DDR Forces

[Stephan]

Last night when playing WAW we were using the NVA troops for the first time. So after looking through their inventory I have a couple of suggestions for your kind consideration. I thought since you give the series an overhaul you could do the East Germans a good one and consider fixing the 2 most obvious faults in their order of battle.
So here it is:
T-55: by 1985 the NVA had about 2061 Tanks of the T 55 family. 1722 of these were the modernized version T 55 AM. The modernization program to upgrade the T 55 was started in 1969 and the program ended in November of 1977 with all done and reaching the T 55 AM standard. So I guess the predominant tank at the time ( in the units not equipped with the T 72) should be the T 55 AM. Those T 55`s (originally the T 55 A ) were all imported from Poland and the CSSR by the way.

BTR 152 : This was phased out from the Mot Schuetzen divisions in the 1970`s. By 1985 the divisions where equipped with BTR-60 and 70 ( which they called SPW-60 and SPW-70) as well as the BMP-1with a ratio of about 3 BTR`s to 1 BMP.

As an example:

1st Mot Schuetzendivision:

In 1985: 112 BMP + 279 SpW 70


4th Mot Schuetzendivision:

114 BMP + 270 BTR

I hope this is of interest/help.

Greetings from Germany and thanks for your time

Stephan

 

[Keith Tracton]

Last night when playing WAW we were using the NVA troops for the first time. So after looking through their inventory I have a couple of suggestions for your kind consideration. I thought since you give the series an overhaul you could do the East Germans a good one and consider fixing the 2 most obvious faults in their order of battle.
So here it is:
T-55: by 1985 the NVA had about 2061 Tanks of the T 55 family. 1722 of these were the modernized version T 55 AM. The modernization program to upgrade the T 55 was started in 1969 and the program ended in November of 1977 with all done and reaching the T 55 AM standard. So I guess the predominant tank at the time ( in the units not equipped with the T 72) should be the T 55 AM. Those T 55`s (originally the T 55 A ) were all imported from Poland and the CSSR by the way.

BTR 152 : This was phased out from the Mot Schuetzen divisions in the 1970`s. By 1985 the divisions where equipped with BTR-60 and 70 ( which they called SPW-60 and SPW-70) as well as the BMP-1with a ratio of about 3 BTR`s to 1 BMP.

As an example:

1st Mot Schuetzendivision:

In 1985: 112 BMP + 279 SpW 70


4th Mot Schuetzendivision:

114 BMP + 270 BTR

I hope this is of interest/help.

Greetings from Germany and thanks for your time

Stephan

Hi Stephan, thanks for your feedback! Yes we have been directly addressing this issue, I do not have my spreadsheet easily accessible at the moment, but once I do I will let you know some specifics. I am curious: what scenario(s) did you play?l with the NVA?

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[Stephan]

Hello Keith,

good to hear that you were already working this! As to the scenario it was a homebrew. 6 maps, with a big village of 6 hexes in the middle which is held by some West German territorials. Some East German airborne Troops were dropped right next to them in turn 1 trying to capture and hold the city while relieve forces from both sides enter on opposing map sides. We also tested a house rule for electronic warfare troops than can try to block enemy communications ( basically jamming HQ's).

 

[Keith Tracton]

Hello Keith,

good to hear that you were already working this! As to the scenario it was a homebrew. 6 maps, with a big village of 6 hexes in the middle which is held by some West German territorials. Some East German airborne Troops were dropped right next to them in turn 1 trying to capture and hold the city while relieve forces from both sides enter on opposing map sides. We also tested a house rule for electronic warfare troops than can try to block enemy communications ( basically jamming HQ's).

Excellent! We will have a streamlined EW rule in WaW85 as well, but I'd love to get a look at your house rule.

A quick look at the counter spreadsheet shows the NVA units we selected (including 4MS) using T72s, T55AMs and - here our info was slightly different - 3/4 BMP1s and 1/4 BMP2s.

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[Stephan]

I will post the EW stuff here on Monday (left it at work...)

as to the BMP-2 i can asure you that the NVA only had 23 BMP-2 (bought in 1983) + 1 BMP-2K (in 1985); 1990 they were turned over to the Bundeswehr 2 went to France, 15 to the USA, 1 to the Armeemuseum Dresden. That's from the official count in 1990.
The mainstay IFV where the BMP 1 and BTR 60 and 70.... The confusion might result from the fact that the BMP-1 was called "BMP-1 SP-2" The SP standing for " Schuetzenpanzer"
If you are interested i can post my references here...all in German though..

 

[Keith Tracton]

I will post the EW stuff here on Monday (left it at work...)

as to the BMP-2 i can asure you that the NVA only had 23 BMP-2 (bought in 1983) + 1 BMP-2K (in 1985); 1990 they were turned over to the Bundeswehr 2 went to France, 15 to the USA, 1 to the Armeemuseum Dresden. That's from the official count in 1990.
The mainstay IFV where the BMP 1 and BTR 60 and 70.... The confusion might result from the fact that the BMP-1 was called "BMP-1 SP-2" The SP standing for " Schuetzenpanzer"
If you are interested i can post my references here...all in German though..

Thank you! If it is not too much trouble!

OTOH do you see any reason we cannot have 9 of those 23 BMP2s in the game? The battalion in question has 3 of the platoons in BMP2s and the remainder in BMP1s...

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[Stephan]

• Please do include the BMP-2`s !! The more tanks the bigger the bang ;-). On a more serious note you could include BTR 152`s as transport for a unit of "Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse" ( the militia that was formed in the state owned factory`s and workshops. A lot of the BTR 152`s were tuned over to them) ;-) even more bang...
• 
  
• Here is what we have been toying around with:
  
  
• The counter is nothing fancy, just to have something on the board ( my skills are very limited there so please forgive me).
  
  
• As far as nomenclature goes “FU-Stoer” means “Funk Stoerer” , radio transmission disruptor. The full name of this beauty, based on the MT-LB was “Funkstoergeraetesatz UKW R-330P Pyramida-1”. If you get that to fit on a counter I owe you a six-pack of German beer…
  ELOKA is the German abbreviation for " Eletronische Kampffuehrung" electronic warfare...
  
• 
  
• 
  
  
• 
  
• O1. ELOKA
  
  
• ELOKA capable units can try to jam one enemy headquarter during their formation impulse.
  
  
• On the counter you will find a ELOKA number instead of an attack factor. If you roll less than/equal the number on two dice you successfully jam the targeted HQ. Place a jammed marker. During the jammed units formation impulse treat the unit as not having an HQ for that turn ( that is go through the motions as in 4.2 rolling for each hex). Remove the jammed marker in the marker removal phase. The next turn the jammed unit will function normally. Jammed unit’s opportunity fire like an out of command unit.
  
  
• The jamming range for all ELOKA units is unlimited ( due to the relatively small battlefields in WaW the range factor should be irrelevant)
  
  
• 
  
  
• O2. Engineer Actions
  
  
• O3.Engineer Units
  
  
• 
  
  
• O4.Mine Laying/Clearing Vehicles:
  
  
• Since a turn in WaW is up to 15 minutes and a West German Scorpion minelaying vehicle (based on the US M 548 A1 G) for example can lay a minefield of 1500 by 50 meters in 5 minutes, it should be well in the scope of a WaW scenario to place mines. There should be an ammunition depletion of maybee two or three hexes per platoon of these per game….
  
  
• Some vehicle units can lay/clear mines. To lay or clear mines in a certain hex the unit must be activated and start this activation adjacent to the hex to be mined/cleared. The unit then enters the hex and has to spend the rest of his activation in same. The unit is subject to OP fire normally. After surviving any OP fire the hex is marked with a mines marker ( or a previously placed mine marker is removed when clearing) and entering the hex follows the regular mine rules.
  
  
• Special polish explosives mine clearing…(an idea…)
  
  
• Trailbreak : Mine clearing vehicles like the flail tanks etc should be able to cause a trailbreak. Basically such a vehicle should be able to clear a path through a minefield (from hexsiside to hexside) to make it safe for other vehicles to pass through. Maybee a limitation of one or two platoons per activation?
  
  
• Wreck removal
  
  
• Bridge building/demolishing ( by pioneer units, not by bridge laying tanks)

 

[Keith Tracton]

Very Cool!

 

[Stephan]

if you can or want to use any of this please feel free. In fact I would be honored. Also let me know if I should post more when it comes up. I would like to offer our help with play testing too, should you need us.

 

[Keith Tracton]

if you can or want to use any of this please feel free. In fact I would be honored. Also let me know if I should post more when it comes up. I would like to offer our help with play testing too, should you need us.

Thank you, on all counts! We are always looking for ideas but always post. Even if i am unable to officially integrate them (production schedules rule me!) Others may want to try them as their own house rules!

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