Game of World war III , Israel Jordanian border, 2028.
Using Team Yankee in 15mm.
Organized, using terrain and models and umpired by Andy Smith.
AAR by David Maltman.
Players
Jordan : Jeremy Nixon , Josh Dickinson.
Israel : Charlie Dickinson, David Maltman.
The year is 2028. After the stalemated USA/Israel war of 2026 against Iran and the increasing Israeli subjugation of the Palestinians, the Middle East has become increasingly unstable.
King Abdullah II of Jordan is deposed by Jordanian Islamic fundamentalists, backed by Iran, which has taken the Jordanian military with it.
Syria, Egypt and Jordan have secretly declared war on Israel, but Mosad had a agent in place who intercepted this information.
Combined with the continuing war in Ukraine, holding the European nations from intervening due to having to supply Ukraine.
In the Far East China and North Korea are Sabre rattling over Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. This keep the USA heavily committed.
The Israelis, as per their usual form, decide to pre-taliate and launch attacks on the 3 countries. We are following the attack into Northern Jordan, at the outskirts of the city of Ajloun, with a hastily assembled Jordanian response force.
The quiet battle field, the outskirts of the Jordanian town Ajloun, near the Israeli border.
The Israeli forces.
Two notable units which most of us will not have heard of. The Pereh, an anti-tank non line of sight rocket AFV, the barrel is a dummy to make the enemy think it is just a tank, tricksy chaps these Israelis. The Nagmasho't is an infantry carrier which is festooned with anti-aircraft machine guns.
These both played major parts in the attack.
These are the unit cards for both these vehicles.
The Tammuz missiles fired by the Pereh are effectively drones with a digital camera in the nose of the missile. This allows an operator to modify its flight path, even firing the missile blind if you have any indication where your enemy may be.
The force is :
. 7 Merkava tanks.
. 6 M113 with 20 infantry teams with a variety of AA and antitank weapons.
. 4 Nagmasho'ts with 10 infantry teams with a variety of AA and antitank weapons.
. 4 M106 Mortar carriers.
. 4 BM-21 Hail rocket launcher battery.
. 3 Pereh anti tank vehicles.
. 4 M163 VADS AA vehicles.
. 4 Rabbi with MAPTAS anti tanks rockets.
. Flight of 2 Cobras.
. Flight of 2 Apaches.
The Jordanian forces.
The force is :
. 12 Warrior AFVs with 20 infantry teams with a variety of AA and antitank weapons.
. 4 Spartan Milan anti-tank vehicles.
. 4 FV432 Mortar.
. 3 Challenger tanks.
. 3 M109 Artillery vehicles.
. 3 MRLS Rocket launchers.
. 3 Centurion based Marksman AA vehicles.
. Flight of 4 Harriers.
. Flight of 4 Lynx helicopters with TOW missiles.
. Flight of 3 Lynx helicopters with 8 infantry teams with AA and AT assets.
The brief is to destroy more of the enemy, a simple encounter scenario. All vehicles start off the table and two units per side can be brought on the roads each move, aircraft must be diced for as usual.
Move 1
Jordanians bring on Fox Recon and Scorpions. The Foxes hide behind house 6. The Scorpions lurk beside house 11.
Israelis bring on Merkava platoons on both roads.
Move 2
Jordanians bring on M109 and Challengers in the North east.
Israelis bring on Pereh and Merkava units.
Move 3
Jordanians fire M109 artillery to no effect. Bring on MLRS who fire mines on the Merkavas which causes 2 bailouts.
Fox's move behind hill B, peeking over the top, hull down.
Israelis bring on BM-21 rocket launchers, hiding behind house 1.
Pereh fire non LOS missile and destroy Jordanians MLRS unit.
My Merkavas on hill C fire at Foxes and kill one.
Move 4.
Jordanians move scorpions up road.
Bring on infantry in warriors behind building 5 and dismount.
Fire Challengers at Charlies first unit of Merkavas and kill all 3.
Israelis bring on mortars at hill F and M163 VADS behind house 1.
Israeli, Charlies second Merkavas fire at challengers and kill 1.
Pereh fire at Challengers and kills 1.
BM21s fire salvo at infantry in house 5 and pin them.
Move 5
Jordanians bring on harriers and lynx helicopters.
Jordanian M109 artillery fire at rabbis, to no effect.
Jordanian Milans fire at Merkavas. Kill one.
Harriers attack and Israeli AA kills two of them.
Harriers fire salvo at group near house 1 and kill a Pereh and two VADS.
The Lynx helicopters loiter around house 8.
Israelis brings on the Apache and Cobra helicopters to attack Jordanian Lynx helicopters.
Merkavas fire at Milan section in house 11.
Chopper melee, Israelis fire chain guns at Jordanians and kill 2 helicopters.
Mortars fire at infantry get 2 hits.
BM21 hail fires a rocket salvo at house 5. 5 infantry section kills and a warrior destroyed.
Move 6.
Jordanians bring on AA marksman and a warrior unit.
Foxes move behind house 5.
Infantry in house 5 get back into warriors.
Jordanians attack Charlies Merkavas at hill G, killing two.
Marksman firing at Israeli helicopters and kill one.
Warriors firing on Israeli helicopters no effect.
Scorpions fire on Israeli helicopters and kills two.
Josh's Warriors fire at Israeli helicopters and kill the last one.
Israelis bring on Nagmasho'ts and Merkava command.
VADS move up towards centre.
Charlies Merkava kills Warrior near house 9.
Rabbis fire at warriors kill two.
Mortars fire at warriors at back of table to no effect.
Pereh kills one warrior at back of table.
Move 7.
Jordanians bring on reduced harrier flight, after rearming, and troop carriers.
Scorpions move up to crossroads.
Jordanian infantry move towards house 8.
Chopper kills Charlies Merkavas.
M109s kill a Rabbi.
My Merkavas and Nagmasho'ts kill one Harrier.
Last harrier salvo is ineffective.
Israeli fires Rabbis to no effect.
VADS kill four scorpions.
BM21s kills one Spartan.
Pereh kills one Spartan.
So an Israeli victory.
Editorial comment :
* For those not familiar with "Pre-taliate", it is a comedic word meaning to retaliate before an attack happens (pre-emptive retaliation), associated with the 2025 Dr. Strangelove stage adaptation by Armando Iannucci staring Steve Coogan. It implies acting against an opponent before they even think of retaliating. Kind of what the Donald did to Iran.
The Jordanian army uses a large amount of British equipment, so using a British army is not unreasonable.
I admit I paint a bleak picture of the future, but a plausible one. Must get round to building that fallout shelter. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
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Photos curtesy of the Editor.
