BATTLE REPORTS - FORT SAHARA

 

Fort Sahara

The main impetus for this scenario was getting Airfix Fort Sahara on the table, and it certainly looks the part, even if it's actually rather on the small side for 1/72.

The fort in all its glory

Some of the infantrymen are just base-coated, the range of stuff available seemingly always increasing (or undergoing battle-damage repair...).

The Location:

Soeliland, a village.

This particular village is graced by an old colonial fort - apparently the village was of some importance to someone in the past. More recently, it has become one of MADOps' forward operating bases. It was from this base that the PLAoSS managed to capture a MADOps crew, which is now held hostage somewhere in the eastern part of the village. UN forces have occupied the fort initially in order to restore order in the village; after a couple of minutes they changed their mission to trying not to get wiped out...

This rather blurry picture below shows the village. The MADOps base is at A, the UN compound at B, the PLAoSS stronghold at C. As this shot was taken after the game had ended, there is a lot of burning military hardware around, more of which later.

The Objectives:

The PLAoSS has captured two MADOps crewmen; these are used as human shields in the PLAoSS HQ. MADOps is to go in and rescue them.

Meanwhile the PLAoSS has taken considerable interest in the military hardware that is lying around in the MADOps compound.

The UN commander should try to keep himself and most of his command alive.

The participating forces - 1. PLAoSS

Force HQ +2

Platoon

HQ +2

3 Militia squads (green)
1 PC +1

3 rifle team

1 MG team

terrorist group

2 independent infantry squads (elite)
1 PC +1

1 rifle team

1 MG team

1 AT team

mortar section
1 81mm mortar

1 Spotter
tank platoon
1 Stuart PC +1

1 T-55

1 M-47

1 M-48

1 Centurion
technical platoon
1 AT technical PC +1

2 MG technical

1 AA technical

The PLAoSS forces employed to strike against the MADOps base. The tank platoon leads the way, followed by some infantry and technicals. Note that the PLAoSS is in the possession of one of the most valuable items in Soeliland - a working Coke machine.

The participating forces - 2. MADOps

Force HQ +2

 1 MG team

1 AD team

Platoon HQ +2

2 infantry squads (elite)

 1 PC +1

2 rifle team

1 AT team
AC platoon
 1 Ferret PC +1

1 Saladin

2 Panhard MG
1 Sikorsky Commando

The MADOps forces. On the left the infantry, on the right behind the Commando the armoured vehicles.
The participating forces - 3. UN

Force HQ +2

 1 MG team (elite)
infantry squad (green)
 1 PC +1

2 rifle team

1 AT team

engineer squad (average)

 1 PC +1

1 engineer team

spotter
AC platoon (green)
 1 Panhard MG PC +1

1 Panhard MG

APC

UN APC keeping a low profile
UN infantry guarding the main gate of the fort

Obviously, PLAoSS had a huge numerical superiority, all the more so because the overall commander quite clandestinely managed to sneak a Centurion on the table to augment the already substantial tank support. Given that - and taking the large number of infantrymen into account that were also at his disposal - spirits were quite high with the PLAoSS.

So, what happened?

Phase I: Initial moves

MADOps, winning the right to begin, made the first move. MADOps infantry occupied House 1, thereby overlooking effectively all of the left part of the village. Also, some armoured elements were pushed forward to a position near House 1. An idiotic attempt at killing the big white UN APC outside House 2 lost MADOps the initiative, which eventually went over to PLAoSS.

The glorious army of General Mahmud then set forth for their march to victory. Well, a journey of 10.000 miles begins with the first step, or so they say. Infantry occupied House 4, and then the plan was pushing the armour towards House 2, into the gap between House 2 and the complex to which House 3 belongs and then across the left part of the village towards the MADOps base.

At least that was the plan.

Well, to cut a long story short, it could only ever work under two conditions: one, that PLAoSS infantry managed to reach the House 3 complex before anyone else, and two, that House 2 could either be occupied as well or at least neutralized.

That, however, was not to be.

Command Stuart ko-ed by the Saladin whose second shot then put the main gun of the M-47 out of action

One could well argue that, uhem, moving the armour first was not uber-intelligent. In fact, it was an outrageous mistake. What happened was that the MADOps Saladin, tucked away beside the House 3 complex managed to kill off the command tank - lesson learned: don't lead an armour charge with your command tank, particularly not if that's about the least armoured vehicle on the table!!!!

Phase II: Attack and Counterattack

Ok, so quite some hurt feelings later MADOps infantry, already firmly in position in House 1, went on occupying first House 2 and then raced towards House 3 and occupying its upper storey, thereby also winning commanding views of the right side of the village. The Saladin traded some shots with the PLAoSS armour, succumbing eventually to the PLAoSS Centurion.

Ferret behind a smokescreen; PLAoSS Centurion lurking in the backgroun
Saladin knocked out by Centurion

In a daring move, a MADOps Ferret dashed forward causing great trouble to the advancing PLAoSS infantry before being knocked out as well by a tank grenade.

However, attempts at finding better positions for the remaining PLAoSS tanks resulted in the column drawing fire from both House 2 and House 3, where well-placed AT teams set about wiping out pretty much everything movable in sight.

Phase III: Bogged down for good

While the PLAoSS forces in House 4 managed to neutralize the occupants of House 2 for some time, any attempts at regrouping came to nothing due to House 3's dominant position.

Eventually MADOps forces set about clearing House 4 from its PLAoSS occupants, thereby effectively gaining control over much of the right part of the village.

PLAoSS Centurion destroyed by MADOps AT team
MADOps moving towards House 4

Phase IV: Final Assault

Now MADOps also brought forward additional armoured support. Two Panhards arrived on the scene, first shredding what was left of PLAoSS infantry and then providing the only two surviving PLAoSS technicals with their moment of glory.

MADOps Panhards shredding PLAoSS infantry
Final MADOps push; both Panhards out of action

For the last time, initiative passed to PLAoSS, which tried to move towards the UN compound (finally!), but failed utterly in getting even close to it, as MADOps forces in House 3 had in the meantime been reinforced.

It was more or less over. With most of the village under control by MADOps, we decided to call it a day and end the game with a somewhat spectacular close assault by all MADOps forces available against all remaining PLAoSS forces not pinned or suppressed, and out of incredible luck, PLAoSS prevailed here. Not that it mattered much...

So, what can be said about the game?

Certainly House 3 and House 2 were key positions in the game, and the failure to secure these early in the game resulted in PLAoSS being at a distinct disadvantage. On the other hand losing these positions to MADOps did not necessarily mean outright doom, particularly as PLAoSS had more infantry at its disposal. Going through parts of the UN compound for the left side of the village might have been an option well worth to be considered. Unfortunately, the PLAoSS commander was almost fixated on his armour - one should rather say, on the increasing number of burning hulks on the battlefield; situational awareness definitely was a problem here.

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