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 I ran the Soviet Airborne invasion of Ireland (1982) four times at Little Wars in Chicago last weekend, and made the mistake of running back to back games on Friday and Saturday.  My voice gave out during Saturday's afternoon game.  I tweaked the scenario, and removed the Scorpion tank, and further limited the ammunition for the anti tank gun (Gustav 84mm) and the Panhard AML 90.  The Irish still prevailed on Friday and the Soviet players decided that they would not be able to get to their objective in time.  However, on Saturday things turned out differently.  The Irish player's Gustav rolled poorly and failed to knock out the BPM-1.  Although the Gustav would fire again, it eventually ran out of ammo, and the Irish had to rely on the AML90 until the Army Ranger Wing appeared on turn four with two four man fire teams in Land Rovers armed with Laws rockets.  The Russians received a heavy weapons section (a MMG and a Grenade Launcher teams carried in a Bedford truck.  As the game progressed the Soviets, advanced through the fields and their BPM-1s fired several shots into the pub forcing the Irish to abandon the position.  



The Gustav 84mm team attempted to ambush the lead BPM-1, but rolled poorly and suffered half movement penalty.


A half squad of Irish infantry was on the roof to support the Gustav team.  The next two BPM-1s fired on the roof, but failed to hit because the Irish player rolled good defensive die.


The Soviets had taken a civilian car and tried to se it to draw out the Irish, but they did not engage.  The An Garda Siochanna car decided to withdraw as they had been directing civilian traffic towards Dublin.

Two BPM-1s cut into the field and advanced towards the pub and would be followed by the paras.


The Panhard AML 90 took position having moved from the back of the pub and fired on the BPM-1 advancing down the road and was destroyed.

Scratch two BPM-1s!!!!


On the second floor of the pub the Irish had a MMG and the HQ squad (five figures).  The BPM-1s fired several shots from their 73mm guns, and the building was about to be collapse.  The MMG team failed morale twice and abandoned their MMG, and the HQ squad withdrew.


The ARW showed up and fired a Laws and destroyed a BPM-1 on the road.


The Panhard had withdrew from the road and only had one shell left.  The infantry in the parking lot had withdrew from the hedge across the street from the pub, and with the BPM-1s advancing towards them, they had no ATG weapons!


Although the first Irish infantry squad stayed in its position, two para squads had exchanged fire several times.  The Irish would have to withdraw as their position was threatened from their rear when the game was called.

Although the Irish destroyed two BPMs they only killed one para.  The Soviets had taken the petrol station, and destroyed the pub.  The Irish were retreating, and low on AT ammunition, and if the game had have continued, the Soviets would have reached the Rail Road Station and the Murphy Mill.  Everyonr agreed that it was a Soviet victory.

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