Edinburgh

Rick stopped by in the evening to play some more Force on Force. I had a little more time to prepare – and we had a little more time to play – so I cooked up something a little more elaborate than the game I’d played earlier in the day…

SITUATION

September 1984

There has been fierce fighting for the last two weeks in Edinburgh, Scotland, since the Soviet 76^th Guards Airborne Division landed. As the Soviets supplies dwindled the UK forces have been slowly gaining the upper hand. UK forces have been clearing pockets of resistance in outlying neighborhoods.

SCENARIO

Duration: 8 turns

Initiative: Soviets have initiative.

Fog of War: Determined normally by Reaction Tests

Table Size: 5’x4’

BRITISH MISSION

Cordon and sweep the area for Soviets – don’t let them escape!

BRITISH VICTORY POINTS

1VP per Soviet Seriously Wounded, KIA or POW

5VP if no soviets leave the western edge of the table.

BRITISH FORCE

Initiative Level: D8

Confidence Level: Confident

Supply Level: Normal

Body Armour: None

Troop Quality/Morale: D8/D10

British Forces – elements of the 1^st Bn Royal Highland Regiment (the Black Watch)

Blocking Party (starts on table)

Sergeant Anderson - SMG

Section No.1

LCpl. Gilchrist –SLR

Gunner – L4 Bren

Assistant Gunner – SLR

Rifleman - SLR

Section No.2

Cpl. Ross –SLR

Gunner – GPMG

Assistant Gunner – SLR

Rifleman – SLR

SF-GPMG Team

Gunner – SF-GPMG

Loader – SLR

(Weapons Team Bonus)

Sweeping Party – Enters East Edge of table starting on Turn Four

Command Section

Lt. Paterson – SMG

Signaler – Pte. Young - SLR

Medic – Cpl. Todd

Section No.3

Cpl. Stewart

Gunner – L$ Bren

Assistant Gunner – SLR

Rifleman – SLR

Section No.4

LCpl. McLaren

3xRifleman – SLR

Section No.5

LCpl. Craig – SLR

3xRifleman – SLR

Section No.6

LCpl. Watt – SLR

3xRifleman – SLR

Section No.7

Cpl. Ritchie – SLR

Gunner – GPMG

Assistant Gunner – SLR

Rifleman – SLR

Section No.8

Cpl. McQueen– SLR

Gunner – L4 Bren

Assistant Gunner – SLR

Rifleman – SLR

SOVIET MISSION

A large British force is approaching from the east. The soviets cannot let themselves be surrounded and destroyed they must escape off the western table edge.

SOVIET VICTORY POINTS

1VP per British Seriously Wounded, KIA or POW

5VP if half the Soviet force can make it off the western table edge by the end of Turn Eight.

SOVIET FORCE

Initiative Level: D8

Confidence Level: Confident

Supply Level: Low

Body Armour: None

Troop Quality/Morale: D8/D8

Red Forces – Elements Soviet 237^th Airborne Brigade

Leytenant Borris Pavylchenko– AK-74

Sniper – Ryadovoy Khalipov - SVD

Team No.1

Team Leader Serzhant Bobrov– AK-74

Gunner – RPG

Assistant Gunner – AK-74

Rifleman – AK-74

Team No.2

Team Leader Serzhant Yeltsov – AK-74

Gunner – PKM machine gun

Assistant Gunner Serzhant Laskutin – AK-74

Rifleman – AK-74

Team No.3

Team Leader Serzhant Pushkin – AK-74

Gunner – RPG

Assistant Gunner – AK-74

Rifleman – AK-74

Team No.4

Team Leader Serzhant Ahernikov – AK-74

Gunner – PKM machine gun

Assistant Gunner – AK-74

Rifleman – AK-74

Team No.5

Team Leader Serzhant Ikashev – AK-74

Gunner – RPG

Assistant Gunner – AK-74

Rifleman – AK-74

THE GAME

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)

SF-GPMG team looks out over a desolate street in Edinburgh.

The blocking party set up. The SF-GPMG team is in the bottom right corner The rest of the blocking party is further ahead. To the left is LCpl. Gilchrist’s section, to the right is Cpl. Ross’ section, and between them is Sergeant Anderson commanding the blocking force.

Soviets fleeing the searchers move towards the blocking element. 

From left to right; Serzhant Bobrov’s team, Serzhant Yeltsov ‘s team, and Serzhant Pushkin’s team with Leytenant Pavylchenko and Khalipov the sniper. Ikashev and Ahernikov team’s were on the other side of the road

TURN ONE

LCpl. Gilchrist’s section spotted the first of the Soviet paratroopers moving towards them and opened fire on Serzhant Bobrov’s team. In the exchange one of Gilchrist’s section was shot.

TURN TWO

The casualty in LCpl. Gilchrist’s section turned out to be very seriously wounded and the section spent the turn trying to patch him up.

Khalipov the sniper set himself up on overwatch… kind of out in the open…

Serzhant Bobrov’s team surged ahead. Cpl. Ross’ section made to fire on them but Khalipov the sniper decided to interrupt first.

Khalipov’s shots only drew Ross’ section attention and in the exchange the sniper went down.

In the exchange of fire between Cpl. Ross’ section and Serzhant Bobrov’s team each took one casualty.

Meanwhile the other soviet teams were rushing up the road.

How things looked at the end of Turn Two. I think the SF-GPMG had tried to react to Serzhant Bobrov’s team rushing out into the road and failed so they were so busy looking over in that direction to see where they had gotten to that they totally missed the three other soviet teams rushing up the road toward them!?

TURN THREE

The casualty in Cpl. Ross’ section turned out to be only lightly wounded and back up on the firing line in no time. The downed man in Serzhant Bobrov’s team, however, was more seriously injured, and the team had to halt there, in the middle of the road, to attend to him. Luckily Serzhant Yeltsov‘s team was right behind them and ready to charge past into the fray.

The GPMG team opened up as Serzhant Yeltsov‘s team ran out from between the two ruined buildings – but had little effect. LCpl. Gilchrist’s section, the target of their attempted close assault laid down some withering defensive fire and took down the man in front of Yeltsov, who flew back and knocked the two over. More or less ending the charge before it even got started!?

LCpl. Gilchrist’s section then turned their attention to the Soviet paratroopers in the street to their right. Serzhant Ikashev’s team made a dash for cover, and LCpl. Gilchrist’s section let them have it. Three soviets were shot down in the exchange, but one of LCpl. Gilchrist’s men was also hit.

The intensity of the combat kicked up a notch as the section continued to engage the other Soviet teams moving in the street. When the dust had settled Cpl. Ross’ section had taken two casualties, failed morale twice and fallen back from their original position, and the SF-GPMG team had been wiped out, in exchange for only one more soviet casualty.

TUNR FOUR

The casualty in LCpl. Gilchrist’s section was only lightly wounded. And the “casualties” in Cpl. Ross’ section – whose screaming had forced him to abandon his original position, turned out to be completely okay. (Pte. Niven had been hit in one of his kidney pouches where he kept a bottle of ketchup – he simply cannot each ANYTHING without ketchup- and the exploding bottle had covered him and his mate Pte. McLurg with red paste and left then screaming thinking they’d both been hit). Despite that, they spent the turn “regrouping” – probably laughing themselves silly for a moment while lying in cover.

Serzhant Ikashev’s team had suffered two seriously injured and one lightly wounded. Serzhant Pushkin’s team had also suffered one lightly wounded. Serzhant Ahernikov’s team has taken cover behind a pile of rubble in the street.

The man in Serzhant Yeltsov‘s team who had been shot as they leapt out to charge had been shot dead.

Things went badly for the Soviets at this point as nearly the whole sweeping party arrived, hot on their heels!

(from left to right, above, are: Cpl. Stewart’s section, LCpl. McLaren’s section, LCpl. Craig’s section, LCpl. Watt’s section, the command section with Lt. Paterson, and finally, in the bottom right corner, Cpl. Ritchie’s section)

Again the soviets in front of LCpl. Gilchrist’s section attempted to enter close assault. This time it was Serzhant Bobrov’s team. This time Gilchrist’s section’s defensive fire was not so effective – and there was no one else to give them any support.

In two quick rounds LCpl. Gilchrist’s section, along with Sergeant Anderson, were wiped out. They had only caused one soviet casualty…

Elsewhere, Serzhant Ahernikov’s team, was wiped out in and exchange of wire with LCpl. McLaren’s Section and LCpl. Craig’s section. One of LCpl. McLaren’s men was also shot in the exchange.

Serzhant Pushkin’s team made a dash for cover, exchanging fire with LCpl. Craig and LCpl. Watt’s sections. One of Pushkin’s men fell as they ran and one of LCpl. Craig’s men was shot.

Serzhant Yeltsov‘s team prepares to scarper as Cpl. Ritchie’s section  moves into a firing position.

TURN FIVE

The Soviet wounded in the close assault was only lightly injured. The three members of LCpl. Gilchrist’s section that were still standing when the soviet overran their position were killed instantly. Sergeant Anderson had been overpowered and captured, stripped of his weapon, then summarily executed.

Serzhant Pushkin’s man turned out to be totally okay. The man that had fallen had only stumbled on loose rubble in the street.

The chap in LCpl. Craig’s section that had been hit also turned out to be totally okay. The casualty in LCpl. McLaren’s section, however, was quite seriously wounded.

What remained of Serzhant Ikashev’s team went on overwatch.

Serzhant Yeltsov‘s team scarpered before Cpl. Ritchie’s section could lay down some effective fire.

Cpl. Ross’ section’s laugh-fest ended abruptly when they realized LCpl. Gilchrist’s section had been annihilated and they were now taking fire from Serzhant Bobrov’s team. Cpl. Ross’ section returned the fire taking down one of Serzhant Bobrov’s men.

Serzhant Pushkin’s team dashed from the cover of the building to the rubble heap in the middle of the road. LCpl. Craig and LCpl. Watt’s sections reacted and Serzhant Ikashev’s overwatching team interrupted LCpl. Craig’s sections fire. Two of LCpl. Craig’s men were injured, and int eh exchange between Serzhant Pushkin’s team and LCpl. Watt’s section, both suffered one casualty.

The state of things at the end of Turn Five.

What a mess. Time is running out for the Soviets!

In the End Phase the British Command team made a dash towards the road so that Cpl. Todd, the medic, might be able to assist with LCpl. Craig’s casualties.

TURN SIX

LCpl. Craig’s section suffered one lightly wounded and one seriously wounded. Cpl. Watt’s team only suffered one Lightly wounded. Serzhant Pushkin’s man was okay – clumsy bastard just keeps tripping over everything!? Finally the casualty in Serzhant Bobrov’s team was only lightly wounded.

Serzhant Yeltsov‘s team continues to run for it!

Serzhant Bobrov’s team continues to exchange fire with Cpl. Ross’ section. Three of Serzhant Bobrov’s are injured in the intense, close range firefight.

Serzhant Ikashev’s team tries to make a break for it but are shot down by LCpl. McLaren and LCpl. Watt’s sections.

Serzhant Pushkin’s team makes a dash straight up the road but the intervening rubble prevents any of the british from getting a clear shot.

TURN SEVEN

All three of the casualties in Serzhant Bobrov’s team are seriously wounded – including Serzhant Bobrov himself.

Lt. Paterson, who had moved up to the soviet snipers position at the end of the last turn, found him to be seriously wounded.

Serzhant Yeltsov‘s team makes a break for the table edge – fire from Cpl. Ross’ section takes down two of them, but the third passes morale and drags his wounded comrades across the table edge with him. One turned out to be okay, the other was seriously wounded.

Serzhant Pushkin’s team exchanged fire with LCpl. McLaren’s section taking one casualty before making it to cover near the original SF-GPMG position

TURN EIGHT

Serzhant Pushkin’s team member they had dragged from the street turned out to be dead. They found the two British GPMG guners to be only lightly wounded, but shot them down where they’d been cowering under cover. The three remaining Paratroopers then fled off the table… but not before Cpl. Ross’ section could put some bullets in the backs of two of them – seriously wounding them!

The remaining member of Serzhant Bobrov’s team tried to fire the teams RPG at Cpl. Ross’ section but was gunned down before he could finish loading. He was killed in an instant….

British

KIA: 6

Seriously Wounded: 2

Lightly Wounded: I lost track… a couple…

Soviets

16 Seriously wounded, Killed in Action, and other POWs left on the table.

Of those than made it off only three were okay the other three were seriously wounded.

The British scored 19 victory points for all those wounded, dead and prisoners, but were denied the additional bonus five for not allowing any soviets to escape.

The soviets didn’t even get close to half their troops off the table and only scored 9 points for the seriously wounded and dead they suffered upon the British (or Scots, rather…).

A good game. I’m starting to get a better sense of the game. Not one Fog of War card came out – though I think we may have missed one opportunity in the excitement of the moment…

In terms of scenario design, I think if I'd staggered the arrival of the British sweeping party things might have been a bit more challenging for the British and not so harsh for the Soviets.... 

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

I have a big batch of Modern Germans on the workbench I’m plugging away at for some reason. It seemed like a good idea at the time I started…?

I really need to work on some terrain and vehicles…