VENETIC

The Search for Ghost Town Trail

The Battle of Dầu Tiếng

3 November 1966

by W.S. McCallum

A scenario taken from S.L.A. Marshall’s work on the battle of Dầu Tiếng, called “Ambush”, originally published in 1969. In the early stages of this battle, the US 27th Infantry Division was trying to find the “Ghost Town Trail” in an attempt to search for and destroy Vietcong units and bases known to be in the vicinity. In the opening moves of the battle, Charlie Company, of the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Division, was dropped off by two helicopter lifts at a landing zone in buffalo grass near the end of the trail. Having mustered the unit, its commander, Captain Frederick H. Henderson, then gave orders for the Company to move northwards through the buffalo grass to a silent treeline and the dense jungle beyond.

Ahead lay perfect ambush country, and it was known that Charlie was in the area….

View from the left flank of Charlie Company’s line:

View from the right flank of Charlie Company’s line:

The U-shaped tree-line forms a perfect line of defence:

From the treetops, the VC also have good vantage points for spotting the approaching US infantry.

Just beyond the treeline is a path leading onto the Ghost Town Trail:

This is Charlie Company’s objective, which it must take to fulfil its mission.

Heedless of the ambush risk, the US commander sends 3 platoons straight up the middle.

Whilst also taking the precaution of infiltrating his other platoon through the jungle on his right flank.

However this platoon’s fieldcraft is poor and they are quickly spotted by a heavy machine gun unit concealed in the middle of the U-shaped tree-line. Three HMGs open up fire and the platoon immediately takes losses.

The three platoons struggling to make their way through the buffalo grass soon fall out of line and fail to secure their left flank, making them an ideal target for a VC sniper perched in a tree.

Immediately, one squad leading the advance is suppressed.

Behind them, there is confusion as men go to ground, whilst trying to spot the sniper.

To add to the confusion, at this point a second VC sniper opens up from behind a tree stump up ahead. The company’s main advance is now stalled due to accurate crossfire, including from the heavy machine gun unit.

The US platoon advancing through the trees on the right flank has stirred up a hornet’s nest. A VC platoon assaults them through the jungle. As they close to hand-to-hand combat, it is clear from their uniforms that the “VC” are in fact Main Force NVA. Most of the US platoon is wiped out in the ensuing close-quarter combat.

Hit hard, the US soldiers fail to seize the initiative and are picked off, with one last sergeant fighting valiantly, until he too goes down.

Seeking to open a gap in the NVA line that will enable them to infiltrate behind this victorious NVA platoon, US infantry run for the treeline.

The response is a hail of NVA heavy machine gun fire and sniper fire, which in turn attracts covering fire from the US infantry supporting the assault. In the ensuing firefight, the assaulting US infantry are all killed….

And the VC sniper behind the tree stump gets hit by M60 machine-gun fire and goes down.

Sensing this is a good moment to finish off the remaining US infantry in the buffalo grass, the NVA commander assaults them out of the treeline from their left flank.

The assault is hit by crossfire from the two remaining US platoons in the buffalo grass and, to make things worse, a 105 mm howitzer artillery barrage is directed by the US forward observer onto the advancing NVA.

The only survivor is an NVA NCO whose nerve is broken by the loss of his entire unit. He bolts for the jungle, never to be seen again.

Feeling too exposed, some of the US infantry in the centre fall back under covering fire directed at the sniper up in the tree.

This sniper, who has caused so much trouble, is suppressed and then finally killed.

The US line is stabilised, although what is left of the company is scattered and disorganised.

There is also a flamethrower unit which, so far, has not got close enough to the enemy to actually be used.

The NVA commander decides it is time to finish off the remnants of the US company and orders a frontal assault.

However the advancing NVA do not get far beyond the treeline as the US forward observer expertly calls down artillery barrages that stop the assault.

The surviving NVA flee back to the safety of the treeline.

What is left of Charlie Company is still managing to hold its ground, although it is clear that it no longer has sufficient strength to take and secure the end of the Ghost Town Trail.

At this point, play was ended as it was clear that the US commander had failed to reach his objective. In spite of losses in their two unsuccessful assaults out of the treeline, the NVA line was secure and unbroken.

It was a victory for the NVA, and the game mirrored actual events as they transpired in real life. On 3 November 1966, Charlie Company got caught in a cauldron of crossfire and had to hold on, sustaining serious losses, while reinforcements were called in and the trail was assaulted by two further US infantry companies from east and west of Charlie Company’s drop zone.