Firestorm: Red Thunder

Stavka has ordered a strike on Frankfurt and the unit moved into position to obey.

Stretched thin since the area was held by the British units of the BAOR and resistance was steadfast in all sectors. What intelligence said was the hardest unit to break in the push westward.

The Battalion reached the outskirts of Frankfurt with the New T-64 tanks just issued to the battalion, initially shown to commanders to have a revolutionary Missile fired from the same FCS. But alas, once it got to the battalion, it was made clear that such ammunition was expensive and only given to more elite units. Alexei would have to be content that he still had a BMP-2 company and not a BTR company as many commanders had been forced to surrender the premiere units to the northern push.

Battle:
British BAOR, 3 Formations - armoured Recce, gordons highlanders, irish guards
VS
Soviet T-64 Tank Battalion
Mission Strategic withdrawal

Battle Summary

The battle started with all manner of long ranged weaponry firing down range at the Birtish positions. The Acasias with the brand new krasanpol projectiles slammed into the enemy AA Rapier position and destroyed one and put another OOA temporarily.

Shilkas moved forward to mow the front lines of the British troops in heavy pinning fire. Gaskins stayed back as it was clear by now that British Harriers were always kept near to an AOO for close air support. While not as sturdy as the A-10s of the US, Alexei knew that with 2 full platoon of Gaskins, support against the Harriers was still a close run thing.

British return fire for the turn decimated the front ranks of shilkas, killing 2 and bailing 1. The Hesh rounds used by the British Recce have the same kill rate of an MBT (FP 2+). Something that Alexei will note for future engagements.

Abbots from accross the board then fired a counter artillery barrage on the Acasias but failed to do lasting damage.

T-64s reported fire from the ATGM teams that the british were so fond of but reported no casualties. As per russian doctrine, the T-64s moved forward. Alexei has yet to find a situation where "Official" doctrine prescribed another direction for tanks besides forward. Within minutes, it became clear that 2 tanks were confirmed KIA or K-Kill.

British soldiers on the flank not being pressured had mounted up in their helicopters and dropped on the far flank of the Attacking Staging Area or deployment zone.

Alexei saw this as a distraction as the objective was straight ahead. Not ceasing in forward momentum, all armoured recce that had previously destroyed the shilkas and light vehicles, were now smouldering wrecks as the BMP2s moved in for close fighting which negated their covered positions.

British abbot fire stopped soon after as they were called off the board in this rearguard action they were conducting. The lack of Artillery support and developing battlefield conditions (we played Dusk) led Alexei to order a full infantry charge. Alexei had noted that from pass reports of contact, the British was the one force of NATO to not arm their infantry with Thermal imaging in the way the WG and US forces had. A general charge threw the British forces back, after constant pounding of the Acasias Krasnapol projectiles, the units hadno Carl Gustavs and only GPMGs. Just as the soviet infantry advanced, the T-64s after their vicious fighting with the Milans teams charged into their weakened flanks and forced them back further.

At this point, the commander of the British force ordered a tactical retreat, retiring from the field and leaving the road to Frankfurt open.