Cold War Campaign

[Si Tyler]

Finally managed to get time to start the Cold War campaign again.

A real formation (28th Army) but with some "fantasy" WP and Soviet units assigned to it up against elements of NORTHAG in the form of Brits, Belgians and West Germans.  Map scale is 4km to a Hex and a game turn is 12 hours.  The game premise is based (out of the box) on a no notice deployment from barracks of WP forces with NATO caught in their barracks.

After the WP first movement phase (each side can keep pushing in alternate phases with a variable number of phases making up a turn - the phases alternate until both sides pass the opportunity to do anything else and in in the game mechanism doing something causes friction and units only have a finite level of friction. Regiments get 5 Pts, Bns get 4pts and Coys get 3pts. I costs on FP to attack and at the end of the phase if you have done anything you gain an FP as well; So we might see NATO and the WP both go for 3 phases each) this is the general situation.



NATO response



Background and changes are on the Blog as usual

http://cag19.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Central%20Front

[petercooman]

"...and 10 MSD is having real trouble clearing out the Belgian recce forces"

OF course they are, they're from belgium 


Nice stuff!

Cheers
Peter, slightly biased and proud Belgian 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Belgian recee, best in the world!
I always used to use them for Challenger!

[Si Tyler]

So end of phase 3 and 4 (WP 2nd Op phase and NATO 2nd Op phase).



10 MSD has made no headway at all and I can image the Div Commander being replaced. however it is stopped the Belgian screen from interfering further North.
6 MSD has also made little progress against the 1st Armoured Div Tracked Regiment Regiment either.  30mm Rarden vs BTR-60
207 MRD in the North has also ground to a stalemate against elements of 1st Panzer Division.
35 MRD despite showing promise has now bumped into the British 4th Armoured Division and again needs to re-org before continuing.

From the NATO Perspective, things which looked bad first thing in the morning are now only slightly so dangerous.  33rd Armoured Brigade seems to be about to be bloodied holding off 35 MRD with 20th Armd Bde supporting.  11th Armoured are a bit light with 4/7DG still recovering from the WP airstrikes at first light.

North, 1st Armoured Div is in a good position but is still missing 12th Armoured who are wending there way across the German country side.

I think that both sides will probably go end of turn at this point.  The WP gets to bring on 12 GTD probably to support the push of 35 MRD. NATO on the other hand are looking for the next brigade of the Belgian 16th Infantry Division from Siegen to arrive. 

[Hertsblue]

Impressive game, Si. 

Is it purely a board-game, or do you fight some of the actions on the table?

[Si Tyler]

The idea is to use the Operational level of the board game to generate the on table engagements.

For example at this point, and it is early, we have the following possibilities for on table games:

SCOTS DG Battle Group (33 ARMDBDE) engaged in a meeting engagement with the Independent Tank Battalion from 35 MRD which will be reinforced by the Lead MR Bn from 69 MRR of 35 MRD.  Due to the speed of the advance there is no Divisional artillery support, Avn or Air Support.  SCOTS DG (Royal Scots Dragoon Guards)

1 RRW Battle Group (20 ARMDBDE) engaged in a meeting engagement with a NVA Motorisiert-Schutzen Regiment from 6 MSD which if repulsed will have to launch a hasty attack.  So BTR-60 and T-55 with D-30 guns up against a mixed BG of 1 Sqn of Chieftains and 2 Coys of Mech Infantry. (1 RRW - 1st Battalion Royal Regiment of Wales)

RHG/D Battle Group (20 ARMDBDE) in defensive positions astride the route of march of the 6 MSDs Tank Regiment (with only a BMP Coy attached).  (RHG/D is the correct designation on maps for the Blues and Royals - Royal Horse Guards/1st Dragoons.  (This BG could either by 3 Sqns of Chieftains and a Mech Inf Coy, or 2 Sqns and Mech Inf Coy as I haven't found out for certain if it was a Type 43 or Type 57 Armoured Regiment, but you can try either configuration out).

14 Pz Bn (1st Pz Gr Bde of 1st Pz Div) supported by a Coy group from the Div Recon Bn,  being attacked from the line of march by 33 MRR of 207 MRD

The idea is to give context to on table engagements and means that you can play a number of different scale engagements in differing scales using different rules as the fancy takes you (and whatever is in your model collection).

[Hertsblue]

Sounds exciting. Only one thing bothers me though, 35 Motor Rifle has committed the Independent Tank Battalion (the Divisional Commander's bodyguard) already. Things must be desperate. 

[Si Tyler]

The game as provided didn't have the concept of forward detachments or advanced guards, or even battle groups and combat teams for NATO. I have used the ind TK bn counter to represent this at the expense of  of some reality.  As I have created the overlays to go on the base map anything is possible and as I am soloing it I can add as much complexity as needed.  So might add another icon in and keep the "reserve" for when things get really desperate