Hello commander!
This week, we’ll look at Berlin Command’s Warsaw Pact counterpart: Unternehmen Zentrum.
As a reminder: two new, previously undisclosed divisions will come as part of the OUDINOT milestone. The pair of battlegroups will be free for all owners of the Early Access version of WARNO. They are gifted as a Eugen’s thank you to all the players who got in early and helped us develop the game!
Let’s see how this East German and Soviet battlegroup would have fared in the Battle for Berlin (1989).
A special kind of liberation
Unternehmen Zentrum (standing for Operation Center) was Warsaw Pact’s secret plan to invade West Berlin and get rid of its pesky NATO defenders. We have given the same name to WARNO’s battlegroup, with a mix of East German and Soviet forces specialized in urban warfare.
The troops involved in the Battle for Berlin would have been drawn from two principal sources: the East German 1. Motorisierte Schützendivision (1st Motorized Rifle Division) and the Soviet 6th Independent Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade. If you recall, each NATO ally was only allowed one brigade within the city's confines. The Soviets, likewise, could only deploy a single brigade in East Berlin. The East Germans, like the West Germans, were forbidden to deploy a single unit within the city. Tough luck for NATO, they just deployed on the city’s perimeter, providing the forces for the main assault.
While the local NATO defenders in West Berlin didn’t really pose a threat to the Warsaw Pact, being too weak to mount any offensive or breakout, this outpost was still a major inconvenience in the eyes of the political and military leadership. As such, in the case of World War III, West Berlin would have been cleared as soon as possible, to remove this pesky thorn in the side of the Soviets and East Germans. Over the years, these war plans were updated, with the latest (real-life) examples originating from the late 80s.
A bit more context
All of these secret plans were destroyed, but enough documentation (and interviews with former NVA officers after Germany’s reunification) paints a pretty realistic picture of how the Battle of Berlin would have unfolded from a Warsaw Pact’s point of view. Only the two last versions have been reconstructed: Unternehmen Stoss (Operation Thrust) in 1986, and its latest variant, Unternehmen Zentrum (Operation Center) from 1987.
These war plans were rehearsed during actual yearly military operations (Borderkante) with other East German cities earmarked as the training’s objectives, though all could see they were thinly veiled as West Berlin. These included targets identifiable as being proxies for German’s historical capital and three different (American, British and French) NATO garrisons.
The taking of West Berlin was to be done as quickly as possible, with the task accomplished through overwhelming firepower. The initial attack would have been airstrikes, followed by intense barrages of artillery fire. East German paratroopers would have helidropped onto West Berlin’s two airports, while the Soviet brigade would surge out from Brandenburger Gate, bisecting the city defenders.
The first targets would have been the British, with the French and Americans to be mopped up later. At the same time, numerous axis of advance from the city limits, mainly from the East German motorized riflemen, would start pressing on the West Berlin defenders from the outside. Resistance was expected to cease after two days. Clearing the NATO forces would take two more. Warsaw Pact planners would have given the entire operation three to four days.
If you want more details about Operation Center, we suggest you read this article.
Unternehmen Zentrum detailed
Unternehmen Zentrum would use the East German 1st Motorized Rifle Division and the Soviet 6th Independent Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade. A host of local forces, as well as specialized formations, were to assist in the operation.
This included:
- The entire Soviet 40th Artillery Brigade, positioned around West Berlin, with its army-level heavy artillery and MRLS batteries. A serious amount of ordnance would be dropped on West Berlin to aid its… liberation.
- The Soviet 2nd Engineer Brigade for specialized support, including sappers and combat engineers.
- The 1st Battalion (FJB-40) of the elite East German airborne and special forces Luftsturmregiment 40. Officially stationed to guard the Ministry of National Defense’s sector, its true purpose was to capture Tegel and Templehof airfields in a heliborne assault.
- The Stasi (the East German dreaded state security service) featured an armed branch called Wachregiment "Feliks E. Dzierzynski". Trained as urban warfare specialists, these elite soldiers would be a force to be reckoned with.
- No less than six Grenzschutzen (Border Guards) regiments would provide additional soldiers. Keeping a vigilant eye on the Berlin Wall and outer city limits, in combat situations, they would first clear the comprehensive border obstacles, then advance on the assault troops' flanks to secure them. These units could also call on their own artillery regiment.
- Three battalions of the East German paramilitary police, the Kasernierte Volkspolizei, contributed to the operation. Lightly armed, they had access to a few World War II guns.
- And our East German paramilitary friends of the Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse (Combat Groups of the Working Class) would also be called up to take part.
What can you expect in-game?
So, how will Unternehmen Zentrum division look like in WARNO?
- LOG - Much like its NATO counterpart, Unternehmen Zentrum can count on a well-stocked logistics category. A large quantity of supply and command units will be available from both East German and Soviet sources.
- INF - The division relies on a copious amount of infantry choices, ranging from amateur soldiers such as VPB police officers or KdA militia to elite East German Fs-Jäger squads.
- Regular Mot.-Schützen and Motostrelki and the associated weapon teams with recoilless rifles, ATGMs and HMGs, are also available. Soviet Saperi can be deployed in greater numbers than usual.
- A special feature of the division is the presence of the dreaded Wachschützen, hard-hitting squads lavishly equipped and expertly trained for urban warfare. They come in three different flavors with a mix of Skorpion SMGs, brand-new StG 941 and 942 assault rifles, satchel demolition charges, Strela-2M MANPADs, and even a few RPO Rys thermobaric launchers, courtesy of their Soviet comrade-in-arms.
- ART - The king of the battlefield is very well represented in Unternehmen Zentrum. With a wide array of pieces, calibers and tubes, Soviet and East German artillery would combine their overwhelming firepower to lay waste to West Berlin.
- Heavy guns are available, most of them towed (as if counter-battery artillery fire would be much of a problem). These range from 120mm mortars, 122mm, 130mm and 152mm howitzers. The only real self-propelled gun is the Soviet 2S1.
- The rather unusual and very venerable Grenzschützen’s ZiS-3 dual-purpose artillery piece (year of introduction, 1942) also makes an appearance. A decent artillery and AT gun suitable for warfare…. from a previous era.
- Rocket launchers include the East German RM-70 and napalm-equipped BM-21, as well as Urugan. No target other than West Berlin would have been more worthy than the addition of the Soviet Army’s latest mass-killing machine, the mighty TOS-1 Buratino.
- TNK - An average category in terms of cost and number available, though the unit selection is rather diverse.
- The 1. Motorisierte Schützendivision could only count on older T-55 and T-55AM2 tanks. Anti-tank forces also include BRDM-2 and PaK 100mm guns.
- The Soviet brigade had their share of T-64 tanks. For reasons unknown, by 1987, a handful of T-80s could also be found in its armored arsenal.
- Not a good piece of equipment should go to waste, including decidedly vintage World War II ones. East German militia and police forces fielded the timeless T-34/85 and light ZiS-2 57mm AT gun. The latter unit, being short-ranged and firing only AP high-velocity rounds (no HE), won’t be a threat to modern main battle tanks but can still wreak havoc on an APC or IFV column thanks to its high accuracy & RoF!
- REC - Like its NATO counterpart, there was not much need for dedicated reconnaissance troops in the Battle for Berlin. Enemy concentrations and defensible positions should have been well known. A typical choice of BRDM-2, Aufklärer, Mot. Razvedka is featured, as well as light Grenzer squads.
- AA - A rather strong category for the division. Warsaw Pact forces put in a concerted effort to deny any Western aircraft from leaving the city after the outbreak of World War III. Any fleeing plane would have been shot down within seconds of taking off, with a prominent belt of AA defenses pointed outwards to prevent any NATO aircraft flying from West Germany from assisting. From MANDPADs to Strela-10 and Buk-M1, AA units are plentiful and potent.
- HELO - Not one of the most powerful categories. West Berlin is not very helicopter friendly, with plenty of opportunity to be shot down in the congested urban terrain. This means a limited amount of East German Mi-24D [AA] and fire support Mi-8 flying top cover for the paratroopers coup de main at West Berlin’s airports, further backed by a handful of Soviet Mi-24VP.
- AIR - Ground-pounding aircraft make up most of the units. These include Su-17 and Su-22M4 attack planes from both East German and Soviet air forces. Plenty of air-to-ground munitions would be available, from 240mm rockets to UPK pods/80mm rocket combos. Lacking any perceived NATO air threat, fighter cover is limited to a couple of MiG-23ML fighters.
With a host of infantry options, backed by solid artillery and air-defense units, Unternehmen Zentrum is a hard-hitting division destined to slog it out in brutal house-to-house combat. Operations in tight (urban) terrain are where the battlegroup excels, but it can still hold its ground thanks to its decent armored and airborne forces. While numbers are impressive, vintage and obsolete equipment, as well as reserve and lightly armed troops, fill up Unternehmen Zentrum’s ranks.
A brief update on the next update
Before we leave you be, some news on the next WARNO patch.
We originally planned to release the update this week, but as it happens, the calendar played against us. The earliest possible release date would have been today, but since Friday, November 11th, is a bank holiday in France (the commemoration of World War I’s Armistice), we decided to release it next week instead. If not, it would have meant releasing a major patch before a three-day weekend, with no way for us to monitor and hotfix any issue quickly.
And this is a big update, bringing the Destruction mode, HMG teams, a host of new features and improvements, the autocannon overhaul, plus lots of balance changes. We really didn’t want to take the chance.
That’s why we will deliver the patch to the Strike Team first, which will be allowed to stream for the upcoming long weekend. Barring any major bug or issue report, we will release the patch next week!
See you on the battlefield
All right, that’s all for Unternehmen Zentrum. Do tell us what you think!
In the meantime: 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!