And we're back!
My wife gave me a very nice Father's Day present and agreed to take command of 3rd Platoon for Mission 5.
Before we begin I finished my M48A3 from Empress Miniatures. Lovely little tank and a joy to paint!
Previously, 3rd Platoon tried to secure Objective HAMMER but was unsuccessful after suffering heavy casualties. Seeing the opposition, 3rd Platoon has had an M48 (Deuces) attached for some additional firepower.
MISSION 53rd Platoon, B Company will again attack and secure Objective HAMMER.
3rd Platoon's attack starts with SFC Stevenson leading the Platoon HQ forward towards Objective Hammer
This movement draws an immediate response from the NVA, who open up from the old foxholes on Objective Hammer.
Caught in the open of the rice paddy, PFC Garcia is hit in the right upper leg and wounded.
In revenge, CPL Metzger, the attached FO, calls in some fixed-wing support and has a Skyhawk drop a load of napalm directly on the NVA fireteam.
Once the jet is gone, the sounds of an NVA mortar launching can be heard from the jungle.
The mortar round lands right on top of M60 Team A, but through a sheer stroke of luck neither American is hit.
Seeing the Platoon HQ leading the way, 1st Squad also advances into the rice paddy heading towards the objective.
3rd Squad also starts to advance, but SPC Miles fails to see a booby trap buried in the paddy dike and sets off a massive explosion.
SPC Miles and SSG Workman are both killed in the blast, while PFC Ward is suppressed.
As the M48A3 "Deuces" clanks down the dirt road towards the objective, CPL Metzger calls in a mortar barrage on the NVA Mortar team, knocking both the gun and crew out of action.
Even with the losses in 3rd Squad, 3rd Platoon is determined to take Objective Hammer and continues to advance.
However, "Deuces" advances too far beyond the accompanying infantry and is engaged by an NVA RPG team.
The RPG is on target and blows the left track off the tank. "Deuces" is going nowhere.
The RPG team doesn't get a chance to fire again, as SSG Wallace calls an artillery barrage on them and wipes the team out.
Sensing that the NVA are starting to crack, SFC Stevenson jumps to his feet and with a resounding cry ("Come on you apes, you want to live forever!?") advances towards the objective again. PFC Maxwell, motivated beyond belief jumps up to follow him and trips another booby trap.
When the dust clears, PFC Maxwell is suppressed, while SFC Stevenson is killed.
One final gunshot rings out as an NVA sniper takes aim at SSG Wallace, but the shot goes wide and the NVA platoon abandons the objective.
3rd Platoon has taken and secured Objective Hammer, but the victory came at a cost. Again, US supporting arms made all the difference. I don't think a single American infantryman fired his weapon. Overall, the wife did an adequate job commanding 3rd Platoon.
After reorganizing, 3rd Platoon is as follows:
2LT Shull has returned from his (self-inflicted) grenade wounds, while PFC Binning is back in 1st Squad.
SSG Wallace stays as the platoon sergeant, while SGT Skonieczny takes over as the 3rd squad leader.
3rd Platoon is now heading back to FSB Slayer where it will meet up with some replacements.
Thanks for reading!