Cuba Libre!

[Techno]

Very good again, Jack. 
Cheers - Phil

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Another cool one! 

[bigjackmac]

Thanks fellas, glad you like them.

I thought the Pendraken Falklands range Brits looked fantastic, if I do say so myself 😃

V/R,
Jack

[ronan]

 

[bigjackmac]

All,

It's 0545 on 1 Feb 1990, and E Airborne Infantry Company, 2nd CLA Airborne Battalion, has been dispatched to seize a key hilltop position near El Rincon (on Hwy 122, just east  of the Bay of Pigs), held by elements of the 89th Provincial Militia Company, 5th Territorial Infantry Battalion.


In the overall scheme of things, CLA SOF Squadrons B and C have stricken blows to degrade regime C4ISR capabilities, and 1st Para Bn dropped in the west to shield the west landing site at Playa Colorada, and now 2nd Para Bn is dropping near El Rincon, just east of the Bay of Pigs, to shield the Bay of Pigs landing site from the Cuban Cienfuegos garrison.

Highway 122 is the key artery running along the coast, east-west into the Bay of Pigs.  The Cuban 5th Territorial Infantry Battalion has forces overlooking the Highway just east of the town of El Rincon, and E Company, 2nd Para Bn, is tasked seizing this position.  Failure to do so will leave the route open for attack on the landing beaches.


The E Company Paratroopers: Command Stand (Captain Halabrio), five Airborne rifle teams, an 81mm mortar, a MILAN ATGM team, and a single leader figure representing Colonel Salvino Carreno, 2nd Airborne Infantry Battalion, Commanding Officer.

The pro-Castro force: Command Stand, six rifle stands, two LMG stands, and a dedicated RPG stand (three of the rifle stands also have RPGs).


Overview, north is up.  The enemy force is in the north, the CLA paras in the south.  The objective is Hill 81 at top left.  Please note the civilians on the battlefield.


Captain Halabrio's command section rushes to usher the innocent civilians out of the line of fire (top right), while Para Team 1 lays down heavy fire (bottom right).

Overall, another great game, which came within a whisker of Colonel Carreno ordering Captain Halabrio to withdraw his men to regroup.  See the entire batrep here:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/06/cuba-libre-liberation-batrep-4.html

One more batrep yet to come, so stay tuned.

V/R,
Jack

[Techno]

 

Good report, again, Jack !
Cheers - Phil

[Womble67]

Hi jack I really like the look of your table scenery etc.  And enjoyed your battle report.

Take care

Andy

[bigjackmac]

Thanks Phil and Andy, I'm working on #5, should have it up today.

V/R,
Jack

[bigjackmac]

All,

It's 0600 on 1 Feb 1990, and 1st Marine Company, 3rd Infantry Battalion, has been tasked with a forced entry operation, coming over the beach at Playa Colorada (on the western end of the island), held by elements of the 27th Infantry Company, 3rd Cuban Infantry Battalion.  Unfortunately for the Marines, the enemy was tipped off by local fishermen regarding the strange ships lying close off shore, and so the regime forces are ready and waiting when the Marines arrive.


In the overall scheme of things, CLA SOF Squadron B knocked out a radar site (1) in an attempt to mask the landing force, but local fishermen warned the regime forces, elements of the enemy 3rd Infantry Battalion, of the foreign ships, and so the enemy at Playa Colorada (5) are waiting for the CLA Marines.  2nd Para Bn has already dropped and seized a key bridge (3) to protect the beachhead from the enemy's Pinar del Rio garrison just to the east.


The Marine landing force: Command Stand, six rifle teams, a SMAW team, a 60mm mortar team, a light machine gun team (what the hell?  I don't see them in the pic), and a single leader figure representing the Battalion commander.

The enemy force, Cuban Army regulars of the 27th Infantry Company.  They're ready and willing, but are hurt by a lack of dedicated anti-armor weapons.  They have a Command Stand, six rifle stands (three with RPG attachments), an MG team, and an 82mm mortar team.


The battlefield, north is left, with the Marines landing from the west (bottom) and the regime force defending in the east (top).  The enemy is dug in and ready.


Track 3 hits a @#$% landmine; inconceivable! To see the whole fight, please check the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/06/cuba-libre-liberation-batrep-5.html

I played three more games today (Saturday), so more to come.

V/R,
Jack

[petercooman]

Nice report!

Board looked fine to me!

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Another good report. I really like the table. I am, however, now rooting for the forces of freedom, democracy, liberation and good music! Hopefully they will counter the assaults and throw the forces of corporate America back into the sea!


""Inconceivable." You keep saying that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

[Techno]

Fine report, again, Jack !
Cheers - Phil

[ronan]

Another good report. I really like the table. I am, however, now rooting for the forces of freedom, democracy, liberation and good music! Hopefully they will counter the assaults and throw the forces of corporate America back into the sea!

oh yes ! May be it's time for us to call for reinforcements ? 


Good report Jack ! Thanks !

[bigjackmac]

"I am, however, now rooting for the forces of freedom, democracy, liberation and good music!"
Cool, okay, huh? wait, what???

It goes without saying that America is evil, but I must say that the United States has nothing to do with this, these are Cuban exiles fighting to take back their country from what they see as en evil, despotic regime that's committed countless atrocities.

'Tis true that much of the Cuban Liberation Army's gear is of US origin, but that's more an issue of proximity.  There is gear from Europe (UK and France primarily, including SLRs, FN-MAGs, and Charles Gustav rocket launchers, and MILAN ATGMs), but quite a bit is former US stuff that came from Central/South American countries that are looking forward to seeing the Castro brothers removed from power.

Once the Cuban government in exile assumes power (following the fall of the Castro's), Cuba is set to become extraordinarily war-mongering, sending troops to and fro, all to satisfy my wargaming needs 

V/R,
Jack

[bigjackmac]

All,

It's 0615 on 1 Feb 1990, and CLA Special Operations Forces' A Squadron is on the outskirts of Havana (6).  Their mission is to infiltrate and destroy a Castro-regime Surface to Air Missile (SAM) battery atop Hill 55, just west of Havana.  This mission is in support of B Squadron's upcoming mission, which will see them insert via helo (CLA UH-60s) into southern Havana to seize a radio station later this morning.  But this will be no walkover; the SAM site on Hill 55 is guarded by elite troopers Castro's Bodyguard: 1st Airborne Rifle Company, 1st Airborne Battalion, some of the few Cuban troops trusted enough to be be stationed in the capital of Havana.


So far we've had:
1) B Squadron SOF destroyed a radar site in support of amphibious landings at Playa Colorada (5).  B Sqdn then egressed and linked up with CLA rotary wing assets for their follow-on mission in Havana (6).
2) C Squadron SOF destroyed a the Cuban military's communications center.
3) 1st Para Battalion dropped in and seized a bridge to screen the landings at Playa Colorada (5).
4) 2nd Para battalion dropped in and eliminated a Castro-regime garrison to screen the landings at the Bay of Pigs (just west of (4).
5) 1st Marine Company, 3rd Infantry Battalion, made an amphibious assault at Playa Colorada.
6) B Squadron SOF attacked a Castro-regime SAM site near Havana.


The opposing forces, with regime forces on the left and CLA on the right.  A pretty even up fight, which is not good for the attacker, particularly as the CLA SOF had only a slight quality edge over the Cuban paratroopers, members of "Castro's Bodyguard," the Cuban 1st Airborne Battalion.

The CLA forces have a Command Stand, five rifle stands, a jeep-mounted HMG, and a SMAW.  The regime's paratroopers have a Command Stand, five rifle stands, an MG, and a mortar.  The mortar would play hell with the CLA commandos...


Overview, north is up.  Hill 55, the location of the SAM battery, is at top right, with a small village at top left.  The CLA SOF enter at bottom left near Hill 20.  Regime forces are spread across the board, as are civilians.


Despite very heavy casualties, Captain Stelosavo and SOF Team 1 made it up Hill 55, within feet of the target, the enemy SAM battery, and then...

Check it out here:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/06/cuba-libre-liberation-batrep-6.html

What a fight, I can't wait to hear what you think of this one.  Three more fights to post.

V/R,
Jack

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Viva La Revolution! 
Vivé Castro! 
Vivé le MiG-21 being vectored into the next airdrop! 

Ouch! That's going to upset the applecart! How does an event like this affect the campaign? How linear are your plans? Now I'm really fascinated. 

[bigjackmac]

Lemmey,

It's all your fault!

Luckily, all the paras are already on the ground.  But CLA shipping is in jeopardy; most of the troops are ashore by this point, but vehicles, equipment, and supplies are still being unloaded.  I actually intend on doing some dogfighting games in support of this campaign, and I wanted to do some naval games (using Shipwreck), but I don't feel ready.

The campaign is somewhat linear, due to the fact the CLA is going to win, but there is room for hiccups like this, and it will play out in future fights; as a matter of fact, it already has in one fight, you just haven't seen it yet because I haven't had time to post it.  Not a huge deal, but certainly an impact on what occurs on the tabletop.

I should be able to get another fight posted this evening (though I don't believe it's the fight where you see the negative impact from the failure here).

V/R,
Jack

[bigjackmac]

All,

It's 0630 on 1 Feb 1990, and 2nd Marine Company, 6th Infantry Battalion, has just come ashore at the Bay of Pigs landing site (7).  The Marines debarked their Amphibious Assault Vehicles, which turned around to go pick up the second wave, then began moving east along the beach.  The Marines had met no resistance during the landing (as expected), but when they began fanning out to the east they ran into elements of the 81st Infantry Company, 4th Infantry Battalion, who, as pure dumb luck would have it, were on maneuvers in the area, away from their base at Cienfuegos.


So far we've had:
1) B Squadron SOF destroyed a radar site in support of amphibious landings at Playa Colorada (5).  B Sqdn then egressed and linked up with CLA rotary wing assets for their follow-on mission in Havana (6).
2) C Squadron SOF destroyed a the Cuban military's communications center.
3) 1st Para Battalion dropped in and seized a bridge to screen the landings at Playa Colorada (5).
4) 2nd Para battalion dropped in and eliminated a Castro-regime garrison to screen the landings at the Bay of Pigs (just west of (4).
5) 1st Marine Company, 3rd Infantry Battalion, made an amphibious assault at Playa Colorada.
6) A Squadron SOF attacked a Castro-regime SAM site near Havana, which failed to clear the way for B Squadron's helo assault into Havana.
7) 2nd Marine Company, 6th Infantry Battalion, landed at the Bay of Pigs then turned east and ran into a strong enemy force.


The opposing forces, with Castro-regime troops on the left and CLA on the right.  The Marines have a rather small, but highly proficient force, but are significantly outnumbered in men and heavy weapons.  The CLA force has a Command Stand, five Marine rifle teams, a light machine gun, and a single-figure stand representing Colonel Ricardo Colvasquez, Commanding Officer, 6th Infantry Battalion.  The enemy force has a Command Stand, seven rifle stands, a medium machine gun, and an 82mm mortar.


Overview of the map, north is up, Marines are on the left (west), coming from their landing site, while the enemy is on the right (east), moving to check out the commotion, unaware (due to C Squadron SOF knocking out the comm center) of the invasion.  In the north is Hill 47.


Fighting is intense on the highway and beach, but the real bloodletting occurs on Hill 47.  I am happy to report the CLA is back to its winning ways due to the strength of CLA Marine combat leadership. 

To see what happened, please check the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/06/cuba-libre-liberation-batrep-7.html

Another great fight, two more to post, so stay tuned.

V/R,
Jack

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Another good one Jack

[Techno]

What Will said !
Talk about comprehensive.
Cheers - Phil