Firestorm: Red Thunder

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MISSION FRANKFURT GAUNTLET
75 POINTS
DUSK RULES
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WARSAW PACT PLAN

Use main force, infantry and two 3x T-72 Companies to attack and capture the objectives.

Send the BMP-2 supported by one 3x T-72 Coy against the US flank hoping to get at the rear of the attack or disrupt the US artillery.

WARSAW PACT FORCES
TANK BATTALION

HQ
T-72

FORMATION UNITS
3x T-72
3x T-72
3x T-72
Medium BMP-2 Motor Rifle Coy
9x BMP-2
2x BMP-2 Recon
2x SA-13 Gopher

SUPPORT UNITS
4x Mi-24 Hind

NATO FORCES
M113 MECH COMBAT TEAM

HQ
M113 Combat Team

FORMATION UNITS
Full M113 Platoon
Full M113 Platoon
3x M1 Abrams
2x M901 ITV
2x M901 ITV
2x M901 ITV

SUPPORT UNITS
6x M109 Artillery Battery
-Laser Guided Projectiles
Fire Support Team
4x M163 VADS Vulcan

INITIAL MOVES
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NATO moved to contest the objectives with their infantry supported by the M901 ITV platoons.

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Soviet Tank Battalion stuck to Operation Tukhachevsky as planned.

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Initial casualties on both sides low

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BMP-2's got into MG range of the US infantry causing losses to the Dragon AT teams.

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MAIN ENGAGEMENT
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For the next few turns the battle around the objectives heated up. Due to strong AA defences the Soviet player held the Hinds off the table. Finally the Soviets got the upper hand when they destroyed all but one of the M901 ITV vehicles.

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Meanwhile the BMP-2 losses were starting to mount, the Recon platoon was lost and the rest were being lost to attrition.

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The Soviet infantry was heavily targeted by artillery and pinned, so it actually had to retreat a bit or face repeat bombardments.

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END GAME
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The NATO Commander made a grievous mistake. He moved his Abrams against the BMP-2 to secure his artillery.

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The secondary attack had served its purpose.

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The Soviets lost all units on the NATO side of the board but in the absence of the Abrams tanks a golden opportunity to win presented itself.

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Moving all attacking units and calling in the Hinds brought the entire weight of the Soviet Firepower against the US infantry with the Soviet infantry in position to follow up with an assault.

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Air defenses destroyed two hinds but the US infantry was annihilated.

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Warsaw Pact secured the objective.

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Three Units lost. BMP-2 Recon, BMP-2 Transports and one T-72 company.

In addition 2x T-72 were lost, 2x Hinds and 5x infantry teams.

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ACCEPTABLE CASUALTIES

-60% Combat efficiency remaining for further Breakthroughs.

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4-3 Loss

I have now lost all games and cant seem to get the upper hand on the Russians.
I am so close to call it quits for now and see what happens in later turns for the Nato Side.