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The scenario used a company of 173 Brigade infantry reinforced by three ACAV tracks and three M48A3 tanks searching for the newly arrived NVA 95B regiment that was establishing a base in South Viet Nam near the Cambodian border. It is unusual in that the PAVN forces are strong enough to put up a semi-conventional fight combined with guerrilla tactics.

Terrain is very simple with triple canopy tree cover punctuated with areas of tall grass. The grass is light cover. Among the trees spotting is heavy cover while movement isbroken ground due to lack of low growth beneath the trees. The table was 6 x 5.

Date: May 1968

US Mission: Search and Destroy

The infantry – armor company (Frontier) can enter the table only after at least one of two LRRP teams (Dogpatch 1 & 2) on table report spotting a PAVN platoon size force. Triple canopy prevents air support but there are two Huey slicks available for extracting compromised LRRP teams and Medevac can land in tall grass. A full battery of artillery is in support with no fire authorization required.

You must cause PAVN forces at least 40% losses causing survivors to flee back into Cambodia. You have a blocking force on one side of the table. Only the two LRRP teams are on Blinds.

PAVN Mission: Three Strong

You have five platoons of NVA regulars (replace the 60mm mortars with one RPG in the company Support Platoon) , one reduced VC guerrilla cadre (two squads), one platoon of  three 81mm mortars and one platoon of  three HMG’s. A Level II Commissar is present.

You are to hold a base area in the South by causing unacceptable losses to the US force making them break off the operation. You have eleven Blinds.

The Game

The first couple of turns saw Dogpatch 1 & 2 (LRRP) enter the table searching for PAVN. One team searched the NW, the other ESE table sections. Contacts were made and reported quickly but each team took two casualties before evading. All casualties were carried off by the teams.

Frontier One

Not this game, but one of Benito's: US Infantry in the field

First infantry platoon (Frontier 1) withACAV 1 & M48 Tank 6 (T6) entered the ESE side of the table quickly becoming engaged by an NVA platoon. Instead of hit & run the NVA stood. The fight was fierce.

ACAV 1 was taken out by an RPG but the badly shocked crew escaped without losses. T6 fired canister and infantry fire was brutal. An NVA squad assaulted a US squad leaving only two survivors on each side but the US fell back six inches.

The end result was the total destruction of the NVA platoon, with the US forces losing one ACAV & twelve men.

Policing the area, Frontier 1 recovered nineteen NVA bodies including a Big Man, two PW’s, one LMG & one RPG.

Frontier Two

While this fight was being resolved 2nd Platoon (Frontier 2) entered to the right of Frontier 1 and came under ineffective fire from another NVA platoon. Fast reaction by Frontier 2 quickly eliminated an NVA squad and caused the rest of the platoon to break contact.

US Battalion Command (Big 6) came on the air asking for a sitrep (situation report). The infantry CO (Frontier 6) reported the contacts and that he was reorganizing before pushing on. Big 6 was unsympathetic, “Well get moving.”

PAVN command was caught with forces scattered to cover all possible US entry points. PAVN Blinds were being rapidly moved to confront and hopefully ambush US forces. The mortar FO had been badly placed and was hurrying to reach a good observation position.

Frontier Six Reacts

Another of Benito's games

Frontier 6 called his 3rd Platoon (Frontier 3) forward to replace the battered Frontier 1 while Frontier 2 covered the right flank. Then, irritated by Big 6 prodding, Frontier 6 led a squad of 1st platoon forward and spotted more NVA. The squad fired and T6 roared upshooting canister then going on Rock ‘n Roll. End of game for another NVA platoon.

Meanwhile 2nd platoon was probing with a squad. More NVA spotted! ACAV 2 came up but misjudged distance and was immobilized by an RPG. Crew okay, so it continued to fire. Frontier 2's Big Man led two squads onto the NVA flank and rear and assaulted. The NVA took losses and ran, with the only US casualty being, sadly, Frontier 2's Big Man.

With only one intact NVA platoon, the reduced VC platoon and the HMG’s and mortars left, PAVN command ordered a withdrawal. Unfortunately for them the table side they chose as a safe exit was the same one the Free World blocking force was covering.

Conclusions

A clear US military and political victory with thrity-six confirmed, and at least sixteen estimated enemy KIA; together with three MG’s, two RPG’s and a rice cache taken against the loss of eighteen men, one Big Man, and two ACAV vehicles.

The military victory was a bit incomplete since the PAVN HQ escaped, but luck was against regiment 95B, they only achieved one real ambush.    

As for the game, the methods of LRRP teams don't fit standard rule procedures so we adjusted how cards and rules are used for them. In fact, the LRRP activities were almost a game in themselves: much as the patrol phase is in CoC.

Charles Eckart

 
 
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Our Saturday battle was a good time as we got our friend Doc Mercury over to play. He now has a large force of PLO/Militia to paint up and got his first taste of Lebanon 1982 with Mark and myself.

This battle changed many times as we were setting it up, and at times as the referee I was not sure what the players wanted to try out...but I do need to remember to always make the IABSM/CDS cards and the sides set before I get to the gaming venue! Mark wanted Syrians, Doc did not care and I was planning on using PLO as that is what I had cards for.

The action was very fast as the two platoons headed across the town looking for PLO and a way to exit to the north.

Here is the long road with the referee in the distance

The PLO was found by the IAF (or was it a drone) running towards one of the major buildings

After a couple of inefficient shots by the PLO the IDF found this relic on the battlefield and fired on it. The IDF player was a little miffed that it was all caught on camera and the T34/85 was not operational. Always remember to not fire on anything near a mosque:

The tank as a decoy allowed the PLO to assault the tanks. Luck was not with the PLO today as none were damaged and the infantry cleaned out the building.

As the Merkavas went past the market a group of Syrian commandos attacked the column. They had as little luck as the PLO.  They held the market only a turn before being forced out by the infantry.

Here we have the infantry holding the market

While all of this was happening the Syrians brought on three T55s. Their only success was against an empty M113.

A good game and a great learning experience for me the referee. I look forward to our next game.

Jon Yuengling

 
 
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These are the pictures from a game that Mark and I played one Thursday night back in November 2010. It used IABSM/CDS to fight a battle between an IDF convoy re-tasked to locate a downed pilot and Syrian militia.

Looking over the expanded town. We have to remember to remove the beer bottle next time!

The remains of a Syrian tank taken out by the IAF greet the IDF.

Here is the column working its way into town.

Here we see a command M113 with an officer directed the column to a new objective. Finding an IAF pilot.

Here the led Magach is taken out by fire from this building. Fire came from all four floors. There were four RPG shoots and a recoilless rifle.

Unfortunately (for my militia) the IDF cleared the building floor by floor. While the IDF lost an entire tank crew, the infantry was able to clear the entire building with only losing three soldiers. The militia was less luckily, losing sixteen men, one of which was their Big Man.

While the IDF did recover the pilot (working on a figure for that) the losses were heavy.

Jon Yuengling

 
 
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This game took place at a Whitley Bay 3D Gamers evening in February 2016, with Dougie offering up a 10mm Falklands game using the Lardie’s I Ain’t Been Shot, Mum rules. Myself, Dougie and Alex took the valiant Brits advancing at night to clear out Nick’s evil Argies in the run up to Goose Green.

I’ve not played IABSM before, but I have played CoC and Sharp Practice so the mechanisms were familiar. With this being at night it made it difficult for the Argentinian platoon to spot the advancing British company. The games started with all under Blinds:

The Brits were really going for a straight on attack, and the two dummy Blinds were in the foreground feinting around the flank. Poor movement dice overall meant that the 1st Platoon approached the dug-in Argentinians unsupported and was soon spotted and subjected to withering fire!

As the Argentinians revealed themselves (single platoon supported by a .50cal) the first British platoon suffered heavy losses

The rest of the British force continued their advance, closing in on the Argentinian flanks, and the first Argentinian platoon finally succumbed to British return fire.

And the British began to close in despite the threat of the .50cal.

The other British platoons finally came into play (the dummies causing the defenders to waste some actions). The .50cal was taken out of play the superior British fire discipline began to tell.

With fire coming from front and rear the defenders were soon pinned and the British closed in for the kill:

At this point it was clear the Argentinians would have surrendered. They had done well fighting off the first platoon but in a static position it was only a matter of time before the superior discipline of the Brits seized the day (or night!).

The rules worked pretty well and it shows what you can do with quite a small number of figures. The photos do not do justice to the lovely paint jobs on the 10mm figures and the bespoke terrain. Good game and thank to Dougie for putting it on and Alex and Nick for partaking as well.

Count Belisarius

 
 
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Umpire's Briefing

It is early afternoon on 15th July 1984, a few miles west of the Inner German Border (IGB).

The ground is mainly open country, with fields of crops. There are some open trees along the roads leading east , and some small orchards around the village. The green areas are dense forest, and count as Heavy terrain, vehicles must also check for bogging down. British units may deploy as far forward as the track to the east of the village. The Soviets may enter anywhere on east edge.

The British may receive some reinforcements: either a tank troop or one Striker with Swingfire.

If they do, the Soviets will receive support from a Hind D Helicopter.

British Briefing

After several weeks of increasing tensions, during which it became clear that the large exercise the Warpac were holding was really a covert mobilisation, at 05.00 this morning the poo has hit the spinning thing and the Soviet army has crossed the IGB and invaded west Germany.

You are Captain Roger Roughshaft, 2IC of Bravo Company, the Royal Green Jackets, part of 4th Armoured Division, the British Army of the Rhine's (BAOR) covering force. You were deployed from barracks two days ago and your first action earlier this morning didn’t go well:  the enemy bundled you out of the village of Helchteren much quicker than you had hoped. You have managed to extricate most of your force, and are now dug in to defend the village of Stellingbostel

Your job now is to slow the Soviets down again, hopefully hold the village until night fall, and then withdraw your troops to the next position, winning time for the rest of the BAOR to dig in along the river Leine.

You have your two platoons of B Co. and a Milan section. A troop of Chieftains have just turned up to assist in the defence, which makes you feel more confident of holding the Soviets this time.

This is not a suicide job:  do not allow the enemy to pin you down and prevent your withdrawal, or destroy your command. Your job is to make the Soviets deploy, inflict as many casualties as possible and make them fight to get past the village, but live to fight another day (or probably later today).

Your forces:

  • Company HQ
    • Capt Roger Roughshaft  (Level IV)
    • CSM Corky Caldwell (Level III)
    • 1 x 2-man Sniper team (Level I) 
    • 1 x Blowpipe MANPAD
    • 1 x FOO connected to 3 x Medium Mortars
    • 1 x FV432, 1 x Landrover
  •  Milan detachment
    • Corporal (Level I)
    • 2 x Milan ATGM teams
    • 1 x FV432
  • 1 Platoon
    • Lt Hugh Jarce (Level III)
    • Corporal ‘Ginger’ Bush (Level II)
    • 1 x Radio Operator
    • 1 x 2-man SFMG Team
    • 1 x FV432
    • 3 x Rifle Section (8 men each)
    • 3 x FV432
  •  2 Platoon
    • Lt Reg Butler (Level III)
    • Corporal Jack Jones (Level I)
    • 1 x Radio Operator
    • 1 x 2-man SFMG Team
    • 1 x FV432
    • 3 x Rifle Section (8 men each)
    • 3 x FV432
  • Chieftain troop
    • Lt Charlie Wells (Level III)
    • 3 x Chieftain tanks

All British infantry may start the game dug-in.

The table viewed from the East:  the left flank of the Soviet entry point

Soviet Briefing

After years of provocation, our forces have finally been forced into action against the evil NATO armies to prevent them attacking the Eastern European countries signed up to the Warsaw Pact.

This morning we have crossed the IGB in a pre-emptive strike to destroy the armies of NATO and remove the threat to our borders.

You are Captain Alexander Orlov currently in command of the advance guard of 10th Guards Tank Division in 3rd Shock Army. Now we are in the west, your task is to find the enemy and identify where his weak points are to allow the division to rapidly bypass the enemies strong points and penetrate deep into their rear.

Having found a route between the villages of Helchterren and Hechtelyou now need to clear the village of Stellingbostel andexploit to the west and get over the river Leine before the British can fully prepare their defences there.

You cannot afford to get bogged down unless you want to be looking down the wrong end of a pistol in the very near future.  You have had the Colonel shouting down the radio all day demanding speed, and are aware that he has the General chewing him out. Best get moving again as soon as the artillery barrage finishes.

Your forces:

  • Company HQ
    • 1 x BMP1 with Captain Alexander Orlov (Level III)
    • 1 x BMP1 with 2 x AGR17 2-man teams
    • 1 x BTR60PU with 1 x FOO for a battery of 2S1 122mm SPguns
    • 1 x ZSU23/4
  •  Tank Platoon 1
    • Sergeant Igor Blimeh (Level II)
    • 4 x T72
  • Tank Platoon 2
    • Lt Yuri Bigboi (Level II)
    • 4 x T72s
  • 1 Platoon
    • Lt. Ivan Irjtuvart (Level II)
    • 3 x Rifle Section (6 men each)
    • 3 x BMP1
  • 2 Platoon
    • Lt Alexei Salmondski (Level II)
    • 3 x Rifle Section (6 men each)
    • 3 x BMP1
  • 3 Platoon
    • Lt Leon Abalakov (Level II)
    • 3 x Rifle Section (6 men each)
    • 3 x BMP1

You have three 12” x 12” pre-game artillery stonks you can place anywhere on the table, and may receive some support from frontal aviation.

The view from the right of the Soviet start line

The Game

But, of course, the Soviets weren’t alone. When the British blinds card came up, Lt Charlie Wells troop of Chieftains spotted the right flank platoon of T72s and opened fire on them:

In a very short time three T72s were burning and the fourth had lost a track and was permanently immobilised. It would spend the rest of the game trading shots with one of the Chieftains, neither managing to get a penetrating hiton the other!

The Soviet right flank seen from a Chieftain's point of view:

The Soviet left flank is shown in the picture below. Just visible in the wood ahead and behind the McDonalds are the two British Milan teams, who have just fired at the T72s and missed.

The Russians were assisted by their Armoured Bonus Move card which came up every turn and is responsible for the BMPs, which have raced up to the Lidl store and dropped off their troops for a bit of retail therapy.

The burning T72 in the right corner is from the second T72 platoon’s brief fight with the Chieftains. The Russian FOO managed to put an aiming point on the section in the orchard, which was the highpoint of his action as his card never came up again.

The Russians were so worried by the Milans that they pulled the tanks into the town.

The succession of Armoured Bonus Move cards also meant that the second BMP platoon now overtook their colleagues and charged up the main road, leaping out of their BMPs and trying to occupy the orchard behind the supermarket and the large building next to it, only to find both already occupied by British infantry who were not impressed at the rude interruption of their cuppa.

Both Russian squads were eventually ejected with heavy casualties (don’t go into close combat without softening up the defence first) and their BMPs rendered hors de combat.

The first platoon occupied the factory by the railway and settled down to exchange shots withthe Brits in the fast food joint. The Russkies in the supermarket also tried assaulting the Brits in the orchard, but were sent packing.

At this point the Russians settled into a bit of a stalemate, trading shots between their T72s and Charlie Wells' Chieftains:  neither getting a decent hit, firing a Sagger from a BMP and missing, and losing another BMP to the third Chieftain which had moved to the corner of the main road.

Their Hind also made an appearance, fired a Sagger and missed:  the Brits fired at it with their blowpipe and also missed.

The British infantry damaged another T72 and a BMP with their Carl Gustavs and LAWs...and we ran out of time .

We decided to call it a victory for the Brits, who had only lost five men and a few Shock points, whereas the Soviets had lostbest part of two platoons of infantry and a platoon of tanks, and clearly weren’t going to be pushing the Brits outof the village without some extra assistance.

So that's how our second game of my cold war version of IABSM ended. I'm using Boris Don't Surf, Mum as  working title in order to differentiate it from Nick Overland's I Ain't Been Nuked, Mum. I need to look at a few things (aerial guns and rockets mainly) but generally it seems to work well. 

Egg