Operation Proud Lion: T2K in Kenya

[Jason Weiser]

There's also these guys from the Soviet Vehicle Guide project we've been working on:

21st AIR ASSAULT BRIGADE

A Category I brigade from the Transcaucasian MD. The 21st was sent to Ethiopia in early 1996 to reinforce Ethiopian and Cuban forces in Eritrea. The 21st was used in company-sized raids against Eritrean rebels. The brigade did well against the rebels, who had little in the way of ADA and MANPADS to use against the brigade and its attached helicopters. This lasted until early 1997 when US forces intervened in the Persian Gulf and US troops landed in Kenya and Yemen. The brigade was now cut off and very far from home. Fuel and spare parts for the helicopters has run out, and the Brigade"s commander is scheming a way to get his men home, but the harbors at Massawa and Assab were repeatedly mined and attacked by NATO aircraft during the course of the war and are impassible to shipping, Right now, the brigade is in cantonment in Asmara and is the only source of anything approaching law and order for miles around, as Ethiopia disintegrates around them.

Subordination: Independent
Location: Asmara, Ethiopia
Manpower: 260

[Raellus]

Interesting. Seems like a significant investment of manpower without much hope for reward. I'd love to hear more of your rationale for this deployment.

BTW, based on your suggestion, I added something about Libyan volunteers to my write up. Thanks again.

[HorseSoldier]

Direct Soviet deployment of combat troops in Africa pre-Twilight War would seem to violate some unspoken Cold War agreement (and that's what Cubans are for). With the war with China ongoing and (IIRC) ongoing COIN in Afghanistan it seems overstretch -- especially with the USSR hitting up the rest of the WP for China front forces. First order of business would be cutting non-priority commitments in places that don't matter (same thing makes me question GDWe's parking Soviet units in Vietnam).

[Raellus]

Direct Soviet deployment of combat troops in Africa pre-Twilight War would seem to violate some unspoken Cold War agreement (and that's what Cubans are for). With the war with China ongoing and (IIRC) ongoing COIN in Afghanistan it seems overstretch -- especially with the USSR hitting up the rest of the WP for China front forces. First order of business would be cutting non-priority commitments in places that don't matter (same thing makes me question GDWe's parking Soviet units in Vietnam).

This was what I was getting at. I agree with your assessment regarding deployment of Soviet troops to Africa. The factors weighing against such a deployment are similar for the U.S. military and that's why I came up with the Tanzanian invasion. I'm hoping Jason can shed some more light on the D.C. group's decision to place Soviet troops in a strategically irrelevant (relatively speaking) African region.

As for Vietnam, I'm not very familiar with that piece of canon but I'm assuming that the Soviet reasoning for doing so would have had something to do with opening a second front against China, as well as defending the Soviet naval installations there.

[Jason Weiser]

The Soviets decided to post the unit there mainly to prop up the Mengitsu government, and have a unit handy to protect the Soviet Naval anchorages in Ethiopia, and across the Red Sea in Aden in case NATO became involved in the larger mess vis a vis China. We could say a company backed up the Naval Infantry Garrison on Aden and some other elements were sent down to reinforce Soccotra and the rest was busy both providing security to the anchorages in Eritrea and various Primus resupply points up and down the coast. Trouble was None of that lasted long, and as NATO air and naval power squeezed the Soviet navy and merchant marine out of the area, and the US took Aden and Yemen, and the other anchorages were bombed into rubble, the unit soon found itself sucked into the civil war. By the time things with Tanzania got nasty, the unit was too busy to do more than a few raids into Kenya to help the Tanzanians.

[Raellus]

That makes sense, Jason. It was a pre-war (at least, pre European war) move and they just kind of got stuck there when the balloon went up. Is that right

[Jason Weiser]

Correct.

[Raellus]

Recondo School

Recondo School

In early 1998, with the 173rd BCT isolated from the rest of the U.S. armed forces and its constituent infantry battalions widely spread around the country and responsible for large and environmentally diverse areas of operation, it quickly became apparent that the Brigade's authorized reconnaissance unit, A Troop, 1/91st Cavalry, could not be everywhere at once. In order to locate and monitor the various hostile forces* operating in their respective areas of operation, each battalion needed a dedicated, long-range reconnaissance unit of its own.

*Most of these hostile forces operated as relatively small, mobile bands, using classic guerilla tactics.

The Brigade's commander, a late-war Vietnam veteran and former Ranger, decided to create a training course for long range reconnaissance patrollers modeled on the Vietnam War-era U.S. Army Recondo school. The course would focus on long range patrolling and scouting skills, tracking, field-craft, and SERE.

The cadre for the school was formed by a small group of experienced Special Forces soldiers familiar with Kenya and its people. A diverse group of men was assembled to lend local and topical knowledge and expertise to the course. This group included a Rhodesian expatriate and former Selous Scout with extensive experience in long range patrolling in the African bush and an Israeli citizen and ex-Sayeret Maktal commando who "retired" to Kenya after a stint as an independent security consultant at the refinery facilities in Mombasa. Several Kenyan soldiers, game wardens, and indigenous, semi-nomadic hunters were also brought in to share their experience with the students (and instructors) and the British SAS mobility troop operating against Somali bandits and Junudullah insurgents in the northeast of the country routinely rotated personnel (often convalescing wounded) through the course as "guest instructors".

Graduates of the Recondo school formed long range reconnaissance patrol (LRRP) platoons in each of the Brigade's airborne infantry battalions. Additional allied personnel cycled through the school in small batches and returned to their parent line companies in order to share their newly acquired patrolling skills.

[HorseSoldier]

I like it, and think you're on a plausible track splitting things between LRRP stuff and basic combat tracking for line units.

[Raellus]

I like it, and think you're on a plausible track splitting things between LRRP stuff and basic combat tracking for line units.

Thanks. I've got a soft spot for LRRPs and I wanted to make sure to include them in the campaign setting. Many parts of Kenya are ideal for LRRP-type operations.

[Raellus]

BCT Operations November 1997-July 2000

BCT Operations November 1997-July 2000

Throughout the remainder of 1997, the Herd's infantry battalions remained concentrated around the strategically important cities of Mombasa and Nairobi. Although the Tanzanian offensive had been blunted and thrown back, the remnants of the Tanzanian military (including rogue forces of Tanzanian origin) still retained the capacity to threaten southern Kenya. Operations focused on destroying the remnants of the invasion force remaining in the frontier region.

An operational shift occurred after the escalation of the nuclear phase of the war in the autumn of 1997. Shipments of replacement personnel and equipment, ammunition, supplies, and spare parts from CENTCOM and CONUS slowed to a trickle. The forces in and around the strategically important refinery and port facilities in Mombasa braced for a nuclear attack which fortunately never came.

With the continuation of drought conditions throughout East Africa, the food situation for the Herd, as well as Kenya's urban population, soon became critical. Kenya's western highlands, one of the Africa's most productive agricultural regions, became a area of strategic importance. At the same time, incursions by LRA and renegade Ugandan military units in the region increased as the situation in Uganda spiraled out of control. Farms and farming villages were overrun, crops plundered or ruined, and atrocities against civilians committed on an alarming scale. The Kenyan infantry brigades assigned to the region were hard pressed to stem the flow of Ugandan marauders. Scattered reports of disgruntled Kenyan troops deserting from their units and joining the Ugandan marauders began to reach Nairobi. The 1/503 and 2/503 parachute infantry battalions were sent to western Kenya to stabilize the situation and secure the valuable food producing regions.

As of July 2000, the 1/503 remained in western Kenya, along with elements of the 2/503. Other elements of the 2/503 formed ad-hoc task forces that were deployed to trouble spots in the north of the country, as circumstances dictated. Along with most of the Brigade Combat Team's remaining operational aircraft, the 4/503 (airmobile) were based around Nairobi and operated mostly in the central highlands. A Troop, 1/91st Cavalry and the 3/503 (light motorized), using French-made AFVs, operated out of Mombasa and were tasked with keeping the Mombasa to Nairobi highway open. Throughout Kenya, the 173rd BCT operated alongside loyal Kenyan military forces which, for the most part, displayed professionalism and fighting spirit.

[shrike6]

I'm confused how did the 1-503rd get from Korea to Kenya. For that matter why did the 228th Aviation Battalion deploy to Kenya and not deploy with the 1st Cavalry Division to Europe

[Raellus]

I'm confused how did the 1-503rd get from Korea to Kenya. For that matter why did the 228th Aviation Battalion deploy to Kenya and not deploy with the 1st Cavalry Division to Europe

Since I'm not an ORBAT master, I used the units FF mentioned in the archived threads. I wasn't aware that the above mentioned units were already accounted for elsewhere. Perhaps it was a redesignation deal.

[HorseSoldier]

1-503rd was an element of the 2nd Infantry Division during the late Cold War.

When the 173rd was reformed, it initially began life with 2-503rd (former 3-325th) and 1-508th AIR. If I am understanding the information correctly, it eventually gained the 1-503rd lineage as well, making three battalions, and then dropped 1-508th when it converted to current army organization for BCTs and such.

For the Twilight War scenario, you might want to consider going with 1-508th, 2-503rd and then either 2-508th or 1-555th, which is mentioned in Frank Frey's notes as being reformed and assigned. You could even toss in something like 6-143rd Infantry (Airborne), Texas Nat'l Guard, for a fourth line battalion, if you want to posit the reserve component units mentioned in FF's notes eventually showed up.

[Raellus]

For the Twilight War scenario, you might want to consider going with 1-508th, 2-503rd and then either 2-508th or 1-555th, which is mentioned in Frank Frey's notes as being reformed and assigned. You could even toss in something like 6-143rd Infantry (Airborne), Texas Nat'l Guard, for a fourth line battalion, if you want to posit the reserve component units mentioned in FF's notes eventually showed up.

Thanks, HS. One of Frank's two 173rd BCT ORBATs included four infantry battalions- two airborne, one airmobile, and one light motorized- which, for simplicity's sake, I went with. I really want four line battalions so I may go with the reserve battalion, shipped in just before the balloon went up.

Using your ORBAT, may I assume that the 50x battalions are airborne qualified Which battalion should be the airmobile one Could an NG battalion realistically be set up as a light motorized unit (using, as per Frey's idea, French-supplied light AFVs)