Sunday, October 20, 2019

Final Assault on Zawiya, 10 March 2011

This battle follows up two previous games I've played in the Libyan Civil War's opening in March of 2011.  In Outskirts of Zawiya, a reinforced platoon of Ghaddafi's loyalist forces rolled toward the rebelling city and mopped up resistance.  In Zawiya City Center, 8 March 2011, the army and rebels fought to a standstill over a contested patch of the cityscape.

In this battle, Ghaddafi's elite Khamis Brigade, along with some regulars from other units, make a push to consolidate control over the rebellious city.  A platoon of government infantry with BMP-1s in support advances into the heart of the contested urban area with several dozen insurgents in opposition.

The Khamis Brigade troops wear red berets, and are Troop Quality d8, Morale d10.  The other government forces are TQ d6, Morale d8.  Son #1 had the government troops and I ran the insurgents.


The government forces pose for a platoon photo before they head into the contested neighborhood.


The government forces are off to the races, with Khamis Brigade leaders signaling a general advance.


Insurgents lie in wait.


An insurgent sniper team stands ready to pick off government troops.


A government machine gun team takes to the roof of a building to establish an intermediate support by fire position.


The machine gun team and the snipers lying in wait spot each other, the MG team wins initiative and keeps the snipers either wounded or suppressed.


View from the MG team - insurgent team lying in wait beyond the wall in the distance.


Fog of War card hits the government forces - indirect fire hits a randomized unit...


 ...and the government forces take casualties in their assembly area...



...and insurgent RPG fire is directed at the crucial MG team on the rooftop.


More insurgents advance to counter the government troops.


An insurgent team at the top of the mosque loses initiative and takes a shot from the BMP-1.


Reverse view of the now-remodeled mosque roof.


CASEVAC of the MG team member injured by artillery fire.


The insurgents get hit with a Fog of War card that strips them of artillery support:


Line of sight check on the government left flank.  The insurgents lose the initiative check and take casualties.


Similar results on the government right flank...


Government forces pouring into the neighborhood.


A Fog of War card brings an insurgent MG team into the fight, complete with the Punisher-themed gunner here.


Insurgents race across an alleyway and shed several troops in the process.


A Fog of War card largely neutralizes a key insurgent team.


Government BMP advances with infantry support.


Son #1 talked about moving an MG-heavy squad of Khamis Brigade troops to a roof to establish another intermediate support by fire position.  I was skeptical - I didn't think they would have good line of sight from the proposed position, and I warned him that even if they did, they could end up taking on an overwhelming number of insurgents.

I was wrong.  He put the squad on a rooftop, and they won a series of initiative checks and lay waste to several insurgent teams.


Here's some of their handiwork:


Government forces storm an insurgent position previously neutralized by a Fog of War card.  It's a bloodbath for the insurgents.


Government forces take casualties during their advance.


Two insurgents with RPGs jump out from behind a corner and try to take out a government BMP.  They lose initiative and pay the price.


Government forces turn the corner and open up their advance on the left flank.  Insurgent forces have been largely broken by this point.


To add insult to injury, a Fog of War card gives the government forces a T-72 main battle tank.  At this point, we called the game, with the insurgents having been pushed out of the neighborhood.


The dead insurgents stacked up...


This game went a bit differently than I expected, but we had a great time and it largely reflected what happened in the early phases of the Libyan Civil War.