Chef Pierre Piper went Poppy Picking

A composite force of French and South African UN soldiers advanced on an opium producing village which had failed to pay the local warlord his dues.  The warlord told the local army commander who reported to the UN that the village was "financing the local guerrillas with their misbegotten opium money".  The UN reacted by sending in soldiers armed with Jerry cans of petrol.

[1] A French VAB enters and engages a VBIED, the VBIED reacts with an assault but is short on movement [2].  A Rooikat enters and destroys the VBIED [3].  In the distance a P4 Peugeot, a VBL and infantry on foot advance and engage a hidden group of guerillas armed with two RPGs

We played a second Force on Force game, introducing Breaching, Hotspots, Vehicles and Irregulars.  I realised how hard it is to play irregulars for a new player, they only react once, sometimes don't have leadership, die like flies and the only medics seem to be flies.

The local army commander's "lie" held some truth.  A group of guerrillas had moved into the area and were building up their force for an attack on the local city.  The attack by the UN was a surprise and the guerrillas were caught with only one "roadblocking" unit in place.  A suicide-bomber in a VBIED saw his chance at immortality and drove a B-line straight at the first UN force he saw, a French VAB.

The French VAB, commanded by Chef Pierre Piper opened fire with its Remote Weapon Station, peppering the car but not stopping it, the car got within 4m of the VAB but the occupants were suppressed.  A UN Rooikat then appeared on the road and with a single round hit the Golden Holden VBIED which exploded, luckily for the VAB the explosion did no damage.

On the French left flank a P4 Peugeot, a VBL and a unit of infantry spot and engage an ambush.  In the ensuing firefight (over two turns) the guerrillas are all killed, a VBL is destroyed and two crew are seriously injured.

Firefight between the French and the ambushing unit.  A VBL is hit and destroyed by an RPG.  At this moment the guerillas have 7 Points and the French 2.

The French continue their advance without any visible opposition, a fire team moves to the smaller of the poppy fields and using an petrol and phosphorous grenades set it on fire.

The French set fire to the Poppy plantation.  The last surviving guerrilla in the compound is hit.  In the distance a group of French snipers moves into the compound to setup an overwatch position.

On the left flank the P4 Peugeot advanced to protect that flank and was engaged by two units of guerrillas.  The guerillas suffered from indecision (hotspot spawned units without leaders, a harsh reality of an insurgency).

The Rooikat, a second VBL and a P4 move up to cover the compound entries [1], and fire team moved up to the nearest compound [2] and breaches the wall advancing into the compound.  A fire team of French advance to the main poppy field and set it on fire.  The local guerrilla leader assaults the breachers, but the French are victorious [4].  Meanwhile a massive mob of guerrillas with no leader attempt to flank the French.  Without anti-tank weapons the best they can hope for it so assault the infantry or cars.

The French then continued their main drive to the large poppy field.  Using three vehicles to cover the advance infantry breached the first compound and advanced on the fields setting fire to the last crop.  Four guerillas led by the local leader assaulted the team which had breached their compound.  French were surprised and a vicious melee ensured ending with the death of all four guerrillas.

With their objectives secured (i.e. on fire) the French began their orderly withdrawal.  Though a group of 20 enthusiastic leaderless guerrillas ran to get into the fight.

The Rooikat intercepted and the twenty guerrillas after taking a few hits ran for cover allowing the French infantry to fall back unharmed.  Except, as they crossed the road an IED was set-off hitting two teams of French soldiers, the first team was hit three times, the second escaped without harm.  Miraculously for the French all three hit men escaped with minor scratches.

And thus ended the poppy picking patrol.

Once again lessons were learnt.  The main one I was reminded of was how hard it is too play irregulars in Force on Force.  Hard from a morale point of view.  Who really have to think of your men as lunch money, without spending it you get no lunch...but you have money....

Next week we will just have a fun little game to reinforce the lessons, this time involving prey, hunters and hunter's of hunters.

A lesson learnt - An introduction to Force on Force in Bunbury

I ran a platoon vs. platoon Force on Force game, for Mark&Son in Bunbury, as a second introduction to the game. Force on Force has a short learning curve with lots of tactical decisions.  The only complexity is the action-reaction system which unfortunately is not written that well in the rules.  But, once you write it out it is easier.  Mark&Son picked up the rules quickly.

With the 28mm WW2 still a work-in-progress we used modern 15mm miniatures for the teaching game.

UN convoy dismounted to inspect an abandoned T-55.  The attack commences with Russians moving through the fields and through the warehouse.

Mission: A UN convoy, on an approach march to an airport that has been captured by Russian paratroopers, has stopped to investigate an abandoned T-55.  The Russian force, had also spotted the tank and a platoon was tasked with destroying the tank.  The Russian platoon leader contacted his commander and reported he had eyes on a dismounted UN convoy.  The platoon leader was ordered to degrade the UN convoys mobility.  While the UN commander was questioning the civilians the Russians attacked.

VP:

T-55 Destroyed by Russians: 5

Per UN vehicle destroyed: 3

Dead: 2

Wound: 1

Mission Special Rules: Russians start with initiative and hold it automatically for first 3 turns.

Russian Force: VDV Platoon minus the Weapons squad.  TQ8/MOR10

UN Force: UN South African platoon mounted in wheeled IFV (Ratel): TQ8/MOR8

The UN force was set up dismounted, with one section in the sand-bag emplacement, and the rest in the road in and around the convoy.  The platoon leader was in the tall building with one fire team having moved to the top storey.  

The Russians advanced on the convoy from three sides, the first actions occurred when the Russians engaged the emplacement and the one fire team at the concrete chicane.  The Russians having surprise and good fire power wound 5 of the UN force.

The UN force reacts, but in the process lose an armoured vehicle.  The UN pour a lot of fire into the orchard which eventually knocks out a fire team.  A Ratel moved forward and the commander kept his head out to help get first reaction, unfortunately he lost and the Russian sniper seriously wounded him.  Serious wounds on the Russian and UN side caused a units on each side to delay.  

Eventually the Russians had destroyed or damaged all the UN vehicles.  In a bold move the Russians assaulted the sand bag emplacement and in a brutal hand-to-hand fight they killed all the UN soldiers.  The first RPG to hit the T-55 failed to kill it.

The Russian paratroopers charge into the sandbag emplacement, after a bitter fight, where both sides gave and received, the Russians are triumphant.

With the heavy losses of the vehicles and the lost fire team in the melee the Russians were triumphant.

With three burning Ratel's and one Ratel commander out of action the Russians have successfully fulfilled their mission.

Hopefully a fun and educational game.  Other than learning the rules, lessons learnt included the danger of staying unbuttoned and the vulnerability of IFV to man-portable anti-tank weapons.

Next mission will be asymmetrical, with a UN French platoon on a flower picking mission.  The Poppy pickers may have a rude reception when the flower-growers take exception to their guests.

So the next game will cover:

• Hotspots
• Irregulars
• VBIED/IED

AAR - Operation [REDACTED]

"What happened at Malika Airport last week?"

"Nothing happened." replied the US Spokesman to the press at the UN HQ.

The truth is more terrifying than anyone could imagine.

The Russian kill and wound the South African guards and steal the UN QRF Medivac helicopter

A heavy firefight is believed to have occurred at the western edge of the airfield.  A three way struggle occurred between the Russians, the UN and the Hotakistanis.  A fourth force was also rumoured to be involved, and this was confirmed by a release from Wikidrips.  We played a massive 4-sided mission.  Operation Democritus begins (see Mission Briefing here)

Unknown to the UN forces the Russians had discovered a stolen nuke (of Russian origin) on one of the crashed aircraft at the airfield.  The nuke "belonged" to the Hotakistanis.  As the Russian moved to recover it a secret force of Hotakistani revealed themselves and a race was on, the Russians to recover the bomb and the Hotakistani to set off the bomb.  The UN, unaware of the nuke, raced to turn the Russians back to their part of the base.  In the vicinity of the aircraft was a secret NSA base which would result in the operation being removed from all the annals of the world (or so they thought!).

The fight started with a section of Russians attacking the helipad at the southern end of the airfield.  Their plan was to steal a helicopter, retrieve the bomb and then fly it back to Russian territory.  The South African guards at the helipad were taken by surprise by the Russians and they fell quickly.

Meanwhile at the west end of the airfield the Russians advanced on their secret objective, the nuke in the crashed airliner.  The nuke had been stolen by the Hotakistanis and crashed on the runway on the first day of the invasion, their plan had been to explode the bomb if they failed to secure the main UN base.  They had been defeated and the bomb had never been set-off.  The plane had then been dragged to the wrecking yard at the airfield, the UN unaware it contained a nuke.

The Main Maintenance Workshops and the wrecked planes.

The Russian rushed into the Main Maintenance Workshops, they heard the helicopter had been captured and that their comrades had also captured a BMP-1 which would soon arrive (Turn 4) to assist them in their task.

The Russian arrive at the MMW

The Russian paratroopers catch sight of their objective, the crashed airliner is in sight.

On a course to intercept the Russians was a motley UN force thrown together from the remnant units at the airfield.  The UN force included a section of South Africans, a section of British, a squad of Americans, a P4 Peugeot with French special forces and a fire team of Australian special forces.  The UN force moved into the buildings overlooking the main wrecking yards.  They battled to breach one of the buildings but were soon in overwatch positions above the yards.

A team of South Africans show the Aussies how to break in to a building.  Mark has painted his Eureka Miniatures Australians (most envious!)

Unknown to the Russians or the UN a third force was hiding just over the outer fences of the airfield.  The Hotakistanis had come to the realization that the Russians had discovered the bomb and they now raced forward to arm the bomb and deny the airfield to the UN.

The Hotakistani platoon run through a minefield losing three men, and cut through the chain-link fence.  The race is on!

The Hotakistani swarmed from their hideout, ran through a minefield, losing three men seriously wounded, and then breached the outer fence.  The Russians soon came under fire from the Hotakistanis.  This would turn into a bloody fire fight ending with only one Hotakistani left alive and only four Russians.

The Russian run towards their objective, but accurate fire from the Hotakistani stops them in their tracks

Unknown to the Russians they had run past a hidden group of Hotakistani agents from their Special Activities Detachment (SAD).  The SAD team had been hiding in one of the upper floors of a workshop, from where they could observe the wrecked jetliner.  The SAD men popped up and poured fire into the running Russians.  The Russians were soon able to neutralize this threat but at a cost.

Russians ambushed by the SAD men.  The Russian leader, Lt Razputin flexes his muscles.

The UN could see the firefight from their positions in the office blocks.  The commander ordered the French patrol to make contact with the Russians.  The French Special Forces moved forward to order the Russians back to their compound.  The Russians failed to move, saying they could not understand German.  At about this time a runner brought up a decoded message which showed the UN commander that the Russians were attempting to retrieve a Empty Quiver - a stolen nuclear bomb.

The French drive up to the advancing Russians, a tense stand-off ensues.

The firefight near the workshops intensified, with the Russians losing a few men.  The French supported the Russians by firing at the Hotakistanis THROUGH the Russian forces, but miraculously no Russian went down to this "semi-friendly" fire.

The firefight grows in intensity.  The French come to the Russians assistance, but fire through the defending Russians.

After softening up the Russians the Hotakistanis charge in with grenades and bayonets, killing four of the Russians.

The first of many close quarter combat.  In this one the Russians are wiped out.

The gunfire and explosions had a dramatic effect in the NSA Darpa base at the other end of the wrecking yard.  Several containers started to shake and blood curdling screams could be heard from within their confines.  Soon the containers failed and out poured a fourth force.  Within the container cages were torn and smashed.  Unfortunately, the nature of this new force has been redacted by the NSA.  The first casualties of this new force were the two NSA agents in the building.

Unfortunately the image of this event has been redacted.

[REDACTED]

Luckily the NSA is a sieve, and we can therefore show you these images:

NSA DARPA EXPERIMENTAL ALIEN DIVISION

The fourth force was some form of alien or synthetic lifeform.  They surged forward, loping, skittering, hunting any human they could sense.  The UN force was the first to see them, the men either puckered up or lost sphincter valve control.

The stolen helicopter lands, the Russians as yet unaware of the new nearby threat.

The Russian helicopter and BMP arrived around about now.  The BMP was soon to become a thorn in the UN side, it main gun a threat to the advance of their troops and a threat to the UN vehicles.  The South Africans had been checking through the vehicles parked in the yards and found a Ratel and a Rooikat in operable condition, they mounted these vehicles, though only the machine-guns could be operated.

The Russian BMP arrives, it survives the operation, but gets hit by 3 to 4 RPGs.

The firefight in the centre continued with multiple casualties on both sides.  The UN taking pot-shots at the participants.  The Hotakistanis realised that the central yard was becoming too dangerous and began a flanking move to get to the airliner.

Hotakitanis begin a flank move to reach the airliner

About now the aliens started to disgorge from the NSA buildings, the shocked UN force poured a withering fire killing into these horrific beings as they ran across the road towards the UN position.  One of the alien queens mounted a wall (and rolled a 1 for the Reaction test, received a card, Man Down, rolled a D10 for the ten alien teams and rolled a 9!  The queen.  She died as she fell from the wall.  Rather anti-climatic to the mirth of the other players.  Especially as I have had a uncanny ability to fall off walls in another game we play!)

An ignominious end to one of the alien Queens

The Aliens swarmed forth, though many died, many advanced on the Russians who had just debussed from the helicopter.

The Aliens rush the Russians

The Aliens began to suffer from an inability to martial themselves to charge into close quarters (by the end of the game I had rolled at least ten "1s" with a D10 for the close combat TQ check.  Not just failing but failing with 1s!)

One successful assault out of four attempts!  The Hotakistanis attempting to range in on the aliens, but the UN intervened shooting down the two Hotakistani snipers before they could fire on the aliens.

The Aliens attacking the UN forces faced a wall of overwatch fire.  Very few aliens made it, most dying in puddles of acid.

A wall of overwatch lead puts an end to the alien advance on the UN forces

The Russians, ignoring the UN request, breached the airliner and advanced to the bomb in the centre of the aircraft.

The Russians ignoring French order breach the plan and advance to the bomb, but suffer wounds and cannot carry the bomb.

The aliens now spotted that there were walking incubators in the airliner and started to breach the aircraft, but once again they failed to muster the will to attack the Russians in the aircraft.  The Hotakistanis also breached the plane but were ambushed by FBS Russian agents, but they overcame the two Russian agents and attacked the fireteam at the bomb, wounding two of the Russians.  The Russians could now not retrieve the bomb with the four men required to retrieve and evacuate the bomb.

The aliens once again failing to muster themselves to assault the walking incubators.

The UN now suffered two setbacks, both their overwatch buildings caught fire and the UN had to rapidly evacuate their advantage points (both Reaction Cards, one played by the Hotaksitanis and one by the aliens, the UN player was not impressed)

Bad luck, the first of two fires in the UN held buildings

The Russian now joined the alien killing spree, firing on the aliens.  They wounded two aliens, then the aliens charged them, losing two more to the Russians, and then in close combat the Russians dispatched the last alien.

Russians wiping out the aliens.

The Russian, after killing the drones, turned on the queen and quickly killed her.

The Alien queen dies.

The firefight in the yard continued, devastating both the Hotakistanis and Russians.  A team of Hotakistanis entered the plane and took down the Russians with UN "assistance" (the Rooikat and P4 had moved up to fire on the airliner).  The aliens clawing at the outside of the plane once again fail to muster the will to charge into the plane!  The Rooikat was destroyed by the Russians.

The South Africans engaged the Russian BMP with an RPG, but after two hits could not penetrate the armour.  The BMP responded to the fire, also with little effect.

The Hotakistanis clear the plane with UN assistance, while the aliens twiddle their thumbs!

The aliens now exacted some revenge on the UN, a group of five aliens surged into a fire team of Americans, killing them all.  The aliens were soon killed by the Australian SASR.

Aliens munching on the US fire team

The aliens finally entered the plane and killed the Hotakistanis in the plane.  A final Hotakistani surge to breach the aircraft and set off the nuke was withered under heavy fire, but in the end one of the Hotakistani agents got to the bomb.  He started to arm the bomb but was interrupted by incoming UN forces (he required a full turn so he was too late and the mission ended).  The bomb was captured by the UN. Only four Russians were left standing and the last Hotakistani killed himself rather than be captured.  The surviving Russian fell back over the perimeter fence and were extracted by a Russian force later in the day.

A reporter at the airfield reported that the Russians had attacked the UN.  The Russians said that the bodies in the reporters photographs said to be Russians appeared to be a Malikstani militia men, pointing out that none of the uniforms contained Russian badges or flags.  The UN reported that the photographs were fakes or were taken during the initial invasion a month before.

There was never a fight.

There was never a bomb.

The UN and Russians are still on good terms.

There were certainly no "unexplained" events.

Period.

The aliens [that never did exist] were also all killed, though one [of the non-existent] aliens had escaped with a victim...

A bloody four-player four-sided game that ran very smoothly.  Probably our biggest game ever, with over four platoons of infantry.  The Force on Force rules held up well and we finished the game in good time.  Initiative was gold during this game, the ability to have overwatch was precious indeed.  Initiative bounced around, but the UN was able to hold it for most of the game.  The UN captured two vehicles which helped them hold on to initiative for most the game.

The aliens inability to muster themselves to attack and the ignominious end to the one queen resulted in lots of [rude] chortling.    In the end it was a UN victory as they received a bonus 20VP when the Russians and Hotakistanis failed in their missions.  But it was still narrow, with the UNs 57VP vs. the Russians 51VP.

The secret arrival of aliens in the campaign certainly led to shock among the three regular players.  I wish I had a picture of their faces as I setup the 40 drones and two queens.  It was classic.

Sadly, this is going to be my last game for a long time to come, though I hope the campaign will continue.  I will see if I can get players keen in WA, and I hope the Queenslander's keep it going.

Force on Force has enabled us to play some truly enjoyable games.  At least 41 of those games have been reported on this blog.  Not to mention the excellent players Mark, Bill and Shane.  And all the other guest players that have been involved in the 3 years we have played this campaign.

To anyone who has visited our blog I hope we have been able to entertain or inspire you to further gaming.  I hope this is not the end and we will soon be playing the campaign in both Queensland and WA.  If anyone this side of  Sagittarius A wants to join in to play missions in the campaign please PM me.

MISSION BRIEFING: Operation Democritus

Something Russian
Something United Nations
Something Hotakistani
Something Geiger
And a Holy Hand-grenade in her undercarriage

Malika City Airfield (LV-426) – Camp Acheron

Camp Acheron, once the model of what a UN base should be, was shattered and tense.  Russian paratroopers had landed without warning earlier in the week and had secured the eastern edge of the airport and sent flying columns into Malika City.  The UN wanted to start the construction of a refugee camp at the east edge of the airstrip.  The Russian duma had said they would not move, but a confrontation between the Russians and UN was averted when the Russian commander on the ground agreed to move to the north edge of the base saying, "We will move commander, we are not some out of time fascist bully boy who just takes what he wants."  With that the Russians moved to the north.

Early in the morning General Phil Graves was woken by his adjutant: the Russians had moved en masse from their allotted position in Camp Acheron to the MMW.  The lieutenant said the Russians were heading for the partially abandoned Main Maintenance Workshops on the western edge of the base.  A general alarm was sounded, General Phil Graves ordered his subordinates to put together a force from the many remnant UN units to intercept the Russians and stop them from reaching the MMW.  The rules of engagement: Fire if fired upon, but firmly stop the Russians move.  While the order group was still underway small arms fire erupted from the helipads to the east of the HQ.  General Phil Graves ordered his radioman to contact the guard HQ, but the radioman shook his head handing the receiver to the General, the general put it to his ear, all he could hear was rapid chirping sounds.  General Graves turned red, "The fnckiug Rnssiaus are jammiug ns!"

Earlier, two Hotakistani observers, secreted away in in the MMW spotted two men searching through the wreckage of the planes in the MMW.  The two Hotakistani's stealthy moved closer to the two men.  The men were Russians and were using a scintillometer.  Both the Russians and Hotakistanis dove for cover as a French Peugeot patrol vehicle drove past.  After the vehicle had passed the Hotakistanis could no longer see the Russians.  The Hotakistanis scouts fell back to their hide and radioed for support.  In the dark the two Russians sent an important message to their HQ in Russia.

The MMW includes several wrecked aircraft, including the jetliner which crashed at Malika City Airport on the first day of the Hotakistani Invasion (see LINK)

In the early light of dawn the conflict starts.

MISSION: 10 Turns

INITIATIVE: Russians start with initiative.  From turn 2 roll for initiative as normal.

VICTORY POINTS: See individual briefings for bonus VP, otherwise 2VP per KIA and 1VP per SW.

FORCES:

Russian VDV Paratroopers (INI10, TQ8, MOR10) 

UN Nations motley strengthened Platoon (INI8, TQ8, INI8) -1 INI dice (poor command) +1FP (good supplies)

Hotakistani Paratrooper Platoon (INI6, TQ8, MOR12) -1FP (low supplies)

NSA Agents (INI10, TQ10, MOR12)

Note to players: Only open the secret order link that has your initials next to it.

RUSSIAN ORDERS LINK (BC)

UN ORDERS LINK (SF)

HOTAKISTANI LINK (MM)

NSA LINK (ULTRA SECRET ACCESS IS DENIED, otherwise please contact Snowedin or Wikidrips)

The units from each force can be seen here.  Only look at your force!
RUSSIAN FORCE (BC)
UN FORCE (SF)
HOTAKISTANI FORCE (MM)
NSA FORCE (KP) (revealed for all by Snowedin!)

On turn 3 the UN commander receives this hand-written communique:
LINK (SF only on turn 3)

Special Mission Rules:

1) MMW – The workshop contain dozens of vehicles in various states of disrepair, a team using tactical movement may attempt to commandeer the vehicle on a successful TQ check (all sides suffer a -1DShift except for the UN force).  Only a vehicles secondary armaments can be used on commandeered vehicles, the primary armaments are not functional.  A non-successful commandeer results in the vehicle being classed a non-runner by all forces for the rest of the mission.

2) No side has access to artillery, reinforcements or air support

3) Initiative, only one side has initiative per turn.

4) Concrete buildings are +2D, warehouse is +1D, all internal are +1D.  All buildings are 4D10 STR.  The aircraft give a +1D

5) All doorways and gateways are considered closed and all windows locked.  To enter the unit must pass a breaching TQ +1DShift.

6) The aircraft can only be entered by passing a breach TQ.

The Russians must also capture a helicopter.  The helicopter is guarded by four UN soldiers.

RECON IMAGES

RECON IMAGE 1

RECON IMAGE 2

AAR - The fight for Pavdullah's House

General Phil Graves looked at the weeks statistics for a second time, his casualty rate had decreased, and the UN’s rate was up.  This was not good, his troops were obviously not trying hard enough.  When he looked across the concrete runway to the Australian infantry readying their equipment he decided that they would immediately attack into the city.

 

The layout

Pavdullah sat on the top storey of "his house" looking westward to the beleaguered legations, he smiled, this was a perfect spot from which he could call down the 220mm rockets.  Before Pavdullah moved in, the building had been the “Malikastan-United Nations Youth League Outreach School for Transition”.  After Pavdullah kicked out the teachers the building became known as Pavdullah’s House.  The AUStralian-USA Force (AUSAF) also saw that the MUNYLOST building had unobstructed views to the last legations and too the airport itself.  The building had to be taken at all costs.

The Australian Lieutenant, Winston Hines, received his orders with incredulity, he was still waiting for his last ASLAVs to land.  He saw a group of South African mechanics repairing a bunch of “past best by date” Ratels, and asked to borrow a few.   Corporal H. Owzit agreed as long as he could join the Aussies in their attack.  The mechanics told Australian Lt Winston Hines and Sergeant Allan Lot that they also had found a British Challenger tank in a hangar and would bring that along for good measure. 

Thus it was that the Battle for Pavdullah’s House came to be.

The mission:

Australian Mechanised Infantry (8-10) + 4 Ratel/ASLAV

US ODA Team (10-10)

+Medic

+1FP for ODA

+155mm Artillery

+Apache Gunship

+1 Section of South African Infantry

(Reaction Card during game: +1 Challenger/Abrams Tank)

HVT Insurgents (8-10 regular)

Hardened Insurgents (8-10 regular) included one random T-55.

+Quad 14.5mm AA

+220mm Rocket Artillery

+RPG Team (AP3/AT3(H))

 

The entire mission plan.  

Pavdullah’s house was defended by a hardened insurgent platoon, with more allies on the way.  In a nearby warehouse the insurgents were rebuilding a T-55 that the Russians had damaged a few days earlier.  The insurgents were disastrously short of RPGs, but they did have a quad 14.5mm AA gun to keep the sky clear.  Pavdullah’s house was a monster of a building with thick concrete walls, and appeared to be more of a prison than a school.

The ODA team in Malika City heard that the Aussies (with a bunch of South African mechanics) were about to take on Pavdullah’s House and therefore thought it best if they came and showed the Aussies how to do it.   Pavdullah’s brother phoned Pavdullah and told him they had spotted the Australians advancing towards his position.  Pavdullah replied, “Not to worry, brother, I have just unwrapped a new state of the art RPG, let them come.”

 

Insurgent hunker down as the two Ratel's fire on the warehouse.

The attack started with the Australians infiltrating into the ruined buildings to the north of Pavdullah’s house.  The ODA joined this advance and also moved with two Ratel’s and a Australian GPMG team to take the ruin to the south of the “House.”  Some insurgents were spotted and engaged.  The Apache helicopter failed to arrive at first, but a 155mm stonk wounded several Hotakistani’s in the trenches to the south of the “House”.

 

The four 155mm shells land, causing casualties in the trenches and dropping the roof of Pavdullah's house onto the insurgents on the top storey.

The last section of Australians, a section of South Africans and the borrowed Challenger tank flanked the house and attacked the large factory warehouse from the south.  Though the Challenger would arrive late.  The T-55 in the warehouse burst through the massive roller doors only to have its gun shots away by one of the Ratel’s.  Amazingly in the wild melee to come the T-55 would survive to fight another day.

The insurgents in the thinly clad warehouse survived immense fire from the Ratel’s and ASLAV-25s though the building began to take on a Swiss cheese appearance.  Both sides refrained from further artillery as now the forces were only yards apart.  The insurgents proved very resilient to the fire and caused a few deaths amongst the AUSAF attackers, but eventually they started to accumulate wounds.

Two of the Ratel/ASLAVs were destroyed, one by the Quad 14.5mm and one by an RPG.

The Apache using Chin Sniping on the insurgents in Pavdullah's house.

The Apache eventually arrived, but failed to cause much damage.  The T-55 had retreated into the large warehouse, but eventually lost patience and charged through the remaining door and shot down the Australians beyond the door.  In the mad melee of men and machine the South African and Australians anti-tank men could not get a clear shot at the T-55.  With dozens of insurgents in the warehouse complex, gently caressing their Molotov Cocktails, the Challenger crew decided discretion was the right choice and remained in an overwatch position.

Eventually the Australians charged across the street between the ruins and Pavdullah’s House, finding the road covered with mines, but miraculously they all survived.

 

The Australians stack up for their assault on Pavdullah's House.  The glory boy ODA also approach the east wall to breach and clear.

It was by this time that Pavdullah gave his turban to his 2^nd in command and slipped out of his house via the tunnel to the warehouse, he quickly ordered two teams of insurgents into the tunnel and told them to hold the house to the last man.  He then slipped away east to fight another day.  The insurgency could not afford to lose such an important man.

 

The Fickle Finger of Fate brushing off the Apache's second attack (presquished)

Two teams of Australians and the two ODA teams now stormed the “House” and in hand-to-hand combat dispatched the defenders on the first and second storey’s.  They also went into the basement to ambush anyone arriving by the tunnel.  The first insurgents to attempt entering the basement fell back under fire, and the second team decided they would “live to fight another day”.  The insurgents on the roof made a last, but futile, attempt to rouse the invaders from their building, but were killed.

 

The final insurgent assault is destroyed by the ODA team on the second storey.

Result: AUSAF Victory (3 floors in AUSAF hands vs. 2 in insurgent hands)

No one likes Stalingrad.  This was an obvious remake of the famous Pavlov’s House in Stalingrad.  It takes guts to attack such a structure, and guts to stand against an overwhelming force.

I only played the beginning, so much of the rest was observed from playing Pulp Alley at a nearby table.  I believe they say that the first casualty of war is Truth, and this may be true with this write up.

The mission was very basic in design, a map, a few rules for the buildings and the rest is history.  A two-legged dog?  Likely, but everyone loves Stalingrad…

While waiting for Eureka Miniatures, we substituted US for Australians, and used Ratels for the ASLAV-25s (I need to paint my ASLAVs!).

With the rampant defeatism circulating the ranks I think the following are a few wise words.

And Tolstoy had it right, "A battle is won by the side that is absolutely determined to win. Why did we lose the battle of Austerlitz? Our casualties were about the same as those of the French, but we had told ourselves early in the day that the battle was lost, so it was lost.” 

And Ho Chi Minh comes to mind, "We don't need to win military victories, we only need to hit them until they give up and get out."

AAR: The rescue at Two Bush Atoll

When an embedded reporter wrote in his article about a small outpost called Two Bush S***hole the UN press liaison officer, Lieutenant Heidi Clare, ordered the Australian SASR and the Ghanaian Light Armoured Car recon unit to change its name, she proposed they call it Two Tree Waterhole.  The Australians decided Two Bush Atoll was better, and Heidi agreed.  Sadly, both the SASR and Heidi Clare were to perish in the bitter fighting in Malika City a few weeks later.

The Ghanaian's however liked the new name, and so on their maps it was Two Bush Atoll, and anyone who visited this sad little outhouse or outpost would agree.  When the invasion started the Australian SASR were ordered to Malika City and the Ghanaian's were ordered north to help repel the Hotakistani bridgehead on the western shore of the Malika River.  The Hotakistani force, however proved too strong and the Ghanaians were ordered not to engage but head southward.

MISSION: Find the pilots, 33% chance they are in the outpost, 33% chance they are at the crash site, 33% they are in the ruin above the crash site.  10VP for rescuing/capturing the pilots

Special Rules: 90cm vision, no NVG.

Ghanaian Force (TQ8 MOR8 Confident), Four AML-90 "Noddy Cars", One Ratel 20, One squad: Fireteam 1 (Ldr, RPG, GPMG, x3 AR), Fireteam 2 (Jnr NCO, x4 AR)

The Ghanaian force of four Noddy Cars followed by a South African Ratel 20.

Insurgents: Two forces of insurgents from the campaign lists:

1) Foreign Fighters enter by Hotspot TQ8 MOR10 Regular (PRIMARY)

2) Fanatical Poor Quality Insurgents enter on west edge TQ6 MOR12 (SECONDARY)

The two "trees" of Heidi Clare situated half-way between A and B

An Australian F-18 which was part of the UNs first attempt to gain air superiority crash landed near Two Bush Atoll Outpost.  It soon became a race between the a combined force of fanatical poorly trained insurgents and viscous foreign fighters vs. the Ghanaian's to reach the downed aircrew first.  The insurgents thought nothing of the small four man MANPOL (Malikastani National Police) force at the little checkpoint.  This was soon to prove a miscalculation.  The insurgents only had eyes for the for the burning F-18 (and claimed to have shot it down) and were determined to get to the crash site before anyone else.

With the deepening night a CIA UAV appeared over the area, but due to communication problems were unable to make contact with the Ghanaians.  They watched in helpless horror as the small armoured cars drove into the valley of death, the hills were absolutely swarming with insurgents.

First contact was initiated by a small force of foreign fighters, they let loose an RPG at the lead Noddy Car.  The RPG smashed into the lead car, but failed to explode, a dud.  The Ghanaian commander cranked the turret around and let loose a 90mm HE shell at the rocks on the ridge above, downing two of his attackers, his co-axial added to the carnage.  The second car moved up and finished off the insurgents.

The first two Noddy Cars destroy the foreign fighters.

 Weary of further ambushes the Ghanaians proceeded cautiously towards the outpost, also not wanting to spook the MANPOL policeman and end up taking a friendly RPG.  The Ghanaian commander also warned his men not to expose themselves in their turrets.  The Noddy cars bunched together, making a beautiful target, but with all their firepower and the inability of the insurgents to take advantage this proved an ideal tactic on the approach.

The convoy approaching the outpost.

On the hill, later christened as Hamburger Hill, the first foreign fighter reinforcements began to arrive.  This hill was soon awash with the blood of the fallen insurgents.

The first insurgents appear on the crest of Hamburger Hill

 The first group was mowed down, the second group came, with no RPG, they attempted to assault the lead Noddy Car, the car commander held down the hatch while his gunner sprayed the onrushing insurgents.  His other cars joined in, destroying the enemy.

The futile insurgent assault perishes under a hail of 90mm shells, 20mm shells and hundreds of 0.3 machine gun bullets

 To the west large groups of inexperienced fanatical insurgents begin to appear.  Very few were armed with RPGs, and those RPGs proved more often to be duds than working.  The Ghanaian overwatch fire never appeared to falter and they poured an endless stream of murderous fire into the insurgents.  The armoured car platoon commander spotted three men pushing some form of gun on the distant hill, before he could bring his gun to bear they ducked out of sight.  Soon, however, three 107mm rockets screamed in.  One overshot, exploding harmlessly, one landed short exploding and making the MANPOL duck.  The third, however slammed straight into the Noddy Car.

The insurgents fire three rockets from a 107mm Multiple Rocket Launcher as direct fire.

The third rocket, however was a dud, leaving a large dent in the car.  The Ghanaian commander was having nothing of this, he turned his turret and destroyed the gun crew, the 107mm MRL rolled harmlessly off the cliff.  By now some of the fantatics moved up from the west, the policemen engaged them with deadly fire.  The four policemen were to prove themselves this night, with sustained fire throughout the fight.

The Malikastani Police engage fanatical insurgents close-in, while the lead Noddy Car destroys the 107mm MRL crew.

 A third group of insurgents appeared at the crest of Hamburger Hill.  Down bellow the last insurgent from the assault arrived at the Ratel 20, he opened fire at point blank range and soon found he was unable to touch the vehicle while it remained buttoned-up.  Three South African riflemen in the Ratel used the fire slots to finish off this sad individual.  The newly arrived insurgents had an RPG, but died before they could use it.  The lead Noddy Car now left the police after finding out they had not seen the aircrew, they saw a large group of insurgents approaching the burning F-18 wreck, the 90mm cannon barked while the co-axial spat death, the majority of the insurgents went down, including the man with the only RPG.

The Ratel passengers finish off the insurgent while.

 In the western valley a VW Beetle packed to the brim began its approach drive.  The driver of the VBIED however ended up having second thoughts and never approached closer (three failed activation checks! A career change?).

VW Beetle VBIED approaches...then inexplicably stops and never moves any closer while the remaining insurgents are gunned down.

 With the Noddy Cars taking on all comers the Ratel moved to the F-18 and finished off the last insurgents searching the plane.  The aircrew came forth and were rescued.  From Hamburger Hill an RPG flew at and exploded against the side armour the Ratel.  The hit was too low in the hull and achieved nothing.  Return fire annihilated the insurgents.

An RPG hits the Ratel, but to no avail.

 Around the same time an RPG hit the commanders Noddy Car, it exploded, but the sand-plate on the front took the blast, the commander returned fire destroying the enemy.

The last fanatics dash towards the UN forces...and die.

The insurgents made one last rush, but were hit with endless overwatch fire, they perished in their droves.  The last surviving insurgents, very few, slunk back into the night.  In the dying moments of the fight one of the policeman was killed.  The insurgents learnt that day that the little Noddy Cars had teeth, big nasty gnashing teeth!

UN Casualties, three dents in their armoured cars and one dead MANPOL policeman.  Insurgent casualties?  Who knows, probably 4 to 5 dozen.

The three policemen joined the Ghanaians and drove past the roadblock.  The Australians had been rescued.  The Ghanaians had proved to be the best of the best.