Nerds can´t have fun. - Printable Version

But being the pedantic historian-in-learning, that I am. One of the first things I did when it first got announced, after the initial excitement had settled down a bit

was to read up what was actually in the Mod/DLC.

It listed a terrain named Weferlingen.
With my geography knowledge of Germany, not being terrible but not the best, I googled Weferlingen.
I came to find that it was an actual town in Germany, that in the time period would have been in East-Germany. So that’s a plus.

It then listed a series of vehicles.

On the West-German side:

Two versions of the Leopard 1, both early rounded turrets and later rectangular welded turret variants.

Which is great, since both versions would have been in-service with the Bundeswehr at the time.

Furthermore, it also listed a fleet of auxiliary support and transports vehicles.
Including stuff like the Gepard Flakpanzer, the Transportpanzer Fuchs, Bergepanzer and multiple trucks and G-wagens.
All great stuff to have in Arma.

On the East-German side:

It listed the T-55A, which is fine since it was in service with the Nationale Volksarmee, in the time period.
Though I was a bit disappointed that they didn’t do the T-55AM or T-55AMV, since it would be vehicles we wouldn’t have seen before in Arma.

The BMP-1 SP2, which is a bmp we have seen a million times before in Arma, but from a historical point of view, it’s a great choice.
It was the standard IFV of the NVA for the cold war, I am glad that they didn’t go for the BMP-2, though a cooler vehicle, but the NVA only had about 20 of them IN TOTAL in service.

like their West-German counterparts, the East-Germans also get a fleet of auxiliary support and transport vehicles. With stuff like the old classics like the Shilka, BTRs and trucks and such.

Then it listed a load of guns, that all was in service at the time. more pluses there.

Uniforms for 3 different seasons, Summer, Winter and Autumn. And a small treat, that was a big surprise for me, Danish uniforms. As a Dane that’s bonus points right there.

So all looked fine, leading up to the actual release.

Yesterday (as of writing), the DLC was released and I sat down and had a look at the different models in game, and the Map.
They all look absolutely amazing, does a really good job of getting you immersed in a 80´s Germany setting.
After an hour or so, of running around shooting at nothing, driving tanks and other editor malarkey, I booted up the Single player campaign….

Here the problems started.

WARNING: DON’T READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T LIKE OR WANT SPOILERS.

The initial Intro, sets you in August 1983 where It shows NVA forces crossing the IGB at Werferlingen. Followed by an immediate mobilization alert being sent out. It also lets you know that Panzerbrigade 2 is being set in to counter the NVA.

which all add up, so far, so good..

The first mission sets you in the boots of Pzgren. Klemme, of 3. Kompanie, 23 PzGrenBtl.

There was no 23 Panzergrenadierbattalion in Panzerbrigade 2, in 1983.

Okay, so before I continue any further, I might need to explain some things for the uninformed.

In the 1980´s the Bundeswehr was organized according to Heeresstruktur IV, which funnily enough followed Heeresstruktur III and was followed by Heeresstruktur V.
HS IV took effect in 1981 where it renamed Panzergrenadierbrigade 2 to Panzerbrigade 2.
As a Panzerbrigade It was supposed to have 3 panzer battalions, with one of them being mixed, and 1 panzergrenadier battalion. Vice versa for a panzergrenadierbrigade.

The ORBAT of Panzerbrigade 2, under HS III and HS IV:

Panzerbataillon 21, which was formed under HS IV in 1981 from elements of the dissolved 22 PzGrenBtl. As a mixed panzer battalion. (2xPanzer- and 2x Panzer Grenadier- companies)

Panzergrenadierbataillon 22, dissolved in 1981 under HS IV to help form PzBtl. 21

Panzergrenadierbataillon 23, was renamed in 1981, to 22 PzGrenbtl. to fill the gap and avoid a duplicate 23.

Panzerartilleriebataillon 25

Panzerjägerkompanie 20

Nachschubkompanie 20

Instandsetzungskompanie 20

Panzerpionierkompanie 20

Now you might be thinking, why is this important? Why is it important to avoid duplicates?

to touch on the first one; its not, I’m just being pedantic.
To answer the second one, well…. It actually ties in well with the briefing you get for the first mission.

Before I start picking the briefing apart, let me first say, I really like that its all in German.
Now back to the briefing for the first mission. which is turning out to be somewhat unfortunately named: “First Impressions Matter”.
In the briefing you are told that a tank company from another battalion have been attached to your battalion.
No problems there…. or in principle there is no problem, just that they again are using the name for a battalion that don’t exist under HS IV.

There is also a further problem with that bit of info, but I´ll return to that.

When you get to the execution part of the briefing, you are told that the 2nd Company is north, that the 3rd Company is pushing up the centre and that the 4th Company is the reserve holding the southern flank.

Which all looks fine on the surface.
But it’s here that knowledge of how the army of the Bundeswehr was supposed to operate under HS IV, in wartime, completely ruins that.
It’s also now we are getting into why they didn’t want duplicates.

So how was the army supposed to operate, in wartime, under HS IV?

Well according to “house-numbers”. To explain that a bit further, like all the battalions of PzBrig 2 starts with a 2, such as 21 PzBtl., 22 PzGrenBtl. and ect.
The companies of the different battalions was supposed to be organized the same, in order to from combined arms battlegroups. Which is where we run into real problems with the briefing.

We are told that the 2nd company of the 22 PzBtl, is attached to the 23 PzGrenBtl. apart from the fact that those battalions didn’t exist in 83, the 2nd tank company is not supposed to be attached to 23 battalion.
Because it shares house number with 22 battalion, it´s supposed to be attached to them. Which in the case of the imaginary battalions, means that the 2nd tank company is supposed to stay with its parent 22 battalion.
Likewise the 2nd and 4th PzGren company is supposed to be attached to its house-number battalions, and not stay with its Parent battalion as it is portrayed in the briefing.

Now if we go back and assume that, what we are told is 23 battalion is in fact 22 battalion then it is perfectly fine that the 2nd tank company is attached.
But that still leaves the issue of the other companies.

So are there ways we can excuse this mess, that seems to be caused by a lack of in-depth research?

YES, actually there is 3-ish.

Mission-type tactics. Also known as mission command. I can´t be assed to explain it in detail.
But basically, it’s a type of leadership, where lower commanders operate more independently to achieve the tasks given to them.
Which could mean that they deviate from the prescribed battlegroup format.
This has been a central component of German military tactics since the 19th century, and thusly serves as a somewhat believable excuse.

2: Alternate timeline.

In our timeline, where there was no 3rd WW,

The battalion numbers don’t make any sense.
We could jump into an alternate timeline where the Cold War did go hot. In that timeline they have established that HS IV still happens in 1981, which renamed the brigade.
But it could be that in this alternate timeline, that the reorganization that took place within the brigade turned out a bit differently.
Which could mean that they could have a 21 PzBtl., 22 PzBtl., 23 PzGrenBtl. and 24 PzBtl. instead.

In times of war, bad shit happens, people die.

It could be that there have been some fuck-up or emergency, that caused them not to have had the time or opportunity to organize themselves as prescribed method.
like leadership either having been wiped out, or hold up, such that the companies had been passed on to the next unit.
Yet simply not having had time, is the more likely, since the briefing is set 2 hours and 40 minutes after the NVA crossed the border.

IF we combine all 3 possibilities, we could excuse it. though it would have been a lot easier, and less of a stretch, if they had just done a bit more research and named the battalions correctly to start with.

So what do I think of the new DLC for Arma3?

I absolutely love it, it is the best thing to come out for Arma 3 since ever. The little I’ve played it so far was amazing.
Ignoring the minor technical things, such as Gefreiter Hansi being kissed on the hind-end by a friendly M113.
resulting in him being slung from the side of the road, somersaulting over my head, and landing 12 meters in the field to my left, very dead.

Forgiving the historical inaccuracies, which are the ones that have been my focus, being the pedantic historian-in-learning that I am.
The very little I’ve played so far has been amazing. I´ve felt very immersed in this alternate timeline 80´s Germany and I'm looking forward to playing some more.

you can see this as my little review of the new DLC.
If any more pedantic historian-in-learning post will follow, as I get further into the game? Well that depends on If I can be assed to write them.