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Firestorm: Red Thunder

The Team Yankee Global Campaign

Running the Frankfurt Gauntlet

100 POINTS
Warsaw Pact
CrazyIvan17
VS United States
Matt

Following the breakthrough south of Hanover, Major Vorishnov received orders to lead a bold and swift attack toward the Main River bridges before NATO could assemble forces to stop the Soviet breakthrough. Giving out his orders, Vorishnov saw American forces assembling to his north, and he steeled himself as he readied his command to run the gauntlet.

The Americans began moving forward, charging forward towards his forces. It seemed the Yankee commander wanted to hit him and try and force him to engage on the east side of the river while other forces moved to secure the west bank.

Almost as soon as Vorishnov re-mounted his command tank, the American's damned Devil's Cross came out of nowhere and struck his formation like a thunderbolt. By chance or planning, they had hit his Air Defense units, but not without loss he noted, as an A-10 crashed into the woods.

The Devil's Cross strikes

Despite the losses from the airstrike and hidden Yankee attack helicopters, Vorishnov would not be deterred. If he could get a force across the river and force these Americans back, the Soviets would have a crossing over one the major natural obstacles in West Germany. No losses would be too high for that chance!

The 10th Guards advance on the Rhine

But at the same time, the Yankees in the village must be dealt with, to at least delay them while he got forces across. Without hesitation, he ordered 2 companies of tanks into the village to engage the Americans at point-blank range and keep them occupied while the pushed on.

The heroic sacrifice advances
The Soviet tank commanders seek to defeat the vaunted Yankee tanks just as their fathers defeated the Tigers of old!

As tank engaged tank in the close quarters of the village, the American commander saw the Soviets crossing the southern bridge, as well as BMPs preparing to swim the river. Watching as artillery began raining on the spearheaded of his advance and with the American air attacks continuing, Vorishnov saw American forces moving to occupy the hills on the western bank. It seemed he would be in for a fight on both sides of the river after all.

The US FIST observers the Soviets charge over the south bridge.
Vorishnov's forces prepare to force the crossing.

By now, the tank duel had come to its bloody conclusion, with both side wiping each other out and the survivors fleeing the carnage. Noticing a slackening in both the Yankee air attacks as well as the fire in his own air defense units, Vorishnov saw his chance and ordered every available unit to advance across the southern bridge and hit the Americans on the west side.

The valiant charge begins.
Vorishnov's T-64s push for the bridge.

Through artillery, AT missiles, and small arms fire, Vorishnov's tanks pushed forward passed the burning wrecks of their comrades. Despite the losses in his flanking forces and supporting air defense units, Vorishnov had succeeded in getting a sizable force across the Main! Now all that remind was kicking the Yankees off the high ground and securing the bridghead.

The Soviets are across the Rhine!

Closing the gap, Vorishnov ordered his forces to crush the Yankees with gun and tread. Despite a last ditch attempt to hold, the American infantry simply lacked the firepower and motivation to halt the armored charge. While some were captured, the rest escaped, no doubt to link up with more forces nearby.

The final charge.

With the southern bridge span now fully under his control and the American forces withdrawing back to the north, Vorishnov could take stock of his losses and his achievement. While casualties were high, a crossing of the Main River had been achieved, and Vorishnov began digging his forces in for the inevitable NATO counter-attack.

Army Lists Used In This Battle

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Warsaw Pact
CrazyIvan17
Wins

16 Comments

  • Gramps says:

    Really cool battle report. I llike the use of the river.

  • CrazyIvan17 says:

    Thanks Comrade Baron! It just made sense for our first outing with the Frankfurt Gauntlet to be a blitz for the bridges type battle. I’m interested to see how this battle would change now that US Recon has been added in.

  • Baron says:

    Amazingly good looking scenic table and the photos are very good 🙂
    Congrats on the win!

  • CrazyIvan17 says:

    Added the army lists, took longer than I thought to find them. I hate prepping for a move,

  • Don Lunardi says:

    Great table and paintjobs on both Americans and Soviets. Most of all, congrats on the win Comrade!

  • fingolfen says:

    Holy crow! Talk about an amazing table and battle report! Great job on the win!

    Only thing it would be nice to see is the army lists – but other than that I wouldn’t change a thing on your reports… stellar job!

  • LordAerynn says:

    Great work!

  • Nabeshin says:

    Really liked the look of that table, report and pictures were engaging. Good work!

  • Oberst Waffen says:

    Awesome table!

  • CrazyIvan17 says:

    Yeah, I think I’ll have to help out in the push through Hanover on my next report, if my opponent agress.

  • netbuster21 says:

    Hannover is still in hands of the Nato. Hopefully you receive some supply from Fulda gap. May it as it be, nice table and beautiful models.

  • AlohaRover says:

    Was the water much of an obstacle? I see one bogged. Was that it?
    I havent done any large water obstacles yet.

    BTW love the BMPs. Any chance you posted somewhere how you painted them?

  • K. Meyer says:

    Blow the Bridge!

  • CrazyIvan17 says:

    Thanks guys. The ability to spearhead closer to the objective really helped me out, though my opponents A-10s wreaked havoc for a couple turns before I shot a couple down and then they went AWOL. My opponent also could not pass a motivation test to save his life, and that allowed me to advance as fast as I did. Overall, a great game with a great opponent.

  • AlohaRover says:

    Great report.

  • Oberst Hunts says:

    Great table and units. I really like your report with some really good pictures. Damn those ruskies. 🙂