1985: Under an Iron Sky 4th Echelon - Tuning the NATO Reaction

Comrades, 
the development of the 1985: Under an Iron Sky continues! 

As you probably know, this new version will fully cover the tension period before the beginning of the conflict, using the same gripping, difficult to predict escalation system introduced by 1985: Sacred Oil.

Warsaw Pact will of course lead the dance, executing a strategic plan that could be anything from an out-of-the-barracks surprise attack to a full mobilisation taking weeks. NATO will mostly react to the Communist moves within the uncomfortable limits dictated by the political priorities and by the decisional process within the alliance.

In the end, the outcome of the Tension Period will determine how well both sides are prepared for the showdown. Air combat, airfields capabilities, ground combat, movement, logistic infrastructure, strategic transport capability, and reinforcements schedule will all be affected by the result of the Tension Phase.

Enough talking, here's a preview of some NATO Cards. We are now running some test to fine tune the cards value and several details, so please keep in mind that the values and the text could be provisional.

I think I don't have to stress that every true Socialist should immediately volunteer for this 4th Echelon by writing to info@TRLGames.com! Strength through discipline and solidarity!

1985: Under an Iron Sky 4th Echelon - Progress!

Comrades,
the development of 1985: Under an Iron Sky is proceeding very well, I'd dare to say that we are half way to completion.

This 4th Echelon will bring the module up to the standard used by Deadly Northern Lights and Sacred Oil. This means updated components, more strategic choices, more detailed control on what is going to happen before the conflict starts, and generally speaking more stuff. 

First things first, the almost definitive components list:

• 5x Operational Maps
• 1x Lines of Communication Map
• 8x Countersheets
• 45x Event Cards
• 2x Tables Booklets
• 1x Rules Booklet
• 1x Scenarios Booklet
• 1x Field Manual Booklet
• 1x Warsaw Pact Geolocated Air Bases Chart
• 1x Warsaw Pact Turn & Reinforcement Track
• 1x Warsaw Pact Air Combat Chart
• 1x NATO Turn & Reinforcement Track
• 1x NATO Air Combat Chart
• 1x NATO Geolocated Air Bases Chart
• 1x 1985:Under an Iron Sky Poster Art
• The usual 2x 20-sided dice and zip bags

Now, let's have a preview of the components near completion.

And remember! As a true children of the Rodina and committed Socialist, immediately volunteer for this 4th Echelon by writing to info@TRLGames.com! Strength through discipline and solidarity!

The Operational Maps

Several areas of the operational maps have been reviewed and modified: some examples are the Northeast map covering a part of Poland, the Vosges area in France, parts of the Netherlands coast, and the naval bases already defined in Deadly Northern Lights.

The graphic has also been updated using the style introduced by Sacred Oil.

The Lines of Communication Map

As in the other 1985 modules, the Lines of Communication Map is used for strategic decisions and movements, like the airlifting of REFORGER personnel to Europe, the mobilisation of the Soviet Military Districts, and the NATO sea supply line in the Atlantic. As the Sacred Oil veterans know, it is used both in the Tension build-up period and after the conflict has started.

The Event Cards

The 45 Event Cards, far from being random events, are used by both sides to mobilise the armed forces, take political and strategic decisions, and execute special operations.

The Tension Rules determine which cards can be played by each side and their effect, re-creating the dynamics of a typical Cold War crisis - with the notable difference that this one is not going to end well.

Each Event Card has a minimum Tension Level required for using it (red circle), a Tension Cost determining its approximate effect on the tension between the two Blocs (orange circle), and a Victory Cost if its use reassigns important assets from another strategic front (green circle).

Here's some Eastern Bloc Event Cards. Note that the required Tension Level is always zero for the Eastern Bloc, as the Kremlin has no constraints on the actions deemed as necessary to ensure the world's peace. Also, values and text are still provisional.

The Geolocated Air Bases Charts

The Air Bases Charts now have the airfields positioned at their geographical location. This should make the organisation of the air missions a lot easier. Yes, they will be quite big :)

The Rules

Rules have been updated with latest changes from Deadly Northern Lights and errata. Also, the rules and scenarios booklets will be printed in full colour, and updated to the now standard two-columns layout.

The War Room Propaganda Poster

An A3 (297x420 mm) propaganda poster is included, to help convincing reluctant people of the righteousness of the Socialist Cause.

1985: Deadly Northern Lights Second Echelon - Units

As you probably know, 1985: Deadly Northern Lights is now at DEFCON 3. Here's a short description of the new and updated forces available to NATO with this Second Echelon mobilisation.

On a side note, the number of volunteers enlisting for the Northern Europe campaign has been impressive, up to the point that all the transport assets are full and we are evaluating to stop the recruitment. 

Last but not least, please note that after the declaration of DEFCON 1 all the new / updated counters will be available for download from the TRLGames official site.

USN Carrier Battlegroups

The three available USN Carrier Battlegroups (CV-59 Forrestal, CV-66 America, CVN-69 Eisenhower), previously represented by a single naval counter, are now detailed at single ship level.

This allows using the standard naval rules for all their possible tasks, and of course for possible Soviet attacks too.

UK 1st Infantry Brigade

The British 1st Infantry Brigade, earmarked as a possible reinforcement for AFNORTH and in particular Denmark, was previously represented in its three battalions configuration with an alternate "maxed out" configuration of five battalions.

My co-designer Anthony Morphet served in the unit and strongly protested against this, bringing more and more convincing arguments toward the five battalions configuration. This "maxed-out" OOB is now the official composition of the Brigade.

USN Fast Sealift Ships

Starting in 1981, USN began acquiring specific high-speed container ships and converting them into the Algol Class Vehicle Cargo Ships, or SL-7. 

These vessels, combining high speed and decent protection, were assigned to AFCENT and eight of them could have transported a heavy US division to Europe. In June 1985, only four vessels were already operational. 

in 1985: Under an Iron Sky, the effect of the FSS ships on the US reinforcements to the Central Front is abstracted. The specific counters below are intended to be used only in 1985: Mutual Assured Destruction combined campaign, allowing a more realistic and detailed use of the Military Sealift Command capabilities.

US 9th Light Infantry Division

In 1981, US Army started experimenting with the "High Technology Light Division" concept. The basic idea was to create a division that could deploy using approximately 1,000 C-141 sorties and still have sufficient combat power to be used in high intensity conflicts.

As could be expected, the project encountered several problems and went thru different revisions: The 1985 version had a mix of light (HMMW equipped) and heavy (M901 TOW equipped) combined arms battalions, and was still considered not definitive.

All of the above brought me to introduce a new type of combat unit, the Motorized Infantry, that can be deployed using Strategic Air Transport only. A worthy addition to the NATO arsenal, if you can find enough airlift for it.

NATO Convoys

After a few days of an all-out conflict against the Warsaw Pact, NATO would have probably needed a steady flow of ammunition and supply from the US in order to keep fighting at its maximum combat potential. 

Convoys, each one representing several transport ships and their escort, are already present in the 1985: Mutual Assured Destruction combined campaign and in 1985: Sacred Oil, and are now used in 1985: Deadly Northern Lights too.

1985: Deadly Northern Lights Second Echelon - Operational Maps

 A quick preview of the new operational maps for 1985: Deadly Northern Lights - Second Echelon.

COs using the previous edition should notice: 

• The lighter colour used for Arctic Rough 2 terrain.
• The lighter colour used for Arctic Plain terrain.
• The absence of Air Interception Modifiers, not used anymore with the latest rules.
• The absence of the CVBG Holding Boxes, not used anymore with the introduction of the single ships composing each CV Battlegroup.
• Some minor changes / corrections here and there.

1985: Sacred Oil - Maps Details

The maps for 1985: Sacred Oil are almost finished....Here's a preview of each map, with some minor details still missing.

Defining the terrain types has been interesting, as there's almost nothing comparable to a "European" terrain. As strange as it sounds, mountains are not mountains, lakes are not lakes, and plains are, well, not plains :)

I hope I'll be able to post a complete map overview soon and start some serious work on the OOBs...Meanwhile, if you'd like to reserve a copy, report for duty by writing at info@TRLGames.com!

Map F, Tehran and Caspian Sea Area

Map G, Baghdad and Iran - Iraq Border Area

Map H, Iran Ahvaz Area

Map J, Qatar and Saudi Arabia

Map K, The Strait and Bandar Abbas

1985: Sacred Oil - More Maps

With The Dogs of War offensive now ending, work on 1985: Sacred Oil is restarting!

Three of the six maps are almost finished, even though several details are still provisional (exact colours, map junctions and more). I must say I'm very happy with the result.

The Persian Gulf area has several distinctive geographical features, so new terrain types have been added:

• Iranian Highlands: Broken terrain, with little or no roads and a 2000+ meters altitude
• Desert: this covers sandy desert, rocky desert and the salt desert found in several Iranian areas.

Mountain roads are another interesting aspect: Alexis Seydoux, who visited Iran more than 20 times and knows it better than a Guard of the Revolution, pointed out that several major roads are actually only slightly better than mule trails when crossing the highest mountain passes. Consequently, some roads will abruptly end exactly when they are more needed :)

Here's the three completed maps together, and a more detailed view of the Shiraz area on Map J (with some development labels still on it).

Maps F, H and J (Open Link in a new Tab for full resolution)

Bushehr - Shiraz Area Detail

1985: Sacred Oil - First Map

The maps for the last chapter of the 1985 saga are taking form....Some details are still missing and exact colors are still to be defined, but you should get the idea :)

The operational maps will cover from USSR - Iran Border to Hormuz Strait, and from Baghdad to Eastern Iran. The strategic map will include every other strategic area, from Afghanistan to Turkey NATO bases and Diego Garcia.

Here's a first preview of the USSR - Iran border sector, including Tehran:

A detail of the USSR - Iran border area:

And in case you've missed it, here's the box art!

The Dogs Of War - "The River Weser Deep and Wide" AAR

As you probably know, The Dogs Of War will be the second module of the C3 Series, covering the British Army Of the Rhine sector during the 1985 NATO - Warsaw Pact conflict. 

The Dogs Of War heavily focuses on the problems of Command, Control and Communication and uses an updated version of the Less Than 60 Miles rules. The main changes are:

• West German Auftragstaktik (Mission-Type Orders), giving Bundeswehr a flexibility hardly obtained by other armies.
• British Engineers, allowing BAOR to use Defensive Works to their maximum effect.
• Soviet Sappers, first-line assault units used to crack the toughest nuts.
• A different method to mark the Posture of each unit, removing the need to use separate Posture markers.

The following AAR covers the first 24 hours of "The River Weser Deep and Wide" Campaign. At 0600ZT July 24, 1985 the Soviet 3rd Shock and 20th Guards Tank Armies cross the Inner German Border. NATO did not react quickly enough to the increasing signals of an imminent attack and is caught partially unprepared.

Remember to reserve a copy by writing to info@TRLGames.com ;)

D+0, H06

The First Echelon of two Soviet Armies, composed by four divisions, attacks along a wide front. NATO covering forces and refugees slow down the Pact's advance.

76th Guards Airborne division is inserted North of Hameln, blocking some key bridges needed by BAOR to cross the Weser. 

NATO starting situation is far from optimal. The main problem is the absence of Belgian I Corps, for the most part still moving from Belgium and Rhine area. Most of BAOR forces are also far from their assigned positions, and the insertion of Soviet 76th Guards Airborne Division doesn't make things better.

West German 1 Panzer in the North and 2 PanzerGrenadier in the South are forced to adjust their Area of Responsibility, in order to cover the front left open respectively by British I Corps and Belgian I Corps.

D+0, H09

Warsaw Pact launches several air strikes against the Belgian units advancing in Road Posture, causing delays and moderate losses.

In the South, Soviet 3rd Shock Army pushes hard against NATO covering forces, with its two Second Echelon divisions approaching. In the North, 20th Guards Army advances toward Braunschweig and reaches the Eastern bank of Elbe-Seitenkanal.

Ever since the first hours of war NATO artillery is particularly effective bombarding WP formations in March Assault Posture in open terrain, slowing down their assault and inflicting some losses too.

BAOR Commander decides that Soviet 76th Guards must be eliminated, no matter the situation on the FEBA. British 4th Armoured division is assigned to the task and proceeds to attack the Southernmost Soviet positions, inflicting heavy losses to 234th Guards regiment.

Despite having its Southern flank exposed, West German 1 Panzer division decides to apply the "Forward Defense" doctrine to the letter and to defend Braunschweig vigorously. To this end, 24/2/1 Panzer battalion starts deploying in Active Defense Posture in order to counterattack should an opportunity arise.

D+0 H12

WP ground crews are overloaded and unable to keep the pace in refitting / reloading the fighter-bombers, forcing the Soviet Front Commander to stop the air strikes against the advancing Belgian columns.

Despite the extensive usage of engineers and ribbon bridges, Soviet 25th Tank division struggles to cross the Elbe-Seitenkanal in front of WG 33/11PG brigade's resistance. Pact's divisions make good gains in the other sectors of the front, putting several NATO battalions in a dangerous position.

32nd Guards Tank division also arrives in the area, forming the Second Echelon for 20th Guards Army.

SIGINT allows Warsaw Pact to pinpoint the location of West German 2 Panzer brigade's HQ. A strike using 27th SCUD-2 regiment is launched, inflicting heavy losses on the HQ. Heavy artillery bombardments also hit several battalions of WG 1 Panzer Division.  

While the rest of NATO forces rushes to the front, British 20/4A brigade renews its attacks against the Soviet paratroopers, finally forcing the few survivors of 234th Guards regiment to surrender. 

D+0 H15

Soviet 90th Guards Tank arrives East of Celle, putting additional pressure on West German's 33/11PG brigade. 

25th Tank division begins fording the Elbe-Seitenkanal using Prepared Crossing, but its regiments are forced to stop on the opposite bank to reorganize. 

35th Motorized Rifle division assault the defensive positions of WG 2/1Pz in Eastern Braunschweig, and is repulsed with moderate losses.

Soviet 10th Guards Tank and 7th Guards Tank divisions continue their advance North, with the latter slowed down by several NATO air strikes along Autobahn 243 (hexes 3520, 3521).

With British forces still organizing, a heavy Soviet artillery bombardment kills the survivors of 2nd Royal Green Jackets regiment, already worn out by 10 hours of continuous disengagements under enemy pressure.

West German 2/1Pz brigade takes the opportunity for a local counterattack: 24th Panzer regiment quickly changes from Active Defense to Assault and attacks the rear elements of 219th Mot. Rifle regiment, still recovering from the failed assault on Braunschweig. The surprise is complete and the  Soviet regiment ceases to exist as an organized military formation (hex 4715).

British 4th Armoured division continues its attacks against the Soviet paratroops. After heavy fighting, 104th Guards regiment and its accompanying artillery are destroyed.

D+0 H18

NATO deep air strikes in East Germany temporarily interrupts the supply flow to Warsaw Pact's Northern Front. This is particularly bad news as several Soviet artillery regiments are short of ammunition.

With both banks of Elbe-Seitenkanal secured, a Ribbon Bridge is finally built over the water obstacle, allowing the bulk of 25th Tank division to cross it safely.

Pact's air reconnaissance successfully pinpoints the location of WG 2-161 Attack Helicopters squadron FARP (Forward Arming and Refueling Point). A combined SSM + Air strike follows, inflicting heavy damage to the squadron (hex 4003).

Despite the NATO counterattack, part of 35th Motorized Rifle division continues its assault on Braunschweig. The southern suburbs are conquered, but the attack on the city center is repelled by 21 Panzer battalion.

In the South, 10 Guards Tank and 7th Guards Tank division continue their advance. As the flanks of 7th Guards Tank are now dangerously exposed. Soviet 3rd Shock Army Commander decides to commit 47th Guards Tank division to protect them. 

The arrival of Soviet 90th Guards Tank division in the Celle area forces 3/1Pz brigade to take position South of the town, in order to allow 33/11PG brigade to concentrate on the endangered sector.

After its successful counterattack, 24th Panzer battalion is heavily attacked by Mi-24 helicopters. With no cover from ground units, Soviet helicopters take serious damage, but they are nonetheless able to inflict moderate losses to the West German unit and force it to retreat back into Braunschweig. 

British 4th Armoured division repeatedly assault the last survivors of 76th Guards Airborne division. The Soviet paratroopers finally surrender: Only 450 of them are taken as prisoners, the rest being killed in action. 

British I Corps is finally able to establish a solid defense line around Hildesheim.

In the South, the still unengaged West German 2 Panzergrenadier division prepares for a night counterattack against the now exposed Soviet 7th Guards Tank.

D+0 H21

The nightfall slows down the Warsaw Pact advance, as despite the bombastic plans about a 24-hours continuous offensive it has quickly became obvious that in poor visibility conditions NATO has a decisive edge on Pact's forces.

Soviet 35th Motorized Rifle division changes the Posture of a couple regiments in order to renew the assault on Braunschweig at dawn.

Soviet 7th Guards Tank starts crossing the river Leine unopposed, with apparently nothing ahead to block its advance. 

NATO continues to organize and stabilize the front. British 7/1A brigade starts entrenching around Hildesheim, while West German 6/2PG brigade receive additional Electronic Warfare assets to support the upcoming counterattack.

The first elements of Belgian I Corps are finally approaching their combat positions.

D+1 H00

Warsaw Pact's SIGINT detects the location of British 7/1A brigade HQ. A combined SSM + Air strike follows minutes later, almost destroying the Britons' command post (hex 3610).

NATO Prepared Demolition of bridge in hex 4608 fails, giving Soviet 25th Tank division a golden opportunity to cross the Aller river quickly. Luckily for NATO, the Soviet artillery fails to give adequate support and the crossing attempt is blocked.

Pressed by the High Command, Soviet 35th MRD assaults once again the center of Braunschweig, supported by Sappers and heavy artillery barrage. West German 2/1Pz brigade repels the attacks, with moderate losses for Warsaw Pact. Despite the success, the defenders are worn out and in a dangerous position, so the city center is left to the Soviet.

10th Guards Tank division with Sappers support attacks Hildesheim, defended by British 7/1A brigade. NATO Electronic Warfare completely disorganizes the assault, stopping it cold since the start.

In the South, 7th Guards Tank makes contact with the Belgian covering forces, forcing them to retreat.

West German 2/1Pz brigade slowly retreats from Braunschweig, preparing a new defense line behind the Stichkanal Salzgitter. During the retreat, two separate attempts to destroy the central bridges fail, leaving an easy crossing route to the enemy. 

Britons continue to strengthen the defenses around Hildesheim, with 4th Armoured division now covering their Southern flank.

Belgian 4/16Pz brigade leaves Road Posture and prepare defending its assigned positions.

In the South, West German 2PG division springs the trap. The bridge in hex 3218 is destroyed by an artillery bombardment, effectively isolating part of Soviet 7th Guards Tank on the West bank of  river Leine, while 6/2PG and 4/2PG brigades advance North on both sides of the river. The attack takes the Soviets by complete surprise, forcing several combat and support battalions to a disordered retreat.

D+1 H03

To slow down the NATO counterattack in the South, a whole Soviet 9K76 Temp-S SSM regiment is assigned to a strike against West German's 6/2PG brigade HQ presumed location. Unfortunately for Warsaw Pact, the intelligence was far from accurate and the strike has no effect.

7th Guards Tank advance has stopped. Soviet engineers frantically start building a Panel Bridge to replace the destroyed one and restore the contact between 7th Guards Tank and the rest of 3rd Shock Army. Emergency Rafts are also deployed. 

A combined assault from 7th Guards Tank and 47th Guards Tank forces NATO to abandon the terrain gained a few hours before, but the losses for Warsaw Pact are heavy and several artillery battalions are near the breaking point.

Things are going better in the Celle area, with 90th Guards Tank hardly pressing on WG 33/11PG brigade.

NATO bombards 3/670G artillery battalion, already fatigued and in disarray, destroying it completely (hex 3118).

West German 6/2PG brigade renews the counterattack with a fresh Panzer battalion switching from Active Defense to Assault Posture. The attack routs 55th Guards Tank regiment, inflicting heavy losses and putting once again the whole Soviet division in a dangerous position. To make things worse, British 33/4 Armoured brigade is also approaching from the North.

Debriefing

At D+1, H03 the situation for Warsaw Pact looks quite bad. The only really promising advance axis turned into a chaotic mess due to the NATO counterattack, and losses are rapidly mounting. It's true that only a fraction of the available forces have been committed and a powerful reserve of four divisions is ready to enter the fray, but they're not in the best position due to a ill-conceived initial plan.

Admittedly, Warsaw Pact's 3rd Shock Army fell into the trap quite foolhardy, but on the other hand what should a Soviet Army Commander, trained and indoctrinated to the all-out advance dogma, do? Stopping and being prudent sounds out of question in most of cases.

Another decisive mistake was probably the insertion of 76th Guards Airborne right in the middle of BAOR. A drop further South along the Weser, at the crossing points needed by Belgian I Corps, would have forced NATO to take dangerous countermeasures as the Belgian arrival would have been delayed by at least 12 hours.

Finally, the battle for Braunschweig kept half of 20th Guards Tank Army busy for one full day. A better choice would have been to bypass it South, thus giving real support to the 3rd Shock Army Northern flank, and leave the mop-up to a Second Echelon division.

Oh well, I've failed the Rodina. The only remaining option is my Makarov pistol.

1985: Deadly Northern Lights - "The Gates of Fire" AAR

What follow is an After Action Report of a playtest session for 1985: Deadly Northern Lights Scenario One, titled "The Gates of Fire". I will not enter in detailed explanations of rules or combat mechanics, as I would like to keep the narration flowing and short.

The scenario covers the Soviet offensive in Northern Norway during the first 10 days of war. Both NATO and Warsaw Pact have only a fraction of the ground forces normally available in Central Europe, and similar problems for moving them where needed. The real fight is in the sky and at sea.

More detailed info on 1985:DNL can be found at the TRLGames official page.

Note: Click on the pictures to see them full-size!

The Gates Of Fire

Time: July 24, 1985
Location: Northern Norway

For the second time during the century, Norway finds itself at the margins of a conflict for the control of Europe. Once again, ports and airfields along its never-ending coast are a primary strategic objective, allowing to cut or protect NATO's jugular vein: the North Atlantic line of communication.

Orders for Soviet Northern Fleet and Murmansk Front are to take control of Norwegian airfields and ports and use them whenever possible to move forward the supplies needed by 6th Combined Army, the ground element of the offensive. 

NATO Commander of Allied Forces North Norway (NON) has very limited resources available. His main expected reinforcements are the United Kingdom / Netherlands Amphibious Force, its escort task force centered on HMS Invincible, and a US CV Battlegroup around D+6.

D+0 - WP Turn

The weak Sør-Varanger Garrison Battalion is no match for Soviet 6th Combined Army and it's easily overran. Despite that, its main tasks are accomplished: slow down enemy advance and destroy key bridges near the border.

 More than 20 Soviet submarines of Foxtrot, Kilo and Tango classes enter Norwegian Sea. 

Submarines are followed by part of Soviet Northern Fleet, transporting 61st Marine Brigade and several days of combat supply.
Two RAF Buccaneer Squadrons take off from Northern Scotland to attack the Soviet Task Force. They are intercepted by Soviet Su27 supported by ECM, but the attack is fended off by Norwegian F-16 patrolling the area.

RAF Buccaneers launch a Stand-Off attack on the Soviet Fleet, inflicting some losses to the transport ships and to the Marines embarked.

D+1 - NATO Turn

Despite this success, the situation at dawn of D+1 is not good for NATO. Banak Airfield has been captured by a Soviet Paratroops Battalion, and Soviet 61st Marine Brigade debarked 30km North of Bardufoss Airfield.

With time running out, NATO Commander takes a risky decision. The UK/NL Amhibious Force is not going to wait for its Dutch component, but will sail immediately for Tromsø in three different Task Forces.

Soviet Naval Aviation was hoping for this chance. Two Regiments of Tu22 Backfire and Tu16 Bear with heavy escort successfully intercept the Transport Task Force, and the weak NATO air cover is not able to drove them off.
The resulting Stand-Off attack is a carnage for the British transports, with hundreds of Marines drowned in the icy waters.

Emboldened by the result, Soviets launch a second attack wave of Tu16 Bears against the Britons, sinking more troops transport and damaging HMS Liverpool and HMS Hermione.

 D+2 - WP Turn

The following day, RAF seeks revenge against the Soviet Task Force and successfully intercepts before it leaves the area. The ensuing Stand-Off attack damages two Soviet Destroyers of Krivak and Kotlin class.

Taking advantage from the absence of NATO Air Superiority, worn out by previous combats, a Soviet Paratroops Battalion is airdropped East of Tromsø.

Having reorganized after debarking, Soviet 61st Marine Brigade assaults Bardufoss Airfield. A preliminary SEAD Mission successfully suppress most of NATO AA batteries, and is followed by a full strength attack with heavy air support. After 20 hours of combat, NATO garrison is forced to surrender.

At nightfall of D+2, NATO situation is further deteriorated.

D+3 - WP Turn

Warsaw Pact reorganizes its naval forces, while 6th Combined Army struggles to advance due to supply problems.

D+4: NATO Turn

The arrival of US CVBG Forrestal is more than welcomed by NATO. US  and UK Squadrons immediately launch a strike against a Soviet Task Force that finished unloading supplies at Banak Airfield. F-14 squadrons inflict heavy losses to the Soviet interceptors, and the combined Strike sinks more enemy merchant ships.

At the end of D+4, Warsaw Pact partially reactivates Banak Airfield.

D+5: WP Turn

Soviet Il-76s begin landing at Banak Airfield, bringing in an SA-6 AA Battalion and more supply.

Banak Airfield also allows to deploy Soviet helicopters forward, and to transport a Spetsnaz Battalion just South of the town of Alta. In the ensuing assault, supported by Mi-24 helicopters and Mig-27 Fighter-Bombers, Soviet special forces capture the town.

The situation at the end of D+6:

Conclusions

I've called it a day at the end of Turn 4, as NATO has no more chances to change the final verdict: Warsaw Pact Substantial Victory. 

NATO made several critical errors right from the start, culminating in the disastrous deployment of UK/NL Amphibious Force. Warsaw Pact had his share of mistakes too, but differently from NATO he can afford some, at least in this scenario.

Next AAR: The Prize, Warsaw Pact surprise attack on Stockholm!