[b]9 November 1983[/b]
That night, the scout platoon reported contact with an enemy Combat Reconnaissance Patrol (CRP). This only meant the Advance Party was not too far behind. The CRP is a small patrol of two BRDMs and two BMPs equipped with chemical detection equipment and special radios to transmit back to Division Headquarters. They were members of a Special Reconnaissance Company owned by the Division Commander. Their job was to identify as many enemy formations they could, not become decisively engaged with the enemy and to find the paths of least resistance.

The (2-66 AR) Scout platoon split up into three sections of two vehicles each. Each section consisted of an M113 APC and an M901 Improved TOW Vehicle (ITV). The M113 had an M2HB .50 Cal MG and the ITV had an M60 MG mounted at the Track Commander's (TC) hatch. The two BRDM-2s and two BMPs passed the ITV and M113 as if both sides were just strangers passing in the night. Neither stopped, neither vehicle took evasive actions. It was almost as if they did not see each other. Not a round was exchanged. Both units were ordered to not become decisively engaged. So, both the East German Lieutenant and the American Staff Sergeant felt it was best to conserve ammunition.

"Saber fife two, this is Saber four eight, over," Staff Sergeant Ramirez, section sergeant in the battalion's scout platoon radioed back to the Battalion Tactical Operations Center (TOC). He was calling their Net Control Station, but the Battalion S2 was listening, as was the Battalion Commander and anyone else monitoring the battalion frequency, including Captain Stewart's Radio Telephone Operator. But Captain Stewart wasn't really asleep. He was too excited knowing that the boogie man was due any moment.

They had seeded Anti Tank and Anti Personnel minefields on both sides of the three bridges leading to their sides of the river. They had sent out dismounted Anti Armor ambush patrols along the primary avenues of approach leading into the company team sector. Each crossing had eyes on them to catch anyone running for the canal would be fired upon.

Captain Stewart sat up from his cot, rubbed his eyes, yawned and stretched. He kicked his feet out from underneath the poncho liner he was using as a blanket and stood up. He walked over to where the RTO sat at a field desk listening to the radio. 

"How's the game, Jenkins?" 

PFC Matt Jenkins knew the old man's sense of humor, "Yankees up by five, sir."

"Fuck! When are those damn Sox ever going to pull their heads out of their ass?"

The radio cut back in, "four eight, this is fife two, go ahead over."

"fife two, four eight, SITREP as follows, break." A six second break in transmission, "two BRAVO ROMEO DELTA MIKES and two BRAVO MIKE PAPAs moving west along Axis of Advance TORPEDO at Grid coordinate xxxxxx, break." Another six second break in transmission, "Uniform unknown, Tango one fife zero two fower two November Oscar Victor eight tree, Negative Echo, Over."

"Four eight, this is fife two, I copy two BRAVO ROMEO DELTA MIKES and two BRAVO MIKE PAPAs moving west along Axis of Advance TORPEDO at Grid coordinate xxxxxx, break." A six second break in transmission, "Uniform unknown, Tango one fife zero two fower two November Oscar Victor eight tree, Negative Echo, Out."

Someone in the TOC would plot the location on the map and then the assistant S3 would call Captain Stewart and PFC Jenkins to insure they were listening to the radio transmission. Captain Stewart would then let Captain Zewinski (Asst. S3) know that he already had an ambush patrol armed with AT weapons along Axis of Advance TORPEDO. While, he was talking to Captain Zewinski on the Battalion net, PFC Jenkins was notifying Lieutenant Adler on the Company net who in turn passed the information on to Sergeant Fleury, 1st Squad leader.

Sergeant Fleury had laid in a squad Anti armor ambush with two Dragon gunners and four AT-4 gunners as well as four other soldiers armed with two M16A1 rifles and two M203 Grenade Launchers; eleven men including himself. Only fifteen minutes passed before he heard the hum of engines traveling west along route five. Their ambush was set back about 400 meters off the road, maybe one and a half kilometers east of the Canal crossing and 2nd Platoon.

Sergeant Fleury checked his men, to insure they were awake. Everyone waited for the proper time. The four vehicles moved into the Kill Zone (KZ) traveling 40 Kilometers per Hour (25 MPH). Sergeant Fleury positioned himself between the two Dragon gunners. He held both arms raised and outstretched waiting for the right moment. When it came, he slapped both gunners on their steel pots. The gunner's depressed the triggers on their M47 Dragon missiles. Nothing happened for one point five seconds, then a click and a loud bang as the two missiles ignited. The successive flash was enough to kill everyone's night vision. One of the Grenadiers launched a parachute flare into the night sky. The left Dragon headed for the lead BRDM while the right DRAGON headed for the trail BMP. The four AT-4 Gunners doubled up on the remaining two vehicles, firing their weapons, two at the number two vehicle and two at the number three vehicle. The Dragon gunners held their sites on their targets waiting for what seemed like eternity.

The East German Leutnant in the lead wheeled vehicle recognized the threat immediately, but had no idea where the enemy was. He ordered his platoon to discharge smoke dispensers and increase speed -- to keep up with him at best possible speed. Before the driver could accelerate past 30 MPH, the left Dragon struck the lead BRDM square on the hull. The leading edge of the warhead was a shape charge on a small pole, which detonated a small hole of molten aluminum through the side of the vehicle. The main portion of the warhead exploded behind the shape charge, exploding heat and concussion through the hole, into the interior of the vehicle. The molten aluminum rapidly cooled as it bounced around inside the crew compartment at a few hundred miles per hour. The hot aluminum ripped flesh, made holes in vital organs and soft tissue. Some portions of the hot aluminum set off ammunition causing it to explode as well as for the engine to stop.

The explosion of the impact was impressive to the gunners. The first missile struck the lead vehicle taking it out of action, but the second Dragon round missed, the missile flying erratically off into who knows where. Two of the AT-4 rounds impacted with the tracks of the number three vehicle a BMP causing the vehicle to lurch to a halt. The crew of the BMP were fine, but there track was immobilized. The lead BRDM and trail BMP swerved to avoid their damaged brothers and continued with their mission. Neither vehicles stopped to pick up the four soldiers in the disabled BMP.

Sergeant Fleury immediately called in a SITREP on his contact with the enemy. The information flowed rapidly up the chain of command. Lieutenant Adler was ready with the rest of 2nd platoon as well as Lieutenant Leahy, the Armor Platoon leader on the hill overlooking the crossing. Sergeant Fleury would begin his foot movement back to friendly lines and hope he would cross the canal before the Advance Party arrived.

The East German CRP reported their contact and grid location to Division which sent Mi24 Hinds in to investigate at first light. They would not find the anti armor ambush team, but would see the M113s and M60s across the canal. At three Kilometers they were at the extreme range of the .50 caliber machine guns, which remained silent at this distance. The Mi-24 pilots also maintained discipline knowing their weapons could not have the impact they desired. The range was still too great. There were no Air Defense Artillery (ADA) threats detected. The Hinds remained in an overwatch position observing the Americans around Lauenburg. They then called for Artillery.

Stand to for the American infantry and armor soldiers was at 0515, which was only a brief time before the sounds of the helicopters in the distance came into his ears. Tom Stewart could not immediately see the helicopters, but since they were coming from the east, everyone knew they were bad guys. "Too bad, the old man didn't put [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIM-43_Redeye]Redeye[/url] in our AO," Captain Stewart spoke aloud to no one in particular. He stood on the small stretch of high ground where Lieutenant Leahy's tanks remained in hull defilade with their turrets and gun barrels pointing east over an earthen berm. He raised the binoculars to his eyes, scanning the horizon. Dust billowed up and he detected movement. Then he saw the tell tale shape of the Mi-24 HIND.

"Jenkins, call the platoons tell them to prepare for artillery," Captain Stewart told his RTO. He raised the handset on the battalion radio just as the first 122mm round impacted along the edge of the canal near Route 5. Then the 2nd platoon sector erupted in artillery fire. Explosions sent earth into the sky and damaged or destroyed many of the buildings in that area of Laeunburg. The artillery fire slowly worked its way along the west edge of the canal as far as Lanzer Zee. Captain Stewart's Command was being prepped for an attack. Fortunately for the infantrymen of 1st and 2nd platoons, their leadership insisted they build defensive fighting positions with thirty six inches of overhead cover.

"Saber zero six, this is white bayonet zero six over!" Captain Stewart yelled into the handset with artillery rounds impacting in his Area of Operations (AO).

"White bayonet zero six, this is saber zero six, go ahead over," Lieutenant Colonel Funari, the Battalion Commander of the 2nd battalion, 66th Armor responded to the Infantry Company Commander on his far right end of the line.

"Saber, this is white bayonet, I have two HINDs to my front about three to five kilometers and incoming artillery fire, break," Captain Stewart released the handset for several seconds. "I believe they are going to attempt a penetration here at Axis of Advance TORPEDO, over!" The artillery fire was getting closer to his Command Post (CP).

"Roger that white bayonet, I'll get the ALO to put some heat on the west side of the canal, out." LTC Funari clicked off the handset and called for the Air Liaison Officer. As it turned out, a pair of RAF Hawks could be in the area in ten minutes and a pair of USAF A-10 Thunderbolts in thirty minutes.

At 0530, as RAF Hawks raced from West to East at tree top level over Route 5 from Lauenburg, a new element arrived from the east. The Hawks quickly dispatched the two attack helicopters, sending them plummeting to the ground. "White bayonet zero six, this is white bayonet one six, over," Second Lieutenant Brian Lithway, 1st Platoon Leader called on the radio.

"One six, this is zero six, go ahead over," the commander called back.

"I have five unidentified tanks and four APCs moving west along Axis of Advance ROCKET toward my position, break." The lieutenant waited a few seconds, "Their barrels are pointed east at this time, over."

Captain Stewart stood up and could see from his position near the tanks that these were British Chieftain Main Battle Tanks and FV432 Armoured Personnel Carriers. "Those are friendly Cavalry, one six. Send someone out to help them through the obstacle, over."

"Roger that, over." The lieutenant clicked off, just as an explosion erupted.

Captain Stewart identified one of the British Chieftans struck a mine on the east side. It blew the track off, but left the vehicle otherwise unmolested. "Roger, out."

Staff Sergeant Garrison, 1st Section Leader, 1st platoon was tasked with making contact. The African American 26-year old soldier from Chicago, Illinois sprinted across the bridge and ran a zig zag course through the minefield he planted with Sergeant Ray Nolan's Engineers the day before. When he reached the lead undamaged tank, someone motioned for him to climb aboard. He scrambled up over the skirted fender and stood on the hull next to the TC's hatch. 

The man shoved his hand out to shake, "Major Windsor, E Squadron, sixteen five Queen's Royal Lancers and who might you be?" The man spoke in a very refined Oxford accent.

"Sergeant Garrison, B Company, three four one infantry, sir," Staff Sergeant answered. "Sir, you better follow me through this minefield or you'll lose more tanks."

"Right, Sergeant! There are several East German infantry and armor formations less than a half hour behind us. We better get through this fortification as rapidly as possible." Major Windsor did not tell the young American sergeant he was the current Duke of Gloucester, cousin to Queen Elizabeth. He believed the man would possess apathy to that bit of trivia.

After picking up the crew from the disabled Chieftan, E Squadron, 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers moved through the minefield under Staff Sergeant Garrison's guidance, while Soviet and East German Artillery landed amongst the tanks on the hill, the city of Lauenburg and the the canal south of them. Once on the far side, Sergeant Garrison hopped down and joined his platoon in his fighting position. The British tanks and APCs continued west past the American Battle position bound for a pre-determined location where he would link up with the rest of his regiment.

At 0600 hours, two columns of T-72s and BTR-70 Armored Personnel Carriers came into view along both routes leading into the Team Bravo. The lead T-72 struck an Anti Tank mine just before the southern bridge. The two East German Advanced Parties, consisting of two groups of three tanks and ten APCs went on line and deployed their infantry dismounts. 122mm artillery continued to drop on Team Bravo. So far, the infantry had kept their heads down while the tankers kept their eyes glued to the vision ports of their M60 Main Battle Tanks.