Bucha, Ukraine - 27 Feb 2022 - 15mm
1967 Six Day War - Battle at Bir Lahfan
So with Episode 01 of the Ops Center up …
… going over the 1956 Arab-Israeli Sinai War, we’re now moving into the 1967 “Six Day” War. Again it was myself and Damon at a table of Avalon Hill’s The Arab Israeli Wars, with Damon playing the Israelis and myself playing the Egyptians.
The big difference here between this and previous TAIW games is that for once, the Israelis are on the defensive. Damon’s Centurions, TCM-20s, and infantry will try to hold a Sinai crossroads and the high ground flanking it against superior numbers of one of Egypt’s better tank and mechanized brigades.
Furthermore, the battle takes place (initially) at night, where the Egyptians actually have a slight advantage in Soviet IR sights. If they can hold out until morning, however, the Israeli Air force (IAF) arrives in force, undertaking more tactical strike missions on the second day of the way now that the strikes against Egyptian, Jordanian, and Syrian air forces and C3 networks have been completed.
This was fun, at first I thought that many T-55s would be all over my hill positions really quick as there was more targets than I had guns to shoot at them with. But it worked out, just…
Thanks, @damon – yeah, that games was super-hastily designed at the last minute. But I feel it worked rather well. It’s almost a “mini- Valley of Tears” with 7-8 Centurion platoons on high ground fending off mass attacks of T-55s (and T-62s at Quneitra). The difference there is that instead of facing 15 platoons of T-55s, you’re facing off against 19 platoons of T-55s … and 19 platoons of T-62s … and artillery … and mech infantry … and PT-54s … and Saggers … and and and and … Then again, those Centurions (called “Patturion” in the game) have the… Read more »