Free World Forces sweep the village of My Lai

For the second time in three days Free world forces attempted to sweep the villages and hamlets west of My Lai.

This time Major Williams had decided to personally oversee the mission following Friday’s media disaster, when Captain May perpetrated what has been described on TV and in the Press as a war crime, due to his indiscriminate shelling and shooting of civilians. His whereabouts are currently unknown, but his career in the US army is decidedly uncertain.

The American platoon decided to adopt a more “hearts and minds” approach, quickly securing and searching three hamlets.

Food caches were located and destroyed. Even when an NVA ambush was encountered whilst searching a hooch, remarkable restraint was displayed in only using small arms fire to retaliate. Eventually however the NVA did enter one of the villages in some numbers and fierce fighting broke out.

Major Williams decided discretion was the better part of valour and called in the artillery to help neutralise the threat. 155mm shells were followed up by a close assault that broke the NVA unit.

Things got even better for the Americans when their two M113 ACAV reinforcements entered the fray rolling up the road and engaging the enemy with 50cal machine gun fire.

The fire was not as effective as hoped but it did mean the Gooks kept their heads down. Comrade Chris finally managed to launch a close assault out of the jungle against the exposed flanks of the M113s. One withdrew into the dense bamboo, leaving the other a burning wreck. Once more the Major turned to the “Red Legs” to save the day. However garbled communications meant a blue-on-blue artillery strike that killed civilians and GIs alike. The second strike was more effective and Comrade Chris’ continued to desert him with poor saves. Cue more dead Gooks.

Meanwhile the two other squads continued a textbook search and destroy mission. They spotted NVA forces in the final village and closed to the edge of the jungle looking out over the paddy fields. Desultory NVA small arms fire was ineffective, and following a round of M16 and M60 fire the squad charged in and overwhelmed the defenders.

Comrade “Chris” looked at the battlefield and conceded victory to the “Yankee Running Dogs”. The body and cache count were deemed a major success by US High Command in Saigon and the operation would be cited for many years as a textbook “search and destroy” operation. A complete contrast to events of a few days before.

A few post-game observations one a new set of rules for us. Easy to say that I enjoyed the game as the victor. However, “The Men of Company B” are quite thought provoking different. When I started gaming Vietnam in the 1980s, most rulesets focussed on the combat albeit trying to recognise it was “different” to say WW2. In this game the real objective isn’t just killing the enemy. It is more subtle. My observation to Chris was that a test of good rules is longevity and a V2 that proves that (a) the author has learnt from feedback and (b) they are popular enough to warrant a second edition.

Simon

The Battle of Cat Ban

My first game of Peter Pig's The Men of Company 'B'. Their game of Vietnam, home of jungle, helicopters and asymmetric warfare. Forces were an 'average' American Platoon under the command of Captain May supported by two tanks and an Average NVA Platoon led by Comrade Chris supported by nothing but the righteousness of their cause!

Somewhere in Vietnam Captain May commanded his force on a sweep and clear mission searching for enemy caches reported to be in the area. Unknown to him Comrade Chris in charge of elements of the 116th NVA Regiment were rushing to intercept him. This started well for Captain May with the initial search revealing the enemy radio set. Maximum value to the White Star Forces! On the other flank of the operational area though things were less rosy as Comrade Chris arrived with the command cadre and seeing an American squad in a village on the far side of the road called in supporting mortar fire and then let fly with small arms fire. This quickly escalated into an artillery duel, supported with rifle and machine guns pinning both the American and NVA in place.

They say that innocence is the first victim of war, in this case it was the Vietnamese peasants who ended up paying the price although American Casualties started to mount. Turn 2 saw the arrival of the second NVA squad who ended up (after diversion rolls) next to the successful American searchers. A roll to indicate how many troops had been gathered revealed the maximum number present, a policy that would be repeated for the rest of the battle.

American searching in the middle of the table revealed a low value objective as well as a high value objective; these positives were balanced by the NVA shooting up the initial American squad and then assaulting them. Tragically for the people's defenders they took significant losses and the assault failed although the fire fight beforehand saw the Americans shooting further peasants in what the capitalists referred to as 'an accident'.

The third squad of NVA arrived eager to exact revenge on the Yankees. Reinforcing the key battle point the initial American Squad was now sandwiched between the NVA. Again, the maximum number of patriots had reported for duty. Further fighting saw the American taking even more casualties. Whilst the ongoing artillery battles inflicted more especially as the Americans had run out of peasant to shelter behind.

The American Armour arrived in support two M60 tanks and being some distance from their supporting infantry were reluctant to advance too quickly. They did however bombard the NVA command group for no discernible effect. American morale started to sag.

The final NVA squad arrived (at maximum strength of course) and assaulted the tanks in their flank. No effect! Curses! Having failed to Assault the squad was caught in the jungle at close range. The tanks opened fire and casualties were caused. Fortunately, no peasants were present to share the Hi-Explosive.

The final American squad arrived to search the North of the board, having decimated both the other American Squads NVA forces headed North to counter the Americans. The American Command Group tried to move North to support them, got caught in the open and shot up. The PC was knocked out with Captain May badly injured - oops - no more Artillery (for the US at least).
With cries of American pain from around the table and the single American Squad being surrounded Captain May called time on the game.

The final scores Americans 43, NVA 76 - a good win for the NVA.

Overall a good game with a total time of about three hours, not bad considering we were learning the rules. Very much a game where the two forces are trying to achieve different things with the American needing to find supply caches and limit casualties both their own and those of the local villagers. The NVA meanwhile want to inflict casualties and prevent the Americans from searching. The American had some bad luck in the game but ultimately got pinned down in the centre of the board by the NVA and failed to do enough searching.

Chris