WAR! What is it good for?

Two Chain of Command DMZ Vietnam after action reports

Below are two Chain of Command NAM after action reports of some recent games we have played.

Key to troops and markers in pictures.

• All Platoon HQ and squad leaders bases are marked with a white base.
• All team leaders are marked with grey bases.
• All other troops are marked with black bases.
• Shock markers are coloured Yellow for 1pt, Orange for 2pts and Red for 5pts.
• U.S Jump off points are marked as coloured smoke.
• NVA jump off points are marked with tunnel entrances.

Note on Terrain

PRIMARY JUNGLE Rules

• 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.
• Hard cover

Scenario 1 - Attack on a LZ

The first after action report is for an attack on a Landing Zone.

This scenario is an adaptation of the Chain of Command - A Delaying Action scenario with the following changes:

• The defender can conduct a preliminary barrage.
• The attacker rolls 1D6 before the Patrol Phase begins. On a roll of 1 or 2, the attacker immediately takes two moves with his Patrol Markers. On a roll of 3 or 4, three moves are taken and on a 5 or 6, four moves are taken.

NVA Attacker - Support List 8
U.S Defender - Support List 2

FORCES

US RIFLE PLATOON 1968
NATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS
Medics
A medic may use his activation to remove one point of shock from a unit that he joined.
To do the this, the Medic must join the unit and spend one activated Phase assisting them.
NB: This is in addition to the Medical orderly rules from the main book .

Offensive Support
Once per game a player may use a Chain of Command Dice to call in offensive support.
This represents artillery, Gunship or Air support being called in.
Offensive Support is designed to disrupt the enemy during an attack or to break up an enemies reserves.
Offensive Support will not kill any of your enemy, but it can reflect the disorder it causes in his ranks by disrupting his ability to deploy reserves onto the table.
A Chain of Command dice may be played at the end of a turn in order to have the following effect during the next turn only:
Units and Leaders must roll to deploy onto the table as though no Senior Leader is present with their force. Section 4.3, Deploying onto the Table. This lasts only for the following turn of the game, after that it has no continuing effect.

PLATOON FORCE RATING:
Regulars Armed with M16: +8

Command Dice: 5

Rifle Platoon HQ
1 x Lieutenant Senior Leader with M16
1 x Platoon Sergeant Senior Leader with M16
1 x Medic, Medical Orderly
2 x M60 GPMG with 2 crew (attached to squads)

Rifle Squad x 3
1 x Squad Leader, with M16

Fireteam 1
1 x Team Leader, with M16
1 x Grenadier, Pistol .45 cal, M-79
2 x Rifleman, with M16

Fireteam 2
1 x Team Leader, with M16
1 x Grenadier, Pistol .45 cal, M-79
3 x Rifleman, with M16

U.S SUPPORT
List 2
Pre-Game Barrage


NVA RIFLE PLATOON 1968
NATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS

Human Wave
An NVA Senior Leader use all his Command Initiative to order all the units within his Command Distance that haven’t been activated yet in that Phase, to assault the enemy. Any troops so activated can choose to move up to 4D6 straight towards their chosen enemy (terrain dependant), each squad dicing for its own movement. They halve their Shock for Movement purposes (rounding up). Any Squad or Squads which gets within 4” from enemy initiates Close Combat. Defenders will count any unit that moved 4D6 as 3D6 for defense purposes.

Hard to Detect
The NVA tactics of dispersal, rapid concentration and excellent camouflage mean they are hard to target during their build up. If an opponent takes a pre-game game barrage the NVA player will add +1 to their dice when attempting to bring forces onto the table.

PLATOON FORCE RATING:
Regulars Armed with AK47: +4
Command Dice: 5

Platoon Head Quarters
1 x 2nd Lieutenant, Senior leader with AK47
1 x Senior Sergeant, Junior leader with AK47

Squads one to three
1 x Sergeant, Junior Leader with AK47
1 x RPD with 2 crew
1 x RPG-7
5 x Riflemen armed with AK47s

NVA SUPPORT
List 2
Local Knowledge
CoC dice (1)

List 4
Forward Observer and 82mm mortar section (1)

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
Allows NVA  player to either deploy one unit an additional 6” further from a Jump-Off point than would normally be the case OR to move a jump-off point up to 18” in any direction, so long as it is further than 12” from any enemy troops or Jump-Off Point.

Table Layout

Jump off Points
The NVA spread their Jump off Points evenly across the table with two within Jungle and a third within light cover with the ability to use Local Knowledge to exploit any perceived advantage.

The U.S had managed to place their two Jump off Points in the Jungle to the flank with their third JOP to be placed within the rear area signifying the Landing Zone (Purple JOP) also near the flank.

Before their first turn the NVA moves one of their JOPs forward in a nice position to threaten the Landing Zone.

View from the U.S Landing Zone.

Initial Phases

The NVA player had first phase and placed a squad at the edge of the Jungle overlooking the Landing Zone on overwatch.

The U.S player deploys into the safety of the Jungle in an attempt to out flank the NVA forces.

View from NVA position.

The NVA player rolls for back to back phases and decides to send a flanking squad out on their left to swing onto the Landing Zone area moving at the double.

Third U.S squad deploys to attack the NVA Jump off point.

Whilst the NVA flanking platoon moves at the double again towards the Landing Zone.

The U.S Squad on the left looks to attack the NVA JOP whist the Squad in the Centre of screen prepares to Launch an attack on the NVA squad in the centre behind their line of Overwatch whilst the U.S Squad on the right looks to cover the Landing Zone.

The NVA player calls for an immediate mortar barrage which is bang on target of the central U.S Squad and pushes hard at the Landing Zone with their flanking squad.

The U.S Squad protecting the the Landing Zone is too slow to respond whilst the Central U.S Squad is pinned down from the mortar barrage.

The NVA make another mad dash to over run the Landing Zone and reach the target.

With that the NVA player decides to end the turn with his CoC Dice and secures victory.

Reflections
The U.S attempts to move to the safety of the Jungle from the Landing Zone and attack the NVA forces had some merits however their task was to secure the Landing Zone which they ultimately failed at.  The NVA intelligent use of Local Knowledge and adherence to the mission lead to their success.  Very few casualties suffered at all in this one however the remaining platoons landing in the area were in for a world of hurt.  


Several of the standard Chain of Command missions are suitable for LZ actions.


Scenario 2 - The Probe

For this after action report we used the standard Chain of Command - The Probe scenario.

The Terrain and Platoons remained the same as the previous game with the only changes being made to the Support options taken.

NVA Attacker - Support List 9
NVA Support
List 2
Local Knowledge
CoC dice (1)

List 5
Recce Squad (1) consisting of
1 x Sergeant, Junior Leader with AK-47
10 x Rifleman armed with AK-47s

U.S Defender - Support List 2

U.S Support
NVA Support
List 2
CoC dice (1)

Jump Off Points
NVA adopted a one up two back set up whilst the U.S went with a two up one back.

View from the NVA side of the table.

Initial Phases
The NVA had first phase and deployed three squad in an aggressive deployment.  The U.S deploy a Squad on their left flank firing a few shots at the NVA they spot in the Jungle.  The NVA decide to immediately assault the U.S Squad.

The assault commences.  With the U.S having no shock and not being pinned the Frontal NVA assault is an extremely risky proposition.

The NVA assault proves to be a failure and the remnants of the NVA Squad flee from the U.S Squad and are suppressed with the U.S Squad consolidating their position to threaten the Central NVA Squad.

View from routed NVA Squad.

The two NVA platoons open fire on the U.S Squad deployed to their front. 

The U.S Squad who has now rallied from the effects of the NVA assault begins to pressure the NVA right flank.

After several rounds of fire the U.S Sgt deploys to rally shock on the Central U.S Squad.  The NVA deploy their Scout  Squad.  The U.S Squad on the left moves up and exchanges fire with the pinned NVA squad.  They then assault and rout the NVA squad.  The U.S also deploy a Squad on their right flank which does the same.

 

With three NVA squad routed the NVA morale drops to zero and the U.S manage to break the NVA platoon.

Reflections


Assaulting an unpinned enemy in heavy cover sporting assault rifles is never good. Attempting to win a firefight with U.S forces who can bring maximum firepower to bear is also flirting with disaster.

This scenario also works well with NAM gaming and can be used to represent games where Special forces units have to escape a net of forces closing in on them.


All in all some good fun was had.
Any comments or questions welcomed.