Great Oil War: Using ‘NAM to do 70’s Cold War
By Dennis Campbell AKA Matt Varnish
Photos by the Author
Rob and I did a test game with the new Nam rules for Team Yankee (Team Yankee Early War?) but instead of using traditional lists, we decided that since Team Yankee the novel is a what-if scenario, then why not do a what-if of the Oil Crisis of the 1970s! In our case, we did a Canadian Tank force (Aussie Centurions) vs some T-55s and Motor Rifles out in a desert oil facility. As usual, video bat-rep at the end. Thanks to Rob for hosting as usual, this time on his awesome AFG board where I added my 15mm terrain to good effect:View from the industrial center
View from the town / spiritual center.
I had made a monument. Just some dictator-type guy with a bushy moustache and a sword.. could be anyone, really!
Rob’s force is 2 troops of Centurions, Centurion HQ, M113 FSVs, M-108s and 2 small units of infantry: 100pts Aussies from Nam
Close-up of his HQ tank and infantry models with M-72s
Meanwhile, I was running a T-55 Bn with RPG-7 Motor Rifles in BMPs (B-41-armed NVA regulars in BTR50s) with ZSU support
..and a massive unit of Guerilla fighting Merc’s with RPG-2s (full B-40 armed PAVN Local forces unit)
We rolled Dust-Up, and my plan was to roll up the Centurions in the flank and press in with my Regulars into the industrial sector
Rob deploys one unit of Centurions centrally on this reverse slope position, with his infantry using the buildings to cover my advance.
Canadian M-109s counting as M-108s. Not sure firing near such a huge gas tank is wise……… !
Rob’s infantry clearing the downed CUH-1 Iroquois. yes, he has Cdn flags painted on every shoulder!
Those M113 TOW vehicles behind the offices are really M113 FSVs. They have Beehive rounds…
My BMPs plan is dashing towards the buildings and dismounting the Regulars. Rob’s M113 FSVs would have other ideas…
My armoured forces advance up to the roadway, so next turn I’ll have clear LOS to his Centurions behind that berm.
Rob blitz-moves his FSVs out, and starts blasting my BMPs, using the Sea Containers as cover.
My survivors spread out and try and RPG the FSV’s, but on the move they are harder to hit..
My ZSUs are out of position, they should have been near his infantry, but I had deployed them first over in this quadrant. Now they take up position under the watchful stare of the Dictator’s Monument.
After a back and forth, I manage to knock out two of the FSVs, but still, I cannot advance out of my foxholes due to those Beehive rounds. The M-108 peeks around the corner and fires more Beehives.
I finally manage to bail out the last 2, but they would hang on, passing their Last Stand test after failing to remount. BTW Love that in Nam, like in Version 4 Flames, you take your Last Stand AFTER trying to remount bailed out vehicles…
Rob’s bad luck: His reserve Centurions come on, fail to Blitz on though and only manage to bail one of my T-55s. They heroically engage reverse gear, and fire into the rear armour killing 2!.. the ZSUs would bail out another in the flank, and the unit would not make its Last Stand
My last remaining BMPs try and use their HMG turrets to kill the thinly armoured M108s, while finally my few remaining RPG-7s knock out the FSVs.
My reserve T-55 unit takes a backroad to try and surround the M108s and then I can start pounding the Industrial objectives
Reverse political victory: We thought the game ended right here, when my Guerilla Merc’s finally got on the table in his backfield, blowing up some HQ Centurions and giving me a political victory, but instead, it was deemed ‘dirty pool’ that they came on the table within 12 inches of enemy models, and thus could not have ambushed the HQ in such unsportsmanlike fashion. After all, complaints made to the UN Security Council would embarrass my national pride, we deemed it a Propaganda Victory for the Canadians, despite a clear military victory for me!!
It was super fun, and despite my T-55s having slow-fire on the main guns, they are still decent tanks in this era, not totally outclassed like in Team Yankee. I’ll definitely have to get more Merc’s in the shape of 15mm insurgents carrying AKs and RPGs when I am at Cold Wars this year.. Thanks Rob for a superb game, and here is the video link to this battle
Matt Varnish, AKA Dennis Campbell, plays Team Yankee, Flames of War, and Black Powder in the frozen wastes of Canadia. Check out my youtube channel for hundreds of :