Referee's Notes
1. The terrain in this battle was miserable at best for the Americans. The trails on the map were piano keyed by the VC so that while personnel stands may use them, neither wheeled nor tracked vehicles may do so. The wooden areas on the map as well as along the canals and in the hamlets, and the rice paddies, are considered rough terrain, with a cost in terrain of 2" per 1" actually moved for all personnel stands. (Exception: VC units while moving in hamlets pay 1" for 1" moved.)
All vehicles pay double costs to move in the above areas, and wheeled vehicles may only cross canals at locations where an engineer stand has created a crossing. In addition, while crossing a rice paddy or canal, even at a crossing site, a check for miring must be made: Wheeled vehicles mire on a 1 or 2, tracked vehicles mire on a 1. Vehicles can either be towed out, or unmired on a die roll of a I or 2.
2. Visibility within the wooded areas and hamlets is 2". The woods along the canals do block fine of sight. Due to the flatness of the ground in this area, all aircraft at low or very low can be spotted by any stand whose visibility in the direction of the aircraft has not been reduced to 2" by its location.
3. The game starts at 0600 and ends at the conclusion of the 1800 turn. Historically, Point Defiance arrived too late to allow her troops to take part this battle.
4. Victory is determined by the following conditions:
- Decisive USMC Victory: The Marines
occupy and hold a line running south from the
Tra Bong River through the hamlets of Naiii Yen
4, Nam Yen 1, Van Tuong 1, An Coung 3 to Au Cong 1.
Decisive USMC Victory: The Marines occupy and hold a line running south from the Tra Bong River through the hamlets of Nam Yen 4, Nam Yen 1, Van Tuong 1, An Coung 3 to Au Cong 1.
Tactical USMC Victory: The Marines occupy and hold a line (Phase Line Banana) running south from the Tra Bong River through the hamlets of Nam Yen 4, Nam Yen 2, Nam Yen 3, An Thoi, Au Cuong 2 to Au Cong 1.
Draw: The Viet Cong are able to hold at least five hamlets at the end of the 1745 turn. If both sides have stands in a hamlet, ownership goes to the side with the greatest number of combat stands present. (Do not count patrol-sized stands.)
Tactical VC Victory: The Viet Cong are able to hold at least seven hamlets at the end of the 1745 turn. If both sides have stands in a hamlet, ownership goes to the side with the greatest number of combat stands present. (Do not count patrol-sized stands.)
Decisive VC Victory: The Viet Cong are able to hold at least nine hamlets at the end of the 1745 turn. If both sides have stands in a hamlet, ownership goes to the side with the greatest number of combat stands present. (Do not count patrol-sized stands.)
Historical Notes
Historically, the battle was a draw. The Marines started off by taking the 1st VC Regiment by surprise, landing on Beach Green, and at LZs Red, White, and Blue. The 1st VC Regiment rallied and fought back, and was able to prevent the Marines from reaching Phase Line Banana before nightfall. That night, elements of the 1st managed to withdraw before the 7th Marines, now reinforced by the infantry companies of the 3rd/7th, closed the pocket on the following day. The official body count was 641 VC KIA versus a Marine casualty rate of 45 KIA and 203 WIA. (The final weapon count was 109 captured weapons, perhaps a better indicator of the actual damage inflicted.) The 1st VC Regiment was badly mauled, but not destroyed as the Marines had hoped. Later that year it was back to its old tricks, ambushing the 11th ARVN Ranger Battalion, and following up that success with an attack on the 5th ARVN Infantry Regiment as it attempted to move to relieve the 11th.
For players who are seeking a different game, one can easily change a number of factors. There are two additional LZs (Yellow and Brown) located on the map, and two alternative beaches, Orange and Black. (For the historical record, the howtar battery was landed on LZ Brown and fired from there, but it could be shifted to any of the other LZs). One change to favor the Marines would be to allow all or part of the Special Landing Force to arrive earlier, thus increasing the Marine strength. If you feel the VC need help, add part or all of the 70th and 90th Infantry Battalions, and the rest of the 45th Weapons Battalion (one additional company of each type.)
For the players who are wondering why I have decreased the Naval firepower HE factors slightly downward, the answer is that at this battle the US Naval ships present which gave fire support were effectively firing over open sights. The 6" and 5" rounds came in at a flat angle, and often skipped across the ground before exploding.
Bibliography
US Marines in Vietnam 1965, Jack Shulimson and Major Charles M Johnson, Headquarters, USMC. Washington 1978.
More An Cuong Landing, Vietnam August 18th, 1965: "Satellite/Starlite"
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© Copyright 1993 by Greg Novak.
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