FNG 2nd Tour Campaign - Intro and 1st Mission

Long time between posts but I'm ressurecting this blog to record our 20mm Vietnam campaign using Two-Hour Wargame's FNG 2nd Tour ruleset. This campaign will feature several different players so we decided on a Cooperative format, running multiple missions per Campaign Turn (bi-monthly).

Our beleagured Platoon led by Lt. Steele (Competent hardass with a Rep of 5) belongs to the 4th Infantry Division, 2nd Brigade, operating in II Corps. Generating our HQ section and 1st Squad we ended up with a variety of Reps. This session in particular featured 2 Stars in 1st Squad:

Sgt. Cooper
Rep: 5
Attributes: Swimmer, Nerves of Steel
DEROS: 7

Pfc. Samuel
M60 Gunner
Rep: 5
Attributes: Born Leader, Agile
DEROS: 7

The rest of the squad was built as follows:
Corporal Tyrene (Rep 5, Crackshot, DEROS 5)
Private Thump - M79 (Rep 5, Stealthy, DEROS 7)
Private McDonald - M79 (Rep 3, Hard As Nails, DEROS 12)
Private Jonesy (Rep 3, Shortsighted, DEROS 10)
Private Yardbird (Rep 3, Marksman, DEROS 7)

Spoiler - don't get too attached.

We picked up on June 8th, making enemy contact in our first bi-monthly campaign turn. Our mission ended up being in the Coastal AO. An ARVN unit operating not far from our FSB had come in contact with the enemy - suffering heavy casualties. Hunkering down near a small village, they awaited extraction by helos. Our squad was air-lifted in where several bodies were evac'd. 5 wounded remained and our 1st squad was baby-sitting. We set up in a hooch near a clearing that would serve as our LZ.

Sgt. Coop, Samuel, and Jonsey set up in a hooch overlooking the clearing

Things started off bad and just got worse. Support Assets assigned to the mission were nil as our Support Level was a 1 (ouch). This meant calling in any type of support would cost us 7 VPs minimum and even contacting the support could be problematic. Even worse, the Enemy Activity Level (EAL) in the area was 5! This was going to be a rough go for our first mission and introduction to FNG.

We huddled the wounded together and prepared for a long afternoon waiting for the damn choppers.



It did not take long for the enemy to swarm our position. Cpl. Tyrene and Mcdonald setup in a forward position and would make contact with the enemy first. The first PEF encountered turned out to be nothing but an animal rustling in the bushes, and the second was an enemy constructed log bunker which appeared abandoned. When the third PEF moved into LOS on the third turn our boys shit their fatigues. A wall of Charlie appeared at the edge of the bamboo grove, and all hell broke loose.

After a massive exchange of fire, casualties litter both sides.

The MFVC platoon returns fire with unrelenting fury

We gave them hell but they tore us up bad. As American blood stained the grass, we were forced to book it out of the LZ on foot as we could not wait for the Hueys. GI KIAs would include:

-Cpl Tyrene
-Thump
-Mcdonald
-Yardbird

With half the squad exterminated and the mission a complete failure, morale was low. Going on a bender back at base, word would eventually reach 1st Squad that command was so enraged with the Platoon's performance that Lt. Steele was being reassigned. Not a proud day for the United States Military.