Team Yankee: Walsdorf Salad

Whichever grunt or embed journo first named the bitter fighting around the exit to the "Hof Corridor" in those eventful early August Days of 1985 'Walsdorf Salad' probably wasn't  a regular at the Waldorf Astoria!

The official histories aren't saying, and are pretty dry about the intense combat there...

I guess on a general's map it looked like as good a place as any to exit the Hof Corrider - or to place a speed bump!

It had a good road network...

Walsdorf rail yard looked like a good place to slow down armor...

And plenty of villages and farms to fire Dragons from... 

The Soviets had a clear run to 2 of 3 objectives - the 3rd was in the town itself. But they only needed 1!

And they were coming on mob handed...

With Frontal Aviation in support - 6 x SU-25 FROGFOOT

And a flight of 6 x Mi24 HIND

Defending the exits: Mech Inf from the 3rd US Infantry.

Also with tactical Aviation: 4 x AH-1 Cobras...

And some Fast Air: 4 x USAF A-10 Warthogs

The Mech Inf deployed on the left dug in on the woods across the river, with the centre platoon still mounted to cover any surprises - The M1s were waiting in ambush...

The remaining Mech Plt and Mortars were set up in and around Walsdorf itself.

The Arty were hidden in back of the woods with their observer forward on the centre ridge.

The Motor Rifles went left flanking first, making full use of the Spearhead rule to come on hot and fast!

The Hinds went for the lead ITV's hiding along the autobahn...

While the FROGFOOTs went for the VADS, taking one out right off!

In Walsdorf the Mech Inf, and the Mortars - using their .50s in direct fire - gave the Motor Rifles a warm welcome!

The reserve Mech Inf platoon headed across to Wahlsdorf fast to lend a hand...

But drew some unwelcome attention - and paid the price!

The rotary boys started having their own private war - the Cobras came second, but got some HINDs on the way...

  

With the overwatching ITVs now whittled down, the centre Motor Rifle company made a dash for the centre objective...

So the M1 Abrams platoon sprang their ambush...

Ouch!

This warranted immediate revenge - the Frogfoots KO'd one Abrams and bailed the remainder - who then failed their morale check and withdrew to fight another day...

The survivors of the middle infantry platoon de-bussed to plug the gap and cover the centre objective.

With resistance in the centre thinning out, the T-72 Company emerged from cover...

Using the cover of the village and cropfield to minimise fire from the ITVs in the treeline opposite.

They were soon threatening the right hand objective...

   

Whilst the Motor Rifles closed on the centre objective, despite taking further heavy casualties from the Dragon teams.

 

However in Walsdorf itself they were going nowhere - all their BMPs burning, the infantry themselves continually pinned by SAW and .50 Cal fire!

Objective seized - the 1st Combined Arms Army has two routes out of the Hof Corridor!

  

The Grunts of the 3rd US Infantry put up a stout defence and indeed made Walsdorf Salad of the Motor Rifles in Walsdorf itself, but they couldn't cover all the exits!