World War 3 - Soviet Surprise Attack

 With my newly painted Cold War Soviet, US and UK armies I decided to have a few WW3 games.

I started a game using the free rules Rapid Deployment from Sabre Squadron but I found them a bit slow. No doubt quite realistic but slow and too complex for my fading brain. So I checked my rule cupboard (pretty bare) and am using Fubar for SciFi with some changes plus making things up as I go along. I am trying to be consistent and I am writing down the new bits so hopefully the rules will be completed by the time I am finished.

For any of my readers that use Fubar the biggest changes I have made is that instead of cover decreasing the chance to get hit it increases the number of suppressions a unit can have. This means a unit in cover may have no casualties but be fully supressed or even have more suppression than figures. Activation is by drawing a playing card for each unit and auto activating in turn. Anyway it seems to work - for me anyway. 

The first game is a Soviet surprise attack on an airfield in the US. Attempting to get the US to divert forces to defend the US instead of sending them to Europe.

The Soviets have landed in their Ekranoplan at the airport of a small town on the U.S.A.'s east coast. (I forgot to take a picture of it) and have disembarked a company of infantry and 2 BRDM-2 recce vehicles.

Shooting up the locals they make road blocks on the roads to the airport from all directions. One platoon and the BRDM's guard the airport and act as a reserve while the other two take up positions on either side of the airport entrance.

The local National Guard sends a company of infantry in trucks with four M-48 Patton's and two Duster anti-aircraft vehicles.

Opening Move - smoke from the burning cars hide the US advance.

End of turn 1. The US has moved past the road blocks. The M48 on the left has been hit and immobilised.

End of turn 2. Both M-48's on the right have been destroyed but a lot of Soviet infantry have been suppressed. 

End of turn 3- Soviets move up their reserves but US is overwhelming both left and right flanks

End of turn 3 Soviet left flank

End of turn 3 close up - Soviet right flank

End of turn 4. Soviet left and right flanks have been destroyed. One BRDM has been destroyed while the second has run back to try and remove a suppression marker

End of turn 4 - soviet right flank close up. Despite losing both Patton's the two US platoons have overrun the Soviets.

Soviet left flank close up. US has prevailed. The Soviet reserve is mostly suppressed or dead. The remainder surrender. 

So a big win for the US National Guard! The quick defeat of the Soviets show that the local forces can deal with any surprise attacks and all forces can be sent to Europe to fight.

Only problem is that I forgot to take a photo of the Ekranoplan.