Author Topic: CapnJim's Vietnam Stuff...Nam 68 Game 9 AAR Postlude - Page 32 - 23 Sep 25) (Read 124786 times)

Deedles · « **Reply #60 on:** 10 January 2022, 01:35:46 PM »

Fine additions

CapnJim · « **Reply #61 on:** 11 January 2022, 11:04:10 PM »

Thanks for the comments!

I've decided the guy in the white t-shirt is an FNG.

Hasn't been in country long enough to get OD t-shirts. Still wearing his initial issue from Basic at Ft. Benning...I'll sprinkle a few more in the other 2 squads...

CapnJim · « **Reply #62 on:** 12 February 2022, 12:21:35 AM »

Okay then. Here's the PAVN 2nd Squad. All 28mm Empress chaps.

Next up is the US 2nd squad. I'm hoping to do them up this coming week...

Sparrow · « **Reply #63 on:** 12 February 2022, 04:33:54 AM »

Lovely stuff!

fusilierdan · « **Reply #64 on:** 12 February 2022, 12:51:16 PM »

Very nice miniatures!

CapnJim · « **Reply #65 on:** 13 February 2022, 01:08:15 AM »

Thanks, fellas!

(Edit: Looks like the GIs and the PAVN I have done up so far are gonna see the elephant for the first time this coming Wednesday...)

carlos marighela · « **Reply #66 on:** 13 February 2022, 07:21:46 AM »

Really love those PAVN.

Ultravanillasmurf · « **Reply #67 on:** 13 February 2022, 01:33:48 PM »

More great painting.

CapnJim · « **Reply #68 on:** 13 February 2022, 05:25:43 PM »

Thanks, boys! I'll post an AAR from our dust up this Wednesday. We're gonna adapt the Dak Po scenario from Force on Force's original Vietnam supplement, Ambush Valley.

Paul @ Empress Miniatures · « **Reply #69 on:** 14 February 2022, 08:42:26 AM »

Great job

CapnJim · « **Reply #70 on:** 15 February 2022, 12:52:29 AM »

Thanks, Paul!

Ash · « **Reply #71 on:** 15 February 2022, 11:14:52 AM »

Great models, love the variety of poses.

CapnJim · « **Reply #72 on:** 15 February 2022, 05:26:15 PM »

Thanks Ash. And the figs are great. A real joy to paint!

CapnJim · « **Reply #73 on:** 17 February 2022, 08:41:50 PM »

LT Parmenter got to the Rally Point a bit north of Dak Po, dropped to a knee, and took a deep breath. He only had his RTO with him, along with Doc, and Smitty from 1st squad. They set up 360 security as best they could, hoping those sonsabitches didn't follow them. Just then, they heard someone approaching in the jungle from the SE. "Seahorse!" he challenged. "Buzzsaw" came the countersign, and SFC Schultz came into view a few yards away, carrying a wounded trooper. Following him was the mortar FO, and the 2nd M60 gunner, humping his pig and carrying another wounded GI.

"That's all you have left, Sarge?" Parmenter asked. Schultz replied "Yes sir - but it looks like you ain't in much better shape...". Doc began looking after the two wounded guys - the 2 ammo humpers for the M60 team as it turns out. "Roger that" said Parmenter, and he turned to his RTO. "Barnes, get Company on the horn. I need to get a SITREP to The Old Man. God, I hope he can have 2nd or 3rd platoon come down here fast and get my guys back." He half-heard Barnes on the radio "Dog 6, this is Red 6, SITREP over".

"Shit. This patrol started out well enough..."

The Set-Up

Ted (one of our gaming group) and I played a Vietnam War game yesterday (Wednesday). It was based on the Dak Po scenario in the original Force on Force's Ambush Valley Vietnam supplement. The terrain consisted of a 4-hooch hamlet (Dak Po) in a clearing surrounded by jungle, with trails leading more or less to the 4 board corners (see the 1st pic below). We used PAVN troops, with the Platoon HQ team and 1st squad (split into 3 teams) split between the 4 buildings. A 2nd squad (also split into 3 teams) was leading 2 supply mules up the trail from the SE, and had to get them off the trail to the NW. PAVN troops were Rangers, and the Platoon Leader was Encouraging. The mules each had to be led by a PAVN fellow, who could not fire if the mules moved that turn. The PAVN had the potential to get reinforcements as/if their wounded were removed from the board (recycling the figures).

A US Platoon was approaching from the north, and had to sweep the hamlet and search the hooches. They also had to interdict the PAVN supply run. LT Parmenter moved in from the NW, with his RTO, medic, and a Kit Carson scout. Accompanying him was an understrength 1st squad, and an M60 team. SFC Schultz approached from the NE, with the mortar FO, and understrength 2nd squad, and another M60 team. The US troops had Body Armor, the LT and SFC both were Encouraging, and the Kit Carson scout could spot booby traps better than the GIs. The FO and the LT (using his RTO) could both call for mortar fire missions of 3 tubes (one mission attempt per turn total between the 2). Of course, the medic was a Medic.

We used Fistful of Lead: Bigger Battles, tweaked just a bit. The PAVN team with the supply mules could only move 5" per turn in the jungle. We upped the grenade launcher hit dice to 3, and used tunnel spots a la Ambush Valley. We also put both jokers in the deck, and whoever played the joker (as a wild card) also picked an Ambush Valley Fog of War card (translated into FFoL terms, of course), and applied it accordingly.

It actually felt about right, and we though FFoL:BB worked pretty good for Vietnam. Once I read and digest BOHICA, I think we'll play the same scenario using those rules, and see how it plays out. Now, on with the show...

Part 1: The Patrol started out well enough...

As mentioned above, LT Parmenter, SGT Quinncannon's 1st Squad, and CPL Agarn's M60 team patrolled down the trail from the NW, while SFC Schultz, the FO, SGT O'Rourke's 2nd squad, and CPL Brittle's M60 team moved down the NE trail. Meanwhile, the PAVN in Dak Po held tight, while the PAVN squad leading the mules moved up the trail from the SE.

Things were pretty quiet for the first few turns as the Americans carefully moved down their respective trails toward the hamlet, and the PAVN supply column moved up to the hamlet on the SE trail with their RPG and RPD teams covering the team with the mules.

Things heated up when the PAVN rifle team and squad leader opened up from the eastern hooch on the US 2nd Squad as they took up positions at the edge of the jungle at the NE corner of the hamlet. CPL Brittles moved his M60 team up to support SGT O'Rourke's squad, while SFC Schultz worked to keep the men steady and in the fight. 2nd Squad's M70 grenadier finally got an HE round into the window of the hooch, and that took care of that PAVN team. In the meantime, LT Parmenter and his column continued to cautiously move down the trail toward the NW corner of Dak Po. And the PAVN squad escorting the supply mules moved west along the southern edge of Dak Po, away from the fighting northeast of them.

Then, LT Parmenter's column had finally reached the tree-line at the NW corner of Dak Po, engaging both the PAVN 2st squad's and 1st squad's RPG teams. Back on the east flank, The SGT O'Rourke's squad got ready to assault past the eastern hooch up to a bush-line, to engage the PAVN 1st squad RPD team (who had gotten into a MG duel with CPL Brittle's M60 team on the NW trail) in front of the north hooch. SFC Schultz kept at his leadership role, keeping them men steady, and "encouraging" lightly wounded man back into the fight.

The PAVN squad leading the mules held up at the south edge of the hamlet, as now there were US troops blocking their path to the NW. At this point, things looked good for the Americans. They had gotten a foothold in the eastern side of the hamlet (causing some PAVN casualties), and were squarely in the way of the supply column. LT Parmenter thought they might actually pull this mission off...

To be continued with Part 2...

CapnJim · « **Reply #74 on:** 18 February 2022, 07:21:22 PM »

And now (as American commentator Paul Harvey used to say), the rest of the story...

Part 2: ...but it sure as hell didn't end well enough...

We left our brave combatants with SFC Schultz and SGT O'Rourke's squad having a toe hold at the NE corner of the hamlet, while LT Parmenter and ST Quinncannon's squad was knocking on the door at the NW corner.

The PAVN 2nd squad was leading the supply mules on an end-around at the south side of the hamlet, while the PAVN 1st squad was engaged on 2 fronts (and had lost a team in the east hooch due to a well-placed M79 round).

The PAVN 1st squad's RPD team had stepped out of the north hooch to fire down the trail at CPL Brittles' M60 team. Then, SFC Schultz sent SGT O'Rourke and his squad past the east hooch to a bush-line, promptly lighting up that RPD squad, putting 2 members of it down and forcing the RPD gunner back into the hooch.

Over at the NW corner, LT Parmenter, SGT Quinncannon's squad, and CPL Agarn's M60 team were giving better than they got in a duel with both PAVN RPG teams. A stray M60 tracer round then set the north hooch on fire, causing that RPD gunner to leave it (again). And the PAVN team with the supply mules was still lurking about at the SW corner of Dak Po, waiting for their chance to make a run (well, walk actually) for the NW trail. Things were looking up for the Americans.

"Were" being the operative word. Just at that point, a PAVN team that apparently had been in the tunnel complex came out on LT Parmenter's and SGT Quinncannon's right flank, and started causing them some grief.

Over on the east side, SGT O'Rourke led his squad through that bush-line toward the north hooch, while SFC Schultz and the mortar FO cleared the east hooch. Unfortunately, SGT O'Rourke's squad got caught out in the open before they could get all the way to that north hooch. Not a good thing for them, and they all went down.

Back at the NW corner, that PAVN team from the tunnels kept the pressure up on LT Parmenter and SGT Quinncannon's squad. While they were doing that, the PAVN HQ team had ducked down into the tunnels, and emerged over on LT Parmenter's and SGT Quinncannon's flank as well. CPL Agarn's M60 team spotted them and fired but failed to hit anyone. Then, the bugle blew, and the PAVN MQ team charged into close combat with SGT Quinncannon's squad, knocking 3 of them down while only losing one man. CPL Agarn's team rushed to their rescue, but they were cut down to a man. The PAVN HQ team had overrun SGT Quinncannon's position, and LT Parmenter (who called in 2 danger-close mortar missions that did hit a couple PAVN chaps, and almost hit his own men) and his team retreated away (with the medic even resorting to firing his pistol at the PAVN troops!).

The gig was up. LT Parmenter ordered a retreat to the Rally Point (RP) north of the Hamlet. He was not in a position to take any of his wounded with him, but SFC Schultz and CPL Brittle's M60 gunner were able to grab the wounded CPL Brittles and M60 loader to beat feet for the RP. The PAVN did not follow. While they held Dak Po and got the supplied through, they were in no position to chase anyone.

The Butcher's Bill

LT Parmenter had gone in with 21 members of his platoon and a Kit Carson Scout. Of that only 9 men made it to the RP - LT Parmenter, his RTO, the medic, a member of 1st squad, SFC Schultz, the mortar FO, and the 3 men from CPL Brittle's M60 team (2 of whom were wounded). He left 12 of his platoon and the Kit Carson scout to the tender mercies of the PAVN in and around Dak Po...

But the PAVN paid for it. Of the 24 original PAVN on the field and 6 reinforcements, only 12 were left standing (well, and 2 mules).

It was anybody's game, though. The first 2/3 of the fight had the Americans with the upper hand, but it was randomly timely reinforcements (and the tunnels) that ultimately swung the fight in the PAVN's favor. US mortar fire almost allowed LT Parmenter to pull a rabbit out of his hat, but it was not to be...

Like I said, we thought FFoL:BB (coupled with the Ambush Valley tunnel spots system and jokers/AV Fog of War cards) did a good job of giving the game a Vietnam War feel. As I mentioned, we'll give the scenario a try using BOHICA once I've finished reading it...of course, I will report here once we do that!