- Title: WEST GERMANY: NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANISATION (NATO) BEGINS AUTUMN MANOEUVRES.
- Date: 25th September 1986
- Summary: 1. GVs Troops carrying rafts to river and crossing to form bridgehead. (4 SHOTS) 0.29 2. GV PANs Leopard tank crossing river by means of raised hatch for observer. (2 SHOTS) 0.54 3. GV Truck dropping collapsible pontoon into river. 1.02 4. GV Troops crossing makeshift bridge. 1.13 5. GV PAN Tank covered in camouflage crossing a bridge. 1.23 6. GV Troops disembarking from armoured personnel carriers in field. 1.28 7. GV Troops running along trench under cover towards house. 1.37 8. GV & SV House with troops stationed inside, and troops returning fire. (2 SHOTS) 1.42 9. GVs Troops advancing along street and rushing doors of house and windows. (2 SHOTS) 1.53 10. GV ZOOM INTO SV Troops playing explosive charge, which explodes. 2.03 11. GVs House being attacked by infantry. 2.18 12. SV PULL BACK TO GV PAN Burning car near village houses with tank passing at high speed and then stopping. 2.22 13. SV PULL BACK TO GV Observers walking past mock dead soldier. 2.30 InitialsBB/JS Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 10th October 1986 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: FAHR, NEAR WURZBURG, WEST GERMANY
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVACPWK4SQM574I87Z6CAK32DEF0
- Story Text: FAHR, NEAR WURZBURG, WEST GERMANY
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) forces began their 1986 "Autumn Forge" manoeuvres, on September 22 throughout the North Cape and southern Europe. Seven of the total of 20 exercises were being held in West Germany over two days from September 24 to 26. Under German command about 58,000 troops completed the first operation, known as "Francinian Shield", at Fahr near Wurzburg. The operator involved the establishment of a bridgehead on the Main river at Fahr. Soldiers paddled across the river to secure the "enemy" shore before a collapsible pontoon was unloaded and the bridge constructed. The village of Hammelburg also near Wurzburg, was the scene of another operation as Leopard tanks moved in to take the village and secure all houses in the area. The manoeuvres, known as "Bold Guard", involve 65,000 troops and 70,000 vehicles from West Germany, Denmark, Britain, the United States and the Netherlands, practising NATO's ability to reinforce its central front by sea. The central front is regarded by the West as the most heavily militarised region in the world. In the event of an East-West conflict, some two million troops from a dozen armies would, according to Western figures, be thrown into action in the border zone between East and West Germany. The exercises began during the conference which resulted in the signing of the Stockholm Agreement on September 24 after nearly three years of negotiations. The agreement is aimed at reducing the risk of accidental war by pledging all signatory states to give ample advance warning of major troop movements and permit outside inspections.
<strong>Source: REUTERS - LOUIS BREYTENBACH</strong> - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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