20-28mm Wargames: 2024

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.