Draco – Task Force Bravo

If there is one thing I like about Battlefront games, its that they are based on historical events, or possible events – Team Yankee is based on the novel by the same name by Harold Coyle, but I’ve actually read the book that runs through the scenario that Team Yankee is set in – The Third World War: The Untold Story by General Sir John Hackett (I actually found it at second-hand book event). Its not the most entertaining WWIII book I’ve read (that’s Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy) and it ends in a fairly abrupt fashion. But if it inspired people, good on ‘im.

I might have to track Team Yankee down now to see what it’s like…

But I digress.

Usually when I put a Battlefront force together, I like to model it on a historical formation. So, this means that my Brits would be based on a formation form the British I Corps, part of the British Army on the Rhine.

Originally, my thought was to use the 4th Armoured Division, since it wasn’t mentioned in any of the Team Yankee source material, but then I noticed that the British decals sheets didn’t just have Union Jacks flags, but also the St. Andrew’s Cross of Scotland. It occoured to me that maybe I could have some units marked as Scottish as well as English, so I set to work looking over 1981 force org charts.

Eventually, I settled on one formation – the 22nd Armoured Brigade, 1st Armoured Division, which, in 1981, formed the core of what was known as Task Force Bravo until its disbandment in 1993. It was a “Square” Brigade (i.e. two armoured and two infantry battalions) and filled my needs perfectly, as was shown in the new British sourcebook:

22nd Armoured Brigade, 1st Armoured Division
– Queen’s Own Hussars (Challengers)
– 1st Battalion, Royal Tank Regiment (Chieftains)
– 1st Battalion, Scots Guards (Warriors)
– 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (FV432s)

I realise this isn’t the exact composition listed in the source book, but its a compromise between what I’ve found in the historical charts and the book, plus it allows me to use the Scots flags for a few of my vehicles. And it allows me to use pretty much everything the Brits have in their arsenal.

So, what kind of force would I field? Well, I’ve always been a fan of the PBI, so it makes sense to continue that tradition in this new force.

And so begins the tale of Major Carl Davis, D Company, 3rd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers – below pictured in February 1983 following their rotation from 39 Infantry Brigade at Palace Barracks, Northern Ireland, and before their next posting in Montgomery Barracks, Berlin.

(Picture borrowed from The Fusiliers Association website)

Team Yankee v2 was released last year, and a couple of weeks ago, Battlefront opened The Bunker (https://bunker.battlefront.co.nz/) in Auckland – their first physical storefront. After the Grand Opening rush, the players in my club started debating about what the major focus for next year should be – and a Team Yankee league was one of the popular ones. After a bit of…discussion about various options, my mind got ahead of my logic, I messaged the TY veteran in the group and suggested that we run an Escalation League. As in, she and I would run it…

Why do I do this to myself?

So far, we have seven players signed up, four NATO and three Pact. And of those, I’m going to run the Brits. The league format is straight forward – four meetings of a points limit each, culminating in a multiplayer battle for all those involved. And the points limits are 50pts, 75pts, and 100pts.

We’ll also probably have additional pics of the games on our club blog: https://tcownz.blogspot.com/

I’ll be keeping a log of my painting over Christmas and beyond here, as well as reports on the games I play – I already have my first match vs the Soviets lined up for February. But I also have no illusions that i’ll probably lose every game I play – I haven’t played a Flames of War-style game since FoW 2nd Edition.

Oh well, stiff upper lip and all that.