Fulda Gap Plugged

My first attempt at playing through SPI's game NATO has reached a point where I,m thinking about contriving a diplomatic solution and ceasing hostilities. Twelve days after the outbreak of war, matters have reached a point where the protagonists either  get bogged down in a stalemate, go nuclear, or extricate themselves with a diplomatic solution.

The photo above shows the situation east of Frankfurt in the area known as the Fulda Gap. The Soviet penetration is only 32 km at it's greatest extent, and second category divisions are now bearing the brunt of the fight..US V Corps  has taken a hammering but has been reinforced by the 82nd Airborne which is consolidating on the Inner German border. To the north of the US corps the West Germans have a strong corps of four divisions holding the line and mopping up Soviet airborne troops that have been dropped behind the NATO lines.

The situation in NORTHAG is not as favourable for NATO. Hamburg is the scene of bitter urban fighting where Dutch troops and West German territorials have fought the invaders to a standstill. AFNORTH has managed to secure Denmark with the West Germans providing a strong panzer division to reinforce the Danes.

The British have taken a battering however, losing two divisions in fighting around Hanover and the forces that are left are severely depleted. Hanover is in Soviet hands and a substantial bridgehead has been carved out on the west bank of the Weser. The Belgians remain neutral and the US has been forced to commit reserves airlifted in from across the Atlantic in order to shore up the front. Category 1 Soviet tank divisions are pressing the NATO defenders.

That said, the Soviet offensive is beginning to lose impetus. In the last 48 hours Allied air forces have hammered the Soviets both at the forward edge of the battlefield and in the rear. The uprising in East Germany has been put down by Soviet troops but the cost has been heavy and Warsaw Pact supply lines are by no means secure, unlike NATO's which appear to be working well. It looks like the Warsaw Pact's strength has peaked.

Perhaps the discussions between Washington and Moscow will enable the world to step back from the brink.