Operation Chunky Bandit Mini-Campaign Plan/Turn 1

All,

Well, it's that time again. First, time to get back to Cuba Libre, which I've neglected for too long, and second, time for another map-driven mini-campaign. I was so inspired by Peter over at "Grid-Based Wargaming, But Not Always," and his WWII map-driven campaign (https://gridbasedwargaming.blogspot.com/2019/08/ww2-mini-campaign-begins.html), that I did one for Kampfgruppe Klink (NEED URL), and I'm ready to do it again!

I'm going to play out this series of fights in 10mm using Pendraken, Minifigs UK, and Butler's Printed Models, on a 3' x 2' playing area (using simple terrain so I can lay it down, pick it up, and lay it back down again very quickly) using Ivan's "FiveCore Company Command."

Campaign backstory: Free Cuba deployed a small force, Task Group Fulgencio (a company of Marines, a company of paratroopers, and a detachment of Special Forces), to the fictional west African nation of South Leon on 1 May 1990, to assist the government of South Leon with its internal insurgency by the Free Leon Army (FLA), which is supported by its Communist neighbor to the north, Fédération Socialiste Nationale de Leon (FSNL). 

The Marines, AKA Task Force Redleg, were deployed in the north, on the border with FSNL, while the paratroopers, AKA Task Force Razor, was deployed to Diwala, which was proving to be the center of the homegrown insurgency. The Marines saw increased activity and skirmishing on the DMZ (South Leon DMZ Prelude I, II, and III), while TF Razor became heavily engaged in street fighting against FLA insurgents (South Leon TF Razor Fights 1-5). While very successful, TF Razor was beaten up bad enough that they were forced to withdraw southwest of Diwala in order to regroup, with TF Redleg pulling down from the DMZ in order to cover them.

But everything changed on 24 July 1990, when the country of FSNL mounted a full-scale invasion of its democratic neighbor to the south. The SLA was quickly cast aside and the Communist forces, FSNL regulars teaming up with FLA irregulars, penetrated far south, all the way to the South Leon capital of Pendrakenville. Here the SLA threw everything it had, halting the Communists, though they'd gained a foothold.

Cuban leadership quickly deliberated: cut losses and pull out of South Leon, or stand by their ally. The Cubans decided to up the ante, and staged a counter-invasion on 27 July 1990, where two airborne drops blocked access to the beaches where another company of Marines (TF Bowie) and a mechanized infantry company (TF Hammer) were brought ashore. The first drop was by a Special Forces Detachment, "TF Dusty (Operation Currahee 1-8)," and one by a paratrooper company, "TF Hawk" (Operation Geronimo 1-4).

The recently landed Cuban forces pushed east (Task Group Halabrio), but the combined FSNL/FLA defenses solidified and stiffened near Route 1, the main north-south running highway. This not only left the Cuban invasion force, known collectively as Task Group Halabrio, about ten kilometers short of Pendrakenville, it also left their brothers from Task Group Fulgencio cut off southwest of the capital city.

Thus began Operation Chunky Bandit: The first phase was to cut off Communist forces in and around Pendrakenville from supply and reinforcement. The plan called for interdiction of Route 1 by air strikes, so the Special Forces detachment assigned to Task Group Fulgencio, TF Black, linked up with a SLA mechanized infantry battalion to take Hill 114 and establish an Observation Post there (Operation Chunky Bandit Fights #1-26).

This map campaign begins with Phase 2 of Operation Chunky Bandit: the concept of operations is for the SLA mechanized infantry battalion, with TF Black, to remain in/around Hill 114 in order to interdict enemy resupply/reinforcement coming from FSNL, and Task Group Halabrio (Task Forces Hammer, Hawk, Dusty, Bowie, and 23) push east to engage Communist forces in order to allow the cut-off elements of Task Group Fulgencio (Task Forces Redleg and Razor) to breakthrough to the west and join up with their comrades.

Immediately following Task Group Fulgencio's breakout, Phase 3 will begin, the objective of which is to liberate Pendrakenville. The SLA mechanized infantry battalion will continue to interdict Communist resupply/reinforcement efforts from FSNL, while Task Group Fulgencio will merge with Task Group Halabrio and push east to defeat Communist forces and take Pendrakenville.

So it's time to go: it's 1000 on 4 August 1990 and Cuban forces are crossing the line of departure!

Pretty simple, yes?  North is up, SLA forces will be in/around Hill 114 (B5/C5), TF Redleg and Razor are cutoff around E6, and the rest of the good guys (TF Hammer, Hawk/Dusty, and Bowie) will be in the west (far left), with bad guys spread all over.  You can see main arteries (highway, improved surfaces, which add movement allowance on the campaign map), with one river.  The river can be crossed anywhere, but at movement penalty if not at the bridge.  You can see several significant hills, some significant jungled area, and several urban areas, including the objective of Pendrakenville (far right).

The initial set up for the campaign.  Task Group Halabrio is at far left and Task Group Fulgencio is poised to break out to join their brothers, at bottom center, while their allies in the South Leon Army are at left center top, on and around Hill 114.*

*Task Force 23, the Special Operations team, parachuted in to join the SLA mechanized infantry battalion on/around Hill 114.  TF Black is with one SLA company, and TF 23 broke up into three sub-teams, to perform in an advisory role for the other three.  Having said that, the counters have a mistake: TF Black is actually C Company, not A Company.

Blue counters are Cuban forces
Gray counters are South Leon Army forces (with Cuban advisors)
Red counters are Communist regulars from FSNL
Yellow counters are Communist insurgents of the "Free Leon Army"

I started with 9 FSNL battlegroups and 6 FLA battlegroups on the table, to face off against the 9 allied battlegroups.  I've got very ambitious reinforcement plans for the Communists; we'll see if I stick to it or go easy on the good guys ;)

And here are the first turn's map moves!  The Cubans are launching their attack, so Communist forces will not move this turn.

FSNL1: Hold
FSNL2: Hold
FSNL3: Hold
FSNL4: Hold
FSNL5: Hold
FSNL6: Hold
FSNL7: Hold
FSNL8: Hold
FSNL9: Hold
FLA1: Hold
FLA2: Hold
FLA3: Hold
FLA4: Hold
FLA5: Hold
FLA6: Hold

SLA A Co/TF23: Hold
SLA B Co/TF23: Hold
SLA C Co/TF Black: Hold
SLA D Co/TF23: Hold
TF Hammer: Attack FSNL3 in C3, from C1
TF Hawk/Dusty: Attack FLA2 in D3, from D1
TF Bowie: Attack FSNL4 in E3, from D1
TF Redleg: Attack FSNL4 in F4, from F5
TF Razor: Move in trace of TF Redleg, F4 from F5

So here we go, five fights coming up in Turn 1, coming right up!

V/R,
Jack