Frontal Aviation of the Western Strategic Direction

. . . or Close Air Support (CAS), Soviet style.

     Battlefront sells Su-25 as its representative Warsaw Pact aircraft.  This seems reasonable, as Su-25s were among the most modern aircraft the Soviets had for CAS.  I wasn't that impressed with the model, especially the price, so I looked around and purchased a couple of Academy models of the same aircraft.  These were substantially cheaper.  There were also a royal pain in the neck to build as they are models, not wargame pieces.  So I built them, and cursed the numerous really small pieces and the glue that seemed to only stick to my fingers, not the parts, and numerous other things.  I subsequently purchased a Battlefront SU-25 set as well.  These were designed to be rapidly constructed with few fiddley parts, though not as detailed as the Academy models.  As they are mostly a one piece resin body with a few added weapons, they are also a bit studier.  I painted them all using my airbrush and an assortment of paints.  The Battlefront sludge that goes for paint on the aircraft underside had to be significantly diluted and mixed with gray to get the more subdued color you seem on most images on the web.  I used some Tamiya colors for the greens and yellow/buff segments.  I also used panel liner paints for the first time, and that worked out much better than the airbrush attempts, at which I am less than novice level.  At any rate, they can add another threat domain that the NATO player has to respect.  No more using his M163 VADS platoon to chew up my BMPs and infantry horde!  I don't know if they are worth the points, but any Soviet thrust should have air support.  The other CAS option was a MiG-27, so I am looking for those as well (of course!) to buff up the attendant fighter bomber division in support of the attack on Wurzburg.

Su-25 conduct a low level attack down the autobahn, searching for NATO tanks and SAMs.  The two Battlefront Su-25s are in the higher altitude/stand positions to the rear.

The view from an escorting fighter.  The Academy models are to the front/bottom, with the Battlefront ones to the rear/top.

The front view of the Battlefront Su-25.  It has rocket pods and antitank missiles.  The model comes with 4 ATGMs on the pylons, but I only glued on 2 as it is a real pain to get in between the pylons and paint.  

Another view of the Battlefront Su-25.  The canopies are pretty easy to paint as the black/window portion is recessed.

The underside of the Batttlefront Su-25.  The panel liner paint shows up well here.

The Academy Su-25.  It comes with rocket pods, fuel tanks and bombs.  

The Academy model canopy is a flush piece of clear styrene.  I painted the black to be consistent with the Battlefront ones.  The Academy model is more detailed, but I wonder how long those fragile pitot tubes will last . . .

The Academy model underside brimming with weapons.  No one likes to get bombed!

Battlefront Su-25 to the left, Academy to the right.  Both are nice models and will add to the firepower being expended in the Fulda Gap.  

     Now I just need to get the Hinds done . . . 

Motorized Rifle Regiment Reconaissance Company

Recon elements of the 68th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment in search of NATO forces in West Germany.  

I have finished making the assets for a Soviet Motorized Rifle Regiment Reconnaissance Company.  According to Field Manual (FM) 100-2-3, The Soviet Army, June 1991, both BTR and BMP regiments had an organic recon company that looked like this:

If it is in an Army Field Manual, it MUST be correct!

This was a tad challenging as Battlefront does not make a BRM-1, nor does it make a modern motorcycle section.  Luckily, the WW2 Soviet motorcycle looks very similar to the Cold War version, so I just used that and added a couple of more modern figures for the side car rider and the second seater on another bike.  Some sources list this section as armed with PKM LMGs, but FM 100-2-3 just lists them with RPKs.  I just used AK-74 figures and reasoned that will be good enough.

The recon company motorcycle motors down the autobahn.  

I used a plastic Soviet infantry figure for the sidecar.  

There's no card for any motorcycle section, regardless of the armament or whether all of the motorcycles had sidecars.  I will modify a jeep recon section from one of the other Team Yankee books (Oil Wars, perhaps), giving them speed and recon ability, but not much else.  There job is to ride hard and fast, and die gloriously.  I think they can do that.

Battlefront does not make a BRM-1 either, but luckily for me Skytrex does.  I ordered this one and a couple of other command vehicles to round out the force.  It took nine days to get across the Atlantic after I ordered them, which is not bad at all.  I constructed this one and used my standard Soviet painting techniques and colors.  It turned out fine, and as I don't think it will last much longer than the motorcycles, it is just right.  It is a nice model.  It is all metal, and the level of detail is decent, thought probably a shade less detailed than the Battlefront models.  I like the tools and tow cables on the hull; it makes it look less like the garrison force of the other BMPs. The vehicle commander is a bit smaller than the Battlefront figures, but this should be of little concern.

The Skytrex BRM-1 command vehicle.  It is a little shorter than the Battlefront BMPs, but it looks close enough.  Since I expect that it will belching fire by turn 2, this should not a problem.

Another view of  the BRM-1 with Battlefront BMP-2s in the background.  

There isn't a BRM-1 card either so I will use the BMP-1 stats except the BRM-1 does not have a Sagger ATGM, just a 73mm gun.

BRDM-2s in line.  They won't last much longer than the motorcycles.  

The Reconnaissance Platoon (wheeled).  

The Reconnaissance Platoon (tracked) with BMP-2s lines up with the company commander in his BMR-1 with the motorcycle section tries to look cool.  

With this done I can now field representative units from the Motorized Rifle Regiment. I can put out a recon company, a BMP-2 motorized rifle company, a tank company with T-64s, and a self propelled howitzer battery with 2S-1 Carnations.  This is a lot of Soviet firepower, and I haven't even gotten to the air power and helicopters yet. . .

More is better!  Ask any Soviet commander!

Lessons Learned from Team Yankee

While my collecting/hording far outstrips my painting production, I have actually managed to play a couple of games of Team Yankee.  These were more learning endeavors than a linked narrative associated with the defense of Wurzburg.  I even managed to take a bunch of photos cataloging my efforts.  These were while back so I will spare everyone any attempt to recreate the after action reports of my great victories for the party or the defeats that got me sent to the gulag.  Instead, I figured I would just upload a couple of shots that show some of the key learning points I have taken away from the rules.

First of all, the rules are fun to play, and not too demanding to learn.  I don't have to refer to umpteen different charts to get a result.  At my age, I am willing to depart with that teenage experience.  The cards are easy enough to use, and make flipping through the rule book usually unnecessary.  The rules and errata have been well constructed so that we have been able to figure out most of the problems we have encountered.  Now, you may not like the way the designers have made various decisions on some things, but the rules seem to be internally consistent and do not leave you in an infinite do loop.  Usually . . .

The Soviets mass to attack down the autobahn.  This does not end well.

Mass is not always your friend.  The photo above shows one of my attack formations that only seemed to attract lots of nasty artillery fire from the US forces.  Now, the T-64s can survive an artillery barrage.  The BMPs typically do not.  The size of the Soviet formations almost works against you, particularly when the Out of Command rule is examined.  It seems impossible to use a full sized unit without incurring penalties because even if you use a "tank park," some team is likely to be outside the unit leader radius.  US units are smaller (platoon sized) so they don't seem to have this problem.  

ZSU-23/4 provide protection from US air assets.  

Antiaircraft assets are not a nice to have; they are a requirement for survival in a combined arms fight.  US helicopters can sit off and lob TOW missiles in at you, and if you don't have some type of AA/SAM systems to at least keep them honest, it can be a real pain.  The salvo effect from a bombing run is not a fun thing either.  These assets need to keep up with the forward elements as well, or your spearheads risk being picked off and destroyed.  Not having air assets cedes one domain to your opponent.  This may allow him to use his AA assets against your slow moving infantry or lightly armed APCs, neither of which is good.  After experiencing several helo attacks I went and purchased sufficient Hinds and Su-25s to give my opponent a taste of his own medicine.  He is building up his own air defense though.  

Iconic and deadly.  US Huey Cobra attack helicopters protect the US mechanized infantry along the wood line.  

Lightly armed and armored BRDM-2s without sufficient AA protection are annihilated by the US helos.  

One long range SA-13 shot hit and destroyed a Huey Cobra, limiting (slightly) the damage they did to the Soviet attack.

It is a good thing that most Soviet force will have a LOT of tanks.  You will need them with the amount of attrition that the US player can dish out.  You can quibble with their rate of fire or armor protection (it seems low for the rate of fire to me), but they can dish out some damage if used effectively.  Don't allow them to get hit on the flanks however, as they will die really fast.  Believe me on this one.  

M1 Abrams tanks and Huey Cobra attack helos demonstrate that the rear armor of a T-64 is not something to depend on. Ouch!

A reinforced BMP company attacks with a battery of 2S-1 self propelled guns in support.  

The BMPs provide long range ATGM over watch, while the SA-13s provide protection against nasty air attacks.  The infantry are there to assault the enemy positions and take casualties.  

Amazingly enough in a tank-centric game like Team Yankee, infantry can be quite effective.  The Soviet BMP mechanized infantry company at full strength has 10 AK-74 stands, 9 RPG-7 stands, 2 PKM LMG stands, and can be reinforced with a SA-14 stand and an automatic grenade launcher stand.  This is a lot of infantry, and I have problems doing getting the to go in the same direction.  They are an artillery magnet, and can pin easily.  But, the 12-14 BMP-2s with their ATGM missile fire can be deadly to even a M1 Abrams platoon, and the 30mm gun can keep the helos at risk.  The RPG stands can do damage if they get close enough to get a flank shot on a tank, and are deadly against APCs.  The infantry do die off in large numbers, but you have a lot of them.  If anything, the morale rules are a bit generous here, or perhaps I have been lucky with my die rolls and commissars, as my infantry has taken some hideous losses and not routed.

I am less happy with some of the ways that the rules organizes the forces.  I want to use forces as close as possible with the real world table of organization and equipment.  Team Yankee is not as focused on this, wanting to deal with the "normal" forces and not some of the more interesting units crucial to modern warfare.  This is a small concern on my part; I can just use the real world units and don't worry about the points they cost as long as the scenario makes sense.  As such my motorcycle stand will probably never be produced by Battlefront as it is not that interesting and its life on any tank heavy table top is bound to be limited.

All in all, it is a fun set of rules.  As I learn more and become more comfortable with its advantages and disadvantages, I will be better able to effectively use the forces on hand.  As well as the stuff on the painting table.
 

I'm still here!

More miniatures can be painted and games played if you follow this advice.  

OK, it has been a LONG time since my last post.  There have been some external reasons I have not completed (or really even started) the Fulda Gap offensive, and it is not just because the 27th Guards Motor Rifle Division has been so hard to get out of garrison.  Instead, real life events have intruded on my sojourn into the past.  Health reasons, work, local politics and other annoyances have damped my ability to crank out content for fellow Cold War Warriors.  I think that such road blocks have been surmounted, or at least bypassed, and I am ready to return to the Fulda Gap excursion.

I haven't been completely sluggish in my painting and gaming, only recording the results.  Since my last post my godless Soviet horde has increased substantially.  I have even painted a lot of it as well.  I am helped out here by the standard Soviet camouflage of the day.  You can have any color you want, as long as you want green.  As such my TO&E has increased to the following:

EQUIPMENT        THEN           NOW              TO BE PAINTED

T-64                         10                 15                   0
BMP-2                      4                  14                   7
BMP-1                      1                    1                   0
BRDM-2                   4                    4                   0
ZSU-23                     0                    2                   2
SA-13                       0                     2                  2
SA-8                         0                     0                  4
2S-1                          0                     6                  0
2S-21                        0                     0                  6
BM-1                        0                     0                  3
Su-25                        0                     4                  0
Hind                          0                     0                  4
Sprandel BRDM       0                     0                  3
Storm ATGM            0                     0                  3
BTR-60                     0                     0                  5
PT-76                        0                     0                  11
BMP-1 Ksh              0                     0                   1
BRM                         0                    0                   2
PRP                           0                    0                   1
BRDM-2U                0                    0                   1
           
I have also painted up a full Soviet infantry company with SA-14 team and an AGL team, and then another infantry platoon as well.  Most of these are Battlefront models, though their are a few stray Skytrex vehicles for the command elements.  While there is a lot more to paint, the tractor works have been busy fulfilling the Party's Five Year Plan goals.  The Hinds and last batch of BMP-2s are about halfway through, and the command and recon vehicles are easy to bring to completion.  This will give me the ability to yield full TO&E units for a Soviet recon company (divisional and BMP equipped regiments), a reinforced BMP-2 mechanized infantry company, and a T-64 tank company.  If I just use the Team Yankee stats instead of The Soviet Army, FM-100-2-3 from June 1991,  I can field 2 tank units (seven T-64s apiece) and two BMP-2 mechanized infantry companies (10 BMP-2s apiece) plus lots of supporting units that make the Cold War Soviet Army so nasty.  That's more points than the standard Team Yankee game and my table can support, but there are many scenarios I can envision from the wargames I have played that will require a massive Soviet force.  Plus, I am somewhat obsessed with this project.  I will post more pictures soon to show I am not merely posting numbers.

This is all geared for a ~1985 Soviet Army, the year Battlefront's World War III erupts.  This is a decent year for me to envision my Soviet force as it was the year before I reached my first unit and much of the equipment was the stuff I was studying for my real world activities.  If WWIII had started in 1985 I would still have been a student in various training commands, and the war would have been over before I reached the front.  This is probably a good thing, but no need to worry about fiction.  The other period of time that I contemplate WWIII is the late 1970s when I was a teenager in the basement pushing around cardboard counters.  Here the equipment is a little less sophisticated.  The Soviets only have BMP-1s (still neat looking) while the main battle tank could very well be the T-64.  For the US the standard APC would be the M113, while the MBT would be the M60A3, with a few Sheridans running around.  One of my fonder memories from an article in the old Gene McCoy's Wargmers Digest is a picture of a M60A3 with its commander sticking his torso out of the cupola and signalling the advance.  This is certainly an enticing era in terms of looks, but I will stay with the 1980s for now.  Pictures to follow!