Counterattack – Fate of a Nation AAR – Egyptian T-54 Battalion vs. Israeli Super Sherman Company

My force had a T-54 Bn HQ tank and two T-54 Companies with five tanks each.  There was a BMP-1 Mech Infantry Company that had seven AK-47 teams, six RPG teams, two LMG teams, and nine BMP-1s.  For Spearheads, there was a unit of four BRDM-2s. For support, there was an AT-3 Sagger Company with two teams and Rocket support from three BM-21 Hails. As you can tell in the photo I had to use my Team Yankee Soviets as proxies, but at least all the kit, save pressed into service WW2 Katyushas as BM-21s, was correct.

Charles’ company was based on the Israeli M50 75mm Shermans. He had an HQ with two of these tanks and two platoons of four tanks each.  These were supplemented by three M51 Ishermans with the 105mm guns and two M60 Magach 6s. He also had an Israeli Mechanized Infantry platoon without transports.

Charles decided to put his two Magach 6s and one of the M50 Sherman units in reserve. He kept his three M51 Ishermans as his ambush platoon. His infantry was deployed in the center poised to move towards the center town and to contest the far objective.  His other M50 75mm Sherman platoon was in a hide position behind a dune/hill. This left only his two HQ M50s up forward to protect the objective in his deployment area. Though this mission could not be won before turn six, Charles’ deployment left his HQ too isolated and would rely too much on a successful ambush volley and speedy reserves to keep me from massing on the objective.

After my last trouncing at the hands of an Egyptian Tank Battalion, I was really looking forward to running one myself. One major addition to the Egyptian arsenal in FoaN was the BM-21 Hail Rocket Launchers which most importantly have smoke bombardment capability!  So my plan was to rush all 11 T-54s behind a smokescreen toward the close objective in the Israeli deployment zone. The BMP-1s would risk cross-checks to get up on the rocky high ground to provide overwatch with AT-3 Saggers.

The overwatch would be supplemented by the two dismounted AT-3 teams.  So I had my assault element and my support element set. This left my dismounted infantry and BRDM-2s to work into the plan. The infantry I would send into the town to lock down the high-speed avenue of approach for Charles’ reserve tanks. The infantry were supported by the BRDM-2s who would harass the nearby Israeli infantry with their 12.7mm MGs.

With the new prearranged in artillery rules guaranteeing that my smoke screen, turn one went off without a hitch. The only bit of poor luck I had was four out of nine BMP-1s failing their cross checks to get up un the rocky hill support-by-fire position.

Charles realized that his right flank was already in trouble with my screened T-54s getting in so close so fast. He had to pop his Isherman 105mm tanks ambush and alongside with a successful blitz move by his M50 Shermans, he was able to mass 14 shots from the hill in the rear of his deployment area.  The problem was that he could not shoot at the T-5s with his 105mm guns due to the smoke screen, so all 14 shots went into killing four of the five BMP-1s that had just moved into position. He also did not get any reserves in on his first turn.

In my next turn, the T-54s continued to sweep around Charles’ right, destroying one of the Israeli HQ tanks as they moved.  The ground mount AT-3 Saggers, with six shots, managed to destroy one and bail one of the 105mm Ishermans while the one BMP-1 that survived Charles’ first volley managed to

knock out another. This unit would later fail its Last Stand Check.

As the battle continued, the T-54s would envelop the M50s’ hill position and destroy the last of the Israeli onboard tanks. The two Magach 6s and the last four M50s arrived from reserve on turn 2 and turn 3 respectively. However, these only got in a few long-range shots. They knocked out the last of the BMP-1s and took out one of the ground mount AT-3 Sagger teams, but with the Egyptian Mech Infantry closing off the road through the town, there was no way the Israeli reinforcements could get to the deployment zone objective in time.

So Charles and I have found the Egyptians to be a bit overwhelming for the Israelis to deal with in both of our Fate of a Nation games even with us switching sides for each battle. The Egyptians getting a huge bump with a 3+ “to Hit” number was significant enough, but when you add cheap AT-3s from ground launchers and BMP-1s the Egyptians seem to get really good. The addition of smoke bombardment from the BM-21 Hails is also a tremendous combat multiplier as a fully screened dash move to get close in a huge benefit. Finally, the Israelis don’t have the “Stormtrooper” potential second move order attempt. The only way Israel tanks can really hold their own is if they Blitz into LOS to shoot and then Shoot and Scoot back out of LOS before the hail of AT-3s comes flying in. Without this ability, the Egyptian AT-3s will wreak havoc.

So what’s an Israeli play to do? The Israelis will need to invest more heavily in cheap smoke bombardment assets.  These will have to be used to block LOS from BMP-1s and AT-3 Sagger Teams while the Anti-tank assets concentrate on killing the close in Egyptian tanks.  Heavy tanks, like Centurions and Magach 6s are just too vulnerable to massed AT-3 Sagger fire in their small units.

The Israelis will need to maximize TOW Jeeps and Recoilless Rifle Jeeps to take on the Anti-tank heavy lifting.  M51 Ishermans and Tiran 5s might be better tank options for Israeli armor units. These are cheaper, but still quite good. Air support may help tear into BMP-1s. The Israeli had better drop templates on those dismounted  AT-3 units.  An Israeli player cannot let a chap 8 point four team AT-3 unit pump out 12 AT-3 shots each a turn!

In the previous version of Fate of a Nation, I always thought that the Israelis were just too hard to beat. Now it appears that the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction. It now feels like only a well-designed and well-handled Israeli force, with a healthy amount of luck, can stand up to T-54 force backed up by so many AT-3s and smoke screens from BM-21s.  Charles and I will continue to experiment as I begin work on ten M51 Ishermans and Charles has just acquired some of the excellent new Battlefront Tiran 5 models.  But I think in the end and perhaps just like in the actual ’67 and ’73 wars, it’s going to take smart gameplay and good luck for the Israelis forces in Fate of the Nation to consistently win. Good stats and good kit alone will not do it.