"Team Whiskey - Fulda Gap Batrep 4 Part I" Topic

All,

It's 0700 on 4 August 1986, and Team Whiskey, as part of the beat up 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, is in full retreat. But the Soviet 8th Guards Army, which had taken an operational pause and been counterattacked yesterday by 11th ACR, never halted its reconnaissance assets, and the Soviet recon assets quickly noted 11th ACR's withdrawal from its forward defensive positions in preparation for a speedy withdrawal to its next line of defense. The 8th Guards Army quickly switched over to the attack, flinging its armored formations forward in pursuit of the fleeing NATO forces.

In this, 11th ACR was quite fortunate. The Soviets, in their haste to turn an orderly withdrawal into a route, and without good prior route reconnaissance into unfamiliar terrain, had gaps appear between their advance guard and forward detachments. With aerial reconnaissance and surveillance alerting them to the Soviet armored thrusts, Lt Col Lacy quickly issued orders. Captain Sighe, formerly the the Battalion S-6 (Communications) but now running India Company's 1st Mechanized Infantry Platoon, already had his platoon dug-in in the West German village of Bad Stulz as Team Whiskey's rear guard.

Lt Col Lacy, Team Whiskey's Commanding Officer, quickly dispatched TOWs, machine guns, and the 81mm mortars of Weapons Company, as well as 1st Lt Roberts' 3rd Tank Platoon, which Charlie Company's Commanding Officer is accompanying. Due to current unit locations, Weapons Company will reach Captain Sighe's India Mech Co, 1st Platoon before Lt Roberts' tank platoon.

So, Captain Sighe's 1st Platoon, with Weapons Company MGs, TOWs, and mortars in direct support, is lying in wait, with a tank platoon on the way, as a Soviet armored column comes flying down the road, oblivious (due to the loss of contact with their reconnaissance) that US troops have filtered into the gap and are preparing to ambush them.

I only got one game in this weekend, and once again I've got a busy schedule at work, kids' schoolwork, and baseball, so I'm forced to again release my batrep in two parts.

The opposing forces, with US on the right and Soviets on the left. As you can see, the Soviets have quite a bit more troops than Team Whiskey. Neither side has air or arty in this engagement. The US force, with one Command Stand (Captain Sighe), four rifle teams, five TOWs, five MGs, a mortar platoon, and five M1 Abrams (the Company Commander, Captain Lemmey, and platoon commander 1st Lt Roberts).
The Soviet force, with two Command Stands (a Commanding Officer and an Executive Officer, in a BTR-50 and BMP-2, respectively), four platoons of tanks, and four platoons of BMPs with infantry.

The table, looking south to north, with the US baseline on left (west) and Soviet on right (east), with the US basically spread around the crossroads and the Soviets entering via the road at top right.

Fight's on! TOWs open up on the Soviet armored column, wreaking havoc. To see the first part of the batrep, please visit the blog at:
link

Stay with me, the conclusion is coming as soon as possible, and the fight is knock-down, drag-out once again.

V/R,
Jack

You know, I am kinda liking having them in two parts. Gives something to look forward to :-)

Also, that may be a record for number of figures on a Fivecore table.

Hey Jack, I've been meaning to ask you: what are you using for buildings. They look like wooden blocks that have been painted up. Very effective IMO. Plus I like how you're using lichen for woods. Very authentic!

Jack, it's a great, but bloody start. I like the way you created the map. Where did you get that cool smoke? Is it Litko? ben

This is a great AAR! I'm not normally a fan of modern or Cold War games because it hits too close to home for my line of work but this was terrific. I can't wait for more!

Awesome. I had pictures of Frost holding at Arnhem reading about those Americans in the town!

Outstanding Sir!

To my mind scenery is always the issue with micro armour games but you have seized that particular issue and kicked it right in the doodads!

Woohoo

Great AAR Jack looking forward to part two. I really need to make some of those missile markers.

Loving it!

Are your changes for modern company commander available anywhere?

I do also love the pipe cleaner missiles. Might sound like a weird question but where does one acquire pipe cleaner to use?

Might sound like a weird question but where does one acquire pipe cleaner to use?

Any smoke shop will have them.

Or any craft shop in white black and orange

Now Jack, how did you know I had an S-6 speciality in real life :)

One can get the missile marker from this link.
link

or from "Fight's On"
link

Holy cow, so much attention!

Ivan – Yeah, given your ideology, I can't believe there's much else to look forward too ;) And negative on the largest game; didn't you see the first batrep?

TGunner – Yeah man, wooden blocks. I got them off Ebay, so I don't know too much about them, but they work pretty well for me.

Ben – Thanks man, glad you like the setup. And, if nothing else, you can count on my fights to be bloody! And the smoke is from Litko; pretty cool, but not 3D…

Ragbones – Thanks man, and Part II should be up tomorrow.

Generalstoner – Yeah man, fighting in the ville has degenerated to fisticuffs! And the pipe cleaners are from "Fights On!" as Ben linked to.

Kyote – Yeah, the lichen works, but I still use the other ones for areas where I expect troops will be.

Sparker – Thanks man, I appreciate it. More doodads kicking coming up ;)

Si – How'd I know? Cause that's MY job ;)

CavScout – Thanks, and the missiles do add a lot to the games I think. So far I've used them for 10mm ground combat in my fictitious 'Cuba Libre,' 6mm ground combat in WWIII, and 1/600 air combat in WWII, Yom Kipper War, and the Gulf.

Badgers – Thanks man!

Kenneth – I am using the base system of 5Core (specifically Company Command), but I've made quite a few changes. They're not ready yet, and once I get these games played, I'll check with Ivan to see what level of interest he has. One way or another the Cold War changes should be out in about a month.

Thanks everyone, more to come.

V/R,
Jack

Yeah, I'm totally stealing that block idea. They look great and I know just where to get some.

I think once Jack has sussed things out to his satisfaction, I might do a big Cold War booklet for FiveCore. Expand on the stuff that was in the Battle Pack and make it pretty meaty.

Please so Weasel. I would pick that up!

TGunner – Where are you going to get them? I could use some more myself! They do work pretty well, better than my ugly little Monopoly houses…

Ivan – I've got notes all over the place, but I've played enough games that I think I've finally moved into a comfort zone. The way I look at it is a big bag of recommendations; grab what you like in order to 'spice' Company Command up for Cold War. More to follow.

V/R,
Jack

I remember seeing things like that at Michael's or Hobby Lobby. I'll do some recon this weekend and let you know.

Lovin' this Jack !

Great AAR's and discussions here !

I think my kids have grown out of their blocks …mine now.

Would these work? They are 1/2" by 1/2" cubes.

auction

There are more in different shapes and sizes. Some a 6" tall, like a mini skyscraper for 1/295 scale.

This is an old picture from our battle of Villars Bocage we use these Styrofoam blocks for the most part although they'd look better with doors, Windows and a fresh coat of paint. They are about 20 years old and cost less then a penny a building. We press a washer into the bottom and glue it there. Keeps them in place.

Village set up

Pretty cool idea using Styrofoam, very interesting.

V/R,
Jack