Two Brothers in Vietnam

[bigjackmac]

Thanks Phil.

I want to help, but I'm not following you.  "What's the little maroon, yellow, and white shrine"?  It's a Buddhist shrine, made of resin, from Flashpoint Minis.  Is that what you're asking for?

V/R,
Jack

[Techno II]

That'll be it, Jack.

Thanks - Phil.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Another really good one Jack

[bigjackmac]

Gotcha Phil, and thanks Ian.

V/R,
Jack

[bigjackmac]

 All,

1045 Local Time
19 June 1966
5 Miles North of Phu Bai Combat Base, Thua Thien Province, RVN
Operation Dodge

Nikki and Danny were having a rough time, their first time back out in the field after being hit during Operation Utah, their bodies weak after their extended recuperation period.  But here they were again, humping the bush for the past two days after having trucked up north of Phu Bai from Da Nang.  Attached to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment (2/4), the whole battalion had been scouring the area of operations without even a hint of the enemy, but that was all about to change.  2/4 was approaching a cluster of hamlets along the coast (dammit, I was supposed to use my beach mat, with dunes, but I was in a hurry and forgot!) and began fanning out to try and get in as quickly as possible, hoping to catch the Viet Cong before they'd made their escape.  But the VC were crafty, had long played this game along the "Street Without Joy," and were already evacuating, leaving behind only a handful of fighters to harass the advancing Marines.  And, or course, the squad was about to run into one such group of stay behinds.

Sergeant Little called a halt and motioned for his fireteam leaders to join him, briefing them on the situation.  "So the El-tee wants us to split off to the northeast, so we are on the far left, there are no friendlies to our left.  As usual, battalion wants us to rush in to catch Charlie before he dee-dees* outta the area, but we all know how that goes, so let's stay frosty and take our time on this."  "Roger," replied Corporal Nelson.  Sgt Little gave Cpl Nelson a furtive glance and murmured "I'm sorry brother, if there was anything I could do, I would..."  "I know, Rob, and it's okay.  Don't you jokers sweat me, I'm two days and a wake-up, I'll be back in the World in no time," replied Cpl Nelson.  "No, it ain't alright," Nik erupted, "I can't believe battalion's got Rock out here humpin' with only days left in country!  This is bull@#$%!!!"  "Alright, alright, calm down, and get your @#$% together, we got a job to do, now move out!"

*"Dee-dees" is a bastardization of "di-di mau," which is Vietnamese for 'leave,' or something to that effect.


Overview, north is up.  The area is nice and flat, the river running from northwest (top left) to southeast (bottom right), with small villages dotting the area (top left, bottom left, top right, and far right), a hardball road running north-south west of the river (left), rice paddies dominating the north and northeast, and heavy foliage scattered throughout.


The initial set up: Sgt Little and Nik's 3rd Fireteam search a ville (bottom center) as Cpl Nelson's 1st Fireteam (bottom right) and Danny's 2nd Fireteam (left center) pull security.


The Marines warily cross the river.


Where they set about searching the next hamlet.


Nik (far right) takes a puff on his cigarette and tosses another stone at Danny (left) as 1st Fireteam completes its search an steps off (top left) for the next village.


But the enemy is out there and about to act...


And the VC (bottom center right) trigger the ambush, cutting loose with a long burst from the RPD at Cpl Nelson's 1st Fireteam (top left, with Danny's 2nd Fireteam at top right)!


Once again things get bleak for the beleaguered Marines.

To see how the fight turned out, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2021/03/two-brothers-fight-18.html

Next fight coming soon.

V/R,
Jack

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Great report Jack, can't wait for the next one

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Keep em coming !

[bigjackmac]

Thanks fellas!

V/R,
Jack

[Techno II]

Another real goody, Jack !

Cheers - Phil 

[bigjackmac]

Thanks Phil.

V/R,
Jack

[bigjackmac]

All,

1230 Local Time
15 July 1966
Ngan Valley, Quang Tri Province, RVN
Operation Hastings

This morning Marine A-4 Skyhawks and F-4 Phantoms pounded LZ Crowe, followed by an artillery barrage, before the CH-46s carrying 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment (3/4) descended into the valley and began disgorging their heavily-laden Marines.  The LZ was too small and quickly three Marine helos were down, badly damaged; two collided, and the third hit a tree while trying to avoid the other two.  Even worse, the incidents left two Marines dead and seven more injured, all before the enemy had even fired a shot.

Nevertheless, 3/4 formed up and began setting about its tasks: India Company was charged with holding the LZ's perimeter, while Lima Company marched off to occupy a nearby hill, Hill 200, which it took after some light skirmishing.  Meanwhile, the boys set off with Kilo Company, which was charged with moving south to cross the Ngan River and establish blocking positions for 2/4, which was being lifted into LZ Dove a few klicks to the east and was scheduled to sweep west, into K/3/4 and Hill 200.  As Kilo Company moved south there was a brief firefight as they encountered some lightly-armed North Vietnamese Army (NVA) regulars performing a rearguard action; when the dust cleared the Marines were hardly prepared for what they found: a building containing a 200-bed hospital, and an ammunition dump containing 1200 rounds of small arms ammunition.  "Hold up," Nik begged.  "How the hell did they get all this stuff down from North Vietnam, and how's it just sitting here, unmolested, like they're not in somebody else's country?  And how many of them must be out there right now if they're comfortable enough to build permanent-ass buildings up here?"

The Marines destroyed all they found and then continued their trek south towards the river.  Kilo Company halted and sent out scouts locate a river crossing, and that's where the squad ran into trouble.


Overview, north is to bottom left.  This is my first attempted rendition of the geography up near the DMZ; lots of hills, cuts, saddles, ravines, heavy forest in the draws, small, shallow rivers, with clumps of bush clinging to the hillsides/hilltops.  It's hard to see here, but there are significant elevations in all four corners of the table, with forested draws at left, top center, right, and bottom center.

The hills are: Hill 110 at top left, Hill 155 at top right, Hill 142 at bottom right, and Hill 160 at bottom left.  The Marines are clustered on the hill in the north (Hill 160, bottom left), while the NVA are clustered on the hill to the south (Hill 155, top right), across the river, though they have pushed a squad north across the river (in the trees at far right bottom, near Hill 142).


A look south from the Marine Command Element's position on Hill 160.  You can see the MG Team at far let, the fireteams in column moving down the hill and up to the river at right, and even some NVA on the far hill, Hill 155.


As the sound of small arms fire reverberates throughout the valley!  The NVA squad near the river crossing (bottom right) opens fire at point-blank range on Nik's 3rd Fireteam (top left)!


And then a rocket comes screaming in from the west!


Sergeant Little (bottom left) tries to assert control: he gets Jackson on the radio to call for support and directs Doc Eakle to move downhill to help 3rd Fireteam's casualties as he fires on Hill 155 with his M-14 and McCaffrey fires his M-79...


The NVA at the base of Hill 155 (left) rally as their MG Team (bottom left) continues dueling with the US MG Team (top right)...


A fierce fight breaks out at point-blank range ont he Marine right, atop Hill 142, trying to drive back the encroaching NVA squad in order to keep 3rd Fireteam (at the river, just off camera to top center) from being overrun.

To see how the fight turns out, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2021/04/two-brothers-fight-19.html

More to come.

V/R,
Jack

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Another good un Jack

[fsn]

Great reports.

Sorry. I should say this more often.

I do look forward to what I am ashamed to say I think of as "the Teddy Bear Wars". 

[Matt J]

Great stuff again Jack

Your tables are brilliantly presented 

Something I hope to emulate myself

[bigjackmac]

Thank you gentlemen, I greatly appreciate the kind words.

The 'Teddy Bear Wars, eh?  I can dig it

And your tables look great to me, Matt!

V/R,
Jack

[Techno II]

Great stuff again, Jack !

Cheers - Phil.

[Ben Waterhouse]

This is utterly engrossing, I can't wait for the next instalment of this excellent series!

[bigjackmac]

Thanks Phil, and thank you too, Ben, I am humbled.

V/R,
Jack

[Techno II]

This is utterly engrossing, I can't wait for the next instalment of this excellent series!

Oh..stop encouraging him....He's trying to sell this as a storyboard to Sky. 

Cheers - Phil.

[bigjackmac]

Oh goodness, you're killing me.  I don't know about TV, but I do have some buddies that are trying to get me to turn it into a comic book or something to that effect.  We'll see...

If it does make it onto the big screen, I'll make sure Phil is played by Ian McKellen.

V/R,
Jack