GM Giraud

D+17 | 06 August 1989, 14:00hrs - 20:00hrs vs @ Epinal

The Soviet advance into France led to a situation that surprised even the Warsaw Pact command. Punching into a hole meant that the advance forces moved forward at such a pace that created difficulties for their second echelon to catch-up. The flanks were extended and flank protection became rather sparse, even at key points.

In Épinal, the Soviet forces blew all bridges to prevent a counterattack from across the Moselle. However, there was not much they could do with regards to their southern flank as they did not have enough resources to defend the entirety of their operations area. Littered in the surroundings hillsides are historic fortifications, long abandoned, but provide limited strongholds to engage from.

The French command quickly grasped the situation. Taking advantage of it was a different story. With the air battle still raging, it was still too risky to move large forces. Drawing resources from their training formations in southern France, Groupement Mobiles (GM) were formed to avoid massing large formations on the routes of attack. One such group was GM Giraud, primarily composed of elements from the 14e division légère blindée. Its task was simple: breaking the expectedly light forces east of Épinal to cut the supply lines of the Soviet advance groups.

Scenario by Joao Lima | Map by William van der Sterren