I play my games for the story. A rollicking tale with triumph or tragedy of people. All my systems are designed to help with that. My FFL has had quite a turn of events with the introduction of a security group called "Swift Water". If you don't care about the background of Swift Water, Inc and just want to read the battle, skip the next two paragraphs. The context for this battle can be found at the end of my last post. If you care about "Who is Friar Jacques? What is Swift Water? How does this relate to the FFL/ the battalion S-4? then read on below.
Several years ago there was a legionnaire from America, Jack Traynor, who joined the legion in Djibouti. No one knew his background and he shared little except for his american accent. He was very devout however. He was smart and after 2 years earned the nickname Friar Jacques and his sergeant strips. Soon afterward it became apparent that his model efficiency came by cutting corners and "doing what ever it took" to meet the mission/metric ect. Mentoring was failing and when his enlistment was up he left the legion. His company commander at the time? The current S-4 in Capt DuLoc's Regiment! [ See the end of previous post.]
Fast forward 9 months and a small security company has come to Zaire called "Swift Water". It is led by an ex FFL officer who goes by the name Fr Jacques. They specialize in humanitarian security. The #2 is Lt. Ado. [ A pvt in Jack's former squad.] They secured a contract to move supplies for Doctors without borders but have run into trouble as they don't have enough firepower yet. When DwB comes to Jack and says the FFL wants to help he isn't thrilled. He tries to dissuade his employer but fails. There isn't enough time to hire enough people so Jack will have to make the best of a "joint" operation. He wants to succeed but wants Swift water to be the star.
Fr Jacques Traynor Aggressive/wealth Good Leader
Lt Ado Calm/wealth poor leader
Swift Water INC in Zaire. Fr Jacque center. Advisors Avg. The truck isn't armored. African mercs poor.
After Lt Botros agrees to help with the convoy the S-4 lets him in on all the background above. Botros takes umbrage as only a true french officer can. They both agree the the Legion must prove that the convoy can get through and that Swift Water is incompetent!
1st Platoon minus Milan ATGM
Lt Botros Avg
1st Squad Sgt Hochstetter Good leader Vet squad.
2nd, 3rd squad Avg
Scenario is Ambuscale straight out of Grunts Forward. Rebel troops will be poor.
Board as show. Convoy consists of 4 trucks driven by local nationals who will have a 16% chance to stay in the trucks and drive once ambush sprung. Blinds distributed as per scenario.
Command and control isn't decided upon as Jack and Lt Botros both want overall command. Each will command their own forces. The agreed upon order of march is:
1st APC Sgt Hochstetter, Jeep with Jack truck, truck truck
2nd APC 2nd squad with Lt Botros truck swift water gun truck
3rd APC 3rd squad
The swift water advisors and in the first two trucks.
The french helicopter warns the french of the upcoming roadblock. Jack, swift water and the convoy trucks don't have radios so are in the dark. [ too bad!]
The rebels spring the ambush! RPGs fly but miss the APCs. Someone got a little too aggressive and blew up one of the supply trucks! Lt Ado scrambles out of the truck.
The french APC charges forward and crashes through the roadblock!
Many unflattering things are said about Jack but he is no coward. His jeep follows the APC through the roadblock; guns blazing.
The local drivers all flee. The swiftees deploy and start to lay down fire. Lt Botros orders the APC around the trucks until it bogs down. 2nd squad deploys. Lt Botros will run the battle from here.
2nd squad moves up and lays down fire into the jungle. The rebels are pinned down.
The swiftees start to take casualties. Lt Botros goes back to the APC. He radios for the helicopter to strafe the jungle opposite the burning truck. He also orders 3rd squad to enter the jungle and flank the rebels.
Then an extraordinary thing happens...
Lt Ado and the swiftees fall back to the APC with their wounded!! Botros is dumbfounded.
3rd squad enters the jungle.
Meanwhile, Hochstetter has also entered the jungle from the other flank. They run across an RPG team and quickly dispose of them.
10 minutes into the ambush. Rebels pinned down by legion fire. The helicopter run was ineffective.
[ I want to thank Steve Avis for coming up with some helicopter rules for PBI.]
The legion starts to take casualties. 2nd squad grimly waits for 1st and 3rd squad to close the flanks and bring some relief. Swiftees obviously don't fight!
An RPG sails towards the gun truck. It doesn't end well!
The helicopter, now looking for targets of opportunity, sees a truck and rebels in a supply yard.
This run goes better!
As 3rd squad moves through the jungle, several rebels move up to the last truck to loot supplies.
Lt Botros, finally rallies "Lt" Ado. "If you were still in the legion I would have shot you by now. I will take care of your casualties. Get your a** back up there with your men. Lead your men and do your duty to France!" It works; the swiftees return to the line.
Jack, with the roadblock cleared knows he has to get to Ado and his men. He climbs into his jeep and races towards them.
As he moves towards the trucks he is horrified to see...
a wave of Africans charge the trucks!!!! The westerners pour fire into the line of bodies moving towards them...
[ PBI has a great final fire rule]
Half the rebel line falls before reaching the trucks! Then...
it is close in fighting among the trucks and bamboo. Botros and Ado joined in one fight to save their lives and the trucks. Legion training shows and the rebels are driven off with few legion casualties!
As the rebel survivors melt into the jungle quiet falls over the convoy.
Another great game with the FFL! This one played fast, only 4 turns, with only a platoon a side. The rebels probably should not have made that last charge towards the trucks. They had planned to because 2nd squad was pinned but Lt Botros rallied 2nd squad right before hand. I knew final fire would be devastating if the western forces weren't pinned but went ahead with it anyway. It is a game after all!
Still loving my hybrid system and thought Jack Traynor added a interesting wrinkle. I didn't think the swift water forces would do so poorly.
Post game for the legion 2nd squad gains veteran status for holding out so well against the main attack. In addition, the battalion S-4 is delighted with how well the battle turned out. The company gets supplies for life and Lt Botros' name is talked about in high regard in battalion circles.
For Swift Water there is a shake up. Swift Water looses the contract with Doctors without Borders. [ Missed the AKOT roll] Jack believes Botros' report that Ado has no business leading troops. Maybe that is one of the reasons these missions haven't been going so well. Jack decides that his loyal friend will have a new job with the company; recruiter. He is going to scour Africa to recruit locals into a platoon size fighting force and train them. This way SW gets bodies on the cheap to run their missions and make some money. Jack is also able to recruit some new western mercs including his new #2, Hans Jensen. Jensen is a drifter who spent time in the Danish police special tactics branch. He knows security, so so with large group fighting. He will start as average.
Grunts Forward generated the following OPFOR for this battle:
3 large squads with 2 leaders both average.
3 RPGs, 1 LMG and 1 Technical.
Cheers
Joe
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