[DSII] AAR, Ambush of Convoy 382

Background:

New Serbia is not a pleasant planet.  It was originally settled by
Serbian nationalists, with Croatians moving in later. 
(http://www.angelfire.com/va.basileus/serbs.html)  With those two
nationalities in the same solar system, things got very ugly very
quickly.  The New Roman Empire moved in some time ago.	Several Imperial
companies do business on New Serbia, but always with armed escorts.  One
of the major players is the Argyros Group, which has contracted with
Executive Securities Inc. for it's convoy escort services
(http://www.angelfire.com/va/basileus/bucelari.html).  One of the main
mining facilities of the Argyros Group is in Prijepolje.

Opposing Forces:

Major Rob Martinez commanded Executive Securities Task Force 143, with
the following
OB:
	HQ Section: 1xGrav APC
	A Company: 
		HQ Section: 1xFox, 1xPanther
		1st PLT: 4xFox
		2nd PLT: 4xTiger
		3rd PLT: 4xFox
	B Company
		HQ Section: 1xBear
		1st PLT: 4xGrav APCs, 4xRifle teams, 2xAPSW, 2xGMS/L
		2nd PLT: 4xWheeled APCs, 4xRifle teams, 2xAPSW, 2xGMS/L
		3rd PLT: 4xBear Light Tanks

TF 143 was ordered to move to Prijepolje and perform escort duties for
convoys moving
from there to the spaceport at Ragusa, along Route 44.	Rte 44 moved
through the territory of various local rulers, including the Duke of New
Rogatio, who is Serbian, somewhat pro-Imperial, and on the Argyros
Group's payroll.  Convoy 382 consisted of 4 tankers loaded with refined
fuel and 18 trucks loaded with platinum-group metals.

Captain Dave Luff, an Anglian mercenary, commanded A Company, Jaeger
Corps, Cajnice Royal Lifeguards (The Jaeger Corps is a standard
Serbo-Croatian infantry batallion).  For this mission it was reinforced
with 2xHVC/3s with enhanced firecontrol and 2 prime movers.  The Prince
of Cajnice is Croatian, anti-Imperial, and not on anybody's payroll.  He
is also a long-time rival of the Duke of New Rogatio.  Captain Luff was
ordered to link up with guerillas operating in the area of Route 44 and
attack Convoy 382.  Guerilla forces consisted of 10 rifle teams, 2xAPSW
teams, 1xGMS/L team, and 6xsniper teams (Using Andrew Martin's sniper
rules, modified).

Terrain:
Route 44 runs roughly NE to SW, Ragusa being to the Southwest.	It
curves around 2 hills.	The forests are such that we declared anything
not marked otherwise was light forest. There were a few clearings, and
several side roads (single-lane) branching off.  
Setup:
	Captain Luff split his forces up somewhat, placing a roadblock
around a curve so
that the lead elements of the convoy would come around the curve and see
the HVCs and the company AT vehicle.  Hopefully these would smash the
lead platoon while the 3 platoons of guerillas and 2 platoons of Jaegers
shot up the main body of the convoy.

The Convoy was organized with a lead element of 4xFoxes 10" ahead of the
main body. 
Then the main body was led by a platoon of Foxes, the platoon of Bears,
and the wheeled
APC platoon.  These were followed by the tankers, then A Company command
element, then 6 trucks, then Batallion command element & B Company
command element.  These were followed by 8 more trucks, then the Grav
APC platoon, then 4 more trucks and the platoon of Tigers.  We moved
only the lead platoon on the board until Captain Luff sprung his ambush,
then the rest of the convoy would be set up, Dave would get his free
activations, and then the normal turn sequence would start.

Ambush:
I didn't take notes on turn-by-turn, but over three turns:
	At first things appeared to be going poorly for the valient
Jaegers.  The AT unit missed their entire first volley, and then Dave
rolled a 1 for number of free activations.  So he only activated the
platoon of regulars near the front of the column, buzzboming the
escorts.  He destroyed a Fox and an APC (but not killing the infantry
inside) and damaged a pair of Bears.  The rest of the infantry
dismounted and assaulted into the Jaeger platoon, chewing it up badly,
and the Foxes and Bears finished it off.  Then they started moving
further into the woods directly perpendicular to the road, rather than
moving forward or doubling back to help the rest of the convoy.  
	The tail end of the convoy, however, recovered the situation
nicely for our Jaegers. A platoon of guerillas buzz-bombed two Tigers
into burning ruins, breaking the other two. They also knocked out a Grav
APC and immobilized another one.  Unfortunately, it was the command APC
and the platoon leader didn't make it out of the burning hulk, and the
platoon became shaken.	Rob attempted to close assault into the ambush
like he
did at the front of the column, and all he got for his troubles was
broken infantry.  then another platoon of guerillas dove out of the
woods, close assaulted the 8-truck unit, shot the drivers, and started
driving into the woods!  (I was permitting the guerillas to split up a
rifle team into drivers for 2 trucks).	Then another guerilla platoon
opened up in the middle of the convoy and knocked out B company command
vehicle, and immobilized a truck (a sniper was going for the cab, I was
'umpire fudging' and letting him try.  Dave pulled a blue M, and I ruled
there was a .50 caliber hole in the engine block due to something
jogging the sniper's figurative elbow).
	Then things went from bad to worse, and the final Jaeger platoon
(other
than the one covering their rear) opened up, toasting A Company command
unit entirely.	The lead platoon of infantry valiently tried to close
assault but took heavy casualties (it was now down to 2 GMS stands, and
APSW stand, and a rifle stand) and finally routed.  The APCs and light
tanks tried to continue the attack, but the APCs were wiped out (2 more
killed, 1 immobilized and routed, which I ruled meant the crew bailed
out) and the Bears broke (this is when their company commander bought
it).  The Jaegers lost 3 stands, but held firm.  The remaining trucks
(13, including the fuel tankers) had fled the road off to the north-
east, and the escort had only one platoon remaining in good condition. 
The Jaegers decided to cut their losses (and the fact that they couldn't
catch the trucks had something to do with it) and withdrew with their
eight trucks.

Aftermath:
	Major Martinez was courtmartialed and shot for loosing more than
half his convoy
escort, a third of his convoy, and being forced to turn back to
Prijipolje.  

	Captain Luff lost half his Jaegers as well, but the damage done
to the convoy and the 8 truckloads of platinum-group metals did much to
make up for this, as did the fact that he managed to withdraw will the
guerillas intact, and he was commended and will likely be promoted soon.

Lessons Learned: 
	The ambush was more or less textbook, except I would have had a
force on the
east side of the road to prevent the convoy from escaping easily.  

	The ambush reaction went poorly.  Assaulting into the ambush
shows good instincts, and the infantry did well, but the armored
vehicles were mishandled badly.  Also, most of the Buccellari routed or
broke fairly early in the battle, due to a combination of bad rolls, and
the loss of company command elements.  I would have made the company
commanders less obvious.  The convoy also had no flank protection, and
was moving at high speed (hence die rolls to spot the ambush were too
low).  

	Umpire:  Some mistakes on my part made things difficult for the
escort commander.  The set-up specified road rates for movement, which
was realistic, but made
life difficult for the escort--garunteeing he would be surprised.  I
also didn't set it up physically properly--the ambush commander could
see the organization of the convoy as
he set up.  I ruled this was due to the guerillas having observers
several miles in both
directions.  Might not do this next time.

John M. Atkinson