Snatch and Grab

With the Tet Offensive in full swing, many Americans units are left without a clear role and some just don't know what's going on.

'D' Company's HQ is out in the middle of nowhere, it's sent patrols and has stationed piquets to catch Viet Cong trying to escape the counter-offensive, but little does it realise that it's caught the very special attention of a Vietnamese commander who's sent in his best men on a snatch and grab mission.



Captain Fanning assumes that the VC he can see are in flight, having never seen the enemy duke it out before - they obviously haven't spotted his position in the dark



But these VC know exactly what they're after - a sniper team set up in the jungle



The Assault group charge in - virtually all the Viet Cong are armed with sub-machine guns and in close range that should prove decisive



Too late Fanning realises his mistake and gets every available man to the edge of HQ's position to open up



It's too little, too late and the HQ is overrun. The Viet Cong's intelligence officer races to the command track to look for anything useful



One of the Company's patrols are coming in



They engage some of the Viet Cong in a long-range firefight, able to pick out the snipers who give their position away



The patrol tries to cover the open ground as quickly as possible



The Viet Cong hold out while they ransack the American's HQ



A brief counter-attack stalls the American advance



Not for long, as the left hook of the patrol starts to make an impression on the VC's defence of the outpost



Some of the VC start to withdraw under fire - they've taken one of the HQ staff prisoner



The other section of the American patrol starts to cut off the retreating VC, taking down one of the senior guerillas



The Americans open fire on the supporting light machine gun, winning that firefight with ease



VC casualties start to mount up but everyone is dragged into the jungle



Leaving the Americans to retake the HQ and count the cost



A hectic night battle, where Charlie really did rule the night. Massed SMGs are hugely effective (so long as you are able to close the range).

Once again, I gave this another go solo, and a more aggressive start from the Americans and some lucky rolling from the HQ team see the VC embroiled in a tough firefight before they can even start their intelligence-gathering operation.