Firestorm: Red Thunder

20 August 1985 1000 hrs local

Situation: Our scouts report German Armor with Infantry conducting bridging operations with the intent of crossing the Lippe. They are unidentified at this time. This is part of a hastily conducted offensive designed to stall our advance in the hopes that the American offensive in the south will succeed and draw our reserves.

Mission: The mission of your tank battalion is to move south west from Heessen and engage these Germans, eliminate their bridgehead and if possible cross the Lippe and enter Hamm.

Durchenko stares at his map. Germans!!!! They just don't give up!!! This is not going to be easy-the plan is to storm the high ground with his 2 tank companies while the BMPs and BTRs will take advantage of the lower flatter areas and move quickly to the wooded area and cover the tanks as we get ready to enter the outskirts of Hamm. This war is going on far too long. The McPizza King burgers and Yoohoo have long since run out-some kind of bean soup?? and black bread has been our fare for the last 2 days. We must end this before it ends us. Already they have replaced one of out T-72 tank battalions with a Czech T-55M tank battalion. " Enough of this" he thinks to himself-time to end this war.

Turn 1:

The Russians attack. Move first. They roll a 3-no reserves. They move the 2 tank companies forward-no contact.

Germans move a tank company to the top of the wooded hill (again) the other company is goint to move around to their right, but roll a 1 and fail their blitzmove test.. The Co moves with the 1st company-they roll a 2,2,2,and 3 but don't bog down (amazing)as they cross on a 2+. The 1st company has 6 shots resulting in 3 KIAs and a bail on my T-72s. Not a good start for Durchenko.

Turn 2:
Hey- I roll 2 5's-( that's never happened before) and the BMP-1 company and the BTR company both arrive from reserve, on my left flank. BMPs leading BTRs following. The tank remounts and we move up to contact. Both Sorren and I agreed that we would count the German tanks as concealed. (I was really stupid-but its his first game so....) We get 7 shots and roll.....1,1,2,4,4,4,4, sweet.

The Germans roll 2 dice a 2 and a 3-still no reserves. The get another 8 shots and get 3 more KIAs and 3 bails. They roll a 2 for their shoot and scoot-the CO is 7 inches away-the CO is successful on his roll, He falls back, but the platoon stays put. The other platoon had moved up to cover their withdraw.

Turn 3: 1 Russian tank does not remount (coward!!!!) The 1st company moves through the trees!!! one boggs down (incompetent!!!) The other 2 fire shot. 1 Leo2 is KIA. The other tank company moves aroud the hill also firing-and another Leo 2 is KIA (that would not have happened if they had passed their shoot and scoot test) the BMP's have reached the farm area and KIA a marder.

The German rolls a 4, 4, 1 for his reserves so no. The remaining leo2 from the platoon fails his morale test and flees. The CO makes his blitz move and he and the remaining tank platoon withdraw to cover the flank of the infantry. A Milan team bails a BMP.

Turn 4:
The Russian BMP and T-72 remount. And the T-72 immediately boggs down (note: shoot that entire tank crew) The T-72s on the hill fire as well as the tank company going around the hill-many hits only 1 kill...very tough tanks. every BMP fires MGs on the Milan team-21 shots......nothing the team is fine.

The Germans roll a 6, 3, 1, and 5. The M109s and the Jag1s arrive. The Leo2s fire and KIA 3 more T-72s. Sorren asks about firing a smoke bombardment and does and covers the withdrawl of the marders-oopss he forgot to mount one of his Milan teams-

Turn 5
The BMPs make a dash to close within 7 inches of the infantry in the woods-Milan minimum is 8. One boggs down. The Russian tankers-fire and this time KIA the last 2 Leo2s from the platoon and bail the CO.

The Germans are having a hard time-2 HOT missile shots-roll a 1 and a 2.. Karl and his Milan( he was forgotten by his marder) fire t a T-72 and roll a 1. 3 panzerfaust 44 shots fail to hit. Artillery fire hits but is ineffective.

Turn 6:
With the enemy armor gone, Durchenko can breathe a little easier. The BMPs fire their mgs at the infantry-0 kills, the tanks move up. The assault starts-The marders shoot-1 hit, the pzrfaust fire 2 hits and 1 BMP is KIA, 2 are bailed, 1 boggs down. the German infantry gets overrun.

The germans still have 2 marders, and 2 Milan teams-they roll a 6 so morale is good. the German CO is determined to take out at least 1 Soviet formation, so he moves ad fires at the 3 tank _T-72 company. ( he hopes they break morale) He KIAs 1 and bails 1. Karl fires his Milan and KIAs another T-72. The Russian does pass his morale and holds his objective by the end of turn 6 so the German withdraws.

That was a good game. Sorren, for his first fight did great. A few better dice rolls, and I would have lost. It's tough on a big board-especially for the German. Everything is so expensive. One more tank company and he could have really caused trouble. We ran a simpler version of the no retreat-no dawn or deep reserves rule. My hats off to the Germans-their tanks are top notch and I think the best in the game-except for the cost.