UNSEEN ARMIES - August 13, 1993

Forget everything you ever heard about street crime.

Organized Crime in the former Soviet Union, which was forged under the oppression of the Soviet regime, was emboldened by the anarchy following Glasnost reforms, and became a major power after the final collapse of Communism in August, 1991. Now, Russian organized crime is an unseen army, wresting control of the nation away from the politicians and trafficking in drugs, weapons, and even nuclear materials.

The Russian mafia and the Russian police are fighting a hidden war, but one that is as bloody as any of the civil wars that are tearing apart the other former Soviet States. This scenario describes one clash between these two forces.

Scenario Outline:

On August 13, 1993, a group of Moslem Ingushi merchants in the Urals city of Nizhny Tagil became fed up with paying protection money to the local mobsters and fifty of the merchants engaged in bloody streetfighting. Russian racketeers managed to escape the fighting and broke into a military base and stole a tank. They then took the tank down to the fight to to put down the rebellious merchants, but were stopped by the local police and interior ministry forces.

This scenario may be played using either the Small Arms scale or the Mechanized scale. Due to the small number of units involved, and the variety of weapons brought into play, this scenario is ideal as an introduction to either rules set.

To play the scenario, PC Mechanized and the Modern Light Vehicles Supplement are required. If playing at the PCSACS scale, then PC Small Arms Combat System Rules will also be required.

Order of Battle

MAFIYA:

The criminals in this scenario have very little respect for the law. They have stolen a T-90 tank (the latest export version of the T-72/T-74 series) from a Russian military base and are trying to drive it into an Ingush community to show the merchants what happens when protection money is not paid. However, they have run into a roadblock set up by the local police. They must break through or circumvent this roadblock.

Criminal Forces:

T-90, Line crew

(use the sheets for the T72M1 in PC Mechanized, since the performance will be nearly identical to the T-72 for the purposes of this scenario).

 

2 x UAZ-469 Jeeps, each carrying:

2 AK-47, Line

1 AKR, Green

1 Shotgun, sawed-off (driver)

 

(for the UAZ-469, the HMMWV is an acceptable substitute, as well as for civilian vehicles)

Police and Interior Ministry:

The academy never covered how to deal with situations like this. However, all of the crew have some military experience and familiarity with antitank weapons and there are active military personnel in your forces. You must capture or kill the tank (mobility kills are not acceptable) in order to stop the threat posed by the criminal elements.

Police Forces:

Police Tactical Squad, composed of:

4 AK-74, Line

2 AK-74/GL, Line

2 RPK-74, Line

Plus 4 RPG-18s distributed among the squad members

Interior Ministry Forces:

1 BRDM-2, Line Crew

1 BRDM-3, Line Crew

Special Rules

Barricades: The police have had the opportunity to set up a barricade from commandeered civilian vehicles, including some heavy trucks and farm machinery. This barricade is clearly marked on the map. The tank could be used to push all of these out of the way, taking 5 MT (40 Phases) to clear a path through which the tank may pass. During the time spent pushing, the tank's movement would effectively be zero, allowing enemy forces an easier shot at the tank.

The barricade should be treated as a 40 degree incline on hard earth in the event that players simply want the tank to overrun the barricade.

Terrain: The terrain in the Urals for this scenario should be considered rough terrain--Light Rock, with a wide array of hills, all with 20 degree slopes. The only level ground in the area is the dirt road (Hard Ground, 10 degree slope on average). There are no trees, but a random scattering of brush around the landscape. Hill crests are represented by the grey areas on the map.