Free The Black Effect (Cold War) by Harvey Black Page A

almost paternal. Until a scowl froze you on the spot. He was a soldier’s soldier. A warrior. He would get actively involved in the training of his brigade and, when time allowed, had been known to participate in their fitness training.
    “Before I say my piece, I will hand you over to Staff Sergeant Owen. He has been tracking the enemy movement to our front and keeping abreast of the bigger picture from Division and Corps. Staff Owen.”
    The Brigadier, and the rest of the officers at the end of the table, stood to one side allowing Owen to come to the front.
    “Sir.”
    “Come on, squeeze up, squeeze up. Get as close as you can,” instructed the Brigade Major with marginal impatience. “We’ll issue you with a briefing document and your orders before you leave, but in the meantime having a view of the maps will help.”
    The officers shuffled forward as best they could. The Staff Sergeant tapped the first map on the easel, using a stick he had stripped from one of the trees outside.
    “First I will cover the bigger picture.” At six foot two, he could almost look over the heads of his superior officers lined up with him. “I will work from the south to the north.”
    “It is important that you all understand the overall situation that AFCENT finds itself in. Whatever affects the Allied Forces in Central Europe will impact on our Northern Army Group,” added the Brigadier. “If NORTHAG has to respond then 1 BR Corps will potentially have to respond. So, dig in well, but always be ready to move when called upon.”
    He nodded to the Staff Sergeant to continue.
    “In the south, in Central Army Group’s southern area of responsibility, they are up against the Czechoslovakian army, the CSLA. A division from the CSLA’s eastern district has reached as far as the River Danube, as have elements of the 4th CSLA Army. Central Group of Soviet Forces is also advancing on Austria and Southern Germany.”
    He tapped the map. “Here, further north, the 1st CSLA Army has reached as far as the River Regen and the River Naab. Further north still, they have advanced as far as Bayreuth. The Austrian army, along with the 2nd German Corps, part of CENTAG, is under severe pressure. This is the southern boundary of the American VII Corps’ sector.”
    He paused to catch his breath, taking in the expectant faces. Normally briefings like this would be met with stifled yawns: being told about Orange Force movements, British units acting in the role of the enemy. This time, their life may well depend on the information that was being imparted to them.
    “Further north again, 1 Guards Tank Army has already reached Schweinfurt. Elements of US VII Corps is holding its own and reinforcements are on their way. The Soviet 8th Guards Tank Army has breached the Fulda River and has occupied the town of Fulda itself, along with Bad Hersfield. Soviet Air Assault Battalions have been in support, and the US cavalry regiment, acting as the covering force, has withdrawn in good order. But, they have suffered heavy casualties. The 3rd German Army, the Volksarmee that is, is crossing the River Fulda at this very moment.”
    He shifted his stick to the upper section of the map. “I will come back to 1 BR Corps in a moment. The Soviet Northern Group of Forces have also made good headway, reaching as far as the western outskirts of Luneburg. The 8th Germany Army, the DDR, under command of the Northern Group of Soviet Forces, has taken Lubeck and have reached the gates of Hamburg itself.”
    There was an intake of breath. The soldiers knew that the Warsaw Pact would advance quickly, but to already be at the fringes of Hamburg was a hard fact to swallow.
    “Elements of the northern force are also moving north into Schleswig Holstein. A Bundeswehr panzer division, acting as a covering force, is doing its best to slow them down, but the enemy numbers are overwhelming. Although Warsaw Pact forces haven’t crossed the River Elbe to the north, they have