Another Entry for the Fistful Of Tows Project

 

Polish 20th Tank Division 1997

                                                 for the Fistful of TOWs Twilight: 2000 project

  I had so much fun writing the previous article, I decided to do another one. This time, I grabbed another one of my Micro Mark lists, this one on the 20th Tank Division, which was part of the Polish 1st Army. In Chico's Advent Crown document, which I heartily recommend for anyone doing any Fistful of Tows games set in the Twilight War, 1st Polish Army gets pretty shot up defending Northern Poland, especially around Gdansk and the northern Wisla river region. 20th Tank Division probably did not fare well in these engagements.

  I chose the 20th mainly because of it's makeup, it has a lot of mix of old and, new, and has some "school units" that would be interesting to field on the tabletop. Either way, it makes for a neat unit to run on the tabletop.

  I also didn't add in the usual Army and Front level assets, as I think I will include this in their own blog entry. 

 

  So, assumptions I made here:

• The T-72s got some minor upgrades, better ammunition from Soviet stocks, and perhaps fitted for side skirts made locally? (Use later pen numbers for Soviet T-72s and improve HEAT defense by one letter to the flank). 
• The tank battalion in the 49th Mechanized Regiment got upgrades to T-55AM standard, as the refit kits were made in Poland, and I am sure in the winter of 1996-97, those factories were working triple shifts!
• Polish BMP in selected units, of which the 20th was one, had their BMPs upgraded to BMP-1P standard.
• All Polish BRDM AT-3 Sagger in the 20th have been upgraded to AT-5 Spandrel models (purchases from the Soviets).
• All Tank Regiments in the division got SA-13 for their ADA companies.

So, without further ado.

____________________________

Polish 20th Tank Division, April 1997

Quality: Fair to Average (more Average on Polish soil, fair in the earlier fighting in Germany)

Artillery Accuracy and Friction Response: 3+ / 2+

Combat Formations

24th, 28th, and 68th Tank Regiments:

• Base
• 1 ZSU-23-4
• 1 SA-13
• 2 recon BRDM-2
• 3 Tank Battalions
• 6 T-72M1 (24th), 6 T-72M (28th), or 6 T-72A (68th)
• 1 Mechanized Company
• 1 BMP-1P + 1 Infantry Stand w/SAM Stand
• 2 BMP-1P + 2 Infantry Stands
• 1 Engineer Company
• 1 OT-64A + 1 Engineer Stand
• 1 BLG-67 (use same model as MTU-55) AVLB
• 1 Regimental 122mm SP Artillery Battalion [See the Artillery Support Groups]

49th Mechanized Regiment:

• Base
• 1 recon BRDM-2
• 1 ZU-23-2 Stand and 1 Truck
• AT Missile Battery
• BRDM-2 with AT-5 Spandrel
• 3 BMP Mechanized Battalions; each with:
• 3 BMP-1P + 3 Infantry Stands w/SAM 
• 6 BMP-1P + 6 Infantry Stands
• 1 120mm Mortar Stand + 1 Truck
• 1 Tank Battalion
• 9 T-55AM
• 1 Engineer Company
• 1 OT-64A + 1 Engineer Stand
• 1 UAZ-469 + Mine Clearing Charge equipment
• 1 Regimental 122mm SP Artillery Battalion [See the Artillery Support Groups]

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Attachments

8th Divisional Recon Battalion (Maximum of one)

• 2 recon BMP-R
• 2 recon BRDM
• 2 recon infantry stands + 2 UAZ-469

75th AA Regiment (Maximum of one)

• 1 ZU-23-2 Stand + 1 Truck
• 4 SA-6 SP SAM

7th Engineer Battalion (Maximum of one)

• 3 Engineer Stands + 3 OT-64A
• 1 T-55 with mine plow
• 1 PTS-M

Artillery Support Groups

Regimental 122mm SP Artillery Battalion

• 2 2S1 SP 122mm Guns [1 FO +1 UAZ]

Divisional 122mm SP Artillery Battalion (Maximum of 2)

• 3 2S1 SP 122mm Guns [1 FO + 1 UAZ]

Divisional MRL Battalion (Maximum of 1)

• 4 BM-21 122mm MRLs [Light MRL]

___________________________________________

Well, that's it for the 20th, I'll cover another selected division sometime next week!

TTFN!