Operation Barrass - World at War

Most challenging to play: West Side Boys [Japanese] against the British [Allied]. Conditions: Normal. Size: Medium.

Background: September 10, 2000. Geri Bana, Sierra Leone.

While on a UN peacekeeping mission, a group of Royal Irish Rangers were on patrol in heavily armed WMIK Land Rovers were captured by a ruthless gang of rebels, known as 'The West Side Boys'. MI-6 intelligence had determined that the 7 hostages were being held at Geri Bana, a small camp on the banks of a river delta, Rokel Creek. Across the creek, about 400 meters away was a large rebel base at Magbeni. The stolen WMIK Land Rovers were at Magbeni and their HMGs could pose a threat to any rescue mission taking place at Geri Bana.

Since stealth was impossible, the plan was to hit the hostage camp and rebel base with maximum speed and firepower, hopefully catching the West Side Boys off guard so they had little time to react and kill the hostages. As the Chinook carrying the hostage rescue team hovered over its LZ, simultaneously, the other 2 Chinooks did the same at their own. As the SAS/SBS fireteams fast-roped out of the choppers, the helicopter gunships opened up on the Magbeni camp. The first wave of Paratroopers were inserted by the third Chinook which quickly flew back to base to pick up the second wave.

The fighting was tough and the West Side Boys were no pushovers. Despite lacking discipline or any real sense of tactics they seemed to be completely fearless. Some were likely on drugs or believed that they were protected by magical amulets. Whatever the reason, the men, women and boy soldiers of the West Side Boys fought hard and seemingly without care of being killed.

The battle raged for many hours before it was deemed safe enough to call in the Chinooks to extract the hostages and assault teams.