Firestorm: Red Thunder

MISSION: NIEDERBAYEN BRIDGEHEAD

75 points

+++

Mayór Lednik was unhappy with his assignment. The Warsaw Pact forces were spreading out too much and this was against the best theories he learned at the Frunze academy. The great Tukhachevsky would not have agreed to this.

Now his detachment was in Austria. They had passed through a tight mountain pass and he must hold the pass open until daybreak and further reinforcements would arrive.

FORCES

US - Attacker

HQ - M1 Abrams
4x M1 Abrams
3x M109 artillery + laser guided projectiles
1x M113 Observer
2x A-10 Warthog

RESERVES

2xM901 ITV
2x M163 Vads
2x AH-1 Cobra

Warsaw Pact - Defender

HQ - T-72 (we realised later that he should start in reserves)
4x BMP-2 Recon
Small Motor Rifle Coy, 7 infantry and 4 BMP-2
4x SA-13 Gophers

In ambush - 4x T-72 (only unit with more than front 4)

DEEP RESERVES

3x T-72
3x T-72
4x MI-24 Hind

+++

Initial attack

The US only had the M1 Abrams as a main attacking unit. The Warsaw pact player decided to hold back his ambush until to last moment and the M1 Abrams would otherwise easily pick the T-72 off. In the first round of shooting the WP lost 3x BMP-2 and realised that he would quickly lose his defenders so he attempted to attack the artillery which was unguarded. The plan failed and soon the HQ tank and all BMP-2 were burning and the M1 Abrams and M109 artillery started to focus on the dug in infantry, killing 3 teams.

Still it was turn 4 now and with the formation leader lost and only 4 infantry and 3 Gophers remaining now was the time for the ambush. Luckily two Units arrived from reserves in the same turn. The Hinds concentrated on the M109 as the M163 Vulcans covered the M1 Abrams tanks.

and the tanks on the M1 Abrams tanks;

Carnage ensued and at the end the US player had to move his M1 Abrams near an objective or lose the game. He had now lost his commander but had 3x MBT remaining. On the flank the M901's advanced. The Soviets had lost half their T-72 but now the last Coy arrived but only close enough to take out the M901's.

The engagement was bloody as hell and with only 3 T-72 remaining the Soviets finally broke the attacking formation. But they had then lost 4 Units and were very close to breaking themselves.

A 4-3 win but no victory.