Was there a point of having any forces deployed within 30 km belt next to West-East German border due to Soviet overmatch in number and capability of artillery pieces deployed there?
Slowing them down long enough for artillery and air power, as well as buying time for future mobilization and counter attack.
I can see the justification for having maneuver units patrolling the west German boarder, but I don't know why we had entire infantry divisions stationed there.
>>29549099
They had to be stationed somewhere.
>>29549099
>why we had entire infantry divisions stationed there.
OP here. Exactly this.
>>29549119
The 11th CAV regiment had its base in range tube artillery, there is no logic to that, all the men stationed there would be killed/captured.
>>29549099
To keep the fucking nazis in check
>>29549097
>counter attack
>>29549099
Infantry is the Queen of battle for a reason son.
Attrition and a speedbump op.
Attrition and a speedbump.
My grandfather was stationed there in the 50s with armored cav. They knew damn well if the Reds came over they were going to die, and had evac plans for my dad and grandmother accordingly. It was to justify declaring war on anyone who steamrolled them, just like our DMZ forces in Korea today.
>>29549099
Why would you put Cav units right on the front line with no depth to maneuver in? That's a waste. If you need a tripwire or a speedbump, the Infantry are purpose-made for the job.
>>29549071
>"Frontline battalion to HQ! Please respond!"
>"Here is HQ, what is the matter?"
>"We are under heavy fire, the reds are coming!"
>"Can you confirm that this an actual 'all-out' attack?"
>"Yes sir, they are throwing everything on us"
>"okay, hold on and grab your sunglasses"
>"HQ, ..I don't understand!"
>"Just hold your position for 15minutes"
>"What? Why?"
>"Because we will smoke these filthy and godless commie swines away, ICBM are on their way"
They were largely deal as a deterrence, the Soviets would have to destroy them and thus initiate their own demise via nuclear weapons.
>>29549192
That assumes they'd still be on base despite the Soviets mobilising into their jump-off positions.
Once tension were mounting and any signs were up hat the Soviets were preparing to start the music, everyone would mobilise and roll out and disperse into initial defense positions.
>>29549811
There's plenty of depth. BEHIND them. The Cav were meant to establish contact with and bloody the initial soviet thrust across the border, then fall back through the mechanised formations behind them. Using the infantry as the tripwire means sacrificing them. Using the Cav means they actually have a chance to fall back after initial contact and survive.
>>29551665
>ICBM
>used against maneuver forces in the field
Nope.
