Reforger Nostalgia

[A Canadian Cat]

3 hours ago, IMHO said:

@37mm,

I had a course at the university taught by the guy who had been the head of the Analytics Division of the KGB's First Directorate (Foreign Intelligence).

...by the beginning of 80s the Soviet Union caught up in nuclear capabilities and political leadership understood the moment you would really need to open these plans it would be pretty much the end of the world.

Very cool. I am glad to hear that. As a teenager in the 80s there was a time when I was not so sure that our leaders nor the Soviet ones understood that. As I got older I came to realize they probably did - a big relief. I am glad to hear more confirmation that it was the case.

 

3 hours ago, IMHO said:

So as every other army in the world the Soviet one should be allowed to plan however fantastical these plans may look like. And to train to execute these plans.

Yeah, I am constantly amazed (but not really : - ) how much press "leaked" plans like this get. I don't mean old Soviet plans I mean in general. I am quite sure the Canadian Forces have plans that many people would freak out over and they aren't exactly a super power force. Every time I read stories about contingencies plans I say everyone chill out. Armies are supposed to plan for all kinds of scenarios. What matters is what our political leaders think and do.

[IMHO]

2 hours ago, IanL said:

As a teenager in the 80s there was a time when I was not so sure that our leaders nor the Soviet ones understood that

Khruschev was deposed in no small part due to the fright and consternation he made Politburo to go through with Cuban Missile Crisis. They honestly believed he was too unpredictable to lead a nuclear power. Actually the guy at the university was very knowledgeable about this event. Being a personal friend of both Castro brothers, the Spanish translator most favored by Khruschev and even being the very station officer who personally interviewed Lee Harvey Osvald when he dropped by the Russian Embassy in Mexico complaining he was being followed the guy was extremely interesting person to speak with.

Edited February 25, 2021 by IMHO

[MikeyD]

I recall reports that WWII US generals were delighted to hear that the Germans had invaded the Ardennes during the start of the bulge battle. They saw it as their opportunity to close-up the whole German army into a bag and defeat them. Imagine what sort of hell it would've been if the Germans had saved aaaaall those forces to play defense in Germany after the allies crossed the Rhine. It appears the Cold War NATO plan was something similar. First, try to not lose outright until the Russians exhaust themselves and outrun their supply lines, then NATO hits back at them hard when they're at their weakest. Basically the '73 Yom Kippur scenario all over again. I'm not saying it would work, but that's pretty much the only option they had.

[fireship4]

On 2/25/2021 at 10:27 AM, 37mm said:

This is said to be the original WP map...

Cool map.  I also spotted sarin and Vx on there.  Madness.  I know many films and books have been made on the subject but I feel it may be some time (perhaps only after we have fully emerged from it) before we come to grips with the nuclear holocaust that could have been.  

 

On 2/25/2021 at 11:47 AM, IMHO said:

I had a course at the university taught by...

Cool.  More stories like that if you can.

[hank24]

I grew up just 8 km from the inner-german border and never felt any fear or such - today I think that is strange.

Just the opposite, there are many nice memories concerning the military of that time. We often had the 16/5th Queens Royal Lancers on exercise at the farm of my father. They were stationed at the town of Wolfenbüttel nearby and everybody loved to see them, my mother because we talked english all day, the soldiers because they had warm places to sleep and a shower, and my father because he had an agreement to get a bottle of Famous Grouse for each day of their stay. We did things you never get elswhere, driving a Ferret Mk1 (I called it armored Dune Buggy), a Scorpion tank and even firing a Sten SMG on the meadow behind the barn. Once my father and me visited their barracks for some claybird shooting and the officers invited us to the officers mess. Wow, never saw so many silver cups and a living tradition like that.

When I served at PzAufklBtl 1 (Armored Recon) from '79 to '83 (just the proper time for this game) we were not even allowed to keep our battalion coat of arms, it was from the Black Hussars from Brunswick who fought with the British against Napoleon, but was too similar to the SS sign. That happens to military traditions when you loose your wars.

At that time I met kind guys from the 2nd Armored Division on Reforger exercise near Brunswick and found some nice friends there (Cpt. Hutto somewhere around here?).

And I served as contactperson for the team of 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards during the Boeselager Cup, an international competition among reconaissance forces. Still remember the 'Biwak' on the last evening.

One day I heard the sound of a Huey helicopter nearby and it did not disappear. So I looked for the source and found some thee or four Huey Cobra hovering directly at the outskirts of the village. I immediatly fetched my brothers and we tried to follow them with my Renault R4. Tough job, soon they were gone. But suddenly they reappeared one after the other over a ridgeline and took my car as a training target. Oh, man, that was exciting. I tried to make their job as difficult as I could but these helis were really fast and agile. I would love to ride one of those, must be like a flying Kawasaki.

I think Germany really lost something important with all these kind soldiers who are gone now and with them the BFBS radio and the British Wargamers Association with which I had so nice times at Rheindahlen and elsewhere.

And, by the way, a german Recon Btl was a complete all arms force in '79, ideal for a Bundeswehr expansion one day. There was a ground surveillance radar plt, two companies with Luchs and Leopard1, and a heavy company with grenadier plt (on Schützenpanzer kurz, later Fuchs), engineer plt, and 120 mm mortar plt.

And now I am here, working as an engineer on military simulation and looking forward to my retirement next year being excited to have all the time necessary to play my favorite game then, CM:CW.

 

 

[mjkerner]

Good story, Hank. Enjoy your retirement!

[Falaise]

beautiful story @hank24
I still look thoughtfully at your avatar. I had among my relatives a former Pzrgt I / 24 attached to division 116 PZ. He was wireless operator on Panther in Normandy. he was very attached to the color yellow, the traditional color of the cavalry, and to this badge.

he is  gone now...

[hank24]

Yes, it is the badge of 24. PzDiv, one of my uncles served in it, he was flown out of Stalingrad wounded and my grandfather was missing in action while serving in the artillery branch of this division 1945.

And now this is the color of the German recon forces, which I served in.

Edited March 5, 2021 by hank24

[Aragorn2002]

On 3/5/2021 at 1:28 AM, hank24 said:

Yes, it is the badge of 24. PzDiv, one of my uncles served in it, he was flown out of Stalingrad wounded and my grandfather was missing in action while serving in the artillery branch of this division 1945.

And now this is the color of the German recon forces, which I served in.

One of my favorite German divisions. Former 1. Kavallerie Division, hence the Springreiter.

Edited March 6, 2021 by Aragorn2002

[IMHO]

On 3/1/2021 at 8:54 PM, fireship4 said:

Cool.  More stories like that if you can.

Well... You understand I kinda "can" only what was posted (and vetted) in other (Russian language) sources?  My primary interest in guy was in Cuban Missile Crisis (that was my crush of university years ) and the Soviet decision making in beginning of 80s. But in principle he was the head of the whole of Soviet Foreign Intelligence Service Analytics since 1971 and he was quite open (or open enough? ) so that made him quite an outstanding person. Plus it was not a kind of free-for-all course - there was a compulsory pre-selection - so there were normally about 12-18 of us who had his undivided attention for few hours once a week. The discussion normally dragged on pretty much into the late night.

Edited March 11, 2021 by IMHO

[MikeyD]

Here's a fun glimpse of how the sausage gets made. An early shot of the M48 Chaparral AA vehicle model with the official US MERDC camou pattern overlaying it. Adventures in vehicle texturing. 

Edited April 1, 2021 by MikeyD

[AttorneyAtWar]

The Chaparrel definitely isn't going to win any beauty contests, that's for sure.

In any war-game I've ever played they've never been reliable either!

Edited March 12, 2021 by AttorneyAtWar

[Baneman]

6 hours ago, MikeyD said:

Here's a fun glimpse of how the sausage gets made. An early shot of the M48 Chaparral AA vehicle model with the official US MERDIC camou pattern overlaying it. Adventrures in vehicle texturing. 

What are those weird hoops in front ?

[MikeyD]

[MikeyD]

[MikeyD]

[IICptMillerII]

[Mastiff]

My time at Reforger 1988-1989 was a blast, the one time they let us plow those farm fields and go anywhere!!!

I remember we found some sleeping Op4, and took all their radio antennas, they didn't leave anyone up for guard duty; I even went into a full sleeping GP medium and no one said a word. lol. left with their antennas. Got into a fist fight with 10th mountain over it! lol.

While out patrolling a road we came upon a disabled HQ 113, and Bradley, captured it and all there maps.

 

2AD MP Co, 502nd 1st Tiger Platoon!!

 

 

 

Edited March 14, 2021 by Mastiff

[IMHO]

5 hours ago, IICptMillerII said:

What is this 9 pack of presumably unguided rockets?

UPD I found out those are blanks to imitate shooting, part of MILES gear. Never seen it in pics, thank you so much!

Edited March 14, 2021 by IMHO

[MikeyD]

Just a couple years before our timeframe. A VERY daring camou scheme!

 

[markus544]

I Like it

[markus544]

[danfrodo]

this is the best thread in the history of CM.  No, wait, in the history of the world.

[MikeyD]

Its pretty hard to locate Soviet T72s, T64s, T80s in exactly our time window. Most photos, even of old vehicles, show an added 20mm applique bow armor layer that didn't fitted til about '85, I think (its on the CMSF2/CMBS vehicles).

[Sequoia]

The picture of the US tank on the flatcar, is that a M-60? The reverse turret throws me.