An "Almost" Anniversary Post - Eight Years and Counting!

Inspired by "someone" (you will know who you are!) who recorded a 7th or 8th blogaversary recently, I checked back on my first post - and found I had missed the date by about a week - damn it! Never mind, I have copied and pasted my first ever Blogger effort below, regardless. (I am sure it will receive a fair few more responses than the original, which elicited one comment from my game opponent Andrew!)

Sunday 7 August 2016

This is my first blog - have been thinking about it for a while but decided to give it a go today. I am only going to tell a few friends of its existence - if you have happened upon it through some other means, welcome!

The purpose is to get another dimension out of my wargaming hobby by publishing occasional reports on games I have played. I have enjoyed reading similar reports on other people's blogs and think it will be fun to do my own, so here goes!

This is a game we played using a scenario I found online at the Berwick Wargames Club, I think. It uses a modern adaptation of Chain of Command rules. Anyway, it seemed to work well for Afghanistan.

VIP Rescue

Sides

Western forces are the attacker, rescuing the VIP, Taliban are the defenders

Force Levels

As mutually agreed by both players, or selected at random as necessary.

Table Terrain

The terrain is as provided by the organiser.

OBJECTIVE

To win the Attacker must capture the building holding the VIP and extract the VIP off the table or hold the VIP until the Defender withdraws from the table either voluntarily or due to Force Morale. Any other result is a victory for the Defender.

THE PATROL PHASE

In the following order:

• The defender rolls 1D6:
• 1-2      Defender places VIP in a building of his choice.
• 3-4      Attacker places VIP in a building of his choice.
• 5-6      Randomly place VIP in a building.
• The Defender deploys four Patrol Markers within 6” of the table centre.
• The Attacker enters on a broad front anywhere on either or both short table edges, with four Patrol Markers. Before the Patrol Phase the attacker rolls 1D6, the number rolled is the number of moves the Attacker immediately takes with his Patrol Markers.
• At the end of the Patrol Phase both players place three Jump-Off Points.

The side with the higher Force Morale is the Active Player in first phase of the game.

Special Rules

The VIP:

·         May not be moved until captured by the Attacker.

·         Moves with units who have captured the VIP.

We rolled a 4 for the placement of the VIP, so the British player was able to put her in the most advantageous building......the British also rolled well for force morale so had the advantage of the first move too.......

This lady journalist (let's call her VIP Kate) has inadvertently wondered off in search of a scoop and got herself isolated in a village surrounded by Taliban. She has managed to hide in a house in the village and contact ISAF on her cell phone. Now she just has to hope "the cavalry" (a British infantry platoon) get to her before the Taliban discover her!

The first section led by a corporal, plus the platoon sergeant and a section of Royal Engineers approach the building VIP Kate is holed up in

A second section advances into the village to the right of the first sections approach, to give covering fire

The Taliban have heard where VIP Kate is hiding and head towards the building to prevent her rescue

As a Taliban squad breaks cover to enter the building where VIP Kate is ensconced, the left flank covering party spots them and opens fire with two Minimi light machine guns, killing three.

Meanwhile, the Royal Engineers work to breach the rear wall of the building where VIP Kate is sheltering

But Taliban reinforcements including a "technical" mounting a belt fed MG, continue to arrive.

The third British section, accompanied by the Platoon commander, arrive mounted in a Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle.

At long range, the turret mounted cannon engages two Taliban on a roof top and wipes them out.

After a brief exchange of fire in which three British soldiers were killed, the first section storms the building, killing three Taliban who had succeeded in entering it. Thanks to their excellent fire discipline, VIP Kate survives the assault! The Royal Engineers have succeeded in breaching the rear wall, and Kate is evacuated from the building

A Joint Tactical Air Controller (JTAC) observes potential targets from a central position - in the end, air support was not required, but it's nice to know it's on call if needed.

VIP Kate has BECOME the story, and she is interviewed by colleagues after her daring escapade

I think for the remainder of the month, I might randomly re post some of my earliest entries in my blog as, like many others I am sure, my first 18-24 months of blogging was very sparse on any readers comments!

Thanks for dropping by and I hope you enjoyed this AAR!