"Able Archer 83" Topic
13 Posts
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Visceral Impact Studios | 17 Jun 2016 12:15 p.m. PST |
We're looking for additional information on Autumn Forge/Able Archer/Reforger 83. Specifically, ORBATs and TO&Es for participating units. We have found a lot of top level information from sources such as the National Security Archive but not as much at the grunt level so to speak. This is what we have for American units: 8th Infantry Division, Bad Kreuznach 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fulda 3rd Armored Division, Frankfurt-am-Main 1st Cavalry Division, US Thanks in advance! |
Dye4minis | 17 Jun 2016 12:29 p.m. PST |
I could help a bit with REFORGER 83 FTX "Confident Enterprise", but not Able Archer 83. Have you checked out the offerings here? tankograd.com I have this one: link Tom |
MajorB | 17 Jun 2016 12:38 p.m. PST |
Able Archer was a command post exercise, so presumably there were no field units involved. |
Saber6 | 17 Jun 2016 12:42 p.m. PST |
Well that is just V Corps. |
Dye4minis | 17 Jun 2016 12:54 p.m. PST |
Armored Cav Troop, ACR, 1983 (11th Cav) Troop HQ 1 Mutt w/ trailer; 1 M-113, 1 M577, 2 M35A2 1 with Water trailer, 1 with cargo trailer Maint. Section: 1 Mutt w/ trailer; 1 M-113, I M88 ARV, 1 M-35a2 with cargo Trailer 1st Armored Cav Plt: 5 M-113, 4 M-60A3, 1 M-109(?) (M-113 w/4.2 in Mortar) 2nd and 3rd same. Within the Platoon, the M-113 is called the Scout Section; The M=60's – Tank Section and the M-109(?) The Mortar Squad. Total strength: 5 Offiers, 163 EM= 168. This came from "Fahrzeug" series, number 29, 11th US=Panzeraufklarungsregiment "Blackhorse" and shows TO&E with Icons for each vehicle. Same link reference as I sent above. In 83, !st Troop, A Squadron, 11th ACR were equipped with M-1's. This what you are after? Tom |
Saber6 | 17 Jun 2016 12:57 p.m. PST |
might dig through here: link |
Dye4minis | 17 Jun 2016 12:58 p.m. PST |
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Fatman | 17 Jun 2016 1:47 p.m. PST |
MajorB "Able Archer, which involved 40,000 US and Nato troops moving across western Europe" That is one over manned command post! ;) Fatman |
MajorB | 17 Jun 2016 1:50 p.m. PST |
"Able Archer, which involved 40,000 US and Nato troops moving across western Europe" That is one over manned command post! ;) But as it was a command post exercise there weren't any actual troops on the ground, just markers on a map. IOW they were playing a wargame … link |
Dye4minis | 17 Jun 2016 2:12 p.m. PST |
From MajorB's reference: "Able Archer, which involved 40,000 US and Nato troops moving across western Europe, co-ordinated by encrypted communications systems, imagined a scenario in which Blue Forces (Nato) defended its allies after Orange Forces (Warsaw Pact countries) sent troops into Yugoslavia following political unrest. The Orange Forces had quickly followed this up with invasions of Finland, Norway and eventually Greece. As the conflict had intensified, a conventional war had escalated into one involving chemical and nuclear weapons." That's a pretty good example of an FTX supporting a CPX/CAX from my experience! But IMHO, the article seems to have combined Reforger 83 "Confident Enterprise"execution as part of Able Archer. Typical of the media reporting on something they really didn't understand. Also, perhaps, Soviet Intel also got it wrong (perhaps purposely) to arrive at support for a position THEY wanted to advance? J9 stuff at it's best! |
MajorB | 17 Jun 2016 2:18 p.m. PST |
FTX supporting a CPX/CAX FTX = Field Training Exercise CPX = Commad Post Exercise CAX = Computer Assisted Exercise I see no FTX component. " imagined a scenario" |
Visceral Impact Studios | 17 Jun 2016 2:34 p.m. PST |
For the record, Able Archer and Reforger 83 were part of Autumn Forge. Reforger focused on the conventional forces, Able Archer on Nukes. Together they are popularly known as the Able Archer incident which is why I referenced it in the thread title. That is also why I included Autumn Forge and Reforger in the actual post. It was the combination of Reforger and Able Archer that caused such alarm for the Soviets. Also note that Able Archer was directly linked to the results of field forces. Able Archer also drove Reforger ops by changing aspects such as command positioning. That being said, MajorB's point is well taken and illustrates the challenge of finding good info. Able Archer gets all the media attention since it was what brought the Soviets to the brink of war. Reforger is treated as an afterthought Our plans for a scenario book look at the entire enterprise spinning out of control and causing a conventional war in Europe. We picked this period as it was probably the closest we came to that sort of thing (other incidents might have been more likely to result in strategic nuclear war). So before we grind that point too finely, thank you Tom and Sabre for that info! Very helpful! Truly appreciated. We're looking for which units were involved and then TO&Es down to the small unit level for those units. |
Martin Rapier | 19 Jun 2016 7:46 a.m. PST |
So what you actually want are the NATO and Warpac OOBs for 1983? As any sort of shooting war isn't just going to involve the units which took part in the exercise. That is pretty much the period covered by SPIs 'BAOR', 'Fulda Gap' etc series of games and the ones I use to regulate my own WW3 campaign – although to make life doubly difficult I deliberately set it in 1981 when BAOR was using the short lived 'Task Force' organisation. At least by 83 they had gone back to brigades again. Researching the OBs for the TFs really was a challenge. Once again, the TO&E yahoo group is your friend for this sort of stuff. |
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