DongKhe: Part II

 The VM at the Bastion breakthrough get their big break(s). They draw the Charismatic Leader and Company Commander Cards which allows them to Activate all units and all units in one company. This is used to batter the Partisans, and make major moves on the dug-in tribesmen...

Closeup of the Partisans, and its looking bleak with one tribesmen not KIA or Shaken (Yellow Pin)...

At the citadel, VM fire has gravely affected the Moroccans here, at least for now...

With another timely Activation, the VM also advance on the southern perimeter. The Hospital is overrun...

And worse for the French, the Viets have now made it to the Partisan entrenchments!

Despite taking severe losses from the Partisans, the support company is getting closer. And with the Viets reaching the southern portion of this position, the Partisans may be in serious trouble. Note as well, one of the Moroccans on the Citadel (upper left) has gone down as well...

To make matters worse, another VM support company has now breached the wire...

Some Moroccan reinforcements have reached the western slope of the Citadel (center bottom) while the counterattacking platoon (upper left) is making its slow advance...

Near the Bastion, the Viets captured a Shaken Moroccan while unsuccessfully close assaulting another (red cap) further down the trench...

Yet mlre VM troops arrive north of the Citadel...

The small unit of Moroccans has finally arrived at the Citadel, while the counterattacking platoon can be seen near top of photo. They are not yet aware of the breakthrough at the Bastion however...

Along the western perimeter, the VM made progress while dispatching three Moroccans...

Surviving Partisans are ordered to retreat to the Citadel by the last French NCO (who is at far left edge of entrenchment). The lone LMG who is Pined and has had numerous brushes with death in the collapsed bunker (center right surrounded by exploding shells!), still holds the position...

At the Citadel, the Viet sapper (center right) pushes his charges under the wire...and it fails to go off!

The Viets continue to push south along the western perimeter, but take casualties (upper right)...

The last Partisans holding their positions (inc the NCO and the LMG) fall to overwhelming VM fire as the last survivors flee towards the Citadel...

At the Citadel. and with the Moroccan fire that misses everything (!) the VM sapper succeeds in blowing a gap in the wire, which his compatriots quickly take advantage of. Their fire is devastating as two Moroccans go down...

The French commander puts a call to his troops holding the southern edge, to send him the one remaining MMG to rush to the Citadel. The few remaining Moroccans there are to hold for a possible breakout to the south if necessary. Time is running out for the French at DongKhe...

On the western perimeter, the Viets keeping up the pressure...

The few Partisans really never had much of a chance reaching the Citadel (only one left and he is Shaken)...

Even on the Citadel, things are beginning to look hopeless, as some of the Moroccans are falling back, leaving the LMG as rear guard. There are simply too many Viets pouring through...

Western perimeter the Moroccan lose a man and the LMG...

On the Citadel it is an exact duplicate result, one Moroccan and their LMG are lost. The last Partisan goes down as well. The French commander now realizes it is hopeless and tries to order to withdrawal from DongKhe...but the radio connection doesn't go thru!

With communication lost (at least temporarily), the Moroccans from the south continue on towards the Citadel...

On the western Perimeter, the Moroccans still hold...barely...

The French counterattack (?) is dealt a crippling blow, as the French Company Commander goes down. This will cause the leaderless Moroccans to stay in place. However, this is more than likely a blessing in disguise as they were heading towards a confrontation with overwhelming numbers. The MMG has set up to cover the withdrawal...

On Citadel, the withdrawal is in full swing, as the post commander is close to exiting the hill (left). Two remaining Moroccans act as rear guard...

The Moroccans on the western perimeter have now learned of the withdrawal, but lose one and a second is Shaken (if he doesn't get activated first, he will become PIM)...

Two courageous Moroccans attempt to stem the Viet onslaught (one is rushed but survives the first clash-center) as the Commander now opens the wire to escape (left)...

More VM pour in by the Bastion...

Viet and Moroccan still fight in the western perimeter...

The Moroccan platoon that failed to counterattack, has safely regained the French trenches on the southern perimeter..

A Moroccan loses his fight as one remaining Moroccan holds out in the trenches of the Citadel (upper right)...

The last VM troops enter DongKhe, not necessary as it turns out. Five Viet companies were enough against 2 Moroccan...

The VM rush up against the Moroccans on the western perimeter, but it costs them. Perhaps, here the few French troops will make their get away...

The Moroccans moving through their own wire to escape...

With the luck of numerous activations, the French commander (even with a lightly wounded Moroccan) and others appear to have made their escape as well. (A failed sapper charge (!) and the MMG laying down fire had something to do with that)...

The Moroccans on the western perimeter finished off two more Viets and would eventually make their way out of the fight...

The Moroccan MMG finished off the sapper after his second unsuccessful attempt at setting his charge (!) and that ended the pursuit in that area...

And so after 3hours and 20 minutes of struggle DongKhe had fallen. From the little we know from the handful of survivors, this game went pretty much to story. 24 Moroccans escaped in our recreation or about 120 men. All 22 Partisans and 41 Moroccans were lost, numbering some 315 men. Viet Minh casualties historically are unknown but for our game the total came to 85 figures or some 425. The next day, the French would parachute the 3BCCP (Colonial Parachute Battalion) directly west of the strongpoint, and after some fighting retook the post. It was rebuilt stronger, and two companies of Foreign Legionaires would take their place here. Then in Sept, Giap launched his full scale offensive which would see the permanent loss of the base, along with another 7 battalions of Legionaires, Moroccans, and Paratroopers. It would lead to the French losing all their bases along RC4, resulting in the greatest disaster of the war. But thats another story...

DongKhe: May 27-28, 1950; The Assault

 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...

May, 1950: DongKhe, the Beginning of the end of French Indochina

 The French Indochina War had been going on since 1946. By the spring of 1950, The French High Command was feeling very confident. The Communists of Mao in China did not cross the border; the Communists in Cochinchina had been virtually destroyed; and General Alessandri in Tonkin was preparing his planned offensive against the Viet Minh and their General Giap. But lurking in the jungle covered mountains of the region of the Chinese border that ran along Route Coloniale 4, General Giap had his surprise ready to spring. The first exposure to the new Viet Minh regulars had given the French a bloody nose at a small isolated French Post of Pholu earlier. But the French commanders refused to believe what they had seen. Trained VM regular soldiers with heavy equipment that even their famed paratroopers couldn't defeat. Concern may have risen in some officers' minds but not enough.

May 27-28, and it all exploded in the faces of the French. Giap had moved several battalions from their training camps in Red China, just across the border. Their plan was to destroy the French post at DongKhe on RC4. DongKhe was a very important French position, both physically and as a symbol. It had been the base from where numerous convoys to Cao Bang were formed. It was a large and supposedly strong position as well, known throughout Indochina. But the French had been struggling with maintaining the various bases along the narrow, deadly highway for months. Recently they gave up trying, pulling back from the smaller posts, but keeping Cao Bang (at the northern end), DongKhe, ThatKhe, and Langson. They would be suppled by air so that the French could maintain the 'closure" of the border area with Red China. 

There were two companies of Moroccan Tabors at DongKhe, dug in their bunkers and trenches at the bottom of a small valley surrounded by miles of jungle covered mountains. Giap had maneuvered five battalions against this post...

View from the south, with the subposts at 1) Pagoda in south (bottom), and 2) Nord 'Montmartre' in north on the large limestone outcropping, and 3) the Citadel (right edge)...

View from the north, across Nord. with the actual town seen at top edge...

View from the east with the Citadel at lower left, and the Partisan Quarters almost center with Nord to the right, and the post Airfield at top edge of photo...

View of Nord 'Montmartre' from the north, with Moroccans at their bunker, and Viet Minh at the northern base, preparing for their assault...

Looking over the Citadel towards the west...

View along the southern perimeter of DongKhe...

The Vehicle Park at the center of the base with the western perimeter beyond and the hospital in upper right...

The very important Bastion located at the NW corner of the Post...

The Partisans have taken up their positions just north of the Vehicle Park...

The opening VM artillery barrage is about to begin...

Overview of the Battle of Beatrice, Dien Bien Phu

 I'm fortunate in having a permanent 8'x7' table in my basement 'WarRoom'. This enables me to turn to a game whenever I would like to, and leave the setup as well. This particular recreation lasted over a period of about a week. In game terms, each turn represented 15 minutes, with each figure representing 5 real men. In addition to the table setup, there were a number of player aids such as 

1) VM Artillery Results to keep track of destruction elsewhere in DBP...  3) French Artillery Boards for each of the 105mm, 120mm and 155mm batteries present at DBP. These make bookkeeping much easier for a campaign, no matter the length, just store them away for future reference.

2) Casualty Collection Boards to keep lost figures...

3) French Artillery Boards for each of the 105mm, 120mm and 155mm batteries present at DBP. 

These make bookkeeping much easier for a campaign, no matter the length, just store them away for future reference.

The results of the struggle for this campaign look like this:

Destroyed: Airfield Beacon and Tower    Damaged:   1x Morane 'Cricket' 

                    3x C47s                                                    1x Bearcat

                    4x Morane 'Crickets'                                1 3/4 ton

                    3x Bearcats                                              1x 105mm

                    2x Ambulances                                        2x 120mm

                    2x Jeeps

                    1x 3/4 ton truck                                        KIA/WIA French artillery crews- 25 men

                    4x 2 1/2 ton trucks                                                 10 on 105mm

                    1x 105mm                                                               4 on 155mm                                                                       1x 155mm                                                               1 on 120mm

                    7x 120mm                    

Casualties in fugures/men

                    3/13 DBLE initial strength at 89/445        Viet Minh initial strength in 5 battalions at 646/3230

                        KIA = 43/215                                1st Battalion (11Btn/141Rg) KIA?WIA = 68/340

                        WIA = 31/155                                2nd Battalion (428Btn/141Rg) KIA/WIA = 63/315

                        POW = 15/65                                 3rd Battalion (130Btn/209Rg) KIA/WIA = 69/345

                       Total   =89/445                                4th Battalion (166Btn/209Rg)KIA/WIA = 47/235

                                                                                5th Battalion (16Btn/141Rg)KIA/WIA = 67/335

                                                                                                    Total                          = 314/1570

Historically, the Foreign Legion 3/13 DBLE was for all practical purposes wiped out. Around 100 escaped into the jungle but the battalion itself was eliminated from the board. Viet losses are harder to determine as the 'official' records range from 500 KIA (French estimates) to 193 KIA/137WIA (Military History Institute of Vietnam). At the usual 3-1 WIA-KIA ratio, the later seems questionable. So perhaps somewhere in the middle? Could be 250 KIA, 750 WIA? The Game results not far off. All in all, it was a very enjoyable simulation.