Russian Artillery Fire Control
In practice the ACRV in a Soviet Artillery Btn HQ usually drove alongside the RHQ it was supporting, thereby acting as a defacto OP. Allow each Soviet Artillery Btn to deploy an ACRV model (equipped with laser rangefinder) that uses the standard OP rules, except that it can only call in fire from its own battalion.
Motor Rifle Battalion A/T Platoons
In non-BMP units, these Btn A/T platoons usually have 2 x 73mm SPG-9 and 2 x Sagger. In the original rules they fudge this by allowing one Btn to have the missile and the other the RCL, presumably alternating one for one as much as possible. My preferred option is to mount a model of each on the stand, and combine the factors, so that it has AT 2-9″ value, allowing it to move half and fire as the RCL, and ATGW 2-30″ (Sagger) factor, which cannot move and fire at all.
German Leopard 1 and 2 Allocation
The recent New Vanguards on the Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 series shed more light on how they were allocated. It appears to be as follows:
Panzer Brigades are all Leopard 2 equipped by 1984 except in 2 Panzer Brigades of 10th Panzer Division which have Leopard 1A4 (see below).
1st & 3rd Panzer Corps have Leopard 1A1A1 in their Panzer Grenadier Bdes and Recce Btns.
6th Panzer Grenadier Division has all the Leopard 1A2 built; and served in Denmark in effect.
12th Panzer Division had Leopard 1A3 until replaced by Leopard 2A1.
10th Panzer Division has all the Leopard 1A4 built in its Panzer Bdes, and Leopard 1A3 in the PzGr Bde and the Recce Btn.
Leopard 2 (with LLTV) went to 1st and 3rd Panzer Divisions’ Panzer Bdes in 1981, whose Leopard 1A1A1s went to their PzGr Bdes and Recce Btns; replacing the latters M48A2G. These Leopard 2 had TI added as the Leopard 2A2 over 1984-1987.
Other Panzer Divisions started receiving standard Leopard 2A1 from 1982, and were equipped with TI as standard.
Thus in 1984 my 3rd Panzer Division would be in the process of re-equipping with Leopard 2A2; so probably would have two Panzer Battalions equipped with Leopard 2A2; two Panzer Battalions equipped with Leopard 2 (LLTV); three Composite Battalions and one Panzer Battalion equipped with basic Leopard 1A1A1 (extra turret armour, standard stabilised optics, IINF and no APDSFS), and Leopard 1A1A1 in the Divisional Recce Battalion. A mixture of high tech and low tech indeed!
Looking at the defence value of the Leopard 1 series in Spearhead, they seem over armoured, even allowing for factored in doctrine, smoke dischargers, acceleration and speed. Given that the Leopard 1 has not much more protection than a WW2 Panther tank at 13cm equivalent of vertical steel, a DEF of 7/3 CED 2 for Leopard 1A1 and 1A2 (and AMX-30 for that matter) seems more reasonable. Bear in mind that the M48 has about 22cm equivalent frontal protection and has been given DEF 9/2. Leopard 1A1A1 should then be DEF 8/3 but CED 3 (extra spaced armour around turret – track links on hull front). Leopard 1A3 and 1A4 should be DEF 9/3 but again CED 3 for built in spaced armour.
The promised updated Soviet TOE for Modern Spearhead are held over for another issue, hopefully with some kind of battle report. If anyone has a particular brigade or division they wish to see in Spearhead format, I’ll gladly put together something to go in future Journals, just let me know.
Also, does anyone make a model in 1/300th of the CL89/289 drone launcher lorry and drone – I thought someone did but I can’t find any reference to it now. They are divisional assets in the West German army, so may be worth concocting rules for?
Mark continued his series of articles in the SOTCW’s Journals 41, 42, 43 (September 2001-March 2002) and we have reproduced them here in News and Views.
Contributor: © 2001 Mark Bevis & Phil Shaw.