"Death from Above"
Game 6
Iraqi Forces attack a key town that contains a crossroads, this is essential to secure logistics for further attacks.
Deployment: Long Edges
Points Value: 300pts
Iranian Forces (Defender)
--ADS-4 Radar
--x2 Hawk PAR Radar
--x4 MIM-23
--x2 AAA Radar
--x4 Medium AAA
--x3 Heavy AAA
--Light AAA
--F-5E Tiger
-Competant Pilot (Zahra Ghorbani)
-2xAIM-9P
--F-5E Tiger
-Average pilot (Akbar Hasani)
-2xAIM-9P
--F-5E Tiger
-Average pilot (Mehri Seyed)
-2xAIM-9P
--AH-1J Cobra
-Competant Pilot (Aman Mir)
-x4 TOW Missiles
--AH-1J Cobra
-Competant Pilot (Omid Mansouri)
-x2 Rocket pods
--Infantry Units: 5
--Armour Units: 6 (3xM113, 3xM60A3)
--Mobile AA Units: 4 (2xZSU-57-2, 2xZSU-23-4)
The Plan
The Cobra's will arrive on turn 2 at altitude 1, the Tigers will arrive at altitude 4 on turn 3 and will be able to loiter around provide air covour/strafing runs for the rest of the game.
Iraqi Forces (Attacker)
--SU-20
-Average pilot (Ali Kazem)
-2xKh-28
-8 Bombs
--SU-20
-Average pilot (Mohammed Ali)
-2xKh-28
-8 Bombs
--MiG-23BN
-Average Pilot (Musah Taha)
-8 Bombs
--MiG-23BN
-Average Pilot (Siham Fayed)
-8 Bombs
--Mirage F-1EQ
-Competant Pilot (Bilal Badin)
-2xR.550
--Mirage F-1EQ
-Competant Pilot (Iman Radi)
-2xR.550
--Mi-25 Hind
-Average pilot (Abdul Najm)
-2xRocket pods
--Infantry Units: 8
--Armour Units: 4 (4xT-55)
--Mobile AA Units: 3 (ZSU-23-4, ZSU-57-2, SA-8 Gecko)
The Plan
The MiG-23's will arrive on turn 1 at altitude 2, hopefully their ECM can provide enough survivability for them to strike some AA systems.
Turn 3 the SU-20's will arrive at altitude 2, plus both hinds at altitude 1 and the Mirages at Altitude 4.
Set up
Iranian set up
Iraqi set up
TURN 1
The Iraqi MiG-23's arrive, both drop two Bombs, and reduce an M60 Tank and a AAA guidance Radar to scrap.
The ground forces firefight rages, the Iraqis loose two Infantry Squads and two tanks while the Iranians loose one Infantry squad, one tank and one M113. Another M113 has its weapons disabled.
An Iranian ZSU-57-2 opens up on the MiGs but does little.
TURN 2
The Iranian Cobra Gunships arrive,
One of the Cobras blows an Iraqi tank apart with a rocket salvo, the other aquire a lock on the SA-8 Gecko and let's a TOW loose.
The MiGs each let another two Bombs drop, a Shilka and the Early warning Radar are destroyed.
Iranian fire destroys another Iraqi squad and the last tank, Iraqi return fire suppresses a few Iranian Squads.
With a feat of outstanding gunnery, the Iraqi Shilka hits the TOW armed Cobra damaging it, and the ZSU-57-2 follows up hitting the other Cobra blowing it pieces in a hail of autocannon fire, the wreck crashes into the ground and its pilot crawl out severely Wounded.
AAA fire from the Iranian lines fills the sky around the MiGs, one is clipped but no damaged is caused.
The Hawk SAMs attempt to lock the MiGs but cannot defeat their ECM.
The Gecko luanches a missile at the Cobra.
TURN 3
Everything else turns up!
The SA-8 missile hits the Cobra turning it into a fireball and killing the pilot, in turn the TOW hits the Gecko destroying it.
The F-5Tigers drop altitude a little as the Mirages perform an Immelmann maneuver.
The SU-20's destroy an M60 Tank and M113 with Bombs, and one of the MiGs takes out a Hawk Luancher with Bombs.
The Hind adds to the carnage with a rocket salvo that destroys a ZSU-57-2.
AAA fire continues to fill the sky, the SU-20s are missed while the MiGs and caught in a vicious cross fire, the aircraft remain in operation but both pilots are Wounded.
Hawk SAMs are luanched, one tracks the Sukhois, the second hits a MiG blowing it apart a split second before the pilot ejects.
The ground battle deteriorates fast for the Iraqis as they loose three more Squads with little effect in return.
TURN 4
The Hawk missile slams into the Sukhoi taking it down with its pilot.
The MiG-23 Flys away from the area and RTB's.
The lead F-5 locks onto the last Sukhoi and luanches a sidewinder, as the SU-20 drops a bomb on the last ZSU-57-2.
The Hind advances on the Iranian line, firing rockets and wiping out an Iranian squad.
Both Mirages perform a Split-S.
The Iraqi Sparka continues with its pin point accuracy hitting an F-5 and wounding the pilot.
Iranian AAA continues with its storm of gunfire, only hitting the Hind which shrugs off the hits.
TURN 5
The sidewinder slams into the Sukhoi but he attempts a last ditch dodge, the missile detonates close and shrapnel peppers the plane destroying the avionics.
The lead F-5 fails to perform a Split-S, Lieutenant Badin lines up his Mirage on an F-5 and opens up with cannons. The 20mm round shred the F-5 as its pilot ejects
The last F-5 Banks round hard as the Hind continues its rocket attack destroying an M60 Tank.
AAA fire continues, as the Iraqi ground Forces start to retreat.
TURN 6
The Hind and Sukhoi RTB.
F-5's and Mirages maneuver to try and gain the upper hand, a Hawk SAM is luanched at a Mirage.
The Iraqi Sparka once again hits, taking an F-5 down, its pilot ejects safely only to be captured by retreating Iraqi Forces.
In turn, advancing Iranian Forces capture lieutenant Fayad.
TURN 7
The Hawk SAM hits the Mirage damaging the controls.
The Mirages and F-5 Speed past each other and the F-5 Banks round hard as the Mirages hit their afterburners and dive for the deck.
AAA fire has nothing to fire upon and the Iraqi Forces continue their retreat.
TURN 8
Iraqi Forces, both air and ground retreat from the area.
Aftermath
The Iraqi Ground Forces got hammered early on and could not put up much of a fight afterwards, the Hind even the odds a little and the air battle was pretty even.
Star of the game . . .
The Iraqi ZSU-57-2 Sparka, needing a 6 to hit, this bad-boy rolled a 6 every time!
Could have been crewed by Republican Guard.
Iraq
Ramzy Hantous = Seriously Wounded
Ali Kazem = Lightly Wounded
Adeep Cridi = KIA
Mohammed Ali = KIA
Siham Fayed = POW
-10% F-1 Mirage Damaged (3 Turns)
-10% SU-20 Damaged (6 Turns)
-30% pts to Su-20
-15% pts to Tu-16
-30% pts to MiG-21MF
-10% pts to MiG-23MLA
-10% pts to MiG-23BN
Iran
Omid Mansouri = Seriously Wounded
Alireza Khalili = KIA
Aman Mir = KIA
Mehri Seyed = POW
-30% pts to F-5 Tiger II
-10% pts to AH-1 Cobra
-20% pts Hawk PAR Radar
-5% pts Medium AAA
-15%pts ADS-4 Radar
-5%pts to Hawk SAM
