Return to Indochina

    Several years ago, I staged Operation Castor (Parachute assault into valley of Dien Bien Phu in 1953), numerous small engagements between that village and Lai Chai, and then the ultimate battle itself at Tacticon. The final battle occupied some 18' x 15' although we only reenacted the battles of Beatrice, Gabrielle, Anne Marie, and the Five Hills over three days. All in 15mm and involving hundreds of figures (From Eureka and Old Glory mostly). Then it all went on the back burner so to speak as we moved on to newer fields of 'glory'.
    Recently picked up an Osprey Combat volume, French Foreign Legionnaire vs Viet Minh Insurgent and I was re-enthused. So we fought the 1948 engagement at Phu Tong Hua located along Route Colonial 3bis (RC 3bis). This post was found between Cao Bang in the north and Thai Nguyen in the south. The Post was held by100 Foreign Legionnaires with 4 North African gunners against 4 cos of Viet Mihn numbering some 224 men plus heavy weapons. The VM came from the east (lower left) and the north (top) to attack a bamboo and earthen fort. 1948 combat was certainly more primitive than latter engagements! Using a 2 fig=1man scale, the French barely held on to the post following a serious counterattack form the SE Bastion (lower right) as they did historically:

Now thoroughly hooked once again, I reread my copy of Lucien Bodard's The Quicksand War: Prelude to Vietnam, which is chockfull of gaming possibilities. Then went back to Bernard Fall's  Street Without Joy, which simply added to the options. An outline has been prepared, maps recreated, and a campaign hoped for! Going to try and refight these battles in historical order, so up next was the massive ambush along Route Colonial 4 (RC4) that took place in Feb 1949, between the French posts of Cat Bang and Dong Khe. The French were trying to hold on to the frontier forts they had prepared along RC 4 to control the area and to stop supplies coming across the Chinese border. If you goggle photos of this route you will quickly see of the impossibility of keeping these posts supplied by road. Miles of single road track, bounded by cliffs and jungle would lead to ambush after ambush. The largest, nearly destroyed a 200 vehicle convoy, and changed French tactics. The following battlefield is inspired by that fight:

The view if from the north hovering above the head of the convoy. It consists of 38 vehicles, including 13 of the Regiment of Colonial Moroccan Infantry (RICM), (actually an 'Armoured' unit consisting of M5 Stuart tanks, jeeps, halftracks, White Scout Cars, M8 HMC, and truck-bourne infantry), there for protection. The valley floor has a very small stream while the road is surround by Calcaires or limestone crags, filled with caves!

A close up of the head of the column. Each supply vehicle has only a single driver (shortage of personnel!), while vehicles 2-5 represent the first squad of the RICM. Look very carefully at the left center of photo, perched on top of a Calcaires...a VM 60mm mortar about to rain destruction on the French convoy!

Another closeup, this time of the middle of the convoy. 2nd Squad RICM to right. followed by a Radio truck and more supply vehicles. On the left side of photo you can make out an M8 HMC and the 3rd Squad RICM.

A final close up, this of the column's tail, with the 4th Squad RICM, vehicles 2-4 from bottom. The French troops are represented by about 60-odd figs, while the Viet Minh have a battalion poised to strike, numbering some 200 figs. If you look closely, you can spot a Viet Minh 57mm Recoilless Rifle (bottom left), and a MMG on cliff left of stream. The battle report will follow shortly.