Firestorm: Red Thunder

1100 Hours
Hanover, West Germany

The US army:

M113 Mech Combat Team
M113 Mech Combat Team HQ - 1 point
1x M16 rifle team
1x M113
M113 Mech Platoon - 7 points
4x M249 SAW team with M72 LAW anti-tank
4x M47 Dragon missile team
4x M113
M113 Mech Platoon - 7 points
4x M249 SAW team with M72 LAW anti-tank
4x M47 Dragon missile team
4x M113
M1 Abrams Tank Platoon - 16 points
2x M1 Abrams
M901 ITV Anti-tank Platoon - 3 points
2x M901 ITV
M901 ITV Anti-tank Platoon - 3 points
2x M901 ITV

Support:
A-10 Warthog Fighter Flight - 10 points
2x A-10 Warthog
M163 VADS AA Platoon - 3 points
2x M163 VADS

The East German Army:

Panzer Bataillon
Panzer Bataillon HQ - 1 point
1x T-55AM2
Panzer Kompanie - 2 points
3x T-55AM2
Panzer Kompanie - 2 points
3x T-55AM2
Panzer Kompanie - 2 points
3x T-55AM2

Panzer Bataillon
Panzer Bataillon HQ - 1 point
1x T-55AM2
Panzer Kompanie - 2 points
3x T-55AM2
Panzer Kompanie - 2 points
3x T-55AM2
Panzer Kompanie - 2 points
3x T-55AM2

Panzer Bataillon
Panzer Bataillon HQ - 1 point
1x T-55AM2
Panzer Kompanie - 2 points
3x T-55AM2
Panzer Kompanie - 2 points
3x T-55AM2
Panzer Kompanie - 2 points
3x T-55AM2

BMP Mot-Schutzen Bataillon
BMP Mot-Schutzen Bataillon HQ - 1 point
1x MPi KM team
1x BMP-1
BMP-2 Mot-Schutzen Kompanie - 12 points
4x MPi KM team with RPG-18
3x RPG-7 anti-tank team
1x AGS-17 grenade launcher team
1x SA-14 Gremlin AA missile team
6x BMP-2
BMP-1 Mot-Schutzen Kompanie - 8 points
4x MPi KM team with RPG-18
3x RPG-7 anti-tank team
1x AGS-17 grenade launcher team
1x SA-14 Gremlin AA missile team
6x BMP-1
Spandrel Panzerabwehr Zug - 2 points
3x Spandrel
SA-9 Gaskin Flak Zug - 2 points
4x SA-9 Gaskin
BRDM-2 Aufklarungs Zug - 2 points
4x BRDM-2

Support:
Spandrel Panzerabwehr Zug - 2 points
3x Spandrel

I knew that if I was going to win this, I would have to achieve certain goals quickly. Otherwise, my tanks would be toast.

Goal 1: Destroy the M1 Abrams tanks
Goal 2: Destroy the M901 ITVs
Goal 3: Shoot down the A-10 Warthogs

East German Turn 1:

Spandrels in the North blitz forward, but fail to hit anything with their opening fire. Infantry and T-55s advance. BMP-2s manage to kill the Abrams tank East of the apartment building - a major blow to the US army.

US Turn 1:

The remaining M1 blitzed in reverse, bringing its gun around on the T-55s and ducking behind the apartment building. The M113 APCs unloaded on the Spandrels as infantry jumped out. 50 cal fire left 1 Spandrel destroyed and 1 bailed out. A dragon blasted a BMP-1, while 2 others hiding in the Eastern apartment building blasted 2 BMPs. ITVs took out 2 more, and the last one fled.

East German Turn 2:

A unit of 3 T-55s arrived in the South, on the Eastern bank of the river. A unit of T-55s in the North blitzed forward, along with the Spandrels. The infantry in the north continued to advance. Fire from the Spandrels managed to find a weak spot on the remaining M1. The resulting explosion took the turret right off the tank. Goal 1 Accompished. T-55s in the north scooted forward after firing an unimpressive volley into the apartments.

US Turn 2:

The US infantry dug foxholes for protection. 50 cal fire bailed out the 2 Spandrels in the North, while fire from ITVs bailed 1 T-55 out, tore 2 T-55s apart, and sent a fourth fleeing.

East German Turn 3:

Both Spandrels and the Bailed T-55 remounted. Another unit of T-55s arrived in the South, using the wrecks as cover. T-55 fire destroyed 1 ITV, while a second was bailed by a missile fired from a BMP-2. 2 T-55s managed to destroy both M113s equipped with Dragon missile launchers.

US Turn 3:

A-10s arrived, obliterating 2 T-55s and sending a third fleeing. ITVs destroyed 2 T-55s and the third fled. Dragons wrecked 2 more T-55s, while 50 cal fire from the M113s destroyed another Spandrel.

East German Turn 4:

2 units of T-55s arrived from reserve. A T-55 bailed out an ITV and BMP-2s destroyed 2 more ITVs.

US Turn 4:

US infantry raced over the bridge as 50 cal fire from M113s Shredded the last Spandrel in the North. A dragon managed to bail out a T-55.

East German Turn 5:

2 units of T-55s and a unit of Spandrels arrived from reserve. Infantry advanced on the last ITV, which was then destroyed by a BMP-2. Goal 2 Accomplished.

US Turn 5:

M113s killed 2 infantry stands, pinning the unit. A dragon killed yet another T-55. US infantry killed 1 infantry stand and a Gremlin team, pinning my other infantry unit.

East German Turn 6:

East German infantry killed a base of US infantry and a Dragon team. T-55s killed 2 more US infantry teams and another Dragon team.

US Turn 6:

Dragon fire destroyed a T-55, breaking the will of the remaining tank. A-10s destroyed 2 more T-55s, breaking another unit of T-55s.

The next 4 turns saw A-10s destroying a Spandrel before finally being shot down, and everything I had pouring hundreds of shots on the US infantry. When nothing was left but the US HQ team, the game was finally over.

After just over 2 hours of intense fighting, the US had lost everything.

East German Losses amounted to:
4 units of T-55s
1 unit of Spandrels
1 unit of BMP-1 transports

Final Score: 4-3 Warsaw Pact