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

[larryfulkerson]

Up north near Quang Tri the NVA bombarded one of my Marine regiments and got some few hits. The NVA stood off out of range of my arty and took no hits themselves. Three of my finest jeeps were hit. I had just had them overhauled and they had a new coat of paint on them and I was using them as runners, always on the go, never stopping very long in one spot, and three of them get hit in one attack. D'oh. The runners themselves were killed too of course, but still, that's a waste of several good jeeps.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the results of the rocket attack on Tuy Hoa. Several squadrons left smoking on the ramp. It's going to take more than a new coat of paint to fix most of them. I'm thinking most of them are totaled and good for "parts only" now.

[devoncop]

Turn 29

All the frantic activity last turn has led to a shift in VP's again which are now +2 to the VC and EVV stay at +16 so it seems Larry decided against calling up more troops.

Up in Quang Tri the fighting continues and this time its the 2nd battalion of 7th US Marine Regiment that is destroyed by concentrated shelling and the 1st ARVN Division's 1st regiment suffers 22% losses losing 8 of its 24 howitzers and 15 infantry squads before a failed proficiency check truncates the turn.

More NVA have now arrived and I get the welcome news that VC supply has improved thanks to my Ho Chi Minh Trail improvements.

Possibly because of the air loses the US have suffered the US is now showing a loss penalty of 2 and there is no interdiction this turn which is a welcome relief.

VC activity was recorded last turn in no less than 7 provinces...

[devoncop]

Turn 30

VP's tick up to +4 for the VC and EVV remain at 16

Considerable VC activity continues in the wilds of South Vietnam with activity recorded in 5 Provinces.

The Korean Marine Brigade which Larry has drafted in is greeted on disembarking south of Tuy Hoa airbase by a barrage of rocket fire and incurs 20% losses with about 26 Assault squads lost. A failed proficiency check leaves the VC rocket unit doomed but it is a good trade off.

Just north of Hue the NVA advance continues and units are now within 15 KM of the city centre. The 5th ARVN Regiment of the 1st Division defending the north western approaches suffers 40% losses from concentrated artillery and the Hue Artillery defences lose another 10% losses but wipe out another VC rocket battery in counter battery fire.

I am very tempted to throw a newly arrived strong NVA Mechanised Brigade into the fray from North Vietnam but decide to continue to build up its proficiency.

[larryfulkerson]

I was surprised to find out that I have yet to request the 3rd Marine division so I did that now and also chose to call in a mechanized unit. They will come in handy in I Corps.

[devoncop]

Turn 31

It appears Larry has followed through and requested more troops from Washington.

The 3rd US Marine Divn and 1st/5th Mechanised Brigade arrive in theatre pushing the EVV to 20 and VP's reach +5 in favour of the VC.

As the Monsoon ends for the first time in six months the VC are properly active in the Delta and a Regional Militia unit is reduced to 50% strength by a VC Mortar unit whilst further bombardment of the ARVN 1st Division sees its 1st Regiment reduced by 10%.

More NVA reinforcements start arriving at the front north of Hue but the expectation is of a renewed US offensive in the north with the extra Marines and bolstered artillery.

Just as the damage was beginning to build another proficiency test fail leaves VC artillery exposed and will allow some damaged ARVN to slip away...

[larryfulkerson]

Okie dokie...the NVA have taken Phong Dien and are advancing on Phu Bai and Hue and there's not a whole lot standing in their way. The monsoon has stopped and air support has been restored and I'm wondering what difference that will make to the battle.

The VC are taking over in the Delta and eacept for the two rocket attacks on Tuy Hoa there's been very little activity in the I Drang Valley. And the 1st Cav has been busy clearing out the mountains and the roads through them. I'm hoping supply will flow better now.

[devoncop]

Turn 32

VP's and EVV remain stable at +5 and 20 respectively.

US and ARVN Air Cavalry do a fine job wiping out several of my VC battalions with the monsoon now past and the VC take a more cautious approach this turn though an attack in the Delta on Quan Lon the Regional Centre of An Xuyen Province is repelled by ARVN Militia supported by US airpower.

In Quang Tri after heavy bombardment the ARVN 5th Regiment of the 2nd Division outside Hue is surrounded and completely destroyed with the loss of 70 infantry squads and in the suburbs of Hue itself, only 5Km from the centre the HQ of the ARVN together with an ARVN Armoured Cavalry force is repeatedly shelled losing 20% casualties including a couple of M41 tanks.

The VC Rocket battalion south of Tuy Hoa is able to resume its attacks on the Korean Marine Brigade over several rounds and inflicts over 35% casualties before withdrawing.

It is evident that the 3rd US Marine Division long with the 1/5th Mech Brigade are immediately being deployed just to the south east of Hue bolstering ARVN forces behind the major river. This will be a formidable hurdle even assuming that Hue can be taken (a big IF)

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what the situation looks like in I Corps. The NVA have advanced all the way to Hue's suburbs and there's a choice I need to make now. The arrival of the 3rd Marine division and the 1st of the 5th Mechanized formation in I Corps gives the possibility of a counterattack. I'm wondering if I should deploy the new units to Hue to give some push back or wait until they are topped off in supply and proficiency ( units typically lose a bit of proficiency due to their shipborne transit from the Phillippines to Da Nang. I'm thinking that maybe I ought to put up a token resistance at the very least.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what's happening in the Delta. The VC are running rampant and busting bridges at will and there's not enough engineers and ARVN Divisional HQ's to repair all the damage that's happening. I'm losing the battle in the south. I'm wondering if I need some more people in the Delta. Maybe I should move the Koreans to the Delta at least temporarily. The expected reinforcements say that I'm going to receive two arty units and one of the regiments to the ARVN 2nd Division, all arriving in Saigon, all in T33, next turn. It's not enough for the task in the south. I'm thinking I can afford some more people according to the EEV and it's appearently needed.

[larryfulkerson]

It looks like a significant number of VC units has marched in from Cambodia near Loc Ninh and I found out about it after the fact but there's a good firefight going right now and I expect the VC units to escape across the border any turn now. So I'll have to try to get all my attacks layed on now, this turn, because they probably won't be there next turn.

[devoncop]

Turn 33

The US/ARVN start bombarding ther NVA lines north of Hue and the attacks start on the small NVA incursion around Loc Ninh in the west. Seeing overwhelming force arriving in the shape of the Korean Marines and ARVN Rangers as well as local ARVN forces the NVA and VC operasting with them successfully withdraw back into Cambodia.

Around Hue however it is a different story as the NVA 308th,312th and 325th Divisions launch repeadted attacks against the defenders of Hue. The ARVN Armoured Cavalry with significant air support inflict heavy casualties on the attackers but in Hue centre itself thr ARVN 1st Corps HQ is overrun and destroyed and Hue falls in a major propaganda victory for the NVA though in truth they are likely to have to give it up again soon.

The VC further south restrict themselves to blowing infrastructure apart from in the Delta where a vacated provincial capital is again reoccupied. Most VC units are being preserved for the next major offensive now being planned

VP's are now +4 to the VC and EVV has ticked up to 21.

[devoncop]

Turn 34

The start of the turn brings good news as VP's have jumped to +15 with the capture of Hue with EVV remaining at 22.

There is concerted action by US Naval Forces now on NVA troops around Hue (which I have no ability to counter) and a supply unit is blown away whilst interdiction is very heavy causing other problems.

What is evident is the build up behind the US lines of a strong Marine Expeditionary Force and Mechanised Brigade column that I suspect is going to smash straight into NVA lines in an attempt to retake Hue City. All available artillery is ordered to target this column.
Whilst the first round causes 17% damage and the second 13% and 6 M48 Pattons are taken out along with a lot of heavy guns and rifle squads a failed proficiency check then ends the turn...Not good.

In the south the VC carry on their campaign of mischief but only insofar as is consistent with force preservation and units move up towards the Cambodian/Vietnamese border ready for the next VC offensive which will not be long coming....

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what's going on in I Corps right now. The NVA have captured Hue and now I have to take it back using the Marines and what's left of the Mechanized Regiment and the remnants of the 1st Regiment of the 1st Marine Division. I have the 26th and 27th Marine Regiments in reserve ready to go at 5 moment's notice.

There was another rocket attack at Da Nang and the perpetrator is still there. I'm going to have to kill him for sure. Some of the torn apart, worn down regiment elements can be broken into pieces and distributed around the airfields as a carpet so there will be less spawning of bad guys in range of the airfield. I've got several such regiments. About five regiments were destroyed so far, all Marines.

[larryfulkerson]

I flew some recon Marines to the Dong Ha area and they declare it occupied but there's a bridge just south of there that's screaming "break me". That would cut a lot of the supply flow to the NVA around Hue. I wonder if I can drop it by air strikes. I'll have to look into that.

[larryfulkerson]

I ran some brown-water boats into the mouth of the rivers just south of the DMZ and discovered that Quang Tri is occupied too. That's going to make breaking the bridge that much more expensive. Maybe a different bridge. There's one near the DMZ that's naked and there's not much nearby to counter attack. Maybe the CS will protect the Allied unit flown up there to break the bridge. It's so crazy it might work.

[larryfulkerson]

The possession map says that I've cleared the majority of the country so it should become easier to find the bad guys when they appear somewhere in the middle but when they sneak in from the trail I might not know right away. The biggest problem right now is the NVA in I Corps.

[larryfulkerson]

It appears that the NVA have withdrawn back north and that now's my chance to kill them before they can get away, maybe. I'll have to see what I can do with this situation.

[larryfulkerson]

There are two different occurences of VC units sneaking in from the trail. One group near Loc Ninh is of significant size and requires the presence of more Allied troops to confront them.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's my answer to Ian's moves. I've taken up positions adjacent to Ian's and I'm ready to open fire. I'm going to try to catch them before they get away to the north.