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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 1984. The Americans comprised troops equal to 700 points that were further reinforced by a 70 point option. The Americans were defending. The attacking Soviet forces were composed of 925 points of troops, supported by a futher 70 point option. |
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The Battle:
In the US 8th Mechanised Division sector Soviet planners believed they had entered the breakthrough phase of operations. They therefore determined to spearhead the advance of the 39th Guard Motor Rifle Division
(GMRD) with the 15th Guards Tank Regiment (GTR). The use of a tank
heavy formation was expected to wrong foot the Americans who had grown
increasingly to expect attacks by motor rifle formations supported by
helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.
The American mechanised infantry and armour, equipped with M113s, M901s and
M1 Abrams tanks were deployed on a battlefield was relatively open. One major stream that ran east-west divided the American right from the left and centre. Forested areas were limited as were hull down positions.
Two built up areas existed, the larger a town the other a village. The small town of
Dobritz was near the Soviet start lines and in the centre. It was still within the American forward defence area. Interestingly
Dobritz was not considered critical by either combatant. In contrast
several hills and bridges, as well as a smaller village
of Compitz, were considered of import due to the road network that
weaved its way across the battlefield. Events were to
show that Dobritz was in fact critical and would play a pivotal part
in the engagement.
Soviet reconnaissance indicated the area was covered by two American mechanised infantry battalions. One on the Soviet left and one on the Soviet
right and centre. The terrain on the
Soviet left and centre being more dense than that on the right. Soviet reconnaissance also indicated
Dobritz was likely to be held. It was further believed that additional American armour,
of unknown strength, was in reserve further to the rear.
This 15th Guards Tank Regiment was equipped with three tank battalions of
T-64B tanks. The battalions were at full strength and were supported by the
regiment's BMP battalion. Additional supporting formations included two weak battalions drawn from 117th Guards
Motor Rifle Regiment (MRR) equipped with BTR-60PBs each with ten further
T-64B tanks. The 117th
MRR had suffered casualties in early engagements and while these had been generally made good the unit was clearly short on some support
units. Supporting elements consisted of each regiments towed D-30 artillery
battalion as well as a number of 120mm mortars which would be depoyed
forward.
The 15th GTR was to advance on the Soviet right. The massed tanks were to concentrate on a rapid advance,
which would after sweeping American opposition before it, would swinging
south taking up firing positions against the expected American counter attack.
This was expected to be by the previously stated reserve armoured
formation. This formation was expected to arrive from a central reserve position. Once the
counter attack was halted and the Americans driven back, one tank battalion was to exit the table
using a secured road network and begin the exploitation phase. Divisional
assets would follow through and exploit the breakthrough. One BTR battalion was to conduct a frontal attack on the small town of
Dobritz. Once cleared this was to be the left flank of the advance. A final reserve, the remaining BTR battalion from 117th MRR, was to remain in
reserve to counter any attack against Dobritz from the south by American
mechanised infantry.
The Soviet commander expected American fixed wing aircraft to support the defence. To counter this significant care was taken to deploy the air defence assets to cover advancing formations.
The battlefield viewed from the north and looking south. Soviet command arrows are shown in red while American deployments and reserve arrows are shown in blue. The town of Dobritz is visible in the centre of the battlefield and was held by elements of a mechanised battalion whose battalion area stretched to the north east. The smaller village of Compitz is visible in the top right and was garrisoned, as well as other positions in this area, by a second American mechanised infantry battalion. This later battalion had a number of M901s available. This was the where the American commander expected the main thrust by Soviet forces to occur. Instead it fell on the more open northern flank. |
The engagement was confusing and only limited details of the battle are available. NATO sources indicate the
American brigade commander was deeply concerned by the vista before him as he sipped coffee from his forward command post in
Dobritz. He had come forward to oversea the defensive positions and now
found himself in the direct line of the Soviet attack. His throat felt dry as
he scanned the fields in front of Dobritz which were full of BTR mounted
infantry supported by T-64s. Soon, reports were arriving that this forward
battalion had no less than an entire Soviet tank regiment advancing against it. His
extreme left flank was held a single tank company of M1 Abram tanks. This
company faced the better part of 60 Soviet tanks alone!
He immediately ordered forward the brigade reserve which consisted of two full strength M1
tank companies and a weak company of mechanised infantry in M113s. However, being some distance to the rear it would take time to
for them to arrive. In the meantime he would have to hold the position
with artillery, Dragon ATGWs and what limited armour the battalion had to
hand. Interestingly, his battalion on the left flank reporting no enemy
advance. He suspected however a that the Soviets would attack from the
southern flank so wished to maintain this position.
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The
assault on Dobritz in full swing. Here Soviet BTRs advance against advanced
American elements while T-64s of 15th Guard Tank Regiment advance on
ther right. Half of Dobritz was to be captured by the Soviets but
casualties prevented a final effort to clear the remaining part of
the town.
The American defenders of the wood, top right, were able to maintain their position despite several aggressive attacks by T-64s and BMPs. |
Instead of supporting the defence with fixed wing air support the Americans were reinforced with additional divisional level artillery. While these guns had been earmarked for counter battery fire they were soon being directed by the brigade HQ on to the advancing BTRs to break up this attack. Each time the rounds from the M110's landed holes appeared in the Soviet lines. The open farmland provided little cover or relief for the Soviet infantry. However, their attack continued and soon the town of Dobritz was shared between Soviet and American forces.
The Soviet tank battalion advancing on the centre right soon became bogged down. With insufficient infantry in this sector T-64s were used to overrun American mechanised infantry defending small woods with mixed results. Where the attacks were supported by indirect D-30 fire they were successful, where not, they were repulsed.
On the extreme Soviet right the remaining two tank battalions of 15th GTR closed on the outnumbered Abrams company composed of some ten vehicles. These M1's of Captain "Figh'n Joe" Mason's company tracked targets before firing from their concealed positions. As the 105mm guns barked there was a brief pause of two seconds before the first of many T-64s burst into flame. Mason had selected his position well and it could not be easily outflanked. After an initial burst of fire Mason requested fire from the brigade's M109A2 artillery battalion. Soon the front of his position was covered by thick smoke that further concealed his position from the now deploying Soviet tanks. Denied of targets the Soviets milled around in front as M1s engaged targets freely using thermal imaging night sights to assist with target acquisition.
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A view of the battlefield on the Soviet right
flank. American smoke has been placed in front of the M1 Abrams company in an
effort to protect them from advancing Soviet armour.
Additional American armour begins to deploy in the centre. |
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With American tanks no longer visible one Soviet battalion, that advancing on the extreme Soviet right, continued it's push forward and began it's swing to the south which would eventually place it behind the American positions. From here it would, it was hoped, be able to exploit the deep penetration.
However, by this stage the American reserve tank battalion had arrived in the area of the American centre left. It deployed to firing positions and engaged the Soviet tanks at ranges of around 1500m. With the additional weight of fire it quickly became apparent that the Soviet attack would fail. In the ensuing engagement two Soviet tank battalions were destroyed.
The Soviet commander was now forced to face reality. His attack had suffered heavy casualties and his centre battalions were effectively
no longer operational. While both battalion commanders reported their troops were
holding their positions, despite casualties, their ability to conduct
operations was clearly limited. After consideration
of the situation he was left with no alternative. Reluctantly he issued a
orders to disengage.
Those forces that could were to be withdrawn to reform.
Conclusion:
The Soviet commander had managed to apply almost overwhelming strength to the American defences by a concentrated advance on the American left flank. However, he applied insufficient motorised infantry to the attack on Dobritz and the nearby woods in the centre. This was a costly error. The American early reinforcement by the tank heavy M1 battalion further turned the tide against the attacking Soviets. Though for some time the issue was in the balance the battle finally swung to the Americans.
American casualties were significantly lower than that of the Soviets. Most being concentrated in one battalion which was almost down to half strength. Soviet casualties were horrific. Two Soviet tank battalions were decimated and effectively non-operational. A third battalion, composed of a BTR battalion from 117th MRR, had suffered heavy casualties and was unable to risk further advance. Of the six Soviet battalions three were burning in the fields and farmland around the small town of Dobritz. Their destruction was complete.
The actual victory points can be summarised as follows:
| Victory Points Summary | Soviet: | American: |
| Objectives held |
+4 |
+6 |
| Enemy battalions forced to test morale | 0 | +4 |
| Penalty for reinforcements options | -1 | -1 |
| Total: | 3 | 9 |