Cuba Libre - Liberation Batrep 11

All,

It's 0830 on 1 Feb 1990, and B Company, 1st Airborne Battalion has set up a road block on the main east-west artery (#11), just east of the bridge seized by A Company earlier in the morning (#3).  The goal of B Company is to defend the road block to protect the western landing site, and they are being attacked by elements of the regime's 28th Infantry Company, 3rd Infantry Battalion.

So far we've had:
1) B Squadron SOF destroyed a radar site in support of amphibious landings at Playa Colorada (5).  B Sqdn then egressed and linked up with CLA rotary wing assets for their follow-on mission in Havana (6).
2) C Squadron SOF destroyed a the Cuban military's communications center.
3) 1st Para Battalion dropped in and seized a bridge to screen the landings at Playa Colorada (5).
4) 2nd Para battalion dropped in and eliminated a Castro-regime garrison to screen the landings at the Bay of Pigs (just west of (4).
5) 1st Marine Company, 3rd Infantry Battalion, made an amphibious assault at Playa Colorada.
6) A Squadron SOF attacked a Castro-regime SAM site near Havana, which failed to clear the way for B Squadron's helo assault into Havana.
7) 2nd Marine Company, 6th Infantry Battalion, landed at the Bay of Pigs then turned east and ran into a strong enemy force, which it handily defeated.
8) B Company of the UWG pursued and destroyed an enemy garrison in the Escambray Mountains.
9) B Squadron SOF conducted an aerial insertion into Havana to seize a radio station and broadcast news of the invasion.
10) 10th Popular Force Battalion seized and blew the bridge at Pedroso to protect the Bay of Pigs landing site from the Matanzas garrison.
11) 1st Airborne Battalion defended a roadblock from regime counterattack to protect the western landing site (at Playa Colorada).

The opposing forces, with Castro-regime troops on the left and CLA on the right.  CLA are Pendraken Brits from the Falklands range, while Castro forces are Pendraken Argentinians from the Falklands range supported by BTR-60s from Minifigs.


Commanding Officer of B Company, Captain Banos.

The CLA force, with a Command Stand, five airborne rifle teams, a MILAN ATGM team, an 81mm mortar team, and a single leader figure representing...


Colonel Lucastro, Battalion Commander, 1st Airborne Battalion, who was decorated for valor with the Estrella de Bronce, in the earlier fight for the Sandino bridge.

The regime force, with a Command Stand, seven rifle teams, two BTR-60s, and a .30 cal. MG team.

Overview, north is up, with CLA forces situated in a village at the crossroads on the left (west), while regime forces are on foot in the top right (northeast) and in BTRs in the bottom right (southeast).

The CLA defense, with the MILAN at top left with a good view of the road, but the enemy vehicles already off road in the southeast...

Regime forces in the northeast, a covering force of two rifle teams and an MG team.

Regime forces in the southeast: two BTRs holding five rifle teams and their Commander.

Fight's on!

In the south, the two regime BTRs push forward over the broken ground of Hill 34.

In the northeast (top right), the regime rifle teams and MG mount the knoll; Captain Banos immediately recognizes the threat to their southern flank.  He responds by advancing his 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Teams to cover an overall re-positioning to meet the enemy's southern thrust.  MILAN is at bottom left.

In the south, Colonel Lucastro leads Tm5 south (bottom center), while Tm 4 and the MILAN reposition into the villa at the crossroads (left), and the mortar (bottom left) repositions the mortar to fire south.  The BTRs are at top right.

The first BTR comes down the hill, and the MILAN team fires an anti-tank missile...

But it misses, while the enemy infantry dismount.

The other BTR returns fire, but the heavy walls shield Tm4 and the MILAN.

The other BTR advances and disgorges its infantry, then fires at Colonel Lucastro and Tm5...

And the Battalion Commander and accompanying rifle team go down in a hail of fire, which also pins Tm4 in the villa.

Enemy infantry sprint across the road and fire on Tm4, to no effect.

In the north, the regime MG cuts loose a long burst of fire, but manages only to pin Tm1.

The CLA mortar team goes to work on the mechanized infantry in the south...

Knocking out a team and causing heavy casualties on a second.

Team 4 rallies, then charges the stricken enemy rifle team; none of its compatriots can help as their line of fire is blocked.

Team 4 quickly dispatches the enemy team with grenade and bayonet, then moves forward and fires on another regime rifle team...

Putting them out of the fight (casualty figure at center, with Tm4 at top left); the enemy CO falls back behind a BTR (bottom right).

Back on the left, Tm3 moves ahead, but is pinned by accurate rifle fire.

Team 1 (top left) rallies itself and Captain Banos moves to rally Tm3, but they remain pinned.

In the south, a BTR fires on the MILAN, but again the heavy walls save them.

The second BTR moves up to clear its line of fire for a shot at the MILAN team, but they launch a missile...

And the BTR is knocked out!

The Castro Commander realizes his southern pincer move is falling apart, and orders his rifle team on the west side of the road (center left) to advance on the MILAN team (top left), but Tm4 (top right) opens up on them...

And forces them to fall back (bottom left, from center left)!  The enemy CO (far right) moves over to them and rallies, but they only get 'up' to pinned.

With the threat in the south largely handled due to Team 4's heroics (and despite losing the CO, gravely wounded, and Team 5), the CLA mortar team works over the enemy-held knoll in the northeast, knocking out the enemy MG team.

Captain Banos (top left) is finally able to rally Tm3, who cuts loose a furious fire on the knoll...

Knocking out one enemy rifle team and forcing the other to fall back (top right).

In the south, the MILAN team quickly reloads and fires at the remaining BTR...

And turns it into a flaming wreck!  The Castro Commander quickly signals his remaining forces to fall back!

Wow!  I really thought the CLA was in for a rough time, with the enemy forces having a small force, but one large enough it couldn't be ignored, in the north, and a larger force which darted south to their exposed flank.  And then the regime forces put the Battalion Commander and a rifle team out of the fight, but the mortar was able to lay it down in the south, and Tm4 bravely rushed ahead to put a team out in close combat, knock another out with rifle fire, then turn back a desperate enemy thrust to take out the only weapon capable of dealing with the BTRs.

Casualties:
CLA: Colonel Lucastro WIA, out for the remainder of the campaign, ~15 KIA/WIA
Regime: ~30 KIA/WIA, two BTR-60s destroyed

Sergeant Villagrosa of Team 4 was decorated for valor with the Estrella de Plata.  Sgt Villagrosa becomes acting Commander, B Company; Captain Banos becomes Commander, A Company, while Captain Olejandro becomes Acting Battalion Commander due to Colonel Lucastro being medically evacuated.

Stay tuned, two more to go.

V/R,
Jack