All,
It's 1100 on 4 Feb 1990, and the CLA's 2nd Marine Rifle Company, 6th Infantry Battalion, supported by tanks of 3rd Troop, 5th Tank Battalion, are conducting the final assault to destroy the regime's 6th Armored Battalion and secure the central city of Cienfuegos.
This is a major step in the CLA's operations to overthrow the Castro regime; in the west, the CLA has advanced and, minus a few regime holdouts in Artemisa (just west of Havana), has the weak remaining regime forces in Havana in a vice. While powerful regime forces remain on the eastern end of the island, they are shielded off by strong CLA forces posted across the center of the island, and the fall of Cienfuegos is a powerful military and morale blow to the Castro regime.
The opposing forces, with CLA on the right and regime on the left. The CLA is made up of US infantry from Pendraken's Vietnam range, with plastic Takara tanks, while the regime force is comprised of Argentinians from Pendraken's Falklands range.
The CLA force has Captain Spirovales's Command Stand, six rifle stands, two M-48A5 tanks, and single leader figure representing their Battalion Commander. The regime force has a Command Stand, five rifle teams, a MILAN Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) team, and an 82mm mortar team. After participating in four fights previously, this armored battalion finds itself with no remaining serviceable vehicles.
Overview of map, north is up, with a stream (fordable by infantry but not vehicles) running north-south and bridges at center (road) and top center) railroad). The CLA is on the left (west), coming out of the city's downtown into the regime's final line of defense in the suburbs of Cienfuegos. The poker chips are enemy blinds (black are infantry and infantry dummies, while the white chips represent the ATGM and ATGM dummies).
Rockets were back in full force, seen here a MILAN fires on Captain Basilone's tank. To see the whole fight, please check the blog at:
linkThis fight was another beast, with the CLA awarding its third Medall de Honor (their highest award for gallantry). I'm looking to wrap up the Cuba Libre 'War of Liberation' this weekend, then start another modern project/campaign.
V/R,
Jack
