All,
It's 0530 on 1 Feb 1990, and A Airborne Infantry Company, 1st CLA Airborne Battalion, has been dispatched to seize a key bridge east of Sandino (on the western end of the island), held by elements of the 24th Provincial Militia Company, 3rd Cuban Infantry Battalion. The regime forces are occupying emplacements on both sides of the river, and the CLA Airborne troopers are attacking from all points of the compass.
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This is battle 3 of the fight for Cuba.
In the overall scheme of things, CLA SOF Squadron B took out a radar site on the west end of the island (1) to help screen the advance of the troopships carrying 3rd Infantry Battalion, 4th Infantry Battalion, and 5th Armored Battalion, scheduled to land on the western end of the island in the La Fe area. Almost simultaneously, CLA SOF Squadron C took out a Cuban military communications center (2) on the eastern end of the island, in order to hamper C4ISR for the Cuban military. Now 1st Parachute Battalion is dropping east of La Fe in order to screen the landings in the west from the Cuban garrison at Pinar del Rio. In this fight, A Company, 1st Abn Bn, is attempting to seize a key bridge in order to block Cuban Army forces from Pinar del Rio attacking the beachead, and then to enable 5th Armored Battalion's route of attack on Havana.
Elements of A Co, 1st Abn Bn: Command Stand (Captain Olejandro), six Airborne rifle teams, an HMG team, and a MILAN team. Additionally, there is a single leader figure on the board, representing Colonel Bartolo Lucastro, Commanding Officer of the CLA's 1st Airborne Infantry Battalion. His figure will basically be treated as a second command stand, able to assist any friendly unit on the table.
Elements of the 24th Provincial Militia Company, 3rd Cuban Infantry Battalion: a Command Stand (forgive me, I'm using a single figure stand as I don't have a 'proper' Command Stand for this force), three rifle teams, three rifle teams with RPGs, and pickup truck-mounted 12.7mm HMG.
Overview, north is up. The regime garrison is at center, sitting astride the river, and CLA paratroopers are in all four corners.
The fighting at Bunker 1 was legendary.
A great fight, really a back-and forth affair that was only sealed due to the gallantry and combat leadership of… Well, you'll have to check out the batrep at:
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Two more fights to write up.
V/R,
Jack