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Dodge
City: 20 November - 9 December 1968.
36th NVA Regiment versus
US Marines
Historical Background
Though their three major offensives of 1968 had been battlefield
disasters for the Communists, they had managed to infiltrate and
gain influence in hundreds of small villages throughout the
countryside. To bring those villages back under government control,
an "Accelerated Pacification Campaign" was started by the South
Vietnamese in November of 1968. The U.S. Marines supported this
program in their area of tactical responsibility with Operation
Meade River. The Marines proposed to surround and search a 36 square
kilometers area south of Da Nang called ‘Dodge City’, infamous as a
haven and staging area for Communist units in the area.
On 20 November, seven Marine battalions began to move into their
assigned positions around the designated perimeter. The plan of
battle was simple; close the noose and attack any enemy units
flushed out by the sweep. While civilians were being cleared from
the area, the Marines came upon the first of three major bunker
complexes they would discover before the termination of the
operation. On 20 November elements of the 1st Marine Division ran
into trouble in an area of Dodge City called ‘The Horseshoe’ because
of a large bend in an adjacent stream. Heavy fire from the bunkers
occupied by the disciplined 3rd Battalion, 36th NVA Regiment forced
the Marines to pull back. It would take five more attempts by
Marines with heavy air and artillery support over the next four days
to take the Horseshoe complex. The NVA withdrew from the Horseshoe
on 25 November, but since they could not escape the Marine
perimeter, they fought on. On 1 December in an area known as ‘The
Hook’ at a bend in the Suoi Co Ca River the Marines discovered
another fully manned and well-fortified bunker complex. Again, the
Marines pulled back and let the air and artillery reduce the
stronghold. On 5 December they took it easily after a severe
pounding from their supporting arms. Finally, on 6 December the
Marines discovered the last organized remnants of the NVA battalion
in another strong position they named ‘The Northern Bunker Complex’.
After a failed assault on 7 December, the Marine artillery and air
support again pounded the NVA in preparation for the final infantry
assault on 8 December. That assault carried the position easily and
Operation Meade River terminated on 9 December. The Marines took
high casualties but in turn decimated the ranks and the support
infrastructure of the NVA and VC units in ‘Dodge City’.
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Mission Length: up to 90 minutes.
Battlefield: Urban
Rules: All weapons are on
limited ammo and have modern sound effects.
For a bunker to be considered captured all NVA in the bunker
(building) must be eliminated
US Forces:
The US forces can deploy on
the North, East or South map edge. The West map edge (high school
buildings side) is assumed to be the river and is impassable to both
sides.
The mission objective for the Marines to take control of all 3 enemy
strongpoints. Due to logistical constraints, Marine replacements
come one squad at a time from the south map edge. All currently dead
marines are replaced at the 20 minute mark, 40 minute mark and the
60 minute mark. Replacements cannot be retained, they must be used
immediately or are lost.
Also available to the Marines is one Artillery and one Air Strike.
The effect of each of these is to reduce all troops currently in a
targeted bunker by 1 hit point. Artillery takes 5 minutes to arrive
from the time it’s called in and the Air Strike takes 10 minutes to
arrive.
Marines are well supplied with M60’s and M16’s and therefore Marines
get first choice of equipment for this mission and can include 2 x
Morita’s and all the Pulse Rifles. Thompson’s are also available
represented by Berserkers and Spitfires. If more equipment is
required, combat rifles (with the sound on full) can be take to fill
the role of M16’s. No Claymores are available.
4 hit points each.
Capturing one bunker 50 VP, capturing two bunkers 150 VP, capturing
all 3 bunkers 300 VP. Every Marine Replacement used subtract 5 VP.
The special rule is Marines deploy first and then must stand looking
away from the field while the NVA deploy.
NVA Forces:
The NVA can setup
secretly in any 3 buildings (considered a large bunker and fortified
building system) any where in the battlefield. Players must move
with the referee assigned to the NVA in a group and drop off players
into each building to be occupied, the players once dropped cannot
move from that building.
The special rule for this mission is that any NVA that dies can move
to another bunker currently controlled by the NVA and get a
replacement. Once a bunker has been lost, it cannot be re-captured
and NVA may not move again into that building. NVA due major US
presence including air and artillery support cannot move between
bunkers while alive except between two occupied bunkers that have
total overhead cover the whole way. If an NVA soldier dies or elect
to die, he/she can move to a currently controlled bunker and take a
replacement. A maximum of 2 x number of players in the team can be
taken as replacements. Any NVA soldier found in any open ground or
in any building not currently controlled will be killed off by the
referees.
A bunker/building is defined as the block itself and any connecting
undercover areas that go to another building but does not include
any other buildings.
All NVA receive 4 hit points, very experienced veterans and can be
armed with RPK (Moritas), AK47’s (Pulse and Combat Rifles) and also
Thompsons (Spitfires), although it should be noted the US Marines
get first choice of equipment. Up to 2 Claymore mines which can be
replaced at any controlled bunker/building is assigned to the NVA.
If you can hold onto any bunkers at all after 90 minutes, you get
150 VP plus 5 VP for any survivors. Add 50 VP for each additional
bunker held.
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