CapnJim's Modern Stuff (Aid Convoy Escort AAR Teaser...Pg 26 - 26 Apr 24)

[CapnJim]

Yep - another game set in Northern Gambola.  This time, the intel is solid.  So, the Joint Task Force Commander at the airport in Bangerizi is sending a Ranger platoon out via helicopter insertion to take another crack at nabbing Captain General M'Gumbo Isgood.   We're set to play this out Friday of this week.  It'll just be Ted and me.

Here is the scenario information:









We'll be using 28mm minis and using Fistful of Lead: Bigger Battles rules.  This scenario is based on the "The Old French Plantation at Quan Loi" I wrote for Ambush Valley (the one for the first iteration on Force on Force).

I hope to post an AAR this weekend.  As I will be on vacation after that for the better part of 2 weeks, if I don't do it this weekend, it'll have to wait till early April.  I'll get to it one way of another...

[Lord Raglan]

great scenario Jim

[flatpack]

Looks great.
Can’t wait.

[CapnJim]

Thanks, fellas!

A couple notes, after reviewing the rules in preparation for tomorrow's game:

1.  The helicopters will have the Agile Trait. 

2.  The AH64 will have the Advanced Fire Control Trait (I think it's called that...) and the Stabilizers trait (only for the chin-mounted mini-gun and the Hellfire ATGMs, not the rockets).  I wonder what a Hellfire would do to Gen. Isgood's car...

They'll hit the LZ at 1100 hrs. tomorrow morning...wish the Rangers luck!

 

[CapnJim]

Well, the mission got scrubbed.  Ted called in sick...

We'll re-schedule for early April...stand by...

[Lord Raglan]

Well, the mission got scrubbed.  Ted called in sick...

We'll re-schedule for early April...stand by...

Bloody hell Jim, I’ve been waiting for this all day 🙄

[CapnJim]

Bloody hell Jim, I’ve been waiting for this all day 🙄

I know. I beg your forgiveness.  iI was looking forward to it, too....

They will get Isgood, though, one way of the other.......

[carlos marighela]

Real life missions get scrubbed. Shit happens. Disappointing but maybe you could build the delay into the scenario. Hope Ted recovers and the game rolls on.

Looking forward to the report here too.

[CapnJim]

Real life missions get scrubbed. Shit happens. Disappointing but maybe you could build the delay into the scenario. Hope Ted recovers and the game rolls on.

Looking forward to the report here too.

Yep.  A storm blew up that morning, and the flyboys in the Aviation Battalion didn't want to go up.  Gotta wait for better weather, and hope the good General is still there....

[CapnJim]

Well, it looks like the mission to grab Gen. Isgood is back on.  Intel has him back at that plantation.  SP is this coming Friday at 1100 hrs.  Report to follow.

Also, i've now finished the previously mentioned African civilians.  Unfortunately, my photo-taking place is taken up by the game set-up for the above mission.  Once we play that game, and I've taken the stuff down, I'll take and post pics of them.

And with them done, my painting efforts will now switch over to WW2 and ACW, both 28mm.  Of course, i will be posting pics of those figures on my relevant threads.  But fear not, game-wise, we'll still be in the modern era (Northern Gambola and Balczakistan) for a bit more...

[Lord Raglan]

Hurrah!!!

[carlos marighela]

Looking forward to the report.

[flatpack]

Keep up the good work Captain.
Always great planning and great games.

[mikedemana]

Looking forward to it...been a quiet time for reports from the tank commander... 

Mike Demana

[CapnJim]

Thanks, fellas!  And, Mike, I was on vacation, and I've been a little busy since I got back.

BUT, the mission went off as scheduled this Friday past.  As Gene was unable to take part, I played the gambolans, and Ted played the Rangers.

And away we go...

The 5 helos flew toward their objective just above the treetops.  The 4 UH60 Blackhawks were in a diamond formation, with CPT Cahill and LTC Kurts above them in an OH6 Little Bird (Saber 6).  The plan was to hit the LZs from the north.  In Saber 1, the LT, along with his RTO, the local Gambolan guide, and a fire team from 2nd Squad, would go right, and land just west of the plantation buildings.  In Saber 2, the PLT SGT, his RTO, the medic, an M60 team, and 2nd Squad's other fire team would go left, landing northeast of the plantation.  Saber 3, with 1st Squad and the other M60 team, would take the slot, and land immediately north of the plantation buildings.  3rd Squad's bird - Saber 4 - would peel off, and remain on station in case they were called in.  In addition, an AH64 was also on station nearby.  Last, if things went south, SuperSaber 5 (a CH47) could be called in.

Things went well on the flight from Bangerizi Airport.  Except for the cloudburst that was forming.  So much for the weather forecast from the Head Shed.  It was a race now, to see whether they could get in and land before the rains hit.  The choppers won.  Barely.  This is what they saw on their way in, as viewed from Saber 3:

 

The rains hit just as Sabers 2 and 3 hit the ground.  "Action front - Dishka in the tree line" came the call from the pilot of Saber 2.  Saber 1 hadn't quite made it to their LZ when the rains hit.  And all hell broke loose.

The DShK opened up on Saber 3, while some previously unseen Gambolan militia opened up on Saber 2 from the woodline to their left.  The fire damaged both Blackhawks, particularly Saber 2.  And some Gambolan militia on the roof of one of the plantation buildings opened up on Saber 1.  Saber 1's left-side gunner returned fire, very effectively.  He put down all 4 Gambolans on that roof.  And Saber 1's pilot put his bird down - it was slightly damaged too.





The Rangers knew their business, though.  As soon as the Blackhawks were wheels down, they dismounted, and took the Gambolans they could see under fire.

 



The team from Saber 2 dealt with the Gambolans in the woodline to their left, while both M60 teams set up and fired at the DShK, taking it out of action.  1st Squad, from Saber 3, headed for the nearest plantation building to begin the clearing process.  As the fire team in Saber 1 dismounted just west of the plantation, they came under fire from some Gambolan militia among the buildings.  2 men went down.  and General Isgood and his driver moved out of the main plantation building, and headed for their car.  They didn't make it.  The other men in the fire team that had taken casualties fired on them dropping them both.  Saber 1's left door gunner provided covering fire.



Over at Saber 2, the fire team cleared the woodline where the Gambolan militia had been, while the PLT SGT, his RTO, and the medic moved to where the now-out-of-action DShK was.  The M60 teams provided covering fire.  And it was still raining.





1st Squad cleared the shack at the northeast corner of the plantation, while the Rangers at the west side of the plantation kept the Gambolans in the plantation busy.  The Gambolan militia leader and his runner had gotten the General into the car, but the Rangers lit the car up.  The Ranger LT, his RTO, and the Gambolan guide moved up to the car, got positive ID on General Isgood from the local guide, and snapped a few photos.

 

The PLT SGT ordered the 2nd Squad fire team up to his position where the DShK was.  They prepared to move into the plantation.  The fire team on the west side of the plantation that had the 2 wounded men loaded them onto Saber 1.
And it rained, but it was starting to lighten up.



And then the rain stopped.  Sabers 1, 2, and 3 took off.  Saber 2 had considerable damage, and limped back to Bangerizi, escorted by Sabers 1 and 3.  And now that the rain stopped, Saber 4 (with 3rd Squad aboard) came in, from the southwest.  But a few gambolan regulars showed up too, in the woods near the southeast corner of the plantation.south



As Saber 4 came on the scene, the Rangers on the ground continued to clear the plantation.  They took 2 more men down, but their medic got them back into the fight.  They popped a grenade into the western-most shack, setting it on fire.

 

As the Rangers cleared the plantation, Saber 4 prepared to land near the southwest corner.  But, they took heavy fire from the Gambolan regulars that had come up, and aborted their landing.





To add to Saber 4's misery, another downpour moved in.   They had to land quickly, and flew over the plantation buildings to land just north of them.  As they did so, burning debris from Saber 4 landed on the roof of a shack, and set it on fire.





More Gambolan regulars came up, also near the southeast corner of the plantation.  LTC Kurts had called in SuperSaber 5, but with the 2nd round of rain, it had to land a few kilometers away.  The Rangers collapsed their positions to the west side of the plantation.  And waited for the rain to stop. 





And then it was over.  The Gambolan regulars decided they weren't gonna take on that many Rangers by themselves, and melted back into the woods.  The rain did soon stop, and Super Saber 5 could come in and take the Rangers back to Bangerizi, escorting the badly damaged Saber 4 on the way back.

And there you have it.  The Rangers did not capture General Isgood, but did put him Out of Action.  They also cleared most of the plantation.  4 Rangers were wounded in the process. Worse, all 4 Blackhawks were damaged in the fight, with Sabers 2 and 4 particularly damaged.