“Dogome Believers” BETRAYED by Tarzanian offer of truce!

Dateline: North-western Mombuututu April 19^th 1980 – a VINE multimedia report.

Background:

Acting upon information received from a local source, a Dogome army platoon was sent to north west Mombuututu. The platoon chosen was the 3^rd from the 18^th Battalion of the 16^th Division – hereinafter cited as the 3^rd for this article. They were supported throughout by local militia.

The source claimed that helicopters (coming from a northerly direction, 2 nights previously) had brought in troops to attack a Dogome army supply dump. This was duly completed and, in the course of this action, several of the attackers were killed or captured. The defending Dogome troops, by this means, established that the attacking troops were from the Grongo.

The Grongo troops remaining, escaped towards Tarzania with 5 fuel trucks and 13 supply trucks in convoy.

As the Grongo troops moved through north-western Mombuututu, the 3^rd (and local militia) trailed them and attacked wherever possible.

With the Grongo troops' convoy moving towards Tanzania, diplomats from Dogome made efforts towards getting an armed truce between Tarzania and Dogome, in the immediate area. This was achieved.

The 3^rd, while taking some casualties, also destroyed a number of the Grongo's convoy, whittling it down to 1 fuel truck and 3 supply trucks!

The Game:

Dogome 3^rd Platoon has, in communication with a Dogome forward observation unit and a Tarzanian army company, established the position of the Grongo troops. Situated in an abandoned Mombuututu army outpost near the Tarzanian border.

and from the Russell Charles Photographic Archive - used courtesy of .......

Believing they had the full and unconditional co-operation of the Tarzanian troops, the 3^rd engaged the Grongo troops. First with a precautionary smoke mortar barrage, the 3^rd moved in to overwhelm the Grongo troops. 

 

At first, the attack went well with the 3^rd attacking from the south and the Tarzanians attacking from the north. It soon appeared that the Grongo troops had no stomach for the fight and were on the verge of being totally overpowered.

The 3^rd had moved into the outpost and were in possession of a significant proportion of it, to the point of reclaiming the supply trucks.

It was, at this point, that the true treachery of the Tarzanians was revealed. Their armoured vehicles began firing at 3^rd positions, with terrible results. The 3^rd troops frenziedly attempted to withdraw to safety, gone was any thought of recapturing vehicles; survival was now paramount.

The Tarzanians continued to move more troops, heavy weapons and armour in so they could, presumably, destroy the 3^rd and take the supply vehicles.

Regardless of the attempts by the Dogome command to communicate with the Tarzanians, no such connection was established and the 3^rd was doomed.

It seems the Tarzanians had only paid lip-service to co-operation with Dogome forces and their genuine motivation was always much darker and perfidious. That the Tarzanians have not withdrawn back behind their border has duly been noted. As has the fact that aerial reconnaissance by Vlesadwassa and ground reconnaissance by Dogome and local militias has shown more Tarzanian troops are moving into north-western Mombuututu.

It is apparent that this is not the last disturbance in this developing, potential “hot spot”.