Volko and three friends met recently at Volko’s place to begin playing a Silver Bayonet campaign. Subsequently, Volko posted a series of well-illustrated AARs as a thread on Twitter. We are presenting that information as a single article here with Volko’s permission, so players can reference the information in one narrative. This initial article takes us through their first 2 1/2 turns (days) of game play. Enjoy! – Gene

 

First Contact: I had three buddies over to feel our way through #SilverBayonet, 25th Anniversary Edition, by @GMTGames (Gene Billingsley) and @Toadkillerdog (Mitchell Land). We covered the first 2½ days of the most famous Ia Drang battles. Here’s what went down.

Intel picture, day before battle: MACV knows what PAVN are in the central highlands but with only the vaguest geolocations. The view is from PAVN’s perspective—Cambodia at bottom, north to left. 1^st Air Cavalry Division has set up a forward HQ at a tea plantation near Pleiku.

 

 

First light of Nov 9^th: Observation helos spot NVA in battalion strength – in hills 4 klicks north of Catecka plantation. 1stCav designates op landing zone Victor nearby and lifts 2 of its 3 ready bns from An Khe base to the east into the Bde HQ and the LZ. The troopers advance to engage…

 

Over the next 2 days, the contact flowers into a full-on regiment-on-regiment brawl. NVA come around the Cav’s left, stab abortively at the LZ, then back away up the jungle slope. US recce IDs their HQ and supporting VC and mortars. Both sides reinforce.

 

 

Meanwhile, at Duc Co Special Forces Camp to the west along Route 19, Montagnard patrols have largely cleared the area. But a battalion of the fresh NVA 66^th Regt has gotten away to reinforce the Catecka battle.

 

Along Route 14 in the east, Intel tracks PAVN moving north on Pleiku. Beyond the single light VC company in contact, these might be a yet-to-be-located NVA battalion — or nothing! 1^st Cav lifts D/2/7 heavy weapons and some 105s from An Khe to Camp Holloway, just in case.

 

To the south, an all-to-obvious PAVN move off Chu Pong massif onto the grassy plain above the Ia Drang Valley: this cues air recce and Scouts who quickly pick up what looks like 2 supported NVA bns with the critical 66^th Regt HQ making for Plei Me. B-52s go in – off target!

 

The full battle picture as night descends on the 3^rd day: US and CIDG in hot pursuit up the Catecka hills with anti-ambush irregulars, Scouts, and more arty. PAVN will now get its reply to that—as well as to the exposure of its 66^th in open country.

 

In the hills, PAVN 32^nd Regiment commanders debate options: They could disengage, but the terrain favors them, and A/1/9 squadron of Cavalry Scouts—who have been revealing their positions—appear now to have their ass a bit out on a limb.

 

Our next meet will carry on from there: players have learned game and can turn to tactics. Team FWA nailed Search, but its head-on assaults have yet to Destroy at the 3:1 ratio needed to win. Team PAVN must up its deception game if it is ever to land a punch un-telegraphed.

We hope you enjoyed this peek into Volko and his buddies’ foray into a Silver Bayonet Campaign. More as they play it!

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