Rescue of Maggie O'Brien AAR

This game scenario comes from an incident in the fabulous book, The Rescue of River City by Drew Dix. This incident is one of at least five in the book that would make good games for skirmish type rules. So far, I have turned just two of the five into games. The author, then a Special Forces staff sergeant, aided by a CIA paramilitary officer, led a small contingent of indigenous Provincial Reconnaissance Unit (PRU) in a fifty-six hour fight against two Main Force VC battalions who had taken over nearly all of the Bassac River city of Chou Phu, usually called Chau Doc, near the Cambodian border as part of the 1968 Tet Offensive.

Maggie O’Brien, a volunteer nurse in Chou Doc, had to be found and rescued from the VC. Dix led a group to her home. VC had already entered the house. Maggie was hiding upstairs while the VC ransacked the downstairs. Fortunately for all concerned (particularly this group of VC), the enemy fled out the back as Dix came to the front. Maggie was safely rescued and Dix got her out of town the next day with a high value VC he had captured.

For the game, our VC were not going to get off that lightly. But then neither would our heroes. MFVC would show up, otherwise, no game.

Incidentally, as a result of what SSG Dix did at Chou Doc, he received a direct commission to first lieutenant, and received the Medal of Honor.

I ran this game twice in 2016. Unfortunately I don’t remember as much as I would like to. But I have a bunch of photos. Rather than try to describe what I don’t remember, I will just put some captions below the photos.


Maggie's neighborhood in Chau Doc. Hers is the yellowish tan two story house with the Citroen in front.


Another view.


And another.


SSG Dix's jeeps enter the area.


The quiet before the storm.


Bad guys crossing the street that runs behind Maggie's house.


Getting closer.


VC behind the wall are taken under fire. The .50 killed one and stunned the other.


SGT Dix, armed with his Swedish K heads to the door. One of his men at the street has been hit.


Two VC ran down the alley toward the action. Fire from one of the jeeps put one out of the action.


The second one was hit next.


When the VC arrived, Maggie had been hiding in the back room on the ground floor. She did not have time to get out or upstairs. Fortunately the VC had been so absorbed in their ransacking the front room that they did not search for occupants. While the action outside was taking place, Dix burst through the door. Instantly he saw Maggie was not in line of sight and he fired a burst at the VC. One was hit, one ducked down for cover. The third froze in place. (I don't remember what happened and this was all I could come up with as he is still standing.)


Another angle.

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Maggie comes out of the house.


Maggie in the jeep.


Upon leaving, Dix tossed a grenade in the front room to finish off the VC.


On their way out.


Mission accomplished.

Tom

For this scenario, I had random rules to determine what MFVC would be involved as well as when and where they would appear. Random rules also dealt with Maggie and her actions as well as those of the VC who would be in the house.

I played this twice. In the other game, the VC had much better luck on the random rolls. I will put a few of those photos in. You will see that they shot the daylights out of the rescue force. Some were in the two story corrugated metal roofed building across the street from Maggie's house. Some of them did get hit. A much larger force came down the alley.

When I get a chance I will post something about a great two part YouTube video on and with Drew Dix.











Tom

Now THAT'S an AAR! Wow Tom, nice work putting that together and the photos of the game are amazing as usual.

Great stuff - I prefer the outcome of first game to the massacre in the second one. Great looking houses.

Thanks OTB. I agree about the preference.

Tom

Great looking pictures and terrain. Sounds like both were fun games, although I'm also with OTB on the outcome of the 2nd one.

Thanks for sharing!

cool game

Amazing game Tom, love it!

Just love yout terrain. Also many thanks for the entertaining story. I recognize some old Dapol buildings. Like how you pimped and painted them up. I'm intrigued by especially two buildings. First picture, bottom right, red roof, larger building with a veranda and balcony, Really nice. Is this part scratch built? Same question about the smaller one above and behind it (same pic). White/greyish, roof corrugated iron sheets (?).

Thanks guys.

Jimo, the first building you asked about is scratch built. A friend did it for me to my specs. I wish I had had him make it a bit smaller.

The other one, with the corrugated roof and a two story building is one I converted from a model railroad western saloon.

Both buildings are partitioned into rooms on the inside with access to both floors.

Tom