So the Russkies couldn't nuke/ bomb/gas/ disrupt all our assembly areas and REFORGER sites, and equipment storage areas in a suprise attack against a small number of targets.Kingfish wrote:On a somewhat related note, can someone explain to me the rational for the dispersed nature of NATO's peacetime deployment?
I understand the need to safeguard against nucs and other WMD strikes, but why is it that (for example) the 12th Panzer division had a brigade deployed close to the border at Bad Kissingen, but a sister brigade at Koblenz over 200 klicks away?
Is it that I'm too wrapped up on the concept of "division" when in reality the brigades operated in a more autonomous arrangement?
Also many of the troops of NATO's armed forces were of a reserved nature, so it would take weeks to assemble many units and the equipment issued from such sites. Having them near the border in large concentrations could have led to them being lost or overrun in the event of a quick Russian surprise ground attack, before those 2nd line units were "mobilized" and ready to roll.
Most US Divisons in Europe had one active over-strengthed or two partial Brigades ready to rock , bringing another brigade of a US Division up to combat strenght would have taken about 15-30 days. And the "3rd brigade", you were looking at 30-90 days.