Toaw Scenario: Mort pour la Patrie 1951

Indochina,
January 13, 1951,

Viet Minh army of 47 units opposed to France army of 31 units
for a battle of complexity 0.54 at Battalion(II) level
on a 2.5 Km/Hex map
for 16 turns of Half Day each.

by Peter D'Adamo submited on 24-11-2002

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Briefing
'MORT POUR LA PATRIE' Day River Battles, # I: Vinh Yen First Indochina War, 1946-1954 Scenario by Peter D'Adamo (peter26@home.com) Version 1.1 Starting Turn: AM/1/13/51 Number of Turns: 12-16 Units: Platoon-Regiment BRIEFING: On January 13, 1951 General Giap launched his first attack on Vinh Yen, a key road junction about 25 miles northwest of Hanoi. The town was defended by two French Groupement Mobiles (the equivalent of an American RCT) each with three infantry battalions and and artillery battalion. Against this 6,000 man force Giap committed the 20,000 men of his 308th and 312th divisions. After some initial success, the Viet Minh were beaten back with terrible losses. Though the French were initially demoralized, de Lattre took personal command of the battle, flying into the town and launching the most intensive aerial bombardment of the war. De Lattre called in the two Morrocan battalions and a paratrooper battalion of GM2, and later, the complete GM1. The Viet Minh suffered terrible casualties- 6000 dead and 500 captured, but Giap was not deterred. De Lattre would soon be invalided back to France, suffering from terminal cancer, only to be replaced by the less daring Salan. Giap would take the time to refit in the Viet Bac stronghold and try again next year. ----------------------- FORCES: VIET MINH All Light Infantry: Light Blue on Tan 308 Infantry Div. (Vuong Thua Vu) 312 Infantry Div. (Le Trong Tan) 316 Infantry Div. (Le Quang Ba)* PAVN Elements: Dark Green on Tan Assorted Engineer and HW elements * Available as strategic option (see below) FRENCH UNION French Regular Units: White on Olive Colonial Units: Grey on Olive Vietnamese Units: Green on Olive Airborne Units: Black on Olive Catholic Militia: Green on Red Groupe Mobiles 1,2,3 Elements of GAP 1* All Dept of Hanoi air elements (off-board) One Carrier-based air element (off-board) * Available as strategic option (see below) ----------------------- DESIGNER NOTES: Playable from both sides, but probably a bit more enjoyable as the French player. VIET You must move fast to collapse resistance on the ring of hills around the town. You can expect to get pounded by air, but you needn't worry about garrisoning each objective as a small provost force will be released upon capture. Otherwise, you will not be re-inforced, and your supply situation is a bit problematic. You've got good troops, and they are surprisingly well-armed. As usual for Giap, don't worry too much about casualties. There is a chance that several of your specialist units will be withdrawn towards the end of the scenario: Make every move count! FRENCH Use your interior lines well. Historically the commander of GM3 rushed pell-mell to the rescue of his forward elements and got bushwhacked. Be careful. Let the Viet wear himself out on the plains south of the hill line where you can pound him with your overwhelming air power prior to launching counterattacks with the arriving reinforcements (GM1 and GM2). Use "Les Paras" of your parachute battalion (1BPC) to spearhead your counterattacks, followed with your armored squadrons. ----------------------- STRATEGIC OPTIONS: Each side has a strategic option which, if exercised, can potentially change the outcome of the battle. They are effected by moving the unit named "Strategic Option Counter" to the hex immediately adjacent to it. The French "Strategic Option Counter" activates on turn 4, the Viet on turn 6. Both are surrounded by non-playable hexes. Once you elect to exercise your option, several events are set into motion. Activating your option immediately gives 5 victory points to your opponent. You may of course, also elect to not exercise the option as well: DE LATTRE'S OPTION: GOOD NEWS: By moving the French option counter to the hex marked "Release GAP1" (Groupe Aero-Parachutistes) you will activate two airborne units which were historically used at Mao Khe instead. Both units, the 6th and 7th BPC (Batalion de Parachutistes Coloniale) are very powerful: The 6th was led by the legendary Marcel Bigeard, and was argumentatively the best French unit in the theatre. The units will airbus into Vinh Yen, and you have enough Junker 52 air transports to paradrop one of them if you wish. BAD NEWS: Because your airborne reserves are no longer available, the move allows the Viet 148th Independent Regiment to cut Route Coloniale 2 (Viet player gets 5 victory points). GIAP'S OPTION: GOOD NEWS: By moving the Viet option counter to the hex marked "Release 312 Div" you will activate the 98th Regiment of the 312th Infantry Division, which were historically used at Mao Khe instead. These are relatively raw units, though the 812th HW Battalion is battle tested. They will arrive somewhere on the Eastern side of the board. BAD NEWS: Because the 98 Regiment is no longer available to pin down French Reserves, the move allows the French forces to block Mao Khe, thus protecting their northern flank. (French player gets 5 victory points). NOTES: It is theoretically possible for the French player to use his airpower to destroy the Viet Strategic Option Counter Unit. However, unlike the French Option Counter, which is essentially a non-lethal unit, the Viet counter is a fully functional AA unit, which of course means that the French player will have to take some air loses in order to knock it out. Another factor to consider! ----------------------- SOURCES: Atlas of Vietnam War (Summers) Street Without Joy (Bernard Fall) Hell in a Very Small Place (Bernard Fall) Version 1.1 Changes 1. Changed several VM units to Commando designation to reflect use of "Intelligence Units" as infiltration formations. Foward deployments of Viet Minh modified slightly. 2. Changed visibiility to hazy. Changed French Theatre reconaisance to 4, from 6. 3. Changed event trigger for mobilization of Catholic Militia to hex closer to town. 4. Changed map type for Giap Option to "Release 316/98 Regiment" (Was erroneously labeled "Release 312 Division) 5. Changed "Strategic Option Penalty" to 7 VPs given to opponent (at this number the computer opponent will elect to play the option about 50% of the time.) 6. Fixed GAP1 strategic option bug which resulted in paratroopers starting in Hanoi instead of Vinh Yen. 7. Changed the title to the more correct 'Mort pour LA patrie'

Briefing

'MORT POUR LA PATRIE'
Day River Battles, # I: Vinh Yen
First Indochina War, 1946-1954

Scenario by Peter D'Adamo
(peter26@home.com)

Version 1.1
Starting Turn: AM/1/13/51
Number of Turns: 12-16
Units: Platoon-Regiment

BRIEFING:

On January 13, 1951 General Giap launched his first attack on Vinh Yen, a key road junction about 25 miles northwest of Hanoi. The town was defended by two French Groupement Mobiles (the equivalent of an American RCT) each with three infantry battalions and and artillery battalion. Against this 6,000 man force Giap committed the 20,000 men of his 308th and 312th divisions.

After some initial success, the Viet Minh were beaten back with terrible losses. Though the French were initially demoralized, de Lattre took personal command of the battle, flying into the town and launching the most intensive aerial bombardment of the war. De Lattre called in the two Morrocan battalions and a paratrooper battalion of GM2, and later, the complete GM1. The Viet Minh suffered terrible casualties- 6000 dead and 500 captured, but Giap was not deterred. De Lattre would soon be invalided back to France, suffering from terminal cancer, only to be replaced by the less daring Salan. Giap would take the time to refit in the Viet Bac stronghold and try again next year.

-----------------------

FORCES:

VIET MINH

All Light Infantry: Light Blue on Tan
308 Infantry Div. (Vuong Thua Vu)
312 Infantry Div. (Le Trong Tan)
316 Infantry Div. (Le Quang Ba)*

PAVN Elements: Dark Green on Tan
Assorted Engineer and HW elements

* Available as strategic option (see below)

FRENCH UNION

French Regular Units: White on Olive
Colonial Units: Grey on Olive
Vietnamese Units: Green on Olive
Airborne Units: Black on Olive
Catholic Militia: Green on Red

Groupe Mobiles 1,2,3
Elements of GAP 1*

All Dept of Hanoi air elements (off-board)
One Carrier-based air element (off-board)

* Available as strategic option (see below)

-----------------------

DESIGNER NOTES:

Playable from both sides, but probably a bit more enjoyable as the French player.

VIET

You must move fast to collapse resistance on the ring of hills around the town. You can expect to get pounded by air, but you needn't worry about garrisoning each objective as a small provost force will be released upon capture. Otherwise, you will not be re-inforced, and your supply situation is a bit problematic. You've got good troops, and they are surprisingly well-armed. As usual for Giap, don't worry too much about casualties. There is a chance that several of your specialist units will be withdrawn towards the end of the scenario: Make every move count!

FRENCH

Use your interior lines well. Historically the commander of GM3 rushed pell-mell to the rescue of his forward elements and got bushwhacked. Be careful. Let the Viet wear himself out on the plains south of the hill line where you can pound him with your overwhelming air power prior to launching counterattacks with the arriving reinforcements (GM1 and GM2). Use "Les Paras" of your parachute battalion (1BPC) to spearhead your counterattacks, followed with your armored squadrons.

-----------------------

STRATEGIC OPTIONS:

Each side has a strategic option which, if exercised, can potentially change the outcome of the battle. They are effected by moving the unit named "Strategic Option Counter" to the hex immediately adjacent to it. The French "Strategic Option Counter" activates on turn 4, the Viet on turn 6. Both are surrounded by non-playable hexes. Once you elect to exercise your option, several events are set into motion. Activating your option immediately gives 5 victory points to your opponent. You may of course, also elect to not exercise the option as well:

DE LATTRE'S OPTION:

GOOD NEWS: By moving the French option counter to the hex marked "Release GAP1" (Groupe Aero-Parachutistes) you will activate two airborne units which were historically used at Mao Khe instead. Both units, the 6th and 7th BPC (Batalion de Parachutistes Coloniale) are very powerful: The 6th was led by the legendary Marcel Bigeard, and was argumentatively the best French unit in the theatre. The units will airbus into Vinh Yen, and you have enough Junker 52 air transports to paradrop one of them if you wish. BAD NEWS: Because your airborne reserves are no longer available, the move allows the Viet 148th Independent Regiment to cut Route Coloniale 2 (Viet player gets 5 victory points).

GIAP'S OPTION:

GOOD NEWS: By moving the Viet option counter to the hex marked "Release 312 Div" you will activate the 98th Regiment of the 312th Infantry Division, which were historically used at Mao Khe instead. These are relatively raw units, though the 812th HW Battalion is battle tested. They will arrive somewhere on the Eastern side of the board. BAD NEWS: Because the 98 Regiment is no longer available to pin down French Reserves, the move allows the French forces to block Mao Khe, thus protecting their northern flank. (French player gets 5 victory points).

NOTES:

It is theoretically possible for the French player to use his airpower to destroy the Viet Strategic Option Counter Unit. However, unlike the French Option Counter, which is essentially a non-lethal unit, the Viet counter is a fully functional AA unit, which of course means that the French player will have to take some air loses in order to knock it out. Another factor to consider!

-----------------------

SOURCES:

Atlas of Vietnam War (Summers)
Street Without Joy (Bernard Fall)
Hell in a Very Small Place (Bernard Fall)

Version 1.1 Changes

1. Changed several VM units to Commando designation to reflect use of "Intelligence Units" as infiltration formations. Foward deployments of Viet Minh modified slightly.
2. Changed visibiility to hazy. Changed French Theatre reconaisance to 4, from 6.
3. Changed event trigger for mobilization of Catholic Militia to hex closer to town.
4. Changed map type for Giap Option to "Release 316/98 Regiment" (Was erroneously labeled "Release 312 Division)
5. Changed "Strategic Option Penalty" to 7 VPs given to opponent (at this number the computer opponent will elect to play the option about 50% of the time.)
6. Fixed GAP1 strategic option bug which resulted in paratroopers starting in Hanoi instead of Vinh Yen.
7. Changed the title to the more correct 'Mort pour LA patrie'