Firestorm: Red Thunder

After Action report on Counterattack mission in the Bremen AOR. Task Force Charlie Squadron 17/21 Hussars, 0700hrs local.

We deployed during the early morning as follows: The swingfire platoon deployed at the far right of our AOR behind a wheat field to cover the extreme right flank. I deployed 1 troop Charlie 17/21 behind the adjacent wheat field to their left. The Squadron Commanders element deployed to the left of them and forward to direct the battle. The boys of the Irish Guards were embarked in the transports to move into the town. The Scimitar troop moved out to scout a good position to ambush the gentleman on the other side. We are expecting 2 troop Charlie 17/21 Hussars to arrive shortly as they are on a wide sweeping flank move to our left. We had also been promised Harrier and TOW Lynx support!

The chaps we would face were arrayed in this fashion: 2 companies of BMP's with infantry and a BMP scout Plt. were set up to our far left behind some wheat fields. His storms were in a woods to the left of our positions with his Shilkas and geckos straddling a hill on both sides. Lastly we saw a T-64 BN of 3 companies of 3 each tanks.

Ivan obliged us by moving his Tank BN forward towards our Chieftains and Swingfires. Both Infantry companies made a dash in their BMP's towards the town to our left which was our objective of the counter attack! The first company made it into the town with the second and the scout plt hiding in a wheat field just to the north of the town. His ZSU's took off to our left to set up behind a barn next to some wheat fields. The T-64's greeted us with main gun fire intended for 1 troop but missed in their zeal! The storms fired at the PBI in their carriers and only managed to get the carrier with the Milan teams to bail the crew fearing for their lives. The cowardly storms then attempted to retreat back into the woods with one getting stuck on something we could not see while the other two cowered in their dastardly act out of site.

The crew of the Milan 432 could not be coaxed back into their APC. The 2 troop boys are nowhere to be seen and radio communication with them is spotty at best. Our air support it seems has been diverted for the time being. We were wondering where the boys of the recce troop had gotten off to. The rest of the Irish Guards boys moved into the town and occupy the Gasthuas while the 432's move to cover by the rest of the buildings. 1 troop as well as HQ troop opened fire on the tank BN brewing up 2 while causing 3 crews to abandon their tanks for the moment. The swingfires lent their weight to the firing and caused another bail.

2 of the tank crews managed to recover and get back in their tanks while the other 2 crews cowered behind their T-64s's. The remaining tanks advanced upon the swingfires and HQ element. The 1st company of BMP's disgorged their charges who cleared the buildings to their left. The T-64s fired at the HQ element bailing the CO and destroying the XO. The BMP's in the town fired on the 432's destroying 1 and causing 2 crews to take cover. The infantry in the town fired on the Irish guards and their mounts destroying the last 432 and killing the mortar team.

The bailed crew for the CO's tank remounts as well as one of the 432's. Lo and behold the boys of 2 troop show up after successfully flanking around to the left to show up in the ZSU and storms flank! The boys of the recce troop also reared their heads to engaged the BMP's in town. The milan team tired of waiting to get hit again disembark from their 432 and take up positions just at the edge of town. Also just had word that our Harriers are arriving carrying, cluster munitions?? Who the bloodyhell ordered that rubbage?? Oh well we will make do!! 1 troop opens fire on the tanks again manage to kill 1 and bail another. The swingfires add to the mayhem killing another and bailing another! The recce boys manage to bail 3 of the BMP's with their fire while the IG fired on the troops in the open courtyard killing a stand and pinning the whole company! 2 troop opened fire on the BMP Scout plt killing 1. The Harriers were out of range of the Shilkas but unfortunately lost 2 aircraft to the Geckos. They pressed on their attack dumping their load on the mess in the town square killing 3 BMP's and 4 infantry stands and causing 2 BMP crews to seek cover. May have to rethink those cluster buggers!

The Tank BN CO managed to remount his tank along with one other and 3 BMP's. 3 T-64's manage to flank both 1 troop and the CO killing him and 2 tanks of 1 troop. The boys while upset were undeterred by this. The infantry in the town fired on the IG in the Gasthuas doing nothing more than making noise. Some BMP's though managed to get another infantry team from the IG. Several other BMP's managed to bail out 2 of the recce boys after a hail of cannon fire.

Well look at that here comes the RAAC! The Lynx's have arrived and not a moment to soon! The boys of 1 troop maneuver to flank shot the T-64's and kill one and bailed the other. The swingfires fired again hitting the BN CO and killing his tank but he was seen remounting a nearby tank. The recce troop fired killing 4 BMP's.

None of the Ivan's crews thought getting out of cover and back into their vehicles was a good idea so stayed where they were. The remaining BMP's moved up into the town to take up positions to cover the objective. The Lynx's were not so lucky and 3 fell to ZSU fire. The 4th manage to stick around!! The storms got off a volley killing a tank of 2 troop while the remaining T-64 machine gunned the swingfires killing 2. The last one not seeing a viable alternative decided to live to fight another day.

the one chieftain of 1 troop fired on and killed the last T-64 ending the threat to our right flank. The tanks of 2 troop open fire on the ZSU's killing one and bailing 2. The recce boys killed a BMP scout as the harriers showed back up at the first request to make another run on the town square. They got 3 BMP's and bailed a 4th on that pass after dodging the fire of the Geckos. The pilots could be heard over the net spewing expletive on their way out of the target area. The lads of the IG fired their Charlie G's as well as their LAW's and killed 4 BMP's who hung around too long!

The ZSU's managed to remount along with the BMPs bailed out in town except for the scout who was having none of it. At this point the WP forces were forced to concede the field as the gods had decided that night would be descending on the battlefield rapidly!! ( The store was closing) We managed to get a victory inflicting more casualties than we took but it was costly enough!!