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Tuesday, 25 June 2013

Breakthrough Near Lardstadt



This game saw a Soviet tank company (T80s) supported by a motor rifle platoon seeking to exploit a breakthrough near the town of Lardstadt. NATO's defences had been stretched by recent fighting and the only force available to stop them was a US armored cavalry platoon of 3 M3s and 2 M1s although they could call on off-table artillery, air support and helicopters. It was set up to be a clash of numbers versus technology.
 
A quick view of the table from the south with Lardstadt in the distance and the Soviets to enter from the right:

Preceded by a preliminary artillery bombardment that inflicted no losses on the Americans, Soviet forces enter on blinds. The strange glow on the table is the mythical big yellow ball in the sky making its annual brief appearance:

Despite some poor spotting dice 2 Soviet tank platoons are observed advancing along the road:

Abrams and Bradleys inflict 2 quick kills:

The Soviets return fire and destroy a Bradley:

Carefully concealed at the edge of a wood a US officer makes a call:

The third Soviet tank platoon is detected advancing close to the town:

Soviet blinds move through the town and around its northern edge giving the US commander something to think about:

 
 Another good bit of Soviet shooting accounts for one of the M1s. The Big Man escapes and runs to the remaining tank:

Near the town an Apache pops up to look for targets but no Soviet tank passes into its nose sight:

The earlier call is answered as an A10 makes a pass:

A sight no Warsaw Pact tank commander wants to see:

The package is delivered. One T80 is destroyed, a second is damaged while a third gets away unscathed:

 
 A second Bradley is hit and the remaining one has fired both of its ready ITOWs so needs to reload but contact is made with an off-table Apache. As 3 laser designators paint their targets:
 The 2 tanks that survived the air strike are struck by Hellfires and find that even their ERA is not sufficient to save them:

The remaining tank in the first platoon receives the other Hellfire and suffers the same fate:

The surviving M1 holds its position and hits 2 T80s destroying one and immobilising the other:
 

A lonely M1 - all that stands in the way of a Soviet breakthrough:

A final view of the table. Pillars of black smoke mark knocked out armoured vehicles as the Soviet attempt to breakthrough is thwarted: 
 

A much better result for the US - 9 T80s destroyed for the loss of 2 M3s and an M1. The Soviet motor rifle platoon had infiltrated the town unseen but its path was blocked by the last M1 and it was going to need more than 3 BMPs for a successful breakthrough. So a clear US victory this time and a test of the air support and ATGM remote guidance rules. The next job is to incorporate recent findings into a new version of the rules.

7 comments:

  1. Great war. Would the changes you are making work for the Yom Kippur war as well?

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    Replies
    1. Autocorrect. #$%&*-+$#! Great AAR.

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    2. Yes although many, e.g. ERA, would not be needed. The provision for helicopters firing ATGMs from off-table could cover ground-launched Saggers with a minor change. BTW good article in the TFL Summer Special.

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  2. Very good AAR, thanks for sharing!

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