Seven days to Stockholm.

Game of the Cold war going hot what if. 

Using 7 days to the Rhine in 1/72.

Organized, using terrain and models and umpired by Paddy McGarrigle.

AAR by Paddy McGarrigle.

Players

Sweden  : Leslie Tipping.

Soviets : Stephen.

Field of Battle :

A second go at 7 Days to the River Rhine this year!

Umpiring - Paddy McG with Leslie in his natural role as a Swedish defender (Abba music aside) with Stephen acting as the attacking Soviets

This scenario was set circa 1985 pitching a Soviet company sized grouping against a similar sized Swedish group.

Set in South Eastern Sweden the Russian were attempting to seize and hold a bridge over one of the many rivers flowing through the Swedish country side.  The terrain was heavily forested with a small village near the bridge.  Ample cover for the Swedish Defenders.  The River was fordable to tracked vehicles but NOT to wheeled vehicles.

Therefore the Russians from the outset were denied the ability to cross the river in their amphibious BTRs - humble apologies (this was umpire error in forgetting the capabilities of BTRs!)

Force packages as under

Swedes 

2 X S Tank Platoon (6 tanks)

1 X Centurion Platoon (3 tanks)

2 X Reduced mechanised infantry Platoon (total of 4 M113s - standing in for Swedish home produced APCs)

2 X ATGW sections with a total of 2 missiles each (mounted in 2 Unimog Trucks)

Russians

2 X T55 Platoons (6 tanks)

1 X T55 Command Tank

1 X T72 Tank Platoon (3 tanks)

2 X BTR equipped Mech Inf Platoon (6 vehicles)

Whilst we adhered to some of the 7DTTRR rules some liberties were taken - The writer takes full responsibility for this failure!!

In essence at the end of turn one both sides received incoming arty fire which resulted in some morale damage to a few Russian tank Platoons but zero damage to Swedish forces.

Both sides gradually fed forces into the battle.  The Russians threw a T55 platoon on right flank which whilst using the cover of woods were ground down by fire from the S Tanks who were in defensive positions.  The main Russian assault was on their left flank with the remaining T55s T72s and APCs.  

Aside from Swedish tank fire being massively successful - all those 10s from Leslie (or full credit to the Commandant of the Swedish Armour School)  the Russians did destroy all the centurions and 2 of the S tanks (55% of Swedish tanks) but suffered a loss of all their tanks.

As the Russian attack on their left flank had destroyed the Centurion tank platoon defending on this flank the Russians though down to nearly zero tanks had sufficient mechanised infantry that had they been permitted to cross the water obstacle with their BTRs (2+ on a D6) (again umpire at fault!) they might have engaged in some fancy close combat with Swedish armour using the closed in forested terrain against Swedish defenders with section level held RPGs.

In essence the rule mechanics placed the Swedish tanks with their 105 mm guns more than capable of destroying T55s and the T72s which had modest success but ultimately fell to the 105 guns. 

Aside from failure to adhere to the 7DTTRR rules in full this battle proved that an opposed river crossing is one of the most difficult operations to conduct let alone win!

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Photos curtesy of the Editor.