Cold war moderns game report
Introduction
As part of BattleCry (a local convention) we ran a WRG 1950-2000 tournament which was
kindly sponsored by GHQ Models (www.ghqmodels.com).
The year is 1985 and tensions between East and West has caused war to break out in Europe. Soviet
forces have invaded West Germany and a NATO covering force is performing a fighting withdrawal
action near a main junction of the autobahn.
This tournament was a one day event and is a multi player attack defence game. The forces consist
of a NATO screening force of British Recce (in the area on a training exercise) and US ACAV (11th
Armoured Cavalry Regiment) forces defending against the leading elements of the 20th Guards Motor
Rifle division and East German forces.
Pre game
The players assembled and decided on forces. The NATO forces consisted of elements of a US ACAV brigade and a British Light covering force. The Warsaw Pact forces were split into East Germans and Soviet.
The terrain was vaguely based on terrain around the town of Hunfeld near the Fulda Gap.
The game was a prepared attack game and this meant the attacker had 16000tpts of forces (including artillery and pre game bombardments). The defenders had 8000pts of forces and 4000pts of field defences.
Forces
Warsaw Pact The East Germans had one company of T72G/Ms, 1 BMP1 Company and a Recce company. The Soviets had 1 T64BV/R Company, 1 BTR Motorised Company, 1 Engineering Company and various support and HQ elements. Off table elements including a BM21 battery, a BM24 battery, a 2S5 SP 155mm for counterbattery and a battalion of 2S1 SP 122mm guns.
NATO
US
One ACAV Trp with 2 platoons. Each platoon had 2 M113ACAV, 2 Dragons, 2 M901 and 4 M60A3. Aircraft consisted of
3 AH1A Apaches and 2 F16 Fighting Falcons providing air cover.
Their artillery was a MLRS battery for counterbattery (with CB radar) and a MLRS battery for general support.
The British forces consisted of a Saxon Motor Platoon and a Recce squadron with 2 troops of Scorpions/Scimitars, 2 troops of Strikers and one troop of Spartans with infantry.
Setup
The defenders marked their positions on a map whilst the attacker wrote their orders. Then the defenders had to deploy half their elements on table and visible field defences, whilst the others remained hidden until they move, shoot, or are automatically acquired. Then the attackers began their pregame bombardment. One of the targets was a village and the rockets destroyed most of the buildings and some of the Saxon APCs deployed in the village. The defender had also placed an infantry platoon in a tunnel in the village but the tunnel mouth was destroyed, trapping the platoon.
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Click on the images to see a larger version. Note most of the images will display the model 2-3 times bigger than actual size and the paint jobs may look a bit rough!
The table from the attackers end.
This end of the table was pretty open and in the distance you can see all the small towns and woods.
The table from the defenders side.
In the foreground you can see the main objective of the Warpact forces which was the autobahn. On the very right is a railway
line and also outside of shot is a hill (Rises in WRG terms). The NATO players commented afterwards that there wasn't enough hills and they
didnt have enough hills to park their M901s and Strikers on!
Crash on the Autobahn!
The car models are from Samtrees.com and the fire Engines are Irregular. The Autobahn
was made by one the players and very nicely done.
Field defences.
I made 24 minefields for the game and the one closeup photo I have shows the thread that has come
undone! The NATO players
placed a line of minefields almost right across the table, along with some hidden ones.
NATO deployments.
Here you can see a couple of M113 ACAV vehicles. As per the rules the defenders were required to place half their elements on
table and the rest could remain hidden until they move, shoot or are in automatic aquired.
British forces
This looks like another platoon of Strikers deployed behind a hill. The NATO forces decided that it was a likely target for pre game artillery so deployed behind it instead. They proved to be correct as the hill was shelled with artillery.
Pre game artillery.
This town has just been hit by Soviet MRLs and most of the buildings were destroyed. The NATO players also lost a couple of Saxon APCs, and more importantly, an infantry platoon. The infantry were hiding in a tunnel, but the mouth was destroyed by the rockets, trapping them in there.
The first turn.
After much fluffing around the Warpact players finally moved on. They went for the classic attacking move of concentrating all your forces on one side with a few vehicles covering the flank. An important roll went their way and they avoided being hit by MRLS in the NATO players first turn A(s they failed to request it). In the bottom left is a recce platoon and the East German and Soviet forces are mixed together. The triangle cards represent the smoke screens generated by the tanks injecting diesel onto the exhausts, which provides partial screening.
M60A3 reveals itself.
The ACAV player opened up with a few M60s in the first turn and destroyed some Warpact vehicles. The railway enbankment provided so good hull down cover for the defenders.
Strikers on overwatch
This platoon of Strikers occupied the hill overlooking the Autobahn all game, and causing a large number of casualties. They are were effective as the controllers can dismount and the vehicles stay hidden. Usually helicopters or artillery is the best way to get rid of them.
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Another view of the NVA forces advancing. The lead East German T72s came under fire from M60s and Stikers in the early turns of the game.
M901s and a fire engine
The M901s had revealed their position and opened up on the Soviet forces but received a couple of AT-11 missiles back, courtesy of some T64BV\Rs. A local fire engine has gone to help!
Warpact forces advancing
The Warpact forces have pushed forward towards the fields defences under a screen of diesel smoke (the grey triangles). The lead T72s are providing cover for the BMPs that are following.
More Smoke!
Not content with destroying the ozone layer with diesel smoke, the lead tanks have also launched their smoke dischargers (represented by the pieces of cotton wool and card in front of the tanks.)