Firestorm: Stripes

The initial troop dispositions are shown below (note: all high-level photos taken looking from the east). The British, unusually without Scorpions, deployed near their baseline, all in covered positions. The Soviet force deployed in an offensive posture, ready to move forward. With no difference between their stationary and moving rates of fire and no objectives to defend the T-64s planned to attack from the outset using darkness to cover their advance.

Darkness. The southernmost Chieftain troop moved behind the central building cluster while the Soviet 3rd TC swung around the south and the 1st TC attempted to advance through the northern woods, bogging down two of its number.

Still darkness. A Chieftain got the range of the Soviet recon platoon and fired on it, missing. The BMPs fired back, also missing, but lighting up their positions for return fire. Meanwhile, the 1st TC got another tank to the front edge of the woods. The Soviet 3rd TC spotted and fired on the rear of the Chieftain troop behind the central buildings – missing. The Swingfire section redeployed to the south side of the central wood.

Dawn. And the Soviets were on the move, in the open, and trying to befriend darkness. The Swingfires and the Chieftain troop in the south destoyed two of the three T-64s in 3rd TC and bailed out the third one. The Chieftain troop in the north destroyed three BMPs on the hilltop. The Chieftains behind the central buildings destroyed one of the 1st TC T-64s on the woods-edge as the third T-64 in that company finally moved up. The remaining T-64s returned fire with all vehicles and. Bailed. Out. One. Chieftain.

Things got grimmer. Swingfire missiles destroyed the bailed T-64 finishing off 3rd TC. Concentrated fire from the Chieftains in the north completed the destruction of the 1st TC. The Chieftains in the center poked around the north and south ends of the building complex but for once, didn’t destroy everything they fired on, missing with all shots by the northern pair against 2nd TC. The remaining BMP from the recon platoon moved around the northernmost of those Chieftains, scoring a hit with its SPG9 which sadly bounced off the enemy’s side armor. The 2nd TC split, sending two tanks around to the left onto the east-west road to block the Chieftains there and two remained in place, engaging and finally destroyed the other two Chieftains.

The two Chieftains on the road south of the buildings got behind cover amongst the ruins of the 3rd TC and destroyed one of 2nd TC’s T-64s on the road. The British BHQ moved out of its wood in the center and engaged the surviving BMP with no effect. The rest of 2nd TC along with the BHQ moved to the road to attack the Chieftains there but missed completely, though one shot did destroy a Chieftain in cover behind the building complex. Meanwhile, the surviving BMP, moved up for a flank shot on the British BHQ , scored another hit, and… Bounced.

Two of the three Chieftains in the north, along with the BHQ and another Chieftain whose provenance I don’t know surrounded the last BMP and destroyed it. The volume of fire was such that it was probably pretty painless for the brave reconnaissance troops aboard it. The two Chieftains engaging the 2nd TC destroyed one and bailed out three of them, including the BHQ tank. It failed its formation check and the battle ended.

In case I’ve not mentioned it before, I hate Milans. Really hate them. But they weren’t here today so I can’t blame them this time!

I didn’t close with the enemy before dawn which was a mistake. As long as the British can fire from the halt (and several uses of the blitz move helped them to do this even when they weren’t quite in position!) they have double my rate of fire so I need to force them to move around and I can’t do that, shooting from long range. I tried to, but I was *this* close to being in position when the sun came up!

I brought anti-air assets to a tank battle. I don’t have blowpipes so I’m not sure what I was thinking.

Note (added 3/30/2018): I kept the SA9 platoon off-board, given their inability to participate in any meaningful way. Bringing them on would have extended the game by the turn or two it would take the Chieftains to hunt them down.

My tanks, as usual, never found a bog check they felt like passing. It took 3 turns to get 1st tank company into position and it was whittled down as it arrived.

These smaller games, played on a 4x6 table, are fun – they move quickly and things don’t seem as static as they sometimes do with bigger battles.

Played by the 27th Guards Motor Rifle Divisional Band at the memorial service for the 244th MRR’s 4th Battalion (T-64). The 1st platoon of the 244th Reconnaissance Company was metioned in despatches.