The 28th Infantry Division

[kiltedguard]

So, I've been able to glean very little from the resource books about the 28th "Keystone" Infantry Division. They were pushed forward during REFORGER, and there may have been a tactical nuke strike against their formation, but I've been able to find very little on the unit in the T2K universe. Anyone have anything else? I'm interested in thoughts on unit history after it hit Europe.

[Adm.Lee]

It appears to have shipped to Europe (not REFORGER) in the spring of '97, joined the '97 offensive across Poland and got nuked badly. Pulled out of the line until '98.

We know in the summer of 2000, it's not on the line in the east, but in central Germany. I presume that means it's either holding down a rear-area cantonment, in the south facing down the Italians, or in the west facing the French. It did head for Bremerhaven in the fall.

As a leg infantry division, I'd find it hard to believe such a division would be doing much offensively in the '97 attack. I'd bet they were holding down the newly-occupied ("liberated?") areas of Poland behind Seventh Army lines, and the nuking may have been part of that-- transportation nodes in Polish cities?

Another thought may be that once the nukes started, and NATO began retreating from the Polish-Soviet border, the formerly rear-area forces would inevitably end up as rearguards for the front-line forces. That could certainly lead to (another) nuke strike, when the Soviet exploitation forces try to retain their momentum.

One of these days, I'm going to take a detailed walk through the OBs for NATO 1996-99, and see what I see.

IMO, it'd be one of the lead units for heading west after landing at Norfolk or New Jersey or wherever its transports land. Even if the majority of the survivors are draftees, not Pa. Guardsmen, there might be enough cadre to matter. If I had the clerical manpower, I'd work to transfer as many Pennsylvania natives to the 28th as possible, and scatter the division across the state for reconstruction & civil affairs duties. Ditto for other East Coast Guard formations under MilGov control.

I have some personal interest in this formation: when I ran the game in '85-'88, I was attending (or about to attend) college in northwestern Pennsylvania, and in ROTC (see my sig). I almost joined the local Guard unit, which would have been the weapons company of the 1-112th Infantry, IIRC.
Later, I found that my greatgreatgrandfather was apparently a sergeant in the 109th Infantry/10th Pennsylvania, perhaps in both 1898-99 and 1917-18-- records are sketchy.
And I've played a lot of Battle of the Bulge wargames, and the sacrifice of the 28th is a key part of the first stage of the southern half of that battle.

[Legbreaker]

Looking at the other units of the V Corps, it would appear the 28th may have been used as the Corps reserve force. Both the 11th ACR and 3rd Armoured were involved in "every major offensive of the war" while the 28th was "reorganising" for a significant period in 1997-98.
The 4th ID has no info past 11th December 1996 (the date it entered combat against Soviet forces). The next we hear is they're at Bremerhaven waiting to board.

[Adm.Lee]

Hmm, two heavy divisions, an ACR, and a leg division to guard the rear. Sounds good to me.

IMO, the corps commander should have gotten hold of some spare Bradleys for that reserve force, and/or glommed onto a lift helo battalion, to move at least one battalion of the 28th around as needed as his reserve.

[kiltedguard]

Originally Posted by Adm.Lee

Hmm, two heavy divisions, an ACR, and a leg division to guard the rear. Sounds good to me.

IMO, the corps commander should have gotten hold of some spare Bradleys for that reserve force, and/or glommed onto a lift helo battalion, to move at least one battalion of the 28th around as needed as his reserve.

In the 90's the 28th was a Mech Division. 113A1/A2 and M60's.

[Legbreaker]

Originally Posted by kiltedguard

In the 90's the 28th was a Mech Division. 113A1/A2 and M60's.

IRL perhaps, but this is the alternate history of Twilight:2000.