1

The Vietnamese forces rush to close off LZ X-ray.

B3 Front in VietnamWhen the Peoples Army of Vietnam (PAVN) decided on the Plei Me Campaign against the arriving US Army forces, they placed some of their most experienced regiments in the Western Highland Front (codenamed B3 Front) under the command of Thượng Tá (Senior Lieutenant Colonel) Nguyễn Hữu An. The goal of the campaign was to fight the US Army and the South Vietnamese Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) on ground favourable to the PAVN and in doing so destroy five or six companies of the enemy.

Lieutenant Colonel An’s forces in the B3 Front consisted of the 33rd, 66th, and 320th Regiments of the PAVN and the H-15 battalion of the Viet Cong. The 33rd Regiment was formed from the survivors of two regiments that came south in mid to late 1965 as the second (101B) and third (101C) incarnations of the 101st ‘Trần Cao Vân’ Regiment (named for a Vietnamese freedom fighter) of the 325th ‘Bình Trị Thiên’ Division (named for a province near Hue). The 320th Regiment had been formed in 1964 and sent to B3 Front. These were joined by the 66th ‘Ký Con’ Regiment, the first part of the 304th ‘Vinh Quang’ (Glory) Division to arrive in the south.

Both the 304th and 325th Divisions dated back to the Indochina War against the French in the 1950’s. They were some of the PAVN’s most experienced units. Unfortunately their heavy support, 14.5mm heavy anti-aircraft machine-guns and 120mm mortars, was still in transit from the north, so the infantry regiments had to fight with only their own light weapons.

The operation started when the 33rd Regiment attacked the ARVN base at Plei Me on 19 October, 1965. The 320th Regiment

then ambushed the expected ARVN relief force on 23 October. However, the cost had been high. US air strikes were far heavier than the PAVN had expected and caused heavy casualties and disrupted communications.

When the US 1st Brigade (Airmobile) arrived at Pleiku on 26 October, B3 Front ended the siege of Plei Me and ordered both regiments back to their base in the Ia Drang Valley. The 1st Brigade hounded 33rd Regiment all the way, and by 9 November, when the US 3rd Brigade (Airmobile) took over the pursuit, the Vietnamese regiment had been reduced to half of its authorised strength, at the cost to the Americans of 59 dead and 196 wounded in the process.

The 66th Regiment arrived at the Front headquarters on the Chu Pong Massif after a forced march on 10 November. It’s 7th (K-7) Battalion bivouacked with regimental headquarters on the southeastern face. The 8th (K-8) Battalion dug in nearly 8 miles (13 km) away in the Ia Drang Valley, while the 9th (K-9) Battalion occupied the eastern face.

Four days later, on 14 November, the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry landed in a clearing less than a mile (1 km) from the K-9 Battalion, starting the Battle of Ia Drang. As the leading American troops advanced on their positions, C-11, the 11th Company, counterattacked. C-13 and the battalion headquarters soon joined the fight, holding off the Americans until they pulled back around 1700. The K-7 and K-9 Battalions continued to launch attacks over the next two days, but were unable to dislodge the Cavalry.

K-8 was due to attack on the morning of 17 November to finish off what was believed to be a single crippled battalion. Instead, they ran into the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry marching to LZ Albany. Setting a hasty ambush, they inflicted the heaviest losses suffered by the Cavalry in the war to date. They lost 155 dead and 121 wounded, but counted 403 Vietnamese bodies on the battlefield.

The Vietnamese success was too little, too late. B3 Front was forced to disengage. They had killed 305 Americans and wounded another 524, nearly five companies, in 35 days, but the cost had been high with the 33rd Regiment completely gutted, the 320th Regiment forced to withdraw to Cambodia, and the 66th Regiment destroyed.

Code Formation Leader Rank

F Sư Đoàn Division F Trưởng Đại Tá Major General

E Trung Đoàn Regiment E Trưởng Trung Tá Lieutenant Colonel

D Tiểu Đoàn Battalion D Trưởng Thiếu Tá Major

C Đại Đội Company C Trưởng Đại Úy Captain

B Trung Đội Platoon B Trưởng Trung Úy Lieutenant

A Tiểu Đội Squad A Trưởng Thiếu Úy Junior Lieutenant

Vietnamese Formations and Ranks

2

B3 Front in Vietnam Centralised ControlThe communist government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam emphasises conformity and obedience in its citizens and soldiers. Soldiers are indoctrinated and very politically aware, but relatively poorly trained in tactics by Western standards. Their attacks tend to be centrally planned and controlled with their lack of communications technology hindering their flexibility.

An Infantry Battalion uses the Centralised Control rule on page 180 of the rulebook. Their companies operate as platoons and their battalion as a company.

Quality of QuantityMost North Vietnamese soldiers are committed to liberating the South from the horrors of Capitalism. Their commissars lecture them on politics and they undertake self-criticism sessions in their three-man cells and squads motivating them to a do or die approach summed up in the popular inscription ‘Born in the North to die in the South’.

An Infantry Battalion uses the Quality of Quantity rule on page 182 of the rulebook making them very difficult to pin down.

Guerilla WarfareAlthough they are regular soldiers from the People’s Army of Vietnam, the soldiers of B3 Front fight as well-organised guerillas. They emerge from hiding to strike at isolated garrisons and convoys, attempting to overrun them before help can arrive. When faced with overwhelming force, they vanish in to jungle, preparing to strike again.

The Vietnamese player may hold all but one of the platoons (Vietnamese companies) that would normally be deployed on the table, and all platoons (Vietnamese companies) that would be held in Reserve, Delayed Reserve, or Scattered Reserve in Guerilla Reserve instead. In missions like Hot LZ where the Vietnamese player starts the game with no platoons on table, all of their platoons (Vietnamese companies) are held in Guerilla Reserve.

Platoons (Vietnamese companies) held in Guerilla Reserve are treated as being in Reserve (if in Reserves or Scattered Reserves) or Delayed Reserve, except that they do not arrive from reserve in the usual location.

When a platoon (Vietnamese company) arrives from reserve, the Vietnamese player divides the table into quarters and numbers them from 1 to 4. They then roll a die to determine where the platoon is deployed.

On a roll of 1 to 4, deploy the platoon (Vietnamese company) on the table in the table quarter corresponding to the die roll.

On a roll of 5, deploy the platoon (Vietnamese company) in any table quarter that contains an objective placed by the Vietnamese player.

On a roll of 6, deploy the platoon (Vietnamese company) in any table quarter.

Troops arriving from Guerilla Reserve must be placed at least 12”/30cm from all enemy teams (not counting helicopters). If there is insufficient space to deploy the troops in the rolled table quarter, the player may select another quarter to deploy in instead.

Arriving troops can choose to move or remain stationary in their Movement Step as normal.

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Born in the North to Die in the SouthLacking heavy weapons and sophisticated infrastructure, the People’s Army often resorted to numbers in an attempt to defeat the opposition. In a large battle like Ia Drang, additional companies and battalions were fed into the fighting as they arrived.

When a Vietnamese Infantry Company is Destroyed, it is placed in Guerilla Reserve as if it were a new company. When it arrives from reserve, the company will return to battle using the Guerilla Warfare special rule above.

If a Vietnamese Infantry Company is too badly battered to continue fighting, the Vietnamese player may choose to withdraw it and place it in Guerilla Reserve in the Starting Step just before taking Company Morale Checks (after any Sole Survivor Motivation Tests). If they do this, they must take a Motivation Test for the Infantry Company.

If they pass the Motivation Test, the Infantry Company is not Destroyed, simply removed from the table.

Otherwise, the Infantry Company is Destroyed and removed from the table.

Either way, the company is placed in Guerilla Reserve ready to return as reinforcements.

While all teams that are a permanent part of an Infantry Company (its AK47 Assault Rifle teams, B40 teams, and Type 58 LMG teams) return with it, attached teams (such as HQ Support Weapons from the Battalion HQ) do not return with the Infantry Company. They are permanently Destroyed when the Infantry Company is Destroyed or removed to be placed in Guerilla Reserve.

Remember, a company (Vietnamese battalion) is below half strength when it has had more platoons (Vietnamese companies) Destroyed than it still has on the table (see page 118 of the rulebook). Destroyed Infantry Companies add to the total number of Destroyed platoons (Vietnamese companies), and an Infantry Company can be Destroyed again after returning to the table.

ExampleAn Infantry Battalion has two Infantry Companies, a Mortar Company and a Recoilless Gun Company on the table. It has already had one Infantry Company and the Sapper Company Destroyed. In the enemy turn they lose the remaining two Infantry Companies.

At the start of their next turn, they will be below half strength as they now have four platoons (Vietnamese companies) Destroyed, but only two remaining on table and will need to take a Company Morale Check. Assuming they pass it, they will fight on.

They now receive two of the Destroyed Infantry Companies back as reserves. Assuming they do not lose any more platoons (Vietnamese companies) in their and the enemy turn, they will not need to take a Company Morale Check in the next turn as they are no longer below half strength having four platoons (Vietnamese Companies) Destroyed, but now having four on the table.

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Vietnamese Special Rules

3

batallion HQ

D Truong

D Truong

HQ Section

Company Command AK47 Assault Rifle team

2iC Command AK47 Assault Rifle team

B Truong

Machine-gun Platoon

Type 57 HMG Type 57 HMG Type 57 HMG

B Truong

gun Platoon

Type 52 75mm recoilless guns

Type 52 75mm recoilless guns

Type 52 75mm recoilless guns

B Truong

mortar Platoon

Type 53 82mm mortar

Type 53 82mm mortar

Type 53 82mm mortar

INFaNtRy

Infantry Company

INFaNtRy

Infantry Company4

4

tieu Đoàn Bo Binh—Infantry Battalion

Headquarters

Battalion HQ 30 points

OptionsAddType57HMGteamsfor+30pointsperteam.AddType5275mmrecoillessgunsfor+25pointspergun.AddType5382mmmortarsfor+25pointspermortar.

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HEaDQUaRtERS

Battalion HQ

(Infantry Company)

Com

bat

Com

pan

ies

Hea

dq

ua

rter

s

Wea

pon

s C

om

pan

ies

HEaDQUaRtERS

Battalion HQ

INFaNtRy

Infantry Company

aRtIllERy

Recoilless Gun Company

aRtIllERy

Mortar Company

INFaNtRy

Infantry Company

An Infantry Battalion must field a Battalion HQ and two or three Infantry Companies. It may also field one Weapons Company from each box shown (Infantry, Artillery, Anti-aircraft).

INFaNtRy

Infantry Company

The basic unit of the PAVN is an infantry battalion called a Tiểu Đoàn Bộ Binh (pronounced tee-eh-oo daw-an boh bin), or just a Tiểu Đoàn, a battalion. The battalion commander is a Thiếu Tá or Major, but is usually referred to in typical revolutionary fashion as a D Trưởng or D Leader (after the code for a battalion, ‘D’).

Heavy Machine-guns (HMG)The machine-gun platoon is armed with Chinese-made Type 57, copies of the Soviet SGM heavy machine-gun.

Type 57 HMG teams use the Heavy Machine-guns (HMG) rule on page 90 of the rulebook. As HQ Support Weapons they, along with the recoilless guns and mortars, can be attached to Infantry Companies using the rules on page 184 of the rulebook.

Anti-air Platoon

Anti-air Platoon

INFaNtRy

Sapper Company

aNtI-aIRCRaFt

aNtI-aIRCRaFt

34 5

54

5

55

6

4

Reluctant

confident

feaRless

conscRipt

tRained

VeteRan

infantry company

C Truong

B Truong

infantry platoon

C Truong

HQ Section

Command AK47 Assault Rifle team

B Truong

infantry platoon

B Truong

infantry platoon

B40 team

B40 team

AK47 Assault Rifle team

AK47 Assault Rifle team

AK47 Assault Rifle team

AK47 Assault Rifle team

B40 team

B40 team

Type 58 LMG team

AK47 Assault Rifle team

AK47 Assault Rifle team

AK47 Assault Rifle team

AK47 Assault Rifle team

B40 team

B40 teamType 58 LMG team

B40 team

AK47 Assault Rifle team

AK47 Assault Rifle team

AK47 Assault Rifle team

AK47 Assault Rifle team

B40 team

B40 team

Type 58 LMG team

Overwhelming numbers push the Americans back.

Combat platoons

Infantry companyPlatoon

HQSectionwith:

3 Infantry Platoons 470 points2 Infantry Platoons 320 points1 Infantry Platoon 170 points

OptionAddType58LMGteamsfor+30pointsperteam.•

The bộ đội, foot soldiers, are the core of the infantry companies. As the troops of B3 Front are some of the best in the PAVN, they have an almost equal mix of the newer AK47 assault rifles and older SKS carbines. The squad automatic weapon is the RPD machine-gun, a modernised, belt-fed version of the WWII-era DP ‘record player’ machine-gun. Each squad also contains a B40 rocket launcher, a Chinese copy of the Soviet RPG-2.

Noting the success of Chinese bayonet charges in driving the US forces back into South Korea, the Vietnamese have practised bayonet tactics. Every soldier is eager to kill Americans and close and use their bayonet to great effect.

light Machine-guns (lMG)The company’s tenth squad had three Type 58 light machine-guns. These were either allocated out to platoons or centralised under company command.

Type 58 LMG teams use the Light Machine-guns (LMG) special rule on page 90 of the rulebook. This allows them to fire at ROF 2 when Pinned Down, but stops them from firing if they move.

The People’s Republic of Vietnam values its soldiers, unlike the Capitalists who spend their soldiers’ lives like they spend money. The soldiers of the People’s Republic are well trained and dedicated to the liberation of their brothers in the south. An Infantry Battalion is rated as FearlessTrained.

5

recoilless gun company

C Truong

B Truong

gun platoon

Type 52 75mm recoilless gun

Type 52 75mm recoilless gun

Type 52 75mm recoilless gun

C Truong

HQ Section

Command AK47 Assault Rifle team

B Truong

gun platoon

Type 52 75mm recoilless gun

Type 52 75mm recoilless gun

Type 52 75mm recoilless gun

mortar company

C Truong

B Truong

mortar platoon

Type 53 82mm mortar

Type 53 82mm mortar

Type 53 82mm mortar

C Truong

HQ Section

CommandAK47 Assault Rifle team

ObserverAK47 Assault Rifle team

B Truong

mortar platoon

Type 53 82mm mortar

Type 53 82mm mortar

Type 53 82mm mortar

anti-air platoon

B Truong

B Truong

anti-air platoon

Command AK47 Assault Rifle team

Type 54 12.7mm AA MG

Type 54 12.7mm AA MG

Type 54 12.7mm AA MG

anti-air platoonPlatoon

3x Type 54 12.7mm AA MG 70 points

Anti-air Platoons are an exception to the Centralised Control special rule. They operate as normal platoons.

An Anti-air Platoon never counts as a Platoon on table for Company Morale Checks.

Weapons platoons

Recoilless gun companyPlatoon

HQSectionwith:

6x Type 52 75mm recoilless guns 160 points3x Type 52 75mm recoilless guns 85 points

Mortar companyPlatoon

HQSectionwith:

6x Type 53 82mm mortars 170 points3x Type 53 82mm mortars 100 points

OptionAdd Observer AK47 Assault Rifle team for +15points.

The Mortar Company may be held off table using the Across the Volga special rule on page 225 of the rulebook. Only the Observer team appears on table.

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Recoilless GunsThe Type 52 recoilless rifle is a copy of an American M20 75mm recoilless rifle captured in Korea.

Type 52 recoilless guns use the Recoilless Guns rule on page 167 of the rulebook. This means that they are not Concealed when they fire.

The regimental mortar company uses the Type 53 82mm mortar, a Chinese-made copy of the old, but very reliable, Soviet 82-BM-37 battalion mortar. Unusually, this weapon can fire US 81mm mortar rounds at a pinch, although the American mortar cannot fire its rounds. This comes in handy when ammunition is running low.

Every infantry regiment has a company of recoilless guns to give heavy support. Their heavy shells make short work of everything from machine-guns to armoured personnel carriers.

The regimental anti-aircraft company has three platoons of Type 54 machine-guns, copies of the old Soviet DShK.

6

sapper company

C Truong

B Truong

sapper platoon

PioneerAK47 Assault

Rifle team

PioneerAK47 Assault

Rifle team

PioneerAK47 Assault

Rifle team

C Truong

HQ Section

Command AK47 Assault Rifle team

B40 team

B Truong

sapper platoon

B Truong

sapper platoon

PioneerAK47 Assault

Rifle team

PioneerAK47 Assault

Rifle team

PioneerAK47 Assault

Rifle team

B40 team

PioneerAK47 Assault

Rifle team

PioneerAK47 Assault

Rifle team

PioneerAK47 Assault

Rifle team

B40 team

12.7mm AA score a hit on a low flying Hog.

PaVN arsenalTeam Mobility Range ROF Anti-tank Firepower Notes

Infantry teamsAK47 Assault Rifle team Infantry 8”/20cm 2 1 6 Full ROF when moving.

B40 rocket launcher Infantry 8”/20cm 1 9 4+

Gun teamsType 58 LMG Man-packed 16”/40cm 5 2 6 ROF 2 when Pinned Down.

Type 57 HMG Man-packed 24”/60cm 6 2 6 ROF 2 when Pinned Down.

Type 53 82mm mortar Man-packed 40”/100cm - 2 6

Type 52 75mm recoilless gun Man-packed 24”/60cm 2 9 3+ Recoilless gun.

Type 54 12.7mm AA MG Man-packed 16”/40cm 4 4 5+ Anti-aircraft. Turntable.

additional training and equipmentPioneer teams are rated as Tank Assault 3.

Sapper companyPlatoon

HQSectionwith:

3 Sapper Platoons 235 points2 Sapper Platoons 160 points1 Sapper Platoon 90 points

The Sapper Company does not use the Born in the North to Die in the South special rule.

The regimental sapper company gives the E Trưởng, the regimental commander, an assault force that can break into fortified positions like the ARVN base at Plei Me. They train hard for each mission, learning the enemy’s weaknesses and the best way to penetrate the defences.

They use DH-10 directional mines, bangalore torpedoes, wirecutters and even ladders to blast routes through the enemy defences or climb over and crawl under them.

In the open field these valuable troops are used to protect the headquarters area and as a reserve. They are only committed when the situation gets desperate.