Team Whiskey – Fulda Gap Batrep 4 Part I

[Just Jack]

All,

It’s 0700 on 4 August 1986, and Team Whiskey, as part of the beat up 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, is in full retreat. But the Soviet 8th Guards Army, which had taken an operational pause and been counterattacked yesterday by 11th ACR, never halted its reconnaissance assets, and the Soviet recon assets quickly noted 11th ACR’s withdrawal from its forward defensive positions in preparation for a speedy withdrawal to its next line of defense. The 8th Guards Army quickly switched over to the attack, flinging its armored formations forward in pursuit of the fleeing NATO forces.

In this, 11th ACR was quite fortunate. The Soviets, in their haste to turn an orderly withdrawal into a route, and without good prior route reconnaissance into unfamiliar terrain, had gaps appear between their advance guard and forward detachments. With aerial reconnaissance and surveillance alerting them to the Soviet armored thrusts, Lt Col Lacy quickly issued orders. Captain Sighe, formerly the the Battalion S-6 (Communications) but now running India Company’s 1st Mechanized Infantry Platoon, already had his platoon dug-in in the West German village of Bad Stulz as Team Whiskey’s rear guard.

Lt Col Lacy, Team Whiskey’s Commanding Officer, quickly dispatched TOWs, machine guns, and the 81mm mortars of Weapons Company, as well as 1st Lt Roberts’ 3rd Tank Platoon, which Charlie Company’s Commanding Officer is accompanying. Due to current unit locations, Weapons Company will reach Captain Sighe’s India Mech Co, 1st Platoon before Lt Roberts’ tank platoon.

So, Captain Sighe’s 1st Platoon, with Weapons Company MGs, TOWs, and mortars in direct support, is lying in wait, with a tank platoon on the way, as a Soviet armored column comes flying down the road, oblivious (due to the loss of contact with their reconnaissance) that US troops have filtered into the gap and are preparing to ambush them.

I only got one game in this weekend, and once again I’ve got a busy schedule at work, kids’ schoolwork, and baseball, so I’m forced to again release my batrep in two parts.

The opposing forces, with US on the right and Soviets on the left. As you can see, the Soviets have quite a bit more troops than Team Whiskey. Neither side has air or arty in this engagement. The US force, with one Command Stand (Captain Sighe), four rifle teams, five TOWs, five MGs, a mortar platoon, and five M1 Abrams (the Company Commander, Captain Lemmey, and platoon commander 1st Lt Roberts).
The Soviet force, with two Command Stands (a Commanding Officer and an Executive Officer, in a BTR-50 and BMP-2, respectively), four platoons of tanks, and four platoons of BMPs with infantry.

The table, looking south to north, with the US baseline on left (west) and Soviet on right (east), with the US basically spread around the crossroads and the Soviets entering via the road at top right.

Fight’s on! TOWs open up on the Soviet armored column, wreaking havoc. To see the first part of the batrep, please visit the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2015/09/team-whiskey-fulda-gap-batrep-4-part-i.html

Stay with me, the conclusion is coming as soon as possible, and the fight is knock-down, drag-out once again.

V/R,
Jack

[kyoteblue]

Pity the US had no mine fields to deploy….and mortars could have walked up and down the Soviet road column……Oh and I like your lichen woods better than the square based woods….But not bad…from the Russian point of view.

[Sparker]

Jack’s scenery is awesome for micro scale – I think his approach to coniferous woods is as good as any I’ve seen in that scale, but the massed lichen looks superb for deciduous woods.

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[War Panda]

Bow wow!!! Bow, wow, wow, bow….

Let’s get real here.

Jack we have been friends in the past. And then enemies. Then back to friends. Then really bitter enemies. Then acquaintances. Then deadly enemies. After reading this I am forced to put aside all our many differences: You are a pretend solider. I am a mighty Celtic warrior with an extensive history playing soccer (not mixed…unless you include Scots)  You were born in the US of A. You live in Texas. I was born in Ireland. I do not live in Texas. Your lovely family has been forced (presumably against their will) to stay and live in Texas. I on the other hand have moved my family (against their will) to a part of Canada that has fewest Scots. All of these things considered it is obvious that I am your natural superior in every way and yet..

After reading this AAR I have become your humble servant (not too humble) and friend.

Being serious for a change:

Jack, you are an amazing person that goes to massive length’s to educate and entertain. This is an amazing report. Amazing photos; I agree with Sparker and Blue: the forest are delicious but not deciduous. I can understand the pine trees on stands (they in the heart of the battle zone and may need to be moved?)

Getting more serious:

These reports are getting so damn good I feel my own efforts are a sham and a cartoonish representation of war. (and that’s exactly what they are) I genuinely feel educated and inspired as I read.

Getting mad serious:

You produce the best AAR’s I’ve read.

Getting ridiculously serious:

Please bring back the troll bridge and silly hills so I can mock you

I actually have a question (if your still reading..)

“I know, I’ll have the two TOWs sprint north (left), where they can set up to engage Soviets coming ’round the north (gap in trees at top center), or fire into the flank of Soviets pushing up the middle (gap in trees off camera to right).  A great plan potentially, but the TOWs sprinted and didn’t make it to cover.”

So I see the plan but I’m slightly confused why you did what you did? This is I presume the random “friction” mechanism of the rules kicking in?

Jack, you’re a seriously selfless individual that tirelessly gives to the community of wargamers . I’m really glad you do. In regards to creating a batrep I wish I had the knowledge and experience of war that you do. But everyday I thank God that there are individuals like you that meant that I never had to gain the knowledge and experience of war that you did.

BTW the models are so well painted and look just great at this level of wargame…I’m getting that itch to start 6mm or 10mm microgaming but I don’t have the will to strart another project…next year 😉

Thanks again for this brilliant report

“The great Gaels of Ireland are the men that God made mad,
For all their wars are merry, and all their songs are sad.”

[Rod Robertson]

Holy Cow, Panda! I think you have a man-crush! Might I point out that Alberta is the Canadian province most like Texas, so you’re not that different from Just Jack, you old cowboy-wannabe!

Jack:

Don’t think I’m not getting back to you about TW Bat. Rep. 4. I am dying to read it but I’m saving it for when I can savour it and dissect it with my usual forensic, fine-toothed comb. And despite the Panda’s shameless toadying and obsequious fawning, the kernel of truth in that syrupy, saccharine deluge of misguided Irish idolatry is that your games and reports are without equal and we all appreciate your tireless efforts and unbridled enthusiasm to share your joy of wargaming. So, I too will take this opportunity to once again salute you and thank you for your weekly ‘going of the extra distance’ to provide us all with such excellent offerings. You never skate, you always run full out and you kick in the door every time. A big BZ to you, Marine!

Cheers and Great Gaming!

Rod Robertson.

[kyoteblue]

Read faster Rod !!!!

[Just Jack]

Okay, what the hell is going on here???

First, thanks Kyote and Sparker, I appreciate it.

Panda – What the hell was that?  With the first part, what the hell are you talking about?  The only thing I’m mad about is you breaking down the table I was whooping Ivan on to play My Little Pony.  The second part: well, if you’re serious (and it’s always hard to tell with you), thanks a bunch.  But you did go a bit overboard 😉

Regarding the one actual wargame question (why did I move two teams of TOW1 north?):

So, the two TOW teams in question are at far left (blue beads), just short of the treeline off camera to left, and the photo is looking west to east.  The two TOW teams had initially set up and fired from the top edge of the cluster of trees at center.  So, first things first, the TOWs have got to move as everyone in the world just saw the flash and crap thrown up in the air, so they fell straight back (west, towards the bottom of the photo).  Falling back to the building at center right (gray with orange roof) won’t work because 1) by the time the TOWs get in there and reload, the Soviet mech units (top center right) will be inside the TOWs’ minimum range and will quickly overrun them, not to mention the bunching up that will occur, making them an even juicier/easier target.

If the TOWs fall straight back (down/west), they will not make it to the treeline at bottom center-right in one move (just like the didn’t make it into the treeline at far left/north, in one move).  But the difference here is this: the Soviets are intent on pushing Mech  units up the road at far right, infantry straight through the trees at center, and tanks (currently just visible at top center) coming left around the trees at center, then coming straight into the US rear (coming down the photo).  So, moving north allows TOW1 to physically get out of the way of the Soviet Mech units and infantry, and out of the ‘line of concern’ of the Soviet tanks that will be rounding the corner.  If the TOWs moved west, they would be lucky to not be eaten up by enemy infantry or BMPs, and if they did make it to the treeline, by the time they got reloaded the Soviet tanks would be inside their minimum range.

So, by moving north, they are putting themselves in a defilade position to let the Soviet tanks go by (moving west/down), then fire into their flanks, keeping the range open and not placing them in a position to be overrun.  As a matter of fact, they could even fire then displace further north, or even east, to continue supporting the main effort of delaying the Soviet advance.  The friction comes in 1) when you’re unit gets to activate, and 2) how far they’ll be able to move.

So that’s that.  The funniest thing about this is that two guys from Canada are trying to make fun of Texas???  I’d go farther down that path, but I don’t have the time you and Rod apparently do, so I’ll sit back and observe the two of you slap fight over what color lipstick you look best in, and keep working on my batreps, that are apparently gifts to the entire human population 😉

And thanks Rod.  I think; again, I can never really tell with you two!  You both certainly swung the pendulum too far this-a-way…

V/R,
Jack

[kyoteblue]

A Scot and an Irishman both in Canada……..Talkin bout Texas…….shame….

[War Panda]

Ha ha…I read my post to my wife and niece this morning and I couldn’t contain my laughter…they were like, “John aren’t you embarrassed to post that?”

But I take nothing back…I meant every word!

And I didn’t go “overboard” at all Mr Jack. Just makin’ it real 🙂

Thanks for your clarification about the TOW moving north; I really wasn’t sure if it was an intended strategy or imposed by the rules. Makes sense now…

Can I please ask Rod to give some real input into these reports rather than loitering with complete lack of intent to make any real contribution to the amazing work that Mr Jack has made…and don’t get me started about his lipstick

 

 

“The great Gaels of Ireland are the men that God made mad,
For all their wars are merry, and all their songs are sad.”

[Rod Robertson]

Just Jack:

A very exciting and well written report so far. The images of the Soviet flying columns barreling along road and into the US kill zone were ominous and foreboding. I thought that the Soviets would suffer far more heavy casualties right off the bat. But they didn’t and the battle has developed into one hellova fight. Looking forward to part two where I am going in a few hours so until then I have just one question. What are you basing your infantry on? Are the washers? Pennies? Electric box slugs? You have probably mentioned this already but I have forgotten. Despite all the micro vehicles I have, I own no infantry like yours and therefore I need to buy, paint and mount bunches of micro troops before I can restart large scale actions once again. I blame you and you inspiring reports and also Ivan and his interesting rules for this new burden which I must take up! But this is gladly a cross I’d bear, …., rather than” Gladly – the cross-eyed bear”!?! Sorry for the mental tangent there, and I must learn to choose my words more carefully! Keep up the inspiring work as it is always appreciated and enjoyed here in the frozen north.

Cheers and good gaming.

Rod Robertson.

[kyoteblue]

There you go ragging on Bears….for shame Rod !!!!

[Just Jack]

Well, thanks guys, I appreciate it.  And Gladly, the troops are based on pennies, though if I was smarter I’d have gone with washers to that I could put them in some sort of magnetized container for storage, just to make life a little easier.

Regarding the Soviet columns, yeah man, they were in hot pursuit, and then ran into some unexpected trouble, but were able to adapt pretty quickly on the fly due to battle drill; rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.  That’s not something in the rules, that’s just what’s going on in my head that influences how I carry out the actions of the Soviet forces.

I got two games in, with batreps on the way.  I should have the first one, a ‘one-parter,’ posted tomorrow night, then it looks like the second one is real big and will have to be a two-parter.

V/R,
Jack

[Author]

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