Playing the Beanball - DMZ Style

A Chain Of Command - DMZ After Action Report

Continuing on from previous posts this After Action Report is based on the Too Fat Lardies Charlie Don't Surf Scenario (CDS) Playing the Beanball.

As the CDS Scenario is for Company Level some changes were made in order to bring it down a notch to fit into a Platoon level game.

The CDS Scenario involves a U.S force evacuating a village that is attacked by VC.  We focused the scenario on a U.S platoon securing a section of the landing/evacuation zone that is attacked by an NVA force.  The following Chain of Command Scenario Four was used to reflect the circumstances with the U.S defending and the NVA attacking.  

Terrain was roughly based on Playing the Beanball.
The Chain of Command - DMZ additional objectives were also used as they add another dimension to the game and better reflect alternative victories.

Additional CoC-DMZ Victory Conditions
Free World Forces
Free World Forces may achieve an alternative Victory at the end of any phase/turn in which they currently have control of or have captured a total of at least 2 enemy Jump off Points and their current morale level is 4+.
They can also win scenarios under normal victory conditions.

NVA/VC
NVA and VC Forces may achieve an alternative Victory by reducing a Free World Forces Morale to 3 or Less and withdrawing all on table units from the table whilst their final morale remains above 0.
This victory condition fits in well with the CDS "Three Strongs Attack" objective.
They can also win scenarios under normal victory conditions.

Withdrawing from the Table
In order to retire from the field a NVA/VC unit may leave via a friendly jump off point or any table edge provided no enemy units are within 12 inches and line of sight to the unit at the start of it's move.
Each unit leaving the game this way via a JOP or table edge will not return and will roll with the risk of dispersing on a 5+ if from a friendly JOP or 4+ if from any table edge.
If a unit disperses a roll is made against section wiped out on the morale table and immediately effects the players morale.
Snipers and immobile teams may withdraw from where they are deployed with the risk of dispersing on a 5+ if there is no enemy within 12 inches and line of sight or 4+ if there is enemy within 12 inches and line of sight.

Terrain

Elephant Grass/Savanna (Indicated by clumps of long grass.  Covers whole areas)

• Broken ground for foot.
• Any foot movement faster than tactical movement adds +1 Shock.
• Broken ground for wheeled movement.
• Open ground for tracked movement.
• Variable line of sight 6 + D6 inches
• Tracked vehicles see over it but suffer Variable Line of sight restrictions seeing into it.
• Light cover for foot
• No cover for vehicles

Paddy Fields (Flooded)

• The paddy field counts as open ground for cover and line of sight purposes and Heavy
• Going terrain for both foot and vehicle movement.
• Infantry units up against dikes gain hard cover.
• Vehicles treat dikes as solid obstacles.
• Vehicles crossing the dikes count any hits as weakest armour.

Village Huts

• Huts are treated as buildings but only provide light cover and are destroyed by any hit from HE rounds.
• Armoured vehicles can drive through and destroy them without any effect to the vehicle.

Woods

• Broken ground for foot movement.
• Vehicles treat as Heavy Going.
• Wheeled and partially tracked vehicles may not move in Heavy Going.
• Variable Line of sight is 6 + D6 inches.
• Light cover

Grass on the mat is treated as Light Cover if stationary and Open if moving.

Key Details Explained
Multiple Phases
Any time a player rolled 2 sixes or more for consecutive phases the subsequent roll was made with one less dice.
e.g. Player 1 rolls 5 dice 6,6,5,2,1.
Next roll they roll 4 dice 6,6,3,1.
Next roll they roll 5,2,1.
It is now Player 2 turn.

Patrol Markers
Red for NVA.  Blue for U.S

Jump Off Points

Tunnel Entrances for NVA

Coloured Smoke and HUEY for U.S

Leaders

White Bases - Senior/Junior Leaders

Grey Bases - Team Leaders

Army Lists and Support
NB: Each opponent was unaware of the others support choices for the game.

NVA 1967
Morale - 9
12pts support
Pre-Game Barrage
Local Knowledge
12.5mm HMG
MMG in Bunker

U.S Army 1967
Morale - 8
4pts support
M60 with 2 crew
CoC Dice

The Game 

Table Layout.  

Elephant grass indicated on the right.  

NVA will start their patrol phase from bottom of picture with
the U.S evacuation zone indicated by the Huey at top.

View from U.S Patrol edge and evacuation zone.

End of the Patrol Phase.

Patrol ended up squaring off across the table.

NVA Markers in Red.

U.S Jump of Points (JOP).

One in each Wooded area near the evacuation point.

Third JOP marked by the Huey.

NVA Jump off Points marked by tunnels.

Located in the Woods on the left flank, against the dike in the
Paddy field and on the right flank in the elephant grass.

NVA use Local Knowledge to advance JOP to Woods near
the Village hut at right of screen placing it in a position that 

threatens  the U.S position.
They deploy a squad from this JOP on overwatch.

Concerned that with the NVA employing a Pre-Game Barrage
the U.S fearing they will be overun deploy a squad into the
Woods in the Centre on overwatch.

View of the first NVA Squad.

A second NVA squad deploys on the right flank and 

begins moving through the Elephant Grass.

The U.S deploy a second squad to protect the evacuation zone.

The NVA continue their advance on the right flank hoping 

to pressure both sides of the evacuation zone.

The third NVA squad deploys and makes it's way
through the village.

The NVA 12.7mm DShK and 2iC deploy placing the
DShK on overwatch the secure the NVA left flank.

The NVA third squad continues to move through the village.

With the left flank covered by the DShK and newly deploy
surprise Bunker the NVA first squad starts to switch it's
focus of attack to the open right flank (and U.S JOP).

This proves to be fatal as the U.S cease the opportunity to
deploy their third squad in the central woods and open fire.
With a subsequent phase as well their second round of fire
brasses up the NVA squad who are now suppressed.
(NB: This is a different result contained in the
CoC Cold War Rules)

The NVA first squad advances towards the Central Woods.

The U.S Squad assaults the suppressed NVA squad and seeks
cover in the woods as the first NVA squad approaches.
This breaks the NVA squad forcing a morale test.

The NVA second squad continues to advance
through the elephant grass.

Whilst further pressure is added to the centre by the NVA.

The effects of the NVA 12.7mm are starting to add up as the
U.S seek the cover of the woods.

The NVA have now focused all of their attack on their
right flank in an attempt to overrun the U.S squad
in the woods.

This allows the U.S to move it's second squad in a flanking
manoeuvre against the NVA bunker which they assault and
destroy reducing the NVA morale. With the NVA JOP also
now threatened the NVA must move fast to avoid defeat.

The remaining NVA forces pour fire into the U.S squad on
their right causing several morale tests and reducing the
U.S morale to 3.  With their own morale at 1 they attempt
to leave the battlefield as quickly as possible to win
the day. With limited activation dice however they are unable
to do so before the U.S take their JOP and bring
the NVA morale to zero causing them to break.

A win to the U.S who manage to keep the evacuation zone intact all be it at a cost.

Another enjoyable and successful Chain of Command Cold War play test.

The current Vietnam mod for Chain of Command, Chain of Command - DMZ
can be downloaded here.

Happy to hear any comments or questions.

Cheers