The Commander Series Forum

In the few months ago, I acquired 2 GHQ combat commands (Israel and UK (mid-80s to mid-90s). I want to create a campaign featuring this two countries, and here is a draft of my ideas.


January 23th 1991 AM: Iraqi SCUD attacks against Israel are successful in causing an Israeli response. Israel decides to send out the 162nd Armor Division to the Western Iraqi desert in order to take control of the launching zone, forcing the scuds to deploy out of range of Israel.

January 23th 1991 PM: Jordan, sensing that Israel's incursion on Iraqi soil would be unwise, denies permission to Israel to cross it's territory.

January 24th 1991 AM, Seeing that Israeli mobilization of the 162nd Armor Division continues unabated, King Hussein asks for help from the UK contingent of Desert Shield.

January 24th 1991 PM, Fearing that its main combat elements would arrive too late, infantry from the 7th Armoured Brigade (1st Battalion, Staffordshire Regiment) are inserted by helicopter, along with all the MILAN systems that could be spared, in a ridge line directly in front of the Israeli line of advance in the hope that this would make the Israeli government and military apparatus to re-think its actions and save the coalition against Saddam Hussein. Ominously, the OC of the infantry detachment has been given orders to consider Israeli forces hostile if they approach within 3000 meters of river he is guarding.

While the soldiers of the 7th armoured are diging in, their Warrior APCs are driving North from Saudi Arabia to meet them, and they are also bringing their attached Grenadier Guards Company and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.

January 25th, AM: The 162nd Armor Div. enters visual range of the river...



I've posted a sketch of the table layout on my blog at http://thenortherngamer.blogspot.com/2010/04/gu... because I don't know exactly how to post images on this site.

I'm still a few month away from starting the campaign (Exams, building terrain, painting the figs...), so constructive criticism is welcome since it can make the scenario better.

This sounds really good

I agree, a really nice idea. I'm always keen on playing 'what if' scenarios that are broadly plausible.

One I want to try is a combined British and French attack along the French frontier 1939 in support of Poland. Could be fun.

A very likely variation would be the arrival of the US 101st Airborne on top of the UK position before dawn asking them 'What the **** do you think you're doing boy!'

I know you wanted constructive criticism but the idea of the US allowing the Brits to swan off and invade Northern Iraq at the behest of Jordan to fight the Israelis just isn't a 'what if', it's a 'WTF?!'

We may have a weird anti-Israel hangover from the pre WWII days of anti-semitism in Britain, but the US isn't going to buy into it. Besides if they had needed to reign in the Israelis they would just have mentioned that the bankroll was getting a little thin, what with the whole Gulf war thing and the Israelis would have held back.(as they did).

If things had got so bad that Shamir felt obliged to do something, the IAF could have overflown Jordan at will and, using their own Sigint capability or feeds of overhead photography from CIA sources and/or NSA Sigint (lets not kid ourselve- Israel comes a long way ahead of anyone else in US geopolitical relations)struck the launchers without endangering IDF ground troops. It would have been messy but as the US provided three quarters of the troops and most of the cash they could have got by without Morocco and Bangladesh. The Arab states bar Egypt(is Egypt an Arab state? hmmmm?) were too threatened by Iraq to bother too much about an Israeli airstrike despite the posturing.

Although the US (and UK) wanted Israel not to queer the pitch of the coalition they had built, the idea that the US would have allowed any coalition troops to be placed in confrontation with Israel beggars belief.

So constructive criticism - go for a post Gulf breakdown in the coalition and an escalation of the First Intifada and an Israeli invasion of Jordan (still not sure how we get involved against US wishes - the whole geopolitical reality has to be shifted so out of whack...) - maybe an EU peacekeeping force in the West bank? Its too horrible to contemplate.

Best bet - get an Arab force and give it a good shoeing.

Actually, looking over my notes, The Brits' blocking position would have been in Jordan not northern Iraq, and there there just as a "Calm down boys" force that gets out of hand.

Secondly, from what I remember of F-15 and F-16 combat endurance, they would not have the legs to have a long loiter time in order to find the TELs, and therefore my idea of pushing them out of range.

Thirdly, I was under the impression that most of the air campaign against SCUDs was as dud as they were hitting dummies or nothing at all.

sultanbev,

I thought that the Brits would have had MILAN 2 by the Gulf War, because MILAN 1 got replaced in '85 and I assume that combat operations would get the newest and shiniest kit.

Sorry if I sounded dismissive - obviously if you want to use them against each other that is absolutely sound as a game.

I still can't accept it as a 'plausible' scenario however - for all the reasons above.

Plus, given the trouble between Britain and Israel at the end of the Palestinian Mandate - and the fact that Yitzshak Shamir had been a member of Lehi (the Stern Gang to the British), a more militant Zionist group than the Haganah, rather than having a 'calm down boys' effect, British military support for an Arab border state would have been a red rag to a bull.

And Britain would have known it, and wouldn't have done it.

As for the SCUD busting escapades of coalition airforces- well there's a whole difference in approach (geographic and operational) from Hel Avir, but detection would have been difficult-but it would have worked politically at home for Shamir - the biggest plus that I can see over sitting put and relying on the Patriot gift.

As for loiter time - not sure, but range didn't appear to be a problem for the F16s over Osiraq (the nuclear facility attack) or the F15s in '81 when they attacked Tunisia.

Still reckon an Arab force for both to fight is the best way for a 'plausible' scenario
Guy

The big thing about Osiraq and Tunisia was that it was against a position where they already had the coordinates, and their endurance was at it limit (Full internal fuel, 2 wing tanks (1400l each) and a belly tank (1100l), they only had 2 unguided 2000lbs and they managed to get back on fumes...


If you look at the timeline, from the SCUD hit on the pre-school to deployment of the Staffordshires, it was between 36-48 hours. Short enough that the initial blunder could be pined on a Foreign Office assistant under-secretary who thought : "It seemed like a good idea at the time..."

Info about the fuel tanks is about the strike the strike at Osirak

lordofelba

Interesting idea. I have been thinking about doing the 1956 Suez Crisis, with various options. First being that Israel decides use this operation as an excuse to invaded Jordan and seize what they did in 1967. Both the French and British told Israel at the get go that Jordan was not to be touched as they had far more interests in Jordan than Israel (real world.) So by attacking Jordan, the French and British might in turn attacked Israel (real world plans were laid out by the French & British for this) and supports Jordan (and possibly the Egyptians!?!?!). The second option is that the US Navy was put on alert by the invasion could have stepped in on either side (again, real world.)

So in the end you could have the real version of the Crisis, or French, Brits, & Israelis fighting Egyptians & the US (assuming Jordan was not attacked); French, Brits, & Jordans vs. Israelis (assuming Jordan is attacked) & possibly the US; everyone vs. Egypt; or everyone vs. Israel.