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Operation Changeable Dolman
2022-01-28

Secure / destroy remaining SA2 launch sites, artillery sites, helicopter launch area and vehicle park. Secure Mouang Nong airfield command centre and obtain two-part radio codebook.

Secondary objectives: secure airfield and eliminate 90% of OPFOR forces. Secure villages Ban Neme, Ko We, Xiom La Ho, and Lan Tam Ve.

Characters on Operation

Capt Scatter
1Lt Pointer
WO1 Kent (WIA)
GySgt Rock
HM1 Patches
Sgt Knievel
HM3 Frankenstein
Cpl Morse
HM3 Lupus
Ha Si Nhat Marvin
SM Bunker
LCpl Jazz
PFC Ripper (WIA)
SA Torpex
Pvt Jump

Awards and Medals

GySgt Rock awarded Bronze Star Medal: Awarded Bronze Star with Combat V for heroic leadership during a fierce assault on enemy fortifications near Moung Nong Airfield
PO3 Lupus awarded Bronze Star Medal: Posthumously awarded Star and Combat V to their Bronze Star for determined and effective casualty retrieval and treatment under heavy fire during the capture of Moung Nong airfield and surrounding villages
WO1 Kent awarded Purple Heart
PFC Ripper awarded Purple Heart
Ha Si Nhat Marvin awarded Military Merit Medal: Awarded the Military Merit Medal for heroic aggressiveness and fearless assaults without regard for his own safety to ensure victory during the destruction of the Chelt Cong underground facility and surrounding fortifications near Mouang Nong

Chain of Command

1Lt Pointer Platoon Leader GySgt Rock Platoon SNCO Sgt Knievel Pilot Cpl Morse Radio Operator LCpl Jazz Radio Operator PFC Ripper (WIA) Heavy Gunner Pvt Jump LAT Rifleman
HM1 Patches Medic HM3 Frankenstein Medic HM3 Lupus Medic SM Bunker Constructionman SA Torpex Constructionman
Capt Scatter Forward Air Controller WO1 Kent (WIA) Parajumper
Ha Si Nhat Marvin Translator

Screenshots and After-Action Reports

Brief:

After successful medevac of Endgame Red from the airfield AO, opposition forces consolidated.

Endgame White were dispatched as a second wave and have secured an LZ to the north of the airfield (LZ Indigo) and established a hasty CP, med station, and mortar site. Their squads are preventing PAVN forces from re-occupying the facilities and village at the North of the runway, although they do not hold the buildings themselves. The area between northing 117 and 119 is contested.

The three radar sites have been confirmed destroyed. One SA-2 site has been destroyed (by artillery fire) and is unoccupied. One SA-2 site to the east has been localised but not destroyed. One SA-2 site to the south east has been localised to within 300m. The final two SA-2 sites have not yet been located.

Based on debriefing of Endgame Red and Endgame White troops, a D-20 artillery site, a rocket artillery site, a heavy mortar artillery site, and a medium mortar artillery site are within the airfield defensive complex, but have not been localised.

Red ! symbols indicate where Endgame White recon teams encountered minefield markers.

Remaining primary objectives are as follows: secure / destroy remaining SA2 launch sites. Locate and destroy identified artillery sites. Locate and secure helicopter launch and maintenance area. Locate and secure vehicle park and maintenance area. Locate and secure central command center, and obtain two-part radio codebook.

Remaining secondary objectives: secure airfield and eliminate 90% of OPFOR forces. Secure villages Ban Neme, Ko We, Xiom La Ho, and Lan Tam Ve.

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The initial plan according to Scatter:

Okay, I've done some sandboxing and have some results for sightlines. It's all bad news, basically.

I think the likely spots for remaining SA-2 and Arty sites are the ones numbered here from 1-10. (I suspect 2, 3, 4 are possible arty locations, while we know one SA-2 is at 5, suspect one SA-2 is probably at 6 or 7, and the others might be at at 8, 9, 10 or some rando location in the jungle I didn't think of.

The bad news is the only place with good sightlines on 2, 3 and 6 is a big rock at 5.

I think our two possible lines of attack if we want to make any use of the mortars are either:

1) Push into the airfield for A, the end of the runway. We should be able to see anything that's central to the airfield, which I reckon will be at least one arty unit. But I think this will suck pretty hard since we'll be pushing right into the defences. And we can't push on from A to 2/3 because of the minefield, so we'd be advancing up the runway in the open.

2) Push East from our startpoint and then head up to the ridge at C/D. We can check if there are any SA-2s at 9/10, possibly scout 7/8, and then hit 5 before pushing up to occupy that hilltop - then I stand on top of a bit rock with my binoculars and discover where the nearest Shilka is. Not ideal, but maybe the best bet?

Tonight's cocktail:

Apple and orange margarita

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