Battle of Sheep-Head Pass

Battle of Sheep-Head Pass

Battle of Sheep-Head Pass
With Jacob Markson

Eight players gathered together for a Team Yankee Total War game. Three 6’X4’ tables were arranged into an “L” shape featuring two towns and a large farmstead. Each player brought 70 points with Warsaw and NATO forces split evenly. Warsaw had three forces of T-55AM tanks with an Afgantsy Air Assault force. NATO had a Marine M60 tank company, USA M113 Mechanized, and two West German Mechanized forces. We used the Fog of War mission cards for creating a changing battlefield. We also used the rules from ‘Nam and Fate of a Nation for practice since Team Yankee will be updating to align with V4 rules.

Warsaw would come out ahead with 21 points to NATOs 19 points. NATO caused a horrendous amount of carnage but was unable to push into the center table where the objectives were being placed. Any NATO element that tried to push into the middle was quickly overwhelmed and flanked while any Warsaw element tried to push out of the center of immediately cut down like wheat to the scythe.

This was a very fun game that was brought together almost on a whim with almost no preplanning. We are a group of gamers that enjoy Team Yankee and Flames Of War and get together almost every Friday night.


Warsaw Deployment Zone

View of the Farmstead with NATO’s deployment zone on the far edge.
Battle of Sheep-Head Pass Battle of Sheep-Head Pass

Six objectives were setup worth one point a piece for initial deployment. We did our best to put them next to something to drive something of a story.
Battle of Sheep-Head Pass Battle of Sheep-Head Pass
Battle of Sheep-Head Pass Battle of Sheep-Head Pass

The Story:
NATO forces were launching a massive counter attack and would be hitting the flank of the Soviet advance. Warsaw forces scrambled to create a blocking force that would head this off and prevent NATO armor from crashing into the exposed flank of the main thrust.

Battle of Sheep-Head Pass

Battle of Sheep-Head Pass

The NATO forces consisted of cobbled together units of M60 tanks and Leo IIs with supporting recon and a mobile combined nation firebase. NATO forces were attempting to drive though a valley and cross a river, which would put them into the side and rear of most of the Soviet armor and mechanized infantry.

No sooner had the forward elements crested the hill leaving the valley did they encounter a massive wall of enemy armor. T-55’s of East German, Cech, and Polish nationality were racing to cross the river and secure the pass.

Right Image: Soviet tanks crossing the river.

Battle of Sheep-Head Pass

Creating a wall of smoke the Warsaw forces advanced straight into the teeth of the waiting NATO tanks. They had one mission, prevent NATO forces from making it through the pass and into Soviet lines. A company of air assault was already landing and securing their landing zones as the smoke cleared.

Battle of Sheep-Head Pass

The supporting Hinds would knock out some of the Leo IIs that had outpaced there anti-air protection. As they completed their attack run, the West Germans would gun them down.

NATO wasn’t going to let that happen again. Anti-air and tank assets soon took position and began knocking targets as fast as they appeared. Warsaw forces had advanced and didn’t coordinate their moments and the column of armor on the inside of the turn found itself fighting for survival. Every minuet they bought for their fellow comrades was paid in blood and steel. Had they waited, a unified front could have created, by rushing in they held the NATO forces back, but had a high cost.

Left Image: The Hinds taking up position.

The farmstead had become a field of blood and burning wrecks. NATO had secured a foothold and wasn’t about to give it without a fight. If they held this a pair of Leo IIs would have a great position to slaughter incoming tanks. Marines had air assaulted into the barn and were supporting the heavy armor, preventing the Warsaw forces from closing the gap and creating the standoff that the milan missiles needed.

Battle of Sheep-Head Pass

Battle of Sheep-Head Pass

In the end, Warsaw held the center table and pushed the NATO forces out of the farm with hand grenades and bayonets. The forces of communism had “won” the day and NATO had begun and orderly retreat with the loss of main battle tanks starting to add up.
~Jacob