Hypothetical - NATO vs WP 1970s

[manta22]

As I remember it, the Fulda gap was designated as a choke point. Many of the forests had been cultivated as barriers against a possible/probable Soviet advance with armour, leaving two 'gaps', one at Fulda, and one further north, on the edge of the North German plain. It was hoped that these would be the routes taken in event of a major incursion, and that NATO forces could be rushed into the areas to combat the threat.
I think you're right about October 1973 - I was just about to leave Germany after a major NATO exercise, wnen we were put on immediate alert, as the Soviets had started to mass armour along the border apparently. Anytime between roughly 1970 and 1974 coild have been critical. It was thought that the WP forces could have reached the area of Hannover and further west within three to four days, with heavy use of NBC preemptive strike and airborne forces, followed quickly by the MRD's and Armour.
If you can get a hold of a copy,'The Third World War', published around 1974 I think, is worth a read. (can't remember the name of the author! But he's a well known historian, former senior officer!).

I realize that this is a VERY old thread but from an historical point, let me add a few things that were NOT simulations or video games. In the very early Sixties, just after the Berlin Wall was built, things were extremely tense with the Soviets. As you pointed out, the Fulda Gap was a choke point, a place where Soviet & Warsaw Pact armor was forced to pass through. There was an array of defenses against this attack but the one that I am intimately familiar with was our V Corps artillery. Our unit was equipped with the Corporal IIB liquid-fueled nuclear-armed guided missile. Our main fire mission was to protect the Fulda Gap. If a massed formation moved through there, their armor would have been vaporized. However, after firing our basic load of missiles, we all would become riflemen. We spent lots of time in the field training for this. Thank God it never came to pass.

 

[syscom3]

Looking at the performance of the Russian army in the Ukraine right now, I wonder if we could extrapolate backwards to the 70's and 80's that they would fail just from their command structure and logistics issues.

 

[manta22]

Looking at the performance of the Russian army in the Ukraine right now, I wonder if we could extrapolate backwards to the 70's and 80's that they would fail just from their command structure and logistics issues.

I doubt it. But after the '60s their experienced field commanders were mostly gone.