AAR - The Battle for No Name Ridge

After the Hotakistani mechanized infantry began to fall back, from their defeat at the hands of the French, the British 2nd line troops and the French Armoured Car recon unit caught them in a pincer.  With an Apache stalking the Hotakis the British spotted a BMP grinding its way up the hill by old ruined fort.  the Battle for No Name Ridge has begun.  The Hotakistanis would need to hold out until the reinforcements from the airlanding to the west could move to join them.

Background to the battle: The initial Hotakistan attack included a combined parachute and insurgent attack on Malika City airport.  To support this attack the Hotakistani's pushed BMPs across the river at Azmakassar to relieve the paratroopers.  The paratroopers, however, were defeated, and French from FOB Breakbone and British from the airport moved to stop the BMPs.  The French turned the Hotakistanis at the old UN checkpoint and now the Hotakistani's are falling back, into a French - British baguette/sandwich.

Objective: Destroy enemy forces and hold the ridge.
Rules: The Hotakistanis were able to make a pre-start move of 10" by passing a TQ vs. their fatigue (4+).

Forces:
Hotakistani
BMP Platoon, Fatigue 4+ (they should have lost one BMP, but it did not effect the game so we let it stand)
T-55 Tank (reinforcement card)
Hotakistani Paratrooper Squad

UN
British Infantry (2nd line TQ8/MOR8) (-1 section due to fatigue) [SNAFU Correction: Should have had MOR10]
+1FP for one team per turn
+1 British Infantry Section
Apache Gunship TQ8 Fatigue 4+
French Armoured Car Fatigue 4+  (-1 section due to fatigue)
155mm Artillery (which we forgot about, and really did not have the opportunity to use).

The British infantry were strung out and only two sections made contact with the Hotakistanis.  They spotted a BMP grinding its way up towards the ruined fort on No Name Ridge and before the Hotakistanis could react a AT-4 blew out the backdoor.  The survivors spilled out the back and top only to be met with small arms fire.  One Hotakistani was seriously wounded and another lightly wounded.

AT-3 destroys a BMP

On seeing their smouldering comrade the other Hotakistani's reacted by debussing from their BMPs.  One squad took up positions in the ploughed field and the other moved into the orchard.

The smoking BMP-1 near the crashed Golden Holden

The Hotakistanis in the orchard were attacked by two fire teams of British, but both sections came off the worse for wear.  A T-55, driven by Hotakistani paratroopers, arrived.  It appeared to be a Malikastani tank, but the British soon realised it was not so anymore.  A LAW hit the tank breaking the tanks main gun.  The Hotakistani soldiers who had survived the destruction of their BMP now tried to run up the hill to the protection of the ruined fort, but caught the ire of a British GPMG gunner, three of them went down in the hail of bullets.

The first (and last) French armoured car arrived and engaged the BMP on the ploughed field terrace, the BMP was soon smoking and the crew bailed.  The third BMP was hit by mortars of unknown origin which put it main gun out of action.  It's ATGM was still good and so it advanced to the bush-line and fired at the French AMX-10RC armoured car.  The rocket made it a whole ten feet before it fell to the earth and harmlessly rolled into a ditch.

The battle begins

The commander of the T-55 unbuttoned to spray the British with the DShK HMG, he managed to wound one or two before taking a bullet in the eye.  With him down the Apache faced no AA.

Eventually a British section leader managed to contact the lurking Apache and it swooped in, firing on the infantry on the terrace (to no effect) and on the BMP and T-55.  The BMP was destroyed by 30mm cannon fire.  The BMPs damaged 30mm cannon unable to give AA protection.

The QRF Apache makes a gun run.

A view from the west looking towards the orchard

By now the Hotakistani's had lost three of their BMPs, but had only suffered one death, and three seriously wounded.  They, however, had now started hurting the British.  Then things began to change.  A second T-55 arrived (card) and surged through the corn, firing on the British HQ, three of the Brits were downed, then the British searched for a LAW (TQ 4+) and fired (and played an automatic catastrophic kill card).  The T-55 blew apart as if it was a hydrazine soaked origami tissue-paper tank!  The card Giveth and the card Taketh!

A LAW from the HQ squad destroys the 2nd T-55

Meanwhile in the orchard the Hotakistanis wreaked havoc upon the British.  Soon the Hotakistanis would feel brave enough to advance.  The Apache returned and made a second run, with less effect.  The only Hotakistani to duck was the religious commissar, much to the silent amusement of the Hotakistani HQ.

The Hotakistani's now made their move (3rd and 2nd to last turn) they advanced and took the ruined castle, moved up to engage the French armoured car, moved down to the road and prepared to assault the downed British fire team in the road by the orchard and the Hotakistani's in the orchard charged the British HQ.

The British HQ managed to hit two of the charging Hotakistanis, but it was not enough, in a quick and bloody fight the British HQ was reduced to three men who surrendered.  This is when a squad of Hotakistani Paratroopers began to enter and engage the remaining British.  On seeing their HQ surrender and the new arrivals the remaining British quietly fell back towards the old UN checkpoint.  The ridge was left in the Hotakistanis hands.  The French armoured cars, with no infantry protection, decided it was time to advance to the rear and drove around the Hotakistanis to laager with the infantry with the coming night.

Hotakistani victory
Hotakistanis: 32 VP
UN: 29 VP

This was a fun little game.  The Hotakistanis in the orchard were probably the most important unit, restricting the British from maneuver.  The lack of AT with the British, after firing 3 AT-3s was limiting.  The Apache did not do much other than destroy a BMP.  The Hotakistani infantry proved very resilient in this game, though their armour less so, though a T-55 did survive (mostly) to the end.