Action at Port Grenville

The southern advance of TF Kroesen was met with a force of Cubans advancing from the port town. Their aim was to delay and hinder the advancing US forces before withdrawing. 
The battlefield. The Cubans plan was to secure some of the buildings as a base of fire. 
TF Kroesen consisted of 1 full infantry company (4 infantry, 2 Gama Goats), an understrength company of 3 infantry, a support company of a Dragon, 2 mortars and a HMG platoon, with Gama Goat transport. They were supported by an FAO and FAC. 
Cuban forces were an infantry company in BTR60s, a company of PT76 light tanks and an FAO with 3 122mm guns in support. 
The Cubans began, with a number of failed command rolls, so their advance was slow up to the buildings. The 82nd forces were equally slow. 
In turn 2, the FAC, with support from one of the advancing Recce jeep units (M151 MUTT jeeps), called in air support from an A7 Avenger II. However, this was driven off by AA fire from command units. 
                 the first failed strafing run. 
The Cuban FAO on the smaller eastern hill, called in some accurate artillery fire, destroying 3 Gama Goat transports, a mortar and a Dragon stand as well as suppressing 2 infantry. The remaining infantry were slowly advancing to the buildings to their front but were hampered by more command rolls. 
However, the air support was more effective on a second strike. Again, an Avenger II rolled in, suppressing all 3 PT76 tanks, with one tank taking 5 hits and saving 4 of them on rolls of 6! 
The 82nd FAO called in smoke to cover the advancing paratroopers, who were lions led by donkeys, if the HQ rolls were anything to go by- again, it took the CO to get them moving. A second air strike was driven off by AA fire. 
The 82nd forces moved up into the buildings and were ready to start taking the fight to the Cuban infantry. Another air strike was successfully called in on the tanks again, destroying one. The tank that saved 4 hits in the previous turn took and saved another hit! 
By turn 5, Real Life was starting to intrude on the flow of the game. It had arrived at a crucial juncture - the US forces were at a point where they could start firing and close assaulting the Cubans, who had lost 1 of their 3 tanks and would struggle to call in artillery without risking themselves. I rolled a D6, a 1-3 would mean a Cuban withdrawal, satisfied with having dealt the capitalists a blow, 4-6 would see them fight to the death for blood and soil. I rolled a 3. An entertaining little game, TF Kroesen had been slowed, losses had been inflicted and the Cubans had lost just a tank. 
This was the game that I promised I would fight this half term. Real life commitments will now take precedence for the rest of the week! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Somewhere in Austria, 1985

Image
Andy T voyaged over the passes today to Sheffield, via the less travelled route of Winnats Pass, due to the Snake Pass being shut (for who knows how long?) Andy was keen to give his NVA army a run out, a Panzer Brigade that has been prepared for the Cold War Commanders big game next month at The Unit in Staffordshire. Facing them was a hurried deployment of the 82nd Airborne, deployed from Italy into Austria as part of NATO's southern flank, where the decision to override niceties such as neutrality has been taken, in order to stem the WarPac advance. 
Read more

Crisis Point- forces and Day One

Image
DAY 1  The Soviet aim was clear- advance across the board, reduce enemy forces but bypass strong resistance and continue the push to Prague. The Soviet forces available were:  224 Motor Rifle Regiment  Mech battalion 2 HQs 3 companies of 6 infantry + 3 M3 half tracks AA M14 half-track with quad .50cals Support company of 2 82mm mortars and 1 DsHK HMG Motor battalion  As above, but mounted in trucks 2 battalions of T44 tanks. 9 tanks + 1 HQ per battalion. The latest in Soviet armour technology and basically what you would expect a tank to look like if a T55 and a T34 had a baby.  Recce- elements of the regimental reconnaissance force- 3 M3 half tracks plus 4 Recce Support T34/85 tanks. In CWC2 these recce support forces are whatever that unit is, in this case, tanks, but with the Recce ability.  Artillery- 2 batteries of 3 152mm guns each, 1 battery of Katyusha rocket launchers Regimental Command element - CO, FAO, FAC. There was a pool of aircraft that would be called on, depending on
Read more

Skirmish on the edge of Khemikhal

Image
 The first actual tabletop battle was a small affair fought last night.  US forces comprised 302/1, a Marine company of 4 Infantry,  an HMG support platoon and an 81mm support platoon along with an FAO for naval gunfire support.   Facing them was a mixed Khemed force of an armoured recce company of 2 BRDM2 & 2 BMP-2's,  an Infantry company of 4 Infantry,  mortar and HMG and an artillery battery of 3 on table 152mm guns (represented by some 100mm AT guns). Shown above is the outskirts of town,  looking south towards the coast. (I place Khemed as being next to Yemen on the southern coast of the Arabian peninsula). The Marines needed to seize the village and hold it until nightfall on turn 8. Khemed forces would enter from the road to the right in a random order. The very first dice roll of the Americans was a blunder,  which set the tone for much of the game on both sides. The Marines rushed to take up positions in the buildings along with the FAO who called in some accurate fire
Read more