Cuba Libre!

[Techno]

Well, I'll believe it.....Even it you have made it up, Nobby.
Cheers - Phil.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Phil - it's RP pronunciation. NOT WELSH. Also most Orffficers cant say R, and pwonoce it "W" - hence Wupert and Whicahrd,

IanS 

[bigjackmac]

Hey, thanks fellas, I appreciate it!

Lemmey - Yeah, the UWG is about tapped out for the campaign as an effective fighting force.  They may fight one more time, reinforced by C Squadron SOF.  And I'll fix the spacing on the previous actions; as a matter of fact, I'm probably going to cut it down on future reports to just the last ten.

Regarding comments, everyone has been great about the batreps, I appreciate all the kind words and feedback.  My complaining was about a SITREP, and it's sounding like most folks don't know what I'm talking about, which is my fault.  After I finished all the fights on D-Day, I made a separate post on my blog that summarized the day's events.  Again, I made a separate blog post, but I didn't make a post on any of the websites to draw attention to it.  When I didn't receive any comments on the D-Day SITREP, I didn't know if 1) anyone saw it, 2) people saw it but didn't need it, or 3) saw it, liked it, but didn't say anything.

So, I'll probably put the D+1 SITREP out tonight.  As I do with the Batreps, I'll post on the websites to let everyone know.  If anyone is kind enough to take a look, I'd greatly appreciate a comment to let me know if it was useful/interesting, or a waste of time.  It takes a bit of time to compile the data and write it up, and I don't need it, so if you guys don't need/want it, there's no sense in me doing it.  So I just want to get a feel for if anyone wants to see future SITREPS.

I played two games this morning; one was okay, nothing special, but the second was pretty damn good!  I'm looking to get a couple more fights in tomorrow as well.

Again, thanks everyone, I appreciate it!

V/R,
Jack

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

In the sit rep it would be good if we could have a 'starting' and 'current' strength?
I'm sure team three has more regenerations than Dr Who!!!

[bigjackmac]

Lemmey,

Sorry man, I actually am not keeping super strict track of troop and equipment strength (as I do with KG Klink), due to trying to keep things more simple and quick.  So I have overall casualty numbers, but I don't have them by Company or Battalion, much less Platoon, Squad, or Team.  So Team 3 didn't really regenerate, I just wasn't tracking it as a discrete element.

I've been running it pretty fast and loose; if you battalion has three companies, and gets beat up pretty bad two or three times, the battalion is no longer combat effective.  So, with the SITREPS, I'm just tracking whether a battalion is combat effective or not.  I'm only tracking Battalion and Company Commanders, and Team Leaders only if that team does some heroic which needs to be recognized, and the whole point of that is simply to have replacements for BCs and CCs that become casualties, or retire (throughout the later lifespan of Cuba Libre).

I'm working on the SITREP now.

V/R,
Jack

[bigjackmac]

All,

Following all of the fights (1-18) on D-Day, I posted a Situation Report (SITREP) on my blog, but I didn't post it on any websites, so I figured I'd mention it here.  I also just posted the SITREP for D+1, having finished those fights (19-22).

The SITREPS outline the days Operations Order (OPORD, the overall plan of attack by the Cuban Liberation Army, CLA), how successful the various parts of it were, table of organization for the CLA and regime forces, casualties suffered by both sides, and the plan for the following day (the new OPORD).

I figured the SITREPS would help folks have a better understanding of the 'big picture' for the War of Liberation, i.e., put a bigger context to the individual fights, and let you know how the 'war' is progressing.

Here is the link for the D-Day SITREP:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/07/cuba-libre-d-day-sitrep.html

Here is the new one, the D+1 SITREP:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/07/cuba-libre-d1-sitrep.html

If you are so moved to read the SITREPs, I'd appreciate a comment as to whether you thought it was useful/interesting or not.

I got two more games in today (Saturday), and I'm looking to get a couple more in tomorrow, which should wrap up D+2 (only four fights scheduled), so look for those batreps to come out this coming week.  Also, I've been working on a bunch of little plastic Napoleonics, and a bunch of modern 15mm stuff.  Nothing is finished, but it's a lot of stuff and I'd like to snap some photos to show you what's going on.

V/R,
Jack

[FierceKitty]

Phil - it's RP pronunciation. NOT WELSH. Also most Orffficers cant say R, and pwonoce it "W" - hence Wupert and Whicahrd,

IanS 

And "Wetweat, men, vewy wapidly!"

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Very nice sit rep and it puts everything into context after a hard days fighting.
Bridgehead is secure, now to consolidate.

[bigjackmac]

Lemmey,

Thanks buddy, I appreciate it!

It seems there are not many, but there are a few folks out there that are reading the SITREPs, and that's enough for me.  In any case, they're getting quicker anyway as the following days have far fewer battles, and I've sort of established the format.

In separate news, I've played four fights this weekend, need to get them written up and posted.  These fights were all the scheduled fights for D+2, so we now have three days of the War for Liberation in the books, and so I'll be putting out another SITREP also.  The way things are looking, the war will be over on D+4 or D+5.

Then I've got a couple pressing things to take care of: I haven't played a single air fight in support of this campaign, and I'd like to do a half dozen or so.  They obviously won't impact what's happening on the ground, but I want to rack up some 'history' for pilots that will carry forward for future campaigns.  I also need to get back in and finish up KG Klink in France.  Then I'll take a look around and see what catches my fancy; I've certainly got no shortage of stuff I want to do!

V/R,
Jack

[bigjackmac]

All,

On a quick admin note, I just wanted to throw out that this battle report documents my FIFTIETH (50th) table-top game using Nordic Weasel Games' "5Core Company Command" rules.  They sprung out of Ivan's "Five Men In Normandy" rules, and I was fortunate enough to have played a small role in bringing them to light.  Certainly they won't be the only set of rules I ever play again, but insofar as we wargamers are always on the search for the "Holy Grail" of rules, I can say that, for tactical games at the reinforced platoon to reinforced company level from WWII to present (and possibly even earlier than WWII), I have no need for rules as I've found them.  On to the battle, which is the first of D-Day +2 (D+2), the third day of fighting in the War of Liberation.

It's 0830 on 3 Feb 1990, and tanks of the CLA's 2nd Troop, 5th Tank Battalion, supported by C Company, 3rd Infantry Battalion, have run square into enemy armor of the 78th Tank Company and 70th Motor Rifle Company, 2nd Armored Battalion, just west of the city of Artemisa, on the island's western end.


So far we've had:
D-Day
...
14) 2nd Airborne Battalion engaged enemy armored forces of the 6th Armored Battalion in the village of El Rincon, en route to the Bay of Pigs landing site.
15) 4th Infantry Battalion's 1st Air Assault Company conducts an air assault southeast of Sandino to counter enemy mechanized forces of 3rd Infantry Battalion (forcing 1st Airborne Battalion's right flank).
16) 9th Popular Force Battalion conducts a spoiling attack on the regime's 7th Infantry Battalion in the Matanzas garrison.
17) 2nd Air Assault Company, 7th Infantry Battalion, inserts east of El Rincon to block the escape of the regime's 6th Armored Battalion.
18) C Company of the UWG fought a running battle in the Escambray Mountains to delay/halt the regime's 12th Mechanized Battalion moving west.

D+1
19) A Squadron SOF holds off the regime's 2nd Airborne Company, 1st Airborne Battalion at the Radio Station in downtown Havana, while B Squadron SOF and 8th Popular Force Battalion move to reinforce.
20) 2nd Airborne Battalion, attacks north of Sandino to eliminate the regime's 4th Infantry Battalion.
21) 7th Infantry Battalion, attacks north of Sandino to eliminate the regime's 5th Territorial Infantry Battalion.
22) Colonel Huistrella's Unconventional Warfare Group fight another desperate holding action in the Escambray Mountains, this time against the regime's 10th Territorial Infantry Battalion.

D+2
23) The 5th Tank Battalion squares off against the regime's 2nd Armored Battalion just west of Artemisa.


The opposing forces, with CLA on the right and regime forces on the left.  The CLA is made up of Pendraken Americans and M-113s from their Vietnam range (the TOW on one of the 113s is from Minifigs), and plastic Takara M-48s.  The regime is made up of modern Warsaw Pact troops from Minifigs, along with their BMPs and some Takara T-72s.

The CLA forces has a Command Stand, five rifle stands, an M-113 TOW, an M-113 .50 cal, three M-48A3s, and a jeep carting around the 5th Tank Battalion's commander.  The regime force has a Command Stand, four rifle stands, four T-72s, and two BMP-2s.


The opposing forces, clashing head-on in a classic meeting engagement, with CLA on the left (west) and regime on the right (east).


Nothing beats burning T-72s!

To see the whole fight, please check the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/07/cuba-libre-liberation-batrep-23.html

Well, there's one, three more to write up and post!  Don't think we're gonna make it before the weekend, just too much to type...

V/R,
Jack

[Techno]

Great again, Jack !
(I'll give it a more thoro' read later !)
Cheers - Phil

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Those dice!

[ronan]

Good AARs as usual !
Thanks
( I had a look at the sitreps, I prefer the 2nd. )

[bigjackmac]

Thanks Phil!

Lemmey- Commies can't shoot man! Besides, I thought you'd already shifted over to the winning team?

Ronan - thanks buddy, and thanks for the SITREP comment, too.

V/R,
Jack

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Yes, but those T-72 should have chewed lumps out of the M48s!