[FRVO]

Jag och Elias Nordling (samt ErikLj de första turnsen) har spelat oss igenom Campaign 1 (The North Stygian Plain) i Die Festung Hamburg, en av modulerna i C3-serien från Thin Red Line Games. Det som följer här är en after action report som också kommer publiceras i andra fora - därav engelskan.

The Warsaw Pact generals drew up three alternative plans for the campaign.




After some deliberation Plan B was selected for the operation. The components of this plan were for
●   Polish forces to advance to the East riverbank of the Elbe South of Hamburg and force NATO to allocate resources against a possible crossing there.
●   Soviet and East German forces were to cross the Elbe-Lübeck Canal and advance East and North of Hamburg. Once reaching roughly Bad Segeberg the East Germans were to advance North to the Nord-Ostsee Canal (taking Neumünster and Kiel along the way) and then stay there.
●   The Soviets were to swing West and advance North of Hamburg and then cross the Elbe North of Hamburg.
●   Once having established a solid bridgehead on the West side of the Elbe (roughly from Stade to Horneburg) the plan was to (enhanced by reinforcements) i) continue westwards towards the Weber, and ii) move South along the west bank of the Elbe to encircle Hamburg.

The NATO plan
NATO deployed the 6 PG division forward, as an advance towards Denmark by only East Germans can have a lot of trouble against a determined defense. South of Hamburg, NATO HQ prepared for a defense along the Elbe-Seitencanal, but deployed in depth to avoid having the defenders trapped by airborne forces. What actually transpired was something different.

   

[FRVO]

Det var självklart superkul att spela igenom en hel kampanj, men det var också roligt att skriva ihop AAR som ett samarbete mellan Elias och mig. Det blev en resa tillbaka kring spännande och roliga delar i kampanjen och en möjlighet ta del av den andres reflektioner och minnen av spelet. Så, nu börjar det:

Background
On June 8th, 1985 General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party Mikhail Gorbachev is deposed by a military coup. A State of Emergency Committee, formed by Kremlin hardliners and presided by Andrei Gromyko, take power in Soviet Union.

Tension between the two Blocs increases sharply, reaching alarming levels after mass protests in several Warsaw Pact countries are suppressed by local Soviet forces. Interpreting these events as a covert attempt by capitalist forces to bring the Socialist System to its knees, the new Soviet Politburo decides to play all its remaining cards and starts mobilising Class II and III Divisions.

NATO diplomatic attempts to defuse the conflict receive reassuring answers about Soviet Union's desire for peace, not supported by a change in Warsaw Pact's troop movements.

In the end, the last supporters of the diplomatic approach surrender to the harsh reality when faced with dozens of satellite photos irrefutably showing Warsaw Pact Armies moving in attack formation toward the German Inner Border.

On July 23rd 1985 Transfer of Authority to NATO finally takes place, and SACEUR immediately issues a GENERAL ALERT order. A few hours later, Warsaw Pact divisions smash into NORTHAG covering forces.


July 24-25, 1985
Right away, it became obvious that the Warsaw Pact main thrust was going Northwest. First line Soviet divisions assisted by an airborne brigade crossed the Elbe-Lübeck canal and pushed back 6 PG. A large part of the division was pushed into Hamburg where a fairly strong defensive perimeter was formed. The rest of the division was swept north where a ragtag defense of the Kiel Canal was being organized.

In the south, however, the advance was done by a single Polish army, that struggled to reach even the Elbe-Seitencanal against delaying German forces. At night, the Soviet main forces started veering west, easing the pressure on the Kiel Canal, and only at Kiel there was heavy fighting as the East Germans tried to take the city against stubborn defense by West German territorial units, and they never really captured all of Kiel. This wore out the East Germans. Near Hamburg, some Soviet units were entering the city but were bloodily repulsed by the defenders.


The Battle for the Elbe
NATO, realizing the WP had no plans to cross the Kiel Canal, still assumed they planned to crush the Hamburg defenders and cross the Elbe south of Hamburg or perhaps in Hamburg proper, and were digging in and sending in reinforcements. NATO was genuinely taken by surprise when the Soviet first line divisions instead crossed the Elbe north of Hamburg at Noon on July 25th (D+1). The defense here consisted of the US 2A Brigade by itself at start (ensuring a steady stream of books and films on the Battle of the Elbe for decades to come), but the Dutch 41 Pz brigade quickly joined them, and the German 3 Pz division was desperately shifting its forces north. Northag now feared a thrust towards Bremerhaven, which could decide the war, and desperately started mining the bridges on the Oste.

The US 2A brigade very nearly collapsed in the first fight along the river, but further Dutch reinforcements arrived in time to stabilize the situation and put up a fight for Stade.

The first Soviet unit crossing the Elbe was the 16th Guards Tank Regiment of the 207th Mechanized Division. Initially two Soviet divisions (207M and 94GM) were allocated to establishing a bridge-head on the West side of the Elbe. Progress to cross the river was however painfully slow due to suboptimal planning and stubborn NATO defence. By nightfall (21:00) only three units (6/207M, 74G/94GM, 28/94Gm) had survived the crossing of the river, and the aforementioned NATO reinforcements had reached the area.

Status North of Hamburg at Midnight on July 25 (end of Turn H21, D+1):



Advance to Nord-Ostsee Kanal and Battle for Kiel
After the Soviet elements destined to cross the Elbe had turned West to march towards the river, the units tasked with reaching the Nord-Ostsee Kanal continued North, pushing the West German 6th Panzargrenadier Division in front of them.  The bulk of the advancing force consisted of the Soviet 16th Guards Tank Division, the East German 8th Motorized Division and, somewhat bizarrely, the Soviet 38th Airborne Brigade who for some reason or other got swept up in the frenzy chasing North.
 
Neumünster was seized without major issues and the Soviet entities continued North towards the canal without too much drama. The East Germans however found themselves running into trouble in the outskirts of Kiel where a couple of West German units who clearly had not been drinking from the socialist Kool-Aid ("Kühle Hilfe") began to make life miserable for them.

Once having pushed the Jutland defenders to the North side of the Nord-Ostsee Kanal the Soviet formations began to make their way Southwest to support their brethren trying to cross the Elbe. To take the Soviet's place along the canal, the East German 9th Panzer Division arrived from the Southeast.


The Polish Advance in the South
The Polish 1st Army containing the 8th and 12th Motorized Divisions plus the 20th Tank Division was tasked with the job to advance to the Elbe-Seitenkanal in the South. Once having arrived by the canal their assignment was to stare threateningly at the enemy on the other river bank to convince them not to detach units and send them northwards as reinforcements. By midnight on July 25th the Poles had reached the canal (not without struggles). Initially the staring-at-the enemy-job worked out fine, but is slowly transformed into some kind of vodka-soaked jamboree.

For NATO, there was never the intention to put up more than a delaying fight in front of the Elbe-Seitencanal, but as the day wore on, it became obvious how easily delayed the Poles were and how much it cost them. Just to see how much pain they could cause the Poles, the West Germans put up a fight at "The Battle for hex 3634" that turned into a real embarrassment for the Poles.

Status at Midnight on July 25 (end of Turn H21, D+1):

 

[FRVO]

The Battle for the Elbe
The Soviet slog to cross the Elbe continues throughout the night and morning of July 26th. Brave Soviet engineers managed to establish both a ribbon bridge and a panel bridge under difficult circumstances. Additional units from the 94th and 207th divisions piled across the bridges. During the morning the 16th Guards Tank division also arrived from the Northeast after clearing out any NATO resistance south of the Nord-Ostsee Kanal. After fierce fighting some of the Soviet units manage to take Stade city centre and things start to look pretty rosy for the socialist cause, despite the rainy weather complicating matters.

The situation around noon July 26th (D+2):



However, right at this moment the Soviet high command, to general horror and disbelief, discovers that the staff planning the operation has made a fatal mistake. Studying the terrain a bit closer they realize a valid Supply Path cannot be identified along this section of the Elbe (no adjacent hexes with roads). The most Northern point where a Supply Path can be traced is in Hamburg. No-one dares to notify the Central Committee, but orders are issued to abandon the dash for Bremerhaven and Wilhelmshaven, and instead continue to cross the river and then advance South along the West bank of the river to connect with brethren forces trying to take Hamburg.

On the NATO side the American brigade puts up a valiant defence to buy time for the Dutch reinforcements to arrive. Unfortunately, for the communist cause, the capitalists' defence holds and noon July 26 effectively marks the high-point of the Soviet advance across this stretch of the Elbe. The Soviets fail to both expand the bridge-head, fight off the arriving NATO units, and advance South. By midnight it is clear that the attempt to cross the Elbe has failed. The WP units that can retreat to the East side of the river, but many get stuck and eliminated or captured by the enemy.

The situation around midnight July 26th (D+2):



Die Festung Hamburg
At the same point in time as things start to heat up around Stade and the Elbe further North, a combination of Soviet and Polish forces is approaching Hamburg in the early hours of July 26th (D+2). The Soviet 21st Motorized Division and 38th Airborne Brigade (having been diverted from their earlier escapades near Neumünster) are approaching from the North while the Polish 16th and Soviet 20th Tank Divisions are marching from Southeast. The West German 16th and 17th Panzergrenadier Brigades form the bulk of the defence of the city supported by a couple of territorial units from the Heimatschutz.

Confident of easy success the 21st Motorized leisurely enter the Northern suburbs of Hamburg, but quickly had their smiles wiped off their faces by a determined, bordering to desperate, defence by the West German units in the city. The Soviets take heavy losses and are forced to reduce the pace of their advance. Surprisingly it instead is the, on paper, much weaker Polish tank division that manages to break the back of the defenders. (Actually, the Polish unit shouldn't have been in Hamburg at all, but through a misunderstanding between their Russian overlords and the Polish high command the order to "Do not use tanks!!" was interpreted as "Send in the tanks!!". Hence, it came to be that plucky Polish T55s could be seen chasing West German panzergrenadiers through the streets of Hamburg). By lunch-time the first Poles had crossed the Norderelbe that runs across the city:



The rest of the day is spent mopping up any remaining resistance, and by late evening the whole of Hamburg is safely in socialist hands. And just in time for opening hours at Reeperbahn! One of the Battalions of the 38th Airborne even manages to make it across the Elbe - a first step to linking up with the units further North along the Elbe that try to fight their way South. All defending units have either been eliminated or captured, except for a sliver of the 165th Artillery Battalion that managed to escape across the Elbe to safety on the West bank of the river. Downbeat and battle-weary none of the men in that battered little group can in this moment of defeat imagine the role they will play in this drama in just a couple of days' time...

Situation in and around Hamburg by midnight July 26th (D+2):



The Empire Strikes Back
As the West German determined stand in Kiel continues, sapping the power out of the East German division assaulting, the remainder of 6 Pg Div, about a brigade's worth, is recovering. More Danes are also coming in, together with West German HS brigades. Most importantly, a light British brigade arrives. Being Brits they cannot see the words "light" and "brigade" in proximity without wanting to charge. At this stage, NATO is still very concerned about the fight in Stade, so the idea of doing a raid with the forces at hand in the Jutland peninsula is conceived. The first objective is to rough up the East Germans holding the line along the Kiel canal, forcing the Warsaw Pact to divert forces away from their main thrust. Also, if the raid is successful, they could put the main artillery park of the Soviets out of supply which would definitely ease the pressure. There are also numerous rear echelon units like helicopters and rocket batteries potentially within reach.

The East Germans turn out to be completely unprepared for this turn of events. Defending units are surrounded and defeated, and the 8 Motorized division in particular is more or less eliminated, pressed as it is both from the defenders in Kiel that are now counterattacking, and from forces arriving in its rear. The Soviet 16 GT division is diverted to shore up the situation and is also largely destroyed in the process.

In the end, the raid briefly cuts off the supply for the Soviet artillery park, but at this stage their attack across the Elbe has lost steam anyway. Some WP support units are destroyed, but not as many as hoped for. But the destruction of two WP divisions was more than what was hoped for. The advancing West Germans, Danes and Brits recapture Neumünster and reach a high water mark a bit south of the city before it is clear that they have reached the point of diminishing returns. And most importantly, that they are now the primary objective of the WP armies.

Situation at midnight July 26th (D+2):

[FRVO]

The Elbe is Secured
At the Elbe, a bewildering amount of Dutch Batallions have now collected in the vicinity of Stade, and the traffic jam is unbelievable. It is clear that the attacking Soviet forces have lost momentum, and by using sheer weight of numbers, the Dutch can keep pressure on the Soviets by attacking, and then rotate fresh units. The combat is intense, and the Soviet defense is anchored on the use of heavy electronic warfare from a HQ in an entrenched position on the other side of the river. Disaster really strikes for the Pact when a lucky shot, or rather a final attempt of many, rolls the really high roll necessary and takes out the HQ, removing the cover of electronic warfare and making a division out of command. When this happens, the Soviet bridgehead across the Elbe quickly collapses.

Further South, in the section of the front between Hamburg and Neugraben, the Soviet and Polish units that conquered Hamburg now make a final effort to establish a lasting presence on the West side of the river. A number of WP units actually make it across the river and hold the outskirts of Neugraben by midnight on July 27th. But with NATO no longer having to assign resources to the area around Stade and able to send those units South to reinforce the area around Neugraben things look ominous for the WP attempt to maintain a bridge-head.

Situation Southwest of Hamburg by midnight July 27th (D+3):



The Empire is Halted but the War is Won
With the British (together with Danes and Germans) seriously threatening WP's rear, and with the battle of Stade abandoned, the poor men in the 207th, 94th, and 21st Soviet divisions plus the 38th brigade (which by this time has passed through Bad Bramsted three times) have to be rushed back Northeast to stem the NATO tide sweeping across Schleswig-Holstein. Many of the units are very badly worn and pushed hard by being force-marched. Eventually they manage to catch up with the enemy and manage to stop the NATO advance just North of the east-westerly road from Scharbeutz to Itzehoe.

By now it was clear to everyone involved that the communist cause was well and truly lost. The parties debated a cease-fire but could not reach agreeable terms so the fighting carries on – mainly in Schleswig-Holstein, and to the surprise of many vodka-soaked Poles – along the Elbe-Seitenkanal.

[fvianello]

Again, great reading!
Looks like an almost perfect live replay of "Red Storm Rising" 

[FRVO]

The fighting had now reached a point where the Soviets had abandoned any attempt to cross the Elbe or the Elbe-Seitencanal, and instead diverted most of their remaining resources to counterattack in the North. Meanwhile, NATO now have four fresh West German brigades and uncountable Dutch hordes that are unable to intervene north of Hamburg due to army group restrictions. What can they do? Well, they can attack the Poles south of Hamburg, of course!

The unsuspecting Poles have barely had time to sober up from the celebrations of their glorious victory in the Battle of Hex 3436 when the West Germans decide to take it back after all. Further North, Germans of the 3 Pz division together with hordes of Dutch of uncertain divisional affiliation make a separate crossing across the Elbe-Seiten canal. The sheer numerical advantage makes the Poles buckle and only the upcoming ceasefire prevents them from collapsing as a Dutch recon battalion actually reaches the East German border. Unfortunately for NATO, administration saves the WP as the Dutch unit was on the wrong side of the army group border and had to be stop, or they would have invaded the Warsaw Pact.

By this stage of the battles, the high commands of both sides are showing signs of fatigue. This results in a number of notable foul-ups. Two Dutch brigades of truck-towed artillery drive up to within enemy artillery range while still on trucks, with terrible results. Worse for NATO, while the forces in Schleswig Holstein are fully aware at the attention now directed at them, including the two late arriving Polish 5th and 11th tank divisions diverted from the assault on Berlin, they fail to properly protect the bridges necessary to supply their troops. When these bridges are blown by a combination of WP air attacks and missile artillery, the defence is essentially turned into a delaying action as there is no hope of resting or receiving artillery supply.

On the other hand, the Soviets have a foul-up of their own of a certain magnitude. The Soviet intel correctly identify that Northag troops have orders to not cross the Elbe near Hamburg, so the evacuate the city to get all the troops they can muster to join in the fight in Schleswig-Holstein. But they forgot about the remains of the soon to be legendary 165th Artillery Battalion! - the sole group of fortunate souls that managed to retreat out of the Hamburg pocket. With a little help from Northag engineers, a bridge is built and they are able to liberate Hamburg! And just in time for opening hours at Reeperbahn!



When ceasefire is declared at the night of July 28th (D+4), the NATO line in Schleswig-Holstein is like a wet paper bag, but so is the Polish line in front of the Elbe. All-in-all a spectacular victory for the allied defenders and a miserable failure for the Pact. The coup-makers in Moscow are rounded up and forced to go to bed without dessert. The East European countries pounce on the opportunity to break free from the Soviet Union and assure support from their former foes in the West. The Soviet Union quickly falls apart and the five-year plans are replaced with a free-for-all unfettered capitalism that the country is reeling from to this day. In St Petersburg there is an angry little man burying his head in his hands vowing to seek revenge.

Positions at the end of the scenario:





The Graveyard:



Expanded stacks at end of campaign:







       

[EvilSpook]

Utmärkt krigsskildring!
Såg att den letat sig upp på TRLs sida också!

Kul!
//EvilSpook

[Scheuer]

Tusen tack, mycket underhållande läsning! Hur lång speltid ungefär för allt detta? Ni körde VASSAL?

[FRVO]

Tusen tack, mycket underhållande läsning! Hur lång speltid ungefär för allt detta? Ni körde VASSAL?

Tackar. Jadu, det tog sin tid. Vi (Elias, ErikLj, och jag) spelade de första turnsen live på FF i Feb 2023 och konverterade det till Vassal. Vi (Elias och jag) spelade sedan via Vassal (mest pbem) i 19 månader - sammanlagt 1125 logfiler.

[Scheuer]

Tusen tack, mycket underhållande läsning! Hur lång speltid ungefär för allt detta? Ni körde VASSAL?

Tackar. Jadu, det tog sin tid. Vi (Elias, ErikLj, och jag) spelade de första turnsen live på FF i Feb 2023 och konverterade det till Vassal. Vi (Elias och jag) spelade sedan via Vassal (mest pbem) i 19 månader - sammanlagt 1125 logfiler.

Goddamn!

[Elias Nordling]

Det var väl klart vid fil 800-nånting vad slutresultatet skulle bli och vi övervägde att sluta men tyckte att så långt kommet kunde man ju lika gärna spela långa kampanjen till slut. Det är den sortens spel där man vill se vad som händer.

[fvianello]

Det var väl klart vid fil 800-nånting vad slutresultatet skulle bli och vi övervägde att sluta men tyckte att så långt kommet kunde man ju lika gärna spela långa kampanjen till slut. Det är den sortens spel där man vill se vad som händer.

It reminds me of my last The Next War campaign...it took 3 years to complete, playing F2F.

[EvilSpook]

It reminds me of my last The Next War campaign...it took 3 years to complete, playing F2F.

You need to have a very good friend before starting such a game.
And you will have no friends left after the game is finished.


//EvilSpook

[fvianello]

It reminds me of my last The Next War campaign...it took 3 years to complete, playing F2F.

You need to have a very good friend before starting such a game.
And you will have no friends left after the game is finished.


//EvilSpook

Yep! Actually he is the co-designer of 1985: under an iron sky, Marco Cimmino