Hamburger Hill

Tags

• hamburger-hill

From Command Magazine #5, 1990, the battle Dong Ap Bai also known as Hamburger Hill.

GAME RULES

OUTLINE SEQUENCE

START OF DAY TURN

I. Replacements & Reinforcements Phase

Both sides receive replacements and rein-forcements. See 12.0. The NVA Player re-deploys: non-encircled NVA units may be redeployed to any hex on the map not adjacent to a US unit (unless another NVA units is already in the hex. See 12.8.)

II. Random Event Determination

The US Player rolls and die and refers to the Random Events Chart to determine what random event will take place that day.

III. Player Turn Couplet

A. Check for Day's End. The US Player may now declare the Day Turn over. If he does, proceed to step IV, if not:

B. US Player Turn

1. Artillery / Air Preparatory Bombardments ("Prep Fires") Phase
2. Movement Phase
   • Check for mines in bunker hexes
   • NVA Player commits his snipers to slow movement
   • NVA units conduct defensive fire or retreat on contact
   • Resolve NVA static situations (8.8)
3. Combat Phase
   • Conduct Artillery / Air Fire Support. Resolve effects on NVA targets and adjacent U.S. units
   • Conduct offensive fire against adjacent NVA units
   • Roll for pin removal from all units

C. NVA Player Turn

1. Movement Phase
   • Resolve US artillery / air strikes against moving units
   • US units conduct defensive fire or retreat on contact
   • Resolve US static situations (8.8)
2. Combat Phase
   • Conduct offensive fire against adjacent US units
   • Roll for pin removal from all units

IV. Day's End

Check for NVA Withdrawal. The NVA player declares if his forces will stay for another day of combat or withdraw that night to Laos. If he decides on with-drawal, play ends immediately and victory is determined according to 14.0. If the NVA will stay for another day, unpin all pinned units, then go on to the Night procedures given below.

V. Night

A. US Movement. US Player receives 10 support points. US units may return to LZs, no limit on movement factors.

B. NVA Movement and Assault. NVA Player receives 5 support points. NVA units may move, no limit on movement factor. Conduct night attacks.

Set up:

Day Turn 1

I. Replacements & Reinforcements Phase

Both sides receive replacements and rein-forcements. See 12.0. The NVA Player re-deploys: non-encircled NVA units may be redeployed to any hex on the map not adjacent to a US unit (unless another NVA units is already in the hex. See 12.8.)

None on Turn 1.

II. Random Event Determination

The US Player rolls and die and refers to the Random Events Chart to determine what random event will take place that day.

Roll 5 for Friendly Fire: Use the 3-4 column on the CRT instead of the 1-2 column.

III. Player Turn Couplet

A. Check for Day's End. The US Player may now declare the Day Turn over. If he does, proceed to step IV, if not:

Not end of day.

B. US Player Turn

1. Artillery / Air Preparatory Bombardments ("Prep Fires") Phase
2. Movement Phase
   • Check for mines in bunker hexes
   • NVA Player commits his snipers to slow movement
   • NVA units conduct defensive fire or retreat on contact
   • Resolve NVA static situations (8.8)
3. Combat Phase
   • Conduct Artillery / Air Fire Support. Resolve effects on NVA targets and adjacent U.S. units
   • Conduct offensive fire against adjacent NVA units
   • Roll for pin removal from all units

Prep fire: Put 7 Support on the NVA on Hill 916 side. Roll 1 + 1 for 2, Pin/Casualty. This is a Dummy unit!

All companies move adjacent to NVA bunkered units, all of whom will conduct defensive fire:

• A/3/187: roll 2 - 1 (from bunker) for Pin.
• B/3/187: roll 6 for no effect.
• C/3/187: dummy
• D/3/187: dummy

There is no static situation this round.

Not going to do Support for this round, so it's A and B companies firing into a bunker with 15, +1 into bunker, -1 for strength greater than 14, automatic P/C.

C. NVA Player Turn

1. Movement Phase
   • Resolve US artillery / air strikes against moving units
   • US units conduct defensive fire or retreat on contact
   • Resolve US static situations (8.8)
2. Combat Phase
   • Conduct offensive fire against adjacent US units
   • Roll for pin removal from all units

Moved some NVA towards US to try and get some casualties. US did some supporting interdiction fire. US defensive fire was ineffective. NVA offensive fire:

• A/3187: roll 2 - 1 for P/C.
• B/3187: roll 4 - 1 for P.

US is declaring day's end.

IV. Day's End

Check for NVA Withdrawal. The NVA player declares if his forces will stay for another day of combat or withdraw that night to Laos. If he decides on with-drawal, play ends immediately and victory is determined according to 14.0. If the NVA will stay for another day, unpin all pinned units, then go on to the Night procedures given below.

Score:

• US: 2
• NVA: 2

V. Night

A. US Movement. US Player receives 10 support points. US units may return to LZs, no limit on movement factors.

This will be interesting.

All US back to LZ.

B. NVA Movement and Assault. NVA Player receives 5 support points. NVA units may move, no limit on movement factor. Conduct night attacks.

NVA will move 3 stacks of 3 platoons surrounding LZ. US gets defensive Support, will put all 10 points onto middle stack, roll 2 which is a P/C. Now for defensive fire with strength a lot firing from an LZ, this is a guaranteed P/C, roll to determine which unit takes it: low and middle.

NVA offensive fire is guaranteed P/C, top US unit takes it.

Score:

• US: 4
• NVA: 4

Going into next turn, the US will get replacements to bring 3/187 back to 8-8 strength. It makes sense to put reduced units "perimeter" given they can only be brought back to 8-8. This means putting a 10-10 on perimeter is a dumb move, risks losing that step permanently for no gain.

AAR

This seems like a pretty decent little game. I'm not sure situations like the above are game-breaking, but it should be easily remedied if so.

The interesting thing is how replacements are managed. Both sides just fed troops into a meatgrinder, day after day. Seems plausible given what I've read about the battle.

Tags

• hamburger-hill