Using Captured Vehicles

[Rainbow Six]

Have had this happen a few times in games that I've been involved in...one campaign in Poland involved a group of Bundeswher characters who had a BTR 70 that they named Kleine Olga. As we were behind Soviet lines we didn't modify it in any way to reflect its new ownership. Stealing trucks and UAZ469's was also a pretty commonplace occurrence.

More recently, I've been considering the possibility of the British Army using small numbers of ex Warsaw Pact vehicles in the UK. My thinking behind this is that early in the War some intact vehicles may have been shipped back to bases in the UK for testing / evaluation (in particular former East German army vehicles that came in to NATO's possession (version 1 timeline)). What I have so far along these lines is a mechanised infantry company based in Yorkshire operating a BTR 70 and a Shilka AA platform. They have zero rounds of 23mm for the shilka, but the local marauders don't know that...

To avoid potential incidents, when they arrived in the UK rear area technicians would have given these vehicles make overs (new paint job, national markings, probably large Union flags on the sides) to make their new ownership quite clear.

[simonmark6]

In a story I've been playing around with based on the aftermath of the Escape from Kasliz, the battle group that the story is based around have made use of what they call, "Frankentanks", usually erstatz APCs and IFVs cobbled together somehow, often by marrying a turretless vehicle with a donor turret, one of the favourites is an M113 with a BMP 3 turret, similar, I suppose to the ASLAV.

[Marc]

Our first gloriuos action as survivors of the 5th ID, in the first roleplaying sessions after purchasing the game, was the capture of a polish pack mule. The mule was named Yirinovski, like the ultra nationalist russian leader. Yirinoski, though exploited without mercy, served us with loyalty and devotion.

[Matt Wiser]

The 2nd SS "Das Reich" Panzer Division at Kursk had a battalion of captured T-34s, and used them against their former owners. They once ambushed a battalion of Soviet T-34s, and the Russians were wiped out before they had a chance to realize that they were being engaged by German-crewed T-34s.

[Legbreaker]

I'm thinking of the 1st edition timeline in which East German forces entered combat against former allies before they could be re-equiped with West German gear, and the Nato forces trained to fight alongside former enemy (and recognise them as allies).

I can imagine those units equipped with "enemy" gear would attract a lot of unwanted attention from both sides (even those aware of friendly Pact equipment in the area). Airstrikes, helicopter gunships, artillery, etc would be a constant hazard, even if markings were painted on the tanks, etc. A T-72 still looks like a T-72 in the dark regardless whats been scribbled on it.

I would imagine that most of the Pact support vehicles not absolutely required in the front areas would be very quickly withdraw to rear area security, reserved for raids, and the like and as Rainbow Six mentioned, withdrawn out of the theatre completely.

The danger of firendly fire would be a constant problem. It only takes one man armed with a rocket launcher and itchy trigger on a dark night and....

[Matt Wiser]

The East Germans never did get rid of their WarPac gear, especially the heavy stuff like tanks, IFVs/APCs, SP Arty, etc. I'm sure that extensive measures were taken to prevent or minimize such friendly-fire incidents.

[Targan]

In my campaign the PCs captured a Shershen-class torpedo boat near Warsaw and cruised down the Vistula for a while in that.

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by Matt Wiser

The East Germans never did get rid of their WarPac gear, especially the heavy stuff like tanks, IFVs/APCs, SP Arty, etc. I'm sure that extensive measures were taken to prevent or minimize such friendly-fire incidents.

Yes. I bet that the Reunified German Army would be a de-facto clearing house for captured, big-ticket Soviet-Bloc items. East German maintainance units would have experience in their repair and upkeep, and East German-trained tank crews would have no problem hopping into a former Soviet T-72 or BMP-1 and getting on with it. I imagine that ammo manufacture for captured weapons could also be taken care of fairly easily in the former DDR.

Friendly fire incidents would be a concern when employing captured vehicles but, as has been noted, it's been done before (Israel since '48, Germany in WWII) and necessity would certainly lead to the widespread use of captured enemy material, especially after '97. Beggars can't be choosers, after all.