PRE-GENERATED ENCOUNTER:

SOVIET TRAFFIC CONTROL POINT/ROAD

BLOCK
Situation

This encounter is an example of a fairly common road block/traffic control point. The
forces described are Soviet, but the overall force structure could easily be adjusted to
represent Polish, NATO, or even marauder forces. A traffic control point will usually
be sited at an intersection, bridge, or other feature along a road of military interest.
They will most frequently be found along main supply routes (MSR) and other well
travelled roads.
The particular force described consists of an understrength platoon (basically a rifle
squad reinforced with a heavy weapons section). They are guarding a bridge over a
creek which is substantial enough to prevent crossing by non-amphibious vehicles.
Their mission generally consists of stopping merchants and travelers to check their
papers (and shake them down for small bribes), but they have sufficient strength to
delay or stop most marauder groups.

Mission

The unit is in charge defending the bridge and keeping track of traffic over it. If
attacked, they are under orders to delay the enemy while radioing in to higher
headquarters for support. Some kind of motorized, mechanized, or cavalry reaction
force will be located 30-60 minutes from the bridge.
The unit at the bridge is in radio contact with their higher headquarters. Besides
emergency traffic, they make twice-daily reports (once at stand-to at dawn and again
in the evening before closing the bridge down).

Morale

These are troops from a veteran Soviet combat division, and are in solid bunkers.
They will only withdraw/surrender if they have taken substantial losses (2/3 or more)
and their bunkers are being overrun.
The lieutenant in charge of the road block will not allow unauthorized traffic across
“his” bridge. However, the unit knows of a ford site three kilometers up stream which
tracked and military wheeled vehicles can use (the water is only 30-40 cm deep).
Enterprising characters who try to negotiate may be able to bargain with the lieutenant
for information concerning the location of the ford site. His preference will be for
obtaining gold or other forms of portable wealth as payment, but he will also accept
luxury items like liquor, pre-war canned foods, fresh meat, etc.
Unit Basic Equipment Kit

All soldiers are clothed in Soviet issue camouflage battle-dress, steel pot helmets, and
LBE. The LBE includes two canteens, a bayonet, and entrenching tool, and magazine
pouches for six (6) AK-74 magazines. Each also has two fragmentation grenades.
Other special equipment is noted below.

The Unit

Command Group
 Lieutenant Georgi Ivanov (commander), veteran, AKR, Makarov (2
magazines).
 Senior Sergeant Uri Federov (2nd in command), veteran, AK74
 Radio Operator, experienced, AKR

Weapons Team
 DShK Gunner, veteran, DShK and Makarov (2 magazines)
 Assistant Gunner, novice, AK74
 2nd Assistant Gunner, novice, AK74
 RPG Gunner, veteran, RPG-16 (3 rockets), AKR
 Assistant Gunner, experienced, AK74, 3 RPG-16 Rockets

Infantry Squad #1
 Squad Leader, veteran, AKR
 Automatic Rifleman, veteran, RPK-74
 3 Riflemen, experienced, AK74

Infantry Squad #2
 Squad Leader, veteran, AKR
 Automatic Rifleman, veteran, RPK-74
 3 Riflemen, experienced, AK74

Personalities

 Lieutenant Ivanov (Diamonds 9, Hearts 4): The son of enthic Russian party-
members from Kazakhstan, Ivanov was called up for duty in late 1998. His
father managed to secure him a slot at officer training school. While he is a
good soldier and Party loyalist (more or less – his devotion has been fading
lately), he has concluded that the war is essentially over (with no clear winner
but lots of losers). He would very much like to go home, and thinks that
American soldiers might want to do the same thing. In the meantime, he is
using his position at the bridge to shakedown travelers and line his (and his
men’s) pockets, get them better rations, etc. His minor corruption is not out of
the ordinary for the year 2000, so his higher headquarters have ignored
whatever complaints they may have heard about him.
  Senior Sergeant Uri Federov (Spades Queen, Diamonds 9): The outpost's
senior NCO and feared disciplinarian. Federov is quite happy with Lieutenant
Ivanov's leadership, as he is quite greedy. He will try to convince the
Lieutenant to let any group use the bridge if he thinks they can pay their way
over it -- Sergeant Federov was never much for party ideology, and surviving
the past several years of the war has done much to reinforce his self-interest.

The Environment

The roadblock consists of four bunkers, linked by communication trenches and

surrounded by a double layer of barbed wire. Additional wire is strung across the
bridge, and any vehicle trying to run over it (tracked or wheeled) will probably
become fouled in the wire. The bunkers are solidly constructed of sandbags and tree-
trunks (AC 50) with firing slits and overhead cover. Fire directed at soldiers manning
the firing slits will miss (hit the armor) unless the target is hit in the head or right arm
-- in this case, resolve the attack normally.
The DShK bunker has been sited so that it has good overall fields of fire and can
engage targets approaching the bridge along the road from either direction. It has ten
cases of 12.7mm ammunition, and half a case of 5.45mmB ammunition inside. The
DShK gun is on a Pact Heavy Carriage and can be man-handled to other firing slits by
the gun crew in three rounds (15 seconds) (a engage targets coming down along the
other direction of the road).
One squad bunker is situated alongside the road, while the other is sited to cover the
creek bed. Both bunkers are situated to be able to provide supporting fire to the DShk
bunker. Each squad bunker contains a case of 5.45mmB ammunition and a case of
fragmentation grenades.
The command bunker is between the DShK bunker and the road-side squad bunker.
This is the position from which the command team will fight, as well as the RPG team
unless an armor threat has been spotted (they will fire RPG’s from the communication
trenches linking the bunkers as necessary). The command bunker is fitted with a
5/25km vehicular radio and several truck batteries – the road block gets fully charged
truck batteries as part of the twice-weekly resupply from headquarters. Spotting the
small whip antenna projecting from it is a task (ESY:RCN). The command bunker
contains 5 spare HEAT rockets for the RPG-16, a case of 5.45mmB ammunition, 100
loose shots of 9mmM ammunition, and half a case of grenades. There are also two
(normal) batteries for the radio, as well as the truck batteries and a small hand crank
jury-rigged to recharge them if they should run low on power before resupply.
Other Items of Note at the Road Block: The roadblock is usually resupplied every
four days with food, truck batteries, and other items as needed. There will be a supply
of domestic food in the bunker complex (stored in the command bunker) – the exact
amount depends on how long it has been since the last resupply mission.
Additionally, Lt. Ivanov has a strongbox hidden in the command bunker behind some
sandbags (finding it is DIF:RCN) containing $1000 is gold. There are additional trade
goods and items worth about $3000 in the command bunker, stored in old ammunition
boxes. These goods (exact composition up to the referee -- but the items are things
like pre-war liquor, jewelry, and the like) weight around 75 kilograms.
The command bunker also contains Ivanov’s traffic log and CEOI. The former is a
diary recording all the traffic that has passed over the bridge for the past several
weeks. At their discretion, referees may use this to clue in players as to the
scheduling of Soviet patrols, supply convoys, etc., in the area. The CEOI contains a
list of frequencies and call signs for portions of the unit’s parent division. It is
changed every week, but, again, players may be able to make some use of this as well,
at the referee’s discretion.