Firestorm: Red Thunder

Desperate to stop the Red Hordes from advancing further toward Amsterdam, a US Army Mechanized Formation has been tasked with Holding a Vital Bridge near a Hydroelectric Plant. The US Forces have barley finished preparing their Defensive Positions when the First Elements of a NVA Force are sighted ...

Either from Arrogance or insufficient Training, the NVA BTR-60s advance straight at the Bridge without regard for the VADS, Dug-In Infantry and Hammerheads arrayed against them. The Carnation Artillery strike to soften up US Positions only results in one destroyed VADS and the MG-Fire from the BTRs as well as the Shilkas fails to kill even one US Infantry Team. Though the amount of Lead flying around causes the US infantry to stay in cover (becoming Pinned).

Having weathert the best the NVA can trhow at them, the US Forces rally to a Counterattack. Even the pinned US Infantry recovers and unleashes a Torrent of Dragon Fire at the advancing NVA. Supported by well timed Artillery and Mortar Fire, as well as Heavy Fire from the VADS, the NVA Motorized Company is devastated. NVA Infantry stumbles from burning wrecks, only to be cut down by the follow up Strikes. A Platoon of M113 rushes from their hiding Place in a forest in an flanking assault, but two of the four get stuck on tree-stumps. Nevertheless the remaining two add to the Torrent of Lead hitting the NVA Mot Company.

The Hammerheads meanwhile hit the advancing Shilkas with long range TOW strikes, beginning the destruction of the NVA AA-capability in preparation for an A-10 strike.

The NVA tries to consolidate their remaining Infantry forces in the center, while the Spandrels further back launch their missiles at the Hammerheads, supported by the NVA Artillery which has shifted their Attack from the VADS to the Infantry and Hammerheads in/near the woods. Fortunately for the US Forces, all their Attacks only result in the loss of one Infantry Team.

The US realizing they have to capitalize on their early success use their Artillery and VADS to nearly finish of the remains of the Motorized Company, as well as destroying two Scout BMPs that had supported the BTR-60 Advance earlier. The M113 in the Woods manage to untangle themselves and also add their MG Fire to the Killbox of the Mot. Company.

The other two M113 race ahead and try to take out the Gophers in support of the imminent A-10 Strike. Unfortunately they only manage to bail out two Gophers, and the A-10 run into too much AA-Fire, which takes out one of them. The remaining A-10 strafes the Gophers, taking out one more, before returning too Base because it suffered two much damage to keep operating much longer.

Meanwhile the Hammerheads win their long-range missile duel with the Spandrels, destroying two and bailing out the third.

The NVAs hope resurfaces as one of their T-55 companies arrives from reserves, on the other side of that damnable river. Meanwhile the central NVA forces consolidate and try to stop the rampaging M113s. Through a Miracle the M113s survive everything the NVA fires at them.

The US forces realizing the Danger from the freshly arrived T-55 immediately execute Operation Hedgehog, shifting one of their Infantry Platoons with a Blitz move to meet the Tank onslaught in freshly dug foxholes. Furthermore The M109, directed b the Infantry Commander, fire a Minefield in the middle of the advancing T-55s.

Meanwhile the M113s in the Center manage to destroy the BMP Observer, greatly reducing the threat represented by the NVA Artillery. Lastly the US Mortars keep the last two NVA Infantry Teams pinned in the house in which they took shelter with a relentless Barrage of Mortar Shells.

The remaining Central NVA forces open Fire on the M113s, but miraculously only destroy one of the four. The first wave of T-55s is reinforced as a second Company of T-55 arrives from reserves. The first Company is undeterred by the minefield and advances on the US Positions, losing only one T-55 in the Process. The combined fire of both T-55 companies still only manages to destroy one M109 and one Hammerhead.

The American response is swift and brutal. The Hammerheads an Infantry unleash a Storm of Missiles against the T-55, supported by Copperhead Projectiles from the two remaining M109. After the smoke clears six T-55s are nothing more than burning wrecks. The Central M113 take out the last Spandrel, but fail to damage the Carnations.

The NVA carnations manage to Blitz into Position and finally take out the M113s . Two of the flanking T-55s try to take out the M109, but fail to damage them. In a desperate move, the NVA Commander supported by two Scout BMPs advances towards the Bridge.

Us Infantry, supported by one M109 who gets close and personal with a T-55, take out the remains of the flanking T-55s. The Hammerheads manage too kill the Formation commander and finally shatter the NVAs will to keep on fighting.