Immediately after the destruction of the 5th...

[raketenjagdpanzer]

what would likely patrols be mounted in? If the Soviets are trying to rebuild for a counteroffensive, they wouldn't be using much of that precious, precious gasoline or diesel, would they? So I'm guessing most of it would be in fuel-efficient stuff like jeeps and trucks, or maybe on foot or horseback...?

[rcaf_777]

foot would be the easiest, does'nt requir training like horses, you might see a comb of trucks and foot

you might also see temp patrol bases as way of mounting patrols

these might be old villages, farm house, key features, ect

[Legbreaker]

In the original scenario, it's stated the Pact forces are just too damn disorganised and beaten up to do much beyond secure their immediate (line of sight) area (to begin with at least).

The most obvious goal that presents itself, aside from escaping from the immediate battle area, is to somehow delay or disrupt the organisation of search and pursuit parties by the Warsaw Pact forces. Within days they will begin scouring the countryside in wider and wider circles in an attempt to round up as many survivors as possible.

As stated at least a couple of days would have to pass before effective patrols of any type are able to be mounted.

This isn't to say the Pact forces wouldn't be able to respond to an event under their noses, say a raid by a small group of US survivors. They'd probably be able to defend their encampment, have a small reaction team/reserve unit available, and so forth, but fatigue (they were moving pretty damn fast and far in the proceeding week(s)), need for resupply, reinforcements, reorganisation, etc is going to hamstring them to begin with.

After a few days, perhaps a week, we would probably see local patrols (10-15km round trip) on foot, perhaps in section/squad strength, more likely platoon. Company sized patrols may only occur where there is a clear target - a fighting patrol if you will, sent out to attack an identified group of US soldiers.

Longer range vehicle mounted patrols may happen, depending on the unit's supply state - the 12th GTD for example, without armoured vehicles of virtually any kind (just 30 trucks and 5 APCs), and seriously disorganised and demoralised, aren't going to be mounting much at all. Supplies for these units exist, but are back across the Warta and will need to be brought up.

Given a week to reorganise and resupply, the Pact forces could be expected to mount recce patrols out to around 100 km, with stronger patrols out to about half that distance. If the recce patrols find something interesting, an entire battalion, maybe even the whole damn division might move in response (unlikely unless the PCs happen to have a couple of M1's in their back pocket).

[Adm.Lee]

I always figured the better-organized units would be sending out foot patrols ASAP, and once I got into really planning out my Pact units, I'd assume that divisions or even regiments would have mounted at least some of their reconnaissance units on horses.

Lately, I've been wondering about the Soviet desant units-- each Front and Tank Army was supposed to have one of these. That's some elite infantry without transport, might they have been converted to cavalry, as well?

[Legbreaker]

And that's just it isn't it - organisation. Early on everything is far too chaotic but after a few days PC (and other) groups are going to find the area waaaaaay too hot to hang around in.

[Olefin]

Some of it will come down to how much chaos you inflict on the way out - my group caused a lot of chaos on the way out including taking out a supply dump, freeing a bunch of POW's (who joined us) and taking out the Army HQ - we had a big group and got lucky with our rolls so we had the equipment and personnel to do that kind of damage

but even a small group should be able to cause some chaos and delay pursuit long enough for them to get completely clear before any organized group can come after them