Firestorm: Red Thunder

The Royal Dragoon Guards moved to their start line behind the screen from the Queen's Royal Lancers. Taking advantage of the Spearhead. Elements of the 1st Battalion Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment deploy in the hedges near the manor on the hill.

The lead elements of the 94th Guards Motor Rifle Division dashed to the objective, only to halt short. The Lancers moved up to the hedgerows while another troop of the Royal Dragoon Guards arrived on the flank. The first fire wiped out the lead company (6 KIA).

Meanwhile the Lancs hunkered down in the tree lines, issuing some ineffective fire from the Carl Gustavs while the BMPs move forward and raked their position with machine gun fire.

Soviet strike aircraft arrived, sweeping over the results of the fire from the Abbots (2 BMP KIA, along with an RPG team). The salvo of bomblets was ineffective, as was the return fire from the FV432s machine guns. The 2nd Tank company advances behind their comrades.

1 and 3 troop move forward to bring the 2nd company under fire, leaving 2 runners.

Soviet air returned and used missiles on 2 troop, bailing one tank (the 3 troop tank at the bottom bailed due to tank fire).

The BMP company de-bused to and moved to assault the Lancs. The assault was thrown back with severe losses (second photo) by massed machine gun fire from the FV432s and GPMG teams. 9 hits, 4 failed saves.

Directed fire from 3 troops of the Royal Dragoon Guards put paid to the advance of the 94th Guards MRD. The last 2 runners knocked out after they caused 33 to bail out.

Facing a Squadron of tanks and fresh, dug in Infantry the Soviet commander called off the attack, The Infantry scurried back to their BMPs and dashed off the field leaving 3 burning BMPs and 12 T-72s.

Tactically the Soviet really did nothing wrong, his dice failed him. When he hit, the vehicle saved or bailed out. When he was hit he failed to save. We made a quick review to make sure he was not using 3-sided dice.

This battle re-enforced that the side that fires first usually wins. Attempting to close rapidly on the objective he gave up the first shots and paid dearly for it.