Randy Knight
United States
Westerly
Rhode Island
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Spring 1966 Interphase Details:
US Deployments:
I deployed the 82nd Airborne, one brigade each, in Danang, Cam Ranh, and Saigan. The Divisional artillery and armor assets were placed with the brigade in Danang. The additional airmobile points will help with my general battalion mobility, and with moving around the medium 155mm artillery for my required operations.
US Thoughts:
The Penalty against the US Morale for the Invasion of Cambodia last season was 3 Morale Points. The US citizens seemed to object mildly to the invasion of Cambodia for the purpose of chasing down Vietcong taking sanctuary there.
I am uncertain whether I really need the 82nd Airborne deployed to SVN, but I am going to send it in just in case the VC decide to build heavily within the borders again. If it turns out I don't need it, I will simply withdraw most of the division until I need it again. The ANZACS will arrive this season, to make this a multi-national effort against Communism. I like that. I again do not know what to expect from the NLF deployments, and I'm eager to see what Mark does. He has been focusing heavily on the NVA and keeping his various replacements high.
New Airmobile Points and Replacement Points were marked on the track.
SVN Deployments
The SVN build and upgraded and deployed the 23rd Division and HQ in II Corps in the port of Qui Nhon. They upgraded the three existing regiments of the 25th Division. They also bought 12 replacement points.
NLF Deployments:
The VC did not build within SVN again. Instead, they were built on the borders of SVN, primarily in Laos, near the border with Quang Nam. A large concentration of VC were built, and as deduced through operations and intelligence gathered the previous season, likely include VC Artillery and VC Regiments in addition to the battalions and political sections.
One Division of NVA departed from the Ho Chi Minh Trail in the Spring Interphase in the same area where the VC were built. The NVA division left the sixth box of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, to be specific. A second NVA division move into the sixth Trail box during the infiltration phase. The third and final NVA Division ended in the southernmost (last) Trail box in the southernmost Mekong Delta
So much for initial deployments.
Logistics:
At the end of the Spring 1966 Interphase, here were the numbers:
US Morale:499
US Commitment: 175
SVN Morale:95
NVA Morale:80
US Replacements:24
SVN Replacements:38
NVA Replacements:42
VC Replacements:54
SVN-controlled Population:229
NLF-controlled Population:131
US Divisions on the Map: 6
NVA Divisions on the Map: 3
US Air Points:50
US Airmobile Points:21
Spring Game Turns, Operational Actions:
It was a season of very limited action. The US moved elements of the 23rd Division, the 101st Division, and 82nd Airborne Division into Quang Nam to guard the border opposite the NVA and VC hordes located in Laos. The ARVN 1st infantry division also deployed to patrol the border.
But essentially, the two forces sparred a bit, moved and reacted. Some NVA went on hold. There were bombardments and counter-bombardments. Several Search and Destroy Missions were called off as VC reacted into the hexes with more VC or into main line NVA Regiments. The US forces did not wish to engage heavily against the entrenched NVA on HOLD operations in the mountains on the border of Laos. The NVA were within range of friendly artillery as well. The VC were used as a screening force adjacent to the NVA. Some VC were also placed on PATROL Operations.
It was a whole new look for the NLF. Concentrated and mutually supporting each other with the NVA. Operations were very limited. The season was quite quick really.
Here are some mid-season pictures:
This is the NVA-VC Build Up in Laos and Quang Nam. You can see elements of the US 101st, 82nd, and 23rd Divisions positioning to oppose the Communist Aggression. Oddly, no large battle developed even with these huge forces in close proximity. Also note the 2nd NVA Division located on the Ho Chi Minh Trail (the red box above the hexgrid)
This is the NVA division in the southernmost Ho Chi Minh Trail strategic box. It may enter the hexgrid during the summer. The SVN border is guarded by the ARVN 25th Division (upgraded), and the ARVN Paratroopers, also upgraded.
The following image here shows a group of VC that were chased from Cambodia during the US invasion in the winter of 1965. They moved up the Ho Chi Minh Trail opposite Phouc Long, and will likely enter the hexgrid in Cambodia in the Summer 1966. Notice the ARVN Rangers in their holding box, and the Available US Navy, consisting of three Cruisers and a Battleship, awaiting action.
This image shows the Record Track, which records the various logistics of each army. Note the high levels of NVA and VC Replacements. The American Air Points have been reduced due to the Monsoons of the Spring Season, as well as strategic bombing missions against the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
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Pacification:
What a drag. This was a hard phase. Except in Quang Nam, where several VC ended the season within SVN, ALL THE REST of SVN was completely free of VC and free of any free fire or captured capitals. Therefore Pacification should have brought hordes of population into the SVN camp. But after a series of like 40 out of 50 dice rolls being one-sided in favor of the NLF, only two population came over to Papa Khanh. I just dont understand these South Vietnamese. We give them hot dogs, clear the VC completely out of the country, grant them peaceful green rice pastures, and they still withhold allegiance to their SVN Nation. Go figure. At least two points were gained. SVN population controlled is now 229.
Just for perspective, I re-did the pacification phase using average rolls of "7" for every province (in place of the series of one-sided rolls for the NLF). This demonstrates how skewed the results were.
The results speak for themselves: with simple average dice during the pacification phase, 11 (ELEVEN!) population would have been gained.
***sigh*** Enough whining over being robbed of what would have been an awesome season! It was a depressing season for the US Player.
Maybe next season we will get average luck and will swing population back to Papa Khanh?
Stay tuned to find out!
Enjoying the Game!
Randy Knight
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Mark Evans
United States
Berlin
New Hampshire
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NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT PRESS RELEASE
Rumor has it that the chocolate that was distributed throughout South Vietnam was produced by the lowest bidder. Intestinal problems may have been the source of the weak hearts and minds response.
Spring was a very tense season for me. I stuck my neck out several times offering Randy the opportunity to bag an NVA division should he invade Laos. He went back to his rational game plan and made very conservative and calculated decisions this season and I couldn't bait him into Laos.
I stared down several heavily armed enemy divisions in the mountains just on the Vietnam side of the Laotian border. I took several operations and even took a shot at a search and destroy operation against an isolated US battalion deep inside my territory. Our efforts paid of as Quang Nam shifted in my direction during the pacification phase.
Losses were light on both sides and next season I will have 3 divisions of NVA on the front lines. The VC total will be a secret of course, but we have between 10 and 20 battalions of VC currently near the border regions. My builds, of course, will depend on what he does.
He clears me from Vietnam and then brings in more troops?! This has been the pattern so far. If he does that again, it will surely be a disincentive for me to send more VC battalions to a meaningless death.
We know the Americans won't be around forever.
By the way, nice photo recon in the above post. The spy satellites must have struck when I went to the bathroom or something. I haven't posted my photos yet.
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Martà Cabré
Terrassa
Catalonia
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Beware the eye in the sky.
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Posted Thu Feb 9, 2012 6:01 am
