Hello commanders,
We return with Division #10, the last of our divisional previews of our upcoming major NORTHAG expansion. In today’s DevBlog, we’ll look at the Warsaw Pact’s special Polish airborne-naval Grupa Desantowa.
Onwards!
Warsaw Pact’s Polish Grupa Desantowa
Much like the preceding NATO’s US 9th Infantry (Motorized) Division, the Polish Grupa Desantowa will feature units not specifically earmarked for combat in NORTHAG in West Germany, but to be used instead against Denmark. To be more precise, Denmark’s many outlying islands.
Today’s battlegroup isn’t a division per se, but the combined Grupa Desantowa, a corps-size “assault group” made up of three distinct Polish People’s Army formations.
- The 6 Brygada Powietrznodesantowa or 6th Airborne Brigade.
- The 7 Brygadę Desantowa or 7th Sea Landing Brigade.
- The 15 Dywizja Zmechanizowan or 15th Mechanized Infantry Division.
6th Airborne Brigade
The 6th Airborne was formed as the 6th Infantry Division before being turned into the 6th Pomeranian Airborne Division in 1957, and ultimately the 6th Pomeranian Airborne Brigade in 1986. Interestingly enough, when the division was first created, the communist Polish commanders took their cues from the World War 2-era Allied 1st Independent Airborne Parachute Brigade (which saw action during Market Garden in 1944) in the best ways to organize the formation. In the late Cold War, based in Warsaw, this airborne brigade wore their red berets and were highly trained paratroopers destined for airborne assaults.
7th Sea Landing Brigade
This brigade saw life as another infantry formation (the 23rd Infantry Division in the 1960s) before being turned into the 7th Sea Landing Division in the 1963, downsized to brigade size in 1986. Originally destined to be a mechanized division, with the new planning to take the Denmark islands, this formation was reorganized in the 1960s and 70s into a naval infantry unit before being earmarked for amphibious landings (and duly re-equipped with amphibious-capable vehicles and tanks). They were famously known for their blue berets. This brigade was among the first Polish formations to maintain full combat readiness during peacetime.
(for Polandballs, and many others, see Feldwebelkatze's DevianArt gallery)
15th Mechanized Infantry Division
A typical Polish People’s Army mechanized infantry division, it too saw life in the 1950s. It would form the second wave of the offensive into Denmark.
The Polish Grupa Desantowa Detailed
The Polish plan for Grupa Desantowa was for the two elite light brigades to invade the outlying Danish islands through airborne and amphibious landings, establish a foothold, and be reinforced by a second wave of troops coming from the mechanized division. Meanwhile, the Polish 1st Army (the parent formation of our 20 Pacerna armored division) would invade Denmark through a more conventional land route (through West Germany).
Our WARNO Grupa Destanowa will represent the first phase of the assault, with a combination of airborne and naval troops. A few scattered elements of the 15th Mechanized are a token representation of the second wave and featured to make the battlegroup in WARNO a bit more viable. As such, this Polish division will be a unique blend of paratroopers (coming with Forward Deployment and Shock traits) and naval infantry (with Resolute trait), each featuring their own organization and equipment.
The Polish Grupa Desantowa in WARNO - NORTHAG
LOG
- Not that great. Although the Grupa Destanowa is not entirely airborne, the battlegroup is regarded as such as its combat role is to project into enemy-held territory with whatever equipment and manpower it could bring. Thanks to the Polish People’s Navy support and relative proximity to Poland, it can rely on heavier supply units compared to other airborne battlegroups.
- This means no FOB, but supply units do include the light DESANT. WD-43 ZAOP. jeep with Forward Deployment trait, the amphibious new medium BAW-485 ZAOP. (basically, a World War 2-era DUKW) and the heavy PTS-M ZAOP[ (same as found in Rügener Gruppierung) supply vehicles. Additional supply support comes as the new heavy Mi-6 ZAOP. helicopter.
- Command vehicles include the DOW. DESANT WD-43, BRDM-2 R-5, and the naval infantry’s (new) TOPAS R-3M.
INF
- An excellent category, as is fitting for an “airborne” division. As described previously, the roster of infantry is mostly divided between Polish airborne and naval troops, with some additional support:
- SPADOCHRONIARZE are new paratrooper squads and come in leader, RPG-7VM, Metis and triple-PKM variants.
- Other (new) DESANT. (Airborne) units include new SAPERZY (leader, explosives and 3-man flamethrower), existing SPG-9, FAGOT, PKM HMG weapon teams, and new security units.
- Airborne troops also bring their sole fire support vehicle, the DESANT. WD-43 SPG-9.
- All of the above units come with the Forward Deployment trait, plus one level of veterancy. They can only deploy in WD-43 jeeps or GAZ-66B trucks.
- NIEBIESKIE BERETY are the “Blue Berets,” the new Polish naval infantry, and come in command and 12-man rifle squads.
- Additional naval troops include the new NIEB. BERETY SAPERZY in command, explosives, and flamethrower (with three flamethrowers!) variants.
- PKM HMG and new DRUZYNA PPANC. tank hunters.
- All the above units feature the Resolute trait and come in either MAW/BAV-485 amphibious softskins or TOPAS-2A (with PKT), TOPAS-2AP (with KPVT/PKT AA turret) or the new TOPAS SPG-9 with two fixed-forward RCL strapped to its hull.
- The airborne brigade component of the Grupa Destanowa can also count on its own (new) DESANT. KOMANDOSI special forces elements. These squads are the only heliborne unit available, with access to the W-3 SOKOL, and either the unarmed or armed Mi-8T.
ART
- A typical category with a standard number of weapons. These include M43 82mm and 2S12 120mm mortars, plus DESANT. 2B9 VASILEK automatic one.
- The new 2S1M MORSKI GOZDZIK self-propelled gun, which is a naval-only model featuring the same stats as its land-based cousin, plus the BM-21 GRAD. These are the only true artillery pieces the naval brigade can muster.
- 2S7 PIWONIA 203mm heavy artillery guns were attached to the Grupa Desantowa to provide heavier support.
- A new unit is the WP-8Z, a light towed MLRS launcher with 8x 140mm tubes.
TANK
- Not very spectacular. The naval brigade had its own tank battalion and some anti-tank vehicles. These include PT-76B in command and “tank” variant, the T-55A, in the same range of flavors, and the BRDM-2 MALYUTKA-P.
- The airborne brigade brings its scant anti-tank means. In real life, this only amounted to the DESANT. WD-43 FAGOT.
- We added some additional vehicles the Poles had removed from the paratroopers when the division was downgraded to a brigade in 1986. These were kept in storage but now see renewed action: the new ASU-85 light airborne tank destroyer. It features a D-48 anti-tank gun in a casemate on a PT-76 chassis. This unit comes in command and “vanilla” variants.
RECO
- A pretty good category including DESANT. variants of existing units such as SNAJPER, ZWIADOWCY, and ROZP. SPECJALNE.
- Armored recon vehicles are the BRDM-2 and PT-76.
- And airborne recon includes the new W-3RR PROCJON helicopter with SIGINT trait (this is being tested as we speak).
AA
- Below-par with only light and towed equipment available.
- These include STRZALA-2M and DESANT. STRZALA-2M MANPAD teams.
- Non-airborne AA units come as either the TOPAS-2AP (with AA turret) or the TOPAS JOD with a ZUR-23-2S.
- DESANT. ZU-23-2 and DESANT. ZUR-23-2S towed guns.
- And the HIBNERYT-KG gun truck.
HELO
- Pretty good, as this battlegroup has been given the lion’s share of communist Poland’s helicopter support for our war scenario.
- This means both Mi-24D [AT] (with Falanga-P) in two distinct variants, and the Mi-24W (with Kokon).
- New gunship variants of the SOKOL, being the W-3W [RKT] (23mm gun plus 40x 80mm rockets) and the W-3W [AA] (23mm gun plus 20x 80mm rockets plus 4x Strela-2M missiles).
AIR
- A pretty good category, but note that this one is still being worked on and is likely subject to change.
- Air superiority is achieved by the MIG-21BIS [AA] and the new MIG-29 9.12 in two variants: with 2x R-27R and 4x R-73, plus “shotgun” version with 6x R-73 in “ripple-fire” mode.
- The SU-22M4 provides close support in many loadouts: RKT (two variants), a new NPLM version, CLU, AT, and new SEAD.
The Grupa Destanowa is a unique half-airborne, half-naval infantry division with plenty of Forward Deployment units backed by strong air support (both helo and air). However, it lacks heavier units, such as tanks.
NORTHAG Expansion Explained
WARNO - NORTHAG is the first major expansion coming to WARNO. World War III hits the North German Plain where the attacking Warsaw Pact needs to overcome the staunch defenses of NATO’s NORTHAG. Under British command, Belgian, Dutch, West German, and American forces battle against the powerful northern formations of the Soviet Group of Forces in Germany, including East German and reinforcing Polish armies. The expansion is planned for later in 2024. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2978620/WARNO__NORTHAG/ WARNO - NORTHAG will feature:- 2 new Army General campaigns.
- 4 new Operations.
- 10 new Divisions, including NATO’s Belgian 16e Pantserdivisie, Dutch 4e Divisie, the British 4th Armoured Division and MultiNational Airborne Division, and the American 9th Infantry (Motorized) Division, while the Warsaw Pact deploys the Soviet 25-ya Tank. Diviziya, the East German 9. Panzerdivision, and the Polish 4 Dywizja Zmechanizowan, 20 Dywizja Pancerna and Grupa Desantowa.
- 3 new playable nations: NATO’s Belgium and the Netherlands, and Warsaw Pact’s Poland.
- New voice acting.
- New units and models.
We have started detailing WARNO - NORTHAG’s features. Check the list below!
- In the very first DevBlog, highlighting Division #1, we show off NATO’s Belgian 16e Pantserdivisie going to war with powerhouse cousin Luxembourg. Read more about the new battlegroup in this dedicated post.
- In Division #2, we focused on the Warsaw Pact’s Soviet 25-ya Tank. Diviziya or 25th Tank Division. Read more about this battlegroup here.
- In our Division #3, we look at the Dutch and their hard-hitting 4e Divisie. Check it out in this DevBlog here.
- The Division #4 looks into the poster child of the East German Nationale Volksarmee, the 9. Panzerdivision. Take a look in this DevBlog.
- In our Division #5 we take a gander at the British 4th Armoured Division. Check it out in this DevBlog.
- And our Division #6 looks at the new Polish mechanized fighting forces of the 4 Dywizja Zmechanizowana. Check out the DevBlog here.
- The special paratroopers of British-led MultiNational Airborne Division get their chance to shine in this dedicated Division #7 DevBlog here.
- In Division #8, we turn back to the Polish and their armored vanguard made up of the 20 "Warszawska" Dywizja Pancerna. Read more about it in this DevBlog here.
- The exotic weaponry of the US 9th Infantry (Motorized) Division take center stage in Division #10 DevBlog.
Until Next Time
That’s all for NORTHAG’s divisions. We’ll turn our gaze next on the new maps coming with our big expansion!Join the 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.