2) 19th Inf Bde returns to its former role, defending the Water Sandwich.
3) The Parachute Regt Group, the three TA Para Bns, is finally designated 16 Para Bde (IRL the only reason that it didn't form into a BDE was lack of money....it was thought that forming a TA Bde would not be funded so the idea was to gradually add logistic and other support and keep it "hidden" from the accountants!!!
4) For the same reason, money, 15 & 49 Bdes in 2 Inf Div controlled ten TA Inf Bns. 29 Engr Bde would take some under control in wartime, but this was ad hoc. I can see, just like the PRG, and additional TA Inf Bde being formed as another controlling HQ.
As for equipment, with production be ramped up for China and using WMR, you can easily equip two more Armd Inf Bns and there should be the following by 1996:
3x Regts of CR2 (delivery beginning in 1992/93. Based on planned peacetime production and delivery, 65 a year until 96/97 then it would be 70 a year until completion in 99/00)
6x Regts of CR1 (one regts worth pulled into WMR)
6X Regts of CH
(The notoriously unreliable L60 engine replaced by an MTU Diesel engine linked to a Renk auto gear. IRL one Chieftain was so equipped and was the most powerful and fastest Chieftain in the fleet!).
AS-90 would be fully deployed with the 6x Regts initially slated (179 ordered, with an Option for 50 more IRL). I do see production being ramped up in 1995/96 (peacetime peak production was 48 a year)
To be continued......