Began a test scenario of a "veteran" USMC BLT+ attacking a "competant" Iranian Revolutionary Guards Infantry Brigade on a map of the greater New Bern, NC area. See general map here.

 

The game starts with Opfor with an infantry battalion in the vicinity of Cove City, SApring Hope, and New Bern itself. The artillery battalion is in the vicinity of Chip. The armored reconnaissance company is screening to the south centered on Pollacksville. The USMC forces are conducting an advance to contact with a BLT OBJ 1 being the airfield at New Bern and with the MEU OBJ A being Washington.

 

First turn, an LAR Company with a 155mm battery in DS engaged an Opfor Armored Reconnaissance Company with its 122mm battalion in DS in the vicinity of Pollacksville.

 

Within an hour of game time, LAR was reinforced with a mechanized infantry company and the Opfor Recon Company was forced to withdraw into New Bern proper. It suffered approximately 2% losses. During this time the majority of the remainder of the BLT moved up into the Croatan, Pollacksville and Phillips Crossroad.

 

At that time, preparations were begun for a deliberate attack into the Cove City area to further isolate New Bern and threaten the enemy's rear areas - remember the artillery is in the vicinty of Chip.

 

after 2.5 hours of "planning", two mechanized companies with arty and a section of AH-1W's in DS conduct a deliberate attack toward Cove City. 2.5 hours of combat results in the Opfor infantry battalion being forced to withdraw, which turns into a rout when the tank platoon reserve is committed. Opfor scurries of toward Chip after suffering 10% losses. US forces suffered 2.5% losses.

 

At this point, the Opfor has to determine whether to reinforce Chip with the battalion vic Spring Hope to avoid the "road to Washington" in danger of being opened, reinforce or abandon New Bern.

 

USMC ponders a heli-borne assault to capture the bridge leading from New Bern to Bridgeton. or press on toward the Greenville-Washington line. Being an operational game, I envision a push on toward Washington., as New Bern is doomed to fall eventually.

 

MTF,

 

Pete

Omitted from the above was that the AH-1W section, prior to adding its GCS rating was engaged by the Opfor battalion's anti-air battery which consisted of SA-7b's. Per the GCS rules and some previous commentary by Mr. Bond, one of the SA-7's was properly sited, prepared, and got a shot off which the wiskey's 2nd generation decoys fooled.