Firestorm: Stripes

SECRET//ORCON
FROM: JOINT TASK FORCE BANZAI
TO: EUCOM
INFO: CENTCOM
NATO COMMAND
WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM

SUMMARY: (S) Joint Task Force Banzai reports insertion of Task Force elements into the Brandenburg Corridor and contact between Kampfgruppe Von Stein and 57th Guard Motor Rifle Kompanie, outside of Gross Luben.

DETAILS: (S) NATO command reports the opening of the Brandenburg Corridor. Intelligence assessment suggests operational control of Brandenburg by NATO forces would significantly hamper Warsaw Pact incursion into Denmark and allow for a secondary assault on Berlin.

(S) Joint Task Force Banzai has been assigned to muster with U.S. 11th Armored Cavalry at McPheeters Kaserne, Bad Hersfeld, to spearhead into Brandenburg and engage Soviet forces. Deploying forces have been advised to prepare for heavy losses and difficult resupply.

(S) Kampfgruppe Von Stein, upon conclusion of Operation 8th Dimension, rejoined the main element of Joint Task Force Banzai at McPheeters Kaserne. Hauptmann Gervas Von Stein was ordered by Commander Joint Task Force Banzai to secure the southern flank of the column upon entering the Brandenburg Corridor.

(S) After crossing the Elbe River, Kampfgruppe Von Stein reported contact in the outskirts of an industrial district outside the city of Gross Luben. Hauptmann Von Stein engaged what has subsequently been identified as the Soviet 57th Guard Motor Rifle Kompanie. The following engagement resulted in the near total loss of all elements of Kampfgruppe Von Stein. Hauptmann Von Stein, and the surviving members of Kampfgruppe Von Stein, returned to McPheeters Kaserne, many being aided by the German underground.

(S) Engagement between Soviet 57th Guard Motor Rifle Kompanie and Kampfgruppe Von Stein is photo-documented below along with the Operation briefing.

Jimminy kriminey, that was a slog!!! This was my first 100 point game of Team Yankee and I walked away a bit exhausted. I never seemed to have enough firepower to actually turn the tide, and it always seemed like I was doing my best just to stay above water. I never felt I was truely losing, but it was difficult to see a path to victory. I had a number of turns where I dealt significant damage, as when the Marders and Luchs took out a BMP platoon or when I received the Leopard 1 platoon from reserve which showed up directly behind the T-64s. At the same time, though, having the Gepards removed the first turn was disconcerting, and no matter what I threw at the infantry hordes, nothing seemed to damage them significantly.

In retrospect, I believe I put too much faith in the Leopard 2 survivability and should have had them more mobile. Further, given my opponents penchance for Soviet hordes, I should have brought the LARs in this list, Using minelets against the BMPs, smoke to protect the Gepards, and artillery barrages to pin down the infantry, probably would have worked alot better. Also, a platoon of Fliegerfaust would have been great against the late game arrival of the Hinds. They could have stayed dug in for most of the game and discouraged Soviet air harassment of my objective defenders. Well, at least my commanding officer survived, if barely.

I will say this, though, after playing against a Soviet infnatry horde list I definitely want one for the Russian force I am building. They aren’t an instant win army, but they are demoralizing to an opponent when no matter how much they kill the horde just keeps coming.

Where are we going?
Brandenburg!!!
When?
Real soon!!!