Defending the FOB

Following a week of intermittent mortaring Major D. Zaster (replacing Major Mooney this week, after Mooney succumbed to some "goat" at a shuria) began planning a strike on the ruins below the base.  Planning was sped up after ICOM interception indicated the local insurgent commander was directing the mortars and planning to overrun the UN security forces base.  The insurgent commander was identified as Kebi, an infamous mujahedeen fighter from the Soviet incursion days.

On an early Sunday morning two platoon’s stole their way down the slopes below the FOB, one heading north and then veering east, and the other heading straight down the hill into the ruined town.

The USMC platoon, led by 1^st Lieutenant Hackett approached the town from the south, and the British Army, led by Lieutenant Moolah approached the hamlet from the west.  Contact came sooner than expected with the marines immediately coming under a fusillade of fire from the abandoned police station.  Within seconds a marine private died in the dry river bed to the east of the concrete police station, a second marine fell wounded in the drainage ditch.  After the flurry of fire the US marines had suffered one killed in action and two serious wounds.

To the west of the main road, the British platoon advanced into the town, quickly dispatching several foreign jihadists who were preparing breakfast in a partially constructed house.

Following the initial contact the marines consolidated and prepared firing positions.  The mujahedeen in the police station continued to pour fire into the marines.  But now, the US marines and British bought their immense fire power to bear, the police stations walls were soon pock-marked and the defenders fell in droves.

The first attempt to assault the police station failed, with the nearby field catching alight forcing the marines to reposition.  Several insurgent teams charged into the police station to defend their leader, only to find he had fallen.  Caught in a crossfire between the US marines and the British the police station soon became a charnel house.  All did not, however. go well for the UN forces, an RPK raked the roof of a nearby house wounding several marines accompanying 1^st Lt Hackett.

 

When the marines finally assaulted the police station they discovered over twenty bodies in the building.

The marines found the insurgent leader, dead.  They grabbed intel and then began the withdrawal.  Across the road the British seeing the USMC withdrawing after their assault also began falling back.

A successful operation, encircle, eradicate, return to base with minimal casualties.

But, no one bothered to tell the insurgents.

From the grain fields to the north and from within the ruins swarmed an army of insurgents.  To the British soldiers they appeared to appear from the proverbial woodwork.  Surrounded in the courtyard of the ruins to the west of the road the British forces suffered a hurricane of fire, albeit inaccurate and poorly coordinated.  Though the wounded were surrounded they fought on, with 1^st Lieutenant Moolah firing at point blank range.  The shooting downed a dozen insurgents, but the fallen were replaced with even more insurgents.  Eventually the British, with some fire support from the remaining marines, managed to extricate themselves.  Miraculously only three men were lightly wounded, one being evacuated for medical attention.

With night falling the UNSAF force made its way back to the FOB on the ridge, leaving the surviving insurgents to bury between 30 and 40 of their comrades.  At a meeting of insurgent leaders the poor leadership of the foreign students was highlighted and the commanders decided to disseminate experienced fighters amongst the local hired insurgents and the students.

UNSAF WIN

Losses:

USMC C Squad 1: 1 KIA, 1 serious wound

USMC C Squad 2: 3 serious wounds, 3 light wounds

USMC C Squad 3: -

British A Section 1: 3 light wounds

British A Section 2: -

British A Section 3: -

Sniper Team: 1 light wound

FAC Team: -

FAO Team: -

Local Insurgents: 2 teams lost

1^st Tier Insurgents: 2 teams lost

Foreign Student Jihadists: 6 teams lost

Scenario play time: 3 hours (set to end on a real time limit instead of turns)
Players: K, B, M and D