We were discussing the possibility of doing some modern 20mm gaming in Little Wars a few nights back. I suggested doing Vietnam. I got the same reaction I've been getting for years: "Why do Vietnam?, that's just guys crawling through the jungle until they find something". Sigh. I got on my soapbox again...

Vietnam actually has great gaming potential. Very little of it should be crawling through the jungle (unless your campaigning). There were a number of major operations involving large numbers of troops and combat vehicles: Dien Ben Phu, Plei-ku, Tet, Lam-Son, Attleboro, Cedar Falls and Junction City just to name a few.

The U.S. army had sent about two and a half armor battalions sent to Vietnam and a number of armored cavalry formations. Armored units used the M-48, while the cavalry used the M551 Sheridan. Yeah, the Sheridan was a piece of garbage, but it was still a light tank.

Now bring up the fact that just about everybody was given M113 armored personnel carriers. Even the Third Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division was mechanized. Your talking a lot of American steel here. So many combat vehicle were left behind when the U.S. pulled out in 1973, that the Army's program to mechanize all divisions was set back ten years (the 9th Infantry Division never did become mechanized).

We haven't even mentioned the South Vietnamese Army, the U.S. Marines, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Airforce (who had armored combat vehicle for security operations), the Royal Australian Army or the Republic of Korea.

SCENARIOS:

Here's some operation that can generate good gaming scenarios.

Dien Bein Phu

The end of the line for the French in November 1954 as Paratroopers fight off 4 divisions of Viet Minh. The paras brought M 24 Chaffe tanks and quad 50 halftracks and were supported by F8 Bearcats. The Vietnamese brought U.S. 105mm and 155mm artillery and dug them into the surrounding mountainsides.

The Gulf of Tonkin

In August 1964 a U.S. Navy destroyer is attacked by North Vietnamese P.T. Boats. A small naval action that lead to the more aggressive posture of the U.S. in Vietnam.

Silver Bayonet

The operation that defined modem airmobile combat. In November 1965, the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), reborn from elements of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, scoured the Ia-Drang Valley. The peak of combat happened at Landing Zone X-Ray, when a forward element discovers the staging area for 3 NVA regiments coming out of Cambodia. Three battalions of the 7th Cavalry are shoved into the tiny and very hot LZ. Lots of helos and A1 Skyraiders. A single platoon, cutoff from the airhead, fights a desperate three day battle.

Lang Vei

The U.S. Special Forces base camp at Lang Vei fights off the first us of NVA armor in May 1967. All the enemy PT- 76s were driven off or destroyed through the use of the new M-72 Light Antitank Weapon (of which 85% failed to arm). Local militia being trained at the camp proved to be pretty useless, but a company of Montards were invaluable.

The Tet Offensive

In spring 1968, the North Vietnamese launched a major offensive across the country. U.S. Marines were under siege at KheSon. The 1st Cavalry is sent to assist. The U.S. embassy (and several others) in Saigon is attacked. Armor plays a major role in supporting street to street fighting. U.S. Marines cleared the old Imperial City of Hue, climaxing in the fight at the old Citadel.

Son Tay

A bold but failed rescue attempt of P.O.W.s by U.S. Special Forces in November 1970. A small force inserted directly into the enemy camp, but finds it had been abandoned just days earlier. A great "What If" scenario.

LAM SON 719

In February 197 1, the South Vietnamese 1st Armor Brigade leads an attack into Laos to cut the Ho-Chi-Mien trail. South Vietnamese and North Vietnamese armor clashed for the first time. M-41 Walker Bulldogs and M1l3s vs. T54s and PT-76s.

Others of interest are the 9th Infantry Division's Brown Water Operations in conjunction with the U.S Navy, Australia's operations in the bamboo plantations of the south and a number of battles fought at Black Maiden Mountain located between the 1st Cavalry in the north and the 4th Infantry Division in the south.

SCALES

Dien Bein Phu, Lam Son and the Brown Water Navy operations may best be fought in microarmor scale (5-6mm), thought small parts of the later can be done in 20mm. Pleiku (Silver Bayonet) can also be done in 6mm to get a feel for the helo insertions, but may be best done in 15 or 20mm putting an emphasis on platoon or company sized action. Tet and Son Tay should definitely be done in 20mm since this is close in house to house work.

AVAILABLE FIGURES

Several companies make figures for the Vietnam era. RAFM has their 20mm Charlie Company line. They also have many of the older Freicorp "Nam" range. While the second is not a nicely sculpted as the first, they do provide a variety of locals including bicyclists. FAA has some the best in this scale, but they can be difficult to get. For l5mm, there is Peter Pig. This line is pretty extensive providing monks, tigers and hero types. Irregular has a range of 6mm figures that will work for Indochina..

Wargaming modern conflicts is generally shunned by wargamers. The high speed vehicles, long range weapons and lethality of hits are often cited as the reasons why it isn't done. More likely its because modern conflicts are too close to our own lives. There's none of the mystique of battles fought in a time outside our own memories.

The Vietnam War ended 26 years ago. It's as old and confusing to our teens and young gamers as W.W.II was to us when we were there age. It's time to see to see Indochina on the game table.