CapnJim's Modern Stuff - Balczaki-Soviet Bridge Fight Full AAR - Pg 54-10 Aug 25

[CapnJim]

Thanks, fellas.  @Carlos - you see a LOT of green farm implements around here...

@has.been and Paul - that light string belonged to my wife's niece's ex-husband, and that divorce was considerably less that amicable.  Those lights were emphatically trash-bound - I'm lucky I saw them prior to their intended disposal and got the one I did (fortunately, I'm her good uncle  )...

[Vagabond]

Blimey Cptn Jim you are prolific, this thread looks great, yet again it's been a while since I visited this board and you don't disappoint.

I'm only here to post a game but it's always good to see what you're up to.
Cheers

[carlos marighela]

Thanks, fellas.  @Carlos - you see a LOT of green farm implements around here...

@has.been and Paul - that light string belonged to my wife's niece's ex-husband, and that divorce was considerably less that amicable.  Those lights were emphatically trash-bound - I'm lucky I saw them prior to their intended disposal and got the one I did (fortunately, I'm her good uncle  )...

Pretty prolific around where my mother lives too, although the local dealership in town went tits up ages back. Once upon a time it was just a sea of red though, the Massey Ferguson reigned supreme. Then came the Kubotas and a even a sprinkling of Russian tractors, of all things.

[CapnJim]

@vagabond:  Thanks, Old Chap!  Your stuff ain't half-bad either...

@carlos:  Russian tractors?  I guess you just never know what you'll see where...

And now, on with the important business at hand.  This Friday coming, my weekly gaming group is set to play out the "Hostage Rescue" scenario I put up on Page 7 of this very thread.  (Edit:  We'll be using Fistful of Lead: Bigger Battles rules.)  As GM, I will play the local thugs and rebels, and Ted and Gene will split the Spec Ops boys.  Of course, an illustrated AAR will follow...but here's the lead in:

The Colonel walked into the CP tent, said "At ease, fellas. Gather 'round".  He walked to the table in the center of the CP, spread out a map and a few aerial recon photos (see below), and said "OK, here's the deal."

"As you are aware, Balszakistan has been heating up since the Soviet breakup.  Coups, counter-coups, riots, and the like.  Anyway, two days ago, rebels overran a US NGO medical center that had been set up to help deal with casualties of the unrest.  They grabbed several of the medical staff and some local aides, bundled them off, and torched the place.  Our assets on the ground have determined that they hauled them off to this little shithole here on the River."  The Colonel pointed to a place on the map.  "It's our job to go and get them out."

"We HALO'ed an OP team in a few hours ago.  They've been keeping an eye on that place."  He grabbed the photos and laid them out for all to see.  "The medical staff is here..." (again pointing) "...in Objective O'Rourke, and their local aids are here..."  (pointing again) "...in Objective Agarn.  The OP has set up here"  (pointing yet again). 

"We fly in from here.  I'll be on top in a Little Bird, while you and you..." looking at each of his team leaders "..will be split into 3 Blackhawks.  We'll have a Shithook along for the rescued hostages and any casualties we might have.  We are bringing EVERYONE out.  Do you all understand?"  Of course, everyone nodded their acknowledgement.  "Good.  We fly in at night, drop down to NOE 5 clicks from our LZ, which will be about 5 clicks from the objectives.  You guys go in on foot, hit the objectives just before dawn, get the hostages out, and get to LZ3 D..." (again, pointing) "...where the birds will pick you up."

"Again, I will be flying on top.  I will alert you guys of any tangoes inbound.  Do what you gotta do, but get in, get the hostages, and get the hell out.  The OP has a couple dozen local thugs in the village guarding the hostages, but we can expect more of those assholes and even some Balszaki rebels in BTRs to get nosy once shooting starts.  So take along your AT teams, just in case."

"That's it fellas.  Questions?"  "Nope.  OK. get the boys ready.  We SP in 1 hour."

Later that night...

"Cowboy elements, Cowboy 6.  We're over Indian country.  Heads up.  We'll hit the RP in 2-5 mikes, then drop down to November Oscar Echo.  Assume attack formation"

30 minutes later, his men were dismounting the Blackhawks in their LZ.  He could see them fanning out to the wood-line through his NVGs.  Now, the Blackhawks and the Chinook will go to their stand-by station, and Cowboy 6 will keep an eye out for his boys.  So far, everything is going as per the plan.  The boys should hit the place just before dawn.  That's when things'll get interesting.  Cowboy 6 said a quick prayer as he pulled up on his stick...         

[mikedemana]

I wanna play! 

Seriously, looks like a great game, Jim. I'll be curious to see how Ted's dice rolling screws things up...er, I mean, how the game goes!! 

Mike Demana

[has.been]

As many times before, a great set up for a game.
Well done.
Looking forward to seeing how it pans out.

[Grumpy Gnome]

Such a brilliant set up, oozing with juicy immersive narrative. I am envious of the players.

[Vagabond]

This is looking pretty good also pretty serious. Look forward to reading the report, hope it goes well for your chaps.

[CapnJim]

Thanks, fellas.  The Spec Ops boys hit the RP at 1100 hrs. Friday.  News of the application of their expertise to follow.  Hopefully, Ted's dice-rolling reputation doesn't play out...

[CapnJim]

"Cowboy 6, Cowboy 1.  Cowboy elements set at RP.  Over".  "Roger, Cowboy 1.  Cowboy 3, SITREP, over."

Cowboy 3 responded in a whispered tone "Cowboy 6, SITREP.  We have 4 tangoes milling around in the gravel area in front of O'Rourke.  We also have 1 tango on the elevated water platform immediately west of O'Rourke.  How copy over?" 

"Cowboy 3, I copy over.  Cowboy 1 and Cowboy 2, acknowledge, over."

"Cowboy 6, Cowboy 1, roger over".  "Cowboy 6, Cowboy 2, roger over".

"Roger.  All Cowboy elements, scratch Alpha.  Execute Bravo, over".

Cowboys 1, 2 and 3 acknowledged Cowboy 6's order.  Cowboy 3 kept quite in their OP position, watching the tangoes they could see in their NVGs.  Cowboys 1 and 2 moved out with their men from the RP, toward the objectives.  It was Go Time....   

[Lord Raglan]

Love it 👍🏻

[CapnJim]

Thanks, M'Lord! 

We played the game today.  And what a game it was!

Part 1 - It is Darkest Just Before the Dawn...

Plan Alpha was simple.  But with the guards out, it got scratched.  Plan Bravo was a bit less simple, but straightforward enough.  Cowboy 1 would take 2 assault teams, an anti-armor team, and the point man.  He would approach the objectives from the north through the woods.  His men would have primary responsibility from getting the prisoners.  Cowboy 2 would take the other 2 teams, the other anti-armor team, and the M60 gunner.  They would approach the objectives from the south, and they would have primary responsibility for taking care of any bad guys lurking about (like the 4 hanging out in front of Objective O'Rourke, for example...).  Cowboy 3 would remain in place at the OP, and watch over things.  Straightforward.  Right.

After getting another SITREP from Cowboy 3 at the OP (nothing had changed, and things were quiet in the village), the US troops began their approach on the village.  Cowboy 1, along with an assault team and the anti-armor team, headed straight for Objective O'Rourke.  The other assault team brought up the rear, watching their six.  The point man headed off to the right, to check out the tango up on the water tower.

Cowboy 2 sent the M60 gunner and his anti-armor team over to his left, to check out and get into a shack across the road from the OP.  They would, along with Cowboy 3, overwatch the area in front of Objective O'Rourke, as well as the large concrete building that looked like some kind of HQ (it had a large antennae on it...). 

All the US troops made their way through their respective woods.  So far, so good.  The point man set up near the SW corner of the water tower building (the OP team reported that it looked like the guard on the tower was taking a piss, as he was turned around looking straight at the water tank).  Cowboy 1 and his team made it to their wood-line.  He took his RTO (with his SAW) and headed toward the side door of Objective O'Rourke, while an assault team went on overwatch behind them.  His other assault team worked over to the back of the water tower building.

Meanwhile at the south end of the village, the anti-armor team and the M60 gunner cleared the shack by the OP, and set up overwatch positions inside facing north and east.  Cowboy 2 and his assault teams started making their way into the village, setting up along the east side of that big HQ-ish building.  Cowboy 2 then sent one assault team forward to take up a position at the red truck, with orders to be ready to take out the guards in front of O'Rourke.

The guard on the water tower finally turned around, facing the gravel area in front of O'Rourke, but he must have been sleepy - he didn't react at all to the assault team moving up to that red truck.  And, oddly enough, the guards in front of O'Rourke kept looking toward the river for some reason.

Cowboy 6 radioed in, and reported that there was no sign of and movement on the roads leading to our little village.  So, Cowboy 1 brought up the assault team that was on overwatch behind him, with orders to prepare to breach the side door of O'Rourke. 

But it was starting to get light enough to see OK.  Dawn had arrived, and the guards would probably soon spot them.  But everything was in place to begin the rescue phase of the operation.  Cowboy 6, in his Little Bird overhead, gave the order to go.

To be continued in Part 2 - Dawn Breaks, and With It, All Hell is Loosed...   

[CapnJim]

A couple more pics for Part 1...

[has.been]

as with the bloke who fell off the Empire State Building was heard to say
as he past each floor,  'Ok so far'
 

[CapnJim]

as with the bloke who fell off the Empire State Building was heard to say
as he past each floor,  'Ok so far'
 

Yes, well, we'll see how it goes...

Part 2 - Dawn Breaks, and With It, All Hell is Loosed...

As we left our intrepid heroes, they had made it into the village, and were ready to begin the actual rescue.  And dawn had broken.  So let's continue our story...

As it got lighter, the thug up on the water tower had finally turned to look in the direction of the assault team taking cover behind the red truck.  And he began yelling something frantically in Balszaki.

Then all hell broke loose.  Local thugs poured out of the water tower building and the 2-story building at the east end of the village (near the LZ).  More appeared on the balcony of the central building.  And all kinds of gunfire rang out...

Thugs began dropping left and right.  Cowboys 1 and 2 had positioned their men well.  But, that assault team at the red truck had a couple men go down (their medic would get them back in the fight - he would do so a couple times during the fight...).

Then, Cowboy 6 alerted his men on the ground that Balszaki rebels were coming across the river in small boats, and tangoes in trucks were approaching the village from the east, north, and south.  Wow. Word of the attack had gotten out fast!

While the thugs in town were being taken care of ( ), an assault team breached O'Rourke, and began hustling the medical staff prisoners out.  And Cowboy 2 kicked in the door of one of the building at Agarn, and freed 3 of the local aides who were prisoners there.

Then the Balszaki rebels started showing up, and more local thugs came out to play.  The first rebels came on in those boats.  4 boats full of rebels landed near the dock, and were immediately engaged by Cowboy 3 at the OP.  The rebels from the boats and the guys at the OP would have their own little private fight, while the fight to get the prisoners would play out in the village.  More thugs came out on that balcony, and from the water tower building, and were immediately engaged.  Unfortunately, the M60 gunner and the anti-armor team in that shack had begun to move toward the LZ, and the thugs on the balcony dropped the M60 gunner (an errant RPG round destroyed a nearby outhouse in the process).

And, Cowboy 1's RTO went down. 

While our brave boys were hustling their freed prisoners toward the LZ (with 2 of them helping/carrying the wounded RTO along), a Balszaki rebel technical came in from the east.  Only to meet a grisly end, courtesy of the anti-armor team that was moving from that shack by the OP toward the LZ.  Their AT round hit its mark squarely, causing a catastrophic kill that took out the truck and all of its occupants in an impressive fireball. 

As is stood at this point, 2/3 of the way through our fight, the SF boys had taken care of most of the local thugs in the village.  But they had taken 2 men down so far (the M60 gunner and Cowboy 1's RTO - 3 others had been hit, but their medic had gotten them back in the fight).  Rebels were fighting with the OP by the river, and the first rebel truck full of reinforcements had been KOed.  Most importantly, our boys had freed 9 of the 12 prisoners, and they were slowly collapsing their lines toward the LZ.

I'll leave it there for now.  I'll do Part 3 (the final part) later today or tomorrow.  In Part 3 - Get To the Choppers!, I'll answer these questions:

     1.  Will they get the M60 gunner out?
     2.  How will the OP's fight with the rebels at the river end up?
     3.  Will they free the other 3 prisoners, and will they get them all out?

Stay tuned!