Team Yankee - Oil wars - The Golan Heights

Order of battle

Israeli - 53 pts

1 Merkava 1

2 Merkava 1

2 Markava 1 (ambush)

4 M113 Mech infantry

3xTOW AT jeep (reserve)

2xCobra Helicopter (reserve)

Syria - 51 pts

1 T-62

5 T-62

6 T-62

9 BMP-1 mech infantry

2x Scout BMPR

1 T-62

4 T-62

4 T-62

2xShilka

3xHail rocket artillery + BTR-60 Observer

This was our first test of Oil wars with an iconic battle for the Golan heights where the Syrian army launches a surprise attack just before Dusk. The Israelis are supposed to be caught unprepared, but the IDF never rests. We used the scenario from the book, mustering much of the forces recommended, but we didn't have all the crazy amount of tanks required.

Turn 1

The Syrian tank battalions advance through the hilly landscape. A hail of rockets is landed on the Israeli infantry but no causalities are inflicted. In return the Israeli Merkava tanks puts a couple of T-72 tanks on fire. 

Turn 2

Further advancement puts the BMP infantry in a forward position. The Syrian T-72 strike back and destroy one Merkava, but the T-62:s are to obsolete to inflict any damage. In return the Israelis get reinforced by a pair of Cobra helicopters, blitzing into the battle and destroying one tank. The BMP infantry takes some hits but manage to survive losing a pair of transports. The Merkavas further makes short work of another two T-72:s

Turn 3

The Syrian infantry scramble to rush forward against the tanks on the hill, not knowing what they're up against. The remaining t-72:s fail to inflict any damage on the massively armored Merkavas. A company of T-62 attempts a flanking maneuver to assault the Israeli infantry, but dense terrain and fierce resistance proves the assault quite ineffective. At the start of the Israeli turn the night falls. Three TOW AT jeeps blitz into the battle picking of a tank, while the Merkavas and the M113 APC:s batter down the infantry.

¨

Turn 4 

The Syrians push all available forces closer to the objective on the hill. One Merkava is bailed but the T-72:s and the infantry feel morally contempt to try an assault on the remaining two. In a hail of MG fire the assault is brutally stopped with high causalities on the Syrian side. The few remaining flanking T-62:s change their targets to the AT-jeeps, failing to destroy them. The Israelis then re position the cobras to the hill, unleashing their Gatling guns at the infantry. Further blows are dealt against the Syrian tanks that are now reduceds to a handful of their starting number.

Turn 5

The Syrian Shilkas re position and manage to destroy one Cobra helicopter. The other Cobra retreats the battle realizing the danger. The last flanking T-62 manage to destroy a TOW-AT jeep. The Syrian infantry flank one Merkava and heroically destroys it with a well placed rocket under the turret. However, in the Israelis upcoming retaliation destroy all T-62:s and the reaming T-72 is forced to flee. The Syrian threat at the hill objective is now almost destroyed.

Turn 6

With no units left to deal with the massive steel beasts of Merkavas the Syrian army has no other option than to flee.