Team Yankee: 4CMBG at the Bridgehead

After finally finishing painting my Canadians for the 4 Canadian Mechanised Brigade Group (4CMBG)…

I was itching to get them on the table!

Too lazy to work up a 'historical' scenario from Kenneth Macksey's First Clash, a history of 4CMBG in WW3, I instead plumped for a generic Bridgehead Mission, 

albeit set in CENTAG on the Buhl Plateau...Given the size of my table, the zones were expanded by 25%.

The Canuck Battlegroup was centered around 3 Troops of  Leo 1s from the Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD), with 2 platoons of Mech Inf from 3rd Royal Canadian Regiment (3RCR), amply supported by mounted TOW ATGW and Blowpipe MAPADs and M109s from the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery...

with a 4 ship flight of Luftwaffe Tornadoes in support for a total of 98 points.

Given the scenario requires the defender has deep reserves, most of the Leos had to be held off table, except for one troop in ambush and the 3 ship BG HQ, which was situated to the rear covering off the most likely Soviet route of advance, which was also covered with a minefield.

The Soviet attackers from the Central Group of Forces had 223 points made of two medium sized companies of Motor Rifles mounted in BMP2s, and a 10 ship T-72 tank company, supported by ample aviation, fast air, artillery and AD assets.

The Soviet plan was simple - a Motor Rifle company would set off from each flank aiming to
reach its opposite objective via the easiest covered route. 

On the Soviet right, through the woods as far as possible then turn on the flank of the left most objective....



On the left, advance in the lee of the large copse and then regroup and assault to the front of the right hand objective.


The tanks would remain in cover in the centre, providing fire support until it was clear which objective looked most vulnerable.

Simples!

The right hand column duly set off through the woods, given a Spearhead head start by the recce BMPs

And to their left, the other MR Company also set off, soon being picked off by TOW missiles...



As planned, the T-72s stayed put, exchanging long range fire with the RCD HQ troop, also taking some interference from an expensive Tornado strike...

Expensive because of the Shilkas, who downed 2 of the 4 Tornadoes....Meanwhile, the Leo troop that was in ambush revealed itself to open up at long range on the T-72s - with absolutely no effect! I was beginning to realise why these are so cheap points wise....

Still, I'm sure it was good for the morale of the infantry dug in the same field and in the adjacent village.

Unfortunately the Soviet Frontal Aviation were soon onto them - with dire results...

Things were not looking good around the right hand objective for the Canadians...

However the first reinforcements of a Leo troop turned up in exactly the right place to nix the Motor Rifles setting up in the woods...

And they were really starting to do a job on the BMPs who had fled into the open...

And I mean a really good job...

But then those SU-25s turned up again...laughing at the Blowpipes and aiming at the Leos...



So that the area around that objective was nothing but burning AFVs....



Which encouraged the T-72s to break cover and circle around the minefield.



Over on the Soviet left the other MR company had set up in the woods opposite that objective and were ready to assault...

As yet another airstrike softened up the defences by taking out a TOW platoon...

So in they went...

And were pinned down by 3RCR'S well aimed SLR and .50 fire! 

By now the T-72s were in the village halfway between both objectives, ready to fire in a further assault...

But there was no need. Despite a desperate last strike by the sole surviving Tornado, a surviving BMP from the Recce platoon managed to crawl onto the right hand objective - Soviet win!