28mm French Indo-China War - looking for ideas?

[Sparrow]

Yet again I’m starting a new period based on a lovely figure range! This time it’s the FNG/Empress Dien Bien Phu range. After some very basic research (so much more needed)  my current thinking is to use Chain of Command - has anyone else tried this already and, if so, did it work?

Thinking of vehicles I was thinking M2 Scout Cars or M3 half tracks plus Chaffee tanks but any other ideas? (I suppose LVT’s).

Any thoughts/ideas/inspiration warmly received!

PS If Paul Hick/FNG are reading this can I put in a plea to take this range into the 1960’s? Please!! 

[Poiter50]

Some of the Lardies were looking at using ChoC for Indo China, perhaps a post on their forum?

M8 HMCs were used by the French as were Weasels.

[Sparrow]

Cheers - appreciated

[carlos marighela]

All manner of kit as used through the French war, the bulk being US but also ex-British, like Coventries and the odd Universal carriers and even a few French items like the post-war version of the Panhard 178.

I think CoC would work quite well for the war, It's what I have in mind if I ever get around to finishing mine.

There is a problem with the range in so far as it is quite limited in scope and time period. It was designed around Dien Bien Phu and so, depending on how anally retentive you are, the figures don't make ideal matches for other time frames or theatres of the conflict. Not surprisingly it focusses on late war French and colonial paras. You aren't likely to have seen such units trolling around the south or being lifted by LVTs and Crabs (C model Weasels). The uniforms for the French paras rather limit them to late 1953/54 if you are a button counter. The Vietnamese ones appear to be wearing more of a mix of sausage skins and US camo so maybe a bit earlier. Having not seen the Vietnamese ones in the flesh I dunno if you can just head swap them to make earlier French paras.

Of course if you fancy fighting Dien Bien Phu or even dropping them over Suez in 1956 then the French paras are ideal. The only support weapons you might want are a 57mm RCL, the M-24 Chaffee and if you fancy a quad .50 cal on a Maxson mount and trailer. Both Company B and Warlord make Chaffees.

Hopefully FNG will make some infantry at some point in the future.

[88D]

Fingers crossed we will get some standard ANV/early ARVN figures seeing as they made up the bulk of the anti-communist forces and have no tabletop representation.

[Sparrow]

Thanks all - really appreciated.

(Re other figures in the range. I suppose it’s that chicken and egg thing every wargames manufacturer has to face. If enough people buy a range they can expand it. It’s where commercial realities meet the desire for a big range. I’ll do my bit and buy what they have out there and keep my fingers crossed! Here’s hoping!).

[commissarmoody]

Fingers crossed we will get some standard ANV/early ARVN figures seeing as they made up the bulk of the anti-communist forces and have no tabletop representation.

Agreed and maybe some local force Vietminh. I believe that Empress said that they will be releasing a few more figs for indo-china before the end of the year.

[Westbury]

We've been doing this about a year now using our own WWII rules amended (a work in progress) so not much help to you there. Wanted to do it for years and had converted some US marines from TAG as well as using their viet minh figures and converting some of the African militia figures (a bit of a ball ache though) but the Empress figures were a game changer and I don't think you should worry about them being Dien Binh Phu specific.
We've used some of the Warlord kits so far - the M8, the LVT & the Chafee and have got the US half track (which comes with French optional decals) to build. Even splashed out on a Bearcat kit - now that was a pain to build but does look nice flying over the game.
Would be nice if Empress did some of the more run of the mill troops but I guess its all down to volume of sales for what is quite a niche period.

[Sparrow]

Cheers Westbury - much appreciated. The Bearcat sounds brilliant.

Yep, would be nice if they did some more for the period (although I would like 1960’s figures to!) but there are a lot of other periods where I’m collecting Empress where I want more!  (more modern insurgents, more SCW including dismounted cavalry, engineers etc, more ECW, more Jazz Age) . I appreciate development costs are a big issue for any wargaming firm so I’m happy to be patient. Better a quality product than rushed! Besides the lead mountain is still rather imposing (depressing).

(It’s the range that has gotten me into the period (it was the same with SCW). I’m just a sucker for nice castings).

[has.been]

Westbury has been doing a lot of research, I know.
He has also put display games on for French Indo-China. I believe there are photos (maybe on LAF)

[Sparrow]

Cheers - will scout around!

[Sapper]

Hi

If you google "Wargaming Indochina War pics" you'll see some examples of the Indo-China game we put on last January at the Penarth Wargames Show - a Vietminh attack on Back Mai airfield outside of Hanoi.  Mainly Empress/FNG figures and 1:48 aircraft.  In January 2018, at the same show, we will be recreating part of the attack on Na San on a table 24ft x 6ft.

Sapper

[Ultravanillasmurf]

This might help on the Chaffee:
http://troopofshewe.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/tinkering-withwarlord-chaffee-for.html

[Sparrow]

Thanks!

[seamoose]

I've been using bolt action to play various scenarios

https://aotiop.blogspot.com/search/label/indochina?m=0