Retreat from Sultan Yakoub - Battle Report

Continuing the Team Yaakav, we decided to start from the end.  Our first scenario game was from one of the last battles of the conflict where the Israeli's got the short end of the stick.  My last blog post had the basic scenario spelled out.

http://paulwargamespot.blogspot.com/2016/07/researching-for-next-battle-israeli.html

When actual figures hit the table, I had to made a couple modifications. 

Forces:

Israel

• Company HQ - 1x Magach 3
• Tank Platoon 1 - 3x Magach 3
• Tank Platoon 2 - 3x Magach 3 
• Tank Platoon 3 - 3x Magach 5
• Mechanized Platoon 1 - 4x FN FAL teams, 3x RPG-7 teams, 1x Dragon team, 4x M113 Zelda
• Mechanized Platoon 2 - 4x FN FAL teams, 3x RPG-7 teams, 1x Dragon team, 4x M113 Zelda
• Off board artillery - 2x M109 Field Battery (3 models firing each salvo)

Syria

• Battalion HQ - AK-74 team, BTR-60
• Mechanized Company 1 - 7x AK-74 teams, 6x RPG-7 teams, 2x PKMK LMG teams
• Mechanized Company 2 - 7x AK-74 teams, 6x RPG-7 teams, 2x PKMK LMG teams, 9x BTR-60
• Commando Company - 4x AK-74 teams, 3x RPG-7 teams, 2x Sagger teams
• Tank Company 1 - 6x T-62
• Tank Company 2 - 3x T-55 (it's a bit small but we figured it was a beat up tank unit)
• AA Platoon - 2x Shilka

 I also reworked a couple of the unit cards for the Syrians.  The morale for regular Army Syrians are now up to 4+ like the Israelis.  The Commandos I kept at better at 3+ skill and morale.  I also dropped the T-55 AT value from 19 to 18.  Made a separate card for Israeli Paratroopers and dropped their stats down to 3+ morale and skill but they weren't involved in this fight.  A link to the updates cards is here:  link


Setup

The Israeli force setup in the village with the Magach 5s (M-60s with reactive armor) up front, followed by a Magach 3 platoon (M48s) and a mechanized platoon.  The tank commander, other Magach 3 platoon and mechanized platoon fortified in houses held back to provide some fire support.

The Syrians had a mechanized company strung across a couple rocky hills and the mountain road.  The T-62 company were in the hills blocking the more cross country escape route.  The commandos with their Saggers were in ambush.

Board Layout and Israeli Setup, the Syrians could of setup troops anywhere within 6" around the village but decided to keep all their forces out along the mountain road.  I need to get some more buildings to build it up a bit so they would have cover if they did setup by the village.

Magach 5s in the lead (hoping their reactive armor will take a few hits for them)

Syrian blocking force.  The Commandos are out there on ambush... somewhere.

How it Played Out

The day or dawn roll at the beginning of the game was a 6, so the game started in daylight.  In the pictures, if you see little blast markers, they mean a pinned unit or a bailed out tank.

The Israelis shot out of the village, the tanks heading west to confront the T-62s and the APCs down the road.  Artillery dropped a smoke screen to keep RPGs off the Israeli armor and the M60s opened up on the T-62s, destroying one.  The Syrians held tight with their infantry, just putting some suppressing fire on the Israelis still left in the village.  The T-62s took out a Magach 5 (we forgot the shoot and scoot rule here after they fired).  The Syrian mechanized company arrived in their BTR-60s and start maneuvering for a blocking position in the rear.

Next turn the rest of the Israeli tanks were able to move up and most of the T-62 were wiped out, with the remaining bugging out.  The APCs put fire on the dug in Syrian infantry along the road/hills to little effect, although an artillery strike did pin them.  The Israeli infantry in the village moved up leaving the tank HQ stationary to call in the artillery.  The Syrian commandos popped their ambush with their Saggers, taking 2 of 3 Magach 3s in the front platoon out, causing the last to abandon their tank.  The dug in Syrians knocked out a Zelda and put a couple hits on the advancing Israeli's in the village.  The T-55s arrived from reserves and moved up behind the burning T-62 wreaks, one getting off a lucky shot to hole a Magach 3.

Turn 3, the front Israeli mechanized company dismounted to help clear the infantry in the road.  The dismounted village Israeli's also moved up to assault the Syrians in the hills.  The Saggers got smoked and the remaining Israeli tanks tried to make a end run around one of the fortified hills, hoping their reactive armor would save them from RPGs.  The command tank was still stationary to call in the smoke and starting to feel a bit exposed.  The first assault from the village got repulsed by massive LMG fire but the assault in the road was successful and cut the big spread out Syrian company in half and opening a way for escape.  The Syrians replied by holding tight with the commandos, waiting for the smoke to disappear, bringing up the 2nd mechanized company to hold the hills near the bottom of the road, where the tanks need to pass to get to their objectives.  The Shilkas arrived but just moved on.  The cut off Syrian infantry in the hills just put fire on the Israeli's that failed their assault, killing a couple stands.  The T-55s bailed a couple Magach 3s and 5s but they passed their morale tests and stuck around.

Saggers getting smoked

Israeli infantry clearing the road and not doing that good of a job on the hill

Turns 4-6, The front Israeli infantry continued to move up on foot, kicking the Syrians off another hill.  The village Israeli platoon ended up mounting up and heading as fast as they can down the road.  One tank commander dropped artillery on the commandos, just pinning them.  This saved the Israeli force since they stayed pinned the rest of the game and kept them from firing their Saggers.  This allowed the rest of the Israeli forces to run the RPG gauntlet (only loosing a couple APCs) and make it down to the bottom of the hill.  The Shilkas didn't even get to fire before the Israeli tank commander made a run for it and took them out on the way down.  The T-55s tried to put up a fight also ended up burning and finally bailing from the few remaining Israeli tanks.

So, it ended up a Israeli win but with a pretty high cost.  Almost all the infantry made it but they left 6 of their 10 tanks either abandoned or burning on the field.

Israeli moving left to start clearing the Commandos

Syrians in the hills daring any Israeli vehicle to run the RPG gauntlet

A few APCs didn't quite make it through

Israeli tank commander bringing up the rear

Last turn when the Syrian Commandos didn't rally from pinned for the 2nd turn in a row leaving the route open for the Israelis

Thoughts

Everyone had a good time, so I consider it a success.  The game came out semi historical, so that's a bonus.  It seemed pretty balanced.  If the Syrian Commandos would of rallied on a 3+, the Israeli tanks would probably be Sagger bait.  We are still learning the system and always forget the special orders like Shoot and Scoot, etc.  That might of saved the T-62s if they pulled back behind the hill.

I originally gave the Israeli force three off board artillery barrages but dropped it down to two when setting up.  Having to have someone stay still to use it, made them very difficult to use in this scenario.  At most I only every dropped one barrage a turn.  Having two was handy as it gave me two smoke screens to work with.



Random Unit Pictures

I thought I'd show off a couple of my forces.  

Magach 5s from QRF M-60s.  I cut plasticard into little boxes and glued them on as reactive armor

Magach 3s from Battlefront M48s.  I removed the 50cal copula and replaced it with some spare Sherman ones

Israeli Dragon ATGM team and scratch built from some extra Battlefront mortars and a bead from my daughter's stash.  Figures are Peter Pig.  We've broke down and are actually going to rebase our AK47 figures to the Team Yankee basing.

Command Decision BTR-60s bought with the Old Glory Army discount so they were dirt cheap.  Fresh off the painting block ( I just finished 10 of these for the game)

BTR party in the village square