this is from the third game in my FNG:UW campaign for my little Recon Team, taking palce in late 1966.
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It'd been 2 weeks (game time) since my teams last mission. Operations had switched to a new TAOR with the mission of reporting on VC and NVA units moving from Cambodia into Warzone C from the north. Though the northern part of this area is heavy jungle, the more southern and westerly portions had a lot of open grassland and thin forrest, not good recon areas. Of course, this is where we were sent…
This time out, I was Team Leader, though I still carried the radio. All the same members came along as the last mission, with the exception of adding an new American as a 'strap hanger' and 7th man. This didn't make me happy at all…
The AO were given to Area Recon was probably 60% grassland and sparse trees. Just about the whole place was a big LZ, and it'd be pretty easy to see the enemy, but also to be seen BY the enemy. Several well used trails are plotted in the area, and some high ground caught my eye that might be good to monitor a couple of them at the same time. As close to Cambodia as we'd be, I was expecting a lot of traffic. (In fact, I'd count us as being IN Cambodia for EAP and EAL rolls)
The team geared up, with everyone having M-2 carbines, except for our noble grenedier and his trusty M-79. The flight out was routine, but the drop off… well, we took some hits, serious hits. The engine died and we went in hard, and I do mean HARD. One of the pilots was killed, as was a doorgunner, and our strap-hanger was pretty banged up. The C&C helo immediatly came in and took out the dead and hurt, but the decision to Charlie Mike (continue mission, random roll home brew) was made from somewhere above, probably Two Field Force HQ. With Chuck sure to come, we boogied out so an airstrike could take out the wrecked Huey.
Despite the ruccus, we made good time and stayed out of trouble. Not too far from the LZ we found some abandoned como wire, and them an small trail. The open scrub forrest provided long site lines, and we were cautious as all get out. There was no place good to hide for the night, so we jsut plunked down. It was amazing that no more enemy had been found, seeing as we were shot down my a .51cal! I figured the area would be crawling with Charlies…
Day 2 found us up bright an early. It turned out that we were sitting right next to a pretty big trail, which a MFVC platoon moved down at dawn. We were very lucky to not be spotted, and bugged out quickly. Most of the day was spent looking around the high ground I wanted to use as a vantage point, making sure we wouldn't have any surprises if we say up there. In the evening, we discovered a hooch complex, and it was occupied! About two dozen MFVC were sitting around having class! Several seemed to be on guard, and the team pulled back. This was good to know. When the mission was about over, I planned to hit this place with an airstrike to keep attention away from my intended extraction LZ.
Day 3. We slunk up to the top of the hill we dubbed "the pimple". It wasn't really anything more than a lightly wodded knoll out in the middle of a sea of grass and scrub, and was the only featur that had elevation for a good ways around. The reality of it was that it was a really really exposed position and easily surrounded, but if they wanted us they'd have to come into the open to get us.
Up on the knoll we discovered and old trail and abandoned fighting positions. Obviously we weren't the first to think of this. In fact, a trio of .51s could easily cover everything we could see. Of course, there'd be no doubt as to where the fire came from, and the place makes a great and obvious target for bombs… So we settled in. The team had to be really spread out, with 2 men on the North and West sides. Another was on the east side to cover there and the south. Whoever was on radio watch would be in the middle, all within easy talking distance.
No sooner had we set in than the VC started showing up, just dittybopping down the trails. A whole Company traipsed through by midmorning, and we called in a SALUTE. Well, tried. Commo was so bad that we oculdn't get ahold of anyone. Not a good thing. So (using the upcoming freebie Improvised Antenna rules) we strung up a Tree Diapole antenna to make a call. Had there been more open space, I would have gone for something more complex… Anyways, we finally managed to get through. By days end (and having not moved the team from the gaming table for 34 turns) we counted a Company of MFVC, and another of NVA moving along the 3 trails, all headed South east into WZ C. Oddly, a whole squad was seen in the open, heading west in the evening. No idea where they were headed. We stayed on the knoll that night.
Day 4 found more NVA moving on the trails between tree clumps. We made 4 calls by noon, and that was probably our undoing. They had to have someone triangulating out position with RDF (radio direction finder, also in the upcoming frebie) equipment because more smaller groups of NVA started showing up, and moving deliberatly. After noon, one group came right up the trail towards us while another moved perpendicular to them along a treeline. The odds were 18 vs 6, and it was getting aweful cloudy.
More movement was spotted to the other side. I had moved over there to check it out, but the Cambode over there fired before I could stop him. It was long range for the M-2, but he managed to put 2 bad guys down. Then, as they say, the 
hit the fan. Lots of it!
Between me and the Cambode, the NVA on our side were kept at a distance. Their return fire was high and inaccurate, and they showed no sign of coming closer. The action heated up on the other side when a pair of NVA tried to charge our boys. One was killed, and the other went to ground not too far away. He sailed a grenade in, slightly wounding my ATL in the leg. A return grenade killed the NVA. When I got there, 4 more NVA were still on the trail in the grass, doing their best to not get killed. Didn't help though, as we killed 2 and put the other 2 OOF. Fire from the far treeline started coming in, and we had to duck down a bit. One of the 'bodes was knocked down, but I checked him and found nothing serious.
I got on the horn for some support, and artillery was soon coming in. It wasn't too effective, but it did keep some heads down. I estimated that perhaps 4-6 NVA were taken out by it, but it set up a good curtain to prevent reinforcement.
…or so I though! A MFVC platoon appeared, and apparently made it through the arty without much loss. They came on strong with accurate fire, forcing us down. I tried to adjust the arty, but no dice. It was getting really hot for us! Gunships arrived and started to work over the MFVC after the Arty shut off. That same Cambodian Striker was knocked down again, and again was mostly Ok, just shaken up.
Another platoon of NVA showed up, on our weak side.
It was time to go.
The team hussled off the knob unde cover of a gunship run, and headed north into the open trying to make for the center. We didn't need a Red Dog, as everyone could be seen. Fire poured in, and I was knocked silly. Luckily I wasn't hit, but the radio was toast! I had actually not brought a second PRC-25 this time, so we were down to our URC-10s, which have a short battery life under constant use.
Our extraction helo came in, and was driven off by fire. The second one came in, and it took some hits and had to leave with a wounded man. It was several minutes before another could get to us, during which we killed a trio of MFVC that managed to sneak up and toss a grenade in our little circle. It was scooped up and returned to sender, followed up by a quick charge by me and a full magazine from my M-2. Dumb thing to do, but I got away with it this time.
When the next helo came in, no fire greeted it, and we were off. The NVA and VC just watched us go. I guess they had enough of a pasting for one day.
Never did put that strike in on that class area…
It was a good mission. Lots of SP gained for the SALUTE calls, and all 6 of us were given pats on the back, as well as a week long in-country R&R (good mission result). How nice is that!
End
equips his Israeli recon unit.
