All,
Well, it has started, my campaign in the fictional African nation of South Leon. For background, please check here:
link
In May 1990 Cuba sent a task force to South Leon in order to prop up the democratic government there against its Communist neighbor, the Fédération Socialiste Nationale de Leon, or FSNL, and against the Marxist domestic rebel group, the Free Leon Army (FLA). Task Force Fulgencio, named for its leader, who is also the commander of the 8th Commando Battalion, is comprised of one company of Marines, one company of paratroopers, and various intelligence and special operations troops. The parachute infantry company has been sent to the center of South Leon, to the capital city of Pendrakenville, to quell the growing insurgency there. Meanwhile, the company of Marines has been dispatched to the northern border with FSNL, a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ, created following their war in 1949), to stop the infusion of men and equipment across the border into South Leon.
**Okay, I'm not gonna hide it. The part about the Marines heading to the DMZ to stop infiltration of South Leon from FSNL is a poorly disguised attempt at some Vietnam-era gaming. While I'd probably be better off just doing some 'straight' Vietnam gaming, many of you know I have somewhat of an aversion to gaming real life stuff, preferring to make up places and names, or at least units. The other reason I'm doing it this way is that it allows me to keep my Cuba Libre series of wars/campaigns/deployments moving forward. So two birds with one stone, if you will. I hope that doesn't raise anyone's hackles. But for all intents and purposes, my war on the DMZ of South Leon is USMC on the DMZ in Vietnam. Hell, for that matter, my paratroopers in South Leon's capital are probably going to look a lot like Israel's war in Lebanon circa 1982.
In any case, the company of Marines (officially the 24th Seaborne Shock Infantry Company; they're quite esoteric/eccentric about their unit names in the Cuban Expeditionary Force) under 1st Lt Ordonez (he and most of his men are veterans of the War of Liberation) arrived in South Leon on 3 May 1990 and soon thereafter moved to their Area of Operations on the DMZ. Lt Ordonez immediately set his three rifle platoons (under Lt Peres, 1st Platoon; Lt Lupe, 2nd Platoon; and Lt Rodriques, 3rd Platoon) on an aggressive schedule of daytime combat and reconnaissance patrols, and nighttime ambush patrols.
It is now 3 June 1990, and to date contact has been minimal, though casualties have not. There has been a rash of Marines lost to the occasional sniper, booby trap, non combat injuries, and the worst offender: disease. The Marines, still becoming acclimated to the wilds of Africa, have suffered from various ailments such as malaria, dengue fever, Ebola (sorry, couldn't help it), dysentery, and jungle rot. On an average day the rifle platoons are down 15 to 20% of the paper strength, but the patrols continue.
At approximately 0600 this morning, Lt Peres led 1st Platoon out on patrol. The aim of the patrol is to hump all day, visiting a number of villages, before holing up at approximately 1730 in a platoon-sized night defense position. The day has been long and hot, the Marines toiling under the weight of their gear and anticipation of enemy contact, and twice the column has already halted to perform MEDEVAC: once for a Marine that stepped on a toe-popper near an abandoned village, and once to evacuate two Marines with heat exhaustion. Peres' platoon is now on the cusp of entering what looks to be another abandoned village.
The table, 2' x 2', north is up, using the one terrain tile that I've actually managed to finish. The village is at top center, and the Marines will enter from the bottom (south) of the table. From up here you can see various fighting positions have been dug, those these are not yet apparent to the Cuban troops.
A quick word on rules: as always, I'm using Ivan's excellent 5Core series. I'm basically running "Five Men in Normandy" activation, but with full firing dice on reactions.
Having lost several comrades already, a lone Lance Corporal goes berserk and charges an enemy fighting hole. To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
linkWell, I hope you liked it as much as I did, I've got two more fights just like it to write up and post. And I hope the Vietnam/South Leon thing doesn't bother you. Like I said, time is at a premium, and so being able to do Vietnam gaming and knock out Cuba Libre campaigns is really a great deal for me.
V/R,
Jack