Read Online The Black Effect (Cold War) by Harvey Black - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Harvey Black
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forward, his SMG machine gun held in his right hand, pointing downwards so as not to spook the guard.
The sentry hissed more quietly, “King of Clubs.”
“Ace of Spades,” responded the soldier.
“Pass,” answered the Royal Signals infantryman who was guarding the entrance to the 22nd Armoured Brigade Headquarters complex, situated in the forest of Osterwald, north-west of the village of Elze, seven kilometres north-west of Gronau. The soldier made his way forward towards the entrance, and the sentry, recognising Lieutenant Wesley-Jones as an officer, saluted.
Wesley-Jones pushed his way through the tent flap of the entrance to the complex, a three-by-three-metre green tent, and was challenged again, this time by a Royal Military Police Lance-Corporal getting up from his seat behind a small square table inside.
“Could I see some identification please, sir?”
Wesley-Jones shouldered his SMG, returned the corporal’s salute and showed his identification card.
The RMP checked it. “Thank you, sir. The briefing starts in about five minutes if you would like to make your way in, sir.”
He thanked the young corporal and passed through the second tent flap on the other side, stepping out into an enclosed area, buzzing with the sound of activity, comms chatter, soldiers rushing to and fro, generators humming in the background. A brigade headquarters was significantly larger than that belonging to a battalion, regiment or even Battlegroup HQ. Scanning the complex, he familiarised himself with the layout. To his immediate right, perpendicular to the tent entrance, were three FV436 armoured command and control carriers, basically 432s with additional communications equipment installed within. The rear door of each one was facing inwards, each with a two-metre by two-metre penthouse tent fixed to the rear, making up the right-hand side of the oblong headquarters nexus. Each of the rear compartments of the 436s, and penthouses, were laid out differently, but most had a table and map boards, officers and men going about their business supporting the brigade that was forward, digging in to defend the River Leine. The first vehicle held the Air element, containing Air and Air Defence Liaison; the second was for artillery; and the third for the commanding officer of the close support engineer regiment. To the left of the entrance tent was a second nine-by-nine tent, occupied by clerks and more Royal Military Police. Perpendicular, on the left, was another line of 436s, making the left-hand side of the complex. These accommodated the commander of the brigade’s Signals Squadron and Yeomen-of-Signals in the first, G3-Operations in the second, the control station of the Brigade Commander, where his watchkeepers would be monitoring the brigade and divisional command networks, manned by the SO3 G3 and watchkeepers from a Territorial Army pool. The third vehicle contained G3-Plans, home of the Brigade Commander where, aided by the Brigade Major, arms advisers and visiting commands, he planned and conducted the battle.
At the opposite end, two further 436s were backed up to the headquarters complex, enclosing the entire HQ in an oblong secure area, accessible only through the main entrance. In one was the SO3-G2 Intelligence, supported by an Intelligence Corps Staff Sergeant and the NBC JNCO. The Full Corporal was responsible for plotting the fallout from any nuclear, chemical or biological attack, guiding the brigade command as to where they could move troops to safety, or move troops away from the path of any contaminated cloud or fallout. The second 436 contained the SO1, G1 and G4 watchkeepers, along with logistics operations. The entire complex measured roughly six metres wide by fifteen metres long; a target the Soviet air force, or Spetsnaz operation, would love to get their hands on. The HQ would not stay at this location long, keeping on the move and keeping the Soviet Electronic Warfare units guessing as to where they
The sentry hissed more quietly, “King of Clubs.”
“Ace of Spades,” responded the soldier.
“Pass,” answered the Royal Signals infantryman who was guarding the entrance to the 22nd Armoured Brigade Headquarters complex, situated in the forest of Osterwald, north-west of the village of Elze, seven kilometres north-west of Gronau. The soldier made his way forward towards the entrance, and the sentry, recognising Lieutenant Wesley-Jones as an officer, saluted.
Wesley-Jones pushed his way through the tent flap of the entrance to the complex, a three-by-three-metre green tent, and was challenged again, this time by a Royal Military Police Lance-Corporal getting up from his seat behind a small square table inside.
“Could I see some identification please, sir?”
Wesley-Jones shouldered his SMG, returned the corporal’s salute and showed his identification card.
The RMP checked it. “Thank you, sir. The briefing starts in about five minutes if you would like to make your way in, sir.”
He thanked the young corporal and passed through the second tent flap on the other side, stepping out into an enclosed area, buzzing with the sound of activity, comms chatter, soldiers rushing to and fro, generators humming in the background. A brigade headquarters was significantly larger than that belonging to a battalion, regiment or even Battlegroup HQ. Scanning the complex, he familiarised himself with the layout. To his immediate right, perpendicular to the tent entrance, were three FV436 armoured command and control carriers, basically 432s with additional communications equipment installed within. The rear door of each one was facing inwards, each with a two-metre by two-metre penthouse tent fixed to the rear, making up the right-hand side of the oblong headquarters nexus. Each of the rear compartments of the 436s, and penthouses, were laid out differently, but most had a table and map boards, officers and men going about their business supporting the brigade that was forward, digging in to defend the River Leine. The first vehicle held the Air element, containing Air and Air Defence Liaison; the second was for artillery; and the third for the commanding officer of the close support engineer regiment. To the left of the entrance tent was a second nine-by-nine tent, occupied by clerks and more Royal Military Police. Perpendicular, on the left, was another line of 436s, making the left-hand side of the complex. These accommodated the commander of the brigade’s Signals Squadron and Yeomen-of-Signals in the first, G3-Operations in the second, the control station of the Brigade Commander, where his watchkeepers would be monitoring the brigade and divisional command networks, manned by the SO3 G3 and watchkeepers from a Territorial Army pool. The third vehicle contained G3-Plans, home of the Brigade Commander where, aided by the Brigade Major, arms advisers and visiting commands, he planned and conducted the battle.
At the opposite end, two further 436s were backed up to the headquarters complex, enclosing the entire HQ in an oblong secure area, accessible only through the main entrance. In one was the SO3-G2 Intelligence, supported by an Intelligence Corps Staff Sergeant and the NBC JNCO. The Full Corporal was responsible for plotting the fallout from any nuclear, chemical or biological attack, guiding the brigade command as to where they could move troops to safety, or move troops away from the path of any contaminated cloud or fallout. The second 436 contained the SO1, G1 and G4 watchkeepers, along with logistics operations. The entire complex measured roughly six metres wide by fifteen metres long; a target the Soviet air force, or Spetsnaz operation, would love to get their hands on. The HQ would not stay at this location long, keeping on the move and keeping the Soviet Electronic Warfare units guessing as to where they
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