Hello commander!
After [url]last week’s sizzling info drop[/url] of WARNO upcoming milestone OUDINOT, the time has come to detail the first of two new divisions! Let’s welcome to the stage NATO’s multinational mixed Berlin Command division.
To reiterate, OUDINOT will bring two new, previously undisclosed divisions to WARNO’s base game. These battlegroups will be made available for FREE to all owners of the Early Access version of WARNO.
This is Eugen’s present to all the players who supported WARNO’s development by getting the Early Access version of our sprawling real-time strategy World War III battle simulator!
What will the mixed Berlin Command division offer?
The Battle for Berlin (1989)
We already detailed our war scenario, the so-called Battle For Berlin, which influences the inclusion of our multinational Berlin Command. Made up of the three major NATO garrisons in the West Berlin enclave - the United States, the United Kingdom, and France - the battlegroup would have had the unenviable task of defending a NATO outpost surrounded on all sides, deep in Warsaw Pact territory.
With WARNO’s Warsaw Pact’s strategic offensive raging across the Inner German Border in the early summer of 1989, an attack on West Berlin would be inevitable and begin as soon as the first shots of World War III would have been fired. Berlin Command would count on the forces already present in the city, undoubtedly reinforced (in secret) by NATO through covert means in our ”March to War” build-up.
This would present a unique mix of troops and materiel, tasked with delaying the overwhelming Soviet and East German forces for as long as possible. The NATO battlegroup would face brutal urban combat, dwindling supplies, and a lack of heavy weaponry. Little help from outside could be expected, but Berlin Command was to put up a hell of a fight regardless.
Berlin Command Detailed
So, what can you expect of our new Berlin Command battlegroup in WARNO?
First off: it is an internationally mixed division offering a lot of unit choices from four NATO nations (the USA, UK, France and West Germany) but each in small numbers. In most cases, this means you won’t be able to get more than one card of a specific unit. If you want more, say armor, you need to choose a different model from another nation. Some choices will be purely cosmetic (e.g., the French and American supply trucks will feature the same stats); however, you’ll have to deal with disparate weapon systems in most instances.
Berlin Command will call on the forces of the various garrisons present: the American Berlin Brigade, the British Berlin Infantry Brigade and the French Forces Françaises à Berlin. West Germany, though officially not “military present” in West Berlin, could call on some reserves and ad hoc troops present.
A curious mix of troops and vehicles
A feature of Berlin Command is that its arsenal, especially heavy units, is … a bit outdated. Why would you put your most advanced and newest tanks in a formation where everyone knew they would last maybe no more than three days? And no commander would want their most modern equipment to fall into the hands of the enemy so quickly. Therefore, the three NATO garrisons did not enjoy the state-of-the-art technology that their comrades-in-arms would bring to bear on the battlefields of West Germany.
For instance, the American tank company was one of the few to upgrade from the M1 to the IPM1, but not the M1A1. The British squadron in Berlin did not transition to the more advanced Challenger, like its parent regiment, instead retaining the Chieftain Mk.10. As for the French, they kept the older AMX-13/90 far into the mid-80s until switching them out for the AMX-30B (but not the B2).
On the other hand, the NATO troops in Berlin had their equipment and organizational tables tailored to them, taking into account its envisioned urban warfare role. In this way, the American brigade’s infantry featured a special “light infantry” TO&E, with Humvees and a small motor pool of M113s APCs to be used depending on the mission. Another American trait was that its infantry squads were equipped chiefly with M67 recoilless rifles, instead of the Dragon ATGM, with the former being more practical during house-to-house fighting.
In the British brigade, most APCs were repurposed into fire support vehicles by the addition of a RARDEN turret with a 30mm autocannon, creating the FV432 RARDEN, a vehicle unique to the UK’s Berlin Brigade. Another feature was the use of a striking urban camouflage pattern, with its squares and rectangles, which will be found in-game on British vehicles such as the Chieftain Mk.10, Rovers and the earlier mentioned FV432 RARDEN.
What can you expect in-game?
Let’s look at Berlin Command in WARNO. Bolded and italic units are new!
LOG - Prepared well in advance and with its mission of engaging the enemy on its own turf, makes Berlin Command have a generous allocation of unit slots in this category.
- Command vehicles include a large choice of jeeps (ROVER CP, P4 PC and HUMVEE CP), as well as VAB PC and M577.
- Supply units come as the lightweight UNIMOG MUN., the medium French TRM-2000 LOG or the American M35 SUPPLY, and the heavier British BEDFORD SUPPLY.
- A single card of the new American UH-1H SUPPLY helicopters will also be available.
INF - Being an oversized infantry division with a dedicated mission of holding out in urban combat for as long as possible, allows Berlin Command to count on a maximum of squads and teams with the cheapest series of slots. Expect a lot of choices!
- The Americans bring a standard selection of MPS, HMG teams, ENGINEERS and new BERLIN LIGHT RIFLES with the M67 RCL.
- The British offer RMPS military police, HMG, GUN GROUP, RIFLES, WOMBAT RCLs and MILAN ATGMs, and TERRIER PIONIERS. Point to note that the Territorial Army (reserves) didn’t originate from the United Kingdom but were rather formed from British emigres and residents in West Berlin. Also, in case of a Battle for Berlin, RAF personnel from the then-closed RAF Gatow air base would have made a provisional fourth infantry battalion in the Berlin Infantry Brigade. In-game, they will make up the new RAF RIFLES, large 12-man squads with older small arms (Sterling, SLR, etc.), and lacking training and experience. A new ROVER WOMBAT provides light fire support.
- The French are represented with the PREVOTE, HMG teams, MILAN 2 ATGM teams, GRENADIER-VOLTIGEURS and SAPEURS.
- The West Germans are deployed with locally mustered HEIMATSCHÜTZEN.
- Complementing the troops present are the Leader commander variants, distributed as usual along with each class of infantry.
ART - Artillery support for Berlin Command is sizable, but only offers light pieces.
- The Americans pack a punch, fielding both M125 and M106 self-propelled mortars, the new M198 155mm towed howitzers, and a handful of M109A2s.
- The British provide the light, towed 81mm MORTAR.
- The French feature the self-propelled VAB PM-81 mortar and the heavier, towed MO-120-RT61.
TANK - Actual tracked armor is limited, but anti-tank weapon systems will be available in larger numbers. Slots costs and availability are average.
- First up, the Americans, which rely on the IPM1 tank, are backed up by M1025 HUMVEE TOW-2 and M901A3 ITV ATGM carriers, as well as a few M728 CEV tanks.
- The British bring the new CHIEFTAIN Mk.10, which is identical to the Chieftain Mk. 9 in stats and model but features the unique Berlin urban camouflage scheme instead. The new FV432 RARDEN fire support vehicle is also available.
- The French bring the most tanks, even though they are all older AMX-30B. They kept a few (new in-game) AMX-13/90 in storage. The deadly P4 MILAN 2 can also be encountered.
REC - While many recon troops will be present during the Battle for Berlin, few were “combat” equipped. What’s the need for reconnaissance if you know that the enemy would come from all sides? This category has a decent amount of slots but primarily focuses on “boots-on-the-ground” choices.
- The Americans field regular SCOUTS, as well as elite Green Berets’ DETACHMENT ‘A’ saboteur squads. These special forces were stay-behind units, tasked with destroying key infrastructure after any NATO surrender, to hamper the Warsaw Pact forces as much as possible and deny Berlin as a logistical hub.
- The British feature some light vehicle recon units with the FERRET Mk.2 and the FV721 FOX. In addition, infantry SCOUTS can be fielded.
- The French recon troops amount to the standard ECLAIREURS with nimble ALOUETTE III helicopters providing eyes in the sky.
AA - One of the division’s weaker categories. Light anti-aircraft guns and MANPADs provide only the most basic anti-air screens possible.
- The American forces field the heaviest equipment in the form of M163 PIVADS. Of course, STINGER teams are never far away and can also be deployed.
- The British bring their own JAVELIN and JAVELIN LML units.
- While the French feature the MISTRAL, as well as the 53T2 20mm guns either towed or as a self-propelled TARASQUE variant.
HELO - The NATO garrisons only fielded a few utility helicopters, and no combat variants. However, in our ”March to War” several weapon kits were smuggled into the city ahead of the Warsaw Pact offensive. As such, slots in this category are present but few and expensive.
- Only two cards of British GAZELLE SNEB and LYNX Mk. 7 HELARM are featured.
AIR - Much like the previous category, no actual combat aircraft would have been stationed in West Berlin. The ones present would have been targeted in the first minutes of our war. However, a few air assets will be available to Berlin Command... stemming from some rather unique sources.
- Much like their helicopters, the ever-inventive British dismantled some of their HARRIERS and smuggled them in parts to West Berlin. The Harriers have been rebuilt, using whatever small piece of infrastructure to take off and land, from city parks to bombed-out streets. Several variants are present, from AA to Cluster, HE, and Rocket, but in minimal quantities.
- After the Battle for Berlin begins, in a show of support, NATO makes at least one concerted attempt to help the besieged defenders. They divert some of their long-range strategic planes for a one-shot “Hail Mary” bombardment, similar to the single massive western Allied air attack during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. For that purpose, France agrees to part with some of its precious Mirage IV strategic bombers, which for this operation have been turned into long-range “bomb trains”.
- In a further covert dimension, the Americans sneak some of their very special new F-117A tactical stealth bombers, equipped with laser-guided bombs, into the operation.
In conclusion, Berlin Command is a very infantry-centric division honed for fighting in a heavily congested urban environment. There is an excellent choice of units excelling in close combat, backed-up by good logistics and many anti-tank weapon systems. The battlegroup lacks the modern tanks to make a heavy armored fist though. Artillery pieces are numerous but light, while AA and helicopter assets are few and far between. Air is a mixed bag of either close air support combat jets or specialized bombers. Berlin Command is well suited for urban or dense terrain and defensive operations, but suffers from an unbalanced distribution of heavier units, air, and support equipment.
See you on the battlefield
That’s all for NATO’s new division that will be brought to you courtesy of OUDINOT. Next week, we’ll look at the new Warsaw Pact division, aimed to once and for all “liberate” West Berlin.
Let us know what you think! Join the passionate WARNO community. Check the latest news on the Steam News page or visit the Steam Forums. Get together with other players on either the excellent Discord server, Reddit page, YouTube or our Instagram.
See you on the battlefield, commander!
