OPERATION THUNDERBOLT*
THE DRY RUN**

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: This is a dry run or rehearsal for the raid on Entebbe to  resuce the more than 100 hostages being held by Palestinian terrorists who are supported by Ugandan troops.**

This is not the real thing. It is a practice. The real battle is the very next scenario. If you wish to move to that one now with no practice, go right ahead. Just remember this was a well planned, if hurried exercise and for that reason it went very well.**

THere will be some "winning" hints in the next scenario at the end of the text file. You can read them or just "wing it" and see how you do.**

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.**

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.**

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.**
