I served in 2nd Bgde, 3rd Armd Div (AD) stationed at Coleman Kaserne, Gelnhausen from Dec '86 to May '89. Early in '87 the two armored battalions, 1 Bn/33rd Armd Rgt and 3/33 Armd transitioned in name only to the 3rd Bn/8th Cav and 4/8 Cav respectively. We kept the same armored battalion TO&E which was the M1-IP with 105mm gun. In Dec that year we re-equiped to the M1A1 with the 120mm. Rumor was 3rd AD was to be rotated back to the States, and we were to become 1st Cav Div (33 Armd Rgt is a historical unit with 3AD, as 8th Cav Rgt is for 1st Cav Div,) but this never happened. Again, for all intents and purposes we remained Armor battalions, and never took on Cav squadron organization. Around mid 1988, the scout platoons of the Armd Bns received Bradleys as did the entire 1st Bn/48th Inf. The name transition 1/48 to 4th Bn/18th Inf occured after I left in May '89 but before all of 3AD was pulled out of Germany for Desert Storm. I can't provide documentation, but I lived it, and hope that helps clear up some of the questions re: unit names and equipment. Also, the Cav Bn stationed up in Buedingen still had M60s and were organized with the mixed platoons of 2 tanks, 2 M113s, and 1 M113 with the 120mm mortar until the transition to the M1A1 and Brads. I don't think they kept the mixed Armd Cav Plt org at that point.
I was with 1st Bde 3Ad at Ayers Kaserne in Kirchgoens from 86 to 88. We were still fielding the M1A1 (105mm L7) at the time with 113s for the Inf bats although we were slated to receive the Brads at some unspecified date in the future. Plenty of M901s in the to&e which suited us fine as our AOR was the Eiterfeld Bowl through Bad Hersfeld region. We would deeply then wait for the 11th to get done with covering force operations then execute a passage of lines with us (what was left) and then it'd be our turn. Largest combat brigade in the whole Army at the time. Probably last a day...maybe, is what we thought.
@@Mechanized85 then we must have been running stock M1s. I remember the discussions during our wargaming exercises about the adequacy of our 105s to defeat the T80s that we knew the 8th Guards Army units we were facing especially as the intell showed them deploying reactive armor on them as well. Ahhh well, we were going to do what we were going to do regardless.
a historical source for the 3/8 and 4/8 issue is that they are in second brigade, there is only 1 cav squadron (cav tradition for battalion) per division at the time, housed in the 4th/aviation brigade, any battalions/squadrons with cavalry traditions can be assumed to fill maneuver roles, 1st cav division for example, is an armored division (at least, today it is), but every maneuver squadron has cav traditions, regardless of the units actual organization.
I was with 7th Corp from April 88 to June 90. Was with 3rd Infantry Division and primarily stationed in Schweinfurt. 2/30 and 5/15 Infantry . Our AO was between Coburg and Hof if anything ever went down. Was bizarre to be there especially when the wall fell.
@@albemonta8591 No. They form the base of the system I have built and are mostly on the backend, which I will handle. I am also working on rules documents for the command staff.
Theoretically shouldn't the 82nd airborne appear as within 7 days 2 brigade's of the 82nd would be deploys In Europe(the entire division could be deployed within the timescale of the wargame of they were put on increased readiness)
