Katchuwei
A 6mm Campaign Game
I have always been fascinated by Africa, at least from a military standpoint. It has always struck me as a strange country, poor troops, with poor equipment, often fighting against other poor troops with poor equipment, or, just as likely, small, but highly trained and highly efficient mercenary units.
So when i bought a 6mm Stryker Company from GHQ i decided that its first outing would be set in the jungles and savannahs of Africa, against rebels, militias, African regulars and mercenaries, all fielding obsolete Russian kit or "state of the art" French armour against one of my favourite weapon systems, the Stryker.
The setting
The campaign is set in a fictional African country called Katchuwei, it is situated on the South bank of tThe Congo River (effectively in Angola) and has its Western most border on the coast. The country measures 180 miles by 235 miles.
The capital city, Katchuwei City, has the only deep water port in the country. The countries only other international connection is through the Katchuwei International Airport (The KIA). The airfield itself is little more than a jungle runway, her runways measuring less than 1km, but has a large terminal building and several other large structures. The runways themselves are unsuitable for large civilian aircraft, visitors to Kathcuwei arriving via small bush aircraft from other airfields outside of Katchuwei.
Katchuwei North
Katchuwei South
The US has a strong trade agreement with Katchuwei for its four Uranium mines, each of which provide a very pure form of the mineral, thus taking less time and cost in the refinement of Plutonium.
The Katchuwei Government, under General Limbani has been responsible for atrocities across the country in the name of "quelling rebellion", during his 12 year position as the head of government, it is believed that over 150,000 people have lost their lives during his different purges.
In 2015 the minor rebel factions that populated the countryside gained international support from Russia, Belgium, France and China in the form of finance, training, equipment and international pressure, all of which put the US in a difficult position as the sole trade partner with Limbani's government.
In late 2015 the country collapsed into open warfare as the different factions seized control of the four major cities outside of the Capital itself and closed down the mines, stifling the trade with the US.
Each of the different factions is backed by a separate country at the same time as carrying out secret talks, individually, with Limbani himself. The US, in an attempt to re-open the mines and re-establish trade with Limbani's government offered to send a peacekeeping force to the country to help with talks between the rebel factions and the government, to which, Limbani's government grudgingly acquiesced, but limited the deployment to a maximum of one Company of troops. initial negotiations with the separate factions have been confused further by each of them carrying out secret talks with hostile foreign governments, seeking more military support in return for exclusive trade rights.
On 23rd March, 2017, A Company, 4th Stryker Brigade touched down at Katchuwei International Airport and occupied the disused airport buildings as their HQ.
Captain Ramirez, the Company CO, instantly set about digging his troops in and improving the defensive capabilities of his position. Due to the short runway, any reinforcements would be 30 hours away, as the only heavy lift aircraft that could use it were C-130 Hercules.
A Naval Carrier Group, with a Marine MEU, were a week away but deployment of the assets available would be in direct contravention of the agreement with Katchuweis' government, a risky option at best as Katchuwei has a mutual defence agreement with both Angola and the DRC as they both benefit from the trade that flows through Katchuweis port.
The Katchuwei military and the rebel factions are, to be brutally honest, not a massive threat to the Stryker Company, not in a stand up fight anyway. What is of more concern is the mercenary units that operate in and around the area.
Both Belgium and France have large, government backed, but deniable, mercenary formations in Angola, the DRC and in Katchuwei itself, should either of those governments come to a solid trade agreement with any of the rebel factions, or even the legitimate government of Katchuwei, then the US position could become untenable.
Captain Ramirez, with all this in mind, poorly situated position, days away from any support, surrounded on all sides by enemies, some of which he knows, others of which he doesn't know, and only allowed in the country by a government that doesn't want him there, has a hard job ahead of him, so decides that his first priority is to make friends and start building his own power base.
In the early hours of 24th March, First Platoon mounts its Strykers with Captain Ramirez riding with the Platoon HQ, and heads for the nearest City, 130 miles away.
To Be Continued...
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