Afcent in Limburg

Norman L. Dodd Colonel UK Army, relired

In the Spring of 1971 Headquarters, Allied For- mander in Chief is to defend the Central Region ces Central Europe celebrated its fourth year in of NATO between the North Sea and the Alps. Brunssum in the Netherlands Province of Lim- Army General Jürgen Bennecke has filled this burg. position with great distinction since April 1968. What are its achievements, its failures and its A man with a well developed sense of humour, future? quiet understanding and confident efficiency hè is popular with, and respected by, his subordin- Certainly the principle achievement has been the ates and has turned the HQ into an efficiënt and weiding of the three "political HQs" of Fontaine- purely military establishment; not always so in bleau, HQs AFCENT, AIRCENT, and Land Forces the days of Fontainebleau. The Deputy position Central Europe, into one streamlined military is held by the British and is filled by an Air Chief headquarters. Manpower was reduced by over Marshal, presently Air Chief Marshal Sir Frede- one third; in f act this went too f ar and some rick Rosier. small increases had to be authorised, and the present strength is about 2300, which includes The basic organisation of the forces under com- 340 officers, 1830 NCOs and enlisted men and mand has not changed much in the four years 130 NATO civilians. These personnel are sup- with the major exception of the removal from plied by the seven countries who participate in NATO command of the French Forces in Ger- the defence of Central Europe: Canada, Belgium, many, though in fact these left before the move Germany, Great Britain, Luxembourg, The Neth- to Brunssum. The British CINCs Northern Army erlands and the United States. The proportions Group and 2nd Tactical Air Force with HQs are approximately US, Great Britain and West in Rheindahlen near Mönchen-Gladbach, still Germany 25% each and the remaining 25% control the northern half of the Region and the from Belgium, The Netherlands, Canada and one US CINCs of Central Army Group and 4th Tac- representative from Luxembourg. tical Air Force with HQs at Heidelberg and Ram- The Command position correctly lies with West stein control the southern half. It is the forces Germany because the responsibility of the Com- under their command which have gone through

HQ AFCENT is silualed in the Hen- drik Mine in Brunssum, The Nether- lands

561 The Central Region

Londo

many vicissitudes and variations as the national available and in a high state of readiness. Given political leaders have blown hot and cold towards these farces, the new strategy imposes an incalcul- the Alliance and in their assessment of the threat. able risk on the aggressor and therefore acts as Until the time of the French withdrawal the poli- a deterrent. cy, at least in theory, had been one of instant nuclear retaliation but this, particularly to the Unfortunately it is very doubtful if sufficient West Germans, was becoming increasingly un- forces have been made available and on the popular and probably impracticable. It was, spot. Most military experts, and Britain's last however, an easy shield for politicians to hide Defence Minister Denis Healey, consider nuclear behind because it meant, in the last analysis, only weapons would be needed in the very early few conventional troops were needed to provide stage of any attack or even strong probe by the a screen to ensure, if the Russians did attack, Soviet Union. Estimates vary from 48 hours to that it was the "real thing" before the nuclear one week. retaliation was unleashed. In December 1967 this At present NATO's Central Region ground for- strategy was formally abandoned and, in its place ces add up to about 23 divisions but many are was substituted a concept based on a range of out of position, under strength and under-trained. appropriate reactions, conventional and nuclear, The British forces are heavily committed in to meet all levels of aggression or threats of Northern Ireland, their units in Germany are aggression as far forward as possible. This be- under strength and over-headquartered although came known as the strategy of "flexible res- of recent years their equipment, particularly the ponse". Chieftain tank and the provision of APCs, has greatly improved. The US forces suffer badly This decision raised a whole host of problems for from the lack of junior leaders due to the war in CINCENT; the chief one being, as SACEUR and hè Vietnam and the President is under constant have repeatedly pointed out, is that a conven- pressure to withdraw further units from Europe. tional attack can only be held without nuclear The Belgian Army is under-equipped and under response if there are sufficient troops on the strength though certain reductions were cancelled ground and aircraft available to support them. after the invasion of Czechoslovakia. The West CINCENT said: German forces are very short of NCOs but happi- To execute an effective forward defence strategy ly their reserves increase steadily and the Leo- l must rely primarily on farces which are readily pard tank follows the traditions of the famous

562 Tiger of World War II. The active Netherlands cause NATO has no intelligence gathering capa- forces are small and, except for one light brigade, bility of its own in time of peace; this is reserved are stationed in their homeland which is too to each sovereign state. Too often political con- far to the West for safety. Canada has recently trol in time of crisis, particularly when fourteen reduced her army forces in Germany to one small Nations are involved, is over-cautious and pre- brigade. vents troop movements in order not to appear In Northern Army Group the Corps are provided "provocative". It is an old reflection on demo- by four different nations each using their own cracy that their governments do not seem to con- types of equipment and so making cross servicing sider moves on the aggressor side as provocative. a nightmare for logistic planners. The CENTAG is The Czechoslovakian crisis proved this only too rather better having US and German Corps and clearly. No NATO forces in AFCENT or elsewhere, the small brigade of Canadians but is compli- as far as can be ascertained, were permitted to cated by the location, not under command, of move into positions of readiness and no official two French divisions who may or may not co- alerts were called. No reserves were called up, operate in time of crisis. admittedly all the signs were that the invasion was limited to Czechoslavakia but it might not have The Soviet Union and Satellites have in the for- been so. ward area about 55 divisions available to move It is vitally necessary that warning time should against the West. All of these divisions are simi- be used to the full to ensure survivability of larily organised and equipped, thus simplifying lo- aircraft, to bring units to strength, to move them, gistic supply. Their tactical air forces total over often hundreds of kilometers, from their peace- 3500 aircraft and can be rapidly increased to time locations to their battle areas. CINCENT has 5000; CINCENT'S aircraft total 1500 without a prepared detailed contingency plans for these similar re-inforcement capability. Aircraft types essential actions but will hè be allowed to carry vary from nation to nation and modernization them out in time? of air forces moves in waves — at present the Because it is only 140 kilometers from the Iron British are coming to a crest of re-inquipment as Curtain to the Rhine by the shortest route hè has the Harrier comes into reserve. The Belgians have little space to manoeuvre his limited conventional been in a trough but are now on the climb. forces and little time to create barriers and obsta- cles. Plans are made for the use of nuclear and To counteract the imbalance of forces General conventional demolitions; hè must be able to Bennecke's main requirement, if the nations are carry them out in time of tension or even in not willing to provide him with more troops in peacetime. peacetime, is time. Warning time, political or military, and just as important: permission to use NATO and the Central Region in particular have that time. This must be provided by nations be- been successful in creating an efficiënt and inte-

A river crossing exercise on the Rhine

563 r A US Hawk deploys in an exercise the Central Region

grated air defence system covering the whole lieves in getting into the field and visiting all front and operating under NATO control even major exercises even though they are not orga- in peacetime. This is one of the military under- nised by hfe own HQ. He has constantly and suc- takings in which the French still participate; it cessfully urged the inclusion of other forces in has contributed greatly to CINCENT'S early war- national exercises. He has taken what the British ning arrangements and to the safety of his assign- call "Buil" out of the various AFCENT exercises ed aircraft. and competitions, making them more workman- like and less social occasions. He has insisted on What other achievements in the four Brunssum clear, concise and co-ordinated planning within years? General Bennecke summed these up in his own HQ and has made workable arrange- March when hè said to me: ments with the French Mission to the HQ. His study periods for senior officers, highly classified, The greatest improvement in the last four years has have always been on hard practical realities of been the successful development of a cohesive the day and not pipe dreams of the future. He defensive plan for Central Europe and the comple- has taken a personal interest in the pipeline pro- tion of our preparations for the implementation of the strategy of forward defence. gramme and has greatly improved logistic inter- Mr. Nixon's statement made in Ireland last year that changability. The supply and transport arrange- the United States would retain her farces in Europe ments for SACEUR'S "International Brigade", the was of the greatest importance to the Central Allied Command Mobile Force, are CINCENT'S European Command. This, and the agreement of responsibility and hè has taken them seriously, the NATO Ministers to modestly increase rather setting up realistic staffs to ensure their proper than reduce their expenditure on their defensive operation. farces, are very encouraging to me and to the farces assigned for my command. What of AFCENT'S position in The Netherlands? The re-equipment programme of both land and air It is perhaps fortunate that it was sited in South farces and the continuation of the improvements in Limburg near the German Border, conservative logistic arrangements and infrastructure projects and Catholic and not given to "anti" demon- such as the "hardening" of airfields has much strations as are the heavily populated Amsterdam improved our defensive capability. or Rotterdam areas. With the coal mines closing Having served both in the old AFCENT and at South Limburg was becoming an area of high Brunssum I would add to this the improvement unemployment whose future looked grim; the in the inter-nation co-operation in the training HQ totalling, with dependents, some 6000 people, arrangements for CINCENT'S earmarked forces. was welcomed as an economie blessing. Indeed General Bennecke is a soldier's general; hè be- it is; it brings about 50 million Dutch guilders

564 into the area each year, employs 700 local wor- As presently organised the troops under com- kers and provides a great deal of charitable and mand of General Bennecke in the Central Region welfare assistance. It has also caused some would give a good account of themselves but hè disappointment; it's arrival raised too many cannot be assured of success in his mission hopes and local people have been upset because unless: of the many facilities provided for the staff. NATO funds have built a school, cinema, 1. sufficient, up to strength, combat ready forces chapels, shops, swimming pool, gymnasiums, are actually located in the correct places in the clubs and playing fields. All necessary for the Central Region; happiness of the HQ but not increasing the trade 2. logistically there is more standardization, full of the local suppliers. However, taken overall, cross servicing and a guaranteed second strike the HQ is now accepted as part of the local capability for the tactical aircraft and missiles; community albeit a rather odd monster in a pro- 3. warning time, provided and used intelligently vincial situation. and boldly. The first two depend mostly on finance, though What of the future? This is closely tied with that could be greatly improved if France rejoined the of the Alliance itself; much criticised and much military side of NATO, and the last on political abused but still the only practical insurance for decision. None of which can be much influenced the co-ordinated and combined defence of the by the NATO Commander in the field, hè can Free World. It depends upon the amount of only continue his successful efforts of the last money each member country considers it must four years to improve the defence posture by afford to allocate to defence and this depends on careful planning, good training, the best possible the political situation at any given time; democra- use of the inadequate forces provided and by the cies are quickly lulled into a false sense of secu- continuous education of the politicians concern- rity in times of so called détente. ed in defence matters.

565