Firestorm: Stripes

(DISCLAIMER: The photos are stock from several games and used only for illustrative purposes)

The unexpected Soviet attack out of Denmark has to be stopped and the Welsh Guards have been recalled to Hamburg. Racing up the autobahn, they take up a blocking position outside the village of Glinde.

Having arrived in the early evening, the Guards had only just finished digging into a treeline, eaten and grabbed a couple hours kip before the officers were kicking them awake. It was about to get hot again.

Having surveyed the imperialist deployment, the recon BMP's deployed forward (spearhead move) and then the T72's deployed in line abreast with the T72 mine clearers were on the far right to deal with British mine fields. The motor rifle company and the Shilkas took position on the far left and the Carnation battery deployed at the rear. The OP deployed in the woods and began to look for targets. Unfortunately for the Soviets the maximum night sighting distance for any of them was 12 inches, which was far too short to located any targets. The Soviets ordered all units forward at full speed. No one fired.

British night vision rolling was only marginally better than the Soviets but one unit did manage to roll a 6, allowing 24 inches of vision. Unfortunately for the Soviets it was the Milan platoon. They managed to kill two T72's.

There was no further damage.

The T72's with mine clearing gear moved up to the minefields and began the clearing process. The remaining T-72s rolled for night vision and one company managed to locate the dug in infantry and fired; but they managed a single hit which was saved.

The BMP OP failed to roll above a two for night vision for a second time. The commander of the BMP's called in the artillery from his forward vantage point. The battery failed to score a hit on the dug in British.

The Shilkas continued to scan the inky sky on guard for any indication of Western air power.

The Welsh infantry opened fire on the Russian infantry, the Scimitars deployed from ambush, moved to close range and together with the Milan platoon and the Milans attached to the infantry, all fired on the BMP's. Result was seven burning BMP's and one bailed. The Russian infantry only lost one base but suffered a total of 9 hits and went pinned.

The Russian infantry unpinned, rolled to dig in but failed. The mine clearing T72's sat still, clearing mines, the Shilkas decided the need for more firepower on the front line outweighed the need to cover the artillery and dashed forward into the darkness and the BMP recon also moved laterally to fire onto the British infantry. The Soviet plan was to throw every possible weapon at the dug in British infantry in an effort to either wear them down or break them outright before British reinforcements began to arrive.

The artillery killed one base of infantry and the T-72's killed another. The Welsh infantry were pinned. The bailed BMP remounted and all three BMP's fired on the Scimitars but got no hits. The recon BMP's got no hits on the infantry and the Shilkas were too far out to see a target.

It would remain dark for another turn at least. No British reinforcements. British infantry unpinned with the help of a second roll, courtesy of the Company commander.

Two Scimitars finished off the BMP's and the other two added their fire to the infantry platoon targeting the Soviet infantry. Soviets one platoon down. Although they took 12 hits and were pinned again, the Soviet Infantry platoon saved every hit. The Milan platoon and the infantry Milans raked the 3 remaining T72s and killed them all. Soviets now two platoons down.

Scimitars execute a Shoot and Scoot and pull back onto the main road running down the Soviet left flank.

Having tired of being shot by everyone with a weapon and having unpinned once again, the Soviet commander moves his infantry full ahead into the dark, getting to within assault range of the somewhat depleted British infantry platoon.

Having cleared the minefields, the T72's now move to flank the British infantry. The Shilkas and the BMP recon add their fire to the British platoon. The T72's kill two bases but neither of the other two platoons kill anything else. The ranged in artillery fires again, but despite getting three hits, generates no kills. The British infantry platoon is pinned though. The assault is set up.

Set up yes, but it would come to nothing. Even pinned, the Welsh poured out enough fire to get 8 hits and repulse the assault. The Soviets lost two bases to defensive fire. The Welsh lads are hard as nails.

Still dark. Still no British reinforcements.

The British infantry unpinned. The Scimitars move to within gun range of the Carnation battery.

The remaining Milan in the British infantry platoon fires a lucky shot and bails a T72. The remaining infantry further reduce the repulsed Soviet infantry but not sufficiently to cause a morale test.

However, the one British unit not to have fired a shot in anger yet, the Spartans, now rolled well enough to see the T72 platoon and got 3 hits; 2 kills and one bail. The Soviets fail the resulting morale test. Soviets down 3 platoons.

The Scimitars fire and destroy the Carnation battery, killing all three vehicles. Soviets down 4 platoons.

Milan platoon kills both the Shilkas. Soviets down 5 platoons.

At this point, the Soviet commander concedes the game.

British win 6-1