Inaugural battle of my South African & Angolan forces - solo battle, October 2009

 

This is an Encounter scenario - with the South Africans about 200 points better off than the Angolans (mostly noticeable through having more artillery)

 

Deployment:

View from the Angolan lines:

 

View from the Angolan right flank: 

 

Middle ground: 

 

From the South African left flank: 

 

From the SA right flank: 

 

Middle ground 

 

Angolans - 2000 points

Right flank: armour and artillery & air assets: 

 

 

 

Angolan baseline - view from the right flank: 

 

CO and armour & infantry (mounted); FAO in foreground: 

 

Infantry (mounted) & attached ATGW :

 

 

SAM SA-6 & FAC on hill to left flank: 

 

Armour & Infantry (mounted) in centre: 

Armour & Infantry (mounted)

 

South Africans - 2200 points

SADF baseline - view from the left flank: 

 

SA left flank: infantry (mounted), mortars, Special Forces (mounted) & FAO on hill: 

 

As above - infantry & attached mortars: 

 

 

Armour: 

 

Left flank: air & artillery assets, armour & infantry (mounted):

 

 

Air defence: SAM Crotale & FAC on hill: 

 

Turn 1:

South Africans get the first turn and move tentatively off their baseline on the left flank - the Ratels carrying the Special Forces move into the gulley while the Ratel 90s get into firing positions at the edge of some cover; the dawn start has left commanders sleepy-headed though and they struggle to communicate any further action...

 

 

The Angolans are more alert though and call in an airstrike in response to the sight of the SADF:

 

The pilots are on-form...notch up one KO'd Ratel 90 - and the other two are suppressed:

 

Flushed with this early success the Angolan FAO manages to emulate his FAC counterpart and zeroes in a rocket salvo onto the SADF right flank - much to the consternation of the CO...

 

Things stall a little in the centre although there is some approach towards the SADF lines:

 

Turn 2:

That's woken the SADF commanders up - the FAO gets his eye-in over on the Angolan right flank, dropping 155mm shells and the Valkiri rockets right on the money - to devastating effect: two T62s suppressed and the HQ annihilated!

 

A Mirage airstrike against the stalled centre is less than convincing though:

 

Following that there's a load of manoeuvering as the SADF decide to take the fight to the Angolans.

On the left flank the Special Forces & Infantry debus from their Ratels out of sight & move towards cover:

 

 

 

Over on the SADF right, the Oliphants move up behind the hill and approach a gulley which will give them cover to flank the Angolan centre; two Ratels race ahead, again making good use of the covering bush...

 

In reply the Angolans once more successfully call in an airstrike by both MiGs which is a little effective on the deployed SADF infantry:

 

 

Taking advantage of the air support two BMP-1s dash forward towards the bush - but then stall:

 

The T62s open up in support - and take out the two remaining Ratel 90s:

 

There is no artillery support available for the Angolans, and with their command capacity reduced there is a need to reformulate the battleplan before things stall any further...

 

Turn 3:

The SAAF are once more called to the fray:

 

Over on the left flank, the Special Forces Ratels move over the crest of the hill to flank the BMP-1s that have stalled short of the assault - opportunity fire from the T62s accounts for one of them:

 

...but the net effect is just as planned and the BMPs are smoked:

 

To the right of the hill, the other Ratel 20s pay for a rash move out of cover - opportunity fire from the central T62s knocks them out:

 

Things are not looking quite so comfortable for the South Africans now - they're halfway to their breakpoint:

 

There is no artillery or air support forthcoming for the Angolans - but their re-structured command manages to get the battlegroup moving into fire positions, although this is pretty much all they achieve, and the tide of battle turns...

 

 

 

Turn 4:

Another Mirage airstrike brought to bear:

 

The Oliphants move to the ridgeline to bring their firepower to bear in support of the Ratels, taking out an advancing BMP-1 in the process:

 

The Angolan armour continues to push bravely forward - but on the left can only suppress the Ratels:

 

...whilst on the right a solitary T62 sees off the remaining Special Forces Ratels:

 

Turn 5:

With the Angolans desperately struggling, the SADF bring devastating firepower to bear on the remaining central armour & IFVs:

 

This proved too much for the Angolan battlegroup who broke at this point & fled into the bush...

 

Debrief:

Yet another cracking game of CWC - and really enjoyable to be fighting with these forces; the Angolans are challenging with relatively low command values and (mostly) inferior kit to the South Africans...I might just boost their battlegroup to address the 200 point discrepancy...

 

It's also worth noting that the Angolan infantry didn't make it out of the IFVs before they were all destroyed - thereby accelerating the reaching of their breakpoint.

 

Next battle for these is likely to be a Breakthrough Attack - with the SADF defending.