Kakstadt Gap, July 1979 - part 1

This was a Little Cold Wars game played in Bertrand's garden in Norfolk.  

NATO briefing - Operation Extreme Penetration

The Warpact assault which began a few days ago has stalled in some sectors, including the area around Kakstadt.  In the US forces which initially crumbled under the Warpact assault, incompetent commanders have been weeded out, including Colonel Cordery and Major King.  No details of their fate have been released.  In fairness, it must be said that the DDR forces have also been purged and the whereabouts of Col. I C Druryov have yet to be determined.

Newly arrived NATO forces have been tasked to counter attach the relatively weak East German forces in this sector and to drive deep into the DDR.

Local DDR forces are reputedly led by a former Stasi officer who previously spent some time in the west, disguised – rather unconvincingly – as a man of the cloth.

NATO has been reinforced by French forces meaning ample supplies of wine and squishy cheese.  And some tanks.  The American Colonel Jack ‘blood and guts’ Wright has been joined by Major ‘hell on wheels’ Hartley and the French Colonels De Cerf and ‘dangereux’ Droite.

An initial ground assault by a US battalion will be followed by a brigade-level heliborne landings (Operation Painful Plunge) behind the enemy front line.  The airborne troops will lay a ‘carpet’ along which the main ground force will advance.  What could go wrong?

The plan. 

Be thinking about where to land the paras, including approach and departure routes for the helis.

Land forces.  Where and when are they entering and what are their initial and subsequent objectives.

Air support.  You have a lot of it – when and where do you want it?

SF forces.  Can be deployed anywhere.

NATO Forces

French Armoured Brigade:

15 and 22 Armoured Regts with AMX-30 and AMX-10P

each with attached AT, engr, AA plts

2 Recce Co

US Mech btl with 2 inf and 1 tank co*

NATO Airmobile Brigade

US Airmobile Btl + 4 Heli*

UK Airborne Btl

French Para Btl + 5 Heli

Air Support

Fighters – FAF Mirage, USAF F-104

Recce – FAF Jaguar

Strike – FAF F-100D, USAF A-10, 4 GAF F-104

Special Forces

2 SF recce parties – one British SAS and one from any other NATO nation.  May be deployed anywhere.  May move and have comms back to NATO. May be in East German Police uniforms.

DDR Forces amounted to a reinforced regiment:

A knocked-about motor rifle regiment - one MR btl, one tank btl and regimental assets.  

1 company of Willi Sanger special forces  - helicopter mobile.

Limited air assets.

Around a battalion-worth of Border Guards.

 Play opened with the NATO air recce missions - one at high level and the other low.

 The air recce photos showed border defences...

 ...border guards going about their business...

 ...railway sidings near the inevitable...

 ...tractor factory!

Coming next - hostilities open.