Scenario 1: Israeli Retaliation
Platoon Level Action in the Jordan Valley
During the late 1960's as the Arab nations rebuilt their armies, the principal method used to attack Israel was through the infiltration of small PLO hit teams into Israel to conduct terrorist attacks on the outlying kibbutz's. Israel would as a matter of policy aggressively pursue the terrorist back across the border, usually in Lebanon, Syria, and especially Jordan, where the rough terrain provided cover for the terrorists. Using Bedouin trackers, the Israelis, supported by engineers and armor would attack and destroy the villages that harbored the PLO, to serve as a warning against such activity. Syrian and Jordanian forces would try and catch these raiding forces before they could retire back across the border and safety. The scenario below depicts such a raid.
PLO Forces: 8 + 2D6 figures. Every 5th figure is armed with an RPG-7 and 1D6 rockets. The rest are armed with AK-47's and hand grenades. Morale is high, and training is poor. At least 2/3 must be deployed in the village with one sentry. The rest may deploy anywhere on the board in ambush.
Israeli Forces Headquarters Section - Platoon commander, with RTO, Artillery Observer with RTO, 3 men armed with Uzi submachine guns and grenades.
- 1st Infantry Section -Squad leader with Uzi, Machine Gunner with FN-Mag light machinegun, Assistant Gunner with Uzi and extra ammo belts, 5 riflemen armed with rifles, and one armed with a combo M-16 and M-203 grenade launcher. They enter with a M-3 half-track, either riding or deployed on foot.
2nd Infantry Section Same as above.
Engineer Section - Squad leader armed with an Uzi, 6 men armed with an Uzi and two satchel charges each. Riding in a M-3 Half-track.
Tank Platoon - 3 Centurion tanks armed with a 105mm Gun.
Israelis may enter the board on roads A, B, or C. They must exit the board the same way they entered or be counted as casualties. They must cause more casualties than they take, not losing more than 1/3 of their initial force. They must blow up at least three of the six buildings, and exit off of the board. To blow up a building, an engineer must spend one turn stationary against the wall of a building setting the charge. After he moves away the next turn, roll 1D6 and the building is destroyed on any roll except a 6. If a building is destroyed, anyone inside or on top the building is killed. If a six is rolled, then the charge must be reset.
After the first building is destroyed, or the terrorist casualties are at least 20%, the Jordanian player rolls a D6 each turn. The first turn he must roll a one, the second turn a one or a two, etc, until he rolls under the required number. At that time he brings a platoon of Patton tanks on the board edge on road D. He then begins the rolling process again, and after his second success brings in an infantry platoon mounted on APC's. This goes on, alternating platoon types, until the Israeli player leaves the table or is destroyed.
Jordanian Tank Platoon 3 M-47 or 3 M-48 A2 Patton tanks with 90mm Gun
Jordanian Infantry Platoon M- 113 APC with platoon commander, RTO, and 4 riflemen with bolt-action rifles and hand grenades. 3 M-113 APC's each with a squad leader with a submachine gun, a machine gunner with a Bren light machine gun, and 6 riflemen with bolt action rifles and hand grenades.
Special Rules: Any vehicle which moves over six inches from the road risks throwing a track and disabling itself on the rocky terrain. On any move that a vehicle moves over six inches from the road must throw I D6 and on a roll of 6 is disabled for the remainder of the game and must be abandoned by its crew. The Israelis have a two-tube section of 81mm Mortars off board which can be controlled by the AO for high explosive and smoke fire. Limit the number of smoke rounds to three turns.
Suggested Rules: Your favorite set.
Terrain Description: The four roads run on the bottom of the valley. The four areas between the roads should be hills, overlooking the roads, and anything over 6" from the roads should be strewn with boulders and scrub brush. Buildings should be plaster/concrete boxes, flat roofed, with stairs to the roofs. A sentry would be posted on one of these roofs. See map at then end of the article.
More Wargaming the Arab-Israeli Wars
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