PENARTH CRUSADE

I had a good day at Penarth & District Wargames Club's Annual event "CRUSADE 2013" which is more of a Mini-One-day Convention with Games, Vendors, Traders, Lectures and a bring & buy.
             I ended up demonstarting this Cold War ruleset, with some fellow club members helping out and having a look around. Unfortunately 15mm producers were thin on the ground so I picked up some stuff for my WWII collection. But it was a very good chance to push the boat out, and Chris brought his "almost" US Force. I have to say, the Camo he has put on the tanks looks great, and he attributed this Armoured Acorn's Camo schemes helping him out.  He still has some more painting to do, but helpfully brought his Vietnam era M113's from the FLAMES OF WAR Vietnam Range so he was able to bring 2000 points to the board.

We did put on a large Battle in slow time over 3-4 hours just to give a sense of scale make the Battlefield look nice. I have put some little notes just to give some context, but writing a full battle-report is a bit beyond my memory.

SOVIET MOTOR-RIFLE vs US ARMY  -  CENTRAL GERMANY 3RD FED 1986.

A Soviet Motor Rifle Regiment breaks out of the main breakout and races forward at Breakneck speed, hoping to maintain the headlong, ferocious advance into the Federal Republic of Germany. They successfully shoot down an AH-1 Cobra which has been following them for several miles, waiting to pounce on them.

The Vanguard of the US V Corps has dug in ahead of the Soviets and is seeking to deny ground, Isolate and then Destroy the Soviet forward elements.

The US Forces using their superior ATGM Missiles snipe an advancing T-72 Platoon with TOW Missiles, destroying one tank outright, and crippling a second causing the crew to abandon their vehicle.  Return fire, highlights the Bradley's weak armour and one goes up in Flames. The US Infantry dives into nearest buildings and begin setting up their M47 Dragon AT missiles.

The M1 Abrams Platoon move forward from concealed positions, as they witness the toll of the TOW Missiles on the T-72 Platoon. Just one other Tank Platoon remains their key threat, but they remain out of sight. The woefully under-gunned M1 with it's 105mm gun begin firing at BMPS in cover

AT-3 Missiles streak across the battlefield, as the low pressure guns of the BMP 1 seek to cripple the Abrams Battle Tanks and allow the second T-72 Platoon to out flank and destroy the Main Battletanks.

Another Platoon of BMP's crest the rise of a Hill, and get a perfect line of sight at a pair of Bradleys Scouting for a better position to deliver their TOW's. Three AT-3 Missiles streak out and the pair of IFV are immolated in detonations, their Aluminium armour no where near the level required to stop the Missiles.

The M113 Platoon move into cover and daren't show themselves from the marauding BMP's on the nearby rise.

The loss of the two Bradley Platoons has depleted the ATGM threat and the Soviet Units Race forward, intending to sweep through the US positions and surround them or push onwards.

All hell breaks out in the centre where a BMP is hit and burning and several Troops inside are burned to death, the final Tank of the 1st Platoon is blown to pieces by a Depleted Uranium round entering through the turret ring.

At this point the second T-72 Platoon flanks the Abrams and destroy one, with a flank shot. The US armour then performs an incredibly aggressive, manoeuvre, and charge head-long through the advancing Soviet Armour. They expose their side armour to over half the Soviet Vehicles. The stunned Soviets are utterly shocked by this maneouvre, and despite firing everything they have, fail to draw a bead on the US tanks. 

The BMP's race and jump on the objective, but the M1 Abrams are not done, with three out of 4 Tanks Operational and one sitting on the objective they start to mercilessly cut the Soviet force to pieces. The T-72 Platoon is utterly destroyed, by the M1 Abrams Platoon. The BMP's fire at point blank range, bailing one crew, but the blow out panels on the Abrams Protected Ammunition mean the crew get back in and fight on. With courage borne of desperation the US Tankers, smash the BMP Force trying to capture the T-junction.

The Soviet Commander decides to push his forces towards the town in the hope of forcing the US Forces to break off....

The BTR Platoon drives up the main road at suicidal pace, and avoids the M47 Dragon Fire, their 14.7mm HMG's cut through the rear armour of the M113's. Two vehicles are bailed, but the Infantry in the building, take revenge blowing the BTR70's to pieces. Subsequently the M47 Dragons finish off the BMP Platoon on the rise, and the Soviets are almost spent.

With only 4 BMP's left, and 1 and half Platoons of Infantry a Junior Commissar leads them in a fruitless charge at the M1 Abrams platoon, who furiously gun them down with a combination of MG and .50cal fire.

Catastrophic Soviet Loss, the Soviets did have some minor successes in destroying all the Bradley Platoons and shooting down a Cobra Helicopter, but the American's were still in a Combat effective state and the Soviets were utterly shattered.

The Colonel in Command of the Motor-rifle Company, calmly took his makarov out of it's holster, cocked it,  and the final thought that went through his brain prior to the bullet was "I hope the Party leaves my family alone".