Firestorm: Stripes

Time: 0915hrs local
Date: 26Aug1985
Location: Haunersdorf Germany-Headquarters of the Czech 4th Tank Division (what's left of it)

Plukovnik (colonel) Soucek, 2nd in command of the Division has just been informed that the General of the division (Divizni General) has just declared his division a part of the Peoples Army and that he has ordered the division to begin operations against the Soviet units in the area. Soucek has countermanded this insane order-but General Olejnik has already informed "higher authorities". He had the political officer executed and has put a noose around the divisions neck. The General was last seen headed toward Hohenberg, location of the 9th Rifle Division. He must be stopped before he actually convinces units to follow this insane scheme.

60 point recon in force. The cabin in the middle of the board is the center objective-each player than place 2 other objectives. I played the Czechs and used an East German list. My wife (Angela) played the Russians and used a list from Red Thunder. There are some KGB infantry and some Czech "civilians" protecting the General-these troops will have no impact on the game-they are there for the narratives sake (they are both lightly armed and do not wish to take on any armor vehicles)

I

General Olejnik has gotten into his car, had 2 BTRs escort him. He and his little band got as far as the first traffic control point when they got into a firefight with KGB troops sent to arrest him. During the fight, his car and escorts were knocked out and the General made his way into a cabin-the KGB troops suffered losses as well, but have the cabin surrounded. The general is protected by some civilians from the Czech Workers Freedom Front.

As they travel Colonel Soucek hopes he can get to the General and keep this from getting out of hand. As his force arrives near a traffic control point, the smoke on the horizon makes his heart sink. "Too late for that now" he thinks as he realizes that they are all dead men-one way or another.

Both sides used spearhead to try and gain an advantage. the Czech T-55s fail their blitz move. The scouts in their BMP-1s move up and the T-72Ms move on the right. The Colonel's plan is to occupy the T-64s with his T-55 and swamp them, and try to knock out his(her) T-72s and turn the flank.

Russian turn 1
The T-64s working with the BMP-2 scouts manage to eliminate a BMP-1 scout unit. On the Russian Left-the T-72s KIA another BMP1 scout

Czech Turn 2

The Czechs manage to hot wire an abandoned car to carry the General (just in case). The BMP-1 scout passes morale and makes it to the cabin-"This way General!!!" the scouts yell as the drunken General staggers toward the BMP-1 scout. The T-72Ms manage to KIA a T-72 and the T-55 waste their ammo shooting at the T-64s

Russian Turn 2

The T-72s miss the T-72Ms -all of them miss!!!
The T-64s destroy the BMP-1 scout and send the General scrambling back into the cabin. They also KIA a T-55 and the scout BMP-1 hits a T-55 with an ATGM and KIAs it.

Turn 3-each side holds 2 objectives so the center it is then.

Czech Turn 3

The Generals BTR-50 appears and he staggers towards it. The T-55s fail a blitz move and again chip the paint on the T-64s. The T-72Ms shoot at the T-72s and a T-64 in the flank. They only hit the T-72s once and it makes it's armor save, but they do take the T-64 in the flank and KIA it.

Russian Turn 3

The T-72s KIA 3 T-72Ms (that hurt) and the T-64 gets in a good shot and destroys the Generals BTR-50(not his day) The scout BMP-2 missies with the ATGM, but the remaining T-64s KIA 1 T-55 and bail 2.

Czech Turn 4
1 T-55 remounts and they move into a flanking position-they KIA the last BMP-2 scout. and take out 2 T-64s!! The T-72Ms fall back and bail a T-72.

Russian Turn 4
The Russian T-72 remounts, and the T-64s KIA 3 T-55s. The T-72s KIA another 2 T-72Ms and bail another. The Russians are closing in on our Czech General.

Czech Turn 5
The T-72Ms fail their morale ( sorry General) The T-55s manage to KIA 2 more T-64s.

Russian Turn 5
The lone T-64 passes its morale and bails a T-55. The T-72s move past the cabin and manage to KIA another T-55.

Czech Turn 6

The T-55s pass morals-1 fails to remount. They fire at the T-72s but gunnery is very poor and they miss.

Russian Turn 6
The remaining T-64 misses but the T-72s KIA another T-55 and bail 1.

Czech Turn 7
I refuse to concede-the enemy commander (wife) calls me names and the remaining T-55 passes morale and KIAs the last _T-64.

The Russian holds 2 other objectives and the center one so wins the game.

The General's Czech worker bodyguards attempt to flee and are cut down in a hail of bullets from the KGB security detachment. The General and his "staff" are dragged out-executed and the bodies and the cabin are burned. The General is reported to have died in an airstrike. In the next few days key individuals in the 4th Tank division are "reassigned". The 4th Tank Division will be the lead element in our new offensive scheduled sometime in the next 72hrs.