CSV try III Ian is NLF larry is Allies csv_lgf_v1.0.sce

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: devoncop
The only interdiction I suffered last turn Larry was in Hanoi.
I guess the planes were shot down by AA as they hit another AA unit.

My planes will last longer if I trim their ranges better. I'll get busy.

[devoncop]

Turn 8

More light bombardment from Cambodia of ARVN pickets but in truth there are slim pickings for the VC as numbers of reinforcements remain small at this point in the game though encouragingly no attacks are again made by the Americans and the VP score remains at 0.

Interdiction hits a couple of units hard so movement is kept to a minimum. Until more NVA and Cadres start appearing I am happy to preserve the status quo.

[Hyding]

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson

Here's the reason I like to have 4 or 5 planes in the squadrons. This unit got itself shot down somehow and now it's probably gone for the duration of the game, I'm guessing. I hope not.

Your air units will respawn. Did the unit send any planes to your replacement pool when it was eliminated?

[Raindem]

Hi Larry and Ian. I've been following the various iterations of this AAR and wanted to address Larry's concern about air casualties.

The United States lost 3,338 fixed wing aircraft during the war (2,430 to combat and 908 operational losses). Figuring the main operational years of 1965 through 1972, that's 278 losses per year. So your first year total of 77 losses (what I counted on your screen shot from that first AAR) is probably about right considering the number of sorties you've flown.

On the other hand, Hanoi is a problem I admit. It's very frustrating to see one's air units evap due to an interdiction strike on a useless target. I've tried different things to keep Elmer from obsessing over the area with interdiction strikes. I may wind up placing an exclusion zone there to be lifted when the Allies launch a strategic bombing campaign. But I'm thikning that I tried that once already and it caused other unforseen problems. I shall have to look into it again.

Anyway, sorry for the interruption. Enjoying the AAR.

Curt

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: Hyding

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson
Here's the reason I like to have 4 or 5 planes in the squadrons. This unit got itself shot down somehow and now it's probably gone for the duration of the game, I'm guessing. I hope not.

Your air units will respawn. Did the unit send any planes to your replacement pool when it was eliminated?

I'm not sure. I didn't catch the attack that evaporated it. I assume so. I disbanded a unit that had nothing but trucks in it and they showed up in the pools.

ORIGINAL: Raindem
Hi Larry and Ian. I've been following the various iterations of this AAR and wanted to address Larry's concern about air casualties.

The United States lost 3,338 fixed wing aircraft during the war (2,430 to combat and 908 operational losses). Figuring the main operational years of 1965 through 1972, that's 278 losses per year. So your first year total of 77 losses (what I counted on your screen shot from that first AAR) is probably about right considering the number of sorties you've flown.

On the other hand, Hanoi is a problem I admit. It's very frustrating to see one's air units evap due to an interdiction strike on a useless target. I've tried different things to keep Elmer from obsessing over the area with interdiction strikes. I may wind up placing an exclusion zone there to be lifted when the Allies launch a strategic bombing campaign. But I'm thikning that I tried that once already and it caused other unforseen problems. I shall have to look into it again.

Anyway, sorry for the interruption. Enjoying the AAR.

Curt

Hey Curt dude: Thanks for posting the info. That's a lot of aircraft losses and I hear you about your numbers and everything. It's just that I was in the Air Force and hate to see good planes bite the dust. And your posting isn't an interruption at all. Make yourself at home here. And about Hanoi....I'm going to trim the ranges of the planes so they won't reach that far.

[devoncop]

ORIGINAL: Raindem

Hi Larry and Ian. I've been following the various iterations of this AAR and wanted to address Larry's concern about air casualties.

The United States lost 3,338 fixed wing aircraft during the war (2,430 to combat and 908 operational losses). Figuring the main operational years of 1965 through 1972, that's 278 losses per year. So your first year total of 77 losses (what I counted on your screen shot from that first AAR) is probably about right considering the number of sorties you've flown.

On the other hand, Hanoi is a problem I admit. It's very frustrating to see one's air units evap due to an interdiction strike on a useless target. I've tried different things to keep Elmer from obsessing over the area with interdiction strikes. I may wind up placing an exclusion zone there to be lifted when the Allies launch a strategic bombing campaign. But I'm thikning that I tried that once already and it caused other unforseen problems. I shall have to look into it again.

Anyway, sorry for the interruption. Enjoying the AAR.

Curt

Hi Curt

Thanks for dropping in !

Its a great scenario. In the first AAR I did a calculation on the historic air losses and reckoned they were reflected pretty accurately too. Like Larry says he has great emotional attachment to the flyboys[:)]

I think what he found odd were the direct bombing attacks on isolated VC battalions with no AA capability aside from a couple of medium machine guns which would result in several jets being lost but as I say as an abstraction the losses were about right in numbers.

Maybe we would be better thinking of such losses during missions as not only including direct AA but also attrition damage , being hit by isolated AA on the way to or from the mission, or engine problems.

Anyway I am having a blast so thank you.

[devoncop]

Turn 9

A slightly increased number of VC reinforcements allows more activity and less disbandment this turn which will hopefully add a VP or 2 next turn. The lack of such last turn allows the US/ARVN to tick back to +1 and the EVV to stay at 10 which is too low after 10 turns so I need to start taking more risks to try and get Larry to ship more Americans in. Once again there are no US/ARVN ground attacks.

I am able to move my units around with no interdiction this turn until I hit "end turn" and a single interdiction strike takes out my VC Supply Unit on the Trail......[:@]....."The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" strike again !

Looking at my reinforcement schedule I will soon be getting a block of troops necessary to make my first decent offensive a practicality so I need to decide whether to wait for the next monsoon or go in clearer weather with better supply.....

[devoncop]

Turn 10

I get hit hard by the US this turn losing 3 VC units but fortunately VP's remain stable at -1 as there is marginally more successful VC pacification activity.

Once again interdiction hits Hanoi ...(insubordinate aircrew?)

There is skirmishing in Thua Thien with some Marine Artillery being shelled to good effect losing most of its 105mm guns.

NVA activity is subdued due to supply issues but this is gradually improving as progress on the trail is stepping up.

[larryfulkerson]

I haven't even started the playback yet and there's already a VC unit on the map. This doesn't bode well. Ian has been saving up his VC units until recently and I'm due for one of his big pushes. I'm guessing he'll wait until the next monsoon season but he's capable of it right now if desired.

[larryfulkerson]

This image shows two VC units on the map. It appears that I'm going to be busy this turn.

[larryfulkerson]

Turn 10 September 1965:
Tay Ninh is showing some VC activity this turn. I'll have to clear out that whole forested area before too long because that's a popular invasion route for the VC. As soon as the NVA makes it down this far south I can expect some visits from them as well.

[larryfulkerson]

There's at least two VC units active in the Delta near the Cambodian border. I think I have enough active ARVN units to squash them like bugs so it might not be a problem. I still don't really know how many of the ARVN Divisions are active this turn but at least half of them probably are. Usually at least one is active in the south. So far this game has been me squashing bugs. I can't wait until the full-fledged battles start up in the late game period.

[devoncop]

Turn 11

Much more activity this turn...

VC activity in 5 provinces swings the VP total dramatically back towards the VC with the total now +2.

There is a co-ordinated US attack on NVA probing attacks into Thua Thien and both sides lose about 65 Infantry squads of NVA and US marines respectively though a dozen planes are also shot down by the NVA. The fighting continues as NVA artillery in Laos then wipe out the 3rd battalion of the 5th US Marine Regiment with concentrated fire west of Bien Dien covering the withdrawal of the NVA infantry.

Further south the NVA attack in force and overrun An Loc, a small border town 10 Km from the Cambodian border forcing out the ARVN garrison. Another VP is gained here.

US Interdiction attacks on Hanoi knock out another AA unit (dangerous job being an AA gunner in Hanoi[:(])

The VC try to go to ground....

[devoncop]

Turn 12

ARVN Rangers attack in force and despite taking heavy losses recapture An Loc.

Another US Marine Battalion, this time the 3rd is bombarded from Laos and loses 25% of its strength before a failed proficiency check hampers further damage.

In and around Saigon 3 bridges are blown by the VC but VC presence is deliberately kept minimal this turn as forces are preserved for the first offensive of the war.

The 1st NVA Division starts arriving from the north.....

VP points at the beginning of this turn tick up again to +4 and so far I am happy with progress.

[devoncop]

Turn 13

The first fly in the ointment.

It seems my Ho Chi Minh Trail Cadres I have been waiting for have disappeared and it may be I missed Larry bombing them to oblivion but the AA that should have protected them a bit (even with the reduced lethality) is still there. Very odd.

The VC units arriving are all very fatigued so I can do little with them so for now I have to go into force preservation mode. Frustrating.

At least some decent NVA troops continue to trickle in.


All I can do offensively is continue to shell the unfortunate 3rd Marines who are now down to about 30% strength and blow a few bridges.

Understandably VP's have reduced back to +2.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's how the game is going so far. I've got enough pad to bring in the 1st Cav if they are needed and I'm beginning to think they are going to be needed soon. Ian has been evaporating units like crazy and I think he's planning for something for the next monsoon season and I know we just emerged from a monsoon season but there will be another one along pretty soon.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: devoncop

Turn 13

The first fly in the ointment.

It seems my Ho Chi Minh Trail Cadres I have been waiting for have disappeared and it may be I missed Larry bombing them to oblivion but the AA that should have protected them a bit (even with the reduced lethality) is still there. Very odd.

The VC units arriving are all very fatigued so I can do little with them so for now I have to go into force preservation mode. Frustrating.

At least some decent NVA troops continue to trickle in.


All I can do offensively is continue to shell the unfortunate 3rd Marines who are now down to about 30% strength and blow a few bridges.

Understandably VP's have reduced back to +2.

I saw your dude on the trail and breifly toyed with bombing it but decided against it at the last minute. I have no idea what happened to your cadres dude. You probably have no memory of disbanding it. Maybe one of my INT strikes destroyed it but I can't imagine why it left the AA unit there without a scratch. Weird.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what the country looks like now. You can pick out the broken bridges.

[devoncop]

Turn 14

After a couple of turns with barely any VC on the map the reinforcement schedule is now more promising and a few units are left in place in the hope they can evade being wiped out as the lack of units has allowed the US/ARVN to claw back VP's and it is now at -1 for the VC.

Some more profitable shelling is started from Laos of the Marines holding the picket line in the mountains on the South Vietnamese side of the border but a failed proficiency check ends the turn early.

[larryfulkerson]

Ian launched an effective rocket attack on the airfield at Da Nang and extinguished two squadrons of aircraft parked there. I may have to park an LCU close to the coast in order to prevent the same thing next turn. It could have been worse though because I moved a lot of the Marine VMFA's down to Tuy Hoa and trimmed the ranges to exclude Hanoi. If memory serves, this is the second such attack at Da Nang and needs a full investigation which Mexico will pay for.