Vietnam Combat Operation 1 - Aces8 vs AI

[comte]

2nd Brigade sets up basecamp at Long Binh

After landing at Bien Hoa the 2nd Brigade will move from Bien Hoa to establish a new basecamp at Long Binh.

[comte]

Operation 4/65

On July 17th the 1st Royal Australian Regiment are ordered on a one day search and destroy operation 6 kilometers northeast of Ho Nai. A fire support base is set up at Ho Nai. The 1st RAR is helilifted from Bien Hoa and combat assault east of Ho Nai but find no sign of the Viet Cong. This concludes Turn 19.

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Turn 20 - July 19th to July 25th 1965

A new ally will be joining Free World Forces in Vietnam this turn as well as the arrival of more Marine units in the Da Nang area. There is one mission this turn Operation Than Phong an ambitious mission that is aiming to clear Highway 19 into the Central Highlands of VC activity. The turn ends with another border outpost attacked by a large VC force. Here's the news summary for Turn 20.

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New Zealand joins Free World Forces Vietnam

New Zealand's first significant military contribution to the Vietnam conflict have arrived it is the sending of the 161st Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery to support the Australian forces with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. The 161st Battery arrived at Vung Tau and were flown up to Bien Hoa to join the 1st RAR.

[comte]

Marine Amphibious Tractor Battalion arrives at Da Nang

The 1st Marine Amphibious Tractor Battalion have arrived at Da Nang to support Marine forces there. The Battalion is mostly made up of LVTP-5's (Landing Vehicle, Tracked, Personnel) which can hold 30-34 combat-armed troops.

[comte]

Operation Than Phong

Between the 20th and the 27th of July ARVN forces will conduct an ambitious operation that will attempt to reopen Highway 19 between Qui Nhon and Pleiku in the central highlands. Elements of the 22nd ARVN Division, ARVN VNMC (Vietnamese Marine Corps) Task Force Alpha (TF A on the map this is the marine HQ), ARVN 2nd Airborne Task force, and ARVN 3rd Cavalry Squadron will be helilifted in or move overland to reopen the road and repair destroyed bridges. The Roads have been closed for months and most supplies are flown into Pleiku. With the reopening of Highway 19 essential civilian and military cargo will be able to flow into the highlands again. The Viet Cong have been interdicting the routes and blowing the bridges causing havoc and shortages of essential supplies for the people of Pleiku and the surrounding areas. B-52 and carrier based airstrikes will be called in on any Viet Cong found along the route. The VNMC 1st Battalion and the ARVN 7th Airborne Battalion have encountered a Viet Cong force blocking the Mang Yang Pass. Airstrikes have been called in.

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Battle of Mang Yang Pass

The Battle of Mang Yang Pass is successful as the Viet Cong force holding the pass is wiped out by the superior airpower brought to bear and the firepower of the elte troops of the ARVN 7th Airborne Battalion and the VNMC 1st Battalion. Highway 19 is cleared from Qui Nhon to Pleiku of Viet Cong forces for now. Operation Than Phong is a success.

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Bu Dop CIDG Camp overrun

An estimated Regimental sized Viet Cong force have attacked the Bu Dop CIDG camp north of Song Be near the Cambodian border. The ARVN 36th Ranger Battalion and CIDG detachment A-341 have been pushed out of the camp by a well planned VC attack.

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Battle for Bu Dop CIDG Camp

Bu Dop was quickly overrun by the Viet Cong in their well coordinated attack. The ARVN Rangers and CIDG detachment took 27% casualties in the attack. Airstrikes from Dixie Station/WESTPAC will be needed along with reinforcements to retake the beleaguered camp. Here are the results of the battle. This concludes turn 20.

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Turn 21 - July 26th to August 1st 1965

Turn 21 opens with Bu Dop CIDG Camp in enemy hands carrier airstrikes from Dixie station/WESTPAC hit the estimated regimental sized Viet Cong unit causing massive casualties. There are several missions this turn a Marine operation, and two operations by the 173rd Airborne Brigades troops. The US army is reinforced by the landing of the first elements of the 101st Airborne Division. This is the final turn of the first volume of Vietnam Combat Operations. Here's the news summary for the turn.

[comte]

Operation Lien Ket 4 - Search and Destroy

Between the 28th and 29th of July a joint Marine ARVN operation is planned south of Da Nang along the coast. The 2nd Battalion 4th Marines and the ARVN 3rd Battalion 51st Regiment are ordered to to conduct a search and destroy operation along the coast between Da Nang and Hoi An in Quang Nam province. A Fire support base is set up at Dien Ban by the tubes of the 1st Battalion 12 Marines artillery. The Marine 3rd Tank Battalion clears the roads from Da Nang to Dien Ban. There is negative contact with the VC during the Operation.

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Operations Op Ord 11-65 and 5-65 - Search and Destroy

Between 28th of July and the 3rd of August the 173rd Airborne Brigade will be launching two Operations. The first Operation OPORD 11-65, The 173rd Airborne Brigades 1/503 Battalion and 2/503 Battalion will launch a search and destroy operation to sever the supply route of the Vietcong between the Rung Sat Special Zone and Phuoc Tuy Province in the vicinity of Phu My. The armor of the 173rd Airborne Brigade will be clearing the road between Phu My and Long Thanh as well as repairing the roads and bridges with their engineers. The 1/503 and 2/503 combat assault near Phu My but have negative contact with enemy units. The Second operation is 5-65 which will be conducted by the 1st Royal Australian Regiment which is attached to the 173rd Airborne Brigade. They will conduct a patrolling operation 6 kilometers northeast of the Bien Hoa Airbase to provide warning for and defense of the airbase while the rest of the 173rd is down in Phuoc Tuy province conducting OPORD 11-65. The New Zealand 161 Battery artillery set up a fire support base to support 5-65 at Ho Nai. The Australians encounter no Vietcong on their patrols northeast of the airbase.

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1st Brigade of the 101st Airborne arrives at Cam Ranh Bay

On the 29th of July the 1st Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division lands at Cam Ranh Bay and will immediately move to Dong Ba Tinh to establish a basecamp there. The US army now has 3 Brigades in the Republic of Vietnam. This concludes turn 21.

[comte]

Conclusion

Well this concludes volume 1. It was alot of fun playing this scenario and I plan on starting Volume 2 soon. I acted out the historic operations and didn't go too crazy except for the battle in U-Minh where I wrecked the 21st ARVN Division. The AI did a great job destroying a ranger battalion at Bao Trai and taking Duc Co special forces camp. I think the really cool thing about this scenario is how the enemy will hit an area and then vanish into thin air making the war frustrating as it should be. I used several books for reference while doing this scenario and I highly recommend them.

Vietnam Order of Battle by Shelby L. Stanton

The Rise and Fall of an American Army by Shelby L. Stanton

Semper Fi Vietnam by Edward F. Murphy

The US Marine Corps in the Vietnam War: III Marine Amphibious Force 1965-75 by Ed Gilbert

And finally I would like to thank Boonierat (Stéphane Moutin Luyat) for making this amazing set of scenarios. I'll see you guys in Volume 2 [:)]

[Boonierat]

I've got an updated version of Vol 2 that's not available online yet (contains only minor corrections though), send me an email if you want it

[berto]

Background reading is an indispensable motivator. I went to our local library recently to scope out the Vietnam War books. None of them focused on military operations; they were mostly about the politics of the conflict, not surprisingly. [:(]

Do you have any familiarity with the imminent 3.4 patch? From your (limited) experience, can you say if the 3.4 patch will impact the current VCO series much? (I will probably maintain an older, pre-3.4 installation just to play the VCOs.)

Your AARs are great. Thanks so much!

[comte]

ORIGINAL: berto

Background reading is an indispensable motivator. I went to our local library recently to scope out the Vietnam War books. None of them focused on military operations; they were mostly about the politics of the conflict, not surprisingly. [:(]

Do you have any familiarity with the imminent 3.4 patch? From your (limited) experience, can you say if the 3.4 patch will impact the current VCO series much? (I will probably maintain an older, pre-3.4 installation just to play the VCOs.)

Your AARs are great. Thanks so much!

Well Berto I used this here as a reference point for books this thread here

http://www.armchairgeneral.com/forums/s ... hp?t=42241

I've been ordering them and reading them slowly from Amazon.

I've been using the earlier patch because 3.4 isn't official yet and I don't know how it will effect the scenario's. I think volume 2 will be the last one I try on the earlier patch then when I get to volume 3 I will try 3.4 because I believe it will be completed by then.

An glad your enjoying the AAR [:)]

[berto]

Ordering books from Amazon? If only I could afford it.

(Some people complain about the "high price" of these games that give us 100s of hours of enjoyment and years of replayability. Many of those same complainers pay even higher price for books that they read through just once, and--not seeing the double standard--don't give the matter a second thought. Present company excepted, of course.)

I have to rely just on what's available at the local library, unfortunately.

But there's always the Internet and Wikipedia! [:)]

Earlier today, I did a separate, fresh TOAW 3.2 installation just to play VCO (and whatever other pre-3.4 scenarios never get updated). Now I have to squeeze my limited HPS ACW and WITP:AE game play time to make room for TOAW/VCO.

I await your future AARs with much interest!

[sapper32]

Nice AAR have enjoyed following this and am looking forward to your next addition.

Many thanks

Ian

[comte]

ORIGINAL: sapper32

Nice AAR have enjoyed following this and am looking forward to your next addition.

Many thanks

Ian

Thanks [:)]