DAR as NVA: Battle of LZ Albany 11/17/1965 (No peeking Big Ivan!)

[Crossroads]

Questions, comments? Help?!

[Crossroads]

Oh man, looking at the screenshots I've taken I have completely missed the road running between Columbus and Albany. They can airlift all units they have first there, no need to risk it with Albany. Then just doubletime down that road towards the trouble. I should have cut that road off as a first priority, instead of concentrating on that perfect assault plan with everyone towards Albany.

That's the fun, though, making mistakes, then seeing you've made them, then maybe having still a few turns trying to get things right?

[devoncop]

As I am reading both AAR's on this one it wouldn't be fair to try and help but it looks a tough scenario for the VC so far. Really enjoying the thought processes of both yourself and Big Ivan. The jungle concealment factor is crucial here it seems....not an ideal location for an LZ to be fair [:)]

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: devoncop

As I am reading both AAR's on this one it wouldn't be fair to try and help but it looks a tough scenario for the VC so far. Really enjoying the thought processes of both yourself and Big Ivan. The jungle concealment factor is crucial here it seems....not an ideal location for an LZ to be fair [:)]

Dear Devoncop, and our Western audience!

Please allow me to introduce myself: My name is Political Officer N.N. and I will be taking ovet the callsign "Crossroads" for now.

For his defeatist attitude and genereal utter incompetence, our previous Political Officer Y.Y. has been dealt with, err, with proper means. Please do not expect to meet him again. An example has been set.

With Affection and Determination to Win, "Crossroads"

[Crossroads]

NVA Turn 5 of 12

And we go again!

Watching the replay, it is obvious my Imperialist Enemy has an artillery park to protect him, as rounds of 105mm land among my brave troops. Following up, his troops open up with their light arms direct fire, a step loss, and disruptions.

Onward and Forward my Brave Troops!

[Crossroads]

Having watched the replay, the friendly phase begins with my own Indirect Artillery hitting their plotted targets. Mostly, one 60mm Mortar Fire Mission lands on my own troops, without causing any casualties. Wakey wakey, we fix bayonets next!

I start with my right flank and the distraction there, by moving down forward to the valley their western edge of defences is located. They Op Fire, my first platoon retreats one hex to left, while the second platoon arrives without issues. Let us hope they waste a ton of artillery and Close Air Support on this edge of their lines!

And did I just say "moved down to valley"? Yes I did. Our previous Political Officer, the blockhead he is, did not bother turning the Map Elevation hints On, or even look how the depression is there by the lighter ambient colour on those hexes. It is not them at reverse slope positions, it is us! Duh!

That said, I prepare the first assault at their eastern edge, by first moving my Fire Support teams forward to properly soften up the defenders first. They do Op Fire back, but without results, maybe they don't see where I am firing from?

Next, setting four Rifle Platoons and their Commander to Assault from three hex edges, the Assault odds should improve accordingly.

Assault!

Position taken, defenders captured! The long march North awaits them...

[Crossroads]

With two of my three Indirect Fire assets no Conserving Ammo, I move the 80mm Mortar battery together with the other 60mm Mortar battery forward to improve on their fire effect. Closer you are, the better the effect, due to attack factors modeling the distance and the drift of each shell per weather conditions. Further you are, less effect there is.

That done, I move my left flank forward, and am in quite good position to flank their defensive line from the adjacent ridge South and North of their positions.

Looking at Strength Report, we can observe the Enhanced Fog of War in play, not much information there. Having kept note of my successes, I know the three types of losses they've had are Recon and Rifle platoons and a Commander.

Looking then at Victory Status, I can immediately note they've been awarded for holding onto LZ Albany. In addition, it seems they gain 10VP per turn they hold onto that Objective there.

So, despite of my rather good Kill Ratio, I am not out of woods yet. Including the -10 Event Point penalty I've been given.

Regardless, plenty to fight for!

File sent, expecting to see their Close Air Support arrive come next turn. Hiding in the jungle, meanwhile, keeping my distance where I can!

[devoncop]

Ah Comrade Crossroads.....it appears the new "advisors" from the PLA army have had an immediate effect on performance (or the "removal" of their ex commander for lack of results has concentrated minds somewhat [:) )

I have a very vivid picture of the Viet Cong charging down from the wooded hillsides onto the US Cavalry on the valley below...scary stuff !


Whatever the reason I anticipate some consternation in the US camp at current developments....

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: devoncop

I have a very vivid picture of the Viet Cong charging down from the wooded hillsides onto the US Cavalry on the valley below...scary stuff !

I am not allowing them to climb back either. Victory or Death! Or Both! People's Party will be happy either way

[berto]

With ?? Side A Light arms unit losses -- where ??, two digits, signifies >= 10 and <= 99 -- and additionally the ? & ? in rows 2 & 3, this is starting to look very bad for the US forces. 88 Side A Point Loss already!

[Crossroads]

^The "?" losses are one Leader and two Recon SPs, so "??" equals to 14 Rifle Platoon SPs then.

The two full strength platoons I assaulted were likely 6 SPs each, so that's 2 SPs with other platoons.

I don't know their strength, but they were spread out quite wide, so there must be still plenty of 7th Cavalry to be shot at...

[berto]

Oh, those NVA intelligence officers are really astute!

Maybe we need to obscure the Enhanced Reporting even further? [8|]

[Crossroads]

The Enhanced Fog of War etc are working quite nicely, aren’t they. It is quite, foggy, out there. Probe with bayonets…

[Crossroads]

NVA Turn #6 of 12 - Halfway point!

... and we go again! To recap,

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

Looking at Strength Report, we can observe the Enhanced Fog of War in play, not much information there. Having kept note of my successes, I know the three types of losses they've had are Recon and Rifle platoons and a Commander.

Looking then at Victory Status, I can immediately note they've been awarded for holding onto LZ Albany. In addition, it seems they gain 10VP per turn they hold onto that Objective there.

So, despite of my rather good Kill Ratio, I am not out of woods yet. Including the -10 Event Point penalty I've been given.

Regardless, plenty to fight for!

File sent, expecting to see their Close Air Support arrive come next turn. Hiding in the jungle, meanwhile, keeping my distance where I can!

... no, I am not seeing their CAS arrive quite just yet, but their whole 105mm Battalion was available as I observed six Artillery fire missions landing at our heads. Either the fire scattered, or Big Ivan, the old fox that he is, plotted it around the expected NVA avenues of approach.

Artillery, and their Direct Fire during their turn, hit me with five step losses, 3 Rifle Platoon B losses with 2 MMG losses. There was a unit not revealed south of their westernmost area as well, marking it here.

Four Disruptions, too, and only one recovered. 7th Cavalry is here for a fight!

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

Artillery, and their Direct Fire during their turn, hit me with five step losses, 3 Rifle Platoon B losses with 2 MMG losses. There was a unit not revealed south of their westernmost area as well, marking it here.

Four Disruptions, too, and only one recovered.

Here's a closer lookup of my losses during US Side A phase for Turn #6. On a more positive note, I have two out of the three Mortar batteries available, including the 82mm one.

[Crossroads]

In order to cause some damage to the hostiles as well, time to go on an offensive then!

Those Disrupts on that overstacked hex next to those two US Rifle Platoons + one Recon Section (you can tell their unit type from the little colored bar on chits: those bars repeat the unit type color from NATO symbols on chits).

Regardless, the plan (1) is to have some units over the Shallow stream side to their side to fire some suppressing fire on those units. Of course, while executing that plan (2), there's an unrevealed US unit on top of that ridge south of those units, Op Firing at my units. Luckily, no effect!

Having maneuvered to assaulting positions (3) and having direct fired at that hex first, time to assault! This looks a bit suspect, but maybe some lucky die rolls? Nope, the frontal assault was properly defended by the US units, with further 2 SP losses for my units!

I am attacking from a (too) narrow area, so this is pretty much what I can achieve here. I am not leaving an Overstacked hex there (overstack is an hex with more than 12 Strenght Points, with a penalty for Defensive modifierds), as I am anticipating more Direct Fire, then Artillery, and likely, Close Air Support missions come next turn!

So moved (4) my two Assaulting platoons back a hex. Luckily, they were not Disrupted, and instead of another assault I choose to move them for safety.

Will be interesting to see what if any I managed to cause them, though. Typically you want to assault in a manner where you can have multiple assaults from multiple hex sides, something that I am failing to do here.

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

Will be interesting to see what if any I managed to cause them, though. Typically you want to assault in a manner where you can have multiple assaults from multiple hex sides, something that I am failing to do here.

Here's the overall situation at the end of play for Turn #6. I managed to take out 4 steppes from the US roster. If that was the defending hex I assaulted, if only I would have been able to put another assault in... John's positioned his defensive line quite well, this will be quite a tough nut to crack!

Possibly, leaving me with a broken tooth? Nope, not saying that, having witnessed what happened to previous Political Officer reporting behind this callsign! People's Army Will Be Victorious!

Edit: forgot to add I tried to put up a little diversive attack at the western edge of the valley, but their Op Fire caused a retreat for my first platoon, so moved my second platoon out of sight there as well.

[Crossroads]

That's it, file sent!

Thoughts, comments, suggestions?

[:)]

[devoncop]

Just wondering...is it more effective to launch two separate assaults from two different directions ( maybe using one or more units from different hexes each time ) or better to throw everything you have available in all adjoining hexes to the enemy at him in one big attack ?

[carll11]

OK- first the US regt. had orders to move ON and slightly ahead of the map locale you have marked as 10 VPs.So Ivan got to pick a decent def. position he shouldn't have been able to until his forward Co. got chewed up ( compliments Larry Gwin, author of 'Baptism' a memoir of Vietnam, who was there ( as a captain) at the fight for LZ Albany). My point is, does the US even if they do survive, suffer a penalty ( aside from the enemy getting points) for not occupying that VP hex? Are there any others forward of that VP hex, cant tell.

OK so the effects of US arty? Accuracy ? Not much mention of that...Airstrikes?