Falling From The Sky
D+4 | 24 July 1989, 14:00hrs - 20:00hrs vs @ Warburg
As the Soviets pushed ever harder against the NATO lines, local penetrations meant that some NATO frontline units were now relying on ever tenuous supply and retreat lines.
In one of these instances the West German forces east of Warburg were in danger of being pocketed by the Soviets. With every passing hour not only did their situation become more tenuous but the risk of the Soviets closing the pocket became higher. To mitigate this, Belgian units were ordered to progress along the supply route to ensure the West German forces remained supplied and had an escape corridor. Or so NATO thought.
Suddenly, at dawn on the 24th, the Soviets surprised NATO by making a paradrop in the lightly defended Warburg area, fully closing the escape and supply corridor. After a moment of mutual recrimination, as NATO allies accused each other of not having predicted this, the Belgians pushed forward with everything they could throw at the Soviet paratroopers who were busy consolidating their defensive positions.
Scenario by Joao Lima | Map by David Whitt