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Firestorm: Red Thunder

The Team Yankee Global Campaign

Kicking in the Door at Asendorf

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Warsaw Pact
Anton Nikolayevich Sokolov
VS West German
Elthrai

Nienburg Bridgehead

To: 3rd Combined Arms Army HQ
From: Colonel Sokolov, 63rd Guards Tank Regiment

As per instructions from command I have joined up with divisional reinforcements and swung my tank column north to join up with the breakthrough in Bremen. My advance guard under Major Yegorov relieved the VDV forces inserted in the town of Nienburg and were co-opted by Major Kuznetsov of the 104th Guards Airborne Division. Maj Kuznetsov's scouts had detected enemy activity to the north at the town of Asendorf. As this was on my axis of advance I authorized Yegorov to lend the VDV forces his aid and clear the route ahead of the regiment. They encountered a counterattack lead by elements of the West German 1st Panzer Div and soundly defeated them. I have enclosed Major Kuznetsov's report. Captain Popov, the commander of Yegorov's detached force, confirmed the details of the report.

Soviet Forces (Force lists on side)

Battle Deployments

Initially my plan was to deploy the 2nd Air Assault Company(Captain Petrov) in the Hinds and make a surprise landing near my OBJ. Combined with 1st Air Assault Company, the Motor Rifles, and Scouts using spearhead to make a mass infantry assault and seize the OBJ before the enemy could get organized. The Germans seemed to expect this and positioned their tanks and scouts to counter such an operation. So I had the men deploy before the battle proper and march in on foot. The two pronged assault would prove decisive.

As you can see from the aerial photograph the enemy positioned AA to cover the middle of their lines behind a small berm. Their dismounted infantry and Marder IFVs formed a line on their own objective.

Initial Moves

Infantry Advance! Left Flank
Hind Assault! Right flank

Our artillery began a rain of shells on the infantry in the woodland, but the Germans were well concealed and though we had them cringing in their foxholes not one died. The T-64s moved up and fired on the enemy AA, but the berm protected them from fire. The infantry advanced and fired a few shots from the PKMs, again without effect.

On the left I personally lead a rapid advance, my men running around the woods and gathering up in preparation for securing OBJ IVAN. The scouts and Motor Rifles advanced full speed to a better position. My Hind gunships moved in to engage the enemy tanks. Three fell to intense enemy fire, but the remainder let fly with their ATGMs. One enemy tank was destroyed and another bailed out, the German commander managed to keep his men steady.

The German reply! Left Flank
The German reply! Right Flank

The German's return fire saw a few of our men die on the left flank, but the intense fire forced them to the ground. Their ATGMs also managed to spook the tankers, two of which hopped out of their T-64s.

On the right the German tankers remounted and advanced. Their scouts and two Leopards nearly wiped out the BMP-2s and a great many of our infantry inside. The survivors all bailed out, save two men with RPG-7s who seemed to be unaware of the fire.

The Fighting Intensifies

Hinds FORWARD! Right Flank
Petrov's men press their attack! Left Flank

Petrov rallied his men and they advanced a little closer to add more fire but allow the battery to continue its fire. The artillery once forced the Germans into the dirt, and managed to kill an enemy infantry team. Petrov's men added their own fire to no added effect. The T-64s crews found their courage and remounted, the fire from the company managed to kill one Gepard.

On the right I continued my advance and the scouts opened fire, killing one Luchs. The Hinds survived the enemy fire, losing one helicopter but his lone comrade remained in combat. Their fire managed to kill the last two tanks. Including, critically, the company commander.

The German Milans find their mark! Left Flank
The Luchs kills another BMP. Right Flank

The German ATGM teams managed to kill one of our T-64s and bail out a second. Their infantry and Marders forced Petrov's men back down with a hail of fire, but remarkable the bulk of his men survived.

Petrov's Assault! The End

Petrov's Assault! (Models were put back at my request for picture, places are not exact)
The Hind's Revenge

The artillery shifted their fires back, suppressing the enemy AA teams. Petrov's men let fly with their guns and dove into combat. They lost a man on the way in but the enemy were not able to suppress the assault. Petrov's men overran the German infantry, save a 2 man ATGM team that quickly surrendered the position. With the enemy shoulder AA weapons now out of action, the remaining Hinds took vengeance on the Gepards.

This seems to have broken the enemy's morale and the remainder fled back toward Bremen.

Final Thoughts

With the way clear I am forming a Regimental Column and conducting a Meeting Engagement movement toward Bremen. Thanks to Major Kuznetov's quick action my force should arrive a head of schedule.
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We played the Bremen Counterattack Mission

Looking at the pictures deployment seems to have gotten all confused, and its been awhile since I used spearhead(so hopefully it was done right, models with in 8 inches after a full move of the scouts)

I rolled....really hot this game. My opponent was shaking his head after the Hinds just survived attack after attack.

In general the plan went mainly as I had hoped, my right flank was sluggish and did very little (aside from the Hinds)

My opponent also had some terrible reserve rolls, they failed to get any units in. The arrival of their second Leo-2 Zug would have decimated my right. I probably could have recovered with the Hinds moving to let fly while the T-64s moved in to assist. I feel the infantry and ZSUs could handle the Marders.

The game ended on my Turn 3, my opponent had no units left in Good Spirits and his CO was dead.

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Warsaw Pact
Anton Nikolayevich Sokolov
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