"NAM-voy" Battle report US light Truck company Vs. NVA

 by Eric Lauterbach

On WWPD for vets day we decided to try out my new Vietnam Light Truck Company, in a Vietnam convoy ambush. During the war, the flow of supplies to forward operating bases were constantly under attack as the NVA would attempt to isolate a base from supplies before an assault on the position.

With the constant ambushing of supply convoys, the US Army Transportation Corp started to develop Guntrucks. While not a new concept, as the French developed this tactic as well, the US took it to new level of firepower.

For our game the US had 5 guntrucks, 3 armored cars, and a convoy commander jeep. To defend 20 utility vehicles full of supplies for fire-base "Eagle". The NVA Battalion had two companies with extra weapons attached to each. We both also have reserve platoons to bring on after turn 3. To play the game we were kind of on uncharted ground on how to play the supply trucks. I settled on the trucks would get 5+ save and then the NVA would have to make firepower test to destroy the vehicle and the contents inside.  A hit in assaults of course would also do the trick.

Poison Ivy at the head of the convoy.

The A.O.

The village looks quiet

Quad 50 cal truck.

"The Untouchable"

Guntruck "Black Widow"

The guntruck "Eve of Destruction"

The villagers seem to know something...

Ambush at the rear of the column!

The NVA start shooting!

Out of the jungle the second company attacks the head of the column, doing very badly. The negatives for shooting through the jungle is just enough for a lot misses.

The US immediately go to return fire on the ambush point. 

Black Widow gets between the NVA and the supply trucks.

The NVA take some hits but not too bad.

The NVA have failed to seal off the road, and first rule of being Ambushed is get out of the kill zone.  The Truckers floor-it and speed off table.

Things are still quiet in the village.

At the rear of the column the attack is going much better, the NVA killed two supply trucks and blew the convoy commander out of his jeep.  He bailed out still alive and mad.

"Untouchable" took a 57mm Rcl round in the opening moments of the ambush.

The truckers react to the ambush by speeding past their burning comrades.

The attached security section of Armored Cars try to knock out the NVA but the dug in positions are tough to crack.

The Quad 50 guntruck does good work on the NVA blowing a few out of their holes.

"Poison Ivy" keeps the road open so the truckers can get out of the ambush. 

The fire is really hot at this point in column the NVA can't get close enough to assault.

The convoy commander calls in for help and returns fire.

The rear attackers take a lot fire and are pinned, which is bad.

The NVA have to seal the road and "Poison Ivy" is in the way, its armor bounces rounds off it so they go for the assault.

The NVA on the assault make it in "Poison Ivy" gets blown up.

Th

The NVA failed to unpin so they return fire and kill another truck.

On the US turn more trucks move to the edge of the board and the US blast the NVA.

The NVA unpin and have a great round of shooting the 50cal gun truck is bailed and so are two soft skins,  the only thing standing in the NVA way is the Convoy commander and a Jeep.

The NVA are not pinned but get NO HITs in the assault.  The CO kills a stand and the NVA fail morale and run off!  That guy is getting a medal, he saved three trucks from going down.

The NVA at the front of the Column kills some supply trucks as well.

With "Poison Ivy" dead the road is sealed for a time, but the NVA have taken a beating.

The US get a reserve roll and a section of ACAVs speed down the road to the recuse.

Its turned for the worse for the NVA in the rear, the ACAVs are shooting them up pretty good.

The NVA get pinned again.

"Black Widow" and "Eve of Destruction" move to reopen the road.

The ACAVs and the armored cars crush NVA left and right and the rear company breaks.  No reason to continue with the fight for the NVA, so they break off.

The NVA broke off and disappeared into the jungle.

Well the first test went pretty well, next we will be adding all kinds of nasty stuff for the NVA, mines and IEDs.etc...  What I need to do is work out some point levels for the Guntrucks and mission victory levels. So its not a refined product yet but the Vietnam Convoy game will be in the future.

Eric Lauterbach, can be heard on the WWPD podcast with Luke, Jon and Steve talking about Flames of war in various views.