Operation DIRLEWANGER II By TooTall
Force Outline:
Era: Late WW2
Forcetype: Motorised Infantry
Attachment: Cromwell IV

Situation Outline:
Operation Start: 07:30, 14 Feb 1945
Current Weather: Overcast light fog.
Future Weather: No change
Map: BaranowWinter

Conflict Overview:
The Dirlewanger Brigade, also known as the SS-Sturmbrigade Dirlewanger or the 36th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, or Black Hunters, was a unit of the Waffen-SS and consisted of convicted criminals who were not expected to survive their service with the unit. 
Oskar Paul Dirlewanger was the German military officer which the brigade was named after. 
Initially the unit was assigned to "anti-bandit" operations in Belarus. Where his preferred method of suppression was to herd the local population inside a barn, set the barn on fire, and then shoot with machine guns anyone who tried to escape. He would routinely round-up civilians and use them as human shields and march them over minefields. By 1944 it was estimated that the brigade, by then regiment-sized, had killed at least 100,000 civilians. An expert in extermination and a devotee of sadism and necrophilia Dirlewanger had a reputation of the most evil man in the SS and his name is closely linked to some of the most notorious crimes of the war.

Situation OPFOR:
Standard Wehrmacht winter camo sections
Standard Waffen SS
Vehicles: Sd.Kfz, Opel Blitz, Kublewagon, PzKpfw V Panther

Recent Events:
At 0700 Bravo and Alpha Coys attempted to cross the river but were faced with heavy resistance making the first attempt unsuccessful. However, with the German armor section chasing Bravo Coy a small window of opportunity could exist to continue and execute the mission objective. 

Intent:
Find and eliminate Oskar Dirlewanger and any of his SS Division

Objectives:

• Destroy any aircraft at Dymitrow airbase, thereby preventing Dirlewanger from escaping by air
• Find and eliminate Dirlewanger at one of the 3 sites marked on the map
• Evacuate back to the Allied airbase using the Eastern Gagolin crossing. The Western crossing is likely to be reinforced and impassable

Important Note:
Much of the North bank is heavily mined so extreme caution should be made when approaching the bank. In the past few days, the weather has got decidedly colder freezing the river. However, the ice is thin and not recommended for standing on and definitely not suitable for vehicles. In addition, due to the fog, air support, that was allocated for this operation, has been delayed.