Al - Kahol not taken

So , Gentle Reader, Saturday 8th June dawned fine and sunny- just the the day for lazing about in an open air pub.... so what do I do , go and play soldiers in Durham city- indoors. Ah well I f you can't take a joke...
 We TWATS had decided upon a Modern game for this years Durham demo but various personal  and work commitments cut us down to just 3  Andrew the tekkie Scribbling Steve and your pooe Author made up the Triumvirate of assembled TWATS. Jiom the Painter provided transport to anf from the venue in between working ..
For the game we were back in "Harraq" with the 69Commando Royal Marines Battle group. whose order of battle for the day is here.

Battle of Al-Kahol

June  8th 2003

69 Commando Royal Marines Battle group.

OC Col. Myles Overlap DSO.

Intention.

 Prevent the destruction of the  oil facility by  the enemy  if at all possible.

Secure the town of Al- Kahol.

 Drive enemy Irregular forces from the banks of the Schatt –an Harab  waterway.

Enemy forces.

 The garrison of Al-Kahol is of low morale and is not expected to pose much more than a Token threat. These forces strength Approx. 1 understrength Infantry battalion with minimal heavy weapons. They are however dug in . There also appears to be a separate town Garrison force with Anti- Aircraft capability. USAF F-17  pilots report AAMGs and missile fire  from buildings within the town.

Local Irregular forces from the “72 Virgins Martyrs Brigade”  of the Fedayeen al Rufa  however pose a more serious  immediate threat s they are highly motivated if poorly trained.  They have mortars and some RPG and may have heavier weapons. They appear to be based in the Old fortress of Hal- Farhta on the banks of the waterway near the Ghall’ Agar Oasis.

 However Republican Guard Armoured forces are in the area to the North of the town in strength with  T-72 tanks and APC’s . They have not so far moved from their overnight poitions.

Start line for the advance at 0600 Zulu  is the Shahwadhi wadi

Own Troops.

Elite Morale 10

HQ 69 Cdo Royal Marines Battle Group

1Command stand

1Landrover.

 1 FV432 TOC.

Support  coy with

1Command Infantry stand

1 HMG stand

1 Recon sniper stand

2 81mm Mortar stands

1 Milan Stand.

1Quad Bike and Trailer

1 Pinzgauer truck

1 landrover

2 companies each with

 1 command Infantry stand

2 infantry stands.

Any stand from the Support company

may be attached to either of the infantry companies

Manovre Support group.

1 command WMIK

2 WMIK

Armoured group

HQ no1 Sqn  Prince Regents Own Heavy Hussars 

1 Command Sultan

1 Sabre Squadron with

1 Command Challenger1

2 Challenger 1

 Attached armoured Infantry – 3^rd Bn Queens Malabars

1Command Warrior IFV

 2 Warrior IFV

1 command Infantry Stand

1 infantry stand

1Weapons stand

Air Support

 In addition you may call upon

 “Ugly Six Nine  “ callsign

1 x AHU64D Apache gunship –Army Air Corps

The opposing Harraqi forces  arrayed themselves thus,

Battle for Al-Kahol

June 8^th 2003.

Jhimhi Hussein Al- Rufa Al Kahol. President-for-Life and “Great Leader“ of the Republic of Harraq.

(Allah Help Us !!!)

Objective.

Deny the Town of Al-Kahol  and its Oil facilities to the invading  British Forces.

Troops

 Infantry Battalion 19^th Reserve Infantry Division

 Trained Morale 6.

Bttn HQ with

1 infantry Command Stand

Weapons Company with

1 81mm Mortar stand.

1 weapons stand.

2 infantry Companies each with

2 infantry stands.

These troops may occupy any of the trenches and bunkers on the table outside the town of Al-Kahol.

Al- Kahol Garrison

Trained Morale 7

 1 command Stand

 1 Radio Car.

Garrison Infantry company with

2 Infantry stands

Garrison Weapons company with

1 weapons stand

1 HMG  stand

Anti Aircraft Company with

 1BDRM  SA-9

1 Shilka SPAA

These troops may deploy anywhere with the town boundaries.

 Elements 3^rd Saladin Armoured division.

Experienced Morale 8

Tank Battalion with

Battalion HQ company

1 Command T-72

1 T-72

1BDRM  SA-9

2 Tank Companies each with

1 Command T-72

2 T-72

1 Tank Company with

3 T-72

Mechanised Infantry Battalion.

 Battalion HQ with

I Command Stand

1BMP toc

ATGW company with

3 BDRM  AT

 2 infantry Companies each with

1 Command Infantry Stand

1 Weapons Stand

1 Infantry stand

3 BMP2

 These troops deploy anywhere along the North  edge of the table  once activated

  the various "peaceful farmers"   in the undegrowth were organised as follows.

Mullah Mustapha Narsul

High Commander “72 Virgins Martyrs Brigade”

Fortress of Hal –Farta.

The Infidel Cruasders are upon the Holy soil of Harraq. They must be destroyed , slaughtered ,Martydom is upon us Brothers.

 Allah a Akbar !!

Available forces

Trained Morale 9

1 Command Stand.

1 14.5mm AAMG

 1 Recon Jeep with HMG

4 Recon Motorcycle stands

1 Jeep with sneb Rocket pod.

Mortar Company with

4 81 mm Mortar Stands (ROF1).

2 Infantry Companies each with

2 Infantry Stands

1Weapons stand

You must protect your base if it falls to the infidels and they discover your stash of Heroin – which you wish to sell to finance the Holy War....  you may be a tad embarrassed...

 I now had you over to  John Adie of IBC embedded with 69 cdo   for a report on the action

 As the British battle group crosses the startline of the Shahwadhi wadi we come under  desoultory mortar and RPG fire from a trenchline to our front . The Manovre support group replies with 50 cal and GMG rounds  and the Queens Malabars Warriors join in with 30mm Raden guns and the mortars and RPGs fall silent.Nothing more is heard from that trench line.
 Over on the British left 69  dismounted troops advance against the town of Al-Kahol  coming under intese HMG and RPG fire. They go to ground and reply with  Jimpies and 50 cals quicly followed by the Mortar platoon bringing their tubes into action. Thought lashed by fire and taking casualties the Harraqis continue to resist (good morale though here from Steve).
 

Early in the action . The Wmiks of the Manovre support group have taken hits. The Queens Malabars have occupied the Trench line . Challenger Tanks move up in support.

 The Challenger Tanks of the Prince Regents Own Heavy Hussars rumble up in support to the right of the Marines as word comes over the radio net that Harrqi T-72s have been spotted to the North. A slightly panicked British Commander puts in a call for Air support as the T-72s  dash forward inan attempt to re-take the lost Trenchline in front of the Oil Depot. 
 Hell fire missiles streak out from Ugly 69and several T-72s are reduced to scrap along with a BDRM  SA-9 launcher However in its death troes the BDRM launched 2 missiles and Ugly69 was seen leaving the battle area with smoke and flames  pouring from its injured body.. The aircraft crashed behind British lines and both the crew survived.Nevertheless this gave the Harrqi morale an enormous boost.

T-72s advance- a grainy - satlite image- I wobbled the camera !!!

 Now the Harrqis  threw caution to the winds and charged. The place was alive with tanks. Even the "peaceful Farmers" took a hand using indirect HMG  fire too keep don the heads of the Queens Malabars in the captured trench line. Further a couple of technicals sped out of the undergrowth to launch rockets and fire machine guns at the  Heavy Hussars - a Rocket actually dented the Spartan HQ vehicle. Fire from the manovre support group soon caused this pinprick attack to cease. 

 The climactic tank battle in the centre of the table- photo taken by Andrew Oyston

  The T-72 s needed to close the range to do damage to the Challengers- this was to say the least fraught with risk so whilst single hits were caused on 2 Challengers most of the T-72S  recieve miltiple hits reduceing them to burning heps of molten slag. At least 2 were destroyed by AT-4 rounds from the Queens Malabars in the captured trench.. The surviving T-72 wisely fled.
Over on the British left things were not exactly  tickety boo... A column of BMPs and Sagger Armed BDRM  were putting the Marines under intense pressure. The Challegers coud do nothing as they were engaging the T-72s. It was left to the Warrior IFVs of the Queens Malabars to support the Marines aided by Ugly 70 a late arriving Apache-v understandably a tad nervous considering the fate of his predecessor.
 This time however the SA9s went astray leaving the Apache to chew up the surviving BMP and BDRM.
 The battle was now all but over  but the British had not  been entirely successful. There were still Harrqi  fighters in Al - Kahol 

Harraqi Militiamen  of the Fedayin Al- Rufa and the Dreaded N.A.I..L.S

 (Nation Agency for IntelligenceLocation and Security) the hated secret police.

Rooting out these die -hards would require a major re-alignment of forces....


So that will be another game on another day.

As for the rest of the show - it was its usual friendly self- always worth a visit. We've already been informally asked back for next year. Now what game shall we do....