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

[larryfulkerson]

Ian did some bombarding during his turn and my troops suffered as a result and it's looking like I'm going to have to pull back further yet. He's got arty that out ranges mine and there's not much I can do for it. I'd have to call in the spare arty group from the Phillippines for longer ranged arty. I guess I'll have to do it.

[devoncop]

Turn 25

Phong Dien, the border town in Thua Thien province falls to the NVA and it's ARVN garrison destroyed as the NVA slowly advance towards Hue. The ARVN on its northern outskirts receive light shelling from advanced elements but little damage is caused.

VP's due to the effective suppression of the VC in the south have tipped to +1 for the US but several Cadres have been held in reserve awaiting more opportune deployment.

Aside from interdiction no significant US attacks are noted...

[larryfulkerson]

Ian is getting serious with his attacks in I Corps. Even the Migs have come out to play. I lost some Crusaiders to this furball and I didn't get all the Migs either. The Crusaiders were on a two-dots setting and I'm thinking of going to three dots so I'll get all the Migs next time. I think I can afford the planes.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's a close up of the hot spot in the north. The NVA have advanced again and now they are further into South Vietnam and there's terrain behind the NVA that I can fly the Marines to in order to trap them in SVN and kill them. But my Marines don't respawn and the ARVN do so I'm thinking of moving the 1st and 2nd ARVN divisions up to the front lines so they can take the heat for a while. I've been losing Marines to the NVA bombardment and the ARVN RUFPUFs have been overrun and brushed aside. One wonders how much further Ian is going to advance.

[devoncop]

Turn 26 (Jan 1967)

A counter attack by Larry using the Tanks of 1st Marine Div against 308th NVA Division in Thua Thien causes heavy loss though the US loses 10 aircraft and a similar number of tanks.

More VC start to show up at last elsewhere in the country to hopefully co-ordinate with the action in the north and more NVA start a renewed push in the west.

The NVA push closer to Hue and it is evident the 1st Marine Div with artillery support is stationed around Phu bai with the 1st ARVN Div holding Hue itself slightly ahead of them. The considerable artillery resources of 1st ARVN Corps HQ and the Divisional HQ of the 1st ARVN Division are targeted this turn in Hue itself and 53 heavy howitzers destroyed though at a heavy cost from counter battery fire.

Given 1st Marine Corps artillery assets Hue is likely to be too tough a nut to crack given current NVA assets but it serves a useful purpose in both causing US/ARVN attrition and tying down significant resources as the VC should be picking up the pace in the south of the country very soon.

[larryfulkerson]

The NVA have sorta hung around by making raids and retreating a bit. I'm wondering if I have the firepower and manpower to get in behind the NVA and destroy their arty first and then the regiments afterward. But it sounds risky and I need to do an opposing forces study before I leap off the cliff here.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the current condition of the 1st Marine Division, the 26th and 27th regiments and the 1st Cav Division. I've got about three good regiments and the rest of them are bloodied and one of them isn't combat ready any longer. I think it's safe to say that it's time to turn on the replacements for the Allied forces in-country. That's going to cost me some EEV but I think it's worth it and besides, I need it and now.

[larryfulkerson]

I discovered that there's more to the 1st Cav Division than I reported above. This is the 1st Cav and it's brigades. I'm thinking these aren't the kinds of units I need up against the NVA. I'm thinking these guys would be good for recon now.

[devoncop]

Turn 27

The ARVN 1st Division supported by huge airpower throw themselves at the NVA lines south of Quang Tri city as the VP total ticks up again to +3 to the US. The NVA Paratroop Brigade puts up a ferocious resistance despite losing 71 Infantry squads and brings down 24 planes and destroys 81 Infantry squads and their position just holds.

During the NVA turn the artillery bombardment by the HQ Artillery of the 308th,312th and 325th Divisions of the ARVN 1st Division and 1st Corps artillery continues and without taking any loss the NVA destroy 54 heavy howitzers and effectively decimate the ARVN HQ artillery capability. When they try this with 1st Marine Division artillery however this ends much less well and they take 28% losses and are forced to retreat to safety.

The VC are increasing again in the west of the country but I do need the boost from Cadres which are due any turn.

[larryfulkerson]

I thought I'd use the Marines to try to destroy some NVA units while I still have some Marine firepower left. I've surrounded the NVA equipment now I just need to take them down one at a time. I've got lots of firepower thank goodness and I'm thinking of bringing up the long range guns from the Phillippines as well as calling in the reinforcements for the Marines.

[devoncop]

Turn 27

All hell is let loose in Quang Tri Provice as a well co-ordinated US assault is launched against the NVA 312th and 308th Divisions. While the ARVN 1st Division attacks from the south the Marines of the US 1st marine Division are choppered in to their rear cutting supply and capturing Phong Dien. Air attacks are heavy throughout. There is resistance and casualties are heavy on both sides.

This is matched by a dramatic NVA response where reserve forces from North Vietnam including the 304th Division are flung into a counter attack. The Marines get roughly handled and the 1st battlion of the 26th Regiment is destroyed along with the 2nd battalion of the 5th Marine regiment and Phong Dien is recaptured after heavy fighting.

Aside from the clashes in Quang tri province the long awaited VC offensive further south is underway as Cadres emerge from the Ho Chi Minh trail ...rocket artillery hits a devastating blow against the major US airbase at Tuy Hoa and 19 A6's, 18 A4's and no less than 42 F4 Phantom II's are destroyed on the runways as a long awaited revenge for the VC losses to air interdiction over the last year and the bombing of Hanoi. Around 20 Hueys are also eliminated.

The VP's at the start of the turn were still +3 to the US though the EVV has ticked up to 16.

Just to add icing to the cake the Monsoon has begun.........

Plenty to chew on....

[larryfulkerson]

The 1st Marine Division is in tatters due to the counterattack by the NVA. They, the NVA, streamed across the river and killed several regiments and the rest are in reorg so they can't move this turn which means they will be at the mercy of the NVA again next time Ian has a turn so they are probably goners. It's so bad that I'm calling in the 3rd Marine Division and the 2nd Air Wing with all their F-100's.

Also, Tuy Hoa was the site of a rocket attack and several aircraft units were evaporated and some UH-1's are missing. I'd hate to have to base everybody in Thailand but that seems the thing to do just now. I need the coverage in I ( 'eye' ) Corps and Thailand isn't that far away from there. More units are needed for the coverage I need to secure the airbases as well as search for the bad guys. During the playback I've seen VC units appear near Da Nang but so far out of range that it would be useless to try to get close enough for a rocket attack and the VC unit usually disbands just after it appears. I need something like that for the rest of my airbases. Some vehicles maybe, armoured cars or tanks. Sounds like the Korean Division, they have vehicles. Maybe I should call them in. Maybe I should break down the units on the map into pieces to get more map coverage. And something to garrison the airfields and three hexes away from them or so.

Edit: I've been scanning the icons but I can't seem to remember which one brings in the Koreans. I'll have to read up in the Scenario briefing to find out.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the losses so far. I'm so used to seeing D21-type numbers these look like light losses but on the other hand there's not a whole lot of anything on hand besides the Rifle Squads. Those are for the ARVN divisions I think. That doesn't bode well.

[larryfulkerson]

I read through the scenario documentation again and learned that the Free World Allies appear in the game depending on the EEV value. These expected reinforcements show a ROK Marine unit will enter the game and that's good but I need vehicles, fast movers. Maybe the ROK unit will be airmobile.

[Hyding]

Larry please don't use the theater option for US replacements. That option is not worth anything near the cost of even a single EEV point. Bring in an independent brigade or a full division. It is much more effective to bring in full strength formations than it is to burn EEV for very tiny numbers of additional replacements.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: Hyding
Larry please don't use the theater option for US replacements. That option is not worth anything near the cost of even a single EEV point. Bring in an independent brigade or a full division. It is much more effective to bring in full strength formations than it is to burn EEV for very tiny numbers of additional replacements.

Sounds like a good idea to me. What kind of numbers are you talking about here? Less than a hundred?

[Raindem]

For the cost of +1 EEV, each U.S. replacement option dumps the following into the replacement pool:

50 Assault Squads
10 Heavy Rife
and an assortment of mortars, recon, RCLs, MPs, mechanics, and cooks.

Remember that U.S. units use Assault and Heavy Rifle as their core infantry, while the ARVN uses Rifle.

He's probably right about the value of replacements vs. withdrawing a worn down division and bringing in a new one. You get more bang-for-the-buck with a new division. But there is a little more to the equation than meets the eye. The cost difference between between the new division and your rebate for withdrawing the old one is usually greater than the +1 EEV you paid for the reinforcements. So you are ultimately paying a higher price. Then you have the loss of proficiency, the delay in shipping the incoming division to the mainland, waiting for them to top off supplies, etc.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: Raindem
For the cost of +1 EEV, each U.S. replacement option dumps the following into the replacement pool:

50 Assault Squads
10 Heavy Rife
and an assortment of mortars, recon, RCLs, MPs, mechanics, and cooks.

Remember that U.S. units use Assault and Heavy Rifle as their core infantry, while the ARVN uses Rifle.

He's probably right about the value of replacements vs. withdrawing a worn down division and bringing in a new one. You get more bang-for-the-buck with a new division. But there is a little more to the equation than meets the eye. The cost difference between between the new division and your rebate for withdrawing the old one is usually greater than the +1 EEV you paid for the reinforcements. So you are ultimately paying a higher price. Then you have the loss of proficiency, the delay in shipping the incoming division to the mainland, waiting for them to top off supplies, etc.

Thanks for that Curt dude. Good to know.

[larryfulkerson]

There were 16 NVA attacks during Ians turn and he's making progress in the north and Tuy Hoa saw another rocket attack last night and losses were high. I'll give you more details on it.

[larryfulkerson]

There was an attempt at an overrun last night at Sa Dec in the Delta. It cost the ARVN's a great deal and now the village is empty of friendly units and will soon be overrun if I don't send somebody down there pretty soon now. I don't remember pulling any troops out of there recently so I'm assuming they all evaporated even though the loss list doesn't show everything as being lost. Strange.