FOAN: Golani Dusk

For this 'lock-down' solo Fate of a Nation game, I wanted to use the Golan Heights Clash scenario from Oil War, which is a scenario played at Dusk.

We are revisiting the scene of many intense armoured actions, the key crossroads between Merom Golan and Kuneitra which lies on the dusty plateau between Spot Heights 1211 and 1171, Mount Hermonit and Booster Ridge respectively. The Syrians are making a major armoured incursion, short of all-out invasion, to interfere with Israeli irrigation work in the vicinity of the Bental Reservoir. Winter 1970, during the long War of Attrition.

A few rocky outcrops and the ancient irrigation channel form the only ground of tactical significance. Transferring the scenario from a 6 x 4 to a 8 x 6 sized table, the 2 objectives the Syrians had to gain by Turn 6 were spread proportionally further apart:

The Syrian elements of the 70th Armoured Brigade (Assad Republican Guard) are centred around 2 x T-55 tank companies and a T-62 tank company. The spearhead is provided by a detachment of PT-76 light tanks. A company of Motor Rifles with attached ATGW platoon are also present, as is ample rocket artillery support. 143 points:

The defenders of Merom Golan are the active duty reservists of a company of the 8th Armoured Brigade (Hativa Shmoneh) principally armed with M51 Shermans.

However, they are a well balanced force also consisting of infantry, artillery teams, with fast air support, and, almost as an after thought, have a detachment of recoilless rifle armed jeeps on active duty and on-station - these would prove to have undue significance! Altogether 144 points:

One of the platoons of M51s was deployed in ambush, another, along with a platoon of Magach 6's, and the SPs, were in immediate reserve.

With nowhere obvious to place them, the recoilless rifle jeeps were placed adjacent to the objective nearer to the Syrians, sheltered in the dead ground of the irrigation channel...

For their part, the Syrians gave rather more thought to the positioning of their artillery assets...

And made full use of the Spearhead potential of the light tanks:

The two T-55 companies, closest to the camera above, would concentrate on the nearer objective, whilst the T-62s and Motor Rifles would await developments advancing along the MSR.

The winter sun's last rays provided enough illumination for the Syrian tankers and Sagger missile operators to close with...

and obtain first hit kills on the thin-skinned Israeli M-52s, which had been left too little time to spring their ambush...

However the survivors gave back an eye for an eye, and a protracted tank shoot out transpired. Whilst the Ishermans were firing two volleys for every Syrian, they were outnumbered and their armour outclassed...

However the Sagger gunners up on the hill behind the Syrian tank force was something the Israeli's could do something about - a flight of 4 A4 Skyhawks appeared...dodged the Syrian MAPAD SAMs...

Ranged in...

And cut loose with their cluster munitions...

No more Saggers to worry about!

Meanwhile astride the MSR, the T-62s were also hunting for prey...

And were forced to deploy early to deal with some pesky Ishermans on their flank...

Ideally before the Israeli reserves made their presence felt - these Magachs actually have useful armour!

Wasting no time, the Magach's raced to form an anvil with the ancient Ishermans...

Forming a nice little kill sack full of T-62s...

With predictable results!

The action as a whole was'nt going well for the Israeli defenders though. Whilst the further objective now looked safe, their were far too many T-55s swarming near the far one for comfort...

And they had taken a toll of Ishermans...

As the last of the Israeli reserves rolled into line - the SPGs...

Dusk fell...

Having cleared the left flank of T-62s, the Magach's raced over to help secure the other objective.

Which was now only being defended by one lone Isherman and the recoilless rifles!

And the artillery crews in direct fire!

Sensing victory, the Syrian tankers pushed onto the objective...

However the Magachs had now appeared onscene...

And adding their fire to the recoilless rifles and direct fire artillery...

All the Syrians on the objective were destroyed - a close run battle!