Operation Green

Unternehmen Grun

The United Kingdom fell to the Nazis in early August 1940, and Hitler gave his permission for the invasion of the Irish Free State in late September.  British forces in Northern Ireland have not surrendered, and Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Eammon de Valera stands by Ireland's neutrality and calls for an end to the partition of Ireland.  Churchill and the government (and Royal family) have escaped to Canada, and the US maintains its neutrality.  

At 7.00am on the morning of September 30, 1940, German airborne units parachute and glider assault into Rineanna (Shannon) and Baldonnell (Casement) aerodromes in the Irish Free State and Aldergrove airfield in Northern Ireland.  Simultaneously, amphibious forces will land on the Waterford and Wexford coast lines and establish two beach heads.  The airfields have to be secured intact by the paras thus allowing JU 52s to fly in reinforcements.

The Irish Defense Forces are under strength, under equipped, and lack combat experience.  The Air Corp consists of three Gloster Gladiators at Baldonnell, and Walrus flying boats and Ansons at Rineanna. There is no radar to warn of any air attacks, and there is no navy to protect the coastline.  British unit commanders have offered their assistance to the Free State, but de Valera has refused, as he is worried about violating Irish neutrality and giving Hitler an excuse to invade.

Baldonnel Defenses:

1 platoon of Irish Infantry

1 Boffars AA gun

2 Lewis MGs (AA version)

1 2 pdr. gun

1 Ford Armored Car

1 Bren Gun carrier

1 Vickers MG team

German Forces:

5 DFS 230 gliders each carrying a pilot and a 8-9 man Fallschirmjager squad.  The glider had a roof hatch MG 15 (7.92mm).  4 gliders carry a squad each with the fifth glider carrying support weapons.

                                                            Baldonnell Control Tower

Single Lewis MG

                                                            Gloster Gladiator

Gloster Gladiator

                                                                Twin Lewis MG

                                                                    Boffar 40mm AA Gun

                                                                Air Hanger

                                                                        Type 23 Pill Box

                                                                        Type 26 Pill Box

                                                        

    

                                                        

Crossing the Ukraine: What Could Go Wrong?

 "Crossing the Ukraine: What Could Go Wrong?"

I ran this scenario at Huzzah Con in May 2025.  It was early into the Russian invasion of the Ukraine when a Russian armored column of tanks and APCs arrogantly entered an urban area, and discovered the Ukrainians were not going to roll over and give up.  A number of vehicles were destroyed or damaged and two four man tank crews and a four man Russian infantry fire team having escaped their BDM find themselves separated in no-man's-land.  The Ukrainians want to (preferably) capture them or kill them, while the Russians want their "skilled" crews rescued.  The Russians came on their end of the table with three eight man rifle squads, and the Ukrainians started with one eight man squad and a stealth sniper.

                                         Two Russian T72s on the table edge at the start of the game.  The                                                            Ukrainian players wondered if they would advance."

                                        The warehouse was the center piece of the table where a Russian tank                                                      crew were hiding at the start of the game.

                                         A knocked out T72 that was painted in a rust color although it was                                                              suppose to have just been recently knocked out.

    

                                 A Russian artillery strike shelled the area prior to their advance, and that                                                  resulted in the T72 taken out.

                                           A Russian squad advancing, takes cover after coming under sniper fire.

                                            A second squad of Russians make use of cover as they maneuver                                                              through mangled containers.

                                            Ukrainian infantry cautiously advance making sure to use cover.

                     The factory roof was removed so figures could be moved as both                                                              sides had detected the other, and one Russian tank crew were fleeing                                                         for their lives.

                          Another Ukrainian squad preparing to move towards the main                                                                  ware house door.

                            (Slightly out of focus)  A third Ukrainian squad cautiously                                                                         advancing towards a burning BDM, but not knowing that a Russian fire                                                     team were hiding in a factory building.

                                           

                         The second Tank crew was forced to leave their hiding spot because of the                                                 fear of being discovered by a squad of Ukrainians, and make a run for it.

                           Unfortunately the tankers came under fire and took two casualties (later                                                    discovered to be light wounds), but the next turn all four were hit and                                                        captured by the Ukrainians.

                     The Ukrainians advanced beyond the burning BDM and the Russian infantry                                             fire team tried to shoot them, but unfortunately the Ukrainian player won the                                             reaction test, and successful hit all four figures.

                    The tankers in the ware house successfully avoided the Ukrainians that had                                             entered from the other end, but just as they seemed to escape the ware                                                     house, they spotted a minefield, and had to pass a Troop Quality check to                                                 avoid tripping a mine, and they succeeded!

                                            Tankers in a minefield passed their second TQ check on D6s!

                                           Russian infantry had to take cover from a stealth sniper.

                                On turn 5, the Ukrainians received reinforcements in the form of a                                                            five man unit armed with AT4 (three man team) and a LMG team.                                                             They appeared at "Hot Spot three," but the AT4 had to relocate as it                                                             couldn't fire from the interior.

                            The AT4 team took cover behind the wrecked T72 and engaged the                                                             advancing Russian squad.

                             The Russian squad tried to close on the Ukrainian AT4 team using the T72                                                 as cover, but came under fire from the LMG team in the garage.

                         The LMG team hit the Russians and the Russian player failed his morale and                                             they became pinned.

After three and a half hours of play, the game was called with victory leaning towards the Ukrainians.  They had captured one tank crew and the infantry fire team, with the other tank crew close to returning to friendly lines.  Overall, there were few figures  KIA.  The Russians had two and the Ukrainians zero.

 I ran this scenario three times (Friday night, Saturday morning, and Saturday afternoon) at the Huzzah Con held in South Portland, Maine last weekend (May 17-19).  The outcome was the same on all three occasions, although twice it came down to the wire. 

On September 25, 2007 the UN Security Council approved a peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT). Ireland was requested to contribute peacekeepers.  During February 2008 the 97th Infantry battalion and a 50+ unit of the Irish Army Ranger Wing (ARW) deployed to Abeche (the second city) in Chad as part of a European Union force (EUROFOR) CHAD/CAR.  It was based at Camp Croci with other EURFOR special forces.  The ARW conducted special reconnaissance patrols in southeastern Chad and also provided security while Camp Ciara was being constructed 5 km from the town of Goz Beida.  The town was the capital of the Sila region in Chad and was located 70 km (40 miles) from the Sudan border (western Darfur region).  The ARW protected convoys transporting essential supplies through hostile territory. 

In this particular scenario a UN convoy has to trek the length of the table to deliver essential supplies to a refugee camp, but rebel attacks have increased lately in addition to border incursions from Darfur. The Irish have air support in the form of drones and a helicopter, and have been informed that there is suspicious activity ahead of the convoy.  The Irish are on alert, but must followed the rules of engagement, and can only fire having been fired upon.  The insurgents have planned an ambush, but are not to target the containers.  

Insurgent victory points:

1 point for each UN KIA.

2 points for a POW.

5 points for each UN vehicle destroyed.

5 points for a captured container.

If containers damaged/destroyed -10 points.

UN victory points:

1 point for each rebel killed.

2 points for a POW.

5 points for each rebel vehicle destroyed.

5 points for a UN vehicle getting to the bridge.

Do not shoot civilians -1 for each civilian hit.

The Irish can only fire after being fired upon.  If they shoot first -10 points.

 The UN force consists of:

3x8 man squads with each squad split into 2 fire teams.

3 Ford F350s and 1 ACMAT "Mothership".

2 Piranhas (Mowags) (1 APC and 1 Recovery vehicle).

2 Scania Container Lorries, and one trailer.

Reinforcements:

1 Unimog Gun Truck (One four man Fire Team).

1 Mi Mil8 Helicopter

Chad Rebel Forces:

6x10 man squads

1 recoiless guns

1 ZE-23-2 (AA Gun)

2 DHSK AA

Reinforcements:

4x10 man squads

Toyota trucks carrying an assortment of support weapons.

The UN convoy started 20 inches on the road before Turn One began.  The Irish players had initiative throughout the game and that meant they could place units on overwatch.  The insurgents could never gain the initiative, and couldn't use overwatch, and this placed them at a disadvantage throughout the game.  The Irish decided to split their convoy in two having received intel (from drone coverage) that suspicious activity was ahead of them, and were on alert.

The first part of the convoy entered the village being led by a Piranha III APC (Mowag) and Piranha Recovery APC.  The Ford F 350s were on overwatch (with four man fire teams in each Ford, and an eight man squad in the Piranha III).  The only figures visible were civilians at the time, but insurgents were waiting to ambush the convoy from the nearby shanties.

                                    All looks peaceful on the surface as civilians go about work

The second part of the convoy held back, and the Irish player placed an ACMAT "Mothership" on the side road leading into the village on overwatch.  After 5 turns with no firing, two insurgent players attempted to spring an ambush on part one of the convoy, and the ACMAT came under fire from a squad of insurgents who were 12 inches away.  Two figures in the ACMAT would suffer light wounds, and an attempt was made to run a insurgent armed with an RPG towards the ACMAT.

The ACMAT crew had passed their morale check, but the Irish player decided to use his sniper team that was on overwatch and in stealth mode.  The sniper inflicted three hits on the RPG figure, and the threat was neutralized.  The 50 Cal then opened up on the shanty and inflicted a few additional casualties.

Notice the yellow roof bus.  This could be used to barricade the road as the convoy closed the distance to the bridge.  However, the Insurgent player had to pass a Troop Quality (TQ) check to allow the driver to block the road.

Having successfully passed a TQ check, the bus blocked the road, and the insurgent play's squad in the two story shanty attempted to engage the side armor of the Piranha.  Fortunately for the Irish, they had the Fords on overwatch, and won the reaction rolls and fired first.  The insurgents were beat back, thus allowing the Irish to bring up the wrecker to deal with the bus.  Meanwhile a lot of dice was being thrown as the Irish had to stave off three attempted ambushes and succeeded to do so.

    

This squad of Insurgents attempted to ambush but failed to beat the Irish players dice rolls.  After taking fire, they had suffered four hits (that would be determined at the beginning of the new turn) and having failed to pass their morale check were pinned.

Squad C of the ARW debussed from the APC (6 inches) and the next turn moved towards the shanty.  The die showing five was the number of potential hits on the insurgent squad.  The Irish player decided to move the Scania lorry and trailer up, even though the wrecker was having no luck moving the bus at the time.  

In the next turn, the insurgent commander succeeded in getting reinforcement, and va squad of six figures and a Unimog with a 105 recoilless rifle showed up on the hill top overlooking the village and part one of the convoy.  Both the APC's rears were vulnerable at this point, but the Irish had the initiative.  The 50 cal on the Ford guarding the second half of the convoy attempted to fire, but the dice rolls were ineffective.  When it became the insurgent's turn, the 105 fired on the rear of the Piranha with the 30mm auto cannon.

Unfortunately for the insurgents, they only inflicted one hit on the rear of the APC and could only immobilize the vehicle.  The crew passed their morale check and could still fire the 30mm auto cannon and co ax MG.  Two of the four man crew in the wrecker were sent out to try and hook the crane to the bus but they could not do it in one turn.

The Irish brought their fire power to bare on the 105, and succeeded to inflict casualties and pinned down the squad and crew.  The next turn they failed to unpin and failed a second morale check and left the table.

In the next turn, more reinforcement showed up at a Hotspot close to the bridge.  Another 6 man squad with a Toyota carrying a ZU-23-2.  This excited the insurgent players thinking that if the barricade was pushed aside, they would open up with their new weapon.  The Irish commander was asked to roll a die and he rolled a six and at the beginning of the next turn, a UN Mi Mil 8 helicopter appeared.

The Mi Mil 8 appeared over the village just before the player in charge of the wrecker successfully passed a TQ check and the bus was pushed off the road.  The Insurgent players decided that they should shoot the ZU-23-2 at the helicopter rather than at the vehicles.  They fired and cause several hits, but the helicopter block the hits successfully.  AS time was running out having been playing for 3 hours and 45 minutes, the Irish decided to make a run for the bridge with the container and trailer, and nothing seemed to stand in their way except for an insurgent squad that had moved out of a shanty to threaten the wrecker but came under fire from the 30mm auto cannon.  

As the Scania lorry came by the wrecker, an insurgent with an RPG fired (the figure had done nothing but move the previous turn).  The Irish had nothing to react with, and the Insurgent got three hits on the cab.  The Irish blocked one hit, but two went through.

Having placed two hits on the lorry, the insurgent die roll went from a D6 to a D8, and the cab was destroyed, but not the containers.

The game was called at this point, and the insurgents had a partial victory.  The Irish inflicted a number of casualties on the insurgents, and only had two light wounds on their figures, and no vehicles until the lorry were destroyed, however, the Irish did not get to the end of the table.

A few more pictures from the game.

                                            ARW ready to close assault the shanty.

                        

                                            Getting ready to engage!

                                            The second part of the convoy started to cautiously advance on the side                                                     road.