(https://www.facebook.com/groups/322288738401773).
So far in the campaign the Soviets had steamrollered the German reservists and BAOR reinforcements on the first three tables before being slowed and eventually stalled at the Kanal Defence Line where the troops of I (British) Corps gave the attached Royal Engineers enough time to blow all three bridges (although this cost NATO all of the campaign points built up in the previous games). The Soviet push had been slowed east of Hannover when the weather turned bad giving the British Challengers and late model Chieftains with their TOGS thermal imagers a field day picking off the Soviets as they advanced.
So far in the campaign the Soviets had steamrollered the German reservists and BAOR reinforcements on the first three tables before being slowed and eventually stalled at the Kanal Defence Line where the troops of I (British) Corps gave the attached Royal Engineers enough time to blow all three bridges (although this cost NATO all of the campaign points built up in the previous games). The Soviet push had been slowed east of Hannover when the weather turned bad giving the British Challengers and late model Chieftains with their TOGS thermal imagers a field day picking off the Soviets as they advanced.
The British infantry (a platoon plus with two Milan teams in support) deployed in the village with a lone Challenger covering the road to their left and a Scorpion hiding behind the central buildings. Further Scorpions, Scimitars, Strikers and a lone Lynx were off board ready to start rolling to arrive from turn 3.
Tim again had a VDV based force with a full battalion of ASU85 assault guns on the table (finally replacing the proxy vehicles with some very nicely [painted 3D printed models). He also had learnt the hard way about the lack of thermal sights and had two T80Us. Also in support were a pair of ZSU23-4 Shilkas for air defence as he had learnt the impact of attack helicopters in previous games.
The Milan team above were the first casualties as massed Soviet tank guns blasted anything that could be hiding the NATO defenders. The Challenger had a lot of success initially destroying both the T80Us and surviving a number of non-penetrating hits in return.
Very quickly the Soviet juggernaut trundled forward, keeping down a massive barrage that was whittling the defenders down. The random event cards were definitely against NATO in this game as the British troops were running low on ammo and sleep (making them less likely to be able to react).
Soviet BMP2 autocannons now started tearing the remaining troops apart and the first foothold on the village was achieved to the north. At this point one of the few NATO success was achieved when the Lynx arrived on table taking out both the Shilkas and two ASU85s on one turn! It appeared that the TOW just could not miss that turn!
Despite desperate counter-attacks with hand to hand fighting taking place in the north of the village the Soviets could not be dislodged and the Soviet numbers told with the British morale finally crumbling.