Friday, 8th March 1969



Dear Dad,

Tomorow i will have my first mission as team leader, i hope i can stand the expectations. I also hope i do not have any casualties. I will do just like in the training:

- Stay close to my radio man.
- Check for Tripwires in my way.
- Move in slowly, check target area, less time on target, extract fast.
- Do not make noise until we are compromised.

Man, i really like that artillery support we are able to get. The one oh fives are quite useful for close combat support. And the one seven fives, i love them, they can quite save the day against a major enemy unit.
The only thing i have to remember, is not to call them to close to your own position, they spread about 100 yards. At home you have always said "Near only counts for horseshoes and Grenades" but i am sure it counts for the heavy arty, too.
I really worry about that damn fog which is always hanging around this area. It makes air support quite a tricky thing: Normally those boys just flow in blow the whole place and go back for a beer. But today it is me down there, so i prefer they took a good look at what they are shooting at!
That NVA patrol really make me nervous, normal VCs can t shoot straight with there old rifles but the NVA gooks are quite a different breed. Good equipped, well-trained and always ready to stand and fight. Thanks god there are quite rare in this area.
Let me not forget to ask Young to pack extra ammo for his Stoner; Nothing replaces the pure advantage of superior firepower.
Well anyone who can handle hell week can handle this picnic trip, i think.

Yours Tom


Welcome Tom,

congratulations on your first mission as SEAL Team Leader, here are your

Detailed orders
Map reference
Tutorial Artillery/Extraction

... and if there are no questions, i will summarize the main objectives to be achieved:


Locate the two hooches and search for weapons.


Destroy any weapon cache you can find there.


Extract back to the SEAL camp. Either by boat (boat will be at extraction point at 0705) or by heli.


Search the Heli Crash Site (look for smoke), check for survivors and protect them.


Destroy the crashed Heli. So the VC can not use the Radio and the Weapons.



Orders; Alpha Team


Our Objective is located about one klick northwest of LZ Xray. Intelligence from the CIA in Soc Drang states there are two hooches located along a small trail. One of them contains a Vietcong weapon cache. Charlie has been taking weapons down the Ho Chi Minh Trail from Laos and storing them in one of these hooches to supply the VC and NVA soldiers in the area. Our job is to destroy the weapons with explosives. We also want to verify who much we can thrust our intel source, therefore you have to search the hooches before you destroy them.

Overall situation
The Seal Echo Platoon is located in South East Vietnam (Cops III). The enemy activity have increased in this area the last two weeks.

Enemy situation
The hooch which contains the weapons is probably guarded by one or two VC. There might be sentries around, to watch for US activity. From previous mission we know that there is normally a VC patrol in this area. After your Team is compromised an attack is very likely. Also Intelligence reported the possibility of a NVA Heavy Weapons group, but it is unclear if this information is correct.
There are booby traps placed between Insertion point and the Hooches.

Friendly forces
Light Seal Support Craft
(Callsign Bravo Black One)
105mm and 175mm Howitzers
(Fire Control Hotel One)
UH-1C Gunship Support
(Fire Control Hotel One)
Two F4E Phantom
(Fire Control Hotel One)

Civilian situation
There are no civilians in this area, it is a Free Fire Zone. No friendly units are operating in this area.

Attachments
There are no attachments for this mission.


Return to the plan by selecting the plan tab.


Definitions


INSERTION: At 0650 (sunrise), 600m North of your Objective by LSSC Boat.

ARTY SUPPORT: Four 105mm Howitzer and Four 175mm Howitzer located at Firebase Falcon

AIR SUPPORT: One UH-1C Gunship, but probably ineffective because of Ground Fog.
Two F4 Phantom for one Airstrike, Mk83 Bombs.

EXTRACTION: From 0705, 250m East of your Insertion by LSSC Boat. Other Extraction Points can be selected.

FUBAR (e.g. you lost your radio or the LSSC is destroyed) try to make it to LZ Xray, we will extract your team from there.

Return to the plan by selecting the plan tab.


Tutorial


How to use the support
-------------------------

Extraction by Boat
You can order the LSSC Boat to extract you from your position (of course near the river, it is a boat!). Then issue the Radio Command Extract, the LSSC will move near to your position, if it is possible (the LSSC can not move over land, but it will try). If you made a bad selection or the boat is to far from shore, move near the river and try again

Artillery
You can order one 105mm and one 175mm Fire Mission to any point on the Map. Select "Request Support" in the radio. What until the Loading Message changes to Cancel Support, then click on the map. This will move a red Cross to a new position on the map. Now you can use the Radio commands to order the 105mm or the 175mm Mission. Be careful, the artillery spread about 100 yards and the 175mm has a real BOOM. If you are unsure about your position do not call for real fire.
You also can also call for Battlefield Illumination and Smoke Rounds. If you are totally lost, which can happen easily in the veteran missions, call for Illumination to the nearest known location.

Air support
You can ask for a UH-1C Gunship to give you air support. To do so, Select "Request Support" in the radio, then where you want the air support, the red cross will be moved to the position you have clicked on. You can select how long do you want the support, by adjusting the silder. Then issue the Command Close Air Support (CAS) , after about two minutes the chopter will be inbound. It will search the area for enemy activity. (In the dense jungle it is rather ineffective, but in the open, it can waste a whole enemy group. Be careful if you are real close to the enemy it shots its rockets sometimes to close.)
You can also order an airstrike. In this case two Phantoms will come and make a bomb run from west to the east.

Drag your Casualties
If one of your man is down, the option "Start Draging" appears in your action menu. Using this you can drag your wounded or dead team members to a place where they can be evacuated (either by Heli or by Ship). Draging is done in two different ways. If you have team members around you, he will move next to you, then you run together to the wounded. There you put your weapon on your back, because you need free hands then you move the wounded side by side.
If you are alone you drop your main weapon (you can not handle a wounded and your weapon weight). run to the position of the wounded. Form there you have to drag him behind you, this is very inconvient because you do not see where you go, but it is the only way.
You know LEAVE NOONE BEHIND !



Mission complete


This was an extreme failure. Well, at least YOU are back.




Mission complete


The mission was a failure. Try harder next time. But at least your team have no casulities.




Mission complete


Good job out there. Glad you are back. But you should take better care of your men.




Mission complete


Great job out there. The mission is a great success. I am sure you will get a medal for it.




Mission result


That Heli crash was really unexpected. Well, at least you made it back.




Mission complete


Perfect job out there. You can handle even the most difficult missions. The pilots want to buy you a beer. I am sure you will get a promotion for it.