Firestorm: Red Thunder

After several harsh defeats, the East German T-72 battalion had finally had an operational plan that seemed workable. After being reconstituted, the veterans and new recruits alike were interested in a successful battle plan. This time, against another company of Americans, they just might have one.

The American armor advanced to cover the objective points, providing enfilading fire along one flank. Meanwhile the bulk of the American forces took up position to have prime firing lines into the obvious WarPac line of advance.

The attached Hinds arrive to cover the East German thrust to the objective points. Their missiles destroy two of the capitalist M-1 tanks, while shrugging off their desultory anti-aircraft fire. Sadly, the Frogfoot flight does not fair as well, being shredded by embedded VADS systems. The T-72 spearhead advances across the farm ground towards the objective while the 2S1 artillery fires to limited effect.

After seeing their flanking platoon destroyed by Hinds, the Company commander and one of the remaining platoons fire on the advancing T-72's, killing 1/2 a company. The ITV's, cleverly hidden by their crews, unmask and shoot down one Hind, while the Cobra flight and the other Abrams platoon fire on advancing Mot-Schutzen troops with their attached BMP's, killing three of them. Another Abrams spots ZSU units, and leaves two of them to burn.

The leading T-72 company, down to nearly half strength, continues to probe forward, and finishes off the last of the flanking Abrams platoon. The other T-72 company, still at full strength, continues its advance on the objective point. The Hinds hang back, after their earlier successes, and let the Frogfoots stand off at maximum range with their Kh-25 missiles and tag out another Abrams.

The Cobras make a close pass and ripple-fire off their rockets, killing a SAM-carrying infantryman and an RPG team. The ITV's, finding it hard to locate targets, settle for bailing a 2S1 gun, while the company commander flattens out the last BMP transport. The remaining Abrams platoon kills two advancing scout BMP's and the last of the lead T-72 company.

The mot-schutzen company and the 2S1's, remain pinned and bailed due to the unexpected interest of the American troops. The scouts blitz forward, but score only misses with their Sagger missiles, as do the remaining Hinds. The T-72 company scores many hits, but only bailing crews.

The ITV's, whose initial ambush blunted the teeth of the Hinds, are given order to withdraw to the rear. The Cobra flight blazes down on the dug in, pinned down infantry, killing a single stand. The remaining Abrams get a single T-72 kill,

The scouts advance, but forget to reload their Sagger launchers, depriving themselves of ideal shots on the remaining Abrams. The T-72's volley and kill another Abrams.

The Cobras services are needed at another NATO battlefield and they are withdrawn to another site. As a going-away gift, the VADS crews destroy the last Hinds on the field as the remaining Abrams destroy half the T-72's.

Between the remaining scout BMP's and the T-72's, the last of the M-1's, save the company commander are rendered to burning piles of steel and composites.

Raw personality and command skill keeps the company in the fight as the company commander fires to no effect but drives his troops to cover the objective point.

The remaining T-72's and scouts secure the objective point. A pyrrhic victory to say the least.