Editor in Chief Bill | 29 Mar 2022 8:59 p.m. PST |
The outnumbered defenders of Khe Sanh beat back repeated attacks and withstood continual shelling in defense of the isolated combat base and nearby hills… USNI: link |
deadhead | 30 Mar 2022 11:23 a.m. PST |
Fascinating to compare this with the seemingly similar siege of Dien Bien Phu, 15 years earlier. Obviously the air support was now massively greater, but air supply became tricky at times, relying on drops rather than landings. Dien Bien Phu being in a valley, overlooked by enemy artillery, did not help. But I remember watching the BBC News, night after night, fearing that history was repeating itself. |
Old Glory | 30 Mar 2022 4:26 p.m. PST |
It is much easier to be "tenacious" when you are fighting for your very survival. Russ Dunaway USMC -- 1967- 1973 |
Wolfshanza | 31 Mar 2022 10:13 p.m. PST |
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Wolfhag | 01 Apr 2022 3:48 p.m. PST |
Capt. Dabney was married to Chesty Pullers daughter. Talk about pressure. What is often overlooked in history and war games is the hill battles around Khe Sanh. It sounds like the Marine version of Hamburger Hill. An entire platoon went up first and only one guy made it back down. One of my DI's was on the hill the entire battle. PDF link Wolfhag |
Bismarck | 04 Apr 2022 5:01 p.m. PST |
Wolfhag, Most people do not realize that we suffered more casualties in the '67 hill fights than during the 77 day battle. Same with the casualties as we left the base in April. I missed serving under then Capt. Dabney by about 6 weeks. He had been H&S Co. CO prior to taking command of India Company. Yeah, talk about pressure. can't imagine being Puller's son-in-law. Glad I spent that time inside the Red Sector and not on the hills. Sam |
Bismarck | 06 Apr 2022 6:16 a.m. PST |
Wolfhag, Thanks for the link. I have read Valley of Decision, and Hamill's two books, but this monograph by Dick Camp is concise, and does great coverage. Still reading it. Thanks again. Semper Fi, Sam |
Choctaw | 19 Apr 2022 10:46 a.m. PST |
Thanks for the link, Wolfhag! |
Wolfhag | 20 Apr 2022 11:34 a.m. PST |
You're welcome. Has anyone gamed this out? Wolfhag |
Blutarski | 25 Apr 2022 3:30 p.m. PST |
Hi Wolfhag, I agree with Sam. That Camp PDF is very, very good. B
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Blutarski | 25 Apr 2022 3:52 p.m. PST |
Wolfhag wrote – "Has anyone gamed this out?" Not the entire Khe Sanh battle, but we once did a fairly good-sized Route 9 convoy ambush scenario (WRG 1950-1975 rules). A small battalion of NVA with mortar AA HMG and RR AT sections versus a convoy of about 30 trucks escorted by an armoredinfantry company in M113s plus a platoon of M48s and a couple of M42 Dusters. Road through a steep wooded overgrown valley approaching a small stream with a single lane culvert bridge. The NVA mortars were pre-registered on the road; the NVA AT RRs were on the other side of the stream with a company of infantry covering the bridge; an NVA company was on each slope of the valley with RPG teams dug into the roadside ditches, all backed up by AA HMGs flanking the road. The convoy got well waxed and were in big trouble until the air support finally arrived. At that point the NVA ceased fire and disappeared. You'd think they had planned it that way. Very educational. B |
Wolfhag | 26 Apr 2022 4:58 a.m. PST |
Was that part of Operation Pegasus? Wolfhag |
Blutarski | 26 Apr 2022 8:59 a.m. PST |
Hi Wolfhag, No relation to Operation Pegasus, but "thematically" related to the siege of Khe Sanh. My friend and I put the scenario together after being inspired by Bernard Fall's account of the destruction of the French Groupe Mobile 100 by serial ambushes during the First Indochina War. We just kind of updated the timeline because we had a lot of 60's Cold War vehicles on hand. This was around 1980, before my VN library program really got under way. I was playing the convoy. My friend played the NVA and got ample revenge for a previous Battle of Ap Bac scenario in which my VC force tore up his RVN attack by deploying on a different part of the battle map and waiting until nightfall to sucker him into attacking my entrenched position along a nearby stream/treeline. Another interesting scenario. B |