Uncovering the T-80: A Military Mission – BRIXMIS – in action in East Germany c.1981

[BootsDMS]

My USAREUR M48 project is drawing to a close – as long as I get my finger out this evening. In the wings I have a yearning to tackle a Canadian Leo 1A2, and of course, my Dutch MBT-70 needs some attention.

However, with the recent build of a Mercedes G Wagen from Neverland Hobby by Makinen, see his Neverland Hobby Wolf SSA 1/35, got me thinking about a project I’d been considering for some time, and provided suitable inspiration; after all, I had just about all the components I needed, sans a few figures so thought it high time I had a re-look.

I am sure there are those Cold War modellers, or even modellers in general, who are/were unaware that the Brits (together with the French and the US) were tramping all over East Germany during the Cold War, essentially spying; I sympathise as not much was ever published about such nefarious activities until after The Wall came down. Basically, as a result of an agreement in 1946 “Liaison” teams were to be established in one another’s territory. So in the DDR we had the above mentioned Allied teams, all based in Berlin, and in the Federal Republic of West Germany, the Soviets were similarly based. If I start explaining everything here I’ll never stop so please feel free to Google or explore further as you see fit eg BRIXMIS, SOXMIS, USMLM, and the French mission which to us Brits was known as “FMLM” but is available as “MMFL”.

As it happened, when I first encountered BRIXMIS, it was in 1980, as I was then Chief Clerk of the supporting staff branch in HQ BAOR, responsible for all their numerous supply requests, and other tasks; G Intelligence – the staff branch concerned, also received daily reports from the mission, and fascinating stuff it all was too.

Liaison didn’t take long to mutate into spying and there were some great intelligence coups achieved by all, over the fraught decades of the Cold War. It wasn’t just on the ground but the Brits (and possibly others) used to fly a Chipmunk trainer aircraft up and down the authorised air corridors – where there was a considerable concentration of Soviet bases - happily snapping away, with the pretence that as they had RAF aircrew on the BRIXMIS establishment, to maintain their flying pay the RAF component had to fly every week.

A recommended read for all this is these 2 x books, plus Google around as you see fit:

So, the plan is to replicate a BRIXMIS team, with their G Wagen, snooping around the edge of a Soviet training area/barracks, capturing imagery of the fearsome T-80, then just coming into service in the fearsome Group of Soviet Forces Germany.

My concept of ops (the green model component is the chassis of the Revell G Wagen):

So, the T-80 is doing its thing -see here for a bit of inspiration:

Soviet Army T-80B/BV (East Germany)

which I’ve listed before, but is rather good I feel. It does go on for 12½ minutes.

So, the tank is completing a circuit of the camp perimeter track, sealed off from the rest of the country by the ubiquitous Lachman pre-fabricated PO-2 concrete fence panels. Parked on an adjacent forest track is a BRIXMIS team – consisting of 3 x personnel (I understand the French and the US missions operated in teams of 2, but the Brits found that 3 gave them greater flexibility).

I’ve got to modify the Revell kit to a long-wheel based hard top version but luckily, have the 3D printed MAD-Modellbau conversion kit; I hope we get on.

There’s still a fine bit of fine tuning to see to. The tree line will be consistent – I think I’ve enough trees to indicate the edge of a forest, and will hopefully appear dense enough. The base for the tank might be raised a bit so I’ll have to get the landscaping right and incorporate the Lachman panels accordingly. I must also ensure that the tank is in the line of sight of the BRIXMIS operator who is snapping away, and position an indignant T-80 crew as well.

So, that’s the plan.

[Gregory_J_Copplin]

Can’t wait to watch this build come together

[BootsDMS]

Thanks Greg - hopefully not quite as glacial a pace as my M48!

[HermannB]

Wouldn´t it be risky to park a tank so close to the wall? On the other hand, when I was in East Germany after re-unification, next to a Soviet installation. Soldier were manning guard towers, probably with life-rounds in theri AK´s. So you better don´t do a false move.

[BootsDMS]

The tank is hardly parked; I cannot show movement on a static model! Whilst I have to compress distances on my models due to the base size, I envisage the tanks doing a run around the perimeter track - as almost seen on the video - and as described above. It is not unlikely that this would happen; all Soviet camps were deep within a forbidden zone in any case - not that this ever deterred the missions. Any military mission worth their salt would have recce’d this thoroughly, and in this instance have seized the opportunity, as they so often did. Initiative and daring paving the way for some fearsome intelligence coups.

[Seanmcandrews]

Great subject ! If I recall correctly at some point these teams were sent out to gather information on the armor composition of either the T64 or T80 and gaining access to a storage area took samples with a tool designed specifically for that purpose.

[BootsDMS]

They did indeed; it was May Day in 1981. That’s important as the Sovs were celebrating so quite possible that even the sentries were on the lash. They broke into a tank shed at Parchim, and sprang the turret hatch on a T-64 that was within. The key had been made via an application through H!Q BAOR (us folks!) and was passed to a department in the MOD known as Tech Int Army. They produced one with not much more to go on than phots taken from an East German railway bridge as a load of T-64s passed underneath. This was secreted amongst the vehicle tool kit in case they were apprehended and searched - which did happen on occasion.

Once inside the tank, the respective officer snapped away using a standard British Army right-angled torch for illumination. At one point he dropped it down into the bowels of the turret. This was a serious problem. If the Sovs discovered it they would know that their main tank - there were around 3000 (I think) of these sophisticated beasts in the GSFG - had been compromised, and how. Eventually, it was recovered, but must have been a tense moment. But I mean, wow! What an intelligence coup!

The key:

So, arguably not quite as exciting as that, but I hope this little dio will set the scene appropriately enough. I hope that the figures and the positioning will convey sufficient drama. This was all for real, and even deadly stuff.

[Seanmcandrews]

Is it known if the Soviets were able to get anything comparable from NATO tanks ? I believe they got their hands on IDF M60s and US M48s from Vietnam.

[BootsDMS]

I believe they got a Chieftain from Iraq, who in turn, had filched it from Iran when they were engaged in that mad internecine Iran/Iraq war of the 80s. As the Shah originally also had M60 on his books, conceivably the Sovs would have picked one up form Iraq too; that said, perhaps Egypt proffered one?

[Seanmcandrews]

Of course, turnaround is fair play with all of the BMPs, ZSU, and T series tanks the IDF sent to NATO members. I’ve read that small arms recovered in their various conflicts of the 60s and 70s were supplied to the Mujahideen via Pakistani from the US.

[BootsDMS]

Well, the T-80 is half built; the terrain will need some careful planning, but key is the G Wagen; if I don’t get that right then I’ve no model. The MAD instructions are a bit unclear - or it might just be me(!). After a tedious removal from all those pesky 3D casting strands, I have the main body ready to go. However, I first need to drill out a hatch. The G Wagens were progressively converted, and one of the first additions was a lifting hatch on the roof. This facilitated a raised platform - ie the seats in the rear, and facilitated a relatively safe perch when photographing that which should not be photographed:

Onwards!

[JohnTapsell]

It wasn’t all fun and games, Both the Americans and the French had personnel killed whilst conducting ‘tours’ in East Germany.

From memory:
The American officer was shot in disputed circumstances after he and his driver were apprehended near a Soviet tank shed (T-80s if I recall correctly) in the middle of a GSFG range complex.

The French Warrant Officer(?) died after his vehicle was deliberately rammed by a Kraz truck whilst the French team were trying to photograph a military convoy.

Both the books that Boots recommends are excellent. The Tony Geraghty book is older and covers more of the history of Brixmis. The Steve Gibson book covers some history but is primarily about his own experiences whilst ‘on tour’ in the late 1980s and immediately after the wall came down.

[BootsDMS]

It was indeed, deadly serious. The incoming Chief of BRIXMIS, one Brigadier Learmont had his Opel Senator (the mission used heavily modified Opens - fitted with 4 wheel drive amongst other assets - in addition to Range Rovers and G Wagens), rammed by a heavy truck on his first tour:

The French soldier was Philippe Mariotti. The US officer killed was a Major Nicholson - shot. What is not widely known is that around a month before the shooting, a US tour broke through a Soviet cordon when they were surprised in a restricted area. During the breakout they ran over a Sov soldier, who later died of his injuries. I suspect the shooting of Nicholson was a tit for tat act in the deadly world of Cold War politics.

Anyway, back to the model; a bit of work on a figure. Of the 3-man team, one will be photographing the T-80, a Driver will be at his post in the vehicle, ever vigilant (on tour the Driver even had to sleep in the vehicle), and the team leader standing out side the vehicle, possibly exhorting his photographic comrade to get a move on. So here is where I’m at with the standing figure:

I hope to be able to fashion a woolly pully from this one - a sculpting challenge if ever there was one.

I might use this head, or not:

“Get a bloody move on Smudge, and let’s get the hell out of here!”

[lkwman]

Hello Boots DMS, a very interesting topic you’ve created here. I remember that time, the introduction of the T-80 main battle tank, very well. It was the early 1980s, and the first to receive these tanks was the 1st Guards Tank Army in Dresden. This involved the 11th and 9th Panzer Divisions. These divisions were re-equipped with T-80 tanks by road transport on low-loaders at night, covered. The first T-80 tanks were sighted at the Königsbrück training area. The military liaison missions were very active at that time. If you want to build a diorama with T-80 tanks from that era, you’ll have to modify the model. The tanks introduced back then were early versions, recognizable by the front plate and the road wheels. Here are some pictures from that time. I’m looking forward to seeing the diorama.

Regards, lkwman

[lkwman]

[BootsDMS]

I’m too are gone to worry about the roadwheels I’m afraid. How interesting though that the every pictures you use are those taken by the missions!

Here’s a later BRIXMIS photograph:

[lkwman]

It’s a good thing the military liaison mission took these pictures. We Germans weren’t allowed to take pictures; they would be interesting today. Nobody wanted to go to prison. Here’s another picture of the transport.

[BootsDMS]

Joachim, what do you mean by the front plate representing an early version? Is this the one without the horizontal ribbing?

[lkwman]

Here’s a picture to answer your question.

[BootsDMS]

Roger that. I ‘ve the ancient Dragon kit but I’ll persevere with that. I’m sure I’ll still get an effect!

Thanks.