Brigade Support Area (BSA) 2407890100z…
Col Dave Knack, the XO of 2AD (Fwd) was walking amongst the repair and logistics facilities that had been setup in and around Zeven, some 20kms behind the current frontlines, looking at the final Operational Readiness Report (ORR).
Over the past 36hrs, his recovery crews had brought back as much damaged and or destroyed equipment that they could. Once back in the BSA, his maintenance team chiefs evaluated each piece of equipment like medics doing triage. Those that could be salvaged went to the repair yards. The M2/3 Bradley’s and M1A1 tanks had priority. If some jackass officer wanted his Humvee fixed, he was promptly put in his place by an NCO. Those vehicles that were deemed unrepairable were stripped of every useful part by another team of mechanics. Those parts were placed into Milvans or Connexes’ marked appropriately. There was no forms to filled out, no tracking of these parts. If it was needed to put a vehicle back into the fight, it was taken.
The vehicles that were repaired were sent to a holding area where they were manned by replacements and wounded soldiers returning to duty. Once fueled and loaded out with what ammo was available, groups of 4 would be released with an escort vehicle to get them back to the units.
It was the Class V (Ammo) that concerned Knack. They knew the units would burn through their basic loads, but the battle around Buchholz had consumed a huge amount of 120mm, 25mm, M2, and TOW 2B ammo. Most of the vehicles leaving the BSA had half loads….
Hq’s 2AD (Fwd) TOC....
Gen Funk was sitting in his Humvee looking over the intelligence brief from NORTHAG. Now the 21st MRD of the 2nd GTA was attempting to continue the attack. Or at least that was what NORTHAGS G2 thought….
As in anything that concerned war, nothing was definite. 36hrs ago, his force was ordered to pull back some 20kms to shorten the defensive line. Fine, thought Funk at the time. He fell back on his support structure. The BSA was alive with purpose. Tanks and Bradley’s were repaired, soldiers showered and got hot meals, replacement personnel were integrated into units. But it wasn’t enough….. Especially for 3/41 Inf.
24hrs later he had received the warning order to defend vic Sittensen. JSTARS had picked up enemy movement vic the B75 Highway moving NW. The belief was Ivan was trying to secure the A1 Autobahn corridor to continue his advance on Bremen. 12hrs after the warning order, his Bde was on the move….
To Funk, it was all about who could secure the better ground. It was night, rain, miserable weather to most, but his forces had trained in these conditions for over a decade. His lead elements were in Sittensen, but from here, east, it was a crap shoot. His intent was to deploy his forces in a layered, mobile defense. The question was, how close were the Russian lead elements? His Recon?
