Böhm Walter Divisional Training Exercise of the 3rd (BR) Armoured Division "The Iron Division"

The defence plan of I (BR) Corps towards the end of the Cold War envisaged deploying the 1st and 4th (BR) Armoured Divisions at the front edge of the defence and holding back the 3rd (BR) Armoured Division with its three brigades (4th, 6th and 33rd Armoured Brigade) as a reserve. It was against this background that the British manoeuvre "Iron Hammer", the last of the NATO manoeuvre series "Autumn Forge", took place in Germany in autumn 1988. The total strength of the troops taking part in Iron Hammer 88 was around 25,300 soldiers, including 1,600 soldiers from the Territorial Army from the UK, who were in the field with 275 battle tanks, 2,000 tracked vehicles, 4,000 wheeled vehicles and 75 helicopters. For troop trials, the FV4030/4 Challenger 1 Mk 2 main battle tanks of a squadron of the 17th/21st Lancers were equipped with fuel additive barrels and the new FV510 Warrior ISV infantry fighting vehicle was also deployed at divisional level for the first time. This publication shows the military vehicles deployed in dramatic manoeuvre photos, with changing weather turning the end of the manoeuvre into a "winter battle".