Good Afternoon All,
Rainbow, thank you for the plug ! My updated ORBAT is here, Version 8.5:
https://www.orbat85.nl/documents/BAOR-July-1989.pdf
I am currently working on Version 9. If you read the bibliography you will see that I have been able to use a trove of Official MOD documents. When this unpleasantness is over and The Kew is open, I expect to receive the Ground Deployment Plan (1984-1987) and the official Arms Plot moves into the 1990's (before Options). I also have FOI requests for the GDP from 1988-1991 and have spoken to Allan Mallinson (former CO 13/18 Hussars), Dr. Simon Moody at King's College, along with a plethora of former Officers & Other Ranks.
The Fire & Fury one seems to be based somewhat on my work, it does have errors (there was NO way a 2nd BR Corps was contemplated !).
The Parachute Regt Group under 1st Armd Div was so successful in trials in 1989 that they planned on further strengthening it for Exercise Lionheart 1992. The push was to form it into a full fledge Bde, however the thought was that the money would not be there and they woulfd keep the "Group" name and just slowly add the support to it.
As for NI, on TTW, all the regular Bns except one (as Province Reserve/QRF) would be withdrawn and the UDR would be put on active service. Which means all 6,000 plus members would be on full time duty. There was talk of perhaps using UDR Bns on mainland U.K. but it was quickly shot down as it was felt that they would all be needed in Ulster.
I have also done a shorter document on both UKMF & ACE Mobile Force, both are in progress still.
UKMF will be updated soon as I have received declassified documents from 1988 that it was giving up (quietly) its Zeeland deployment options and would go, in all scenarios, to reinforce Schleswig-Holstein as BALTAP figured it needed 12 Bdes to hold, UKMF would have been its 8th Bde (3 Danish, 4 Bundeswehr). Also the British Army was exploring "The Tidworth Option" which basically was reforming the UKMF Armd Recce Regt into a Chieftain equipped Type 43 Armd Regt (with one Sqn Armed Recce).
Finally, I have the 500 page plus TA ORBAT Review, if the Cold war continued you would have probably seen some extra TA units formed and even more regular reinforcements to BAOR.
Sorry one more shameless plug, I have consulted in the following game coming out from Compass Games:
https://www.compassgames.com/nato-th...e-edition.html
They are also preparing to to an expansion of the game "Air & Armor" in the BAOR TAOR which I will also be consulting on.