Operation Chunky Bandit #54 (Ground)

All,

0930 on 6 Aug 1990

Mini-Campaign Fight #53

TF Redleg vs FLA 6th Company

1st Lt Ordonez

Bronze Star w/V, War of Liberation and South Leon campaigns

Commander, TF Redleg

Major Fulgencio

Navy Cross, Bronze Star w/V, Purple Heart, War of Liberation and South Leon campaigns

Commander, TG Fulgencio

1st Lt Ordonez is leading his Task Force Redleg east, attempting to breakthrough the Communist defensive line on the River Shalabi, defended by the Free Leon Army's (FLA) 6th Company, which is dug-in and expecting trouble.  This is a simple attack/defend scenario; the Cuban goal is to cross the river, dig the enemy out of their entrenched positions, and establish a foot-hold on the other side, while the Communist goal is to repel the Cuban force.  

Lt Ordonez has the assistance of his Task Group Commander, Major Fulgencio, who has attached himself to the Task Force.  Major Fulgencio is leaving Lt Ordonez in overall command of his Task Force but will assist as necessary, essentially performing as a second command stand in the game. 

Overview, north is up.  There is a hardball road running all over the place on the western side of the river, with villages at bottom center and bottom left.  The east bank of the river is heavily wooded and with a significant knoll, which would hereafter become known as "Ordonnez Hill," at top right.  The river is at right, running north/south; it's shallow and slow moving enough to be forded at a slight movement penalty.  Other than that it's cultivated fields with a few scattered patches of trees.

This was probably the most 'traditional' tabletop game I played during this entire campaign, a good, old-fashioned slobberknocker.  You've got bad guys entrenched at right, on the other side of the river, while the good guys, supported by armor, have to cross a lot of open ground AND the river in order to close assault the enemy out of their positions.

The opposing forces, allies on left and Communists on right.

The figures are all 10mm from Pendraken, Minifigs UK, and Butler's Printed Models.  I'm using Ivan's "5Core Company Command," playing on a 3' x 2' surface with simple terrain to speed up the process.  The hootches are from Jimmi at Flashpoint Minis, the roads are from Fat Frank, the hills are from Warzone, the fences are from Sarissa, the fields are from Hotzmats, the trees are cake toppers, and when you see the rivers, they're from Wargamers Terrain.  I'm playing solo and will randomize enemy deployment using a system of blinds borrowed from Joe Legan's "Platoon Forward."

In terms of caliber of forces, the SLA, FSNL, and FLA troops will all be treated equally, except for the fact the FLA troops will be treated as fanatics, in terms of their willingness to advance into close combat.  The Cubans are more tactically and technically proficient, and so they will receive extra firing dice, better rallying capability, bonus in close combat, and sometimes will have a second command stand on the table.

1st Lt Ordonez' force consists of: a command stand, six rifle teams, and three M-48 Patton tanks.  They are also accompanied by Major Fulgencio (lone figure at top left).  These troops are Minifigs' Marines from their Vietnam range, while the tanks are from Takara.

TF Redleg has some heroes amongst its ranks, as well:

The CO was awarded the Bronze Star w/V

Major Fulgencio was awarded the Navy Cross and Bronze Star w/V
Redleg 02's team leader was awarded the Silver Star
Redleg 05's team leader was awarded the Bronze Star w/V

Redleg 06's team leader was awarded the Bronze Star w/V

The dashing Task Group Commander, Major Fulgencio by himself...

The Communist force consists of: a command stand, four rifle stands, a 106mm recoiless rifle team, an 82mm mortar team, and an 12.7mm DshK HMG team.  These troops are all Pendraken, NVA and VC of their Vietnam range and Vietminh of their Indochina range.

Overview, this time with troops: the Cuban Marines are lined up across the left table edge, having just crossed the Line of Departure, while the bad guys are lined up on the right table edge, manning their defensive positions on the other side of the river.  Look at all that open ground to cross...

The Cuban Marines are divided into three elements, each with a tank and two rifle teams, with the CO, Lt Ordonnez leading the top two and Major Fulgencio leading the bottom, or right-hand, element.  The tanks are call signs Reaper, so at top left we have Reaper 03, Redleg 01 and 02; at left we have Reaper 01, Redleg 03 and 04; and at bottom left we have Reaper 03, Redleg 05 and Redleg 06.

The enemy defensive line: it's a small force, so the defense is very shallow, without a reserve to speak of, but they are dug in with excellent fields of fire.  They have rifle teams to each flank (top center and bottom left, with another in the center (behind trees at left), and one in reserve (right).  The CO and HMG team are dug-in just above the reserve rifle team (at center), while the recoiless rifle team is dug-in atop Ordonnez Hill, while their mortar team is just down the back side of the hill (top right).

Let's get going: no sooner than the Cuban Marines had crossed the Line of Departure (top right) then did Communist mortar rounds (from bottom left) begin to fall...

The 82mm HE rounds fall on the Cuban center, knocking out Redleg 04 and putting Redleg 03 'men down'!!!

An auspicious start...

Lt Ordonnez orders his left-hand element to get moving, so Redleg 01 and 02 push ahead, following Reaper 03 (top center), as he moves right to check Redleg 03 (bottom left).

They're good, and he orders them to follow Reaper 01 forward (right bottom).

As Major Fulgencio leads Reaper 02 and Redleg 05 and 06 forward, up the road (bottom right).

The Cubans have no targets and so simply push everyone ahead using group moves, and then the Communists roll up a 'scurry,' which is totally a waste and costs them the opportunity to at least keep pounding the Cubans with their mortar team.

Feeling a little excited about the fact the enemy mortars ceased fire, the Cubans push ahead, with their left-hand element reaching the edge of the river (top center right).

But the quiet is not to last...

As Reaper 03 reaches the edge of the river, an RPG comes flying out!

The rocket skips off the tank, suppressing the crew and pinning Redleg 01.

And then, from atop Ordonnez Hill (bottom left, with Reaper 03 suppressed at far right), the Communist recoiless rifle team fires on Reaper 01 (top right).

The Cuban tank platoon commander's vehicle is immobilized and the crew bails out, while Redleg 03 is pinned!

And then the enemy HMG (bottom right) opens fire on the Cuban left-hand element (top center, with Reaper 01 immobilized at top left)...

Redleg 01 goes 'men down' and Redleg 02 is pinned (top right), while Reaper 03, its crew already suppressed by the RPG clanging off it, fall back (far left)!

The enemy rifle team in the center (bottom right) opens fire on the Cuban center (top left).

Redleg 03 is suppressed as the Cuban tank platoon commander's crew, which had foolishly dismounted after being immobilized, is gunned down!

While the enemy's far-left rifle team (bottom right) takes a long-range RPG shot at Reaper 02 (far left).

The rocket goes long, missing the Cuban tank but knocking out Redleg 06, suppressing Redleg 05, and pinning the crew of Reaper 02!!!

*For goodness' sake...

And then the Communist mortar team (bottom right, behind the recoiless rifle team) gets going again...

And the dice have completely betrayed me.  This is simply ridiculous; if you're not familiar with 5Core, you fire with 'Kill' dice and 'Shock' dice.  I use red for Kill and black for Shock, and you want 1s and 6s.  A black '1' pins a unit, a black '6' suppresses one, a red '1' puts a team 'men down' (think of it as super suppressed, you can't move or shoot, you have a tremendous penalty in close combat, you can't rally yourself, you can only be rallied by a friendly team moving into base contact, and if you fail that rally attempt the team can be knocked out), and a red '6' knocks out  a team.  So that's what the enemy mortar team, which fired with 2K 3S, just rolled...

The barrage land directly on its target, putting Major Fulgencio and Redleg 05 'men down,' while the crew of Reaper 02 is suppressed!

Lt Ordonnez falls back (top left) to rally the retreating Reaper 03, as Reaper 02 (bottom right), with RPGs zooming past and still under heavy mortar fire, attempts to self rally...

Reaper 03 (top left) is good, but Reaper 02 fails and falls back (far left, from right)!

Reaper 03 (bottom left) sights in on the enemy recoiless rifle position (top right) and sends a 90mm HE round their way...

And, quite miraculously, something goes the Marines' way: the recoiless rifle position takes a direct hit and is knocked out!

Lt Ordonnez (bottom left) lets out a cheer as Reaper 03 pushes up (top right) to rally Redleg 01 and 02...

But no sooner has the tank lurched to a halt (far left) then another RPG is sent their way.

But this time the rocket misses, and Reaper 03 returns fire, pinning the enemy rifle team (top right).

Both teams are able to successfully rally and Redleg 02 pushes left (top center left)...

But the enemy HMG team (bottom center) spots them (top center left) and opens fire, suppressing them!

The HMG team then traverses left and suppresses Redleg 01 (left top, with Redleg 02 suppressed at top center left).

Then the enemy's right-hand rifle team (bottom right) opens fire on Redleg 02 (top left).

Forcing them to fall back (red bead at top left, from top right).

In the enemy center, their rifle team there (bottom right) takes Redleg 03 (already suppressed at top left) under fire...

Their fire (far right) has no effect, so the Communist left-flank rifle team (bottom right) fires on Redleg 03 (top left), too, keeping them suppressed.

The enemy mortar team (far right top) fires on the Cuban left (top left).

Redleg 01 is 'men down' and Reaper 03's crew is suppressed!

*At this point I really should have ended the fight, had the Cubans fall back to re-group and attack again later, but I didn't, because they're Marines!  And because I'm 28 fights into this damn campaign and just want it to be finished... ;)

Redleg 03 (bottom right) self rallies as Lt Ordonnez rushes left (top left) to rally Redleg 02.

They're good to go and rush forward (top center, from top left) and rally Reaper 03.

The tank (far left) fires on the enemy HMG position (top right)...

TF Redleg's counter-counterattack was successful, with the Cubans eliminating FSNL5 and thus able to advance to the west (F3, from F4).  It looks like nothing can stop TF Redleg now from reuniting with Task Group Halabrio and replenishing. 

Goodness, I'm exhausted!  I wasn't sure what to expect from that fight, but that turned into a damn bloodbath, both sides fighting to practically the last man!  Man, too much happened in that fight to really nail it down, with both sides getting more than their fair share of lucky and unlucky breaks.  The big moment that turned this from a 'normal' fight that sees the superior Cuban forces bend then break their opponent's defense was when the decision was made for the Communist mortar team to abandon their tube, grab their personal weapons, and charge into close combat.  Sure, most of the time the bad guys are going to be at a disadvantage in close combat (which is an opposed die roll with modifiers for troop quality, morale, and tactical situation) due to the Cubans being better troops and the Cubans generally only closing with Communist troops that pinned or suppressed, but if you give the dice enough tries they will eventually bite you.  So the bad guys threw the mortarmen in to stop Major Fulgencio and Redleg 06 and failed, then threw in a rifle team and failed, and then the damn AGL team rose up and fought them off (a draw that forced the Cubans to fall back, suppressed) which changed the entire complexion of the fight.  Hell, having said that, don't forget about Redleg 04 beating a Communist rifle team in close combat and advancing on the exposed and alone enemy commander, and getting gunned down by reactive fire!  That was a heckuva fight, lotsa fun!

Casualties:

Cuban: ~20 men

Communist: ~30 men, with ~10 more captured

Decorations:

1st Lt Ordonez was awarded the Bronze Star w/V for exposing himself to enemy mortar, automatic grenade launcher, and small arms fire countless times to rally his men and for repelling the enemy's assault to save the left flank of the Cuban line.

Redleg 04 Team Leader was awarded the Bronze Star w/V posthumously for leading a close assault on the enemy's centeral defensive position, eliminating a Communist rifle team and forcing the enemy commander to retreat. 

Redleg 06 Team Leader was awarded the Bronze Star w/V for leading the assault that destroyed the enemy command team, mortar team, and two rifle teams, and captured an enemy AGL team and rifle team.*

*This certainly reads like more than a Bronze Star, but I'm not giving anything to Major Fulgencio (who was with Redleg 06 the whole time) and I'm not going past Bronze Star for Redleg 06 because it wasn't as sexy as it sounds.  Don't forget that they were repulsed by the AGL team, which stalled the entire Cuban attack, and the "...captured an enemy AGL team and rifle team" part occurred after other Cuban teams had already done the heavy lifting.  But I wanted to do something to recognize the young NCO in charge of Redleg 06, so there you go.

Next up we have Captain Soares' Task Force Razor fighting a rear-guard action against the Free Leon Army's 3rd Company.  TF Razor is the other part of Task Group Fulgencio, which was cut off from friendly forces and is now fighting to break out and return to friendly lines.  Unfortunately the withdrawal was halted when FSNL5 decided to counterattack TF Redleg on Hill 261, which allowed the pursuing FLA3 to catch them.

V/R,

Jack