The Battle at Chinese Farm

Israeli attack on Egyptian positions in order to secure a crossing.

 

This was fought down at the Writtle "Essex Warriors" Club today.  The game was put on by Ralph (who supplied all the troops and vehicles) and Ian's Israelis were the aggressors whilst my peaceloving Egyptians were quietly trying to mind their own business ... ahem !

 

Egyptian forces in "laager" beyond the crossroads - its night and visibility limited

 

Egyptian Order of Battle Sheet for Cold War Commander 

 

The Chinese Farm

 

The book which has inspired Ralph to pen this scenario

 

Israeli forces on the move

 

Including engineers with bridging equipment

 

Stirrings at the farm at the sound of engines

 

Egyptian HQ also awakes

 

Israeli General Ian doesn't know that Ralph the umpire is about to pounce on him !

 

The Israeli attack begins down the road with jeeps ahead

 

A formidable phalanx of Israeli armour

 

Isareli HQ vehicle orders more troops forward on their right

 

With infantry in APCs close behind the tanks

 

Still no reaction from the farm

 

But a forward observor seems active on the high ground

 

An Israeli artillery "stonk" hits the Egyptian HQ first time supressing the command vehicle and destroying the Egyptians best anti-tank asset too !

 

Another Egyptian armoured division decides to move into position behind the farm

 

The Israelis keep on coming on their left

 

One jeep gets caught in an unseen irrigation ditch

 

The yellow markers indicate where some Egyptian infantry might be hiding

 

The Israeli infantry debus from their APCs now they are in the irrigated zone

 

Over at the back road, the Israeli bridging column makes very slow progress

 

With a CO in helicopter urging them on

 

An Egyptian heavy AT gun reveals itself and opens fire

 

As the first Egyptian infantry casualties are taken in the irrigation trenches

 

An Israeli tank is brewed up

 

Egyptian infantry bail out of a damaged recce APC

 

Birds eye view of the struggle in the irrigation ditches and trenches

 

Off table Egyptian artillery hits the bullseye with a devastating barrage

 

But it is not at all one-sided - another Egyptian tank blows up over on their right

 

Egyptian armour reached the high ground

 

And to the right of the farm

 

With infantry shielding amongst the trees

 

Even though the Egyptians lose more tanks, on both the right

 

and the left, their stubborn resistance coupled with the lack of progress of the Israeli bridging column,

 

 means that the Israelis have failed in their objective - to rapidly bridge the water and get troops across.

 

As it was my first game of Cold War Commander, I think we can put it down to beginner's luck coupled with one or two heavy hints from the umpire at critical moments !