Hello commanders,
We are back! In last week’s DevBlog, we talked about the first of the two new divisions being added for free to WARNO’s EA Pack DLC: NATO’s National Guard-focused US 35th Infantry Division.
Today is the Warsaw Pact’s turn. Let’s shine a spotlight on the communist offering: the East German Rügener Gruppierung.
Let’s go, commanders!
EA Pack plus
A brief note on the EA Pack. With WARNO’s official launch out of Early Access, we encountered some snafus, especially affecting the WARNO’s Early Access owners. To make amends, we promised to add two new divisions for free to the EA Pack.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2978610/WARNO__Early_Access_Pack/
The EA Pack, featuring five divisions, was made available for free to all EA owners of WARNO. Check out the existing formations by following the above link.
In the not-too-distant future (release date to be determined), we’ll add the new NATO’s US 35th Infantry Division and Warsaw Pact’s Rügener Gruppierung.
The Nationale Volksarmee’s Rügener Gruppierung
The Rügener Gruppierung takes its name from Rügen Island, on the East German Baltic Coast, where the communist Volksmarine had its main naval base. To defend this critically important site, a substantial local Nationale Volksarmee force was in place, to be bolstered by reservists and foreign allied troops at the outbreak of war. These formations, mostly training units and navy personnel, were to guard the base against the threat of NATO amphibious and air assaults.
The NVA’s Besondere Gruppierung II (Special Grouping II) was the name for this special force. Next to the Rügen Island, the mobilized defensive battlegroup was to secure the key Sassnitz ferry port, through which much of Warsaw Pact’s strategic supply entered East Germany. It was expected that this direct link to the USSR would be one of the first targets in a military exchange, with the East German and Soviet military fully expecting a naval assault by American marines.
The officers of the military academy Offiziershochschule “Otto Winzler” in Prora, together with the staff of the neighboring military technical school “Erich Habersaath,” would take command of the Rügener Gruppierung. The formation would also be composed of local motorized rifle units, engineers, a military transport regiment, and reservists.
The Rügener Gruppierung Detailed
How will the Rügener Gruppierung look in WARNO? Consider it the second “special group” of the East German Nationale Volksarmee (the other being the already in-game and EA Pack featured Berliner Gruppierung).
In very much the same fashion, the battlegroup contains various independent formations under a single command. In our Berlin case, the 1. Motorisierte Schutzendivision formed its core, while in Rügener Gruppierung, we are talking about a whole array of local East German units, further reinforced by reservists. As mentioned, divisional staff would be provided by the Offiziershochschule “Otto Winzler”. This HQ troop also provides the battlegroup’s coat of arms in WARNO.
Since the island of Rügen was very close to the Polish border, and surrounding naval infrastructure a key asset for the Warsaw Pact, it was intended for the Poles to send additional forces to bolster the East German garrison quickly.
Hence, much like the Belgians teased with the base game’s West German 2. Panzergrenadier-Division, the Rügener Gruppierung will play host to the very first Polish units in WARNO!
The Rügener Gruppierung in WARNO
All right, let’s look at the mix of East German and Polish units you can expect with the Rügener Gruppierung.
As always, new units are marked in bold and italic.
- LOG - pretty good in terms of slots and costs. Although the battlegroup’s command structure was only semi-permanent, its logistical base was well-established thanks to the naval infrastructure on Rügen Island. This is reflected in the WARNO battlegroup.
- Command vehicles are mainly non-combatant: UAZ-469 FÜH., SPW-60PUM (an East German variant of the Soviet CHAÏKA introduced with Nemesis: Air Assault’s 56-ya OG DShB) and the new helicopter Mi-2D.
- Supply units include the MT-LB MUN., URAL-4320 MUN. and the Volksmarine’s amphibious barge, the new SCHWIM. PTS-M MUN.
- INF - pretty strong, though not as powerful as a regular infantry division. The battlegroup can count on a varied amount of choices.
- The core of the Rügener Gruppierung was the s.MSR 25, an independent motorized infantry regiment trained to cooperate closely with the East German Volksmarine. This unit provides a sizable chunk of the foot soldiers, though in smaller numbers. This includes:
- MOT.-SCHÜTZEN FÜH., MOT.-SCHÜTZEN, MOT.-SCHÜTZEN FÜH. (SVD) and MOT.-SCHÜTZEN (BTR), as well as PANZERJÄGER squads, PKM and GR.-MG. weapon teams, plus FAGOT and KONKURS ATGM teams.
- Additional infantry squads are MILITARSTREIFEN, SICHERUNGS, VOPOS, plus the SPG-9 recoilless rifle available in regular foot team variant and jeep-mounted.
- Furthermore, a good chunk of the infantry is made up of RESERVISTEN FÜH., RESERVISTEN, and RESERVISTEN (s.MG), all lacking the Resolute trait.
- Specific to Rügen island was the local Marinepionierbataillon 18, which, in war would have been quickly expanded to regiment-size through a large influx of reservists.
- Large 12-man new MARINEPIONIER (with explosives) and MARINEPIONIER (Flam.) plus the leader variant MARINEPIONIER FÜH. will be featured. They lack the Resolute trait.
- And finally, a handful of Polish mechanized infantry will make their debut in WARNO.
- These come in the form of the new PIECHOTA ZMECH. which are 7-man squads with AK, PKM and RPG-7VM, PIECHOTA ZMECH. (SVD) with two assault rifles replaced with one SVD and one extra PKM, and lastly, the command PIECHOTA ZMECH. DOW. with 7 men equipped with AK, RPG-76 Komar and smoke grenades.
- Polish infantry will ride to battle in either a new STAR-266 truck or TOPAS-2A APC (which is a modified BTR-50).
- The core of the Rügener Gruppierung was the s.MSR 25, an independent motorized infantry regiment trained to cooperate closely with the East German Volksmarine. This unit provides a sizable chunk of the foot soldiers, though in smaller numbers. This includes:
- ART - rather average as this battlegroup didn’t have any dedicated artillery reserve. Most of the pieces available were regimental guns or simple mortars, sourced from local artillery or engineering schools. These include:
- The Gr.Wfr. M43 120mm mortar.
- The D-30 122mm and M-46 130mm howitzers.
- One new - and quite rare - unit is the SPW-50PK(MRF) with the “MRF” standing for Minenräumfahrzeug. This is a mine-clearing vehicle, designed to fire two massive coffin-shaped explosive charges to clear enemy minefields. When used as an impoverished MLRS, it can deliver a devastating set of explosives at short ranges. It only contains two shots and no other weaponry. Consider this an East German “Pooratino”!
- TANK - mediocre in terms of slots and costs, but with some new options.
- East German armor is quite rare in the area. There are some regimental KPz. T-55A, including the command variant, and the SPW-40P2 MALYUTKA-P courtesy of the s.MSR25.
- A single card of KPz. T-72 is also featured. A handful of these more “advanced” main battle tanks were located in a training and conversion academy near Rügen island.
- Drawn from the reserves, a new Nationale Volksarmee unit: the PAK K-52 85mm, which was a Czechoslovakian-made towed anti-tank gun with performance quite similar to the D-44. It lacks the Resolute trait.
- The Poles will provide a single card of their trademark T-55AM MERIDA, considered an improved T-55AM2.
- RECO - very good and despite being far from the frontline, with plenty of naval helicopters and Grenztruppen to watch over the East German sea frontier.
- Classic recon units featured are AUFKLÄRER, AUFKL. PT-76B, and GRENZER. squads.
- New units include the RES.-AUFKLÄRER, which are 3-man scouts with 2x MPi-KMS-72 (AK-47) and 1x LMG-K (RPK light machine guns), lacking the Resolute trait. They can either deploy in armed or unarmed UAZ-469 jeeps or in the new BRDM-1 armored scout car.
- The other new unit is the PIO.AUFK.-TAUCHER, which are scout-engineer divers from the Marinepionierbataillon 18. These squads are reinforced by reservists, making them an 8-man recon squad fielding MPi-AKS-74N, LMG-K, and explosives, lacking the Resolute trait but coming with the Shock trait.
- The cream of the crop will be the elite KSK or Kampfschwimmerkommando 18, the Volksmarine’s combat divers. These are special forces, much like a NVA’s version of the US Navy Seals.
- The Rügener Gruppierung also contains the Volksmarine’s Marinehubschraubergeschwader 18 (Naval Helicopter Squadron 18), the sole user of the new AUKL.Mi-14PL. Although dedicated to anti-submarine hunting, this specialized helicopter carried a ton of sensors and electronic equipment, making it the first domestic East German radar recon helicopter in WARNO.
- Used alongside the Mi-14PL for naval surveillance was the AUFKL. Mi-8TB. This variant is similar to the regular gunship variant but used instead as a recon helicopter decked in a classy blue naval livery. Our existing models have been “tinkered” with for the time being to accommodate the Malyutka rails, but will be redone entirely for the division (this new unit, as well as the existing Mi-8 variants).
- AA - another strong category, likely being the battlegroup’s strongest, thanks to its function as an anti-landing battlegroup.
- The usual FLA-RAK. STRELA-2M, FLAK ZU-23-2, and a single card of FLA-SFL 23-4 SHILKA.
- New units include the FLAK S-60 57mm and FLAK KS-19M2 100mm. The first is an ancient World War 2-era gun, a crude Bofors with a larger caliber. The second unit is, once again, an old gun but modernized. World War 2 buffs (and enjoyers of Steel Division 2) should be reminded of the Flak 88mm. This Cold War piece is a similar dual-purpose AA and AT gun, though its anti-air effectiveness lies more in quick-firing barrages and suppression rather than accuracy. However, in a sneaky feat of engineering, it is designed to fire the same ground shells as the T-55A, making good use as a secondary towed anti-tank gun!
- The Volksmarine provides close air defense with several systems used in a shore-based role: the new FASTA-4 which is quad-Strela launcher, reminiscent of the JAVELIN LML; the LO-1800 FASTA-4, using the same missile system but made self-propelled by mounting it on a truck; and the W50 LA/A 25mm, which is a twin 25mm naval gun on a truck.
- Lastly, a beast of a unit. We attached some old and rear area-defense SAMs to the battlegroup in the form of the 2K11M3 KRUG-M3, which is the KUB’s ancestor. Two massive SAM missiles, capable of pulverizing a small plane by just flying into them, feature a range similar to the BUK, but due to their obsolete targeting and on-board electronics can only engage aircraft (not helicopters). It has low accuracy, long reload, and (pricey) supply.
- HELO - average with only a few costly slots (though offset by interesting choices).
- These include the light Mi-2URN gunship with rockets and machine guns.
- The Mi-8TB heavy gunship (with the model to be remade, as mentioned before).
- The new Mi-14PL was tested as an anti-ship killer armed with a single Kh-23M. This missile is the same as used by AGM by anti-tank planes. This means we now have a helicopter with a long-range “sniper” anti-tank missile.
- AIR - a pretty decent category with plenty of options, some being new. The battlegroup’s air arm focuses on close air support over air superiority with dedicated rocket- and anti-tank planes, plus bombers.
- The sole fighter is the Mi-23ML [AA].
- The Su-22M4 in various CAS loadouts (RKT, HE, CLU), but also a new Su-22M4K [AT2] version with 4x Kh-25ML anti-tank missiles.
- Another new variant of an existing plane is the MiG-23BN [KMGU], which is the Warsaw Pact’s HE cluster answer to NATO’s anti-personnel TORNADO [MW1].
- And lastly, the Poles will provide the ancient Lim-6M, which is a locally produced variant of the venerable MiG-17. Deployed with the battlegroup in full rocket loadout, it's more at home close to the border rather than being deployed in the field by a frontline Polish division.
The Rügener Gruppierung is a reserve defensive battlegroup with strong AA and versatile infantry. This division will be more at ease defending than attacking.
Until Next Time
That’s all for the EA Pack Plus divisions. We hope to be able to share when they launch soon. We’ll return with more juicy WARNO news next week…
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See you on the battlefield, commander.
