'4th Armoured at Burgdorf, 1985' - with Fistful of TOWs 3

 This game is based on the 'Burgdorf' scenario on page 24 of the superb Bruce Rea Taylor 1984 scenario book - Battlezones : Scenarios for Ultra Modern Period. That scenario itself is based upon the first engagement in the seminal novel Chieftains by Bob Forrest Webb, written in 1982, based on some of Hackett's Third World War publications. Phew, you have to love the 80s!

 

(There may have been a few 'phissssssssssssh' impressions due to Milan)

Outnumbered British in their prime, complete with Chieftain with a crap Leyland engine, and FV432 with crap everything else...

 

Now the scenarios assume WRG or Challenger, hence they are on a 8x6 table with 1"=50m, at 1 model=1 tank. Double this up to 1"=100m, and you have a suite of mini scenarios on a 5'x3' table for 'Fistful of TOWs 3'.

One of the superlative works by the late Bruce Rea Taylor

 

My intent with these was to get my head around the game off the back of recent advocates on Little Wars TV, and that the rules are 'on the list' to be used. 

A book rivalled in its time, only by James Rouch's 'The Zone' series; but that, is another story. 

 

I have a decent collection of 1/200 British and Soviets which look superb (as I didn't paint 'em).

 The British have elements of a Battle Group, with a squadron of Chieftains as the backbone, facing 2xtank battalions, a motor rifle battalion and a Hind-D.

NEVER let me play with editing software for pics...just don't

 

Now, I won't go into detail on movement, and understandably the turn sequence is very intuitive, with options for overwatch (firing in enemy movement phase) and holding fire (firing in enemy fire phase). Quality Checks are the core of the game..so poor troops with a propensity to fail them when tasked, tend to disappear. Here is an example of firing:

 

• Chieftain: Front Armor 12 ; Main Gun Penetration 14 ROF 3, Effective Range 24"
• T-72 (Soviet Tank): Front Armor 10 ; Main Gun Penetration 14, ROF 2, Effective Range 16".

Assumptions for this example:

• Effective range (e.g., 20"; no close/long mods).
• Front-on shot (T-72 facing the Chieftain).
• Clear LOS, spotted (auto-spotted <10" or via spotter).
• No cover/terrain saves, day visibility, no suppression/overwatch.
• Crews: NATO "Good/Average" (+1 to-hit mod, QC 4+); Soviet "Average" (0 to-hit mod, QC 5+).

  Declare Fire: Chieftain stand declares shot at T-72 stand (all fire vs. target declared before rolling; target priority: nearest enemy, but can ignore already-shot/infantry/etc.).

  To-Hit Rolls: Roll d6 equal to weapon ROF (3). Hits on 4+ base (guns at effective range), modified by range, quality, whether suppressed, or on overwatch:

   Cover/Terrain Save (skipped; no cover. Normally, e.g., town 4+ save per hit).

  Penetration Rolls (per unsaved hit): Calculate dice = Gun Pen (14) - Target Front Armor (10) = 4 dice per hit.If Pen < Armor: Roll, then negative to hit - which means QC only 

  Quality Check (if 4-5 scored but no destroy): T-72 rolls 1d6 ≥ QC target (5+). Mods: -1 suppressed, -1 unit losses >⅔, etc. Fail = eliminate stand; pass = suppressed (-1 to-hit next turn).

   

  It seems over-complicated, but not really, as it factors in troop quality, armour quality, and environmental factors.

   The added bonus is that it covers 1915-21st century, so finally, a set of rules that cover most modern games with one core premise, and which aren't Command Decision!

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   British Line of Defence - cohesion distances actually played a part here, as rules-as-written, the British needed 8" element to element. This could be changed for static defence.

   
   

   

   Soviet centre. Sov T72 battalion come straight down the western autobahn 

   
   

   

   Paltry defences, reinforced no doubt by first line highly motivated TA regiments, designed to be sacrificed in the first 48 hours...ahem

   
   

   

   Load SABOT...uhh , wait

   
   

   

   I stole a rule from a video online, where the Hind had to pop up to cross power lines

   
   

   

   ahhh....there he is - Red Air

   
   

   

   British ambush

   
   

   

   Long range selective fire (rules allow Rate of Fire to be split) destroys much of the T72 battalion (remember 1 tank = 1 platoon)

   
   

   

   "Put the tea on Dave, we're 'ere for a while mate!"

   
   

   

   The Soviet centre

   
   

   

   A land rover, with a Blowpipe team, races toward the British right, spotting the Hind...uhh, good luck with that kit lads...

   
   

   

   The Soviet centre collapses...

   
   

   

   ...but a T-62 battalion, reinforced by the Hind flight, is making ground

   
   

   

   (There may have been a few 'phissssssssssssh' impressions due to Milan on the Soviet right)

   
   

   

   Hind-D time

   
   

   

   Soviet infantry on the right is ambushed as it pushes toward Burgdorf

   
   

   

   Sovs drop incendiary smoke, but in the wrong place

   
   

   

   The Sovs do very well on the right for a time, but British ambush fire, via infantry and Milan, proves very effective

   
   

   

   Another flank ambush

   
   

   

   
   
   

   In the end, having to get 6 vehicles through Burgdorf, and despite horrendous British armour casualties, due mainly to air interdiction and the lack of action from crap Blowpipe, the Soviets simply ran out of vehicles. British win, by default, as even they could not pull out with significant numbers.

   A great set of rules. Lots to learn, but lots to offer.