CENTAG, August 1985 : BC Campaign Game 2

This is game #2 of my 5 Core Brigade Commander 1985 campaign.

Probably will not get another game in this weekend, as we have family in town and I am in the midst of updating some of my terrain.  Meanwhile, here is the second game from last weekend.  As always, click photos to enlarge.

The Soviet Motor Rifle Regiment (BMP) deploys on the line of departure, with the goal of

penetrating the NATO defense for follow on forces.

2nd Brigade deploys into defensive positions.  The Brigade CO has cross attached companies to create 3 mixed battalion task forces, deploying them 2 up, 1 task force in reserve.  The Brigade's mission is to prevent the Warsaw pact from moving through the gap at the Western edge of the table.

Here are the initial moves of the MRR, with the planned axis of advance.

Initial contact results in the Soviet left flank MRB taking a beating from artillery and the other two taking damage from direct fire, but they drive 3-44 Armor off of their forward position.  Worse for nd Brigade, one of 3-44's armor companies is hit by a battalion of 152mm guns and rendered combat ineffective.

The Soviet lead element continue to advance as planned, while TF 2-93 launches a counter attack on the other flank.  The Soviet commander brings up the regimental anti-tank company to protect the flank, and drives off the initial thrust.

2/93 continues to try to make headway, but the massed ATGM fires from the MRB hold them off.  On teh other flank, the Soviet lead elements continue to advance and destroy the Mech Infantry Company attached to 3-44 before being driven back by a counter attach, supported by elements of TF 1-44.

Here we are at the then of the game.  TF 2-93 counter attack has faltered, and 3-44 has lost 3 out of 4 combat companies.  The 2nd Brigade commander, with his northern flank in ruins, decides to fall back to more prepared positions to the rear.

After the game, I rolled on the recovery table for every destroyed company.  For 2nd Brigade, this results in A Co., 3-44 Armor having be destroyed and the survivors have been dispersed as replacements throughout the rest of the Brigade. C / 3-44 Armor and B/ 2-93 Inf both will not be available for the next engagement.  I will roll for them again after the next battle and see if the forward support battalion was able to get them sorted, instead of automatically making them availible again.

The Soviets lost 1 Tank Company and 2 BMP Companies.  After rolling, the Tank Company is back in action and the two BMP companies are permanently destroyed.  I am assuming for the Soviets that if a company does not roll an immediate back in action, they are destroyed, as they plave less emphasis on battlefield repair and recovery.

The next game will see the MRR continuing its attack.  The Division commander decides to reinforce it with the Division reserve tank battalion ad attack helicopters, to hopefully force a breakthrough that the Tank Regiment can be unleashed through.

Stay tuned, and happy gaming!

Brigade Commander Asset Cards

I have post my asset cards, in .docx and .pdf format, along with my idiosyncratic quick deference sheets here:

Brigade Commander QRS and Asset Cards


Enjoy!

Still have game 2 to post and preparing for game 3 (hint: I just finished painting two Mi-24 Hinds.)

CENTAG, August 1985 : BC Campaign Game 1

Started my campaign Saturday and got two games in!  First some background.

I will be following the fictional 2nd Brigade, 6th Armored Division.  The division forms part of the US V Corps, and is in the process of completing implementation of the Division '86 reorganization. All subordinate units have reorganized to the new H series MTOE, but only 2 of the 4 infantry battalions have upgraded from M-113 to M-2 Bradley's.

The Warsaw Pact has launched a short notice assault across the Inter-German border, after a few weeks of escalating tensions for the stated purpose of liberating the FRG from fascism.  The Soviets have announced that they will not use chemical or nuclear weapons and they intend to stop at the Rhine River.

At the outbreak of hostilities, the division's front is covered by elements of the Corps Armored Cavalry Regiment.

2nd Brigade consists of:

• 1/44 Armor
• 3/44 Armor
• 2/93 Infantry (Mech)
• 1/198 Artillery (direct support from DIVARTY)

2/93 is equipped with M-113, the two armor battalions with M-1's (105mm)

As the Brigade scrambles to roll out of their motor pools, the ACR if engaging lead elements of the 205th Motor Rifle Division...

Game 1: Screening Mission

3/44 Armor has been given the mission to rush to meet the Soviet spearhead and act as a screening force to give time for the rest of the Brigade to form up.  They are to perform a mobile defense / delay in sector.  They have two flights of AH-1 Cobras from the division Aviation Brigade as well as some close air support and 1/198 FA firing in direct support. (Click photos to enlarge)

Here we see 3/44 Armor forming up.

The lead elements of the 205th Motor Rifle Division have rushed passed the Armored Cavalry units on the border and are moving towards 3/44 Armor's position.  Their orders are to identify enemy position, and bypass resistance encountered.  f they are unable to bypass, they will hold in place and wait for the rest of the lead Motor Rifle Regiment to arrive and perform a regimental attack.

The Soviet forces consist of the Division Forward Detachment (at top of photo) consisting of the Division recon battalion, 1 tank company, and 1 Motor Rifle Company (BMP), reinforced with a platoon of ZSU-23-4.  Immediately behind the lead battalion of the motor rifle regiment.  They are reinforced by a battalion of 122mm guns in direct support, Front Aviation close sir support, and Radio Electronic Combat support (jammers.)

Lead elements forming up for the attack.

Here we have the initial dispositions.

And the Soviets rolled a "Scurry" on their first turn.

The 3/44 calls in an airstrike (A-10 is not painted yet!) seriously disrupting the MRB.

Meanwhile the division forward detachment presses on, and drives one M-1 Company out of it's position.

Accurate Fire from the M-1's destroy the lead company.

And after some exchange of fire, the Cobras swoop in and destroy the rest of the division forward detachment.

At this point the Division Forward detachment was in shambles and the lead MRB was significantly disrupted and disorgamized.  The Regimental commander radioed forward for the battalion to reorganize in place while the rest of the regiment moved up in order to launch an attack from the march.

Meanwhile the rest of 2nd Brigade was pulling into position, 3/44 had accomplished its mission.

This game took 30 minutes, which left me time to play the next game, which I will post soon.

In the photos, you can see the asset cards I made with MS Word, printed, and mounted on floor tiles.

Next time, the full Motor Rifle Regiment assault on the Brigade's sector!

Brigade Commander, yet another play test

I ran another play test this time on a larger table, 3′ x 4′ attacking down the length.  The Warsaw Pact had a Motorized Rifle Regiment (BMP)  with the trimmings (full strength, air defense company, Recon company, Regimental Artillery group) with persistent off board artillery stonks available (152mm battalion attached from division)  I also gave them 1 activation for every 4 units

The Americans had a small Brigade with an armor battalion (4 x m-1 with 1 x recon attachment) and a mechanized infantry battalion (3 x M113 Infantry, 1 x recon attachment, and 1 x M901 ITV.) Also had a platoon of AH-1 gunships attached from division and a persistent off board stonk (155mm guns from DIVARTY) and I gave them 1 activation for every 3 units.

For my feedback on the rules, see the discussion thread at The Wargames Website.

You can see from the pictures below, the larger table allowed more maneuver and the troop density seemed right. The MRR was attacking on a 3km frontage, which is correct per doctrine.

Click photos to enlarge.

The Soviets are advancing to seize the town and gap on the west end of the table.

The MRR on the line of departure. At the top you can see the Regimental advanced detachment consisting of 1 Tank company, 1 motor rifle company, the recon company, reinforced by a battery of 122mm SP guns.

Here is the NATO defense.

The Soviets push through on their left flank.

The end of the game, the Soviet spearhead runs out of steam just short of the objective.

The remnants of the Motor Rifle Regiment.

The NATO survivors... next game I may see how they fair against the follow on Tank Regiment.

The game lasted right at an hour.  For the sharp eyed, i did use an OH-58 to fill in for gunships.  These are going to be a great set of rules, and i look forward to the final vrsion coming out.