My friend Mark, Bullyboy on the FOW Forums, and I were able to have a Six Day War get together and have a few games. He would bring his Jordanians and I would field Israelis.
Originally we were going to play at 1650, but as we planned the point total raised to 1900 to allow Mark to field an entire a full Jordanian Company. It also let me play with more fancy Israeli tanks.
Jordanian Forces
- HQ: 2 Pattons
- 3 Pattons
- 3 Pattons
- 3 Pattons
- 3 Pattons
- 2 AT jeeps
- Full mech Infantry
- 3 25pdrs 3 155s
Mark's Jordanian list looks very intimidating and I was worried my table wouldn't hold the massive weight of that many M48 Pattons.
Israeli Forces
- HQ: 2 Magach 3
- 2 Magach 3
- 2 Sho't
- 3 M51 Ishermans
- 2 AT jeeps
- 4 Patrol jeeps
- 3 Mortar 120mm tracks
My Israeli forces were geared towards Anti-Armor but with so many breakthrough guns I could handle infantry and gun teams as well.
We decided to roll for mission and our first game was Encounter. So half on the table, the other half off table in reserves.
For our second game see this post
Our board for today looked like this.
With a road bisecting the table lengthwise we had rocky outcroppings on one end while a small village on the other. The table was also filled with both line-of-site blocking woods and concealing Scrub fields.
In Encounter both sides get to deploy half their platoons. Both Mark and I elected to start with a couple of Tank Platoons and Artillery. The Jordanians win the roll for first turn and we are off.
Mark decides to push his right flank into the town in order to try and flank the Israelis, while his center Platoon falls back into the woods and safety. One Patton bogs and is left hanging out. Israeli fire and take out the bogged tank.
 |
| Israeli Heavy Armor in concealed positions. |
 |
| First Blood! |
While my initial thought was that I was going to have to go after the Jordanians it turns out they started coming at me. With 2 platoons of Pattons pushing my left flank I couldn't drive out and go on the offensive yet. Any forward movement might give the Jordanians some tasty side shots on my expensive Armor.
Mark set himself up to make his attack on turn 3. With his flanking force in place he pounced. Driving his tanks out of the woods and bringing his flanking platoons into range.
 |
| Jordanians get aggressive on my left flank |
 |
| Lots of armor! |
I've got to say I was rolling extremely hot this game. With all the fire coming at the Israelis I only lose a single Sho't. over two turns. I manage to bounce everything else that hit.
Return fire from the Israelis is predictably brutal, With the Flanking platoon and backfield platoon of Pattons being destroyed.
With the Jordanian attack blunted I start to move out. Over the course of several turns the Center and left are mopped up of Jordanian tanks.
 |
| Israelis start to move out, bogging a Magach 3 in the process |
Mark's 155mm arty scores it's first kill, taking out an Isherman. however, feeling a little cocky, I drive out the remaining two IShermans to take on the reserve Pattons head on.
I Shermans whip around the rocks and take out a single Patton. Mark, sensing a easy VP fires back but misses with all his shots, the next turn the IShermans destroy the remaining 2 Pattons. Direct fire from the 25lb guns take out 2 mortar tracks, but then the Ishermans wreck shop, destroying most of Mark's artillery park with breakthrough guns and MG fire.
The Battle raged on for a few more turns but the action was essentially a mop up, with the Jordanians breaking on Company moral with the loss of their last Artillery platoon.
Finally Tally,
The Israelis get off pretty easy, with the loss of...
1 Sho't
1 ISherman
2 Mortar Tracks.
the Jordanians are brutalized, losing all their tanks and their Artillery park.
I think there were several contributing factors to the lop-sided fight.
The Jordanians pushed hard in the opening, meaning that the Israelis didn't have to move much initially.
I think Mark would agree that he was a little too aggressive in his opening move.
I was rolling really hot. I bounced a LOT of firepower, including at least 3 155mm artillery hits.
it seems like with the loss of every Israeli tank the balance of the battle can shift dramatically.
The next Battle does not go as smoothly for the Israelis!
Second Battle: Hold the Line click here!
No comments:
Post a Comment