Firestorm: Red Thunder

Sir, per your orders we pulled out of the line yesterday and proceeded south to Niederbayern to reinforce the line there. After an all night force march and a fast reconnoiter of the area a battle plan was drawn up and executed. The Recce troop took positions to the left of center on the field while the Mech boys set up on the far right flank. The Recce reported 2 companies of Russian Inf with their BMP's congregating in the middle of the fields by a farm house. There are reports of a Russian Acacia battery as well as Hinds in the area.

Battle commenced at 1000hrs local when the 2 Troop Charlie 17/21 Lancers arrived and advanced up the center of the field. The Recce troop swung out to the left to take up positions behind a wheat field to watch our left. The Irish Guards cautiously advanced up the right side towards a wooded area to their north. Both Companies of infantry were seen to have left their transports and taken up positions stretched out from our left to the right perpendicular to the main north south road to our north. 1 Company of BMP's moved into the woods in front of their Inf while the other moved out to their left in a wheat field adjacent to a manor house.(end Turn 1)

The Irish Guard started into the woods ahead of them and 3 of the tracks got hung up in some old fencing and barb wire. 2 of the tracks managed to get into the woods safely! About that time the lads of 1 troop C 17/21 made it in and were put in to the right of 2 troop on the main NS road. 2 Troop advanced farther up the field to get a good bead on the BMP's that were setting up along the woodline. The Recce troop slid farther out to the left and advanced as well. 3 Storms were observed to have emerged from a woodline in the North to our left but did not fire. Fire from one of the BMP companies was observed but no hits were reported.(End Turn 2)

1 and 2 Troops advanced and fired at the BMP's who had fired just a moment ago and 4 were seen to be hit and burning profusely. The Guards completed their move into the woods with orders to take the Manor house if practicable. The newly arrived lads with the blow pipes arrived and took up positions in the woods to the right center of our positions. The Recce troop advanced around the woods to the Northwest of us hunting for the Storms they had seen earlier. The remnants of the first BMP company entered the wooed area in the center of the area and engaged the Blowpipes killing 1. The other BMP company moved from the fields by the Manor house back to the center of the area.(End Turn 3)

Myself and the XO arrived and took up positions just to the left of the main road and advanced up to engage the BMP's therein the woods killing 1. 2 troop maneuvered into the woods and fired killing another and bailing 1. 1 troop held their positions and fired on the BMP's that had just entered the wheat field's in the center brewing up 4. The Recce troop moved around to get clear shots on the storm killing 1 and bailing another. The Guards moved out of their 432's and moved up to the edge of the woods preparing to take the Manor. The 432's then moved to take up positions and fire on the entrenched troops in front of them pinning the Company. The BMP's in the woods managed to flank 2 troop shooting into their rear decks killing 1 and bailing 1. The lads stayed in good spirits with the XO and myself nearby.(End Turn 4)

The Irish opened fire at the Closest BMP's killing 2 after taking the Manor. 2 troop remounted and proceeded to kill 3 BMP's in the woods with them. 1 Troop shot at and brewed up a Storm. The 432's moved to their left to reengage the infantry there. The remaining Recce troop moved up to get a good angle on the Storms. The reports of Hinds in the area were correct as 4 showed up on our left flank. The blowpipes took out 2 causing the Hinds to miss their intended target. The BMP's on the right flank open on the milan teams in the woods killing 1 team. The BMPs then decided to assault the Mech Plt Leader and his motormen along with the remaining milan team and lost 2 BMP's for his troubles. The Guards in the Manor were pinned by accurate PKM fire from the Red Inf outside.(End Turn 5)

The Guards moved out and within striking distance of the Ivan's in their foxholes around the crashed Iroquois. They then closed to hand to hand and killed 5 of them and managing to push them off of the wreck. 1 troop shot at the Inf on the American Command track that was broken down along with the Recce troop pinning the Ivan's there. The Recce troop then getting ahead of themselves assaulted the infantry killing 3 but dying to a man! Soviet AAA was reportedly seen entering up the Northeast road. The Hinds made a return attack but were driven off when 1 was laid waste by the blowpipes and the other thought it better to leave and survive. The Shilkas opened up on the milan team and the 432's destroying 1 432. The last Storm killed a tank of 2 troop while the last BMP on the right flank tried to assault the Guards and died for his troubles in the defensive fire. The infantry around the Iroquois left there foxholes and assaulted the Irish Gentlemen getting 3 of themselves killed in the defensive fire and pushed back!(End Turn 6)

The Irish advanced and killed 5 of the enemy pushing off the last stand to run towards the other Company to their left. At this point we had covered the Iroquois and secured it. @ troop shot the last storm brewing it up while 1 troop fired at the Infantry Company on the Yank track killing 2. The lone milan team shot and killed the last surviving BMP of the Inf. The reports of Acacias were true as 3 of them entered from the left behind the woods along with 2 scout platoons. Curiously a Gecko battery showed up on the road by the manor house and took up house behind the woods there. The ZSU's not having anything better to shoot at shot at the Irish as well as their transports killing 1 Inf and 432 and bailing the 2 other 432's. The boys were tired but otherwise in a cheery mood.(End Turn 7)

2 troop fired at the scout BMP's brewing up both while 1 troop destroyed 2 of the Shilkas. The lone milan took out the 3rd Shilka and the last sped off. The Irish remounted their 432's and engaged the Inf on the 577 killing 1 then finally assaulting the Inf driving them off the track securing it.(End Turn 8)