Welcome to the Jungle...

[nikharwood]

...we've got fun & games...

It's late '68. A convoy of Australians are moving forward to link up with a depleted battalion to their north, using a road known colloquially as Dum Phuc Alley (as an indication of how stupid it is to try & drive up it)...the locals are hostile regulars and benefit from some NVA support.

Set-up: This is a solo battle fought using Cold War Commander - it'll be fought in instalments! Forces are:

Australians:
CO + 2 HQs
3 Centurions
6 M113
4 Australian infantry
2 Australian SAS

They have no recourse to artillery or air support.

VC:
CO + 3 HQ
12 Infantry
2 Snipers
3 Mortar units
NVA support:
HQ + FAO
3 PT-76
2 x 155mm artillery
VC have ambush assets.

Deployment:
The Australians come on in column - at the start of the game only the first third of the column is on-table. Australians will get to go first.
Note: as this is a solo battle it makes no sense to not have the VC / NVA units on-table so I have deployed them: but for game purposes they are hidden. They have deployed in the jungle to the flanks of the road.

Terrain:
Jungle & paddy fields to both sides of the road; high ground is limited.

Scenario objectives:
Australians: to exit the north table edge with at least 75% strength within 6 turns
VC / NVA: major win: break the Australians; minor win: deny the Australian objective

[nikharwood]

Deployment:

Overview of table - with north to the top...


The head of the Aussie column:




VC lurking:




VC mortars to the north:


More VC - accompanied by the NVA FAO:




NVA HQ & PT-76s wait...

[Leon]

using a road known colloquially as Dum Phuc Alley

Haha, I like it!

Looking good.

[nikharwood]

I ought to include this here at this point, eh? 

[jchaos79]

... there are funny games

don't forget to bring your... your... pendraken serpentin

Good stuff you have in this thread

[nikharwood]

Thanks 

One of the wonderful spin-offs of playing any far east stuff is the ability to use the English language to dick-around....

Dum Phuc Alley is just the start - you wait until I start naming the VC commanders 

[with all necessary apologies etc to those of Vietnamese heritage of course!]

[Dave Fielder]

I once had a D&D Chinese Character named "Wung Hun Lo"

[Aart Brouwer]

Thanks 

One of the wonderful spin-offs of playing any far east stuff is the ability to use the English language to dick-around....

Dum Phuc Alley is just the start - you wait until I start naming the VC commanders 

[with all necessary apologies etc to those of Vietnamese heritage of course!]

You better stay away from that, Big Dong is watching you.

Cheers,
Aart

[nikharwood]

  Don't you start as well...

It really ought to be time to bung some dice at this one, eh? It's still all set up, waiting...everything's just a little bit manic at the moment.

Ah - work: the curse of the gaming classes...

[nikharwood]

'bout bloody time..! Finally got round to banging some dice at this & starting the game:

Turn 1:

The Aussies advance all vehicles onto the table, motoring up the road - and then stall...whereupon in the VC/NVA turn their scheduled artillery drops, with horribly little deviation, onto the kink in the road where the Diggers are stalled:





This causes hits & suppression on various Aussie vehicles, bringing the advance to a bit of a halt...meanwhile, the NVA commander brings the PT-76s forward, breaking cover & looking to exploit the situation:

[nikharwood]

In Turn 2:

The Aussie Centurion displays unerring accuracy & controlled fire discipline in taking out all three PTs!





The other unsuppressed Digger element re-manoeuvre to try & regain the initiative...but the NVA & VC have other ideas - with arty once more dropping onto the (same) pre-programmed target...suppressing & taking out the Diggers:



The VC also get brave & get themselves into the action by dropping out of cover - unfortunately for them, they stall - in open ground!





Troops are now dismounting from their vehicles as the intensity of incoming fire forces them out:

[nikharwood]

Turn 3:

One of the HQs is already suppressed & can't do anything this turn...the other HQ fails his command roll...leaving it to the CO to dismount the SAS from their M113s and bring the firefight to the VC charging from the jungle - and they're gone:



In response, the VC & NVA manage to take out a Centurion on initiative fire, with the mortars causing hits on another...

[Aart Brouwer]

Ah - work: the curse of the gaming classes...

I feel your pain! I guess we all do.

Nice table, Sir. Love those night fights..   

[nikharwood]

Glad you're enjoying it...I've just fought it to its bloody conclusion:

Turn 4:

The Aussie HQ moves the Centurion and infantry - but then dithers, leaving them exposed...The CO, seeing the indecision of his subordinates, decides to try to break through: he embarks the SAS back into their M113s and begins to move up the road...

In response the VC sense an opportunity - on the Aussie left the VC break cover & advance rapidly through the paddies to bring RPG fire to bear on the rear of the M113s on the road - they suppress the rearmost vehicle:



The mortars are ineffective this turn, as is the sniper, but the infantry under the COs direct command are spurred on to take the fight to the embattled and stranded Diggers - in a withering hail of AK fire they take out the two squads to their front:





The squads on the left move swiftly forwards, surprising the remaining squad which is hunkered down behind their burning M113 - and take it out with no resistance:





The squads on the VC right manoeuvre to gain flank shots on the Centurion - bringing RPGs to bear they quickly blow the tracks off:



Unsurprisingly, the Australian force breaks at this point & the CO hightails it north - with just a single Centurion and an M113 following him...the SAS in the suppressed M113 are captured.

[nikharwood]

Yikes - carnage! 

A nice battle - but overwhelmingly one-sided: some great dice rolling by the VC saw them able to seize the initiative and dictate the pace of the battle.

Losses:
Aussie:
2 x Centurions
5 x M113
4 x Infantry
1x SAS

VC / NVA:
3 x PT-76
3 x VC Infantry