Surviving 'Nam - Night Ambush

My second game of Surviving 'Nam went much better than the first.  HQ went out with five men.  1st and 2nd sections were both down by one, with men recovering from wounds.  A cherry private, Scott May, joined 1st section, so that they wouldn't be too short-handed.  Lieutenant Miller, having survived the first mission, now led the platoon.  Tasked with ambushing the VC along a trail in the middle of the night, the men took their positions.

March 1969
Vietnamese Jungle

Turn 0
Lieutenant Miller, newly promoted to lead the platoon, crouched in the tall elephant grass.  Just ahead of him, his men formed a line just back from a trail through the bush.  Night had fallen. They were ready to spring their ambush on any VC moving through the darkness. Johnson and Williams were set up on the right with the M60.  PFC White of 2nd section held the right flank, while the new guy, PFC May anchored the left.  Ahead of him, he could hear sandaled feet approaching in column.  He let out a low whistle.

Turn 1
Johnson's MG opened up. Breaking the silence of the night, the burst took down one VC gunner and suppressed his friend.  Johnson's partner, PFC Williams, put fire on the lead enemy, causing the man to duck and cover.  White and Jackson, on the right flank, moved toward the path, hoping to cut off the enemy as they approached. Sargent Becker followed, staying low in the grass.  Toward the center, Harris opened up on the column, but didn't appear to hit anything.  The enemy began to return fire, shooting into the darkness.  Lieutenant Miller crouched, moving slowly forward through the tall grass, his medic and radioman close behind.

Turn 2
As the two approached, Johnson kept his machine gun trained on the column, taking out the lead man.  A scream sounded through the night.  Sargent Ellis of 2nd section continued toward the path, motioning his men to follow him.  PFC White screamed, "CONTACT RIGHT!"  A VC had somehow popped up on their flank, far away from the marching column.  Jackson moved to cover him.  "Machine gun left!" cried Private May on the other flank, popping off a shot into the darkness while the others in his section moved forward to gain better targets.

Turn 3
Startled by the VC on the right, PFC Jackson leveled his rifle to fire.  Stepping forward, he heard the click of a buried mine. Sweat appeared on his forehead as he realized it was a dud. He squeezed off a round into the darkness.  On his left PFC White also fired, taking down the VC threat.

Lieutenant Miller, approaching PFC Johnson, clapped him on the shoulder.  "Move that MG forward!"  Johnson nodded and moved closer to the path, followed closely by his loader.  Tracers ripped into the night as he unloaded a couple of rounds toward the enemy, who kept their heads down.  The LT heard a snap next to his ear, instinctively ducking to the ground.  "Sniper!" hissed his radioman, PFC Brown,  who fired back in response.  Miller grabbed for the radio, keying the handset. "Fire mission," he stated calmly, calling in the coordinates of the pathway in front of them.  With any luck, the artillery would catch the column in the open.

From the path, an enemy machine gun swung toward the men, ripping bullets into the grass.  PFC Miller hit the dirt, scared, but not wounded.  "That was close!" Anderson said behind him as he picked himself back up.  Anderson fired his own gun into the darkness.  Nearby, PFC Harris also fired, killing the machine gunner at the front of the column.  On the left, Private May, new to the jungle, swore as jungle undergrowth grabbed at his boots.

Turn 4
Jackson continued putting fire down on the path, jamming his M60.  "Dammit!" he swore as Williams, next to him, squeezed off a couple of rounds, striking the lead VC.  Lieutenant Miller and his radioman came up behind them.  "Keep fire on that road." Miller urged.

From his 4 o'clock, Sargent Miller heard the crashing of brush, and a shot ring out from the darkness.  Instinctively, he swung in that direction, gunning down the Charlie who had appeared out of nowhere.  "White, Jackson! Move up!" White, following Sarge's command, moved closer to the road.  Jackson ducked as he heard artillery overhead.  The path erupted in dirt and grass, pinning the enemy in place.

On the right, the men surged forward through the grass, trying to get better sight lines.  As he kicked himself free of the jungle, Private May screamed in panic, "Sarge!  There's more comin'!"

Turn 5
Reaching the path, PFC White on the far right flank spotted a sniper in the grass opposite his position. A skillful shot took out the threat, as gunfire erupted on the far left, narrowly missing Private May.  "Jackson! Get up here!" Sargent Becker hissed, trying to get his men coordinated.  Sargent Anderson, on the other side, ducked as tracers headed his way.  On the far left, Private May screamed as bullets tore into him.  "MEDIC!" someone screamed.  Spotting a clump of VC moving in the grass on the other side of the field, PFC Harris pulled a grenade, lobbing it in their direction.  Screams of pain echoed through the night.  A rocket-propelled grenade zipped over his head in response.  Medic Johnson headed toward the downed cherry as PFC Davis launched another grenade in the direction of the enemy.  "Suppress that fire!" yelled the LT to the machine gun team, "NOW!"  Two VC fell in the path as the gun belched rounds.

Turn 6
"Alright boys!  That's enough!  Pull out!"  Lieutenant Miller called out to the men, "Let's go!"  All sections began pulling back.  "I'll get May," called out PFC Wilson.

Turn 7
"May, man, how you doin'?"  The young private looked down.  Blood soaked the chest of his tunic.  "I, I think I'm okay."  Just then, the medic arrived.  "C'mon guys, we're getting out of here."  He lifted May, draping the man's arm over his shoulder.  "Grab his other arm; we'll carry him out."  Noise could be heard on the other side of the field as the rest of the team disengaged.

Post Game
Private Scott May survived his first mission, but it was also his last.  He was sent home with a serious, career-ending wound.  The rest of the platoon successfully made their way back to the rally point, counting the mission a total success.

Surviving 'Nam - Search the Hooches

Dusting off the old blog to have a place to post a battle report for a new game I've tried, "Surviving 'Nam" by Mike Demana.

The game is a solo/co-op skirmish level adventure that pits friendly forces against the Viet Cong during the Vietnam Conflict of the late 1960s/Early 1970s. Designed to be played as a campaign, players can follow their troops through a year long deployment in country.

Not having any Vietnam figures or terrain in 28mm, I opted to try out the game in Tabletop Simulator. I spent an evening assembling a troop list of 15 soldiers, laying out terrain on a 3'x3' board, and creating virtual assets for the rulebook and the card deck that drives enemy actions. I decided to generate my initial platoon randomly, using dice to determine their expeerience levels. The group would be deploying together, with February of 1969 being the date of their first mission. The rulebook comes with 12 scenarios. Rolling randomly again, my men would be running into some trouble with their first mission, "Check out The Hooches."

My initial force included 15 men, split into 3 sections of 5 men each. Though new to the country, each section ended up with a veteran, two grunts, and two FNGs. The HQ section consisted of a 2nd Lieutenant, in charge of the platoon, a light machine gun team, a medic, and a radio man. Each of the other two sections had a veteran sargent, three rilfemen, and a soldier carrying a "blooper" grenade launcher.

With everything ready to go, my men inserted on the southern edge of the playing field.  Their goal was to search the buildings in the village for supplies, then exit the northern side of the board.

February, 1969 - Dai Hoang village, Republic of Vietnam
Mission: Search the Hooches

Turn 0
"Alright guys. Here's the ville. Search those hooches, and the trucks'll pick us up on the other side." Lieutenant Smith wiped his brow. "Let's get it done."

Turn 1
As the troops approached the village, farmers looked up from their chores. A couple started running. Others stood, watching the men approach. Most just started calmly moving away.

Turn 2
"Johnson. Williams. Set up the M60 in the treeline on the left. Cover the village. We'll advance with the platoon." The LT moved off to the right with his radioman and new medic. Villagers kept moving off, opposite the men's positions. One of them broke and ran. It wasn't difficult to imagine that he was going to warn the VC, especially as the men spotted the enemy moving through the bush. Sargent Miller screamed, "It's about to get hairy!"

Turn 3
Private Johnson made the first move, swinging his M60 around to suppress the enemy on the left flank. The VC were faster, though, pinning him down behind the rock he was using for cover. His loader, Williams, froze in place, "There's more coming!"

"Put fire on those trees!" Sargent Miller screamed to 1st section, motioning to the left flank, "Put em down!" Private Taylor turned to fire, tangling himself in the underbrush. "Fuck!" he yelled, letting loose a rifle burst, taking down one opponent. He kicked himself free as the others moved. Moore froze in place as bullets whizzed passed him from the trees. "Davis! Fire that blooper!" Sargent Miller yelled, but Private Davis froze as fire erupted from all sides of the ville. "We're fucked Sargent!" he screamed in panic as Taylor went down next to him. Private Wilson swung around, taking a bead on the VC who pulled the trigger, killing him with a single shot. "Davis dammit," the Sargent bellowed, "Get a grenade on that bush!" Private Davis pulled the trigger. With a fwoomp, the grenade launched, passing far over the enemies heads. "Didja even fire that thing in training??" the sargent muttered as he ducked a round.

On the right flank, 2nd squad also started taking hits. Private Thompson screamed as something slammed into his leg. Sargent Miller returned fire. One VC fell. Private Jackson fired his M79 in the same direction. He was rewarded by the sounds of screams in the woods. The others in the squad opened fire, but missed. "Check that man!" Sargent Anderson ordered, pointing to Thompson. "I'm okay," the private replied, "But I can't walk, sir."

In the center, Lieutenant Smith looked at the chaos erupting around him. His heart thrummed as he decided what to do next.

Turn 4
Back on the right, Sargent Miller ordered the squad to keep moving. Private Moore, initially stunned by the attack, advanced. "Davis! Wilson! Grab Taylor! Let's move!" The two men reached for the downed soldier, just as bullets streaked out of the treeline, striking them both. The sargent swore under his breath. He turned toward the center of the field "MEDIC!!"

In the center, Private Johnson lifted his head, ready to fire his M60. An RPG round slammed into the tree behind him, pinning him and his loader, Williams, to the ground. "That was too close," hissed Williams. Suddenly, machine gun fire ripped from the village, striking Lieutenant Smith. As a light rain started to fall on the battlefield, Medic Jones and Radioman Brown stayed frozen in fear, watching their commanding officer fall.

On the right flank White and Harris, both new guys, grabbed Thompson. "We gotta go," White said, as the two dragged the wounded man toward cover. Private Jackson attempted to put down covering fire, but his weapon jammed. "Shit," he muttered under his breath, clearing the chamber. "Let's boogie," said Sargent Anderson, falling back. On the opposite side of the field, he watched artillery rounds fall. The LT must have been able to call for support.

Turn 5
"Moore! Get back here! We're leaving!" Private Moore turned back to his sargent. Seeing his buddies down, he hustled back to the men as a bullet zipped past his head. Sargent Miller knelt down to check on Private Davis. "You're okay dude. Get up." Davis looked around. "Wilson. Wilson, you okay man?" The man next to him groaned, looking at the wound in his arm. "Yeah, man. I can walk."

In the center of the field, Jones, the medic, knelt down to check on the Lieutenant. Leaning on the garden fence for support, he heard a gentle click. A hidden mine exploded, taking him down. Radioman Jones looked down at the wounded medic, knowing instantly that the man would need to be carried out. To his left, more rounds fell on the enemy. The fire mission was succeeding.

On the right, Sargent Anderson barked out orders. "Jackon! Go with the LT! Move!" Jackson nodded and sprinted toward the fallen leader. Anderson snapped a shot off into the woods. "You boys keep moving this man." As he approached the LT, Jackson laughed, a faint voice over the radio could be heard "Evacuate! Your position is being overrun!" "No shit," he thought. As he reached the Lieutenant, he could see that the man was in bad shape. A large hole had been ripped into his thigh. "Don't worry LT, we're gonna get you out of here."

Wilson and Johnson, the machine gun team in the center, sheltered behind a rock. "Johnson, man! We got VC behind us!" The machine gunner looked over his shoulder. "We gotta didi man!" He picked himself up out of the dirt.

Turn 6
Private Wilson of 1st section, though wounded, popped off a shot into the trees, striking a VC RPG man. "Let's go," he said. Sargent Miller and Private Davis grabbed the unresponsive Taylor, dragging him toward the woods. A rocket screamed out of the woods. While it narrowly missed Wilson, Private Moore went down. Covering the retreat, Johnson swung his M60 toward the enemy, but return fire forced him to duck. His partner, Williams, ducked as well as the trees all around the ville erupted with enemy fire from all directions.

Private Jackson, grabbing Lieutenant Smith, grimaced. "Let's go, sir," he said, as he began dragging the larger man away from the ville. "I got Jones," said the radio man next to him, "Let's go." The two men smiled in appreciation as Sargent Anderson approached from the right. His men had made it to the trees, and he was determined to make sure the LT made it out alive.

Turn 7
The entire area erupted again, blanketing the field with fire. Jackson flinched as Sargent Anderson went down. A silent prayer raced through his mind as he hoped they'd make it out alive. Private Brown, dragging the medic, hustled past into the treeline and out of site.

Sargent Miller looked back at the fallen men behind him. "Keep going," he told Davis, "I'll catch up." Davis continued dragging his squad mate, Taylor, toward safety. Miller raced back to the downed men. He checked. Moore would need help out to the extraction point.

Johnson, on the machine gun, layed down fire, attempting to cover the retreat, but his shots went wide, missing the VC blocking the escape route. Williams, next to him, took a panicked shot, jamming his M16 as bullets whistled through the air.

Turn 8
Sargent Miller check on his downed men. "Wilson, you're okay, head toward the trees." Wilson nodded, clutching his wounded leg. "Okay Sarge. I'm out here." The Sargent checked Private Moore. "I'll need to drag him out of here on my own," thought the vet soldier. Jackon, on the other side, dashed over to the other Sargent, Anderson, who had gone down. He was wounded seriously enough that he'd need to be carried out. The machine gun team, seeing wounded men on both sides of them, split up to help.

Turn 9
Private Wilson, limping toward the tree line, suddenly jumped. A cobra reared up in front of him, ready to strike. The young private swore. "I've been hit twice, I ain't letting you get me." Davis, next to him, dragged Private Taylor to safety. Behind them, Private Johnson and Sargent Miller began moving the wounded Private Moore. Artillery rounds fell in the trees behind their position, causing screams of pain from the enemy. "We might make it out of here," thought Johnson.

In the center, Williams was having trouble moving the Lieutenant by himself. More artillery rounds landed near his position. From the sound, they took out some VC blocking his escape. Looking down, he realized that the LT had become entangled in the underbrush. He'd need to clear that before they could move. Jackson, on the right, ducked a shot, grabbing Sargent Anderson and moving him into cover.

Turn 10
The troops continued moving away from the ville, one limping, the others dragging the bodies of their comrades. As the sounds of gunfire died down, their first fight was over.

Post Game
This was a brutal fight for the platoon's first time out. 47%, of the platoon, 7 men, were wounded during the action, earning Purple Hearts. Two lost the use of limbs, earning honorable discharges, while one was wounded seriously enough to end his career. Private Jones, the medic, and rifleman Wilson recovered quickly, returning to duty, while Moore and Taylor, the news guys, would need longer to recover.

For the next mission, Sargent Miller was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant and given command of the platoon. 1st section was assigned a Grunt sargent and FNG private. 2nd section was assigned a Grunt sargeant.

HQ: Fully manned
1st Section: short 1 man
2nd Section: short 1 man

Overall, I really enjoyed the game. The card mechanic to active the VC works well, and there was plenty of action for a narrative feel. I'm looking forward to playing more!