All,
This is to put a wrap on Cuba Libre's Campaign for Liberation and set the stage for the next campaign.
The campaign lasted from 1 Feb 1990 to 5 Feb 1990, and comprised thirty-two tactically significant engagements, thirty of which were company-sized, and two which were platoon-sized raids on high value targets (the former conducted in 10mm with multi-based stands and individual vehicles, the latter with individually based 15mm figures). In those fights, the Cuban Liberation Army racked up an impressive record, with 24 wins, three losses, and five draws.
Total losses for the campaign:
CLA Regime
Casualties 570 865
POW/EPW 10 240
Tanks 8 18
APC 4 10
Armored Car 1 4
SP Gun 0 1
Light Vehicle 1 1
Helicopters 1 0
Fighter Aircraft ** **
**I shamefully admit I have yet to play out the air-to air portion of the campaign, which obviously has no impact on the group portion. In any case, my plan is for the CLA to have an air force of a squadron or two of F-4 Phantoms, and for them to have a number of engagements with Regime MiG-21s. I just need to get around to it... Once I do I'll come back and update the stats here.
The campaign ended with daring Special Operations raids which captured El Presidente and eliminated the last holdover, hard line regime general. While regime holdovers remain, they have fled Cuba for other locations (which will be dealt with in future campaigns). While the CLA spread out across the island to mop up, the Free Cuba Government in Exile (FCGE) was flown in and installed as the interim government. On 1 April 1990, the island nation announced itself to the world as the new sovereign nation of Free Cuba, and held its first free elections of the new era. The former commanding general of the Cuban Liberation Army, Generalissimo Jerico Waraldonez, was elected Free Cuba's first president, and the nation was immediately recognized by the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, rapidly followed by Israel, France, Germany, and Italy, and then the UN.
The island nation vowed to never again allow a despot to rule over it, and so a republican constitution was quickly ratified in order to combat that potentiality. Additionally, it was decided to form a strong military for self defense, governed by civilian leadership. But the Free Cuban state was scarred by so many years of dictatorial rule, and resolved to aid free nations under attack, and peoples yearning to be free, wherever and however it could. To that end, the CLA and the regime military was dissolved, and in its place the Free Cuban military was created. The vast majority of the Free Cuban military comprised the CNDF, or Cuban National Defense Force, charged with safeguarding the homeland from foreign aggression. But a sizable portion was dedicated to that lofty goal of aiding freedom-loving people worldwide; led exclusively by former members of the CLA, this new entity was known as the Cuban Liberation Expeditionary Force (CLEF). Based in Free Cuba, it is prepared for worldwide deployment at the prerogative of the Free Cuban government, to protect the weak, to free the oppressed, and to ensure freedom's light is never extinguished (cheesy, I know, but I'm having fun). The CLEF table of organization will come out in a separate post; from now on there will be a master OOB, and a campaign specific OOB (i.e., showing only the units taking part in a specific campaign, as the entire CLEF will never be deployed to one location). And it's entirely possible that I end up running separate campaigns concurrently.
With regards to international relations, the government of Free Cuba is none to pleased with Venezuela, given the latter's attempts to prop up the regime by dispatching paratroopers. President Waraldonez signed a secret executive order stating his intent for the CLEF to conduct covert activities against the government of Venezuela.
One last aspect of the War of Liberation to deal with; early on, CLA Special Operations Forces were inserted into Havana to take over a radio station and broadcast propaganda messages to marshal local militias and alert the local populace to the CLA's arrival. A fierce firefight broke out, and the CLA troops found themselves in combat not only with soldiers of the regime, but also with members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). What they were doing in Havana is anyone's guess; interrogation of former regime officials revealed only that Cuba enjoyed its status amongst the non-aligned nations of the world, as did the Islamic Republic, and so the two had relations. In any case, the CLA and IRGC definitely came to grips in Havana, with that battle being the only 'stand-up' fight between the two entities. However, following the collapse of the regime, Captain Fordesante's 1st Troop, 5th Tank Battalion was mopping up in Havana and came upon a fortified compound. CLA troopers moved ahead, attempting to defuse the situation, but it turned out the occupants of the compound didn't respond to communications in Spanish or English. Multiple attempts were made to make a parley, but things didn't work out as planned, and when a burst of small arms fire was received from the compound, wounding a CLA trooper, Fordesante brought his M-48s on line and leveled the building. The Islamic Republic was not amused and vowed to even the score.
And there we go, the stage is set; the War of Liberation was just a springboard to other campaigns. My intent is for Cuba Libre to provide me years of modern gaming material. I hope you like it.
V/R,
Jack
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