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All,
It’s 1530 on 1 Feb 1990, and the CLA’s Golf Company, 9th Popular Force Battalion, finds itself in very interesting position, insofar as they about to attack a larger force. Captain Elias, G Company’s commander, turned to his superior, Colonel Bustamante: “Are you sure about this, Sir?” “Yes, Captain, we will strike at the enemy while he is still preparing to strike at us.”
Generalissimo Waraldonez’ orders to Colonel Bustamante, commander of the 9th PF Bn, were to delay the enemy garrison at Matanzas from striking south (towards the Bay of Pigs landing site) or west (towards the Playa Colorada landing site). Colonel Bustamante conducted a map reconnaissance and realized there were three highways leading out of the Matanzas area that could be used by the enemy. Col Bustamante was adamantly opposed to assigning one of his companies to each of the highways, as it would leave him without a reserve, nor could he afford to play a ‘guessing game’ with the enemy, trying to ascertain which route(s) they might use.
So Col Bustamante decided the best course of action was to seize the initiative and conduct a spoiling attack against the enemy’s 43rd Infantry Company, 7th Infantry Battalion, as it was preparing to depart the Matanzas military base and strike for the CLA landing areas.
So far we’ve had:
1) B Squadron SOF destroyed a radar site in support of amphibious landings at Playa Colorada (5). B Sqdn then egressed and linked up with CLA rotary wing assets for their follow-on mission in Havana (6).
2) C Squadron SOF destroyed a the Cuban military’s communications center.
3) 1st Para Battalion dropped in and seized a bridge to screen the landings at Playa Colorada (5).
4) 2nd Para battalion dropped in and eliminated a Castro-regime garrison to screen the landings at the Bay of Pigs (just west of (4).
5) 1st Marine Company, 3rd Infantry Battalion, made an amphibious assault at Playa Colorada.
6) A Squadron SOF attacked a Castro-regime SAM site near Havana, which failed to clear the way for B Squadron’s helo assault into Havana.
7) 2nd Marine Company, 6th Infantry Battalion, landed at the Bay of Pigs then turned east and ran into a strong enemy force, which it handily defeated.
8) B Company of the UWG pursued and destroyed an enemy garrison in the Escambray Mountains.
9) B Squadron SOF conducted an aerial insertion into Havana to seize a radio station and broadcast news of the invasion.
10) 10th Popular Force Battalion seized and destroyed the Pedroso bridge to protect the Bay of Pigs landing site from the Matanzas garrison.
11) 1st Airborne Infantry Battalion successfully fought off a regime counterattack near the bridge at Sandino, protecting the western (Playa Colorada) landing site from the Pinar del Rio garrison.
12) 6th Infantry Battalion fought through an enemy ambush while pushing inland from the Bay of Pigs landing site.
13) 8th Popular Force Battalion ambushed a mechanized column of the enemy 2nd Armored Battalion, just west of Havana.
14) 2nd Airborne Battalion engaged enemy armored forces of the 6th Armored Battalion in the village of El Rincon, en route to the Bay of Pigs landing site.
15) 4th Infantry Battalion’s 1st Air Assault Company conducts an air assault southeast of Sandino to counter enemy mechanized forces of 3rd Infantry Battalion (forcing 1st Airborne Battalion’s right flank).
16) 9th Popular Force Battalion conducts a spoiling attack on the regime’s 7th Infantry Battalion in the Matanzas garrison.
The forces, with regime troops on the left and CLA on the right. The CLA are made up of Brit and Argentinian SF from Pendraken’s Falklands range, with VC/NVA/Vietminh for heavy weapons, while the regime force is made up of Argentinians from Pendraken’s Falklands range.The CLA force has a Command Stand representing the Company Commander, five rifle teams, a single RPG team, and a single leader figure representing their battalion commander. The Castro-regime troops have a Command Stand, seven rifle teams, and a .50 caliber HMG.
Overview of the map, north is up, with the regime’s Matanzas military base on the northern half of the board. There are three rifle teams on the ground, falling back to the trucks (at top right), where the Commander and the other four rifle teams are already mounted up. A single rifle team has just left Bunker 1 (if you count the three bunkers from left to right), and two rifle teams are next to Barracks 1 (if you count the two buildings from left to right). The HMG is in Bunker 2. The CLA force is along the bottom (south) edge, with Colonel Bustamante, the RPG team, and a rifle team in the bottom left corner, looking to provide a base of fire from Hill 15 (bottom left), while Captain Elias leads the assault of four rifle teams coming through the thick jungle atop Hill 25 (bottom right).
The CLA attacks, and is beaten back. The enemy counterattacks, and Colonel Bustamante almost single-handledly beats it back, then leads a rifle team into a series of close assaults, this one against an entrenched heavy machine gun!To see how it turns out, please check the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/07/cuba-libre-liberation-batrep-16.htmlTwo more batreps to post, then I intend on posting an end of day SITREP to show where we’re at with regards to the entire campaign. I’ll be in touch 😉
V/R,
Jack
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