The Heilbronn Gambit
D+4 | 24 July 1989, 18:00hrs - 23:00hrs vs @ Heilbronn
After successfully disentangling themselves from the Nurnberg battles, the East-German 7th Panzer Division found 'open road' ahead and started moving west with haste. However, they would soon be pummeled by air strikes and harassed by NATO land forces. The unit went through several dispersal and re-grouping cycles, eventually having to stop when the lack-of-supply situation became impossible to ignore. As they stopped and dispersed into defensive positions, they were almost in sight of the Neckar.
While the East-Germans approached, the West-Germans were also moving onto the area and setting up defensive positions on the west bank. Sporadically, recon from both sides met as they tried to gauge each other's location in full. The East-Germans had a schedule to keep and were getting delayed with each minute that passed. Pressure from above to start harassing the West-Germans in advance of the impending air assault dictated a recon in force towards the river.
Unknown to the East-German commanders, the US 1st Infantry Division's Commander was also becoming increasingly keen to find out what the crafty East-Germans were up to. Recon and information gathered from refugees all pointed to a dispersed force struggling with supplies. Since they had come from heavy combat, it was reasonable to assume that it was not only fuel that had stopped them momentarily. There was now an opportunity to defeat them. With haste, the US 1st Infantry Division assembled a strike force to start the process of ending the run of the East-German 7th Panzer Division.
Scenario by Jo Lima | Map by William van der Sterren