Operation Chunky Bandit

Started by bigjackmac, 18 September 2018, 03:54:22 AM

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bigjackmac

All,

Current situation: It's 0530 on 4 August 1990 in South Leon, and 1st Lt "Lobo" Gouveia has solicited the support of local South Leon Army (SLA) units to divert precious resources to carry out an operation to take Hill 114, following which Lt Gouveia's ODA-313, AKA "Task Force Black," will establish an Observation Post (OP) overlooking Route 1 (the major north-south artery which enemy troops are using to reinforce Pendrakenville and Diwala) and call in air strikes to halt the flow of enemy forces, which was the original plan.  Lt Gouveia's team spent the past week engaging enemy forces in vicinity of Hill 114, both inflicting and taking heavy casualties, and on the night the Cuban commandos were set to infiltrate Hill 114 and establish their OP they were ambushed on Bridge #1.  Not only did the Cubans not accomplish their mission, thereby forcing the delay of the coming offensive to re-take Pendrakenville and Diwala, but they also allowed an enemy logistical column to sneak "special munitions" out of the area.   

Lt Gouveia has been promised a SLA mechanized battalion, and he has secured (limited amounts of) Cuban air support.  The desired end-state is joint Cuban/SLA possession of Hill 114; to that end, the SLA battalion scheme of maneuver is to probe to the northeast of Hill 114 (this fight, which is taking place directly north of the map used for Operation Chunky Bandit fights 1-8), seeking to find an opening in the enemy defenses and exploit it with a hasty attack on the objective, or go firm and secure the right flank of the attack.  While this is occurring, Cuban air support will pound Hill 30 (at center right of the Op CB fights 1-8), and then SLA forces will assault and hold Hill 30  (will be Op CB #10) to secure a position to support the Hill 114 assault by fire and secure the left flank of the attack.  The SLA command, of course, expects the enemy to vigorously counterattack Hill 30 (will be Op CB #11).  Then SLA forces will conduct an air assault to the northwest of Hill 114 (off the map for Op CB fights 1-8 to top left) to isolate the objective, preventing withdrawal and reinforcement (this will be Op CB #12), and then the assault on Hill 114 will commence (will be Op CB #13).  Again, SLA leadership presumes the enemy will vigorously counterattack if Hill 114 falls (will hopefully be Op CB #14, assuming the attack on Hill 114 succeeds, but that applies pretty much to all of these).

So Staff Sergeant "Tahoe" Gallarraga has been assigned to accompany the SLA mechanized battalion's A Company, whose mission is to see if they can catch the enemy off guard and sneak onto the backside of Hill 114, or, if not, secure some terrain features northeast of Hill 114 in order to secure the right flank of the assault on Hill 114.


Overview, north is up.  Hill 114, the ultimate objective, is at bottom left, though I wouldn't expect the SLA troops to be able to just mosey on up there.  At top center is Hill 27, at right is Hill 29, at center is village #1, top right is village #2, and at bottom right is village #3.  The river is crossable, with penalty, by infantry anywhere; vehicles can only cross at the three fords (top left, top center, and bottom center), and infantry cross at the fords without penalty.  Unfortunately for the SLA/Cubans, the bad guys were expecting trouble to the northeast, so they're well prepared, with defensive positions on Hill 114 (bottom left), an outpost on Hill 27 (top center), and roving patrols between them (top left).  The SLA forces had divided into two roughly equal parts: top right, and far right, with their mortar set up on the lee of Hill 29 (far right).


The opposing forces, with SLA on the right and FSNL (communist neighbors to the north) at left.  The troops are all Pendraken 10mm, except the Cuban (singly-based dude at bottom center right), which is Minifigs UK.  The M-113 ACAV is also Pendraken, though the M-48 is plastic from Takara.  The two bunkers at bottom left are from Flashpoint Miniatures, and the sandbagged position is from Miniature Building Authority.  I'm playing this series of fights (the SLA operation to take Hill 114) using Ivan Sorensen's "Squad Hammer" rules, modified a bit.


It's tough work cleaning out bunkers.  To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
http://cubalibrewargame.blogspot.com/2018/09/operation-chunky-bandit-9.html

Anyway, next up is the fight for Hill 45.  Hill 45, you'll recall from Operation Chunky Bandit fights numbers 4 and 5, is not a happy place, the Cubans having been dealt a bloody nose their, twice.  In any case, Company B, with SSgt "Gundog" Baerga, is currently in the assembly line, preparing to step off in the attack, as Cuban F-4 Phantoms mercilessly pound Hill 45 and the village of Siagnoa.

V/R,
Jack

Duke Speedy of Leighton

You may refer to me as: Your Grace, Duke Speedy of Leighton.
2016 Pendraken Painting Competion Participation Prize  (Lucky Dip Catagory) Winner

Techno


bigjackmac

Thanks fellars, should have the next one posted Thursday night.

V/R,
Jack

Womble67

I thoroughly enjoyed reading that

Take care

Andy
The Wargames Directory

The Wargames Directory Facebook

2018 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

bigjackmac


bigjackmac

All,

Thirty minutes ago Staff Sergeant "Tahoe" Gallarraga accompanied the SLA mechanized battalion's A Company on a probe northeast of Hill 114, where they discovered the enemy had prepared defenses in that zone, though they were able to secure Hill 27 and thus fulfill their mission of anchoring the right (northern) flank of the upcoming attack on Hill 114.  Tahoe was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions taking Hill 27.

Now we join Staff Sergeant "Gundog" Baerga, set to accompany the mechanized battalion's B Company in the assault on Hill 45, which will secure both the left (southern) flank of the Hill 114 assault, as well as a position to support by fire.  The airstrikes by Cuban F-4 Phantoms lift as they command group splits up and moves out to join their units, the sounds of 750-pound bombs exploding still echoing through the valley.


Overview, north is up.  Hill 45, with evidence of its pounding at the hands of those hotshot Cuban fighter jocks visible, is at top left.  This area is essentially just the bottom right portion of the map used for Op Chunky Bandit fights 1-8.  At bottom left is Bridge #2, and the bottom right corner was TF Black's entry point each game.  At center left is the abandoned truck and weapons cache, off camera at top right is The Garage, and off camera at bottom left is Hill 30 and The Church.  The enemy bunkers and recoilless rifle are on Hill 45 (top left), their rifle platoon has just come down from Hill 30 (off camera) and is approaching Bridge #2 (bottom left), while the SLA company has just entered the battlespace in the southeast (bottom right).


The opposing forces, with SLA on the right and FSNL (communist neighbors to the north) at left.  The troops are all Pendraken 10mm, except the Cuban (singly-based dude at bottom center right), which is Minifigs UK.  The M-113 ACAVs are also Pendraken, though the M-48 is plastic from Takara.  The two bunkers at bottom left are from Flashpoint Miniatures, and the sandbagged position is from Miniature Building Authority.  I'm playing this series of fights (the SLA operation to take Hill 114) using Ivan Sorensen's "Squad Hammer" rules, modified a bit.


Pendraken North Vietnamese, err, I mean Fédération Socialiste Nationale de Leon, or FSNL, troops launch an RPG at the M-48!  To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
http://cubalibrewargame.blogspot.com/2018/09/operation-chunky-bandit-10.html

Next up, the FSNL counterattack.

V/R,
Jack

Duke Speedy of Leighton

You may refer to me as: Your Grace, Duke Speedy of Leighton.
2016 Pendraken Painting Competion Participation Prize  (Lucky Dip Catagory) Winner

Terry37

The awesomeness just continues!!! Some really great looking and fun games!

Terry
"My heart has joined the thousand for a friend stopped running today." Mr. Richard Adams

bigjackmac

Thanks guys, and stop it Terry, you're giving me a big head! ;)

And the fun is just beginning for Chunky Bandit: I still have 3-4 fights to go for phase 1b, then moving to some high-speed SOF, direct-action missions (probably 3-4 fights) using either Combat Patrol or Black Ops, then phase 2 is going to incorporate some fast new aerial dogfighting rules and some 10mm ground fights, maybe with Squad Hammer, before phase 3 goes into effect in 10mm with 5Core Company Command.  Probably 3-4 ground fights in phase 2 and a dozen or so in phase 3, probably about 15 total air fights in Chunky Bandit.

By the time Chunky Bandit is finished, I'm hoping to have my 6mm WWII stuff finished and move into Caen.

V/R,
Jack

bigjackmac

All,

Current situation: It's 0620 on 4 August 1990 in South Leon.  Lt Gouveia has been promised a SLA mechanized battalion, and he has secured (limited amounts of) Cuban air support.  The desired end-state is joint Cuban/SLA possession of Hill 114; to that end, the SLA battalion scheme of maneuver is to probe to the northeast of Hill 114 (this fight, which is taking place directly north of the map used for Operation Chunky Bandit fights 1-8), seeking to find an opening in the enemy defenses and exploit it with a hasty attack on the objective, or go firm and secure the right flank of the attack.  While this is occurring, Cuban air support will pound Hill 30 (at center right of the Op CB fights 1-8), and then SLA forces will assault and hold Hill 30  (will be Op CB #10) to secure a position to support the Hill 114 assault by fire and secure the left flank of the attack.  The SLA command, of course, expects the enemy to vigorously counterattack Hill 30 (will be Op CB #11).  Then SLA forces will conduct an air assault to the northwest of Hill 114 (off the map for Op CB fights 1-8 to top left) to isolate the objective, preventing withdrawal and reinforcement (this will be Op CB #12), and then the assault on Hill 114 will commence (will be Op CB #13).  Again, SLA leadership presumes the enemy will vigorously counterattack if Hill 114 falls (will hopefully be Op CB #14, assuming the attack on Hill 114 succeeds, but that applies pretty much to all of these).

Fifty minutes ago Staff Sergeant "Tahoe" Gallarraga accompanied the SLA mechanized battalion's A Company on a probe northeast of Hill 114, where they discovered the enemy had prepared defenses in that zone, though they were able to secure Hill 27 and thus fulfill their mission of anchoring the right (northern) flank of the upcoming attack on Hill 114.  Tahoe was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions taking Hill 27.

Twenty minutes ago Staff Sergeant "Gundog" Baerga accompanied the SLA mechanized battalion's B Company in the assault on Hill 45, which succeeded, but with heavy casualties, including SSgt Baerga himself, lightly wounded and evacuated.  The remaining SLA elements quickly established defensive positions atop Hill 45.

Now we join Sergeant "Racer" Palmeiro, who brought a .30-caliber machine gun team up Hill 45 to bolster the defense put on by B Company, as an enemy infantry company closes in to re-take the vital position.


Overview, north is up, with Hill 45 and the remains of the village of Siagnoa at top right, shattered by Cuban air support which aided greatly in B Company securing the hilltop against a dogged enemy defense. At bottom left is Hill 30, with The Church just off camera to bottom left, while at top left is the village of Lasau, with Bridge #1 (the site of the ambush that devastated TF Black in Op Chunky Bandit #8, necessitating this whole push by the SLA mechanized battalion to take Hill 114) at center top.  The SLA force is at top right, in and around Hill 45, while the bad guys have their 1st Platoon and their Dshk at bottom left, 2nd Platoon and their CO at left, and 3rd Platoon and their mortar at top left.


The opposing forces, with SLA on the right and FSNL (communist neighbors to the north) at left.  The troops are all Pendraken 10mm, except the Cuban (singly-based dude at bottom center right), which is Minifigs UK.  The M-113 ACAVs are also Pendraken.  I'm playing this series of fights (the SLA operation to take Hill 114) using Ivan Sorensen's "Squad Hammer" rules, modified a bit.


The military crest of Hill 45 is a raging inferno, the antagonists pummeling each other at point blank range, the Communists marching steadily forward under hellacious fire, the defenders broken and bloody and barely hanging on.  To see who holds the hill, please check the blog at:
http://cubalibrewargame.blogspot.com/2018/10/operation-chunky-bandit-11.html

Things were shaping up for the direct assault on Hill 114, only one task remained: an air assault northwest of Hill 114, to cut the enemy forces off from reinforcement and/or escape.  The grim, tired faces of the SLA troops on Hill 45 turned skyward as Cuban F-4 Phantoms thundered overhead, followed shortly by the sound of large rotor beating hot, humid air, and the sight of two Cuban CH-47s hopped into view, heading northwest.  On those birds were elements of D Company, along with MSgt "Faceman" Soriano, TF Black's senior enlisted man, preparing to set down in the middle of enemy territory.  Face new that they didn't really need to 'win,' this fight, that their job was really just to tie up as many enemy forces as possible for as long as possible, and that some could, conceivably, consider this a 'suicide mission,' but the former US Navy SEAL was quite cool and calm as the Chinook began its descent into the LZ.  "We're just going to kick an anthill, then stomp as many as we can, easy!"

V/R,
Jack

Duke Speedy of Leighton

That was a tense one Black, could have gone a lot better too! 8)
You may refer to me as: Your Grace, Duke Speedy of Leighton.
2016 Pendraken Painting Competion Participation Prize  (Lucky Dip Catagory) Winner

Womble67

Another enjoyable read

Take care

Andy
The Wargames Directory

The Wargames Directory Facebook

2018 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

bigjackmac


bigjackmac

All,

Forty minutes (0620 local time) ago Sergeant "Racer" Palmeiro rushed to Hill 45 to reinforce the SLA elements there, which stood up to a ferocious enemy counterattack that came within a whisker of seeing the SLA company ejected from its defensive positions, or annihilated.  The SLA troops held onto the hill by their skin of their teeth, seeing many of them decorated for valor following the fight, in which Sgt Palmeiro lost his life.  Now (0700 local time) we join Master Sergeant "Faceman" Soriano, with elements of D Company, moving to air assault in northwest of Hill 114 to block enemy reinforcement/escape.


Overview, north is up,  Along the left (west) edge of the map is Route 1, the major route leading south from the border/DMZ the enemy is using to reinforce their forces in the South Leon capital of Pendrakenville and the regional capital, Diwala, further east.  At bottom right is the northwest end of Hill 114, the ultimate objective of this phase of the operation.  Scattered rice paddies dot the countryside, and there are three small hamlets, from bottom left to top right, villages 1 through 3.  There is a river running northeast to south, fordable along its length at penalty, though there are two actual fords (center top right and center bottom left) that vehicles could cross and are essentially no hindrance to foot movement.


The opposing forces, with SLA on the right and FSNL (communist neighbors to the north) at left.  The troops are all Pendraken 10mm, except the Cuban (singly-based dude at bottom center right), which is Minifigs UK.  The two bunkers at far left are from Flashpoint Miniatures, and the sandbagged position is from Miniature Building Authority.  I'm playing this series of fights (the SLA operation to take Hill 114) using Ivan Sorensen's "Squad Hammer" rules, modified a bit.


Chinooks inbound to the LZ.  Cue "Ride of the Valkyries"...


The LZ is tight, but within minutes 1st and 2nd Platoons have deplaned and are moving to the sound of the guns.  To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
http://cubalibrewargame.blogspot.com/2018/10/operation-chunky-bandit-12.html

Next up is the point of this entire exercise, the assault by the South Leon Army's C Company, with 1st Lt 'Lobo' Gouveia tagging along for the ride.  Which is a bit worrisome for me, as bad as the Cubans have been fairing in these SLA assaults.

V/R,
Jack