Ratings for Troops for Operation Raviv

These are the factors for the Egyptian and IDF forces as per TOOFATLardies Charlie Don’t Surf.

Troops/Dice		0	1	2	3	4
IDF		1	2	3	4,5	6+
Egyptian Radar Troops		1,2,3,4	5,6	7+
Egyptian Static Infantry		1,2,3	4	5,6,7+
Egyptian Assault Infantry		1,2,3	4,5	6,7	8+

Egyptian Radar Troops and Static Infantry count as Obsolete Rifle Squads.

From page 32 of Charlie Don’t Surf revised.

The Obsolete Rifle Squad: This unit would have been completely up to date in the Korean War, but is now looking somewhat behind the times for the War of Attrition. Armed largely with semi-automatic weapons and inferior automatic weapons, these units simply cannot throw out the volume of firepower that the Assault Rifle Squad can. The Obsolete Rifle Squad loses one Action Dice when firing. So, for example, one of these squads using three Action Dice for firing will roll just 2D6 on the Fire Table.

Ratings for the Big Men

IDF

The Commander (Lieutenant Colonel Baruch "Pinko" Harel) and the second –in-command (Major Shlomo Baum) statistics will be scenario specific.

Role	Dice	Level
Platoon Commander	1	2
	2-5	3
	6	4
Platoon NCO	1	1
	2-5	2
	6	3

Egyptian Forces

To paraphrase Charlie Don’t Surf page 92.

Egyptian Big Men can be rated according to the wishes of the scenario designer, or may be diced for on the following table. Add +1 for a Egyptian Assault Infantry; subtract -1 for a Static or Radar Troops.

Role	Dice	Level
Company Commander	0-2	2
	3-4	3
	5-7	4
Platoon Commander	0-2	1
	3-5	2
	6-7	3

Egyptians for Operation Raviv

As we are gearing up for Operation Raviv, and waiting on more IDF infantry with AK47s and Uzis, I thought I would tackle the Egyptian side of the equation.

Egypt has two fortified areas and two radar installations in the zone of operations. Both of the fortified areas will have an armored element of an unknown size. The radar sites are reported as being lightly guarded. I am currently waiting on a book that may answer some of these questions.

For the AFVs I will be using the following stats from Charlie Don’t Surf.

Vehicle		Armour Class	Weapon	Strike	Speed
T55		10	100mm	11	Fast
BTR50		3	MG	MG	Fast/Amphib
BTR40		2	MG	MG	Wheeled
BTR152		2	MG	MG	Wheeled
T34/85		8	85mm	10	Fast
PT76		3	76mm	8	Fast/Amphib
SU100		8	100mm	11	Fast

As Mark and I already have these vehicles, all we need to wait on for the Egyptians are the radar stations, some terrain and the infantry to form up.

Operation Raviv IDF Troops

There is no official history for the IDF forces used in this operation. I came to this knowing I would have to be flexible.  Each BTR-50 would carry twenty men, so we start with a force of sixty men.

I assumed that Lieutenant Colonel Baruch "Pinko" Harel will be in one of the tanks and Major Shlomo Baum will be in one of the BTR-50s. The command staff will be broken across the three BTR-50.

Also there needs to be engineers attached as well. This will be an additional six troops.

So I end up with the following:

Company HQ
Major Shlomo Baum, radioman, four troops

Engineer Section

Captain and five engineers

Six Infantry Sections

Lieutenant and seven troops (one armed with a M20 "Super Bazooka")

If anyone has a more official source, please contact me. I think this is a great starting point for Charlie Don't Surf.

Now back to basing the IDF troops with their Uzis.

Operation Raviv

Back in the 1980s I picked up a copy of The Arab-Israeli Wars by Chaim Herzog. In the section on the War of Attrition are a map and a short write up on what is now known as Operation Raviv. While I had read the Born in Battle Magazine back than (before my newsstand stop carrying it, said no one wanted it) I was unaware of this raid to the far side of the Gulf of Suez. This was amazing for nine hours this company-sized unit using captured kit, was traveling down the coast of Egypt. While the IDF had air superiority it is hard to believe that the Israelis were able to do this.

So my project for 2011 is doing an operational campaign of the nine hours for this raid. As you can see I have the IDF forces ready. I am still debating if I need (want) a landing craft or three. Santa will be bring me the rest of the Egyptians after the new year.

Building the bases at Abu Darag and Ras Saafrana should not be difficult as they are radar site and not strengthened fortifications. Plus without any good photographs of the operation I am free to interpret the look and feel.

Keep watching for updates on this. The rules will be from the TOOFATLardies using Charlie Don’t Surf.

Pictures from the Third Battle in Lebanon

Our Saturday battle was a good time as we got our friend Doc Mercury over to play. He now has a large force of PLO/Militia to paint up and got his first taste of Lebanon 1982 with Mark and myself.

This battle changed many times as we were setting it up and at times as the referee I was not sure what the players wanted to try out. (I need to remember to always make the IABSM/CDS cards and the sides set before I get to the gaming venue.) Mark wanted Syrians, Doc did not care and I was planning on using PLO (that is what I had cards for).

The action was very fast as the two platoons headed across the town looking for PLO and a way to exit to the north.

Here is the long road with the referee in the distance.

The PLO was found by the IAF (or was it a drone) running towards one of the major buildings.

After a couple of inefficient shots by the PLO the IDF found this relic on the battlefield and fired on it. The IDF player was a little miffed that it was all caught on camera and the T34/85 was not operational. Always remember to not fire on anything near a mosque.

The tank as a decoy allowed the PLO to assault the tanks. Luck was not with the PLO today as none were damaged and the infantry cleaned out the building.

As the Merkavas went past the market a group of Syrian commandos attacked the column. They had as little luck as the PLO.  They held the market only a turn before being forced out by the infantry.

Here we have the infantry holding the market.

While all of this was happening the Syrians brought on three T55s. There only success was against an empty M113.

A good game and a great learning experience for me the referee. I look forward to our next game.

Charlie Don't Surf for Lebanon

Honest, I only bought these rules to read up on the section dealing with victory conditions but I have to say these will now be the basis for all of my Lebanon 1982 games.

This rule set is from my friends at TooFatLardies and once again Richard out did himself. You can see that they are built on I Ain't Been Shot Mum! and Troops, Weapons & Tactics. Yet the rules are more than a modern (Vietnam War) version of its World War II brethren.

The use of helicopters, amphibious vehicles (more on this latter) and non-standard victory conditions lend themselves well to Lebanon. And before someone points out that there is very little jungle in Lebanon, the refugee camps and the urban environment lend itself well to the rules dealing with hidden movement.

Lastly you have to take a look at a rule set that not only allows the press to be present but also requires a die roll to see if the press is an attached to a unit or battlefield. I also like the fact that an inadvertent death of a report can affect the victory conditions of a battle in a decisive (as reported in the media) way.