Friday, 19 December 2014

West of Kleineburg, 1979 - part 1

This Little Cold Wars game was played at the Sheffield club on 17 December 2014.  Prior to the game I sent briefings to the players.  Martin R led the Forbodians and his briefing and plan can be found below:
The forces Martin was hoping for!
Forbodian briefing:
Elements, 81st Proletarian Motor Rifle Regiment, Forbodian Peoples’ Army

Motor Rifle Btl –
Btl HQ                                    HQ with SA-7, jeep
3 Inf Co, ea:                            2 Infantry, 1 truck
Mortar Bty                              120mm, jeep
AT Plt                                     Lt ATGM, jeep

Regimental Recce Co             1 BRDM-2, 1 PT-76
Plt from Regt AT Co              1 towed 85mm AT gun

Support: air support is unlikely.  Enemy air activity is light to moderate.

Mission:
Some days into our glorious campaign to liberate the workers of western Europe, NATO forces ‘pocketed’ by our glorious Shock Armies have struck south and endanger our supply lines.  Your battalion has been allocated the Kleineburg area where a NATO (probably British) attack is expected from the northwest later this morning.
Enter from point A and take up defensive positions around Kleineburg.

You will need to prepare:
1 an order of march, specifying gaps between units
2 a defensive plan for Kleineburg
3 a fall back defence along the line B-C

Terrain:

Mostly open and cultivated, except where indicated.  Kleineburg is made up of stone & brick buildings.  The river is deep but the banks are fairly gentle.
The map area measure about 5km across.

Martin's plan:
244 Mr Bn(+), 81 MRR, Officer Commanding. 20.6.79

Order of march for defence of Kleineburg

Recce Group (BRD)
1 x BRDM-2

Forward Detachment (PO):  2km behind BRD
1 x PT-76, MR Co, 1 x 85mm ATG

Advance Guard (GPZ): 1km behind PO
1 x MR Co

Main Body: 1km behind GPZ
Bn HQ, SA-7, Sagger, 120mm Mortar, 1 x MR Co (doubles as rearguard)

Kleineburg defence plan (KDP)

BRD fall back when relieved and observe from hill C
PO AT elements occupy southern wood, MR Co occupy town
GPZ occupy northern woods
Main body occupy reverse slopes of Hill C with Sagger in overwatch on the ridge and infantry dig in on reverse slope

Reserve position defence plan (brackets are march routes from KDP)

Main body form pivot of manouvre on Hill C as above
AT group woods in road bend (retire via Hill C south of woods)
GPZ northern reverse slope of hill C covering road (retire by safest route)
PO MR Co support AT Co in road bend woods (retire last by road if feasible or across Hill C)
Bn HQ elements (HQ, mortar, SA 7) woods on far side of bridge.

2 comments:

Mad Padre said...

Sounds like a viable plan. Good to see players being forced to think along these lines. It was always the favourite part of my officer training to have to think through these exercises.

Tim Gow said...

Michael Peterson
Well you know what they say about plans....