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The following is an After Action Report from a Modern Spearhead game. The game was played on a table measuring 1.8m x 1.2m and used the alternate ground scale of 1" to 125m. Background: The game was an attack defence scenario generated by the Modern Spearhead Scenario Generation System. The game was set in Cold War Europe during 1983. The West Germans comprised troops equal to 650 points reinforced by a 60 point option and were defending. The attacking WARPAC forces were composed of 850 points of troops with a 60 point reinforcement option. |
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The Battle:
The West Germans deployed in the area of Schottenhauser comprised just three battalions drawn from 1st Panzer Division Division's 1st Panzer Grenadier Brigade. The 12th and 13th Panzer Grenadier battalions were relatively strong each with the usual two Marder equipped infantry companies and one further company of infantry in M113s. In addition each battalion contained in addition a mortar company equipped with some four self-propelled 120mm mortars. The third battalion was 14th Panzer Battalion and was equipped with the recently introduced Leopard II tank. This battalion was however understrength with all three companies comprising only eight of nine tanks each. Brigade support was also limited with only one Jagdpanzer Jaguar platoon, an anti-aircraft company of two Gepard platoons and a Luchs reconnaissance company of two platoons. The battlegroup, while being thin on the ground, was however well supported by artillery. The brigade's own M109 artillery battalion, equipped with 155mm guns, was in direct support of the brigade. Further, the brigade would be assisted by additional divisional artillery. In the first instance in a counter battery role, but also if required, in direct support of combat elements.
However, 1st Panzer Brigade HQ was now faced with a series of difficult decisions. In it's sector there were no less than five key areas, three of which were near to the extreme edge of the battle area. The brigade would either have to deploy forward and contest these objectives or be forced to a counter attack to recapture them. The Brigade commander decided on the former and deployed forward.
The 12th Panzer Grenadier Battalion, was deployed in the centre and reinforced with the Jagdpanzers and Luchs. This battalion was to be deployed to create a killing ground. The small town of Schottenhauser, some three sectors, was to be the bastion of the defence and here two platoons of infantry, in M113s, and a platoon of Luch armoured cars were deployed. Their task was two fold. Firstly, they were to hold the position if Schottenhauser was directly assaulted. If WARPAC forces however bypassed Schottenhauser, which was considered more likely, theses troops were to engage enemy forces as they moved passed the town. At the same time the enemy would be engaged by other element of the battalion, some 700m further west, positioned in woods and fields. These troops were mostly Marder equipped infantry teams who would use Milan at long range and the Marders 20mm cannons to support the infantry. The Jagdpanzers would deal, it was hoped, with the main battle tanks in this sector.
| Right, West German Marder equipped infantry of the 12th Panzer Grenadier battalion depoloyed in fields 700m from Schottenhauser. This company was one of the few West German units to be hit by WARPAC artillery fire. It was however soon operational with Milan against advancing East German Panzers. |  |
To the right of the battalion was the 13th Panzer Grenadier Battalion supported by one company of Panzers from 14th Panzer Battalion, some eight tanks. The 13th Panzer Grenadier Battalion was to hold a series of woods and small rises to the right of Schottenhauser and potentially protect the brigade's right flank from a flanking move. Like the bulk of the 12th it was deployed back some 700m from Schottenhauser. The battalion's defensive position was strengthened by an east west flowing river which provided a degree of protection from a flanking movement. Gepards were available to provide immediate anti-aircraft protection for the battalion. In particular they would remain near the Leopard company which would likely be targets for any enemy helicopters.
Finally, on the left flank of the brigade, and in open rolling country, was the main panzer formation of the brigade. This consisted of the remaining elements of 14th Panzer battalion. The battalion had suffered casualties in earlier engagements and now, after cross attachments, only two weak panzer companies remained. The panzer battalion was supported by one Gepard platoon and an infantry company, in Marders, drawn from 14th Panzer Grenadier Battalion.
The deployment of the 14th Panzer Battalion was centred around a ridge some 1500 metres long with rising ground on the extreme left. Of the four tank platoons available two platoons were able to deploy in hull down positions on the left while the other two tank platoons were on the more open slopes to the right. The initial battalion mission task was to cover a possible enemy attack route and guard the left flank of the centre. Should the situation allow this battalion was also the brigade's main armoured manoeuvre unit. Three Leopard platoons covered the attack route and one platoon, a quarter of the force, was echeloned back on an angle to cover an arc that covered a portion of the flank. A flank attack would potentially compromise the position, though consideration had been given to this avenue of attack and how the battalion would operate in this situation.
The WARPAC plan was simple. They intended to overwhelm the West Germans. The attack force was drawn from two divisions, one Soviet and one East German. The former drew it's combat elements from the 217th Motor Rifle Division. Specifically, a Motor Rifle Regiment in BTR-60PBs comprising three battalions. These battalions were further reinforced by a T-62 tank battalion which had been broken up to support the battalions. The East Germans in contrast were tank heavy. The 9th Panzer Division provided Regiment 23 "Julian Marchlewski" for the attack. This regiment had three Panzer battalions equipped with T-55 tanks and a BMP battalion. Support for both regiments was provided by the usual reconnaissance and anti-aircraft units with the East Germans tending to use older equipment. Both regiments were supported by a battalion of towed 122mm guns deployed behind the main lines.
WARPAC forces moved forward just before 7am and advanced on both flanks avoiding the town of Schottenhauser. The Soviet BTR regimental advance was lead by a single motor rifle battalion which seized a position some 1800 metres short of 13th Panzer Grenadier Battalion's position. In reserve were the two other motor rifle battalions of the regiment. On the West German left flank, and opposite 14th Panzer battalion, the East German's Panzer Regiment 23 "Julian Marchlewski" moved forward. Two battalions were in front with a third held in reserve ready for immediate use.
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| Above, a view of the battlefield with WARPAC forces advancing from the left. Two panzer battalions of East German Panzer Regiment 23 are advancing and are visible. The third is not yet visible but was to advance between these two. In the centre foreground can be seen the position of 14th Panzer Battalion with the twon of Schottenhauser in the left centre. In the distance can be seen the east west river that provided protection for 13th Panzer Grenadier Battalion but was also the area of the Soviet advance. |
Major Gunther Klaus, commanding the 14th Panzer Battalion, describes the situation on the West German left flank just after 7am:
| I was standing in the
turret of my Leopard II command tank eating breakfast, which on
this occasion was a hunk of brown bread cheese and a slice of
Blurwurst. Just as the gunner handed up a cup of coffee my radio
headphones burst into life. Enemy tanks were visible some 2kms
ahead moving over rolling ground. They were advancing in multiple
lines. Two battalions were visible and dust suggested more were
following. The tanks were supported by infantry in BMPs.
Reconnaissance tanks, old PT-76s we found out later, were in
front. We had expected some armour but not three battalions or
some 100 tanks moving towards our front! We had only 20 tanks and
one company of infantry, we now faced odds of 5:1!
We were indeed to see how the Leopard II would perform. We had been issued with the new Leopard II only six months prior. The first units going to our won division and 3rd Panzer Division. Our Leopard 1s having been handed on to other formations. Orders were issued and soon the 120mm guns of our tanks barked at the advancing enemy, seconds later the the first of the advancing enemy tanks burst into flame in the valley below. The battle had begun! |
As the WARPAC forces advanced artillery came down on a series of positions, no doubt part of an enemy fire plan that the West Germans had both expected and planned for. The fire tended to be ineffective, falling as it did on positions that had not been occupied. However, West German artillery was prompt to react. Within minutes of the initial enemy barrage beginning counter battery fire from West German FH-70 155mm guns was landing on one of the two enemy artillery battalions. Within 40 minutes one battalion of WARPAC artillery had been silenced.
The Soviet advanced battalion suffered few casualties. Some BTRs and BRDMs came under artillery fire and Milan equipped Panzer Grenadiers briefly engaged T-62s from the outskirts of Schottenhauser before falling back into the town to avoid casualties. However, the Soviet Regimental commander now committed one of his two reserve BTR battalions and they advanced cautiously on the extreme German right flank. They were to play no significant part in the battle. We will therefore return to the West German left and centre where both 14th Panzer and 12th Panzer Grenadier Battalions where now heavily engaged.
Here WARPAC resources took on renewed efforts. Soviet technicians attempted to jam the radar systems of the West Germans and with some success. Within 20 minutes of the first T-55s being engaged Soviet SU-7s peeled off and began attack runs on the Leopards IIs of 14th Panzer Battalion. The attached Gepard platoon threw up a desperate curtain of fire, despite the impact of the jamming, as the aging SU-7s came in. But came in they did and soon the hill side where the Leopards were deployed was a blaze of rockets as the SU-7s dispensed their munitions. Klaus again describes the scene:
| We had deployed well
for the attack by ground forces but were exposed to such attacks
from the air. Two hundred metres from me the Panzers of 1st company bore the brunt of the attacks
of some six SU-7s. The Jabos came in
in two waves, each of three aircraft. We had hammered home to the
crews of the Leopards that the great advantage of these new
vehicles was their agility. However, our agility countered for
little under this jabo attack. The battalion was only saved by the
Gepards whose curtain of anti-aircraft fire was impressive.
Cartridges from the twin 35mm guns littered the ground around around
the vehicles as the flak weapons pumped round after round into the
air. Amazingly the Leopards had survived. As the Jabos passed over we concentrated once again on the
tanks to our front.
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| Above, 14th Panzer Battalion as it comes under attack by Soviet SU-7s. The Gepard platoon can be seen on the left and behind it the panzer battalion headquarters. The Panzer Grenadier company from 13th Panzer Grenadier Battalion, attached to 14th Panzer is to the extreme left and not shown. The Su-7s were part of a Soviet pre-planned air strike a situation allowed for in the scenario generation system. |
The elderly T-55s stood little chance against the Leopards. They manoeuvred as best they could to avoid instant death. One battalion moved to it's left to concentrate on the 12th Panzer Grenadier Battalion. By doing so it placed a wood between it and the Leopard IIs of 14th Panzer. Without the support of the Leopards the Panzer Grenadiers in this sector were forced to rely on their Milan ATGWs. The Jagdpanzers were to far away to engage as they covered another possible route of advance.Such was the desperation that Luchs armoured cars even moved forward in an effort to suppress the T-55s with their 20mm guns while the Milans reloaded. The Luchs crews were quickly reminded however that their armour was not the same as the Leopards and several were destroyed despite their deployment in the outskirts of Schottenhauser. However, in time the Milan was to prove it's worth and the T-55s, lacking infantry support, were slowly wittled away.
Meanwhile the reserve East German Panzer battalion had moved forward against the Leopards in what must have seen to their crews an act of desperation and suicide. With the failure of the SU-7s there could be only one outcome.
After less than two hours of intense fighting the East German attack had failed. Further, the East German Panzer Regiment 23 "Julian Marchlewski" had ceased to exist as a fighting force and a significant portion of it's vehicles were now only blazing wrecks in front of Klaus' 14th Panzer Battalion.
Surprisingly, the Soviets had taken few casualties. Perhaps this time they were content to see their allies provide "intelligence" on the West German positions. One wonders what discussions took place at the headquarters of the East German 9th Panzer Division when news of the disaster was reviewed and the extent of Soviet inaction was considered. However, with the Soviet right flank now wide open the Soviet Regimental commander was forced into a temporary defensive stance while additional elements of the division were brought forward to continue the attack. No doubt the next wave would consist of BMPs and T-64s...