Vietnam Combat Operations: Volume 7 - Playtest AAR

[Boonierat]

ORIGINAL: Narses
I can't recall where else I read of this but I ran across another reference to a battalion+ of ARVN rangers stuck at Tan Son Nhut in this way. This and a very quick lights on rush by a quick reaction force of M113's and a few tanks that were butchered but cut off the initial assualt force from the bulk of the VC force were what saved Tan Son Nhut.

Yes, it was an Airborne Battalion transiting through Tan Son Nhut on its way to the Central Highlands. As for the armored reaction force, they were from 3/4 Cav, 25th Infantry Division. That action is described in detail in Nolan's The Battle for Saigon: Tet 1968.

ORIGINAL: Narses
The armored reaction force may or may not be able to reach the base so quickly (following elements were blocked by blown bridges, ambushes, and attacks on their own installations) but does your OOB for Tan Son Nhut inclued ant transient troops on post that were not a regular part of the garrison?

I have that Airborne Battalion on Tactical Reserve at the other Tan Son Nhut hex but it systematically rushes to the defense of the adjacent JGS compound, which is attacked first.

[L`zard]

Stephane;

Just really good ****, Man!

Your doing a really good run thru the 'Nam, eh?

When you finally finish the series, I hope you'll consider doing something on Dien Bien Phu at a 'low level', eh? Something like the old GDW paper game "CITADEL", (one day turns, battalion and smaller size units, and all the map that fits the situation)

By the time you finish this excellent series, ToaW IV should be available (one hopes) and a platoon/company level monster won't be such a 'you must be kidding' idea!

[&o][&o][&o]

[Boonierat]

To be honest mate I'm not sure DPB would make for such an interesting game, it was a very static battle with very few maneuver room. On the other hand an Indochina Combat Operations series would be great, but I don't have sufficent knowledge of that war to do it. On the other hand, I now intend to include the Third Indochina War to my series, covering the period 1973-75, which has never been done before in wargaming.

[Boonierat]

[font="Verdana"][center]GAME TURN 1 - ALLIED TURN[/center][/font]

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The human player has a lot to do on GT1, and I will need to organize numerous counterattacks, but I also know, due to the variable initiative (the allies enjoy a much higher mobility), that I will get two consecutive turns to move and attack so GT1 will be mostly positioning my units to begin the counteroffensive on GT2 (1-4 Feb.).

After a quick look at the recent reinforcements briefing (the only reinforcement on game turn 1 being an Ontos company), I check the chronology in the scenario manual to have a look at the operations starting this turn and the next. The most important one will be Operation TRAN HUNG DAO mounted by the Southvietnamese to clear Saigon and its suburbs that have been massivley infiltrated by the VC. To this end the RVNAF call on their best troops (Airborne, Marines and Rangers) from all over the country. Task Force A of the VNMC arrives from the Mekong Delta while Task Force B flies in from Binh Dinh Province (the capture of Tan Son Nhut forces me to divert some of the marines to the Bien Hoa Airport) while 6 Airborne and 5 Rangers battalions get into position. The reconquest of the capital will be mostly a Southvietnamese show, but two US battalions will participate: 3-7 Inf at the Airport and 1-506 Inf at the Embassy. I decide to concentrate on the southern portion of Saigon, especially the chinese quater of Cholon. Go Vap and Thu Duc will have to wait. Three attacks are planned, two to recapture Tan Son Nhut and one to clear the Newport area:

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[Boonierat]

There are two other hotspots in III Corps, Phu Cuong and the Bien Hoa-Long Binh complex, where I need to rush a lot of reinforcements. Phu Cuong is in the 1st Infantry Division's TAOR and Operation LAM SON 68 will begin in the area next turn. A lot of US maneuver units are deployed near the Cambodian border at scenario start, and I do not have enough helicopter assests to pull them all back on GT1. 5 battalions of the Big Red One and two squadrons from the 11th ACR are sent to recapture Phu Cuong next turn and secure the Phu Loi airfield, but the heaviest fighting will be at An My where two battalions of the 273d PLAF Regiment have been cornered.
At Bien Hoa, my main concern is to postion units for the counteroffensive on GT2. The 2-47 Inf (M) and 3-5 Cav from the 9th Inf Div are rushed to reinforce the airbase while the 3-187 is air-assaulted from Phuoc Vinh between the two VC Regiments. The only attack I'm planning in the area on GT1 is with two ARVN battalions from the 5th Division on Phu Hoa Dong:

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[Boonierat]

The DMZ front is relatively calm during Tet. I decide not to relieve Khe Sanh in this game and follow what happened historically, using my B-52 units to pound the NVA surrounding the base with a torrent of fire. Both Special Landing Forces will be engaged in combat this turn, SLF ALPHA will try to relieve the pressure on Cam Lo while SLF BRAVO will attack along the coast where some unknown unit is dug in. Meanwhile near Quang Tri, a Marine Force Recon company detected more NVA units west of the town, and the 1st Cavalry Division engaged in Operation JEB STUART air-assaults two battalions to flank the NVA who attacked Quang Tri:

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[Boonierat]

Farther south in Hue the situation is critical, and the NVA has occupied the town in force. I disengage two battalions from the 5th Marines (1/5, 2/5) from the Phu Loc area to send them there as well as 1/1. I will wait for GT2 to engage them in street fighting. On the northern side I decide not to wait and launch an immediate counterattack to retake the 1st ARVN Division HQ compound, using an Airborne Brigade and two battalions from the 54th ARVN Regiment. To the west, the 39th Ranger Battalion and 3/3 ARVN will try to enter the suburb of Huong Tra were an unknown unit occupies a blocking position:

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[Boonierat]

The situation is confused in Da Nang, some VC units have infiltrated the western suburbs and 2/7 Marines will try to clear them out while 2/3 from Marble Mountain will try to clear the eastern portion of the City. 4/51 ARVN tried to relieve 3/51 but the enemy have blocked the Hai Van Pass and seem determine to hold it. To the south, Dai Loc has been penetrated and 3/7 Marines from the An Hoa Combat Base will try to dislodge them. The toughest battle will surely occur in Hoi An where three South Korean Marine battalions will try to recapture the town:
 
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[cesteman]

Looks great. When can we expect to see the new volume? Cheers.

[Boonierat]

ORIGINAL: cesteman

Looks great. When can we expect to see the new volume? Cheers.

Not until the next patch is out, which should be soon enough I hope.

[cesteman]

Thanks.

[Boonierat]

Not much action in southern I Corps, I position some battalions from the AMERICAL Division for a counterattack on turn 2 to recapture Tam Ky and Quang Ngai:
 
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[Boonierat]

In the Central Highlands of II Corps, I pull back two battalions from the west of Dak To to reinforce Tan Canh while in Ban Me Thuot, there's not much I can do this turn, I simply airlift the 2/503 from the 173d Airborne Brigade from Duc Co to the Ban Me Thuot East airfield from where I'll organize a counterattack next turn. At Kontum and Pleiku on the other hand, I decide not to wait and go for an immediate recapture of both cities, using 1/503 and battalions from the 4th Infantry Division:
 
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[Boonierat]

On the coastal plain, two attacks are mounted to clear the Qui Nhon and Tuy Hoa area, using mostly Korean troops and the parachutists of 4-503, Ninh Hoa and Nha Trang are reinforced with more Korean battalions:
 
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[Boonierat]

In the northern Mekong Delta, my main concern is to clear My Tho and I will try to recapture the city this turn using 3-60 and 4-47 from the Mobile Riverine Force. The third battalion from the MRF, 3-47, has recaptured Mo Cay without a fight, pushing the VC away from the town. In Long An, the 3d Brigade, 9th Infantry Division will be busy clearing roadblocks on Route 4 with the help of the 25th ARVN Division. In Vinh Long, I don't have enough forces to launch and immediate counterattack, the only thing I can do is to reinforce the aifield with the 2/12 ARVN. Same thing in Ben Tre, where I air assault 1/10 to bolster the defense:
 
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[Boonierat]

In the rest of the Delta, I ran out of airmobile transports and the paucity of available combat units forces me to give up any idea of counterattack, and I can only bolster the defenses as best as I can. Only in Sa Dec Province can I hope to recapture Le Ha with two battalions from the 9th ARVN Division:
 
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