"NATO ACE Mobile Force" Topic

I am trying to figure out the compilation of this force and have only found a single source with a TO&E. Here is what I have:

British Contingent
- 3 Companies (9 Platoons) British Infantry in BV202
- 1 Mortar Platoon 81mm (Land Rovers)
- 1 AT Platoon Milan (Land Rovers)
- 1 Medium Recce Squadron (4 Scorpion Light Tanks)

American Contingent
– 3 Companies USMC Infantry in LVTP or Helicopters
– 1 Tank Platoon (4 M1 Abrams)
– 3 Attack Helicopters (AH-1W)
– 8 Tow Teams (HMMWV)

Artillery Units
- 1 Battery Towed 105mm (British)
- 1 Battery Towed 105mm (Italian)

Does anyone have a different TOE for it, or does this look correct. This would have been the relief force for a conflict in Norway during the Cold War.

You could also include a Canadian battalion (1st Royal Canadian Regiment) and the Dutch Marines 1st Amphibious Combat Group.

The British Med Recce Sqn had 4 troops of 2 Scorpion and 2 Scimitar (Combat Vehicle Recconaissance (Tracked)- CVR(T) not tanks!)with a support troop with Spartan/BV202

(1982)

Tally Ho!

Optional deployment to Northern or Southern fronts would vary the elements deployed from the varying national contingents, Southern Front deployment includes Spanish,Greek and Turkish forces- Northern Front includes Canadian,Italian and Belgian forces
The Dutch;Portuguese;Luxembourg;German;Brits and US forces available in the dual deployment role to either zone….. (as at 1997)
Cold War membership was limited to Belgian,German,GB,Italy,Canada,US and Luxembourg all 'in' from early 1960's.

It depends which bit of AMF you're looking at – the reinforcement of Norway or the reinforcement of Denmark.

The list you've written above was fairly typical of exercises at the time, but a lot more was allocated for wartime. For Denmark, the entire British 1st Infantry Brigade was allocated:

3x Infantry Battalions (Type A) – trucks then Saxon APCs, Fox for recce

1x Infantry Battalion (Type B) – light role, in trucks & Land Rovers for recce

1x Armoured Regiment

1x Medium Recce Regiment (UK orbat – i.e. mixed troops of Scorpion & Scimitar)

1x Field Artillery Regiment – FH-70 155mm

Combat Support elements – REs, MANPADS, aviation, etc.

For Norway, the entire British 3rd Commando Brigade was allocated:

3x Royal Marine Commando

1x Royal Netherlands Marine Group

1x Medium Reconnaissance Squadron (UK orbat. N.B. The rest of the regiment was allocate to 5 Airborne Bde)

1x Light (Commando) Field Artilery Regiment – 105mm Light Gun

Combat Support elements.

According to my ex-Commando friends, the Commandos were frequently beefed up well above the paper orbat in terms of GPMGs and Milan ATGMs. The RM Reserves would also be mobilised and integrated, which would allow these extra heavy weapons to be incorporated.

The Royal Netherlands Marine Group was also often integrated into the RM Commandos, forming an extra company group within each RM Commando rather than forming their own distinct unit.

In the late 1980s, 3 Cdo Bde was subtly re-roled as a true raiding force that would stay behind and cause havoc to the long and vulnerable main supply route down the spine of Norway. In this sort of role, you could probably forget about light armour and artillery support.

In the late 1980s the Canadians also largely abandoned their plans for what they regarded as 'Hong Kong North' – the deployment of a light mech battlegroup to Norway. From this point they re-instated the Canadian 2nd Infantry Division and planned to reinforce 4 CMBG in West Germany with at least one brigade, a Div HQ, recce regiment and other bits, as part of REFORGER.

Before he passed away earlier this year, my friend Mark Hayes of Fire & Fury Games (who in his 'day job' worked for the US Naval Historical Centre) sent me this:

4th Marine Amphibious Brigade

In the 1970s, the Marine Corps' focus changed from counter-insurgency to guarding NATO's northern flank against the Soviet Union, and it was the 4th Marine Amphibious Brigade that was given the responsibility of leading that mission. During the 1980s, the 4th MAB conducted training exercise to northern Norway, which was considered their primary mission in case of war with the Warsaw Pact.

Ground Combat Element – Regimental Landing Team

Infantry Regiment
Headquarters and Service Company
22 officers and 217 enlisted Marines; 2 officers and 3 enlisted USN (the only likely unit to be represented on the game table is the Antitank Platoon, unless a provisional rifle company is formed)
x24 M-151 Jeep with TOW (replace in mid-80s with M-1045/1046 HMMWV anti-armor vehicles)

x2-3 Infantry Battalions, each with:
x1 Headquarters and Service Company (21 officers and 180 enlisted Marines; 3 officers and 66 enlisted USN)
x3 Rifle Companies, each with:
HQ
x3 Rifle Platoons, each with three rifle squads (13 men in 3 fire teams-M16A1, one with M203 and one designated for auto fire) – replace in 1984 with squad of 13 men in 3 fire teams-M16A2, one with M203, and including M243 SAW
x1 Weapons Platoon with x3 M-224 60mm mortars; x6 M-60E3 machine guns; x6 M-202A2 Multi-Shot Portable Flame Weapon, replace in 1984 with MK-153 83mm SMAW
x1 Weapons Company
x8 M-252 81mm mortars; x6 M2 .50-cal. machine guns; x10 Mk-19 40mm automatic grenade launchers; x24 M-47 Dragons (in six squads); x8 7.62mm sniper rifles (in Scout Sniper Section of four teams of two men each) – M-2 and MK-19 combined into three sections of two squads each mounted on M-1043 HMMWV armament carriers

x1 Tank Company
x17 M-60A1 105mm Main Battle Tank, including IR searchlight
Active add-on armor ("Blazer") in 1988

x1 LAV Battalion beginning in 1983
x3 LAV companies, each with x12 LAV-25
Replace with x1 LAI Battalion beginning in 1988 with
x1 Mortar Platoon of four sections with two LAV-M each
x1 Antitank Platoon of four sections of four LAV-AT each
x4 LAI Company of two platoons of x6 LAV-25 and five scout teams each

x1 Assault Amphibious Company
x47 LVTP-7, replace in 1985 with AAVP-7A1, enough to lift one battalion

x1 Reconnaissance Company, x12 scout teams of four men each (probably deleted with change of LAV battalion to LAI battalion

x1 Detachment, Force Recon Company
probably 3 scout teams, rated ELT, of course

x1 Artillery Battalion
Originally M-114 155mm howitzers replaced by M-198 15mm howitzers in 1982
AN/TPQ-36 "Firefinder" Counter-Battery Radar (from 1982)

Beginning in 1984, US Marines were equipped with Kevlar helmets and armored vests. My suggestion (for playtest) is to consider troops fired at by IDF be considered one discipline rating higher than their given rating. This will afford them some "protection" without having a drastic effect on the game. In later years, when we have SAPI plates, we could afford that protection from all fire.

Aviation Combat Element (ACE) consists of:
Marine Air Group (MAG) fixed wing
x2 fighter/attack squadrons (F-4J Phantom II) – replace in 1983 with F/A-18 Hornet
x1-2 light attack squadron (AV-8B Harrier)
x1 all weather attack squadron (A-6E Intruder)
x1 recon detachment (RF-4B)
x1 electronic warfare detachment (EA-6B Prowler)

Marine Air Group (MAG) rotary wing
x2-3 medium tactical lift squadrons (CH-46E Sea Knight) for lifting infantry
x2 heavy tactical lift squadrons (CH-53D Sea Stallion) for lifting heavy weapons
x1 attack helicopter squadron (AH-1T Sea Cobra) replace with AH-1W Super Cobra in 1986 (may fire Hellfire)

Harrier squadrons contain 20 aircraft and Sea Stallion squadrons contain 16 aircraft. All other squadrons contain 12 aircraft.

x1 Hawk Battery of 6 HAWK antiaircraft missiles
x1 forward-area defense platoon (Redeye) of 15 teams; replace in 1982 with Stinger

A Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) lands with each battalion to provide close air support and provide terminal air control services
At a minimum, each battalion will have the direct fire support of one artillery battery
Shore Fire Control Party (one at the minimum) for each gunfire ship in direct support

Battalion fire support teams include:
Fire Support Coordination Center
81mm Mortar Forward Observer (one for each rifle company)
Artillery Forward Observer (one for each battery)
Tactical Air Control Party
Shore Fire Control Party (one for each gunfire ship in direct support)

NATO began negotiations to create the preposition of equipment in central Norway to support a MAB. This prepositioning was not entirely complete until 1989, although some of it would have been available prior to that year. The Norwegians were to provide transportation to northern Norway. The land-based positioning plan in Norway for 4th MEB consisted of:

No tracked vehicles
13,000 personnel
24 artillery pieces
49 mortars
72 TOWs
96 Dragons
12 HAWK launchers
77 fixed-wing aircraft
78 helicopters

The Luxembourg Army initially consisted of three Land Rover-mounted light infantry companies (each with three platoons, equipped with FN FAL and FN MAG, plus M72 LAW) and one support company with 16x TOW on Land Rover, 6x 81mm Mortars with Land Rovers and 16x recce Land Rovers with M2 .50 Cal.

One light infantry company, plus support elements was allocated to AMF, with the emphasis on reinforcing Denmark. The rest of the battalion was allocated to I (Be) Corps in west Germany.

However, in the mid-1980s, one infantry company was converted to a second support company. From this point forth, the AMF contingent consisted of a full support company, reinforced by two light infantry platoons.

Lots of great information there! Thanks for that!

I am working on a "what if" campaign about a Russian invasion of Norway. So, it looks like the NATO response force was a lot more than I thought it was. My initial idea is a Russian armored thrust through the Denmark/Norway border, avoiding the Swedish boundary. I was thinking of a Russian Airborne drop on Banak Airfield as well. Other than Home Guard actions, I was looking at a defense of the Karasjok crossroads area as the first scenario, with solely Norwegian Forces (North Brigade and some Home Guard units).

Aww Ditto the Cougar wasnt all that bad,it made a fine recruiting prop.

I spent 3 years with AMF(L) deploying to Both Northern Flank options In Norway and Denmark and Southern Options, Italy and Turkey.

1st UK Infantry Bde was assigned to the UKMF and NOT AMF(L) and had a role only in Denmark/Schleswig-Holstein.
I never saw the NL in the AMF(L) they were attached to 3 Cdo Bde as a BLT.

Likewise we never saw the MEB.

Norway/Denmark/Schleswig-Hostein comes under AFNORTH so AMF(L), UKMF, MEB, 3 Cdo Bde would have come under command AFNORTH.

In the South they would have come under AFSOUTH (but UKMF weren't assigned to the southern option)

Combat elements that I remember (Plus who did it during my time)

Northern Option
UK Light Role Bn (1 Para and RRF)
Canadian Bn (RCR)
Italian Alpini
UK Med Recce Sqn
5 Bty RA

(remember the joke after blue on blue between RRF and RCR that in a fight between a budgie and a grizzly the grizzly would always win)

Southern Option
US Para Bn (504 PIR)
Ge Fallschirm
Be Para Commando Bn
UK Med Recce Sqn
5 Bty RA

Deployment was that each of the Battalions would deploy a Key Company responsible for Deterrent patrolling while the main force in load would be prepare for Combat Operations.

Si

Meaford and Pet all the sand and blackflies a guy could ever want……I think i still have my t shirt that reads from mama bear "junior dont play with the soldiers"

I was in the crew commanders hatch of a grizzly when it rolled at Meaford. My life really did flash before my eyes.