Operation Chunky Bandit #30 (Ground)

All,

1000 on 4 Aug 1990

Mini-Campaign Fight #4

TF Redleg vs FSNL 5th Company

1st Lt Ordonez

War of Liberation and South Leon campaigns

Commander, TF Redleg

Major Fulgencio

Navy Cross, Purple Heart, War of Liberation and South Leon campaigns

Commander, TG Fulgencio

1st Lt Ordonez leads his TF Redleg straight west, assaulting the rear of the FSNL's 5th Company's positions in an attempt to breakthrough to their comrades in Task Group Halabrio.  This is a simple attack/defend scenario; the Cuban goal is to crush their enemies on the way to the capital, the Communist goal is to hold the ground.  

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 southwest to northeast, with a hamlet at top right, as well as several knolls/hillocks.  Other than that we've got several cultivated fields and scattered jungle.  Oh, and that giant elevation, Hill 261.  The Cubans are looking to assault Communist forces here in order to break through to the west (left) and exit off that table edge without being decisively engaged.

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: Command stand, six rifle teams, a machine gun team, and a mortar team.  They are also accompanied by Major Fulgencio (load figure at bottom left).  These troops are Minifigs' Marines from their Vietnam range, with heavy weapons from the Modern British (MG) and Modern US (mortar) ranges.

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

The Communist force consists of: Command stand, five rifle stands, and an 82mm mortar team.  These troops are Minifigs' Modern Soviets.

*The Commies are in a bad way, their rear area is scattered and disorganized as their defenses were oriented to the west, facing Task Group Halabrio, not expecting Task Group Fulgencio to strike from the east.

The Cuban deployment, from bottom left: Major Fulgencio has Redleg 06, 05, and the MG Team, before moving to Lt Ordonez and Redleg 04, 01, 02, and 03, with the mortar team in the village (top right).

Looking west to east, the enemy has rifle teams at top left, far right, right bottom, left, and bottom left, and their CO and mortar team at bottom center.

Apparently I missed a picture: the Cubans start with a 'Scurry,' moving everyone forward.

The enemy reacts by shifting several rifle teams towards the village (top right); one rifle team falls back (top center right), one moves up (just below them), and one shifts left (base is just visible amongst trees at top left).

While on the Communists' far right, a rifle team (bottom left) opens up on Redleg 05 and Major Fulgencio (far right).

The enemy fire is ineffective and the Cuban Marines return fire, suppressing them!

While on the Communist's far left, a rifle team (bottom left) opens fire on Redleg 03 (top right)...

Again the enemy (top right) fire is ineffective, again the Marines (bottom left) return fire, and again the enemy team is suppressed!

But then the enemy mortar team (bottom left) goes to work, pounding the Cuban center (top right).

The 82mm HE rounds fall nearby, pinning Redleg 01.

Redleg 02 (far right, with Redleg 03 above them) opens fire on an Communist rifle team (top left)...

The fire is ineffective and they move up to the fence (center top) as the enemy (bottom left) returns fire, but it misses, too.

Redleg 03 pushes forward, engaging the enemy at point-blank range, putting the enemy team 'men down'!

As the fight on the right develops (top center/left), Lt Ordonez moves up and rallies Redleg 01 (bottom center).

And Major Fulgencio pushes Redleg 05, 06, and the MG team up on the left (across the bottom, with Redleg 05 at far left, nearest the suppressed enemy team there).

*Just then the enemy rolls up a 'Firefight!' for their activation, which is good normally, but is disastrous right now as they really need to be moving and rallying, don't have many teams that can actually fire.

With Cuban Marines approaching (top/far right) but unable to engage them with a friendly suppressed squad in the way, the Communist rifle team at bottom right opens fire on the Cuban center (top center).

The enemy fire (top left) is ineffective, as is Redleg 01's (bottom center) return fire.

While on the Communist left, a rifle team further upslope (bottom center) sights in and fire on Redleg 03 (top left), which is perilously close to their comrades.

And the exposed Marines of Redleg 03 are gunned down!!!

The Communist mortar team (far left) again goes into action, firing on the Cuban right (top right), trying to buy time to get their teams on the far left rallied (top center)...

And the 82mm rounds are on target, suppressing Redleg 02!

The Communist CO moves left (center, from bottom right), trying to get over to rally his failing left flank and rally the troops (top left) now that Redleg 03 is out and Redleg 02 is suppressed.

But the Cubans advance quickly, with Redleg 04 (center) and Redleg 01 (center right), leading the way as Lt Ordonez moves right (right next to Redleg 01) to try and rally Redleg 02 (top center).  At bottom center/left, Redleg 06 and the MG team move up...

As Major Fulgencio and Redleg 05 close with and destroy the enemy!

They knock out one enemy rifle team (top right), then move on another...

After taking them out, Major Fulgencio and Redleg 05 cut right, catching the Communist mortar team by surprise!

The nasty mortarmen promptly surrender!

But the fight is not yet over: the enemy CO continues his trek to his left flank (center top, from left).

And reaches one of his suppressed rifle teams.

He (center right) tries to rally them, but they panic and fall back (bottom left)!

*The Communists had actually rolled up another 'Firefight!' but since none of them could fire it converted to a 'Scurry'.

The only rifle team still in action displaces right to their supplemental position (bottom center left, from further left) in order to meet the threat to their flank (Major Fulgencio and Redleg 05, bottom right).

But Major Fulgencio and Redleg 05 counter their move (in the trees at top left) by dashing upslope, into cover (center).

The rest of the Cuban force pushes forward (Redleg 06 at center bottom, MG Team just right of them, Redleg 04 and 01 at center top), while Lt Ordonez rallies Redleg 02 (top right).

Redleg 02 immediately charges the nearest enemy unit (top center)!

Puts them out of the fight (top right), then charges the Communist command group!

The enemy commander and a nearby rifle team (bottom left) surrender to Redleg 02 (top center).

As the last remaining enemy unit, a rifle team, runs for their lives (top left)!

TF Redleg's attack was successful, with the Cubans holding their ground (F4) and FSNL5 forces to retreat to the west (F3).  Next turn FSNL3 is most likely to hold, likely to retreat to the west, and less likely to counterattack.  

Well, that's more like it!  Shoulda figured the Marines would be more reliable than the Army paratroopers ;)  The Cubans had a lot of ground to cover, but were really helped by rolling up several scurries, which I used to not only advance, but to enter some close combats (not normally allowed, but I let elite troops do that; one last note on that, I suppose I should call the Marines and paratroopers 'veteran' troops as opposed to the elites, as they are not elite when compared to the Cuban Special Operations Forces such as Task Forces 23, Black, and Dusty).  Also, having that second command stand (Major Fulgencio) made all the difference in the world as Lt Ordonez was able to keep the center and right moving while the Major was able to turn the enemy flank.

Casualties:

Cuban: ~10 men

Communist: ~15 men, with 15 more captured

Decorations:

Major Fulgencio was awarded the Bronze Star w/V for leading the assaults that destroyed two Communist rifle teams, captured a mortar team, and turned the enemy flank.

Redleg 05 Team Leader was awarded the Bronze Star w/V for his part in the assaults that destroyed two Communist rifle teams, captured a mortar team, and turned the enemy flank.

Redleg 02 Team Leader was awarded the Silver Star for leading the assault that destroyed one Communist rifle team and captured the enemy commander and a second rifle team, ending the Battle of Hill 261.

Next up we have a team of Task Force 23 and the South Leon Army's D Company defending against the FSNL's 3rd Company, the Communists having been defeated by TF Hammer and being forced to fall back into the SLA troops, though it does present a problem as their defenses were oriented to the north, not the west. 

V/R,

Jack