23/11/1983 Sov 3rd army forces BAOR fighting retreat into Ruhr cities. Bad Spelling is isolated behind the front line
The team has just returned with a sealed container from the supply dump where Major Lawrence expected it to be, which they suspect to be a battlefield-level nuclear device. The major refers to it as the "beastie". On return to base, the team meets two more stragglers to join them, one of whom immediately manages to injure himself and is sent straight to sickbay.
Also waiting to meet them is the mayor of Bad Spelling. He has a request for the army, which is to find out whether the road is clear and safe for him to travel to Paderborn. Major Lawrence decides to leave at once, taking advantage of darkness, pausing only to grab something to eat and to lock the "beastie" in a store cupboard. His plan is to travel until we find an enemy checkpoint, then snatch one of the enemy on duty and bring him home for interrogation.
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| The Brits leave the Land Rover and proceed on foot |
Stealth rules will apply, modified for OHSW. The team will drive as far as they dare, but then leave the Land Rover and arrive on foot.
The enemy has a defensive position set up in the outskirts of Paderborn. There is a PK MG (emplaced, on a tripod), with 2 additional crew (carrying AK-74s, but one acting as crewman/loader to the PK) and a sniper. The second squaddie (patrolling) and the sniper will be up to 12" from the MG position.
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| The soviet checkpoint |
Stealth: until the attacking player is detected, only the patrol figures may move (1d6-2" in a random direction) and no shooting is permitted.
Any attacker within 6" and in LoS is detected automatically unless moving into contact and defeating the defender in HTH (assumed silently).
For attackers within 4" but not in LoS, or in LoS but >6" away, check for detection: defender draws 1 card, attacker 2. If defender has the highest card, check the colour of defender's card: black=alert (move defender 2" closer and check again), red=detected (alarm is raised, no more stealth).
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| The edge of town |
As mentioned last time, this is (I hope) the lowest point for scenery in this series, with cardboard boxes standing in for buildings.
Most of the table didn't get used, so you can ignore the medical centre at bottom left, the chapel and the park. The action is concentrated around the checkpoint (top right corner of the square).
To the right of the checkpoint, the Brits are moving around a large, brown building (council offices), with Newton to the left. Beyond them, a minibus of some kind is parked outside an office building at the back (the "back office" mentioned later). At top centre, behind the MG position, another building faces the "back office", with the soviet transport parked between the two.
At this moment, the Soviet sniper is just behind the MG emplacement, while the patrolling soldier is at the left of the square, having walked across to check on the park.
The Brits begin to approach. The Russian patrol walks back to check on the sniper behind the truck (guarding the rear), then up to the MG position. The Brits take up positions behind the council office, waiting to see what the patrol will do next
The patrol walks around in the square. Newton contemplates a dash straight across the MG's fire-lane to cover behind the white-roofed building. The patrol's back is turned and the MG crew won't step forward on an alert. He decides to go for it and ... turns up a joker. A noise in the distance makes everyone turn, including Newton, who quickly ducks back into cover. The turn ends.
The patrol turns and starts back toward the MG position. The Brits hold their breath. Passing the MG, the patrol checks on the truck. Fraser gets in position to dash past the side of the MG
The patrol checks on the sniper. Fraser backs off, so he won't be seen if the patrol turns back.
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| Fraser takes cover at the corner |
The patrol turns!
Fraser slips back into position. The patrol moves to check on the truck & Fraser takes his chance. He rushes across the street and down the side of the back office.
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| The back office, Fraser and the patrol |
The patrol walks around the corner behind the back office, up to 5" from Fraser, but immediately turns back to rejoin the sniper. So close!
The patrol turns around and takes another look behind the back office. Fraser rushes him! The patrol wins the fight - Fraser is down!
Although the Brits have 8 more action points, initiative switches immediately to the Russians.
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| Ten seconds of violence |
The patrol and sniper move forward to engage the Brits - the MG team holds position. The patrol shoots at the Major, but misses.
The Major throws a grenade. The sniper is down, but the patrol is saved by the wall
Dangerous runs forward behind a car and starts firing on the patrol. The patrol fires back.
The Major steps out of cover and throws the other grenade into the MG position. Both the crew go down. Davies shoots the patrol and puts him down.
Newton moves toward the rest of the team. Lawrence & Davies secure all 4 Russians. Game over. The team secure all 4 men from the checkpoint and hurry away, stealing the truck as well as taking their own Land Rover (because you can't fit 4 prisoners in a Landie).
Scenario design: this was stealthy and stressful. Fraser's bungled grab at the patrolling sentry felt like the objective was lost, but the use of both grenades saved the day.
After the fight:
- The Brits have achieved their objective.
- Fraser is lightly wounded and will be out of action for 6 days
- 4 prisoners taken.
Reinforcements: One figure with L1A1 SLR, one with pistol - Pvt Oliver & Capt Preson have found their way to the base at Bad Spelling.
Specialist gear: medical kit (Re-draw one card to recover from a knock-down)
Skill gain: Newton gains Charisma
Group morale: 5 - rolled 7 good and 1 bad dice, scoring 2 increase
Campaign events:
- Pvt Oliver reveals that he is actually on his way to take leave, and will be gone for 9 days. Like Paddy O'Loughlin in sickbay, he has no sooner joined us than leaving us again. Maybe we'll see him on the 2nd of December, unless he joins some other unit.
- No break - no time passes in the campaign before the next mission is assigned. Hopefully there will be time for breakfast, but that may depend on what action comes next.
Player action: add another man to the group - Pvt Richards
The team is now strangely top-heavy, Major Lawrence & Captain Preston leading privates Davies, Newton & Richards.
Meanwhile Edwards, Fraser, Harris, Mitchell & O'Loughlin are recovering from injuries and Oliver is on leave.
People the team knows:
- Lotte Meierling, a refugee from Hannover
- Dieter Pletternberg, mayor of Bad Spelling
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