99 Luftballoons

 Since I returned to the hobby around 15 years ago, I have exclusively played as NATO. I have 1960s British, 3 Commando Brigade and a Turkish armoured brigade. My main army has been West Germans and I could probably field the best part of a division of Bundeswehr troops.

Recently however change has been in the air. Neneh and The Scorpions have been replaced by Das Kapital, schnitzel mit dumplings with wurst goulash and my standing order for NATO Green has been cancelled. Yes, I have turned to the Dark Side and have built an East German panzer brigade, ready for this year's big game. I wanted to give them a runout so a few weeks ago went on a magical mystery tour across the Pennines (as the Snake was shut) for a match up against m'colleague Neil's US Airborne.

The Country: a generic town in Austria.

I sent a T-55AM2 battalion plus BMP-1 mechanised battalion towards the main town on my right and centre.

My other T-55AM2 battalion was sent down the autobahn on my left flank.

With a clatter of rotor blades and blaring of CCW through the loudspeakers, the US Airborne arrived and took possession of the hill on my left.

Their landing deviated too far forward though and they deployed on the front slope of the hill, directly in front of my tank battalion. Under a hail of HE fire, the survivors scrabbled down the hill and took cover in the roadside diner.

In the centre another US battalion arrived in Gamma Goats and took over the used car lot and bierkeller.

In response, my infantry debussed and headed for the woods.

With their dismounts er, dismounted, the BMPs moved off to outflank the Americans.

Over on the left flank Neil's Sheridans came off second best in a one-sided long range duel against my T-55s. The survivors moved to their right, taking cover behind the hill and looking to outflank my tanks.

Meanwhile, back in the town my other tank battalion set about laying down suppressing fire on the infantry in the used car lot and bierkeller, while my infantry moved through the woods in preparation for a close assault.

I managed to call in some air support from a Sukhoi SU-22 but it was driven off by fierce AA fire.

I had better look with this strike from a Mig-23. Initially intended to attack Neil's infantry, a fortuitous deviation saw it slice through most of the remaining Sheridans.

With the bulk of their armour gone, one battalion pinned in the diner and the other threatened with a flanking attack, the US commander decided to call time on their expedition and quit the battlefield.

A good try out for the East Germans then that resulted in a resounding victory. Things could have been very different though. Neil had clearly neglected to make the appropriate sacrifices to the dice gods as he made some spectacularly bad rolls. I only lost one T-55 despite a hail of Dragon and Sheleighly ATGMs fired at me. He also managed to roll 3 blunders, whereas I escaped without any. Artillery was conspicuously absent during the battle. I don't think either of us managed to successfully call in a barrage.

Next up is the delayed annual Cold War Commanders big game. I've seen a sneak preview of some of the terrain and it promises to be a belter of a weekend.