ORBAT - 1980's British - Army Air Corps, Aviation Regiment

The aim of this Orbat post is to outline the organisation of the Army Air Corps in Germany in the 1980's and 1990s which will allow aviation support to be provided to a number of different Battle Group types. In addition it will form the basis of material for the creation of Aviation And Air Assault Battle Groups used by 6 and 24 Air Mobile Brigades during the late 80's and early 1990's.

In the British Army AH was the abreviation for Army Helicopter rather than Attack Helicopter and applied to both Lynx and Gazelle. The Regiments operated both Lynx and Gazelle, the principal equipments being deployed by these units were:

• The Armed and un armed versions of the Lynx AH1 (from 1977 - 1994) 
• The armed Lynx AH7s (from 1987 - 2002), 
• The unarmed Lynx AH 9 were field in the LBH role from 1991.
• Unarmed Gazelle AH1 throughout. 

The other significant upgrade during the period was the addition of TI units to the Lynx roof mounted site in 1986.

Each of the three divisions had its own AAC Regiment with 1, 3 and 4 Regiments AAC supporting their respective divisions. 1 and 4 Regiments AAC each had two TOW armed Attack Squadrons and 1 Recce Squadron, whilst 3 Div had 1 Attack Squadron and two Recce Squadrons.  9 Regiment formed in 1988 as part of 24 Air Mobile Brigade, 7 Regiment supported UKLF and the associated AMF roles on the Northern and Southern Flanks throughout the period.

• 1 Regiment Squdrons were: 651, 652, 661
• 4 Regiments Squadrons were: 654, 659, 669
• 3 Regiments Squadrons were: 653, 662, 663
• 9 Regiments Squadrons were: 657, 664, 672

Prior to 9 Regiments formation 

• 657 was an independent Sqn shown as Part of 19 Bde 
• 664 was an independent Squadron operating 12 Gazelles in support of the Corps covering Force

Squadrons beginning with 65 were Attack, 66 Recce and 67 LBH.  Composition and organisation of units seemed to vary with geographical location and time which accounts for a degree of confusion around squadron and flight composition.

I have sources which describe Squadron Strength varying from 12 to 18 Aircraft and where Squadrons are composed of single or mixed types.  I have therefore made the following assumptions:

• For Attack Helicopter Squadrons in BAOR 12 Lynx TOW.
• For Recce Squadrons in BAOR 12 Gazelle.  
• For 9 Regiment 657 and 664 Squadron, mixed 6 Gazelle 6 Lynx TOW.
• For 9 Regiment's LBH squadron, 10 unarmed Lynx.  

For missions the units were task organised in a variety of ways to create mixed groupings of Lynx and Gazelle. The approach to this varied throughout the period and dependant on the organisation of the Squadrons.

• For attack missions a pair of TOW armed Lynx could work with a Gazelle and for Recce Missions, a pair of Gazelles could work with a TOW armed lynx. Gazelles could also operate in pairs of Aircraft as Air Observation Posts (AOP) capable of directing Artillery and Fast Jets.  
• In addition HELARMs which were flight or multi flight TOW Lynx missions supported by Recce Gazelle could be tasked against specific targets or killing areas this could be independently or in support of or supported by other arms including Battle groups  and artillery. 
• In the latter part of the period as ground air concepts developed groups of aircraft would participate in coordinated missions with fast jets and artillery in both cross FEBA operations and CAS (Joint Air Attack Teams, JAAT).
• with the formation of the Air Assault units and the development of the Air Assault blocking operation sophisticated Aviation/Infantry tank ambushes and blocking actions started to be developed.

24 Air Mobile Brigade and 6 Air Mobile Brigade were the two air mobile units that supported BAOR from 1983. 6 Airmobile was essentially experimental and was a re-roled armoured brigade that operated as part of the reserve 3rd Armoured Division from 1983 to 1987. The result of the experiment was the creation of 24 Air Mobile Brigade in 1988 the two Brigades took different approaches to the incorporation of AH and in addition there Orbats varied over time, I will cover the detail of these units in a later post..

6 Air Mobile is shown grouped with a composite squadron of 9 Lynx AH and 3 Gazelle along with a chinook Squadron and Puma squadron for lift.

24 Air Mobile, was supported from 1988 by 9 Regiment which was formed to full fill this role.  Whilst the build up of the units to complete the Regiment occurred between 1988 and 1991, my assumption   is this would have been accelerated in build up to War with the potential regrouping of independent Squadrons happening faster than it actually did.  From 1994 for those really late period scenarios the  Brigade was supported by 2 AAC regiments 3 and 4 each of 3 Squadrons 2 being 6 AH7 Lynx TOW and 6 AH1 Gazelle with the third squadron shown as 10 AH9 LBH unarmed Lynx.

for my games I currently intend to represent:

•  1 Squadron of Lynx TOW, 
• A Squadron of Gazelle
• A Squadron of LBH Lynx, 

which will provide a variety of options for scenarios with aviation support to Ground units. Scenarios that represent Air/Aviation strikes and ambushes as well as Air Mobile operations.

At an aircraft scale of 1:3 the organisational ambiguity is less relevant each Attack Squadron will have 4 TOW armed Lynx and the Recce squadrons 4 Gazelle with the mixed units as seen in 9 Regiment being composed of two of each and an LBH Squadron being represented by 3 Lynx LBH.  

References:

Avistar, Westland Lynx
British 24 Airmobile Brigade,1999 (Europa Militaria)
The Encyclopedia of the Modern British Army, 1986, 3rd Ed, T Gander
Britains Modern Army, 1995 T Gander
The British Army in Germany, an Orginizational History
Gra Magazine AAC in Europe
Modern British TOE orbit.com
Today's Army Air Corps, 1987, P Beaver
Armies of NATO's Central Front, 1985, D Isbey
British Military Helicopters, 1986, J Everett-Heath
Britain's Armed Forces Today :3 British Army of the Rhine, 1984 T Gandere

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Review - Book, Soviet Tactical Aviation

Given the title you'd not be surprised to hear that this is a bit of a bible on Soviet Tactical Aviation.  It provides extensive coverage of the topic from the early post war  period to the disolution of the Soviet Union.  It is lavishly illustrated through out with numerous colour aircraft profiles and detailed artwork on individual aircraft markings together with a Mass of pictures of the Birds in action.

It covers the story from a number of perspectives with a shifting focus in each of the chapters. The early chapters on:

• The FA in the early post War Years
• The 1950s - The Soviet Air Forces Golden Age
• The Tactical Aviation of the 1960s/1980s

take a view on the evolution of the aircraft rather than the evolution of the doctrine and operation. The book does however have extensive chapters on:

• The Korean War
• Support provided to friendly Nations
• The forward deployed forces in Eastern Europe and Mongolia
• Afghanistan
• The FA before the Demise of the USSR

In these areas of the book it provides fairly extensive organisational data with Tables listing the composition of the different air armies at different points in time and a dialouge around the change of aircraft types rather than the evolution of the organisations structure, although to some extent this can be deduced.  The Final two chapters and the chapter on the Korean War talk more to operations and training but again with an Air Centric viewpoint.

Now if you are interested in Air-land Battle, and want to include Air and Aviation in your Cold War Soviet and Warsaw pact armies or if your a dedicated Aeroplane nut this book is definitively for you. It is rammed solid with useful information that enables a reasonable picture of Force structure and equipment to be built up across the breadth of the operational space considered by the Soviet Union for the duration of the Cold War.  At times the written style is a little difficult to follow but for the shear volume of information and all the pretty pictures its worth the money and is excellent value at £22 which was the price when I checked it today, even better if you can find one second hand. If you game at battle group and above and want Air and Aviation support on the table, then you probably need to read this book or at least look at the pictures.

Soviet Tactical Aviation @ Amazon


Other Book Reviews:

A History of Soviet Airborne Forces 
Armies of NATO's Central Front
Red Thrust, Central Front
The Soviet Afghan War, How a Super Power Fought and Lost
Weapons and Tactics of the Soviet Army
Soviet Air Land Battle TacticsThe Military Balance
Encyclopaedia of the Modern British Army
The Soviet Conduct of Tactical Manoeuvre
First Clash
The Third World War
The British Army in Germany

The Cold War Bookstore contains links to over 60 Cold War titles covered in my book list

Cold Wargamer Hobby News - Summer 2013

Well it's been a great summer for Cold War Gamers, with a lot of useful models and figures being released as ever the focus has been with the usual suspects in the modern gaming space, Elhiem, S&S and Hobby Den but with some notable releases from a range of plastic vehicle manufacturers as well.

Figures

Elhiem

Elhiem figures completed and released there British Cold War figures with SLR, and I must admit to having snapped up a quantity, I'll produce a more detailed review once I have painted them up. Matt has come up with a very comprehensive range which is just what is needed in this space.

In addition and newly sculpted this month but yet to be released are a set of 4 Soviet NCOs, which look like an attractive edition to the existing range of Cold War Soviets.

I also believe he has intentions to expand his Canadian Range which has got my mind back on the 4CMBG trail.

Models

S&S

S&S continue to produce at a frenetic rate in addition they have at last managed to put together a web shop where you can buy direct on line, though with these guys it never hurts to chat about what your after.

Recent Models mastered include for the US army an M6A3 and for a variety of armies the M88A1 recovery vehicle.

In addition the UK range continues to expand with a couple of 1 Tonne Land Rovers, and an FV 432 with a Fox Turret enabeling all those with an obsession for painting grey and blue squares on tanks to have a bash at the Berlin Brigade.

The momentous event is the peak turret which according to Shaun will fit either his FV432 or the Britania one.  If you get a variant with the mortar hatches closed I assume this will need some fileing and filling.  The same turret was used on Saxon so it has a variety of uses.

Hobby Den

A few I have missed from Hobby Den include this M47 Patton useful in the client state and minor nations categories.

This German M113G Beobachtungspanzer, or artillery Observation wagon.

Another rather attractive little runner was this British Recce Land Rover.

US M151 with TOW, very nice for 70's US, a variety of European Nations or indeed the Israelies.

and a very lovley M113

S Models

S Models, a recent arrival on the scene have pushed out a couple of interesting releases with a 2 pack quick build BMP 1 and a Sheridan. The BMP provides an excellent alternative to the ACE BMP 1 and I'll be taking a closer look at this kit, hopefully in the next few months. The Sheridan fills the gap vacated by the airfix kit and together with S&S's, Hobby Den's and Elhiem's US Cold War offerings is starting to make a 20mm early 80s late 70s US Cold War forces far more viable.

There BMP Came out in time for the Spring news but I was so over whelmed with releases from S&S that it didn't really get a look in, so a little late, but if you have missed it worth a look.  They come two to a box and Brian at the HobbeyDen is stocking them

ACE. The Big news this summer is the re - release of the ACE BMP 2 this time with Rubber tracks which could dramatically improve the build time and effort, but then again may just introduce some problems of their own, should allow me to finish my late Cold War Soviet BMP MRR.

The BMP 1 re release a month or so ago is similarly re tooled and has also moved to rubber tracks according to the ACE web site

Revell

Revell have just released a T 90, not to much Cold War there I hear you cry, but the base vehicle if it can be built without the ERA should provide a good T-72B, here's hoping they have created the kit in a way that allows that to be achieved. T-90 started being deployed around 1993 as the T-72 BU so could be part of those late Cold War bear resurgent scenarios. According to the post this will hit the streets in September.

Revelle T-90 Release

Italeri

Italeri are reporting that they are re releasing the Leopard 1 A4 which they reported they were going to do a couple of years ago.

Italeri Facebook Timeline

Black Dog

Black Dog, at the more expensive end of the spectrum black dog have released an M109A2 which at €34 is probably not for the Wargames table

Armorama report release of Black Dog M109A2

Decals

Bison

Bison Decals released a nice set of decals for 1/72 T60 and T55 for Czecheslovakia in 1968.

The Web

The Autumn Cold War Gamer "Magazine"

The Autumn Magazine, will be focusing on the AAR for the Storming The Waidause Gap, completing the Soviet Air Assault story and starting to look at some NATO force building.  The NATO posts should include 4CMBG and its units and sub units, as I get started on the building of my Canadian battle Group which has been a project in waiting for sometime, along with working up the Orbats for the next evolution of my UK forces.

Cold War Gamer on Face Book

As I mentioned in the last edition of Cold War Gammer I now have an active Facebook page which as a micro blog offers a bunch of news as it happens covering:

• new releases,
• upcoming posts, in this Blog and the Dragon Rising
• Links to my work in progress posts on the guild forum
• posts of note from blog sites covering the cold war and ultra modern period.

Together with links to a wide range of pages relevant to the contents of the two blogs. Take a look

Scale Mates

Also worth a look on the web if you have not already found it is the scale mates site. Which is a great modelling resource pulling together a variety of Internet feeds to provide fairly comprehensive information based on searches for the kits or vehicles your looking for including;

• Other a Kits
• After Market accessories
• Pricing and links to on line retailers

And a really great find the model shop tool, all up a great site.

 If you have any cold wargaming product news that you would like to share drop me a line at coldwargamer@gmail.com

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Wargmes Unit - Soviet, Combat Helicopter Regiment, Assault Helicopter Squadron

Otdelnyy Boyevoy Vertoletnyy Polk OBVP or Independent Combat Helicopter Regiments were formed to support Soviet Armies from the late 70's and were part of the fronts Air Army. The Regiments comprised:

• 2 Attack Helicopter Squadrons of 5 Flights of 4 Mi-24
• 1 Assault Helicopter Squadron of 5 Flights of 4 Mi-8

As a component of Air Assault operations undertaken by the DShV the Assault Helicopter Squadron was critical for  Command and Control, ECM, Escort and Transport, depending on the exact configuration of the Mi-8s.

The detailed organisation of the five flights of Mi-8 breaks down as follows:

• 2 Flights Mi 8 TV NATO Hip E,
• 2 Flights Mi 8T NATO Hip C,
• 1 Flight Mi-8VzPU NATO Hip-D and two unidentified special versions of the Mi-8T

The Aircraft can be of three types and it might be worth speculating about the fourth.

• Mi-8T, Hip C - Unarmed, carries 8,000 lbs internal, 6,000lbs slung, Upto 24 seated passengers or 12 stretcher cases.
• Mi-8TV mark I, also known as Mi-8T, from 1968, Hip C - Armed Version of Mi-8T can be armed with 4, UV-16-57U Rocket Pods, and 2 PKT machine guns (nose and tail), alternatively 1000lb bombs could be deployed on the weapon points. All Mi - 8Ts including civil versions were capable of being configured in this way hence the confusing naming conventions. In this configuration there was no impact on the number of passengers carried, certainly in European flying conditions.  As such my assumption is that the Mi-8T designated flights would be armed in this configuration.
• Mi-8TV mark II, from 1974, Hip E . Includes a nose mounted, flexible KV-4 12.7 mm HMG. 6 weapons pylons capable of deploying six UV-32-57U rocket pods, these each carried 32 57mm rockets as opposed to the 16 in each of the mark I's rocket pods. four AT-2 Swatter ATGMs were carried on rails over the 4 Outboard Pylons. In this configuration passengers and cargo could not be carried.
• Mi-8VzPU is an unarmed Airborn command post which was a post production conversion of the Mi-8T, recognisable by a prominent towel rail AE on the top of the fuse large above the rear doors and two box like equipment pods mounted instead of the weapons pylons.

• I suspect though have no evidence is that the unnamed variants were ECM aircraft with air defence suppression systems on board, although communications relay aircraft, mine laying aircraft or NBC Recce might all make sense.

I use the aircraft armed with three weapon pylons per side to represent the TV mark IIs with 6 UB-32-57 Pods and 4 ATGW and an HMG, effectively as gunships for escort and the remainder as Mi-8Ts armed with the 4 smaller UB-16-57-U systems, that carry troops.

Later versions of the aircraft in these two configurations increased the flexibility of the weapons loads, adding 23mm Cannon Pods to the range of options and upgrading the ATGW systems as well as increasing troop capacity.

With a carrying capacity of 24 a flight can carry 96 troops which I equate to a basic company with no task organised support. If task organised support weapons are added into the mix I assume a second flight is required.

The aircraft are from a mix of manufacturers and the flight stands are all from Coresec Enginering mounted on East Riding Minatures MDF bases. The detail of the supported units and models have all been covered in previous posts referenced at the end of this post.

Reference:

• Global Defence - Ground Forces Aviation/Army Aviation
• Global Defence - Ground Forces Aviation/Army Aviation Tactics
• Global Defence - Ground Forces Aviation/Army Aviation Aircraft
• Soviet 16 Air Army web site
• Scramble, Mi-8 modifications
• FM 100-2-1 Soviet Army Operations and Tactics
• FM 100-2-3 Soviet Troops Organisation and Equipment
• Soviet Tactical Aviation - Yefim Gordon & Dmitriy Kamissorov
• Mil Mi-8 / Mi-17 Rotary-Wing Workhorse and Warhorse - Yefim Gordon

Related Posts:

• ORBAT - Soviet Air Assault Capability Part 1, Overview and Lift Assets
• ORBAT - Soviet Air Assault Capability Part 2, Army Air Assault Battalion
• Review - Model 1/72, Mi-24 Hinde, Italeri, Zedveda, Matchbox, Airfix
• Review - Model 1/72, KP Mi-8 and Mi-8T Hip
• Wargames Unit - Soviet, Combat Helicopter Regiment, Attack Helicopter Squadron
• Wargames Unit - Soviet Late 80's Independent DShV Battalion

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