U.S. Marines on the Baltic: Task Force Inchon

[Raellus]

What follows is the macro backstory for a classic T2K campaign that I'd like to run someday. I thought it might be of interest to some of you, especially my take on 3rd German Army's Summer 2000 offensive, its sudden cancellation, and the general withdrawal that followed.

I've done my best to conform to canon, matching up the dates of key events in my narrative with the dates given in the original T2K's Death of A Division. The major deviation from canon is the participation of Soviet 9th Guards Tank Army in the PACT counteroffensive against U.S. XI Corps. In canon [v1.0 Soviet Vehicle Guide], the 9th GTA is placed in western Belorussia in the summer of 2000. In my mind, however, it's appearance in NW Poland does much to explain the failure of German 3rd Amry's summer offensive and the subsequent operational and strategic situation in NW Poland as it stands in the [canon] winter of 2000.

The section on Operation Limerick sets up a classic, Escape from Kalisz style scenario, only this one substitutes the small Baltic city of Elblag for Kalisz, and a [reinforced battalion-sized] Marine Task Force for the 5th ID.

This is a first draft, and constructive feedback is welcome. I especially need input on the composition of Task Force Inchon (particularly the engineer and maintenance units). I'd prefer that you not use this thread to comment on the probabiltiy of 9th GTA's inclusion, as it's central to my vision of events.

I'll begin with a very short missive on the state of the T2K U.S. Marine Corps in the year 2000.


The U.S. Marine Corps in 2000

The U.S. Marine Corps of the year 2000 is a mere shadow of its near legendary pre-war self. Although most current Marine officers and NCOs are members of the veteran "Old Breed"- pre-war volunteers or stateside-trained, early war draftees- many of them began the war as REMFs, working crucial but largely non-combat jobs "in the rear with the gear", or serving in the now nearly non-existent Marine aviation units. Over one third of all other junior enlisted Marine infantry are beached seamen (or, less commonly, grounded airmen), hastily trained in Europe and injected into Marine combat units as late-war replacements. Despite its weakened state, the Marine Corps of 2000 somehow manages to maintain its espirit-de-corps and continues to be a formidable fighting force.

-Raellus