Brezeln mit Senf: Part Zwei, 1986 Cold War AAR

Howdie.  We recently gamed a follow up scenario to Brezeln mit Senf.  This time the fighting took place in a larger, slightly less terrain intensive setting on the outskirts of the beleaguered West German town of Brezeln mit Senf.  We would of course be using the Seek Out, Close With, and Destroy moderns supplement for our Disposable Heroes and Coffin for Seven Brothers game system.  My moderns stuff (other than for Vietnam) is in 20mm, though the vehicles are mostly in 1/72 or 1/76.

I chose the fall of 1986 so most of my vehicles would fit (sort of, anyway), and my Argentine army infantry were selected to stand in for the Canadians.  Other than the goggles, and the bedrolls, they look pretty much like Canadian infantry of the time.  Fueled by a pork burrito from Roburritos (I take mine light on the rice, with my favorite sauce, Curse of Dracula), I set up the game and awaited the hot fury of the Cold War to ignite....

An early shot of the table, as things were being set up...

The British would come from the town (as it existed on the edge of the table), Chieftains leading Scots Guards infantry mounted in FV432s.  Some British infantry (including a Milan team) started the game set up in buildings... and scouting recce Scorpions were placed halfway onto the table.  A critical inclusion was a Blowpipe SAM team, on the look out for Soviet helicopters.  Major Chalfant "Smythe" Conley would handle the British.  Here they come racing through the outskirts of town....

The hard pressed Canadian infantry held a small group of buildings, including a small factory and a workers dorm, with an infantry platoon.  They possessed a pair of .50 M2 HMG teams, as well as their M113 transports, to back them up.  More importantly, they were directly supported by reserve FRG armor; a pair of M48A2Cs (90mm guns), a single M48A2GA2 (105mm gun), and a Gepard SP-AAG (likely from a different unit than the M48s).  A pair of French recce AML-90s had arrived also, giving the Canadian defense a real mixed bag feel.  Bob and Doug BecKenzie shared command of the Canucks and friends, the hosers. The Canadians spread out, but deployed heavily towards the oncoming Soviets...

The lead Soviet force was a mechanized infantry platoon, deployed from their BMP-1s, and supported on the flank by outdated, but still dangerous, T-55s.  Heavy machineguns, and an SA-7 Grail SAM team rounded them out.  They started within small arms range of the Canadians, and were led by Comrade Stine-o-vitch.  A shot showing some of their deployment...

Directly behind Stine-o-vitch, the second Soviet force was deployed.  Most of the infantry platoon was still mounted in their spanking new BTR-80s, except for 2 Sagger teams and an infantry squad overlooking the mostly open area to their West.  Most importantly for the Soviets, this force included 3 formidable T-80BV tanks, a welcome addition to the forces of the Motherland.  Comrade Maranov was beside himself, as he was leading these.  Here is another shot of the Soviet deployment...

As expected, the Canadians and the forward Soviets took a beating early on.  Stine-o-vich managed a single penetrating roof hit with one of his offboard 82mm mortars, inflicting grievous losses on the Canadians.  It would be the only successful hit from any mortar (there were a total of 8 offboard mortars in play during the game... but no FO teams!!!!!!)  Still, the Canadians held onto their real estate, and the Soviets were unable to dislodge them.

The sudden arrival of a pair of T-72s, and a pair of BRDM-2s on the NATO flank caused some immediate concern (especially to the Scorpions which were dismayed to see these armored vehicles appear directly behind them).  The Chieftains reacted to this by beginning to deploy from their road column and causing one of the T-72s to suddenly burst into flame...

The remaining T-72 returned fire, ko'ing a Chieftain, and the BRDMs began to put fire into the Canadian infantry.  A third Chieftain dispatched the T-72, as more vehicles began to burn on the table...

A bold M48A2 moved to the center of the road to gain a LOS to an enemy T-80BV, trying a shot to no avail.... and was destroyed by return fire for its trouble.  The Scorpions, fleeing the T-72s, found themselves overwhelmed by the combined Soviet might on the Eastern side of the table.  Here you see BTR-80s moving past the burning Scorpions....

But it didn't go well for the Soviets either, who continued to lose infantry.  An M48A2 claimed a BMP-1, a T-55 was brewed up, a Chieftain moved past a burning M48 to track a T-80BV.... and several NATO vehicles shrugged off hits.  The M48A2GA2 proved especially fortunate as a 125mm round from a T-80BV furrowed a path across its mantlet, but failed to penetrate.

And then the Hind showed up...

This bumblebee of death unleashed a hellish torrent of rockets and MG fire, completely obliterating the Canadian infantry.  The buildings were cleared of the forward Canadian infantry units in a storm of smoke and flame....

Just look at those smug bastards, basking in the warm glow of burning Canadians.  To quote Comrade Stine-o-vitch, "Comrade, your shipment of rockets has arrived."

But wait, you don't know know what a Gepard is?  Never heard of a Blowpipe?  Well, my ill-informed Soviet friends, let me tell you a little story... it goes like this... BOOM!

The Gepard grabbed a piece of the Hind, and the Blowpipe really smacked it, destroying the dangerous machine.  It moved forward some before crashing to the ground in a fireball.  The Canadians were reinforced by a US Army Cobra (that would make the fourth nation represented in Doug and Bob BecKenzie's force, eh), which made a less spectacular attack run through the Soviet infantry.  It managed to kill some infantry, and (importantly) destroy the SA-7 Grail team.  They did get tagged by some AA-snap fire, but the damage was only superficial.

It was at this point that we decided to wrap up the game.  The Canadians were holding onto their cluster of buildings, barely (a command team, and a reduced infantry squad were the remaining infantry)... the Chieftains were in supporting positions (and with their long range, were starting to bring real firepower down upon the Soviets)... and the FV432s  were in position to disgorge their tough Scots Guards passengers to bolster the crumbling Canadians.

The Soviet forward infantry force was in tatters, but the BTR mounted infantry were closing in.  And, despite one being tracked, the three T-80BVs were all still combat capable.

We agreed that the NATO forces remained in a tenuous position, but were marginally better off than the Soviets.  The reality was, with such significant losses to both sides, the fighting would taper off until further reinforcements arrived.  The survivors would hunker down into their positions, and the armored vehicles may pull back a bit into overwatch positions.  The downing of the Hind, while the Cobra still flew, was an important consideration.  No one likes to take a TOW from the rear :)

In all, it was a very enjoyable game.  Playing on a larger table allowed for more maneuvering, long range shooting, and substantial opportunity for cross angle los and shots.  Terrain was abundant, but not so much that lanes of fire and movement were impeded (a problem with the first Brezeln mit Senf scenario).  I look forward to the next installment of the Battle of Brezeln mit Senf!  Maybe I can run some Soviets next time, show these jokers how its done....

Thanks, and keep that armor burning!