All,
It's 1100 on 1 Feb 1990, and B Company, 8th Popular Force Battalion is lying in ambush just west of Havana (#13). 8th PopFor Bn's mission is to halt/delay Castro-regime mechanized forces in Havana from moving west to the Playa Colorada beach head. At approximately 1045, CLA scouts returned to report they had not only detected elements of the 18th Tank Company and 20th Motor Rifle Company of the regime's 2nd Armored Battalion, but that those elements had halted on the road and dismounted, apparently taking a break, with very lax security.
The Company Commander, Captain Muertosa, quickly turned to his Battalion Commander, Colonel Habanera, to discuss the situation. Less than two minutes later the Popular Force guerrillas were double-timing their way to the enemy's location, keen on catching their mechanized vehicles unattended.
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, which it handily defeated.
8) B Company of the UWG pursued and destroyed an enemy garrison in the Escambray Mountains.
9) B Squadron SOF conducted an aerial insertion into Havana to seize a radio station and broadcast news of the invasion.
10) 10th Popular Force Battalion seized and destroyed the Pedroso bridge to protect the Bay of Pigs landing site from the Matanzas garrison.
11) 1st Airborne Infantry Battalion successfully fought off a regime counterattack near the bridge at Sandino, protecting the western (Playa Colorada) landing site from the Pinar del Rio garrison.
12) 6th Infantry Battalion fought through an enemy ambush while pushing inland from the Bay of Pigs landing site.
The opposing forces, with regime troops on the left and CLA troops on the right. As always, my 'Popular Force' troops are Pendraken Brit and Argentinian special forces from their Falklands range, with heavy weapons from the Vietminh/Vietcong/NVA of the Indochina and Vietnam ranges. The regime troops are Minifigs WarPac and Arab regulars mixed together, with the command stand actually being composed of Pendraken Brits from the Falklands range. The T-72s are Takara plastics, and the BMP-2s are Minifigs.
The CLA force, a Command Stand, five rifle teams, an 81mm mortar team, an RPG team, and a single leader figure representing the Battalion Commander. The regime force has a Command Stand, seven rifle stands, an 82mm mortar team, and an AT-5 Spandrel team (not sure what they'll do with that). Oh, and two T-72s and three BMPs.
Overview, north is up, with the CLA forces having entered along the bottom (southern) edge, and some pushed all the way up Hill 32 at dead center. The regime forces have their armor on the road and everyone, including the vehicle crews, is dismounted at or north of the road.
The CLA troopers seized the initiative and dealt a serious blow to the regime armored force. To see the whole fight, please check the blog at:
linkMore to follow.
V/R,
Jack
looks at a multi-period building.
