Battle of the Brown Water Navy

Continuing our French Indochina tour, the gang played a small Dinasault engagement.  French forces included two small motor launches armed with MGs, one LCA, three LCMs with 20mm guns, and a command Vedette FOM 11m. On board where two French Commando units but the main mission was to come ashore further upriver to pick up a small unit of Commandos that had captured an important Viet Minh intelligence officer. The LCMs would land their troops near a village to draw local forces away from the recovery point. They were bait for the larger picture. An interesting point to the game is that the Viet Minh commander didn't know that his platoon stationed up river were actually French Commandos! It would lead to an amusing escapade!

With the mother launches leading the way followed by the LCA (to recover their assets from the enemy shore (the small dock at top left), the LCMs begin to turn towards their own target with the Command Vedette behind them.

The enemy village on the left with two smaller hamlets nearer the river bank. The VM had sentries out but the French had been able to approach at very slow speed for five turns before they were spotted!

As the LCMs head for shore, the first VM mortar shells begin falling around the boats, but there are no hits.

The Launches and LCA are pushing up river at top speed, while more and more shells fall around the LCMs, amazingly with still no hits!

By now, two full VM platoons have taken their station along the river. You can just make out some mortars and a Recoilless Rifle on the right side of photo. Hits are now finally striking the approaching French, knocking out one of the 20mms.

LCMs still boring in, their return fire now inflicting casualties on the VM!

An overall view of the battlefield

French 20mm fire falling around one of the VM 57mmRR.

Finally two of the LCMs reach shore, while one more RR strikes an LCM and takes out another 20mm. The Commandos begin to disembark to keep the VM attention of them and not the launches still moving upriver.

Under close watch of their Launches, the LCA pulls up to the dock. Its at this moment that the "VM' in this hamlet jump up and move onto the dock. The VM commander wondering why his men are moving out in the open!

With the infiltrated Commandos successfully recovered, the LCMs begin their withdrawal, their own Commandos having taken heavy losses during the brief skirmish. It had been a fun little engagement.

The River Mat comes from Cigar Box, while the Brown Water Boats are from The Scene and Old Glory. With balsa and poster board, and using the website Into:Wargaing the First Indochinese War (which I highly recommend), I think some nice little models were put together.

Sorry about the reflecting lights, I experimented with clear plastic pin the river to make it shine,, but it affected the photos. Oh well, perhaps they are the reflections form the flares the VM were putting up! Hope you enjoyed!