Turkish Quarter WIP

Among the basic building boxes I created recently was this large flat-topped building.  At the time of construction, I wasn't sure whether it would be a large 20mm scale building for Andreivia or a small 28mm building for Pavis.

In the end I've decided it's to be a concrete structure used as a small vehicle repair shop somewhere in the Turkish Quarter of Tcherbevan (or perhaps in one of the Andreivian Turkish villages).

The fluorescent red colour is, you'll be pleased to hear, temporary.  It just happens to be the colour of the textured masonry paint I use to give my buildings that roughcast feel.

Reaction to the UN vote on Andreivia

Matrix Game, Turn 1, Argument 5

Richard Phillips is the last player in the Matrix Game to get the chance to argue.  He threw in this one:

Anders Blix, UN Special Envoy to Andreivia has submitted a report to Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali urging the United Nations Security Council to issue a mandate for increased NATO deployments to Andreivia due to the deteriorating humanitarian situation. The Secretary General has called an emergency meeting of the Council to vote on Resolution S/RES/755 (1992). The Secretary General proposes the establishment of the United Nations Operation in Andreivia (UNOA) led by troops from the Italian Armed Forces under the command of Lieutenant General Claudio Graziano. The UNOA would be tasked with the following mission:-

a). Securing a corridor for aid convoys between the Turkish border and Tcherbevan. 

b). Providing protection for humanitarian relief convoys as requested by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and providing ground transport for difficult routes.

c). Creating a secure environment in order to provide humanitarian assistance to all members of the civilian population as the United Nations have grave concerns about the deteriorating situation in Andreivia.

I was faced with something of a dilemma here as the Russians would obviously have the option to veto any such motion.  I asked Richard to run the motion past Tom who determined that the Russian delegation in New York would indeed exercise this option.

This left me with no option but to declare the argument Very Weak.  This meant that it would only succeed on a six (representing some last-minute horse-trading at the UN or perhaps Yeltsin acting in a loose cannon fashion against the advice of his team).

I rolled a one (at work on my iPhone dice rolling app, witnessed by colleague and fellow wargamer Geoff Taylor) so the Argument does not succeed.

Matrix Game, Turn 1, Argument 4

Andy Canham came back quickly with this argument on behalf of the Andreivian Turks:

ACTION: Today, acting with support from the command and control of the Dvimim Naval Military Academy, the Black Sea Fleet Marines have secured the port facilities at Mdinar, enabling support for the peoples of Andreivia against the aggression of the Ottoman forces and their NATO allies.  However, in an unfortunate series of events in the crowded shipping offshore, the fleet flagship helicopter carrier and amphibious landing ship "Admiral Kuznetzov" was rammed by the now obsolete battleship "Potemkin".  The latter immediately broke in two and sank with the almost total loss of all personnel below decks, while the Ad Kuznetsov has been left badly holed and tilted at a nearly fatal 35 degree angle.  From this position, the ship is unable to launch amphibious craft or fly off helicopters.


RESULT: Although this move has ensured effective command and control for amphibious infantry landings and also naval artillery from the destroyers deployed as a peacekeeping force to the area, the loss of the Potemkin has massively reduced ship to shore firepower, while the effective loss of the Ad Kuznetsov has severely limited the ability of the Russians to land troops in the foreseeable future, both from amphibious and heliborne methods.  The world-wide syndication of images of the crippled Ad Kuznetsov and the ghostly outline of the remains of the Potemkin in the shallow waters off the mouth of the Krupnehr River are causing consternation in the highest echelons of the Russian hierarchy, with Boris Yeltsin allegedly falling from his chair, spilling his vodka, when he received the news from an aide. In NATO circles, there is immense satisfaction that the bear has got his feet wet, particularly in the higher echelons of the RN and USN.

REASON 1: The Black Sea Fleet is a cadre with high corps morale, and the Andreivan facilities and staff have been indoctrinated in naval fraternity since the days of Imperial Russia, through the days of the Great Patriotic War and in decades of stand offs with the Turks and their NATO allies, although, through years of Soviet miss-management and a focus on the Red Army, maintenance of the naval fleet has been sorely neglected, particularly with poor quality steel components.  A PRAVDA spokesman has blamed the total failure of the steering mechanism on the Potemkin, while manoeuvring at high speed, for the collision, although there are dark rumours of sabotage by Crimean nationalists in support of their Andreivian brothers.

REASON 2: The waters in the eastern part of the Black Sea are non-tidal, but the strong currents near the mouth of the Krupnehr cause rapidly shifting sand banks, which the Potemkin was almost certainly trying to negotiate at the time of the collision, a situation which would have been aggravated by the limited visibility arising from coastal fog which is prevalent at the time of the incident.

REASON 3: It will take several weeks for the Russian Navy to replace the Ad Kuznetsov from Murmansk, which will severely limit the mobility of the Russian forces in taking up key positions in Andreiva, with the result that most troop mobility will be by foot.

I agreed with Andy a (possibly generous) "Average" strength for this Argument.  It would therefore succeed on a 4+,  I rolled the die and got a ... 5 so the collision does indeed take place.

Matrix Game, Turn 1, Argument 3

The third Argument in our Matrix Game comes from Tom Zunder as the Russians:

ACTION: Today, acting with support from the command and control of the Dvimim Naval Military Academy, the Black Sea Fleet Marines have secured the port facilities at Mdinar, enabling support for the peoples of Andreivia against the aggression of the Ottoman forces and their NATO allies. 

RESULT: This will ensure effective command and control for amphibious infantry landings and also naval artillery from the destroyers deployed as a peacekeeping force to the area.

REASON 1: The Black Sea Fleet is a cadre with high corps morale, and the Andreivan facilities and staff have been indoctrinated in naval fraternity since the days of Imperial Russia, through the days of the Great Patriotic War and in decades of stand offs with the Turks and their NATO allies.

REASON 2: President Yeltsin made a coherent and passioned speech on TV last night denouncing the rise of a new Ottoman aggression in the area, and pledging Russian peacekeepers to prevent the rise of ethnic cleansing. Flanked by Russian and Armenian Orthodox priests and a Central Asian mullah, Yeltsin pledged a new freedom of conscience in the Confederation of Independent States.

REASON 3: Naval personnel in key positions in Andreiva have historically enjoyed a programme of officer exchange visits with the Soviet Union's Black Sea Fleet, and as such share the concern of all Russians at the outbreak of sectarian strife.

This is a nicely-structured Argument but it does involve a military operation and these must always be risky.  I’d start, I think, at Strong (succeeds on a 3+) for a military operation that’s not overly ambitious.  I should then come down from there to Average (4+) as the involvement of Andreivian Naval Officers in the operation has not been established in a previous Argument.  However, this Argument would get us more Russian boots on the ground and so more for our Russian players to do when we get the toys out so I’m going to use Referee’s executive fiat to leave it at 3+.

The die is still here from last night so let’s roll now… It’s a 3 and the argument succeeds!