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All,
Current situation: It’s 27 July 1990 in South Leon. Free Cuba had a small force, Task Force Fulgencio (a company of Marines, a company of paras, and a detachment of Special Forces), on the ground since 1 May, assisting the government of South Leon with its internal insurgency by the Free Leon Army (FLA), supported by its Communist neighbor to the north, Fédération Socialiste Nationale de Leon (FSNL), which not only supports the FLA against the South Leon government, but has quietly infiltrated troops, weapons, and supplies to them across the DMZ for years. But all of that became not so quiet on 24 July 1990, when the FSNL Army launched a cross border invasion that marched all the way to the center of the country, capturing the capital city of Pendrakenville and the major regional hub, Diwala. The Cuban forces in country were quite fortunate at the timing of it all: the company of Marines, AKA Task Force Redleg, under 1st Lt Ordonez, had recently fought a series of short, sharp fights on the DMZ, followed by the company of paras, AKA Task Force Razor, under Soares, was sucked into a series of hellacious fights in the urban sprawl of Diwala, against a suddenly very aggressive FLA.
Following the fights in Diwala, TF Razor was in very bad shape, so Captain Soares pulled his company out of Diwala to lick its wounds, falling back to the northwest, just north of Pendrakenville, and TF Redleg withdrew south from the DMZ to cover them. This was quite fortunate as soon after the FSNL Army stormed across the border, running roughshod over the South Leon Army units in its way, pushing south to capture the capital, then east to capture Diwala. Task Forces Razor and Redleg found themselves isolated and cut off, but relatively safe, for the time being.
Back in Havana, troops were immediately marshalled and dispatched. The heavy forces, tanks and infantry fighting vehicles of Major Chavez’ A Company, 4th Armored Infantry (AKA Task Force Hammer) and 1st Lt Madre-Animral’s F Company, 8 Commando (AKA Task Force Bowie) required a beach or a port in order to put ashore, so 1st Lt Villagrosa’s SF Detachment 212, AKA TF Dusty, was ordered to parachute in north of the landing beaches to draw FSNL/FLA forces away (Operation Currahee), and then 1st Lt Espinale’s paratroopers, AKA TF Hawk, jumped in to screen the landing beaches (Operation Geronimo). Both airborne drops were successful, allowing TF Hammer and Bowie to brings their vehicles and heavy weapons ashore. They immediately began pushing east, towards Pendrakenville, bagging large numbers of FSNL/FLA prisoners, which actually slowed their advance and allowed enemy forces in the Pendrakenville area to face about and prepare a defense. The newly arrived Cuban forces went firm, securing their lodgment in South Leon and beginning the task of stockpiling ammunition and supplies for the upcoming fight. Meanwhile, TF Razor and Redleg remained cutoff north of Pendrakenville, as FSNL forces continued to flow across the border into South Leon.
The immediate focus of Brigadier Habanero became to repatriate his wayward Task Forces, and to stop the FSNL Army in the north from reinforcing Pendrakenville and Diwala. 1st Lt Gouveia’s ODA 313 (AKA TF Black), located with TF Razor and Redleg, and TF Dusty were tasked with Phase 1 of Operation Chunky Bandit, the reconquest of South Leon. Phase 1a would see TF Black attack east of Route 1 (the major north-south route in the center of the country, running from the DMZ to Pendrakenville), establishing commanding observation points to aid in the delivery of interdictory strikes by Cuban tactical air support. Phase 1b would see TF Dusty and Captain Stelosavo’s B Squadron, OD Phoenix (TF 23, Cuban Tier 1 operators) attack west of Route 1 in order to locate and neutralize the FSNL command and control center there.
Phase 2 would see Major Fulgencio lead Task Forces Razor and Redleg in a breakout to the west, where they would link up with Cuban forces that just landed, and then Phase 3 would see the combined force push east to liberate the capital city of Pendrakenville, and then Diwala.
The Phase 1a series of fights sees Lt Gouveia’s TF Black move into an area northwest of Pendrakenville, just east of Route 1. To their immediate northwest is Hill 114, the dominating terrain feature they’re looking for to establish an OP on and call in Cuban tactical air. The past two days have seen South Leon Army forces attacking FSNL troops occupying Hill 114, to no avail, and so the Cubans have stepped in to take over the area of operations. Knowing they have time as freshly landed Cuban task forces (Hammer, Bowie, Dusty, Hawk, and 23) form up and prepare for the attack on Pendrakenville, and being severely outnumbered, Lt Gouveia has made the choice to carry out operations to reduce the enemy forces in and around Hill 114 only at night, where he figures his highly trained Special Forces troops will have a significant advantage. I’ve also worked in a neat little campaign mechanic for Phase 1a.http://cubalibrewargame.blogspot.com/2018/08/operation-chunky-bandit-mini-campaign.html
Phase 1a campaign planhttp://cubalibrewargame.blogspot.com/2018/09/operation-chunky-bandit-1.html
Fight #1http://cubalibrewargame.blogspot.com/2018/09/operation-chunky-bandit-2.html
Fight #2http://cubalibrewargame.blogspot.com/2018/09/operation-chunky-bandit-3.html
Fight #3http://cubalibrewargame.blogspot.com/2018/09/operation-chunky-bandit-4.html
Fight #4http://cubalibrewargame.blogspot.com/2018/09/operation-chunky-bandit-5.html
Fight #5http://cubalibrewargame.blogspot.com/2018/09/operation-chunky-bandit-6.html
Fight #6http://cubalibrewargame.blogspot.com/2018/09/operation-chunky-bandit-7.html
Fight #7http://cubalibrewargame.blogspot.com/2018/09/operation-chunky-bandit-8.html
Fight #8http://cubalibrewargame.blogspot.com/2018/09/task-force-black-roster.html
TF Black RosterNext up is a series of fights where TF Black augments local South Leon Army forces to assault Hill 114.
V/R,
JackAll,
Current situation: It’s 0530 on 4 August 1990 in South Leon, and 1st Lt “Lobo” Gouveia has solicited the support of local South Leon Army (SLA) units to divert precious resources to carry out an operation to take Hill 114, following which Lt Gouveia’s ODA-313, AKA “Task Force Black,” will establish an Observation Post (OP) overlooking Route 1 (the major north-south artery which enemy troops are using to reinforce Pendrakenville and Diwala) and call in air strikes to halt the flow of enemy forces, which was the original plan. Lt Gouveia’s team spent the past week engaging enemy forces in vicinity of Hill 114, both inflicting and taking heavy casualties, and on the night the Cuban commandos were set to infiltrate Hill 114 and establish their OP they were ambushed on Bridge #1. Not only did the Cubans not accomplish their mission, thereby forcing the delay of the coming offensive to re-take Pendrakenville and Diwala, but they also allowed an enemy logistical column to sneak “special munitions” out of the area.
Lt Gouveia has been promised a SLA mechanized battalion, and he has secured (limited amounts of) Cuban air support. The desired end-state is joint Cuban/SLA possession of Hill 114; to that end, the SLA battalion scheme of maneuver is to probe to the northeast of Hill 114 (this fight, which is taking place directly north of the map used for Operation Chunky Bandit fights 1-8), seeking to find an opening in the enemy defenses and exploit it with a hasty attack on the objective, or go firm and secure the right flank of the attack. While this is occurring, Cuban air support will pound Hill 30 (at center right of the Op CB fights 1-8), and then SLA forces will assault and hold Hill 30 (will be Op CB #10) to secure a position to support the Hill 114 assault by fire and secure the left flank of the attack. The SLA command, of course, expects the enemy to vigorously counterattack Hill 30 (will be Op CB #11). Then SLA forces will conduct an air assault to the northwest of Hill 114 (off the map for Op CB fights 1-8 to top left) to isolate the objective, preventing withdrawal and reinforcement (this will be Op CB #12), and then the assault on Hill 114 will commence (will be Op CB #13). Again, SLA leadership presumes the enemy will vigorously counterattack if Hill 114 falls (will hopefully be Op CB #14, assuming the attack on Hill 114 succeeds, but that applies pretty much to all of these).
So Staff Sergeant “Tahoe” Gallarraga has been assigned to accompany the SLA mechanized battalion’s A Company, whose mission is to see if they can catch the enemy off guard and sneak onto the backside of Hill 114, or, if not, secure some terrain features northeast of Hill 114 in order to secure the right flank of the assault on Hill 114.
Overview, north is up. Hill 114, the ultimate objective, is at bottom left, though I wouldn’t expect the SLA troops to be able to just mosey on up there. At top center is Hill 27, at right is Hill 29, at center is village #1, top right is village #2, and at bottom right is village #3. The river is crossable, with penalty, by infantry anywhere; vehicles can only cross at the three fords (top left, top center, and bottom center), and infantry cross at the fords without penalty. Unfortunately for the SLA/Cubans, the bad guys were expecting trouble to the northeast, so they’re well prepared, with defensive positions on Hill 114 (bottom left), an outpost on Hill 27 (top center), and roving patrols between them (top left). The SLA forces had divided into two roughly equal parts: top right, and far right, with their mortar set up on the lee of Hill 29 (far right).
The opposing forces, with SLA on the right and FSNL (communist neighbors to the north) at left. The troops are all Pendraken 10mm, except the Cuban (singly-based dude at bottom center right), which is Minifigs UK. The M-113 ACAV is also Pendraken, though the M-48 is plastic from Takara. The two bunkers at bottom left are from Flashpoint Miniatures, and the sandbagged position is from Miniature Building Authority. I’m playing this series of fights (the SLA operation to take Hill 114) using Ivan Sorensen’s “Squad Hammer” rules, modified a bit.
It’s tough work cleaning out bunkers. To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
http://cubalibrewargame.blogspot.com/2018/09/operation-chunky-bandit-9.htmlAnyway, next up is the fight for Hill 45. Hill 45, you’ll recall from Operation Chunky Bandit fights numbers 4 and 5, is not a happy place, the Cubans having been dealt a bloody nose their, twice. In any case, Company B, with SSgt “Gundog” Baerga, is currently in the assembly line, preparing to step off in the attack, as Cuban F-4 Phantoms mercilessly pound Hill 45 and the village of Siagnoa.
V/R,
Jack
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