Fifth Corps: The Soviet Breakthrough at Fulda (1980)

"Fifth Corps: The Soviet Breakthrough at Fulda" is one of several games in the Central Front Series published by SPI in the 1980s. "Fifth Corps" appeared in the September/October 1980 issue of Strategy & Tactics magazine #82. Both the game and series depict the early days of World War III in West Germany. Combat is conducted at the company, battalion, and regiment level, with a map scale of 4 km per hex. The map covers the Fulda Gap and includes the major West German cities of Frankfurt and Mainz.

Fifth Corps uses a collection of mechanics, including "Operations Points" and "Friction Points", variable length game turns, and Zones of Control to simulate modern battlefield conditions. As with most modern warfare games, Fifth Corps includes rules for airpower, airmobile operations, and nuclear/chemical warfare. The game includes three scenarios: an introductory "Rhein-Main Raid", a more advanced "The Battle for Fulda", and the campaign game, "Fifth Corps".

• The Rhein-Main Raid Scenario: Three days after the next war began, the Soviets had not crossed into the Fulda/Frankfurt area. All Warsaw Pact lines of advance had been to the north and south of Fifth Corp's area of operations.Thus, NATO vacated the area to reinforce other hard hit sectors. NATO was surprised then, when two Soviet motorized rifle divisions entered the Fulda Gap supported by attack helicopters, aiming to seize a NATO nuclear site at Giessen, the Wiesbaden Airfield, and the critical Rhein-Main Airbase... A mobile, confusing engagement ensured, independent of the major battles along the rest of the front.

• The Battle for Fulda Scenario: At the outbreak of the next war, few areas were harder hit than the Fulda Gap. Here an entire Soviet Army and various support units, including an airborne regiment, were committed on the first day... Those [NATO support units] that survived were ordered to "contain all enemy breakouts" until the arrival of the 5th Panzer Division.

• Fifth Corps Scenario: Following the initial attack by 8th Guards Army, the Soviets sought to seal the fate of NATO in the Fulda/Frankfurt area by committing the 1st Guards Tank Army to the action... The race was on for the important Pomcus and Reforger sites.