A Modest Proposal (with pictures) Part 1: America's 1st Armored Division


**Hey, guys! Back again with my "modest" proposal. Yeah, the last one didn't include like... 70% of the images I found, and we all love our Cold War photos, don't we? Plus, I decided to make some more changes to it, and... you know what? I'll make this a two-parter so that each division can get its time to shine and maybe any issues with what I have here could be addressed there. I really love the feedback, and hopefully we could eventually get something a little like this.**

**So, of note, the idea for this proposal would be to have 2 new heavy divisions for Pact and NATO that also bring in additional elements from an allied nation not just the one the division is under. For NATO, it'd be the US 1st Armored Division with an element of West Germans and a smaller mixture of Canadians. For Pact, it'd be the Soviets' 4th-Ya with a serious East German element.**

**This post will focus on the NATO idea for this division and how it would look like in game.**

**Hope it's enjoyable! I will add a link to the Soviet Division in the comments.**

**America's 1st Armored Division**

Nicknamed “Old Ironsides” by General Bruce Magruder, this Division is America’s oldest armored division. Organized in 1940, it was among the first to see action in World War Two. They first saw action in Algeria during Operation Torch, fighting pro-German French forces at Oran, and continuing ot be a major part of the African and Italian campaigns, being one of the divisions that led the way upon the Allies entering Rome. By the end of World War Two, it was one of the divisions sent to occupy Germany, before being deactivated in 1946.


During the Cold War, Old Iron Sides was reactivated in 1951, and by 1970 it was one of America’s largest divisions in Europe. Its headquarters were stationed in Ansbach, Federal Republic of Germany, and it effectively became America’s primary Armored Division. 1st Armored would receive a good chunk of the latest equipment, though that sometimes left them lacking in other areas, such as being the first to receive M1 Abrams main battle tanks, but not Bradley IFVs. They would have been tasked with defending the northern regions of Bavaria and were in CENTAG’s VII Corps’ area of command by 1989.

In Warno’s World War 3 scenario, Pact’s rapid advance farther north has left areas farther south, for the moment, less occupied from the get go. That means 1st Armored has a unique opportunity: A short time to react. Instead of staying to meet the Soviets along the border, they’d pull back their forces similar to the broader NATO effort, but instead they regroup and prepare a defense to meet the incoming Warsaw Pact push, with the full intent of counterattacking if successful. Pushing out of Ansbach, Old Iron Sides moves to halt Pact’s forces in the outskirts of Nuremberg, all while still evacuating civilians and other elements to assist other divisions along the front.


With other NATO forces pulling back but not all willing to retreat, the result would be 1st Armored receiving support from other elements in VII Corps to make up for any deficiencies caused by the redeployment. That would primarily be in the form of West German forces, but it would also include a very small but very vital Battle Group from the relatively nearby 1st Canadian Division. Combined under the 1st Armored’s command, these cobbled-together NATO elements would be set to carry out operations defending Nuremberg and, hopefully, push back invading Pact forces.

So, what would it look like?

**Logistics**

Average, bordering on mediocre.

Nothing we haven't seen here before in a NATO division, albeit for an armored division, it's definitely plentiful in terms of choices. That said, given its focus on mobility here, whatever selection is brought along will have to be considered carefully, as it will have **no FOB**.

Instead, there will be a healthy selection of **M113A2 Supply vehicles, M35 Supply trucks,** and **UH-60 supply helicopters**, alongside the usual two cards of **HEMTT supply trucks**.

* The West Germans will bring a selection of a single card of **Unimogs, MAN KAT 6x6s,** and **CH-53Gs** each.  * Given there will be a very small Canadian Battle Group, there would be **one Card of MLVW** supply vehicles.

The choice of Command Vehicles will be included in the form of **command UH-60s, OH-58s, Humvees Command Vehicle, and M577s** for the Americans.

* A lone card of **Fuchs and Iltis CVs** for the West Germans.  * The Canadians bring in one card of **M577 Queen Mary.**

**Infantry**

Good and not so good.

As an Armored Division and as one of America’s largest in the theater, it will have a decent amount of infantry slots, similar to, if not a little better than, America’s 3rd Armored Division.

*Unlike* 3rd Armored, America’s 1st Armored Division **had no Bradley IFVs** for transportation in 1989 while still having mainly mechanized forces, meaning the majority of its infantry squads would either be rolling up in **M35 transports** or **M113 APC variants**.

As such, besides the typical selection of **M60s, M2HBs, I-TOWs and TOW-2s**, which would be coming riding in on **Humvees**, 1st Armored's American infantry choices will mainly consist of a healthy supply of **Mechanized Rifle squads**, similar to those in 8th Infantry, and with not much in the way of new infantry units.

* This would include Mechanized Rifle Squads in **Leader, AT4, Dragon II, and Law** variants, arriving in **M113A3s, either in Dragon or M2HB variants.** Moreover, **they will be lacking the Mechanized trait.**  * Worse, 1st Armored’s dedicated combat engineer battalion would mostly be kept back to help set up defenses elsewhere, meaning this division will have **no Command Engineers or Flash Engineers cards** included in its roster.

But it’s not all bad. Given the situation, VII Corps elements would be available to cover for this division’s weaknesses, giving it a diverse selection of infantry in support.

* Given the location, we begin with **a few West German Panzergrenadiers who would be available** to help hold ground in either **M113s or older Marder 1A1 IFV variants**, **lacking the MILAN option** to represent this being a combination of forces cobbled together to assist 1st Armored. **These will all feature the mechanized trait.** As these are limited German reinforcements, it would mean **one card of** **Command Panzer Grenadier Füh, one card of Panzer Grenadiers with the Carl Gustaf, and two cards of standard Panzer Grenadiers to round them up.**


* For security in the back lines, a couple of cards of local and new to Warno ***Bereitschaftspolizei*** (Or ***BePo*** for short) will be in the area as support, **featuring the militia trait alongside the security trait.** Partly made up of Bundeswehr veterans, they’d have a generous veterancy curve and would be 15-man squads armed with FALs, an MG3, and a pair of PSG1s. Like in real life, these rapid readiness police would have access to riot gear and alongside their experience in their work as anti-saboteurs, come in **up-armored Sonderwagen 4s,** hasty modifications carried out to give their transports more survivability**.**


* The Canadians will bring a few but vital options for this division. In ***real life***, the 1st Canadian Division had an element of commandos dedicated to destroying key infrastructure across West Germany in case of invasion by the Warsaw Pact. These would sometimes include nuclear weapons. At least until the 1980s, when that was rolled back, and they became a more typical mechanized group that could be attached to VII Corps. Given Warno’s 1st Canadian Division didn't see these included, then 1st Armored should include a single card of new CAF ***Mechanized Commandos*** in **Leader, Standard, and AT variants**, armed with C7s and bringing in a satchel charge or the SRAAW(M), respectively. Riding exclusively in **M113s**, and featuring the **Shock trait alongside the ability to forward deploy**, this small contingent of Canadian troops provides a vital addition to 1st Armored’s capabilities.


Lastly, some new MP choices would be provided by US and West German forces.

* Starting with the West Germans bringing in a ***Feldjaeger Leader*** squad armed with G3 rifles instead of MP5s, and carrying smoke grenades. * Lastly, the Americans bring in a new MP squad, riding in from Katterbach, two cards worth of squads from the ***501st Military Police*** Company. Representing their decorated history, these ten-man teams **feature both the Military Police and the Shock trait**, bringing in 8 M16s, two M249s, and one M67 Recoiless Rifle. * To represent how these forces are cobbled together, both of these MP options will come with the option of their usual Military Police vehicles, meaning the already in game **VW T3 Feldjager for the West Germans and Humvee MPs for the Americans**, but in addition to these options they will have the new ***Military Police M113s*** as an option, armed with MG3s for the West Germans and M2 Brownings for the Americans.


**Artillery**

Bad.

With the rapid Warsaw Pact advance, the few (9 in real life) M270 MLRS batteries assigned to 1st Armored **would have been relocated**, and with the importance of mobility, while it may not be the worst artillery tab out there, 1st Armored will have a severely limited artillery tab compared to other NATO divisions, especially in terms of slots and cost. The selection is also fairly limited and there's not much new here.

* **A single card of infantry mortar crews for each nation**. From small to large, one card of **Canadian C3 81mm Mortars**, one card of **American M30 107mm Mortars**, and one card of **West German Mrs Tampella 120mm mortars.** * **A single card of self-propelled mortars** in the form of the **M106A2** for the Americans, and **Panzermoser** for the West Germans.  * While not new to Warno, they are new to the US Army divisions; a couple of standard ***American M109A3s*** would be available to represent their real-life numbers in the division. In real life, most of 1st Armored’s artillery was made up of M109A3s rather than the M109A2, and to represent this, it will get two cards.

**Tanks**

A very good category even by armored division standards. As one of America’s largest divisions in Europe, and paired with the evolving situation, 1st Armored would have one of the larger tank tabs in any NATO division and would have access to a solid selection of heavy, medium, and light tanks.

* In real life, 1st Armored would have been among, if not the first of American divisions equipped with **M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks**, meaning in-game they would have the most cards of these compared to other American divisions when including the **CV variant** (meaning 3 cards of M1A1 CVs compared to the usual two). * They come alongside a healthy dose of upgraded **M1A1(HA)s**. That being four cards compared to 3rd Armored’s five, and they **lack a CV option.**  * For the sake of variety, as well as basing it off some real world history, a couple of new ***M1A1 MODs*** would be available***.*** In real life, these unconventional enhancements were made during Desert Storm to some M1A1s, and in Warno’s buildup to war, a few would likely see similar upgrades readied to counter a Warsaw Pact advance. These upgrades, which boost the M1A1’s armor, would be similar to the M1 MOD in 1st Cavalry. ***Unlike*** 1st Cavalry’s M1 MOD, though, this one would have no new ammo for added penetration, prioritizing the newer rounds for the M1A1(HA)s. Still, a couple of cards would be included with a similar upvet curve to the base M1A1.


Given the situation and location, however, the latest American armor will not go it alone. Unlike her sister divisions, 1st Armored will have a few cards of West German armored support in the vein of what was seen in 1st Cavalry with the UK!

* The West Germans come along with two cards of the older ***Vet. Locked Leopard 2A1s*** and older still, ***Leopard 1s,*** which would have been brought out of storage to show NATO is equipping surviving tank crews with whatever is found available in the area. These would be cheaper options with decreased speed, penetration, and armor, but increased accuracy compared to other Leopard 2s and 1s, given they are being manned by veteran crews, making them more than capable of supporting the infantry and heavier tanks in a push.


* In Tank Destroyer role, there will be a Single card selection of the **American M901 ITV alongside the Canadian M151A2 I-Tow.** * Lastly, a single card of **M728A1 CEVs** as seen in America’s 1st Cavalry Division.

**Recon**

Average in terms of slots.