× ATTENTION! New campaign Firestorm: Stripes has launched! Sign up @ firestormstripes.warconsole.com

Firestorm: Red Thunder

The Team Yankee Global Campaign

Defence of Hanover

View Linked Report - CLICK HERE 100 POINTS
West German
Tyler_MK
VS Warsaw Pact
Leadgend

Defence of Hanover

The Monday Knights wargaming club's first week of participating in the Firestorm Red Thunder campaign saw three Warsaw Pact attacks, all concentrated in the north.

While the American General Potus failed to stop the Soviet breakthrough further north at Lüneburg, heading toward Hamburg, a West German rapid reaction force rushed to the front in defence of Hanover. The West Germans attempted a fighting withdrawal, in the face of massive numbers of their East German counterparts.

Deployment

The East Germans were commanded by Django, known as Commander 'Leadgend' by his men. Or at least, so they say to his face. What they call him behind his back NATO intelligence cannot confirm... Though we do know that he attained his position of high command not through military experience, but as a political appointment following his exemplary performance in the 1983 Dresden spelling bee. Commander Leadgend's second place spelling medal, and command of Seventh Panzerdivision, were personally presented to Commander Leadgend by the head of the Volksarmee, who is coincidentally Commander Leadgend's father.

Apparently the first place Dresden spelling bee winner was awarded a very nice certificate.

Turn 1 began with a rapid rush forward by the East Germans, under cover of early-morning darkness. That rush was met by effective West German fire, destroying two T-72 platoons. The Easterners could afford the losses, however. Commander Leadgend bravely ordered more troops forward, from his advance position in a bunker behind a hill, only a short seven kilometres back from the front line.

Initial East German moves
Heavy casualties for the Easterners early on, but there are plenty more where that came from!

Platoon after platoon of brainwashed East German conscripts were destroyed by the outnumbered but infinitely better-equipped Westerners. The seven Leopard 2s were kings of the battlefield, leaving death everywhere they looked, and ably demonstrating the superiority of military hardware built by by the same heroic capitalist contractors that brought you fast food, colour television, and decades of marketing campaigns demonstrating the health benefits of smoking cigarettes.

But the Easterners just kept coming. And every precious Western tank destroyed by the Eastern hordes lessened the West's firepower by a frightening amount.

The courageous West German commander's tank was knocked out during the height of the fighting. The severely injured Commander Tyler was carried from the battlefield by his loyal and admiring men. Meanwhile, East German Commander Leadgend ordered more of his tanks forward, over the burning wrecks of their comrades. He then relocated his headquarters several kilometres farther back from the front line, just in case.

Nearing the end of the game

As dawn finally broke over the battlefield, much of the initial West German holding force, and its reinforcements, had been destroyed. The lead elements of the East German Seventh Panzerdivision had been devastated, but they still had far more survivors than the tiny West German holding force.

With dwindling forces, the Westerners simply couldn't hold on to both objectives. After being driven off the southern (right) objective, and briefly retaking it before being driven off again, the Westerners failed to retake it a second time. The few survivors of the holding force retreated earlier, and faster, than had been planned for or hoped.

Commander Leadgend was found by several of his men, under a sturdy table in his rear-line command bunker, from where he had been bravely observing the battle. He was given the good news that his men had taken Hanover, and were continuing their advance into the West.

Battle Report Average Rating



Log in to rate this battle.

Recommend Commander For Commendation

7 People Recommended Tyler_MK for commendation

Share this battle with friends

Warsaw Pact
Leadgend
Wins

3 Comments