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NARRATIVE, Part 3

CPT Hite surpassed all expectations. The chain saws and farm equipment he found had given the battalion capabilities far beyond normal, yet critical in this environment. His correction of the prestock ammo would save more lives than anything else done during the preparation. He was still very much concerned with the nonavailability of 81mm and 60mm mortar ammo in the 23d AD, but it was up to Corps now. He could only hope the bullets got here before the enemy. As he thought about the high morale of his men, he drifted off to sleep.

Rockcastle was awakened by a thunderclap and he looked around to see if it was raining. Although grey and overcast, he felt no rain. His puzzlement ended when a second thunderclap erupted and he realized it was a l20mm tank cannon firing to his southeast. He quickly policed up his equipment and ran to the TOC. As he entered the TOC, his anger was obvious. He believed in his battalion, but he should have been rousted as soon as the Brigade made contact. MAJ Gabbard, the battalion S3, sensed this and began to immediately update the old man. "Sir, the battle is going just as planned. TF 1-91 IN (Mech) has made contact and identified a BMP regiment and their scouts reported a BTR regiment following."

The S2 chimed in, "This confirms the enemy's main effort is down the high speed avenue of approach to the Erbendorf bowl. I think we may get the supporting attack from the second BTR regiment with the tank regiment following the successful attack. Hartley continued, "The AT platoon identified the BMPs and tanks of the lead regiment but couldn't engage because of the rolling terrain. They also reported that elements of TF 1-91 had started to displace." This accurate update calmed Rockcastle. He instructed the S3 to put a leash on the AT Platoon and to stay undetected and not to engage until the enemy advances west of Fuchsmuhl... update the companies on what's occurred and make sure they execute the plan ... he departed to move forward with A Company. On his way to the FLOT he observed the effects of the enemy artillery on the forest. They had obviously suppressed the edge of the woods and he was surprised to see the extensive blow down and splintering that occurred. This would make the minefields and abatis that much more effective.

The battle continued to go as COL Madison had hoped. TF 1-91 led the enemy right into the trap set by TF 1-10 around the Erbendorf bowl. The massed fire power of the two task forces, along with accurate artillery and timely close air support, had stopped the enemy's main effort northeast of highway B 299. COL Madison directed TF 1-10 to conduct a coordinated counterattack with TF 1-91 to eliminate the enemy in the bowl. At the same time he told MAJ Batista to begin coordination with division to get approval to use the divisional cavalry squadron in an economy of force roll to relieve the task forces so the Brigade could counterattack.

Even forward with A Company Rockcastle could hear the mechanized battle to his south. The Brigade net crackled with reports of enemy destroyed and friendly successes. He was proud to be part of such a fine unit, and now anxiously waited for the enemy's next attack, almost hoping they would bring his boys into the fight.

The wait was short lived as the ground to his front erupted. He observed the enemy suppressing the same treeline as earlier. This confirmed his decision to put his initial defensive positions well inside the woodline. He could tell by the regular and accurate reports from the A company OPs that the engineers did an excellent job building the bunkers that gave him his eyes and ears. If the enemy had delayed longer, the battalion would have enjoyed the luxury of more of those bunkers.

The artillery began to move into the woods toward the initial defensive line. The survivability positions were solid unless they took a direct hit, but the noise and tension made it hard on the soldiers who had never experienced the confusion created by real battle. SGT Adams 3rd platoon, A Co, certainly hadn't heard anything like it before. The heat his body produced digging the fighting position around him dissipated with the morning mist. He couldn't recall ever working so hard in his entire life. Hearing the debris and shrapnel impact on the overhead cover of the OP bunker, he considered the callouses on his hands well worth the effort. His throat seemed incredibly dry, but he managed to call out the reports the company kept asking for.

Initial casualty reports due to the bombardment began to reach the S1. As the company aid teams evacuated the WIA to the battalion aid station, the PA was amazed to find that most of the wounds were not from shrapnel but from tree splinters and other debris. Additionally, the S1 grew increasingly worried about evacuation to the brigade clearing station.

The blowdown and forest fires created by the intensive enemy artillery began to block the trails and roads that were planned as evacuation routes. The two M113 ambulances borrowed from the Mech battalion were a god-send. Without them, the limitations of the four evacuation ambulances organic to the battalion would have forced riflemen out of their foxholes to become litter bearers and firefighters.

The scouts reported that the enemy was massing in Fuchsmuhl with BTRs and tanks, staging to use the village as a jump-off point to enter the Steinwald. The fight was coming to the light battalion. Hearing this report, Rockcastle instructed his FSO to fire targets in Fuchsmuhl to disrupt the enemy. CPT Hartley grabbed the fire direction net and was elated that he was able to authenticate with 1st Brigade's DS artillery battalion's FDC. He immediately requested fires to accomplish Rockcastle's orders.

It seemed like only seconds before Madison shattered the brigade command net, melting Rockcastle's handmike, demanding to know what he was doing using voice, over-riding the TACFIRE digital system. Rockcastle quickly responded that it was all they had to obtain fire support and that his battalion needed it now. The third regiment was starting its attack against 2-74. Madison responded, "Roger, you've got priority of FA for thirty minutes, out." Madison turned to his FSO and yelled, "Get them a TACFIRE equipped support team now." "Sir, what if I get them on the TACFIRE dedicated voice net to the VS battalion?" "I don't care. Do what's fastest, but I want them TACFIRE equipped ASAP!"

The enemy began their attack from Fuchsmuhl to the Steinwald. The combination of the anti-armor ambushes, abatis, and minefields reinforced by the blowdown caused the enemy to dismount before the armored vehicles could enter the woodline. The anti-tank platoon was having a field day with more targets than they had missiles while the battalion 81mm mortar platoon killed their share of dismounted Soviet infantry.

The tide of the fight shifted as the Soviet artillery began to target and then suppress the TOW positions. The enemy's fear of the anti-tank missile put the AT platoon into a deadly impact area. Although the TOW crews attempted to hammer the armored vehicles, the enemy suppression made their fire virtually ineffective. This suppression and the need to resupply TOW missiles forced Rockcastle to displace the AT platoon. He directed the AT folks to move as soon as the 81mm FPFs landed.

Rockcastle turned his attention back to the rifle company fights until he noticed that illumination rounds were landing where he initially saw the FPF. As he interrogated the FSO, CPT Hartley explained those were the only rounds the battalion had left and that there was no resupply. Apparently neither the 81mm or 60mm were authorized in armor and mechanized units. Accessing the situation, Rockcastle got Madison on the radio and asked him to continue the FA priority because he no longer had the support of his organic indirect fires. His sitrep also included that the enemy was attempting to push armored vehicles into the Steinwald from the battalion's exposed eastern flank.

He needed an anti-tank capability to stop this armor thrust so that he would not be out maneuvered. His dismounted force could defeat the dismounted enemy in depth but couldn't move fast enough to stay in contact with the BTRs. Madison approved Rockcastle's request and informed him that a TACFIRE equipped FIST track was enroute to his TOC. Further, Madison said that the staff would work on the needed resupply. Additionally, he directed TF 1-10 to chop a tank company OPCON to 2-74 to seal off the eastern penetration.

CPT Brady, commanding B/1-l0 Armor, made radio contact with 2-74 on their battalion command net without difficulty. Rockcastle filled him in and directed his tanks against the armor in Fuchsmuhl from positions south and southwest of village. In order to avoid an attack through the stalled enemy to the front of TF1-10 and TF1-91, CPT Brady moved his company north and picked their way through 2-74's rear area. This avoided the combat elements of enemy and friendly obstacles, while the thick forest concealed the unit's movement.

The lead platoon busted out of the Steinwald north of Friedenfels where they surprised and destroyed a regimental headquarters and an air defense unit. As the company moved north along the eastern edge of the forest they roared through a 122mm battalion of a RAG and began to take light anti-tank fire from the woods. The company responded with intense coax machinegun suppression. Almost immediately the battalion net erupted withcease fire into the woods because they were friendly elements. As Brady halted the coax fire into the wood he realized how hard it was to identify friend and enemy when working with an unfamiliar unit.

As Brady's tank led the company into the woodline south of Fuchsmuhl, he saw a soldier in a kevlar helmet waving. Jumping down from his turret, Brady met SSG Crum who showed him his platoon's disposition and informed him that Just 200 meters in front of them the woods ended and the tanks would have good shots at the armor around Fuchsmuhl. Brady began a battle drill sequence to put the unit on line and move forward to the edge of the woods.

The first and second platoons occupied hasty positions at the woodline and began to pepper the enemy vehicles in and around Fuchsmuhl. The third platoon, moving slightly east, found positions to the rear of the old AT emplacements. Brady got irritated when B33 attempted to use a position dug for a HMMWV as a hull down and threw a track when the TC tried to extricate himself from the small position.

Rockcastle could sense the lull in the battle developing. The light battalion's defense stripped the enemy of its momentum and stopped the attack east of the candystripe just as COL Madison directed. Though his soldiers never faltered in the face of the enemy, there were times that he thought the forest fires would rip the hole in the defense that the enemy could not. The staff busied itself with the reorganization/consolidation effort. Fortunately, the brigade arranged for some M113s from the FSB's Medical Company to assist in the WIA evacuation, yet they made no attempt to provide transportation to evacuate the EPWs the battalion had reported. CPT Hite reported that two HEMMTS and two five tons had arrived with the type of class five necessary for the counterattack. Because of the support platoon sergeant's experience, he loaded the EPWs on the empty returning vehicles, giving the battalion an unanticipated solution to the EPW evacuation problem. The brigade would now be happy to get the EPWs, but they still didn't realize that the only other option would have been to walk them to the rear.

Major Batista arrived at the 2-74's CP with a 4.2 mortar platoon in trail from TF 1-10. Finding Rockcastle, he explained that the platoon would provide him with his indirect fire support. "COL Madison decided to do this because your organic mortar resupply can't be fixed right now. Further, you can't mix voice and TACFIRE on the same FS net. You'll retain the TACFIRE equipped fire support team in case you must use artillery, but be advised, you're the low man on priority of fires until the counterattack begins."

Batista continued by reviewing the counterattack plan that COL Madison wanted to execute. 2-74 was to be the initial attack to regain their initial positions and a foothold in Fuchsmuhl. Once the Steinwald was cleared, TF 1-91 would pass through the trail network and then attack south of Fuchsmuhl with an objective of Mitterteich. TF 1-10 initially would follow and support, then pass north of 1-91 at Mitterteich to continue the penetration along B 299 to Waldsassen. This would set the stage for the Division's attack to regain the IGB.

Table of Contents
Narrative, Part 2
Narrative, Part 4