Day One Pics

Day One began with Gordon Malcolm's Soviet airborne force (top left) arriving on the Lippe table and immediately calling down a chemical weapons strike on some of Ian Shaw's nearby, dug in American light infantry.  We'd all forgotten to bring cotton wool for smoke/gas so had to use balled up tissue paper instead!

Elsewhere on the Lippe table Richard Phillips was pushing forward with his tank forces.  These are T-55s but somewhere in there was a Polish Heavy Tank battalion with IS-2Ms and IS3s!

Meanwhile in the Central Sector, Chris Justice (left with tea cup) and Peter Buriak (Manchester City shirt) commanded Warsaw Pact armoured forces.  They were opposed by Alan Millicheap's Belgians and George Ashmore (seated, right) with 13/18 Royal Hussars battlegroup.  George's Challengers would prove a particularly tough nut to crack.

And in the west, Andy Hamilton, Steve Graham and Danny Malone launched the major Warsaw Pact attack against a sector held by Rob Connolly with an US/Dutch brigade, and Jamie Crawley with 1st Cheshires battlegroup.  Here an RAF Buccaneer and Harrier attack the on-coming BMPs.

I think this lovely command unit was by Steve or Danny?

Ditto these Hinds?

Beer was consumed at lunchtime at the Royal Hotel.  The pies were much appreciated.  Glad to note, though, that Umpire Stuart Adams (red t-shirt) stuck to cola.  Responsible job, umpiring.

In the afternoon, as the Warsaw Pact tanks threatened a breakthrough west of the Maas, the NATO commanders decided to risk all on a heli-borne raid on the enemy rear area.  Here we see Steve and George resolving a US airborne attack on the Soviet long-range artillery.

By the end of the day there had been a serious Pact breakthrough of which more tomorrow!