It is now 0435 on 27 July 1990, and the twenty paratroopers of Lt Villagrosa's ODA-212 have descended to earth below silk canopies from a loaner C-130 as part of Operation Currahee, the Cuban operation to secure space for Cuban reinforcements to enter South Leon following the full-scale invasion launched by Fédération Socialiste Nationale de Leon (FSNL). Upon landing they formed up and assaulted any and all enemy positions identified (in the event, it would turn out that intelligence information provided by South Leon government elements, via Task Group Fulgencio, would prove quite accurate). This is the eighth and final fight following the drop, and the enemy is alert and expecting trouble, though there aren't many of them.
Overview of the entire battlespace (town of Gimbala, with Ruhala River running east to west), north is right. This fight is taking place in the east (bottom center right), and this time the Cubans are defending! An enemy counterattack is developing, led by armor, coming from the east (just left of the farmhouse at bottom center right) and pushing west to retake the town. Cuban stay-behinds at the former enemy defensive position in the east (bottom center left, just left of the river) and on Hill 57 (bottom right) will try to halt the enemy thrust.
Fight #1: Lt Villagrosa leads a team to take Hill 60 (top left).
Fight #2: SSG Tomas leads a team to take the southern emplacement (bottom center, just left of the river).
Fight #3: SFC Medina leads a team to take a building on the northwest corner of Gimbala (top center), enroute to his primary objective of taking the enemy trenchline in the northwest (top right).
Fight #4: SSG Ruiz leads a team to take Hill 57 (bottom right).
Fight #5: Lt Villagrosa leads a team to clear the buildings at the southern end of Gimbala (center left).
Fight #6: SFC Medina leads a team to take the enemy trenchline in the northwest (top right).
Fight #7: SSG Miranda (atop Hill 57) and SGT Bautista (southern emplacement) fight off an enemy counterattack (bottom center, just right of the river).
Fight #8: Lt Villagrosa leads a team to cross the bridge and secure Gimbala (center).
Fight #1: Lt Villagrosa leads a team to take Hill 60 (top left).
Fight #2: SSG Tomas leads a team to take the southern emplacement (bottom center, just left of the river).
Fight #3: SFC Medina leads a team to take a building on the northwest corner of Gimbala (top center), enroute to his primary objective of taking the enemy trenchline in the northwest (top right).
Fight #4: SSG Ruiz leads a team to take Hill 57 (bottom right).
Fight #5: Lt Villagrosa leads a team to clear the buildings at the southern end of Gimbala (center left).
Fight #6: SFC Medina leads a team to take the enemy trenchline in the northwest (top right).
Fight #7: SSG Miranda (atop Hill 57) and SGT Bautista (southern emplacement) fight off an enemy counterattack (bottom center, just right of the river).
Fight #8: Lt Villagrosa leads a team to cross the bridge and secure Gimbala (center).
The good guys, all twenty of them. Due to the strain of multiple deployments, the War of Liberation concluding only months ago, and the pace of expansion of the CLEF, this unit is more akin to a platoon of US Army Rangers than US Army Special Forces, despite being labeled an Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA). The troops are lined up in teams, with each row (top to bottom) being a team: at far right is the HQ element, consisting of Lt Villagrosa, the Det NCOIC, and two medics, then team 1, 2, 3, and 4, each consisting of a team leader, grenadier, SAW gunner, and rifleman. These are Modern US Marines from Flytrap Factory.
I have created a roster for ODA-212 here on the blog, it's labeled "Task Force Dusty," but please keep in mind there has just been a parachute drop and the teams are scattered and mixed together in "LGOPs" (Little Groups Of Paratroopers). The Cubans are:
Det Commander: Lt Villagrosa (SS/V, WLC, SLC, 2 x Combat Jump - WLC, South Leon)
-A former US Army Special Forces NCO with combat experience in Central America during the 1980s, he is thirty-one years old. He joined the Cuban Liberation Army (CLA) as a Sergeant, jumping into Cuba during the War of Liberation with A Company, 1st Airborne Battalion, becoming its Acting Commander when the Company Commander was killed in action, for which he was decorated with the Estrella de Plata. Following the War of Liberation, he accepted a commission and became the commander of ODA 212. He is FEARLESS.
Rifleman: PVT Romero (SLC, 1 x Combat Jump - South Leon)
-Recently graduated from high school, he is eighteen years old. He joined the CLEF after the War of Liberation, graduating Boot Camp and immediately applying for Special Forces Selection.
Rifleman: PFC Arroyo (SLC, 1 x Combat Jump - South Leon)
-A high school dropout, he is seventeen years old. He joined the CLEF after the War of Liberation, graduating Boot Camp and immediately applying for Special Forces Selection. He is SHADY.
I have created a roster for ODA-212 here on the blog, it's labeled "Task Force Dusty," but please keep in mind there has just been a parachute drop and the teams are scattered and mixed together in "LGOPs" (Little Groups Of Paratroopers). The Cubans are:
Det Commander: Lt Villagrosa (SS/V, WLC, SLC, 2 x Combat Jump - WLC, South Leon)
-A former US Army Special Forces NCO with combat experience in Central America during the 1980s, he is thirty-one years old. He joined the Cuban Liberation Army (CLA) as a Sergeant, jumping into Cuba during the War of Liberation with A Company, 1st Airborne Battalion, becoming its Acting Commander when the Company Commander was killed in action, for which he was decorated with the Estrella de Plata. Following the War of Liberation, he accepted a commission and became the commander of ODA 212. He is FEARLESS.
Rifleman: PVT Romero (SLC, 1 x Combat Jump - South Leon)
-Recently graduated from high school, he is eighteen years old. He joined the CLEF after the War of Liberation, graduating Boot Camp and immediately applying for Special Forces Selection.
Rifleman: PFC Arroyo (SLC, 1 x Combat Jump - South Leon)
-A high school dropout, he is seventeen years old. He joined the CLEF after the War of Liberation, graduating Boot Camp and immediately applying for Special Forces Selection. He is SHADY.
Saps... Like that? That was in a 1930s, Jimmy Cagney voice. There's Commies over there, see.
Another west to east look, with Hill 57 at top left and the southern emplacement at top right, Lt Villagrosa and friends at bottom center.
A short, sharp fight to end Operation Currahee, just a little bit of fun for me, and pretty lucky with some very handy shooting by the Cubans. During the Operation, ODA 212 killed or captured approximately sixty enemy troops and one BTR, pretty impressive for a group of twenty guys dropped in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night with no support and only hand-held weapons. Quite amazingly (some incredibly lucky casualty rolls), the unit did not suffer any combat deaths during Operation Currahee, though they did have one member wounded bad enough to be shipped home and medically retired, and another seven men injured badly enough to miss between one and four months of duty. For their combat leadership during the operation, Lt Villagrosa and SFC Medina were both awarded the Estrella de Bronce (Bronze Star w/V). Sgt Bautista was also awarded the BS/V, while Pvt Sanchez was awarded the BS/V for his first action and the Estrella de Plata (Silver Star) for his second! Lt Villagrosa was subsequently promoted to Captain, SFC Medina to Master Sergeant, and Pvt Sanchez to Sergeant.
So, in the overall scheme of things, ODA 212, AKA "Task Force Dusty" (which is a joke, a shortening of the military term 'dust-off,' which is the nickname given to medical evacuation helicopters and/or the act of conducting a MEDEVAC) accomplished its mission of securing Gambala and its key bridge, neutralizing enemy forces in the area, and holding its positions until relieved by Cuban follow-on forces landed by sea. The detachment doesn't have much time to relax; following their relief they have been tasked by Brigadier Habanera to move out of I Corps up to the DMZ in support of offensive operations to eject the FSNL Army from South Leon. Task Force Dusty's mission will be to conduct long range reconnaissance, surgical strikes, interdiction, and to call in precision fires on FSNL headquarters, communications centers, and troop formations in support of Task Force Hammer's mechanized and airmobile offensive operations striking north.
A short, sharp fight to end Operation Currahee, just a little bit of fun for me, and pretty lucky with some very handy shooting by the Cubans. During the Operation, ODA 212 killed or captured approximately sixty enemy troops and one BTR, pretty impressive for a group of twenty guys dropped in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night with no support and only hand-held weapons. Quite amazingly (some incredibly lucky casualty rolls), the unit did not suffer any combat deaths during Operation Currahee, though they did have one member wounded bad enough to be shipped home and medically retired, and another seven men injured badly enough to miss between one and four months of duty. For their combat leadership during the operation, Lt Villagrosa and SFC Medina were both awarded the Estrella de Bronce (Bronze Star w/V). Sgt Bautista was also awarded the BS/V, while Pvt Sanchez was awarded the BS/V for his first action and the Estrella de Plata (Silver Star) for his second! Lt Villagrosa was subsequently promoted to Captain, SFC Medina to Master Sergeant, and Pvt Sanchez to Sergeant.
So, in the overall scheme of things, ODA 212, AKA "Task Force Dusty" (which is a joke, a shortening of the military term 'dust-off,' which is the nickname given to medical evacuation helicopters and/or the act of conducting a MEDEVAC) accomplished its mission of securing Gambala and its key bridge, neutralizing enemy forces in the area, and holding its positions until relieved by Cuban follow-on forces landed by sea. The detachment doesn't have much time to relax; following their relief they have been tasked by Brigadier Habanera to move out of I Corps up to the DMZ in support of offensive operations to eject the FSNL Army from South Leon. Task Force Dusty's mission will be to conduct long range reconnaissance, surgical strikes, interdiction, and to call in precision fires on FSNL headquarters, communications centers, and troop formations in support of Task Force Hammer's mechanized and airmobile offensive operations striking north.
So, I want to get to that, but I also need to fight out some actions involving Task Force Hawk, which is Lt Espinale's E Company, 6th Para Battalion, which also parachuted into South Leon on the night of 26/27 July 1990. So stay tuned, something is coming right up. Oh, and I've got some WWII Dutch East Indies stuff to post, too.
V/R,
Jack
V/R,
Jack
Good ending and I really liked the way you set up the campaign on one table and fought out smaller battles on it. It did work really well!
ReplyDeleteThanks buddy, and I'll definitely be doing the 6' x 4' table set up to play multiple micro-fights again. It was fun and made things pretty easy in that I wasn't constantly setting up and tearing down the table.
DeleteV/R,
Jack