All,
It's 0630 on 1 Feb 1990, and 2nd Marine Company, 6th Infantry Battalion, has just come ashore at the Bay of Pigs landing site (7). The Marines debarked their Amphibious Assault Vehicles, which turned around to go pick up the second wave, then began moving east along the beach. The Marines had met no resistance during the landing (as expected), but when they began fanning out to the east they ran into elements of the 81st Infantry Company, 4th Infantry Battalion, who, as pure dumb luck would have it, were on maneuvers in the area, away from their base at Cienfuegos.
So far we've had:
1) B Squadron SOF destroyed a radar site in support of amphibious landings at Playa Colorada (5). B Sqdn then egressed and linked up with CLA rotary wing assets for their follow-on mission in Havana (6).
2) C Squadron SOF destroyed a the Cuban military's communications center.
3) 1st Para Battalion dropped in and seized a bridge to screen the landings at Playa Colorada (5).
4) 2nd Para battalion dropped in and eliminated a Castro-regime garrison to screen the landings at the Bay of Pigs (just west of (4).
5) 1st Marine Company, 3rd Infantry Battalion, made an amphibious assault at Playa Colorada.
6) A Squadron SOF attacked a Castro-regime SAM site near Havana, which failed to clear the way for B Squadron's helo assault into Havana.
7) 2nd Marine Company, 6th Infantry Battalion, landed at the Bay of Pigs then turned east and ran into a strong enemy force.
The opposing forces, with Castro-regime troops on the left and CLA on the right. The Marines have a rather small, but highly proficient force, but are significantly outnumbered in men and heavy weapons. The CLA force has a Command Stand, five Marine rifle teams, a light machine gun, and a single-figure stand representing Colonel Ricardo Colvasquez, Commanding Officer, 6th Infantry Battalion. The enemy force has a Command Stand, seven rifle stands, a medium machine gun, and an 82mm mortar.
Overview of the map, north is up, Marines are on the left (west), coming from their landing site, while the enemy is on the right (east), moving to check out the commotion, unaware (due to C Squadron SOF knocking out the comm center) of the invasion. In the north is Hill 47.
Fighting is intense on the highway and beach, but the real bloodletting occurs on Hill 47. I am happy to report the CLA is back to its winning ways due to the strength of CLA Marine combat leadership.
To see what happened, please check the blog at:
link
Another great fight, two more to post, so stay tuned.
V/R,
Jack
experiments with using recessed bases for figures with cast-on bases.
