The country of Slavonia lies on the eastern fringes of Europa. Despite being neutral it has enjoyed a relationship with both the Communist Peoples Union (CPU) to its east and the various members of the Free World Alliance (FWA) who lie to the west in Europa.
However, last year the long reigning Slavonian Dictator, Marshall Otit, passed away from old age. In the subsequent power vacumn a civil war developed. The two sides quickly sought assistance from outside the nations borders. While one looked east for support the other turned to the FWA. Both the CPU and the FWA began supplying weapons and when the FWA supported side began to gain the upper hand, the CPU reacted by conducting air attacks on behalf of its Slavonian allies. This then led to the FWA trying to enforce a 'no-fly' zone over Slavonia. This inevitably led to the CPU and FWA aircraft engaging each other and this local Civil War began to escalate.
Within a few days, CPU troops crossed the borders and began to fight on behalf of their Slavonian allies, pushing the FWA supported troops back. Within hours the FWA responded by deploying several rapid response light divisions to the area. Within days they engaged each other in a confused melee near the capital of Ovejaras. The results were inconclusive and neither side gained an upper hand.
The main result was that both sides escalated their commitments even further. Both now bolster the light rapid deployment forces with armoured and mechanised troops and the war began to take a turn for the worse. The Slavonian people now found themselves stuck, not in the middle of a civil war but now in a war between the worlds two superpowers.
Tonights game will re-fight the initial clash near Ovejaras where the CPU and FWA forces first met. It is also the first game in a series of linked scenarios that I have been working on that centre around the struggle for a fictional European continent.
Encounter at Ovejaras - 12th July 1998, Slavonia, Eastern EuropaThe 12th July was a warm summers day in the eastern europanian country of Slavonia. Sadly the country had been in the grip of a civil war since the previous February, and since June, an air-war had waged above the country as the Communist Peoples Union (CPU) sparred with the Free World Alliance (FWA) supposedly in support of their favoured factions in the civil war. By the end of June it became apparent that both sides were intent on escalating the conflict and the 'Cold War' that had existed for over fifty years since the fall of Greater Germania during The Second Great War.
As June turned to July, both sides had inflicted and sustained losses to their air forces in the area. Both sides had kept the conflict confined to Slavonia, but all along the borders of the CPU and the FWA, forces mobilised and massed. It was on the 6th July that the CPU committed its first ground troops to the Slavonian conflict. As troops crossed into Slavonia, the CPU representative at the Unified League of Nations annouced that CPU troops would now fight on behalf of their Slavonian allies in order to 'stabilise' the situation in the country. The announcement met with uproar across the globe. The president of the United States of Ameristar (USA), Calvin Harding, spoke that evening and said of the CPU's actions that it was "nothing more than a veiled invasion, fashioned as support for an ally, when in truth it was the actions of an aggresive nation, intent on territorial control of the region, war with the FWA states and war on a far greater scale". Harding also confirmed that FWA forces were enroute to the region and he pledged further USA troops to bolster those already nearby.
By the 10th July, the first FWA forces crossed into the western provinces of Slavonia and met with their allies from the Slavonian National Army (SNA). The following day a joint NWA-SNA advance took place towards the captial of Ovejaras. At the same time CPU forces brushed aside elements of the SNA and drove towards the capital. On the 12th July, NWA/SNA forces crashed headlong into the advancing elements of the CPU's 3rd Guards Army.
The game we re-fought was a representation of the actions to the south of the capital, where elements of CPU's 3rd Guards Army, mainly from its 11th Brigade, ran into the lead units of the NWA Rapid Reaction Brigade and attached SNA forces. While the battle raged all around Ovejaras in a confused melee with neither side knowing what to expect, a large air battle took place. Despite the ferocity of the initial engagements, the war was still a limited one with only 'light' forces deployed. The events of the day would force the CPU to commit more troops in order to save face after the losses inflicted upon them. Our action re-fights the action of NWA 'Battle Group Crossbow' on the southern flank, as it struck the lead elements of the CPU's 11th Brigade.
The Tabletop
The board represents the rural area around the capital and the industrial suburb of Molkina. Both sides objectives were to secure the road junction and Molkina.
The first forces to arrive in the area was the CPU 12th Heavy Recce Company. This unit consisted of two PT-76 tanks and two BMP-2s with infantry represent the force. It deployed on the road heading into town, its orders to proceed with all speed into Molkina.
Following the Recce was a battalion of CPU Motorised Infantry who had dismounted and advanced on foot, supported by a company of T-80 battle tanks. These units deployed in the centre of the CPU line, their orders to engage enemy forces.
The first units of BG-Crossbow to deployed were a USA Mechanised Infantry Battalion supported by an M1 Abrams tank platoon and an SNA Infantry Battalion with a company of M48s in support. Both approached from opposite ends of their start line with the SNA forces deploying to take Molkina, and the USA troops heading for the road junction.
Finally for the CPU a further Motorised Infantry Battalion in BTR-80s deployed with a T-55 tank company in support on the CPU far left flank. They were tasked to secure the farm complex located at the road junction.
Both sides spent the first few moments of the battle advancing, neither side wanting to present a target to give the enemy an advantage...
SNA M48 '213' stalks the ruined streets of Molkina - The NWA forces were impressed with the way SNA tank crews utilised these old machines and they consistently out-performed their CPU adversaries over the first day of the war.
The USA Mechanised Infantry head down the road... With the Abrams platoon way out infront leading the charge...
As the Recce company find a back route into Molkina, the Motorised infantry debuss into the farm complex...
T-55s take cover while the SNA M48 opens fire on the BTR-80s... Destroying one with its first shot.After a few moments, the battle began to take on a more aggresive tone, with both sides committing to try and defeat the other. CPU forces entered the town to face the SNA and the USA forces went toe-to-toe with the CPU and their supporting armour.
Recce tanks enter an industrial area of Molkina... Both would soon come under enemy fire...
Recce infantry debuss from their BMPs and move into the ruins...
While the Soviet Command look on worried already, the NWA commanders prepare their counter-attack...
The T-55 company tries to out-flank the entire NWA force in a bold move... While an SNA M48 moves to engage and destroy a PT-76 in Molkina.Things began to hot up after the first few manouerves. The T-55s appeared behind the NWA lines to be confronted by a lone SNA M48 guarding the rear of the USA forces. In the centre CPU troops in the farm complex fired volley after volley of RPGs at the USA vehicles, eventually knocking-out a Bradley while the M1 Abrams began to pick off the T-80s one by one as their rounds either missed or failed to penetrate the USA armour.
The T-55s swing round the ruined manor house to meet a VERY stubborn Slavonian M48...
Comrade Flyer115 begins to wonder if his men stand a chance against the USA firepower...
CPU infantry push towards Molkina...
The lone M48 in Molkina survives a barrage of tank fire and ATGWs... with the firepower of the SNA infantry they force the CPU recce to retreat from Molkina...
As fighting rages in Molkina, USA troops prepare their attack, engaging CPU infantry with cannon fire while the Abrams platoon continues to decimate the T-80 company...
The last T-80 prepares to fire at the Abrams... Without success!By this stage of the battle things began to look grim for the CPU. Most of their tanks had been knocked-out, including two-thirds of the T-55 company who got a bloody nose from the SNA M48. In the centre CPU losses began to mount and they seemed unable to concentrate any fire against NWA forces to cause any real loss. As things began to look bleak, CPU reinforcements arrived in the shape of an Airborne battelion who dropped by parachute and a company of T-72s...
USA infantry enter the outskirts of Molkina to clear out the remaining CPU infantry and bring fire to bear on the vital road junction...
CPU forces make one last chance to push into Molkina as the airborne troops land but NWA reinforcements arrive in the shape of United Anglian Kingdom (UAK) Special Forces who rapel from their helos into the heart of Molkina, occupying vital streets and rooftops...
CPU T-72s make a wary advance, mindful of the many burning CPU tanks littering the battlefield... This tank company would soon withdraw from the battlefield rather than suffer further loss.
The CPU airdrop scatters widely, unable to mass they are cut to ribbons by accurate NWA/SNA fire without doing anything and USA infantry gain command of one section of the road junction, the other still remains in CPU hands due to their troops still holding out in the farm complex...
Captain 'Killer' Kane's M1 Abrams platoon advance towards CPU lines. His platoon would be credited with knocking out over 20 CPU armoured vehicles during the course of the day...
In the last throes, CPU troops at the farm complex surrender after taking heavy losses and running out of ammo... While UAK commandos see off the last ditch attack by the remains of the CPU Recce company...
And there the battle drew to a close as the remaining CPU forces withdrew to the east, leaving Battle Group Crossbow in command of Molkina and the road junction. CPu losses were described by NWA Intel to be 'High to Severe' while the NWA reported only light losses and the SNA only faired slightly worse.
On the first day of the ground war, NWA forces had dealt the CPU a vicious blow, crippling 11th Brigade and forcing the whole of 3rd Guards Army to withdraw. This debacle would force the CPU to commit further troops and the NWA counter-offensive, Operation Summer Sweep, would face heavier opposition than expected and result in one of the largest tank battles since the end of the Second Great War. This action will be covered in part in the next instalment of the campaign.
I would just like to thank the lads for a great game... Was good fun, but I have to say I have never seen two men roll such poor dice for an evening! Skip and Flyer in command of the CPU forces never managed to roll higher than a '4' unless for a terrain test and although the other side werent much better, they just couldnt do anything. The nail in the coffin was the mis-drop of the paras and the invincible Abrams that just ate the opposition...
Great game and Im looking forward to continuing the campaign.
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April 26, 2024, 10:54:53 PM
June 04, 2008, 07:37:02 PM