River Transport

It is 1965 and the US ground war in Vietnam is in full swing. As a US Army commander, wage a counter-insurgency (COIN) war to secure the Ia Drang valley, on the border with Cambodia.
Post Reply
dmbgamer
Corporal - 5 cm Pak 38
Corporal - 5 cm Pak 38
Posts: 40
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:29 pm

River Transport

Post by dmbgamer »

I think having a river transport vehicle as a unit option would be nice. Thoughts?
ErissN6
1st Lieutenant - Grenadier
1st Lieutenant - Grenadier
Posts: 788
Joined: Wed Nov 20, 2013 11:34 pm
Location: France

Re: River Transport

Post by ErissN6 »

Maybe too dangerous? but at least the patrollers are missing:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrol_Craft_Fast
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrol_Boat,_River )
the difficulties being encountered in the interior waterways by the smaller, more lightly armed PBRs led to the incorporation of PCF (Swift boats) to patrol the 1,500 miles of rivers and canals of Vietnam's interior waterways. Swift boats continued to operate along the Vietnamese coastal areas, but with the start of Admiral Elmo Zumwalt's "SEALORDS" riverway interdiction strategy, their primary area of operations soon centered upon the Ca Mau peninsula and the Mekong Delta area in the southern tip of Vietnam. Here they patrolled the waterways and performed special operations, including gunfire support, troop insertion and evacuation, and raids into enemy territory.

The Mekong Delta was composed of ten thousand square miles of marshland, swamps and forested areas all interlaced by rivers and canal ways. Controlled by the Viet Cong, the interior waterways of the Mekong Delta were used to transport Viet Cong supplies and weapons.

Boats generally operated in teams of three to five. Each boat had an officer in charge, one of whom would also be placed in overall charge of the mission. Their missions included patrolling the waterways, searching water traffic for weapons and munitions, transporting Vietnamese marine units and inserting Navy SEAL teams.

When the swift boats began making forays up the waterways into the interior of the delta, they initially took the carriers by surprise, causing them to drop their materials and run off into the overgrowth. Occasionally a short firefight would break out. As it became clear that control for the waterways was being contested the Viet Cong developed a number of tactics to challenge the US Navy. They set up ambushes, built obstructions in the canals to create choke points, and began to place mines in the waterways.

For the swift boats, coming back down river was always more dangerous then going up river. The passage of a patrol assured their eventual return, providing an opportunity for the Viet Cong. Ambushes were typically short lived affairs, set up at a river bend or in a narrow canal that restricted the maneuverability of the boats. A wide variety of portable weapons were used in attacks, including recoilless rifles, B-40 rockets, .50 caliber machine guns and AK-47s, often fired from behind earthen bunkered positions. Engagements were brief and violent, with the ambushers often slipping away into the undergrowth when the boats located the source of attack and began to concentrate their return fire. When attacked the boats would accelerate out of the hot zone, turn and then return as a group, firing as many of their guns as they could bring to bear. They would power past the ambush point, turn and return to attack again till the ambushers were either killed or slipped away. Though most cruising and patrolling was done at 8 to 10 knots, the boats could reach a top speed of 32 knots. Thick brush and vegetation in the delta provided excellent cover for the escaping ambushers. Casualties taken among the river crews were high. Casualties suffered among the Viet Cong were difficult to assess, as they would take their dead and wounded away from a firefight.
Image
Every Single Soldier
Vietnam ’65 developer
Vietnam ’65 developer
Posts: 1770
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 4:40 pm

Re: River Transport

Post by Every Single Soldier »

Brown water navy units was requested by a number of players

So, once we are done with Afghanistan, we will definitely be revisiting Vietnam, incorporating the new 3D engine we have built, full campaign and all the cool stuff we left out of V65 for example, tunnels, B52's, Loach helos, brown water navy, Sampan river traffic, Marines etc. etc. plus all the new levels of complexity currently in production with Afghanistan'11; external events, national elections etc. etc.

So much to do...... :shock:
dmbgamer
Corporal - 5 cm Pak 38
Corporal - 5 cm Pak 38
Posts: 40
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:29 pm

Re: River Transport

Post by dmbgamer »

Thanks for the update on future plans. You guys have developed a really neat little game. I hope the momentum to incorporate new functionality is maintained :o
Every Single Soldier
Vietnam ’65 developer
Vietnam ’65 developer
Posts: 1770
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 4:40 pm

Re: River Transport

Post by Every Single Soldier »

V65 was the first step, A11 is the next, but I think there is still a journey ahead. :shock:

It's the feedback that keeps the process alive, so thanks for the support.
Post Reply

Return to “Vietnam '65”