Battle of Lộc Ninh

6 April 1972

 

 

In a counter-attack during the 1972 Easter Offensive, 2nd Battalion, 18th ARVN Division approaches the outskirts of Lộc Ninh to clear it of VC.

 

 

M41s support the ARVN infantry as they approach the outskirts of Lộc Ninh.

 

 

A squad is sent forward to reconnoiter the outskirts, with tank support.

 

 

 

In the absence of opposition, more squads move forward.

 

 

A VC sniper is their first opposition: he is soon silenced by heavy return fire

 

 

The advance continues.

 

 

 

The tanks attract fire from VC hiding in a local factory.

 

 

The VC RPG gunner misses, and the M41 returns fire, initially with its machine gun.

 

 

Followed by its main gun.

 

 

More VC reveal themselves, firing at the ARVN by the shrine.

 

 

A firefight develops, with the ARVN troops taking losses.

 

 

 

Things take a drastic turn for the worst for the VC when they find themselves under point-blank tank gun fire from 2 M41s.

 

 

The three survivors seek shelter behind the shack.

 

 

The include an RPG team, which moves forward to engage with the closest M41.

 

 

 

They are spotted by the M41’s commander as they deploy and are blown away.

 

 

Seizing the initiative, an ARVN squad rushes across the road to penetrate the gap in the VC line.

 

 

Another RPG team moves forward to engage with the second M41.

 

 

 

The second M41 blows them away too.

 

 

The second M41’s crew have not been watching their flank however, and they fall victim to a 3rd RPG team.

 

 

ARVN infantry open fire on the bar where the VC are concealed.

 

 

The ARVN are also moving up on the other side of the intersection.

 

 

Meanwhile, on the other side of the crossroads, a VC machine gun opens up on the ARVN troops on the left flank.

 

 

The flank squad takes cover as machine gun bullets fly overhead.

 

 

They return fire and deal with the MG team.

 

 

A firefight starts on the ARVN right flank as VC open up on the troops there.

 

 

The VC start receiving shell fire from an M41 on the main road.

 

 

 

At this point, the VC commander decides to withdraw; holding the crossroads with little more than one squad is not going to be feasible in the face of overwhelming ARVN firepower. His tactical mistake was not deploying his RPG teams far forward enough, and failing to site them in positions with good fields of fire. He was also frustrated by the fact that, fortuitously, the ARVN tanks managed to avoid rolling over his few road mines. It was a win for the ARVN.

 

This game was played using Death Card rules, available on the Fields of Fire Reloaded Facebook page.

 

 

© W.S. McCallum 26 September 2024

 

 

 

 

 

   

  VeneticSoundcloudFooter

VeneticFacebookPageFooter  VeneticFacebookGroupFooter

 

VeneticYoutubeChannel1Footer  VeneticYoutubeChannel2Footer

 

   

 

 

 

 

Web site © Wayne Stuart McCallum 2003-2024