OPERATION THUNDERBOLT**

IDF Assault vs Red Defend*
Entebbe, Uganda; July 3, 1976**

Scenario Size: Small*
Playing Time: 30 minutes*
Turns:12**


Design: Wild Bill Wilder*
bwilder@bellsouth.net**

Testers: Lars Remmen, Tom DeShelter**


Special Note: For winning hints, read the end of this introduction!**

NOTE: This scenario should ONLY be played from the Israeli side.**

Your Mission:**

As Lt. Col."Yonni" Netan-Yahu, an experienced Israeli fighter and commander, your task is to rescue the hostages, destroy the MIGS, and get your own men out in time. Can you do it?**

"Thunderbolt," is a scenario you can play in 30 minutes. Can you rescue the hostages and get your men out? To do it, you must follow the general plan of the IDF. Its possible to take some "gamey" shortcuts and probably do it easily.**

That method, however, takes away from the actual history and reliving the tense moments of "Yonni" Netan-Yahu and his heroic band of rescuers. I tried to set it up in such a way that you would have to more or less use the original Israeli plan.**

A Note on Winning: The objectives are not important. Altogether they are worth about 100 points. What will win for you is (1) killing the Migs, (2) keeping civilians alive [each group is worth 200 points] and the rescuers. Losing them is also very costly, and (3) killing terrorists. Leave none alive. They are worth up to 150 points per group.**

The "impassable" terrain around the old airport makes using certain exits the only way out.**


Historical Background**

When a French A300 Airbus with over 250 passengers, 103 of which are Israelis, is skyjacked and taken to the Entebbe airport in Uganda, the Jewish government forms a bold plan with a commando raid of the airport and the rescue of the hostages.*
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The units involved are volunteers from the 35th Israeli Para Brigade and the Golani Commando Brigade. Using four C-130 Hercules for transport and two Boeing 707s for communication, the rescue becomes a modern miracle.*
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The Israeli paratroopers do what no one thought could be done. It will go down in history
as one of the greatest and most dramatic rescues of all time.*
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For winning hints, see below**
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Now this is how I win it. You are perfectly free to devise your own plan, perhaps better than this one for wringing out that decisive victory.**

Winning is relatively simple, IF you follow the original IDF plan to get the hostages out.**

Turn 1. Your first C-130 you are to land on turn one. Land it so that you are on one of the runways (no cheating, guys!). Then load your vehicles on the same turn. Strike Force (A0) should be in the Mercedes. Team Jacob should be headed to the Migs to take them out. They are worth some serious points!**

You should, if you load your vehicles while under the C-130, move them into nearly perfect position to attack the terrorists before they start killing hostages. Remember hostages (100+) are worth 200 points per group. Even were they not all killed, causing suppression takes away move time.** 

Keep your teams alive. They are very valuable! Kill all the terrorists. That will give you up to 150 points per group.**

Turn 2. While Team Jacob is destroying the MIGs and headed for the Control Tower, you should let your second C-130 land. Two sections of paratroopers are there to aid in protecting the withdrawal. Move your strike force, Team Isaac and Team Abraham into the building to find the terrorists and take them out.**

Turn 3 You see the hostages and the terrorists are going to try to shoot them. Kill them quickly. Remember, some might be in the rear of the building. One team should be back there. Move paras south to protect the way out for the hostages. Two more C-130s are ready to land. They will, along with another, take those hostages out. Position them on the taxiway to be ready to receive them.**

Turn 4 Now you must (1) move the hostages as quickly as possible, (2) get your strike force headed the same way but guarding them, perhaps putting them back in the vehicles. Don't lose your vehicles. The two land rovers and the Mercedes help to get you into position.**

Turn 5 and onward. Now it is a matter of loading the hostages, getting them out, then loading what remains of your attack force and have all of them out of their by the end of turn 12.** 

Try to be off the airfield by the end of turn 10 if possible. Its going to get ugly after that!**

I was able to save most of the hostages (9 casualties),1 landrover, the Mercedes, and a good part of my strike force. I'm sure you can do better than I did. Good luck!**

