All,
It's 0545 on 1 Feb 1990, and E Airborne Infantry Company, 2nd CLA Airborne Battalion, has been dispatched to seize a key hilltop position near El Rincon (on Hwy 122, just east of the Bay of Pigs), held by elements of the 89th Provincial Militia Company, 5th Territorial Infantry Battalion.
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In the overall scheme of things, CLA SOF Squadrons B and C have stricken blows to degrade regime C4ISR capabilities, and 1st Para Bn dropped in the west to shield the west landing site at Playa Colorada, and now 2nd Para Bn is dropping near El Rincon, just east of the Bay of Pigs, to shield the Bay of Pigs landing site from the Cuban Cienfuegos garrison.
Highway 122 is the key artery running along the coast, east-west into the Bay of Pigs. The Cuban 5th Territorial Infantry Battalion has forces overlooking the Highway just east of the town of El Rincon, and E Company, 2nd Para Bn, is tasked seizing this position. Failure to do so will leave the route open for attack on the landing beaches.
The E Company Paratroopers: Command Stand (Captain Halabrio), five Airborne rifle teams, an 81mm mortar, a MILAN ATGM team, and a single leader figure representing Colonel Salvino Carreno, 2nd Airborne Infantry Battalion, Commanding Officer.
The pro-Castro force: Command Stand, six rifle stands, two LMG stands, and a dedicated RPG stand (three of the rifle stands also have RPGs).
Overview, north is up. The enemy force is in the north, the CLA paras in the south. The objective is Hill 81 at top left. Please note the civilians on the battlefield.
Captain Halabrio's command section rushes to usher the innocent civilians out of the line of fire (top right), while Para Team 1 lays down heavy fire (bottom right).
Overall, another great game, which came within a whisker of Colonel Carreno ordering Captain Halabrio to withdraw his men to regroup. See the entire batrep here:
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One more batrep yet to come, so stay tuned.
V/R,
Jack
