UN fails to make headway in Malika City

We played the fight in north Malika City, a platoon of HQ security and a platoon of Malikastanis, with a special force unit in support, took on two Haqiqa foreign fighters groups, supported by two T-72’s.

MC1 and MC3 fights L3 and MP1

Major Heidi Clare's Audacious Attack Failed

The UNSAF(East Malikastan) spokesperson, Major Heidi Clare, found herself in command of the UN forces in Malika City following the death of the General in a car-bomb blast.  Instead of sitting in the legation district, and waiting for relief forces to arrive, she hatched an audacious plan to not only free Malika City from the insurgents, but then to advance and clear the airfield.

Firstly, she sent a platoon to the south of the city and a platoon to the west of the city to guard those approaches, and then she contacted a group of Australian SASR (who were busy hunting Haqiqa to the east of the river) and requested they cross over the river and secure the eastern flank of the city.  She then personally led a platoon of Malikastani infantry and her HQ group to the north to clear the city of Haqiqa.

This attack came as a surprise to both the Hotakistani’s in Malika City.  In fact, the UN HQ security platoon was surprised even more so when Major Heidi Clare declared her intention to free Malika City from the clutches of the Haqiqa.

Moving north through the streets the platoons managed to stay in line a breast and were joined by a four man team of special forces from the US HVT hunting contingent.  What was to ensue was a bloody close quarters fire fight in which both sides suffered casualties and no one gained an advantage.

Major Heidi Clare led from the front, maybe because of criticism from Major D. Zaster, but she was generally more forward than the majority of her men.

The first contact occurred between an insurgent group in a five storey building open fire on the two lead US infantry fire teams, both US fire teams sustained casualties before entering the building.  By the battle end four of these men were seriously wounded and the remainder lightly wounded.  But in the end they captured the building and destroyed the Haqiqa insurgent defenders.

The US point fire team coming exchanging fire with the Haqiqa

Across the street, a second insurgent team held a position from which they could bring fire to bear on all advancing UN forces, they were to be a thorn in the UN’s side for the remainder of the day, and were one of the major reason for the eventual withdrawal of the UN forces.

The Malikastani platoon, men from northern Malikastan, had no love for the Haqiqa and advanced boldly along the central and eastern flank.  The central Malikastani force walked into a captured T-72, they fled to cover but suffered casualties from the Haqiqa in the 2^nd building and from the machine guns on the tank.  A US GPMG tried to attack the Haqiqa in the second building, but fell to returning fire.

US pushing forward and trying to bring fire to bare on the central buildings defenders.  The T-72 fell back from this position following the special forces unit attempting to flank it. The US team on the roof of the mosque destroys the technical.

The T-72 retreats under threat from the special forces in the central building.

The special force unit entered the 2^nd building, but were spotted before they could fire the AT-4 at the side of the T-72, the T-72 reversed and the AT-4 exploded harmlessly against the ERA on the front of the tank.

Meanwhile, a technical sped towards the US forces on the western flank, but was soon destroyed by a LAW.  The US and Malikastani forces brought heavy fire to bear on the Haqiqa in the second building, but to no avail.  When Haqiqa started to reinforce the building the special forces moved up to block any movement from the top storey.  A dozen insurgents fell upon them with complete surprise and massacred the team.  At the same time the US in the first building suppressed the defenders and two if the team bravely charged in killing all the defenders.

The special force team is overwhelmed and destroyed.

Further tit-for-tat fire ended the day, both sides uncertain of their position fell back and the centre of Malika City was left to the city’s lost dogs and not so lost rats.

Both sides scored 25VP.  A draw.  The mission design for an insurgent-only force needed a few adjustments.  Better chances of getting reinforcements to compensate for the loss of hotspots, or maybe units which fail to arrive at hotspots enter on the friendly edge.  Will also simplify the force selection for the insurgents.

The rules and support cards have been updated form lessons learnt.

Hotakistani 25VP [Fatigue: +2, fought battle, gave away +25VP]
UN 25VP [Fatigue: +2, fought battle, gave away +25VP]