From the Stars and Stripes archives
'NATO' units set to attack
VILSECK, Germany — Winter Shield II entered its second half early Monday as "NATO" forces moved into position and awaited the order that would touch off a major counteroffensive aimed at throwing the "Aggressors" back across the Danube-Altmuehl rivers.
Sunday was truce time in the six-day maneuvers in which more than 60,000 German, French and American troops are participating in snow-covered mud.
The truce started Saturday afternoon to make room for a live-fire demonstration staged by the 24th Inf Div and 17th Air Force.
V Corps, the 8th Inf Div, the German 54th Panzer Brig, and the French 11th Mechanized Brig make up the bulk of the "NATO" forces whose territory was invaded shortly after midnight Thursday by a swarm of "aggressors" — VII Corps, the 4th Armd Div, and the German 11th Panzer Grenadier Brig.
The weather outlook for Monday was far from promising.
Air Weather Service expected increasing cloudiness with rain turning to drizzle over most of the area and the temperature in the 40-to-45-degree bracket — a sure bet to melt snow that fell over the weekend and make mud muddier in the war games area of southeastern Germany.
