Finale
D+1 | 21 July 1989, 08:00hrs - 14:00hrs vs @ Forchheim
After the inconclusive dawn brawl with the 2nd Bde of the US 1st Armored Division, the advance elements of the Soviet 39th Motorized Rifle Division took defensive positions in the wooded hills to the west of Forchheim while the main body force was now arriving in the area. NATO deep reconnaissance also reported that the 1st Guards Tank Army was moving and fast approaching the border areas, which would mean further support for the 39th Motorized Rifle Division. None of these were welcome developments for NATO.
Still, the situation was not desperate, but it was starting to become a sore point that a single Soviet division was being able to put so much pressure on so many NATO forces and keep creeping forward, creating a wedge between them. Serious consideration was given to using the 1st Brigade of the US 3rd Infantry Division to attack at the base of the 39th Motorized Rifle Division advance and either isolate them inside West Germany or force them to retreat. Unfortunately, the communication chaos and serious fears that this would encourage the combined Soviet and East-German forces to attack south into the void left by it gave NATO commanders pause for thought about this plan.
As the US 2nd Brigade began deploying more forces into the area, so did the main body of the 15th Guards Tank Regiment. Not only that, the 39th Motorized Rifle Division shifted their considerable artillery forces into this small area together with aerial support. NATO's commitment of elements to the area suddenly represented the possibility of a significant strike for the Soviets if they could concentrate available assets in the area. Suddenly, as desperate refugees took cover in the town of Forchheim, the surrounding countryside around Forchheim was crossed by a whirlwind of steel and fire as significant fire concentrations and resources were deployed in a very narrow frontage.
Scenario by Joao Lima; Mike Johnstone | Map by William van der Sterren