Free Nations Spotlight: Canadian Forces

Free Nations Spotlight

Free Nations Spotlight
Canadian Forces
with Wayne Turner
The world of Team Yankee continues to expand, and our newest book adds four more nations to the roster of forces with which to play. Free Nations started as an idea to add some of the forces of the smaller NATO nations, but grew into something much bigger with four western nations covered (well, technically five if you choose to run your ANZACs as New Zealanders).

So What Do You Get?
Inside you will find four different forces from three NATO nations (Canada, France, and the Netherlands) and the closely allied ANZACs (a combined Australian and New Zealand force). It also includes three Scenarios featuring the Canadians, French and Dutch.

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Click here to see Part 2: Free Nations Spotlight: French Forces...

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Free Nations Spotlight Click here to see Part 3: Free Nations Spotlight: Dutch Forces... Free Nations Spotlight
Free Nations Spotlight Click here to see Part 4: Free Nations Spotlight: ANZAC Forces... Free Nations Spotlight

The Canadians
The Canadians were the first force we worked on and had been kicking about in various forms for a while, so when Free Nations became a book they were an obvious candidate to include.

The Canadian section covers background for the 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group and the actions of Major Hanson’s Armoured Squadron. 

A Canadian Force is based around its Leopard C1 Armoured Squadrons and M113 Mechanized Companies, plus their Brigade Group Support. They can also call on either US or West German allied support units as well as another allied NATO formation. The Canadians are a well-trained force with good motivation.

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Leopard C1 Armoured Squadron can field an HQ of 1 to 3 Leopard C1 tanks, and 2 to 4 Troops of 3 to 4 Leopard C1s. The Leopard C1 is the Canadian version of the West German Leopard 1A3 and is armed with the 105mm L7 tank gun with a Range 40”/100cm, ROF (Rate of Fire) 2/2, AT (Anti-tank) 19 and FP (Firepower) 2+. Its armour, though not heavy, is enough to protect it from most light weapons (Front 9, Side 5, and Top 1). Its protection is further boosted by Bazooka Skirts giving is Front and Side a rating of 10 against HEAT weapons. The gun’s Stabiliser allows the tank to move up to 14”/35cm tactical, though if it goes over 10”/25cm tactical it does gain a +1 penalty To Hit in shooting, but still has a Moving ROF 2, very handy in the right circumstances.

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You can build the Leopard C1 from the new Leopard 1 plastic kit (as well the Dutch, Australian, and West German variants). You can also take a M113 Mechanized Platoon, up to three Lynx Recce Patrols, and a M150 TOW anti-tank section as part of the Armoured Squadron formation.

The Lynx Recce Patrols field the M113 CRV Lynx, a lighter, shorter variant of the standard M113, used for reconnaissance missions. These unique looking light vehicles are armed with .50 cal and 7.62mm machine-guns and are ideal for probing the enemy’s defences.

The M150 TOW vehicle mounted a single TOW launcher on a M113 providing the large and cumbersome TOW with excellent mobility. This is an ideal weapon for setting ambushes against enemy armoured thrusts with its excellent Range 48”/120cm and AT 21. Its Guided and HEAT capabilities make it both accurate and lethal at long range.

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The M113 Mechanized Company is the second formation in the Canadians. It includes an HQ and two or three M113 Mechanized Platoons, a Leopard C1 Armoured Troop, M125 Mortar Platoon, up to three M150 TOW anti-tank sections, and up to three Lynx Recce Patrols.

The M113 Mechanized Platoon is based around three C2 SAW teams (ROF 2/2 with M72 LAW anti-tank) and three Carl Gustav teams (AT 17) with further firepower provided by a C5 GPMG team and a 60mm mortar. The .50 cal AA MGs or the Transport Attachment’s four M113 APCs provide additional firepower.

The M125 Mortar Platoon sees the Canadian C3 81mm mortars mounted in an armoured hull for mobility and protection. As part of the story’s background we decided to have the Canadians purchase some M125 mortar carriers, as they are normally just carry their mortars in a standard M113 and dismount them to fire.

Support
The Brigade Group Support includes M109 self-propelled howitzers, an M113 OP observation vehicle, an ADATS Air Defence Platoon, and a M113 Blowpipe Air Defence Section.

The Canadians used the short howitzer M109, providing it with powerful artillery capabilities. It can reach out to 88”/220cm with its bombardments, with AT 4 versus Top Armour and FP 2+.

The ADATS is a new model. It mounts the Oerlikon-Contraves’s Air Defence Anti-tank System (hence ADATS) on a modified M113 hull. These were under development in the 1980s, and as it is such a cool bit of kit, we thought we’d include it in Team Yankee. It can be fired at air or ground targets. At aircraft it has a range of 72”/180cm, ROF 3, and FP 3+ and uses the Guided AA rule. As an anti-tank weapon it has a range 16”/40cm – 64”/160cm, ROF 1, AT 24, FP 3+ and uses the Guided and HEAT rules.

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Like the British, the Canadians used the Blowpipe man-portable air-defence system. They are transported in M113 APCs and can be used to shoot at a tank in an emergency, as well as aircraft.

Because the 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group was earmarked as a mobile reserve formation they could fight alongside either the US 7th Corps or the West German 2. Korps, so you can choose to take support units from either of these, but not both.

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Click here to see Part 2: Free Nations Spotlight: French Forces...

Free Nations Spotlight


Last Updated On Wednesday, May 16, 2018 by Luke at Battlefront