ARVN Weapons teams

The full platoon

60mm Mortar section

Rifle teams with HQ

Anti-tank rocket teams. My dad trained on these in the Canadian Forces Reserves in the 1970s

 One of the sets from Gametronics which has been there for a long time called out to me, so I picked it up for my NAM games but also as a National Guard unit for Red Dawn games.

The teams are several Anti-tank troops, 2 M60 teams and 2 60mm mortar teams.

The PEI Regiment

iltis

Logistics truck but could be useful 

Grizzly

Back of Grizzlies 

M548

M577

 With the new Canadian Forces force in the revised NATO book, I have the ability to field my Iltis force

Originally I had them with .30 cal mgs but I do have a few GPMG gunners which I can mount. Also I have some TOW gunners kicking around so my plan is to require them to change. 

With my military posting this summer I might be able to build them over the winter once I Pay off some bills

Cougars and more infantry will also be on order and Grizzlies 

9th East German Division vs 1st UK Armoured Division

 Surprisingly I have yet to have a battle with my new East German force. No have I used my Challengers 

The East Germans have pushed through the Netherlands resulting in them falling g back. The British will try and halt the attack.

T-55 hoarde

New T-72B

More T-72B

The 1st UK Division. 2 Armoured Regiments with a Mechanized Battalion and support 

The battle went like this. The East Germans advanced via the centre and right flank. Their recce on the left probed into the town where they were cut apart by the Irish Guards and Queens Own Yeomanry. 

The East German T-55s basics were picked off by the Chieftains squadron while the new Challengers slowly knocked out the T-72B sections. The Queens Dragoon Guards put up a fight over the control of the bridge. The East Germans were still sending in their Motorized Rifles having lost their weapon support companies. 

Red Dawn: Battle of Estes Park

 I've started a Cuban attack on an American town

I put the videos up on YouTube under my Japanesehighlander channel.

Basically the Cubans forgot to send in scouts to find their targets. The Americans just picked off their infantry and halted theor tank attack.

Game over.

Why stress Part 2

 So one of the criticism that Team Yankee gets is the parking lot feeling of the Battle.

Solution? Don't run a huge amount of gear!

I mean does every Soviet tank force need the maximum amount of tanks for a squadron? 

No!

I have a T-64 Regiment which has a total of 15 tanks.

Split that into a HQ, and 3 sections of 4 tanks

Which means it's a bit big but manageable.

My largest NATO tanks forces

🇬🇧: Chieftains 1 HQ, 3 sections of 4 tanks

      Challenger 1 HQ 2 sections of 2 tanks

🇨🇦: Leopard 1 1HQ section of 2,  3 sections of 5 each. (Not necessarily historic but dang it, it's my collection)

🇩🇪: Leopard 1 an 1 HQ, a mixed bag of about 8. These are modeled as a Heavy Reccee force there is 1 Leopard 2A5, 

 🇳🇱 : a HQ and 2 sections of 3 and a Heavy Recce of 2 Leopard 1s

 🇦🇺 : a HQ and 2 sections of 4

 🇫🇷 : a HQ and a section of 2 AMX-10

🇧🇪: a single section of 2, these I brigade with the Dutch

Why stress over what you're favorite minature company

 

So while I am an avid Battlefront Minatures fan, I've heard, read and noted rumblings over the game. My response is 

ITS JUST A GAME!!!!!

Sure the bills are due, the kids need help with university tuitions, the rising cost of gas, food Yada Yada Yada

So with what little you have leftover funds you have for hobbies do you stress out over not being able to keep up with the rest of the Pact?!

NO!!

Go your own pace. Use what you have.

Case in point. Before I came across Team Yankee, I used different rules for the modern 1/72 kits and figures I had. I have tailed off buying and building any new kits as my focus has been on team Yankee.

Am I going to get rid of my 1/72 kits? Not sure yet.

Getting back to the Battlefront Minatures system. Do you need to max out the amount of Soviet tank units coming at you? 

Not necessarily 

Think in terms of what would actually happen in a war situation. Just looking at Russian losses in Afghanistan,Chechnya, and Ukraine. Battle attrition can chew through armour quite quickly.

Even looking at what happened to Soviet era armor in the Gulf War of 1991. 

My own collection is quite a good size on the Warsaw Pact size. The Soviets I now have  T-64 tank battalion, a mixed T-72, T-62 Battalion and a Motorized Rifle Battalion made up of BMP-1, BMP-2 with T-55 support.

I also have a company of BTR-60 mounted Motorized Rifles and a T-80 shock battalion.

My Polish force has a modest T-72 battalion, a modest Motorized Rifles in Bmp-1, BMP-2 and BTR-60 with T-55 support.

My East Germans are also modestly armed with Tanks, Motorized Rifles.

My Czechoslovakian force, same modestly armed. 

Call for alarm? Not really, sure I'd like to add some OT-64 carriers and some artillery.  But it will come.

So how does NATO stack up?

The US force I have specifically kept small because I find the Americans always get all the attention. However I do have a few American kits. So I've built a small cavalry based force of M1A1, M-60s, Bradley's a big HUMVEE force. No infantry, not much AA or artillery. 

CANADA 

Now I felt that I needed to have a full Canadian force. Meaning I have outfitted the Royal Canadian Dragoons. I have 2PPCLI in M113s with artillery and aa support.

FRANCE has a modest force of AMX-30 tanks, AMX-10 scout cars, infantry in armoured vehicles, and helicopter support

DENMARK has a modest Recce force

The NETHERLANDS has a modest armoured force with infantry support and artillery 

The BELGIAN force is modest with a recce tank force

NORWAY slowly getting added

The BRITISH is probably one of the best forces I have for NATO as they have it all. Armor, Infantry, Artillery, Recce, Anti-aircraft, Air support!

My ANZAC force is modest but Armoured Infantry and Armor. 

Eventually I'll boost up my NATO forces, but hey, IT'S A HOBBY. IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE FUN NOT STESSFUL

Even when I don't have all the gear I'd like, I add what I have from WW2, which isn't bad.

 

Soviet-Polish attack British Challenger force

 A Soviet Polish force made up of A Polish Motorized Battalion supported by a T-54 squad and a Soviet mixed force of T-72, T-62, IS-2, and mixed older weapons pushes up against the Queens Own Hussars, and the Staffordshires, and Gordon Highlanders. 

The first attack the Warsaw Pact put down drove back the British infantry. RA support was extremely ineffective due to the Soviets ability to jamm radar and radio communications to the batteries.

The first group of Polish troops advanced by BTR-50 who then departed to rejoin their Naval infantry brigade.

A further Polish Motorized Rifles Battalion in Bmps arrived 

The British continued to hold on chewing up everything the Warsaw Pact force threw at them

Pictures to follow