Hunting in the Woods

D+0 | 20 July 1989, 17:00hrs - 21:00hrs vs @ Grafenwoehr

As the battle raged in the Windinscheschenbach area, the Czechoslovakian 19^th Motor Rifle Division's main force was relentlessly approaching. Skirting the area, avoiding Weiden, the 19^th Motor Rifle Division advanced cross-country towards the Grafenwöhr training area. Once it reached the B470, connecting Weiden to Forcheim, the advancing forces entered a brief operational pause to re-group before following the road north to avoid Grafenwöhr itself.

The area east and north of Grafenwöhr contained wooded hills with a good road network and abundant crossing links over the area's water courses. It was ideally suited for this pause as it provided the advancing forces with natural cover to avoid aerial reconnaissance and suitable lines of fire to create secure defensive positions. Unfortunately for them, they would not have a lot of time to benefit from all of this.

Several local NATO forces had been following the 19^th Motor Rifle Division's advance and had correctly determined they would advance to this area, avoiding Weiden. They had also correctly determined that the Czechoslovakians would avoid the training grounds west of Grafenwöhr and swerve north to link up with the 20^th Motor Rifle Division. The main problem facing NATO at this time was that getting a coordinated response to the battlefield situation was still very challenging. Pact interdiction, sabotage, and jamming were exacting a heavy toll.

As in other areas, the local reaction was left up to the initiative of a local commander. In this instance, the Commander of the US 1^st Bde, 1^st Armored Div, patched all of the reports he received and quickly realized that swift action was required. He saw the risk of the 19^th and the 20^th link-up, isolating the West-German forces opposing them, and decided to strike before this happened.

Scenario by Jo Lima | Map by William van der Sterren