These are both first class AAR's in both the description and the pictures. I, like others, was itching to find out what happened to the two SF Teams in the second AAR but was determined not to peek.

Bring on the next.

Quote from: bigjackmac on 10 September 2015, 03:24:05 PM
Phil - Quit your belly-achin' and read faster

Shan't ! 
Cheers - Phil

All,

I've got a lot going on in real life, so I'm trying something I've never done before: I'm releasing a batrep in 'installments.'  So please bear with me, this isn't permanent, but I hope it tides you over while I work on the rest.

It's 0930 on 3 August 1986, and the Soviet 8th Guards Army is taking an operational pause, i.e., going over to the defensive temporarily, due to heavy casualties laid on by 11th ACR and 3rd Armored Division.  Of course, NATO forces are fairly beaten up as well, and air superiority, upon which so much of NATO's operational plans are dependent (to have close air support and middle-interdiction to off-set the Soviet advantage in men and material).  V Corps decides to take a gamble in its sector to help get its air support back on track.

The Soviets, largely due to the traffic jam ensuing in the wake of an unplanned operational pause (and which they are working on clearing up), have wound up with considerable air defense assets pushed far forward in Team Whiskey's sector.  And so V Corps has ordered Team Whiskey to conduct a local counterattack on 8th Guards Army forces, with the primary mission to identify and destroy Soviet air defense assets in the objective area, and the secondary mission being simply to punch Soviet armored elements in the mouth to help keep them off-balance.


The opposing forces, with US on the right and Soviets on the left.  Being a counterattack, this is that rare game where the US outnumbers the Soviets.  The US has two companies of Mechanized Infantry (in Bradleys), a tank platoon (M1s), four command stands in an M-577 and M-113s, a mortar platoon of 4 x 81mm tubes, two 10th SFG teams, and an AH-64 Apache.  The Soviets have a reinforced tank platoon, eight rifle teams, four machine gun teams, four ATGMs (Spandrels), four 120mm mortars, four MANPAD SAMs, and four SA-9 Gaskin vehicle SAMs.  The Soviet infantry begins the game dug-in.


The table, with north being up, the US baseline at left (west), and the Soviet baseline at right (east).  You can see the Team Whiskey Mech Inf companies spread out at left, while the Soviets are spread across the board on the right.  The US SF teams are in the forest at top center left.


The US force is getting beat up, but punches back.  To see the whole thing, please check:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/09/team-whiskey-fulda-gap-batrep-3-part-i.html

More to come.

V/R,
Jack

That was an installment ?   

Can see why it takes so much time, to write these up, Jack.
Great stuff ! 

Cheers - Phil

Feature length instalment!

But I get a tank company! Promotion!

Means I'll be dead by the end of episode 2...

Thanks guys.  But that's what you get for being such loyal followers of my campaigns; you're both now running companies!

And I won't make you wait, Lemmey: you and Captain "Phil'-lips both survived this encounter.  One in better shape than the other

V/R,
Jack

OI!

NO SPOILERS!

Sorry brother.

If it makes you feel better, I'll get you killed next time

V/R,
Jack

Please don't!

Quote from: mad lemmey on 16 September 2015, 08:51:01 PM
OI!

NO SPOILERS!

There's *survived* survived and then there's One by Metallica survived!

It's count the limbs sweepstake time! 

Oh my!  Don' worry Lemmey, I'll bring you a straw

The finale is coming right up.

V/R,
Jack

All,

This is the second part of my third Fulda Gap fight, starting at Turn 3.  When last we spoke, Team Whiskey had two Mechanized Infantry platoons on the board, and the supporting tank platoon had just come on.  Regarding the Mech Inf platoons, Captain Phillips' India Company had lost a couple Bradleys and 1st Platoon's infantry has pretty much been wiped out, while Captain Keepers' Kilo Company got the stuffins knocked out of it, down to two Brads and a five rifle teams.

It's Turn 3, and so the US side is able to bring in its AH-64 Apache for rotary attack support, but, to be honest, I'm a bit scared to call it up as the Soviets still have quite a few surface to air missile (SAM) systems on the table.

But the Soviets have suffered to, with their tank platoon decimated (one T-72 left) and half their SAMs gone, but they still have the majority of their infantry, and their four ATGMs are still in play.


The AH-64 Apache zooms in just feet above the ground, slows to a hover, then pops up over the small knoll the US mortars (bottom center, at far left table edge) are sheltering behind.


India Company's 3rd Platoon, under 1Lt Macot, moves up and wreaks destruction. A TOW knocks out an SA-9 Gaskin (top right), while another Bradley fires its 25mm chain gun on an enemy MG in a building (far right).  To see how the fight turned out, please check the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/09/team-whiskey-fulda-gap-batrep-3-part-ii.html

I'm really hoping to get two more fights in this weekend, but can only promise one, so stay tuned for more Team Whiskey action.

V/R,
Jack

Excellent stuff, again, Jack. 
Cheers - Phil.

Thanks, Cap'n.   

V/R,
Jack

Great report!
This Lemmey chap is doing well

"This Lemmey chap is doing well."

It's still early 

More to come, may even have something written up by tonight (but probably not).

V/R,
Jack

All,

It's 0700 on 4 August 1986, and Team Whiskey, as part of the beat up 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, is in full retreat.  But the Soviet 8th Guards Army, which had taken an operational pause and been counterattacked yesterday by 11th ACR, never halted its reconnaissance assets, and the Soviet recon assets quickly noted 11th ACR's withdrawal from its forward defensive positions in preparation for a speedy withdrawal to its next line of defense.  The 8th Guards Army quickly switched over to the attack, flinging its armored formations forward in pursuit of the fleeing NATO forces.

In this, 11th ACR was quite fortunate.  The Soviets, in their haste to turn an orderly withdrawal into a route, and without good prior route reconnaissance into unfamiliar terrain, had gaps appear between their advance guard and forward detachments.  With aerial reconnaissance and surveillance alerting them to the Soviet armored thrusts, Lt Col Lacy quickly issued orders.  Captain Sighe, formerly the the Battalion S-6 (Communications) but now running India Company's 1st Mechanized Infantry Platoon, already had his platoon dug-in in the West German village of Bad Stulz as Team Whiskey's rear guard.

Lt Col Lacy, Team Whiskey's Commanding Officer, quickly dispatched TOWs, machine guns, and the 81mm mortars of Weapons Company, as well as 1st Lt Roberts' 3rd Tank Platoon, which Charlie Company's Commanding Officer is accompanying.  Due to current unit locations, Weapons Company will reach Captain Sighe's India Mech Co, 1st Platoon before Lt Roberts' tank platoon.

So, Captain Sighe's 1st Platoon, with Weapons Company MGs, TOWs, and mortars in direct support, is lying in wait, with a tank platoon on the way, as a Soviet armored column comes flying down the road, oblivious (due to the loss of contact with their reconnaissance) that US troops have filtered into the gap and are preparing to ambush them.

I only got one game in this weekend, and once again I've got a busy schedule at work, kids' schoolwork, and baseball, so I'm forced to again release my batrep in two parts.


The opposing forces, with US on the right and Soviets on the left.  As you can see, the Soviets have quite a bit more troops than Team Whiskey.  Neither side has air or arty in this engagement.  The US force, with one Command Stand (Captain Sighe), four rifle teams, five TOWs, five MGs, a mortar platoon, and five M1 Abrams (the Company Commander, Captain Lemmey, and platoon commander 1st Lt Roberts). 
The Soviet force, with two Command Stands (a Commanding Officer and an Executive Officer, in a BTR-50 and BMP-2, respectively), four platoons of tanks, and four platoons of BMPs with infantry.


The table, looking south to north, with the US baseline on left (west) and Soviet on right (east), with the US basically spread around the crossroads and the Soviets entering via the road at top right.


Fight's on!  TOWs open up on the Soviet armored column, wreaking havoc.  To see the first part of the batrep, please visit the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/09/team-whiskey-fulda-gap-batrep-4-part-i.html

Stay with me, the conclusion is coming as soon as possible, and the fight is knock-down, drag-out once again.

V/R,
Jack

Good AAR as usual, Jack !
And a lovely terrain !

Ditto !! 

Cheers - Phil

Superb game Jack!

I ain't dead -yet!