Something Rotten in Cronistria

[bigjackmac]

Thanks guys.  And Ronan, c'mon man!  I miss your batreps!!!

V/R,
Jack

[bigjackmac]

All,

It's 1145 on 4 June 1990, and things aren't looking so great in the village of Brezno.  Two days ago the Democrats and Communists fought a meeting engagement, fell back, and pounded the village with artillery.  Yesterday both sides again sent a patrol into the village, and this time Gunny Dos Santos' 1st Platoon decisively pushed the Communists back.  But as Dos Santos brought the rest of his platoon into position, the Communist artillery crashed in and pounded them for several hours, causing serious casualties.  Both sides once again ceded control of the village and fell back, then sent in small patrols to see what the heck is going on.

Owing to heavy casualties in 1st Platoon, Captain Kukoc ordered his 3rd Platoon, under SSgt Bettancourt, to send a small patrol back into Brezno to identify enemy intentions.  The Communists did the same.


The Communist machine gun gets into perfect position and cuts loose, firing an entire belt of 7.62mm rounds down the length of the Democrat patrol.  To see how the fight turned out, please check the blog at:
http://cubalibrewargame.blogspot.com/2016/04/cuba-libre-cronistria-fight-12.html

Last fight coming up.

V/R,
Jack

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Unlucky the boy! Good report Jack 

[Techno]

Great stuff, again, Jack !

Cheers - Phil

[ronan]

(...)And Ronan, c'mon man!  I miss your batreps!!!

I even didn't have time to write the batrep of the second game we had, with LeManchou, in .. february ! 
But I hope I will have some spare time now..

Thanks

[bigjackmac]

Ronan,

Well, I hope things slow down for you and you get some time for gaming and posting the reports.

V/R,
Jack

[bigjackmac]

All,

It's 1430 on 5 June 1990, and SSgt Bettancourt's 3rd Platoon, Alpha Company, is dug-in in the village of Brevno, the scene of three previous battles between the Cronistrian Democrats (led by TF Rojas) and Communists.  Once again the Communists fell back after the battle, and for the past several hours they've been pounding Brevno with artillery.  They suffer from poor coordination and control, so they don't manage to get an overwhelming force into the village as the barrage lifts, but SSgt Bettancourt's platoon has been significantly impacted by the bombardment.


The Democrats start in prepared defensive positions, but the Communists move forward aggressively and spot a Democrat near the Inn.  An RPG quickly follows the target identification.  To see the whole fight, please check the blog at:
http://cubalibrewargame.blogspot.com/2016/04/cuba-libre-cronistria-fight-13.html

In a strange twist of fate, both sides took the same amount of casualties, but the Communists managed to push the Democrats out of Brevno.  That's right: the boy got me  

That's all the fights I've played so far, but more games to come soon.

V/R,
Jack

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Sounds like a goody, your boy certainly doesn't give up easily does he?

[bigjackmac]

Nah, Lemmey, we're Americans 

The boy has been doing great, I've mostly just been luckier with the dice

V/R,
Jack

[bigjackmac]

All,

It's 0530 on 29 June 1990 and members of the Cuban Liberation Expeditionary Force are on the move in the Balkan state of Cronistria, where the Fall of the Wall has led to the disintegration of Yugoslavia and democrats are fighting communists to determine the future of Cronistria.  Cuba sent a small detachment of Special Operations forces to assist the Cronistrian Democratic Movement (CDM) back in April, and since that time the Cuban-backed CDM has made steady progress.  Most recently, the CDM pushed into the village of Brezno, several kilometers southwest of the capital of Miran.  While the assault ultimately devolved into a stalemate, the fighting proved the CDM had matured into a bona fide force capable of succeeding, and so Cuban leadership decided reinforce the CDM with conventional armored forces.  A battalion-sized element consisting of two mechanized infantry companies and a tank company was dispatched to Cronistria, arriving on 20 June 1990.

Nine days later the force, now combined with the Cuban SOF and identified, by the name of its commander, as Task Force Galban, is ready to move.  TF Galban is broken down into the SOF element and three mixed battlegroups, each named after its commander.  Each battlegroup has a platoon of tanks (actually, wheeled armored vehicles packing a 105mm cannon), two platoons of mechanized infantry (in wheeled armored vehicles), attached heavy weapons (mortars, machine guns, and ATGMs), and reconnaissance elements (in HMMWVs and Scimitars).  TF Galban is set to begin Operation Chokehold, wherein the Cubans will skirt Brezno to the northwest, semi-isolating it and Miran, allowing Brezno to be reduced by CDM troops and opening the road to taking the capital.

This operation, which will consist of between eight and sixteen separate fights, is played in 6mm, with troops from GHQ and buildings from JR Minis, using Ivan's "5Core Company Command" rules.


Overview of map,  north is up, the town of Kacak, with its key bridge, at center, and Hill 121 at left.


The opposing forces, with Communists on the left and Cubans on the right.  I just realized I don't have the command stands for either force present...

The Cuban force, which consists of the company commander, Lt Aguilera (not pictured), six rifle stands (each is a squad, so two platoons), a Milan ATGM, a HUMMWV with TOW ATGM, and an AMX-10RC.  The Communists have six rifle stands (each is a squad, so two platoons' worth), a T-62, and a command stand (not pictured).  The Communists are on the defensive and will begin the game hidden.


Some bad guys look down on barbecued HMMWV.  To check out the fight, please check the blog at:
http://cubalibrewargame.blogspot.com/2016/11/cuba-libre-cronstria-fight-14.html

I played a total of four fights this weekend for Operation Chokehold.  I figured the entire Op would be about six or eight fights, but it's looking like it will be even more than that, as I hadn't really planned on getting kicked off a map (SPOILER ALERT!).  But I don't care, I'm having a blast, feels like the old Cuba Libre "War of Liberation," in which  I went for 32 total fights.  I figure this Op will last me another two weekends.  So stand by for the next three batreps from this weekend.

V/R,
Jack

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Ouch! Quite some scrap there Jack!

I notice the preponderance of flat roofed buildings in Cronistria, I thought that with the inclement winter weather, they tended to use more pitched, orange, pan-tile roofing?

[toxicpixie]

You're thinking of the other Balkans, Will. This is the one on the south-west side with the good weather and sunshine

Is Lt. Aguilera called Chris, at all?!

[Techno]

Excellent stuff, Jack.

Cheers - Phil

[fred.]

Good stuff Jack, I'm impressed at the shear number of linked games you go for!

[bigjackmac]

 Lemmey - Yeah, pretty rough fight.  The buildings are flat roofed because Cronistrians are lazy and flat roofs are easier to build.

TP - Yes, Lt Aguilera used to be pretty hot, but hasn't aged well

Phil - Thanks man!

Fred - Part of the reason I do Imagi-Nations is it allows me do whatever I want, as my wargaming whims sway to and fro.  Cronistria started out as 20mm SF action, morphed into 15mm modern skirmish action, and has now evolved into 6mm company-level action.  Not really a well thought out plan, but it works for me

V/R,
Jack