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

[Doug ex-em4]

The street level views are outstanding.

Doug

[CapnJim]

Thank you, Gentlemen.  Your comments are appreciated.  Now, on with the business at hand...

We did indeed play this scenario Friday.  After randomly determining who played who, I ended up playing the Soviets.  Ted and Dave played the PBR "demonstrators" (Ted the unarmed chaps, and Dave the armed ones).  We got all 15 turns in a bit over 3 hours or so...

Prelude:  The Russians are Here!

It was a nice day so far in this part of Balczakistan.  It was partly cloudy, and not too warm for August.  Folks were going about their daily routines.  For example, the parish priest at The Church of the Most Holy Martyrs of Antioch was outside his church, enjoying the relatively nice weather.

   

Around the corner, a man was trying to figure out why the dump truck driver had parked in front of his garage.



Across the Fountain Triangle, a man was getting ready to get into his car, his local business concluded.



While at the main intersection, an shopkeeper of Asian heritage was outside his shop, maybe enjoying a smoke.



Finally, a couple, recently immigrated from Northern Gambola in Africa, stood in front of their shop, likely discussing important matters.



Then, THEY showed up.  A unit of Soviet OMON arrived, and set up a checkpoint.  Hmm.   Perhaps today may not be as uneventful as it could have been.  And there may have been insults and other slurs directed at the Soviets, muttered under peoples' breath of course.  Certainly not out loud.  More overt foul words and deeds would be directed at the Soviets in due time...



Everything was all set now.  And this, dear readers, is the point at which our latest incident of Balczaki unrest directed at the Soviets begins.

Part 1:  Oh Shit!  In Russian, of Course.

The OMON unit had set up their checkpoint for a little bit.  After a while, 4 civilian vehicles appeared heading for the exit from the parking lot across the main street from the checkpoint.  Two more cars came driving up the main street, one from each direction.  The cars on the main street turned up the side street, right up to the checkpoint (braking hard as they stopped at it).  The yellow one had cut right in front of the lead car (the black sedan) coming out of the parking lot to do so.  The other 3 cars exiting the parking lot jockeyed for position.  Nothing too weird so far - just normal Balczaki driving...







This is when things went a bit sideways.  The black and blue sedans pulled right up to the checkpoint, and several men got out of all 4 cars, approaching the OMON unit.  They had a rather unfriendly air about them, with the well-dressed fellow in the overcoat seemingly issuing instructions.  The blue minivan and the old gray pickup pulled up the the curbs on the main street.  The eagle-eyed among you might notice the stash of bottles in the back of the pick-up truck.   





The men at the OMON checkpoint were growing quite concerned as the unarmed men began surrounding them.  Tension was building - it was palpable.  Their commander called for back-up.  Turns out they weren't far away, and should arrive directly.  Good thing.  Armed men unassed the minivan and the pickup, one of them grabbing one of those bottles.  Four went to their left, and 3 to their right.  The civilians were all now watching to see what happened.  The OMON men fired warning shots into the air (they must have been warning shots - how could they miss at that range?)





The unarmed men began mobbing the OMON men at the checkpoint, first from behind them.  One of the demonstrators went down, and the other 2 backed away (to the northwest).  It would take some doing to pry the OMON men away from their checkpoint.  In the proverbial nick of time, backup for the OMON men at the checkpoint arrived - some Soviet Army soldiers in a patrol vehicle, and some BFF fighters in a beat-up pickup truck.  They came on at speed.  Just as one of the armed demonstrators chucked a molotov cocktail at the checkpoint - it bounced off the back of the OMON vehicle and shattered in the street.  It's only effect was charring the pavement and the side of a nearby wall.



More unarmed demonstrators went at the OMON men.  Two demonstrators fell to the pavement, and the third ran back toward the main street.  These OMON men were apparently not lightweights.



But, numbers began to tell.  A third group of demonstrators assaulted the OMON men.  They put an OMON trooper down, and the other 2 retreated back to the Fountain Triangle.



Three unarmed demonstrators moved around the back of the OMON vehicle, and attacked the OMON commander.  He retreated back to the Fountain triangle as well, now wounded.  The demonstrators had cleared the checkpoint, but at some cost.  The armed demonstrators opened fire on the Soviet backup vehicle, taking out its driver.  The Soviet light patrol vehicle careened to a stop, hitting a utility pole and very nearly running over 3 unarmed demonstrators.  The surviving Soviets dismounted (2 troopers and their Sergeant), as did the 4 BFF fighters.  The 2 Soviet troopers opened fire at the 3 armed demonstrators by the phone booth, dropping all 3.  The BFF fighters opened up on the 4 armed demonstrators at the low wall, and put a bunch of holes in that wall.

By now, the Soviet leaders had recognized the demonstrators' leaders.  There just wasn't much they could do about it right then.

The civilians now began to rethink their choice to stand around and watch.  The Asian shopkeeper and Gambolan couple decided being in a building was the better part of valor and bagan backing away from the action, while the guy contemplating the dump truck driver scooted behind that truck.  The guy at his car got into it, and the parish priest went to the corner of his church hall, and decided to stay their and watch things unfold.



The 2 Soviet army troopers moved in front of their vehicle gunning down another unarmed demonstrator.  All bets were off now.  The OMON commander moved back toward his checkpoint, while the BFF men moved up to the low wall, trading shots with the armed demonstrators there.  Both groups had a man go down.  The unarmed demonstrators who had survived and run from the earlier confrontations at the checkpoint hung back, not having brought guns to a gunfight.



The 2 surviving OMON troopers had retreated back to the far side of the Fountain Triangle, to gather their wits and to unsoil their armor.  The Soviet Army sergeant was hollering for them to come back forward, while he himself got his shit back together.



The Asian shopkeeper and the Gambolan couple headed into their prospective buildings.  The guy in his car, having 3 unarmed demonstrators directly in front of him, kept his nerve, and began to drive away without simply running over those demonstrators.   



This matter was not yet concluded.  The Soviets wanted their checkpoint cleared, but the demonstrators were in no mood to have any of that.  Stay tuned to see whet happens in Part 2: The Dust Settles., coming soon to a device near you...

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Interesting.

What was the motivation for the unarmed civilians to stick around once the guns started firing?

[CapnJim]

Interesting.

What was the motivation for the unarmed civilians to stick around once the guns started firing?

As for the actual civilians, mostly because we forgot to move them for a few turns... ...once we remembered, they got the hell out of the way.  The priest stuck around, hiding at the corner of his parish hall, because he thought his services might be needed when it was over...

As for the unarmed protesters, that was up to Dave and Ted.  Let's just say that they were very aggressive with their guys, as they got VPs for occupying the checkpoint site at the end of each turn they did so (and there weren't any Soviets at it....). 

Part 2 should be up as early as tomorrow, I hope... 

[carlos marighela]

They also serve, those that only stand and wait.

Nice report.

[has.been]

Didn't bring guns to a gun fight...that's not the Chicago way. 
Another interesting fight. I look forward to part two.

[mikedemana]

Aaah, now it makes sense why those unarmed demonstrators were willing to mix it up with guys with guns. Ted? Gene? Aggressive?? Nah...  CapnJim definitely! Those guys, though... 

Mike Demana

[CapnJim]

They also serve, those that only stand and wait.

Nice report.

Good one, carlos!     And thanks.

Didn't bring guns to a gun fight...that's not the Chicago way. 
Another interesting fight. I look forward to part two.

Well, they ain't in Chicago...   And thanks to you too!

Aaah, now it makes sense why those unarmed demonstrators were willing to mix it up with guys with guns. Ted? Gene? Aggressive?? Nah...  CapnJim definitely! Those guys, though... 

Mike Demana

Keeps me on my toes, Mike...

And now, the final installment of this particular scrum.  But it is by no means the end of action in Balczakistan...

Part 2:  The Dust Settles. 

Men were dropping like birds flying into closed windows.  The last flickers of the Molotov cocktail were, well, flickering as the BFF chaps and the armed PBR men traded shots at that wall.  The unarmed demonstrators' leader (in the tan overcoat) was moving among their haphazardly parked cars, trying not to get shot.  The Soviets had been pushed out of their checkpoint, but the Army Sergeant was just about back in it.  A few unarmed demonstrators stayed back, a bit northwest of the main action, waiting for their chance to re-enter the fray.



The Molotov died out.  More men went down at the wall.  It was now one BFF guy against the armed PBR men's leader (the guy in the light blue jacket).  The unarmed demonstrators hanging back saw their chance.  Or thought they did.  As they moved along the sidewalk toward the checkpoint, 2 OMON men moved along the Fountain Triangle back toward the checkpoint, and fired.  Another unarmed demonstrator went down.  Bad timing...



The 2 OMON men didn't stay there long.  The came under fire from one of the armed PBR men, and retreated (again) back to the far side of the Fountain triangle.  The last BFF man retreated back there too, and the Soviet Army Sergeant backed away as well.  These "demonstrators" were some scrappy sonsabitches...



But there weren't a whole lot of them left.  The unarmed leader moved further back among their cars, while a guy with a submachine gun and the armed PBR leader worked to get an angle on the Army Sergeant, who had moved back forward again.  Speaking of getting angles, the lone BFF fighter and the 2 OMON men also moved to get better shots at the demonstrators.









It worked.  More demonstrators went down.  It was just the 2 leaders now.  And they moved among their cars, using cover as best they could.



The lone BFF fighter moved up behind the phone booth, while the 2 OMON men moved back forward, toward the checkpoint.  Too bad the Army Sergeant went scrambling back to the Fountain Triangle to sort himself out.



The 2 demonstrators' leaders mobbed (can 2 guys "mob"? the poor BFF fighter by the phone booth, taking him out of the fight.  Seeing an opening, one of the OMON men fired a CS canister in the leaders' direction.  It bounced and came up a bit short.

   





The Army Sergeant shouted encouragement from behind the OMON men, as he gathered his wits.



Between the vehicles and the CS gas, the 2 OMON had plenty of cover and concealment.  They moved toward the 2 demonstrator leaders...



...and that was that.  The 2 demonstrator leaders saw the writing on the wall (and the carnage around them), and fled the scene.  This fight was over.



This was a bloody day.  Of the 4 OMON men originally at the checkpoint, One man was killed, and their leader wounded.  Of the Soviet Army backup, all 4 were wounded (with their Sergeant still in the fight.  More or less.).  Of the 4 BFF backup, 2 were killed and 2 wounded.

The "demonstrators" fared worse.  Both leaders survived, but of the 12 unarmed PBR demonstrators, 4 were killed and the rest wounded.  Likewise, of the 6 armed PBR men, 1 was killed and 5 wounded.  Luckily, no actual civilians were injured during the fight.

The Soviets won on points (36-24).  But it was an expensive win, and the local priest had his work cut out for him after the firing died down.

It was reported that as the Soviets cleaned up the mess, some of the wounded PBR men were taken into custody and hauled off to the local detention center.  It was also surmised that they had a chance to have a lovely chat with members of the GRU and/or the KGB.

The information/propaganda campaigns went hard at it.  While the Soviet accounts bemoaned the vicious attacks on legitimate Soviet military and law enforcement activities and warned of appropriate and meaningful responses, the Balczaki accounts included accusations of Soviets mercilessly gunning down innocent Balczaki citizens, complaints of heavy-handed Soviet tactics and interruptions in daily Balczaki life, and threatening responses of their own.

Of course, 3rd party nations (publicly, anyway) urged cool heads to prevail and a peaceful resolution to the situation. 

Things have gotten tense in Balczakistan, and despite calls for peace are are not likely to settle down any time soon.  It appears the hostilities may only get worse...     

[Freddy]

The Trabant rocks If it hit those 3 folks, it also would be seriously damaged- being made of cardboard

[carlos marighela]

The Trabant rocks If it hit those 3 folks, it also would be seriously damaged- being made of cardboard

  It's arguably worse than that. Resin impregnated cotton waste (Duroplast) for the body work. Not the original by a long chalk but one of the more enduring plastic cars. At least with a Trabi you don't have to worry about a mobility kill.

Favourite East German joke is one about the Trabi (no doubt replicated for other car types in Hungary, Poland the USSR etc.)

A couple have saved for years and order a Trabant. They are informed that they will go on a list and that their car will be ready for collection in ten years time .

'Is that a Tuesday by any chance asks the husband?'

'Why?' asks the official

'Because we have a plumber coming in on that day',

[Freddy]

It's arguably worse than that. Resin impregnated cotton waste (Duroplast) for the body work. Not the original by a long chalk but one of the more enduring plastic cars. At least with a Trabi you don't have to worry about a mobility kill.

Favourite East German joke is one about the Trabi (no doubt replicated for other car types in Hungary, Poland the USSR etc.)

A couple have saved for years and order a Trabant. They are informed that they will go on a list and that their car will be ready for collection in ten years time .

'Is that a Tuesday by any chance asks the husband?'

'Why?' asks the official

'Because we have a plumber coming in on that day',

(I was more of a Lada guy, my family had two, also my first car was a beautiful Lada 1200). In Hungarian folklore Trabant is more of the loveable car, the shitty car was the Dacia 1300.  ,Life is like a Dacia, if one door closes, another one opens"
Here the Trabant song everyone knows in Hungary, the refrain roughly tranlated is ,,Flying on a trabant is a pleasure, flying faster than the imagination, flying on a Trabant is an awe, in the backside the puff comes out"

[has.been]

Another interesting game report.
I'm not at all surprised there are different versions of what 'really' happened. 

[carlos marighela]

I'm not surprised about the Dacia. My aunt had a Renault 12, the basis of the Dacia and it was a complete piece of shit. The gear box shat itself quite dramatically one day and it died an ignoble but inevitable death.

Gotta have some love for the Trabi Kubel, so beloved of the Grenzschutzen and Volkspolizei. Carrying on that fine German tradition of an underpowered jeep without four wheel drive.

I'm enjoying the ambiguity of the scenarios and their outcomes along with the competing views taken by the protagonists.

[Freddy]

I'm not surprised about the Dacia. My aunt had a Renault 12, the basis of the Dacia and it was a complete piece of shit. The gear box shat itself quite dramatically one day and it died an ignoble but inevitable death.

And it is just the construction, Dacia factory was not famous about the quality control either. It was the marketing mistake of the century to introduce the new Dacias (Logan, etc) as Dacia in Hungary. In Russia they run as Renaults- they'd sell 3 times the amount if they sold them as anything but Dacia in Hungary too.

Gotta have some love for the Trabi Kubel, so beloved of the Grenzschutzen and Volkspolizei. Carrying on that fine German tradition of an underpowered jeep without four wheel drive.

We used Ladas, and one of my buddies a Trabant as hunting cars back before the 4wd pickup era- far from ideal, but it worked. Three factors we often overlook from todays perpective:
-old cars had much better ground clearance as in today, operating on dirt roads with deep wheel tracks was a normal use case thus a real design concern
-VW and Trabant Kübels especially were really light, only a few hundred kgs, and weight is a big factor in mobility
-they were based on widespread passenger cars, so maintaining them and getting spare parts was really easy

[cuprum]

I can't say anything about the Trabant and Dacia, but almost any Russian car was originally created for conditions in which you could personally repair this car alone, in conditions when the nearest populated area is a hundred kilometers away from you.