[WARNO] Border Incident

 

[The following is another short fiction inspired by a session with one of my favorite 'Cold War gone hot' wargames, this time WARNO.  I'm sorry: I just have too much fun with these games not to memorialize the session! As ever, don't expect any of these World War III chronicles to tie together in any sort of sensible way. I am not writing a novel. I just look at the battle's events and try to come up with a backstory.]

East German Border Incident 

GDR claims West Germany launched a cross-border night raid

West Germany denies the accusation

Many casualties reported

[EuroNewz] Today, the government of the German Democratic Republic accused its neighbor, the Federal Republic of Germany, of engaging in cross-border hostilities. The incident allegedly occurred overnight in the sparsely-populated Zhornhorst region. "We are outraged by the unprovoked hostilities of the criminals in Bonn," said Jens Wirtz, spokesman for East Berlin's Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MfAA).  "Such aggression must not go unpunished."

While journalists have not been allowed access to the area, East Germany has provided photographic evidence of the alleged West German aggression, including photos of military equipment known to be in the FRG's arsenal.

This photo, taken by an East German citizen, purports to show a soldier in West German garb attacking East German troops.

"We have many such images, with more to come later," added Wirtz. "There is no debate."

Another photo taken by an East German citizen is alleged to show a West German M48 tank advancing along a road inside the GDR border region of Zhornhorst. A burning vehicle can be seen just behind the advancing tank.

Bonn has responded with an adamant rejection of the GDR's allegations. "Needless to say, the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany, forces that I remind everyone exist only for defense against an attack from our Warsaw Pact neighbors, have not, I repeat 'not', conducted any offensive cross-border operations," stated Matthias Berg, spokesman for the Federal Foreign Office, in a clearly hastily organized press conference. "Why Berlin would engage in such potentially dangerous slander is beyond us." 

However, sources within the West German government who spoke to EuroNewz on condition of anonymity have indicated a less confident position behind closed doors.  "We are in the dark on this one," answered one such confidential source.  "While it is true that there was no authorized military operation, we are less sure about unauthorized activity on the part of a rogue unit. The Ministry of Defense is investigating this possibility as we speak."

According to the GDR, this is a photo of troops engaging West German soldiers in the East German town of Addersfeld 

When asked about the possibility of a Stassi-executed false flag operation, which is to say East German forces pretending to be West Germans for nefarious purposes, the informant was open to the possibility. (The Stassi is the East German equivalent of the Soviet Union's KGB.) "That is another possibility that is being actively investigated. However, I have to confess that after looking at the photos released by the GDR, I am skeptical. It is one thing to dress up a few East Germans to look like West Germans, but quite another to deploy heavy vehicles, like tanks, that look exactly like the vehicles in West German depots. Indisputable large-scale damage has also been done to the area, indicating a sizable battle. If this is just a show, the Stassi deserves an Oscar!"

The MfAA released this photo, taken from an East German Mi-8TB helicopter, showing evidence of an ongoing battle around a small East German-occupied farmstead, along with large fires burning elsewhere

Not surprisingly, the superpower patrons of East and West Germany - the USSR and the USA respectively - have begun to weigh in on the growing crisis. The Soviet Defense Minister Matvei Fedoro strongly defended the East German client state. "The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, along with our Warsaw Pact allies, strongly condemn this unprovoked West German, this NATO, aggression. Unless Bonn admits to its wrongdoing and surrenders the imperialist criminals responsible for planning and executing this outrage, we will be forced to take stern retaliatory measures." Jeffrey Goldstein, the spokesman for the US State Department, commented "The White House is carefully investigating the situation in central Europe. We are confident that there is an alternative explanation to that which is being alleged by the GDR.  Until our investigation is complete, we urge all parties to refrain from incendiary rhetoric." 

The wingman of an East German fighter jet took this photo of what the GDR claims to be a West German fighter jet being shot down during an aerial duel

Where this crisis goes next is uncertain. "This is an entirely unprecedented situation," remarked Prof. Dannecker Marta of Munich University.  "And extremely dangerous. If it is a false flag operation, it indicates a very elaborate and determined one, something that does not bode well for the future. If it is a rogue FRG military commander or unit, again, this would have serious implications for not just West Germany, but also the Atlantic Alliance. There is no good choice here." 

At the moment, the border region between East and West Germany is quiet if tense as both sides deploy additional forces to reinforce those already deployed in anticipation of the crisis deepening. While it is too early to know how severely if at all this situation might escalate, it is already one of the most serious incidents of the Cold War since the Cuban Missile Crisis. 

East German troops secure a roadside position against possible future attack