US1-SN2 Tall Order
D+4 | 24 July 1989, 04:00hrs - 08:00hrs vs @ Goeppingen
The adversary's identity soon became unmistakable—the Soviet 48 MRD. As Westhausen fell, the 4 CAV executed a skillful disengagement, slipping away into the wooded hills beyond the reach of the battered Soviet reconnaissance units. The Q/4-2 ACR trailed the Soviet elements with helicopters, striving to decipher their movements and intentions. However, rising fuel costs and persistent probing attacks by Soviet helicopters forced a withdrawal, allowing the enemy to evade capture once again.
Despite the elusive nature of the foe, the Soviets' overarching objective remained clear: to overrun the 1ID (Fwd), cross the Neckar River, and decimate the VII Corps' rear area just south of Stuttgart. The task the commander of 1ID (Fwd) faced, charged with thwarting potentially multiple divisions with his stretched-out brigade, was monumental.
Several days prior, the 4-16th Infantry Regiment (4-16 IN) had been abruptly awakened at Cooke Barracks by explosions near the Göppingen Air Force Base runway, followed by urgent alarms and the cry of "Gas, Gas, Gas!" Many soldiers found themselves caught off guard, lacking their MOPP gear. Those who did possess the gear were slow and clumsy in donning their protective suits.
Fortuitously, fortune smiled upon the 4-16 IN as the chemical strikes spared everything around them except the barracks. The battalion emerged unscathed but uninformed, aware only that the Soviets were advancing on the town of Göppingen, with imminent contact expected.
Scenario by Stimpak, JohnO | Map by William van der Sterren