|
|
|
#16
12-02-2012, 01:16 AM
|
|||
|
|||
The Americans Operations Order OMEGA called for the evacuation of all US military personnel in Europe from the port of Bremerhaven, and on November 15, 2000 over 40,000 Americans departed with US Navy Task Force 34 for Norfolk which constituted the bulk of American forces in Europe. However not all American forces in Europe made the journey to the United States or were able to reach Bremerhaven on time. Significant command elements of the US Army opted to remain in Germany while thousands of American personnel arrived too late and were left behind. Divisions fighting in Poland were also cut off from higher headquarters during the evacuation order and decided not to risk the journey, and the entire US IV Corps of Civgov in the Balkans wasnt included in the evacuation order. Many USAF personnel from the Seventeenth Air Force also opted to stay in Germany while stranded Army personnel have joined up with other remaining US forces or have joined German and other NATO units and continue to fight under the command of the German Army. American relations with the Germans generally remains good, although during the evacuation period there was plenty of bad sentiment directed towards them from German civilians and troops who accused them of abandoning Germany. Some American troops trying to reach Bremerhaven had to resort to foraging or extorting food and fuel from local communities they passed through which led to some violent incidents between US troops and German civilians. The fact that significant American forces have stayed behind, both voluntarily and involuntarily, has quelled much of this sentiment Since Task Force 34 departed from Europe the staffs of the US III, XIII and XV Corps stood down and joined the command staff of the US Fourth Army in Munich. The Fourth Army is now the senior US military command in Europe and controls surviving USAF, Marine and naval units in Germany. The Fourth Army has since combined with the headquarters of the First German Army in Munich but remains independent of German control, although its forces; two brigades of the 1st Cavalry Division, the 70th Light Infantry Division, the 212th Field Artillery Brigade, the 3rd and 107th Armoured Cavalry Regiments and the 10th Special Forces Group work closely with the First German Army. The Fourth Army also controls other tenant and subordinate units from US Army Europe that stayed in Germany including the 32nd Air Defence Command, the 18th Engineer Brigade, the 16th Sustainment Brigade, the 18th Military Police Brigade, the 2nd Signal Brigade and the 6th Military Intelligence Brigade. In addition to US forces in Southern Germany the US XI Corps; the 50th Armoured Division, the 2nd Marine Division, the Canadian 4th Mechanised Brigade and the 116th Armoured Cavalry Regiment; is still fighting in Poland with the Third German Army while personnel from the 5th and 8th Mechanised Divisions are found scattered across Eastern Europe. Although departing US forces turned over most of their heavy equipment and vehicles to German forces, the Fourth Army also commandeered some vehicles and heavy weapons for themselves. An undisclosed number of tanks, artillery, armoured and light vehicles and possibly some helicopters are stored in a few guarded compounds in the Munich area maintained by the 16th Sustainment Brigade. Although the Fourth Army has no stated intension of forming any new military units, it does plan to supply replacements to the XI Corps in Poland and to fully mechanise the 3rd and 107th Armored Cavalry Regiments and the 70th Light Infantry Division. The Fourth Army also controls surviving elements of the USAF Seventeenth Air Force in Germany. During the nuclear exchanges most USAF air bases in Germany were destroyed including Ramstein, Sembach and Spangdahlem. Squadron dispersals before the nuclear attacks saved many aircraft from destruction, although further attrition and casualty rates have reduced operational numbers. In 2001 the USAF still retains a force of operational aircraft from Rhein-Main Air Base and the Luftwaffe bases of Fassberg, Jever, Laage and Neuburg. The Seventeenth Air Force has re-established a headquarters in Neuburg Air Base located 70 kilometres north of Munich on the Danube River near Ingolstadt. Neuburg has become the main USAF station in Germany with the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing and the 39th Special Operations Wing sharing the base with the resident Luftwaffe Jagdgeschwader 71. Fourth Army intelligence and signals elements have also relocated in the base which is protected by the US 70th Infantry Division that is based in the countryside between Ingolstadt and Regensburg. The USAF plans to transfer the nuclear cruise missiles of the 38th Tactical Missile Wing and some of the transport assets from the 435th Tactical Airlift Wing from Rhein-Main Air Base to Neuburg or Munich in the near future, as Rhein-Main Air is believed to be to too exposed to French forces across the Rhine River. Small quantities of Avgas are stored at each air base guarded by USAF security police teams and US Army air defence batteries located at Rhein-Main and Neuburg. Although Avgas remains in short supply the British have been supplying some fuel to the Americans with occasional RAF and USAF tankers landing at air bases from the UK. The Seventeen Air Force is also in contact with surviving elements of the Third Air Forces in the UK and could potentially draw on British based assets and forces for reinforcement. Since the withdrawal of most of the US Army from Europe the remaining combat aircraft of the USAF have become a valuable asset and bargaining tool for the US Military Government with the Germans. Even with the limited quantities of Avgas fuel now available the Seventeenth Air Force is a powerful force, and combined with the surviving strength of the Luftwaffe would greatly enhance Germany's defensive and offensive capabilities. The CIA and the DIA; the intelligence organizations of the Civilian and Military US governments respectively, are both active in Germany. Both organizations refrain from violent action against each other but they will try to thwart the plans of each other and incidents are not unknown. The German government continues to only recognise the US military government and the DIA retains good relations with German and British military intelligence. The DIA also has a large network of agents across Germany and Austria in Kiel, Bremerhaven, Hannover, Leipzig, Munich, Nuremburg, Salzburg, Vienna and in the American military bases. The DIA has established an intelligence section within Neuburg Air Base with some fairly sophisticated computer and sensor equipment by Twilight War Standards. The DIA works closely with the USAF and the Army Intelligence who share data with each other, including the monitoring of Warsaw Pact and French radio traffic and encrypted frequencies, and photographic and sensor imagery from USAF reconnaissance flights. With some help from British Army technicians the Army Signals Corps has also re-established a long range radio link with US forces in Britain, including the USAF air bases in England and the main European DIA station in Portsmouth. With long distance flight now a very rare occurrence regular communications with the United States are sporadic and practically non-existent with the Military Government in Colorado Springs. However there is still some naval traffic between the East Coast and Britain and information can be dispatched by radio or other means on US Navy and British warships to Norfolk and then relayed to Colorado Springs. In comparison with the DIA the CIA has a far more limited presence in Germany and is completely out of touch with the Civilian Government in Omaha. The CIA's main powerbase in Europe is now in the Balkans with the pro-Civgov divisions of the US IV Corps in Serbia. However the CIA does have some operatives in Munich, Magdeburg, Paderborn and Vienna, with agents in Paderborn advising more moderate elements within the Friebroderbund who they believe will be a significant power in post-war Germany, but they offer little in the way of traceable arms or supplies. A number of American units have also turned to marauding or have deserted from lawful military control. There was trouble within the ranks of the US 70th Infantry Division in Bavaria during the evacuation period, but the commanders of the division resolved their differences with the US Fourth Army and have reverted back to lawful US control. But other US groups are more of a problem. The 1st Brigade of the US 40th Mechanised Division has recently turned to marauding and is now in conflict with both German and Soviet forces in Austria. Of more significance to the US Fourth Army is the location of the 30th Brigade of the 44th Armored Division. While travelling to Bremerhaven in October 2000 the commander of the 30th Brigade Major Charles F. Kane discovered the location of an undamaged nuclear power station. Kane and several others in the brigade were former nuclear power workers and inspected the station, and opted to remain in Germany as they believed they could reactive the station using generators. Kane detached the 30th Brigade from rest of the division and has gone to ground since and is training members of his unit to operate the nuclear reactor. The brigade is in cantonment in Kahl-am-Main with 9 tanks and a number of light armoured vehicles. Once the nuclear power station is reactivated Kane plans to establish his own fiefdom across post-war Bavaria. The 11th Armoured Cavalry Regiment in Fulda withdrew themselves from their chain of command in 2000 and has refused to cooperate with other US forces since. Although they are by no means a marauding force the 500 well armed men of the regiment with 4 tanks and some lighter vehicles remain a theoretical threat to the region and the CIA is interested in contacting the regiments commanders. US Fourth Army Last edited by RN7; 01-22-2013 at 12:06 AM. 
|
| Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
| Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
| Display Modes | |
|
|
Threaded Mode