AAR16: Recharged, Uwanda Tries Again (African Imagi-Nations at War)

First off, I realized just after posting links to three sites that I mis-typed the AAR number in the last battle.  Should have been AAR15, I'll get around to changing it soon.  Now, on to AAR 16...
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As Uwanda's attack at B15 failed, a brief, but heated debate took place regarding what to do next.  Against the Army Chief's will, it was decided to use the follow-on forces for the planned attack on B14 in a second attack on B15.

The battle takes place at B15, center bottom of the map.

Survivors of the first attack would also be used in the second attack, and then all remaining Uwandan forces would turn north and attack objective B14, while troops original based at A55 would move to occupy B15.  This second attack gave Mugabia time to move troops and reinforce potential future targets.  Additionally, it would give the Mugabian air force opportunity to respond to the Uwandan invasion.

Unfortunately for Col. Chuma, reinforcements would not arrive prior to the Uwandan return.  But by the time of the Uwandan second attack, Mugabian forces had been reorganized with ULF fighters assigned to fill losses in the regular infantry squads.

As Uwanda's troops advanced, both air forces had already begun fighting for control of the sky.  The stage was set for the second attack.
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Mugabian defenses consisted of  about 75 infantry, two SU100, one T34/85, one 85mm AT gun, two 82mm mortars (which had been utterly useless in the first battle), and the hope of air support.

The Mugabian view looking west.

Uwanda attacked with a recce section of 3 Ferrets, seven Fireflies, and infantry company in 13 M3 halftracks, and the remaining 6 Saracens and a couple of Wombats in landrovers.  Six M7 Priests would support, and if air superiority could be maintained, maybe air support.

The Uwandan view looking east.

Mhina peered over the sandbags; he thought that he could hear engine sounds to the west, "Oh Lord, please don't let them return.  I cannot do this again."  He had survived multiple volleys of artillery in the first battle, but had seen his squad members disintegrate before him. He hunkered back down and prayed.

The Uwandan scouts dismounted their armored cars and slowly advanced through the brush, Overhead, the sky filled with contrails, and the occasional boom.

The air battle started with a few aircraft, and grew into the massive air battle that both countries wanted to avoid, with fighters joining in twos, threes, and fours. When it was done neither side could afford to command the air, 18 aircraft having been shot down. 7 Uwandan, and 11 Mugabian. 

The ground battle started off with Uwandan artillery pounding the center and left side of the Mugabian first line of defense.  Mugabian infantry took a terrible pounding, but most survivors still stayed at there posts. 

Uwandan artillery dominated on the battlefield.

Uwanda infantry advance through the forest to the Mugabian left, eventually making contact with dug in enemy infantry.  A terrible firefight ensued, resulting in significant casualties to both forces, but Uwandan numbers won out, and eventually the Mugabians withdrew. 

Uwandan Fireflies working their way through the trees,

infantry are advancing in the upper right of the view.

Mhina was one of the first to see the oncoming Uwandans, well hidden behind sandbags and brush, his heart pounded as he fired at the enemy. He saw two men drop, heard a scream from his left, popped another clip into his AK and fired.  Then he felt a sharp stinging burn, that knocked him over backwards.  "Oh God it hurts", he thought as he squirmed to find a way to reduce the pain.  The pained seemed to numb, he felt chilled, and then everything went black.  He woke to the barrel of an M16 in his face, a Uwandan medic knelt down, as he pushed the other man's M16 away, and began to explore the wound, the world went black again.

Uwandan scouts brought down artillery on the Mugabian right, with the Mugabians breaking, and abandoning their positions.  In time the scouts began to advance and were backed by Uwandan FIreflies.  As they cam into view, a MugabianSU-100 engaged, but managed to kill only one Firefly by the time, the Uwandans finally spotted the SU100 on the rise to the Mugabian right.

The Uwandans advanced on the Mugabian center, with Fireflies backed by Saracen born infantry.  The Fireflies were finally sighted by the Mugabian T-34, but artillery destroyed the Mugabian 85mm gun before it could fire, and forced the T-34 to withdraw after only tracking a single Firefly.  Colo Chuma's command vehicle was also hit, and he and surviving staff tried to get into the town to regroup.

The T34/85, 85mm in front and to the left of the T34, and the

SU100 further forward and a little more left.  Still offering hope. 

 

Then the artillery began again.  And hope was blown to pieces.

The infantry battle on the Mugabian left continued as the Uwandans advanced, and hit successive layers of Mugabian troops, but supported by the M3 halftracks, and poor Mugabian marksmanship (crappy die roles), the Uwandans  continued to push back their enemy back.  A couple M3s got hit by the other SU100, but it too had to eventually flee the Uwandan artillery, and simply could not get into a position to engage.

Uwanda advances.

As Col. Chuma and surviving infantry withdrew, they continued to get pounded with artillery and now fire from Fireflies and the Uwandan halftracks' machineguns.  The withdraw turned to all out retreat, as the Uwandans simply overran the the objective.

Muabagians in retreat.  Col Chuma can be seen near the center of the view,

 the second man back behind the center BTR152.

Col Chuma and a small number of Mugabians managed to escape north taking a few BTR152s, a captured Saracen from the first battle of B15, and the lone surviving SU100. A number of vehicles and other equipment were left to the Uwandans.

The village abandoned, as found by the Uwandan army.

Uwanda rounded up prisoners and tended to wounded, both theirs and those of the enemy.

Mhina woke to the barrel of an M16 inches from his face.  A Uwandan medic knelt down, as he pushed the other man's M16 away, and began to explore the wound.  As the pain returned, the world went black again.
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The air battle was monumental, and will have a log lasting impact on the campaign.  Mugabian losses leave them with less than half of the number of interceptors possessed by Uwanda, and severely restrict their capacity to maintain air patrols, defend their airspace, and mount attacks.  Highlights of the battle were a Mig17 that got four F5 kills (who was later shot down after running out of ammo), and the first ace of the war, a Uwandan F5A with three kills in this battle.

The ground battle was barely less lopsided, though will no doubt prove to be less significant. There were simply toomany Uwanda's for the Mugabians to deal with,a nd the y had no answer for the merciless Uwandan artillery, which dominated the battle.  Losses were as follows:

Uwanda
3x M3 halftack
1x Firefly (another was tracked and will not make the advance on B14)
9x WIA
15 KIA

Mugabia (Not including captured equipment)
1x SU100
1x T34/85
1x BTR40
2x GAZ66
41x KIA
10x WIA
4x POW

ULF
11x KIA

Captured by Uwanda
2x 82mm Mortars
1x GAZ69
4x BTR152
14x POW

Uwanda will now advance north on objective B14.  It will probably be next weekend before I get to that game.  Hopefully, I will get the camera figured out by that time too.  I've been having some troubles with the one that I've been using lately.  And, need to build more trees. A lot more trees.