"Team Whiskey - Fulda Gap Batrep 2" Topic

All,

It's 1300 on 2 August 1986, and the Soviets have broken through the entire NATO front in numerous places, pouring armored columns through the giant gaps. This is true maneuver warfare, with Soviet formations seeking out gaps and NATO seeking to find and seal them. Battlefield reconnaissance takes on a role of huge import, with 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (11th ACR) at the fore, with attached deep reconnaissance elements of 10th Special Forces Group (10th SFG) providing support.

An SF element of 10th SFG, comprising two SF fireteams, was inserted yesterday evening into the town of Bad Stulz and began reporting, but has missed its last two communications windows (didn't report in via radio). There's been a lot of Soviet electronic warfare jamming going on, so Brigade is optimistic the SF teams are still alive, just unable to communicate. From Team Whiskey's India Company, the sole remaining intact platoon, Lieutenant Teigner's 3rd Mechanized Platoon, is dispatched to find and recover the SF teams, in order to bring back their intelligence information. Failing that, 3rd Mech Plt must make contact the Soviet 8th Guards Tank Army and provide that information to the Brigade Intelligence Section.

The US force: these are actually two separate forces, the two 10th SFG teams at top left, then Lt Teigner's 3rd Mech Plt of the command section, four rifle teams, and five Bradleys. The Platoon Commander's (PC's) command section has a single Stinger surface to air missile (SAM).

The Soviet force: an infantry platoon of command section, two MGs, an Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM, in this case an AT-5 Spandrel); a mechanized platoon of a command section, four rifle squads, and five BMPs; a tank platoon of four T-72s; a Spetznaz squad of two fireteams; and an Mi-24 Hind attack helicopter, which is also transporting the two Spetznaz teams.

A look at the table, from south to north from behind the US baseline, and you can actually see the Bradleys of 3rd Mech Plt spread across the bottom. The Soviet infantry platoons are scattered across the top of the map. To recap, the US force is charged with going in an finding the two SF teams, and getting at least one of them secured and off the map (back to their own baseline in the south), while the Soviets want to prevent this, and actually are looking to destroy the entire US force.

And here's the kicker: neither side knows where the two SF teams are! The Soviets aren't the only ones who have to push into Bad Stulz to find the SF teams, the US does too because of the EW jamming is preventing link-up via VHF/HF comms (I'm guessing Bradleys can go HF? For sure Brigade HQ can).

So, the way I'm handling this peculiar situation is this: there are two SF teams in the center of the table, so I placed four 'blinds' (which are purple beads) spread across the center of the map, with both sides having to advance and 'spot' the SF teams (admittedly, I'll be making the spotting easier for the US 3rd Mech Plt as I assume the SF teams want to be found by friendly troops). Despite them being on blinds, I will allow the blinds to move south each turn, albeit very slowly as they are trying to remain unseen. So each turn the blinds are out there, I will move the them four inches towards the southern baseline, and once they are correctly spotted, I will remove the dummies and place the SF teams.

Which brings up activation: I am still using Ivan's excellent "5Core Company Command," but I am using cards to determine when each unit activates. So, at the start of the game there is a card for the SF blinds, a card for the US 3rd Mech Plt, a card for the Soviet foot infantry platoon, and a card for the Soviet mech infantry platoon. Once the tanks come on (Turn 2), they will have a card in the deck. once the Hind comes on (also Turn 2), it will have a card in the deck. And once the Spetznaz are off-loaded from the Hind, they will have a card in the deck.

This is looking west to east at the center of town. The red circles show the four 'blinds' representing the two SF teams. The southern baseline is to right, where 3rd Mech Plt's vehicles are off camera.

From the Soviet perspective, they are actively and aggressively engaged in counter-reconnaissance, trying to keep NATO's prying eyes from locating their armored formations, and the electronic warfare (EW) jamming is actually being conducted in support of this effort. Soviet EW sections conducted signals intercepts and radio direction finding (RDF), which is how they became aware of the two US SF teams nearby. As they were preparing to dispatch forces to deal with the US SF teams, their signals intercept made them aware the US forces in the area had just sent additional forces (3rd Mech Plt) into the area as well. The Soviets don't know the size or composition of this new force, but absolutely want to keep them from linking up with the two SF teams, and ideally, both US forces would be destroyed entirely. The plan is for the two infantry platoons (one on foot, one in BMPs) to push into Bad Stulz from the north. Once contact with US forces has been made, and/or the infantry have pushed sufficiently into the urban area to help clear it of infantry anti-tank weapons, the tank platoon will dash into the town, straight down main street, as the Hind comes in and deposits the two Spetznaz teams on the southern end of the town to try to bottle the US forces in the center, preventing any escape.

An M3 Bradley looses a TOW at a T-72.

Lt Teigner fires off a Stinger, looking to knock down the Hind.

But the Hind dodges and loops around to deliver a salvo of 57mm rockets.

Even the dismounts get it in on the action, moving to point blank range to engage enemy tanks with LAWs. To see how the fight turned out, please check the blog at:
link

Another fantastic fight, super intense and decided by a whisker. That's both games from this past weekend, I'm looking to get two more in this weekend, so stay tuned.

V/R,
Jack

Wow. Nail biting battle report. Poor Team Whiskey needs to be pulled back for rest and refit. They are most definitely combat ineffective at this point.

General,

Thanks for commenting, and we're definitely getting beat up. I'd say the whole Team isn't combat ineffective (yet), but basically one whole Mech Infantry Company has been totally wiped out.

They still have Kilo Company (mech inf), that hasn't been touched, and Charlie Company (tank) that is only down one tank. But it's only Day 2…

V/R,
Jack

Ah I got you Jack. I assumed the Team only consisted of the battle 1's force of 1 tank and 2 mech infantry platoons!

That being said these guys are giving a real bloody nose to the russkies!!!

I am enjoying your battle reports! Keep it up!!!

Wow, Jack! Great reports and a stress fest to boot. Your modern battlefield is a murderous place. Good stuff!
Cheers and good gaming.
Rod Robertson.

General – Thanks, I hope to get two more games in this weekend, posted next week (as quick as I can, bear with me guys, this is a lot of work).

Rod – Thanks man, I really appreciate it. It was quite a fight; actually, both fights have had me breaking out in a sweat. Ivan and I worked together on modifying Company Command to fit it a little better to the Cold War mechanized battlefield. I wholeheartedly believe the modern battlefield to be an extremely deadly place, and I think the rules are doing a great job reflecting that, so I'm having a great time with them.

V/R,
Jack

NIce looking set up Jack!

Your reports are so very interesting. Most enjoyable. Thanks.

Good work mate!

This is a huge effort, very well done for this and the previous AAR!

Hey Jack what are the modification you use with the 5corp rule set. I've read both AAR's and love how it plays out so I'm going to pick up a set. My current set is home made and cumbersome, 30 years ago that wasn't a problem. Now that I'm 50 I want something that is quicker then an hour or two a turn and shorter then a 14 hour game. My home rules are detailed, highly modified, began life as leopard tracks rule set.

Thank you fellas, I appreciate it, and Kyote, Kilo goes in this weekend.

CavSCout – I'm with ya man, but give me a little time, please. These Cold War amendments are being tested and changed at a rapid pace. Ivan (the rules writer, 'Weasel' here on TMP) and I worked to come up with a bunch of new ideas, and some of them I was sure were perfect but have since been thrown out.

Also, Ivan is the owner, so it's up to him on what he wants to do with them. If he has no interest in putting them out, then I've got no problem sharing my thoughts once I've figured out what they are, exactly ;)

I know it's a shameless plug (having said that, I'm not in any way tied to Nordic Weasel Games, just buddies with Ivan, and he's been gracious enough to let me playtest for him),I highly recommend the 5Core rulesets. There's skirmish level ("5Men in Normandy," which I use regularly, including the last two fights of my Cuba Libre campaign), company level ("5Core Company Command, which I'm using here and have played 50+ games with), and brigade level ("5Core Brigade Commander), which 'Jozi's Tinman' has done some great batreps with.

The rules are quick, intuitive, and the activation system forces constant decisions on you. The fire, movement, and morale is very streamlined so you can focus on the decision making. Perhaps not everyone's cup of tea, and when you first see the activation system it's sure to throw you for a loop (I hated it at first), but now I really don't play anything else.

V/R,
Jack

This made me want to drag out my 6mm again! I always say if an AAR can make me want to play the game it's a successful one. You might want to shoot Ivan Sorenson a note about your games – I'm sure he'd love to see them.

Oh, I keep an eye on everything Jack does, I just don't comment too much because I hate to give him positive feedback :-)

Jack – do you want to share your amendments?
I don't think I have all the notes unless I dig through all my emails.

I keep tossing around ideas for "big battle" fivecore (big as in number of figures, not as in the size of the battle) so never say never in the future.

Yup, I'm dead. Getting overrun after taking a main gun shot while in a Bradley. Not pretty!

Great game though! But at the rate you're going you're going to have the cooks and paper pushers sooner rather than later! And M113s and M60s too!

But yeah, modern stuff is super deadly. Your games capture that in spades.

Stingray – Do it, it's been a lot of fun, and I can't wait to get to the next game.

Ivan – Well, he's just Ivan. Regarding what I want to do, right now I don't want to do anything, stuff is changing every game I play ;) But I am keeping it all in one place. My plan was to finish these ten fights, make sure everything is compiled accurately, and send it to you to see what you want to do.

Tgunner – Yeah, sorry man. Things are getting ugly; India Company is pretty much wiped out, but Kilo (the other Mech Inf Co) hasn't seen action, and Charlie (the Tank Co) is only down one tank. So far. The next fight is a counterattack, with Kilo supported by a platoon of tanks, so shouldn't be too bad (I hope), but then after that it's pretty much just 'get your butt kicked further and further west.'

More coming up this weekend! Hopefully two, but I've got to fit them around family stuff and a kid's baseball game.

V/R,
Jack

GHQ is a bit richer after I read your reports and placed my order.

Downloaded those too!

Thanks Jack, Picked up the rules last night. Very quick and easy to learn it seems.

Nice one Jack ! ..really enjoyed this !

Fantastic guys, I hope you like 5Core Company Command as much as I do.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the activation system; as I said, when I first got them I thought they were ridiculous!

And thanks, Capt Jimmi. I still need to get your Vietnam USMC painted up, been busy…

V/R,
Jack

Thanks guys!

Let us know if you run into any trouble at all.

Curious if you're using two different scales? Because the infantry look really big compared to the Bradleys. Using 6mm & 10mm?

South Side Steve,

Negative man, GHQ infantry with GHQ vehicles. Probably looks bad because I've got the infantry on pennies but the vehicles are not based…

V/R,
Jack

I'm going to use small Flames of War bases for my 6mm once everything arrives. I'm curious if that will make a difference. Also, GHQ infantry is on the plus side of the scale so they can carry the detail they have. So they are a bit taller and bulkier than they would be if in true 6mm scale.

Yeah Jack, I'm not able to game as much so counting on you!

Get off me, I'm working on it! ;)

Because of family commitments and the length of the game, I only got one fight in this weekend, unfortunately.

I'm working on writing it up, but it's really long (145 pictures) and this stuff takes a lot of time. I'm actually thinking about releasing it in three parts; I think I can have Part I ready tomorrow night, but no way I'm getting it all written up by then, and I've got (Little League) baseball practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays, games on Saturdays…

So, I'm working on it. What to you guys think about posting the batrep in separate parts?

V/R,
Jack