Heavy Fighting on the inter-German border: Game #1

     What better way to celebrate the 4th of July weekend than to play Team Yankee?  I got in three games this weekend, winning two and losing one on a technicality.  We got to use a lot of new and interesting units and features of the game, and while we probably didn't do everything correctly, we did roll a lot of dice and blow up things, which is the main point of the whole endeavor.

     I ran tow of the three games with a two BMP-2 company formation.  As I suspected, a 10 BMP-2 company is a lot more manageable than a 14 BMP-2 company.  It is still a challenge to make it fit, but it doesn't automatically become out of command if it wants to change position.  It has a lot of firepower in the ATGMs and 30mm cannon on the BMP-2, and the numerous Soviet infantry stands make the formation almost unbreakable.  While the BMP-2 won't last long in any type of a firefight, that's OK.  I have a lot of them and I can take the losses.  The American player with his small platoons cannot, even if they are M-1 Abrams tanks with improved armor.  It is not a perfect force, but it really is a great backbone for my Soviet horde.

GAME #1

We decided to play a different game than our standard "Dust Up" mission and rolled for a new game, only to get the same mission as we always play.  You can't fight the dice, so we went at it and pounded each other for 6+ turns until the American player broke.  Hurrah for the mass produced BMP-2 horde!

My Soviet horde with 2 BMP-2 companies, a T-64 company, a rather useless Carnation battery, and the quite fetching Su-25 section.  Oh yes, some ZSU-23/4s and a couple of SA-13s that have nothing to shoot at this game.

If some BMP-2s are good, some more must be better!  The formation commander gets his own BMP-1KSh that does nothing but looks neat.  

The Soviet jets are willing to drop bombs to liberate Western Europe from the American Imperialists, but will spend most of the game loitering somewhere else.

Another view of the Soviet 100 point force.

The Americans bring their A-game and all of their newly painted units, including a Chaparral unit to deter my Su-25s. 

A full battery of M109s with laser guided munitions will be equally worthless as my Carnation battery.

The mortars will provide some value anyway . . .

Another view of the M106s.

The forces assemble along the autobahn near a small town in Germany.

The Americans mass their armor for a flank attack on one of the BMP-2 companies.

The M109s add noise but not much else to the fray.

A second M-1 Abrams platoon with a scout section monitors the Soviet advance.

The American Forward Observer and the other scout section watches from the overpass.

BMP-2s advance!

The T-64 company engages the Americans on the overpass with AT-8 Songster missiles.

The scout section is destroyed but the FO survives.

The BMPs line up to take a shot at the advancing Americans.

Their missile fire actually hits a tank AND destroys one!

One the other flank the ITV of the surviving scout section shoots at the other BMP company.  

One shot, one hit, one kill!

The surviving infantry teams bail out and continue the advance.

Not wanting to take another missile salvo, the Americans drive behind the McDonalds and miss the drive in.  

The BMPs trade ineffectual fire with the Abrams platoon and the scout section.

Fresh off of their destruction of the scout section on the overpass, the T-64s wheel to deal with the other scouts and Abrams in the woods.  The Carnations continue to expend ammunition but only bail out the American FO on occasion.

The SA-13 Gophers guard the objective against a nonexistent American air threat.  Next game!

The formation commander hunkers down behind a building.

The Americans flank the T-64s and shoot at them from their rear.  And mostly miss.

The M163 VADS lager in the parking lot waiting for their Happy Meal of thinly armored BMPs.

The mortars add smoke to keep the T-64s at bay.

Smoke was effective at keeping the T-64s from hitting anything this turn.

More BMP-2s burn.  This is a constant in all of the battles this weekend.

The t-64s lose a few comrades to the cowardly American rear shots.

The M163 VADs shoot less well, only bailing out the BMPs in their sights.

 

The Soviet infantry gets out of their BMPs and charge against the Gatling guns over a parking lot.  RPG fire is effective killing one as well as a tank.  

A M-1 Abrams is hit and killed by a BMP-2 missile.  If only the Su-25s would arrive . . .

The T-64s change direction and return fire at the Abrams while the other American tanks attempt to hit the T-64s in their side.

I couldn't seem to get this company going to attack the American scout section.  My commissar will see to this next game.

The BMPs bail back in and return to add 30mm fire against the M163s.

This still looks like a parking lot, and it is!  Even with a 6' x 8' table it can get congested.

The T-64s go for a point blank flank shot and take out the Americans.

The other BMPs advance.  Finally!

Another smoke screen isolates the T-64s and BMPs from concentrating their fire on the remaining US tanks.  The T-64s are good, but not as good as the Abrams and all but one will be destroyed.

The T-64s are burning with the exception of the commander.

The Soviet Air Force arrives!  Finally!

The Su-25s lineup to shoot Kh-25 missiles at the remaining Abrams.

PRAVDA will feature this shot on tomorrow's headlines.

The Chaparrals wake up and get their first shot of the game off against the Su-25s.

And hit!  The first Su-25 goes down in flames!

Meanwhile the Soviets advance in the parking lot, chasing off the M163s.

With their commander killed and both Abrams platoons broken, the Americans fold and the Soviets win!

We weren't very excited about either side's artillery, which seemed to be full of sound and fury, but didn't really do much.  Smoke was effective at keeping the Soviets from concentrating their fire on the American tanks.  BMPs are built to be destroyed.  And the Su-25s were effective, but a LONG time in making their presence felt.  We were on turn 5 before they finally arrived.  Jeez!  Soviet firing was very good.  American dice rolling was very bad.  So it goes.