Firestorm: Red Thunder

9 August 1985, 1420hrs local. Day 5 of WW3

Situation: The western allies are buying time and trying to establish blocking points while awaiting French and US reinforcements. We can no longer afford to try and find weak spots in their ever weakening lines. The time has come for us to apply a strong punch and break through in this sector. We have secured hill 913 and now it's time to break through their lines at Markersreuth.

Mission: 9th tank bn will attack the enemy positions no later than 1600hrs 9 August. You will need to punch through their positions and keep up the pursuit and not allow them any time to reconsolidate and reform another position.

Durchenko heard this, knew it was coming. His recon company had secured the hill and now with 30 tanks, he would lead the assault that he hoped would carry them through this sector. He had a company of good reliable T-72's, a Czech company of T-72Ms and a company of T-55Ms. He was a little concerned, the Czechs-eager and mostly reliable were lacking in the skills he had seen in his old Russian tank crews. In addition, western aircraft had been seen in the skies in ever increasing numbers....in spite of what the colonel of aviation had said in the briefing.

Pavel Durchenko was sitting in the turret of his command T-72 when his friend and unit political officer climbed up-wished him good luck. He handed him the a Yoohoo. He had had this drink when the two of them had "liberated" a case of it back in Hagensdorf. Pavel had no idea what high fructose corn syrup was, but he was sure it was highly valued in the west. It was still cool too..........Pavel knew that Seymon-the political officer was about as communist as the drink he had just finished, but Seymon knew how to play the game.
The radio cracked to life as the division general ordered the attack to begin

How it all went down:

Turn 1 begins with the scouts calling a massive 3 regiment barrage on a group of tanks and infantry in the outlying petrol station and garages. An M1, and a dragon team are destroyed and a garage is set afire as well. We also manage to knock out another M1 with our tank fire. The US manages to knock out 2 T-55s and take out 2 scout BMPs with ATGMs.

Turn 2
We begin moving forward-the Czech forces take the enemy left and the Russian T-72s the right. We take out another M1. The US tank platoon passes its morale and we lose 3 T-72s, and 4 T-55s to tank firs and copperhead rounds

Turn 3
The T-72Ms take out the M1 company XOs tank-sorry Uleski-and we keep pressing forward. We kill another dragon team and bail out an M901. Also we set the McPizza King Ranch on fire-nooooooo!!! The remain M1 tank, seeing the XO killed flees!!! The mech infantry, a dismounted team and the fist flee the petrol station/garage area.

Turn 4
We destroy the bailed ITV, we eliminate the fleeing dismounted infantry team and our bombardment falls short. We manage to miss all of our tank shots and it's beginning to look bad-very bad. Durchenko sees his Russian T-72 company bogged down by a minefield. The US takes out 3 T-72Ms 1 with a dragon, 1 with a Hot missile from the west german Jag1s.

Turn 5
Durchnko rushes forward and clears a part of the minefield, lots and lots of shooty, but we only manage to bail 3 m1 tanks. 2 T-72s go up, Durchenko is wounded-again-but rools his save and cimbs aboard another tank-only to see that one go up-but again he rolls safely and manages to survive...for now.

Turn 6
Durchenko rushes through the minefield with 3 remaining T-72s, The 3 Czech T-55ms fail their courage test and will not challenge the minefield---COWARDS!!!!-yells Durchenko. On the Russian Left flank, the 6 remaining T-72Ms move forward all told we take out 3 M1s and a Jag1. At this point in the game, the NATO player decides to fall back and has lost 3 units already-2 M1 platoons and an M901 platoon-he falls back further west-Durchenko with his orders, quickly gathers his tankers and pursues them.