After positioning his forces, Giap unleashed hell upon the unsuspecting Tabors and Partisans at sunset on Ma7 27. Mortars and 75mm howitzers (American-made) pummeled the base. Bunkers were smashed (in fact all six were destroyed!) while 2/3 MMG; 1/3 LMG; the 81mm mortar and one of two 60mm mortars were also smashed! Only the Bastion at the NW of the Post and the Bunker on Nord were not eliminated. For two days and nights the guns roared. The French had never experienced anything like it before. This was a new war, a new enemy. The The French Expeditionary Force was not prepared! The hand-drawn map showing DongKhe. The light dashed lines show what fits on the 4'x6' table. 
The actual assault waves climbed up the northern face of the subpost Nord and the sappers moved forward with their bangalore torpedoes...
The wire is blown and the Viets charge through. Only one Viet is hit (Shaken-Yellow Pin), but he unfortunately is the second sapper...
Turn 2: The wire is blown near the bastion. Defensive fire causes two VM to become Shaken...
At Nord, one Tabor goes down but so do three VM...
Over near the Citadel, a second Viet Minh battalion begins their assault and they take two casualties...
As the Viets storm trough the gap in the wire, The French get lucky and get to activate the troops in the Bastion twice...
On top of Nord, there remains only a single Moroccan, but he is making the VM pay...
The Viets north of the Citadel are having difficulties, including not getting enough activations as the 'Coffee Break' card (which ends the turn) keeps coming up early...
Back at the Bastion, the VM bring up a bazooka which scores a direct hit. Unfortunately for the Viets, the Moroccan LMG survives with only minor wounds (which enables him to keep fighting). A courageous Viet throws his body on more wire to allow his compatriots to cross into the interior of DongKhe (upper center)..
The Viets close-assault the Bastion and the last Moroccan goes down!
The remaining Moroccan on Nord decides the better part of valor to to withdraw. He survives the first VM fire as he starts don the slope (left edge)...
The Viets are still stuck north of the Citadel and are taking additional casualties...
Additional VM troops pour past the Bastion but are taking casualties from the Partisans (upper left) and more Moroccans (upper right). Fortunately for the Viets, the Moroccan platoon in that position have lost their commander and so will not do anything other than defend themselves...
The VM near the Citadel are frustrated, with the third turn w/o activation!
The Viets' second company near the Bastion begins (finally!) to move up while the assault company continues to take losses...
The four Moroccans on the north slope of the Citadel are punishing the VM with heavy losses and here too the support company has not moved forward...
The assault company remains basically pinned down as the Partisan fire is heavy and accurate...
The assault company at the foot of the Citadel makes a move around the hill, but is now taking fire from the Partisans as well...
Near the Bastion, the second company approaches while a VM sapper attacks the next bunker along the west perimeter Top right) . But the satchel refuses to go off (a roll of 1 on 6x die)!
At the Citadel, the second company finally arrives (as well as mortars and MMG on the slopes of Nord! The assault company finally gets some of its on fore down on the Moroccans above them...
At the Bastion, the assault company still struggles to bring the Partisans under effective fire, even with 75mm and 81mm ranging in. The secod company is however, getting closer...
At the Citadel, the VM are beginning to get some hits on the Moroccan trenches, but their lead troops are wiped out by the Partisans...
The Moroccan Bunker to the south of the Bastion (top right) is finally eliminated as the second company makes it to the breach. VM mortar and howitzer fire is finding the range...
With 60mm mortar shells landing all around, the Moroccans are still punishing the VM assault company. The support company however, is beginning to pour through. Now the VM need that artillery fire to start taking a toll on the Partisans...
The French commander calls on one of his company commanders to lead a platoon forward to counterattack...
To be continued...
No comments:
Post a Comment