War Over Vietnam Operation Arc Light

U Tapao Air Base, Thailand April 12, 1966: This scenario covers the efforts of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) to support military actions with B-52 conventional bombing missions, specifically targeting the Mu Gia Pass. This attack was the first strike against the mountain pass and was the largest bomber operation seen since World War II, containing 30 Boeing B-52D Stratofortress strategic bombers and multiple other aircraft flying in support of the mission.

Mu Gia Pass is located in the Annamite Range between northern Vietnam and Laos and is 418 meters above sea level. The pass was the primary entry point into the Ho Chi Minh Trail through Laos and was largely protected from aerial observation due to it being covered with dense tropical rain forest. Despite multiple attempts to shut down the pass by creating a landslide, the US Air Force and Navy were never able to put it out of operation any significant period of time.

War Over Vietnam Operation Rolling Thunder V

Bien Hoa, Republic of Vietnam March 2, 1965: This scenario covers the first mission of Rolling Thunder, an air operation orchestrated from Washington, DC by a White House that micro-managed the air campaign right down to selecting targets, ordnance and attack routes. In keeping with the doctrine of “gradualism”, certain obvious targets (such as North Vietnamese airfields) were kept off limits in order to threaten “future” destruction.

The scenario begins with several flights en route to one of two prepositioned ingress points: the South Ingress point which services the route packages of both the Bien Hoa and Korat flights, and the East Ingress point which services the route package of six flights (18 total aircraft) of A-1E strike packages coming from Bien Hoa.

War Over Vietnam Operation Flaming Dart II

Flaming Dart was a series of reprisal air strikes carried out against various North Vietnam targets. The first attack consisted of 49 sorties and was flown on February 7, 1965 as a response to assaults on US bases by the Vietcong. In retaliation for the first strikes, the VC attacked a hotel housing US personnel which prompted the Americans to respond in kind with a second attack consisting of 99 sorties that was flown four days after the first attacks.

This scenario covering the second set of retaliatory strikes focuses on the US Navy and their raids on the NVA barracks at Chanh Hoa. These strikes were launched from the aircraft carriers Coral Sea, Hancock and Ranger from Yankee Station just off of the coast from the Da Nang airbase which has available aircraft for the operation as does Ton Son Nhut to the south. The scenario that I am playing was designed by Gary Morgan and lasts for 1:30.

Operation Pierce Arrow (Repost)

Vinh, Vietnam - This mission presents you with three targets that you must do enough damage to within the allotted three hours to achieve a decisive result. This however cannot be accomplished in the first pass (best case scenario is a draw) and will require you to return your flights to a base, reload and attack again.

There are two base types in this mission which require some care in the use of the auto-return function. First up we have the big sexy carriers down in the lower right corner of the map, the USS Constellation (CVA-64) and the USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14). The problem here is one of distance.

The Dragon's Jaw (Repost)

Thanh Hoa, Vietnam: This scenario is a hypothetical attack on the North Vietnamese Ham Rung Bridge by the US Air Force flying out of the Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand. The mission starts with your forces airborne over Laos and en route to The Dragon's Jaw in Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam.

I honestly tried to follow the tutorial for this mission written by Adam Parker, but dare I criticize a fellow combat writer by suggesting that mixing war fiction in with what purports to be instructions on how to play a war game is something that should be avoided at all costs.

Thanh Hoa Bridge

Thanh Hoa, Vietnam: While this tutorial mission featured the infamous "Dragon's Jaw" bridge that chewed up and spit out so many American pilots and aircraft during the course of the war, the Thanh Hoa Bridge scenario is the first instance of the famous target in the regular game.

Your flight starts (as in apparently most if not all of these scenarios) near the objective already in an attack profile with several waypoints already plotted out for you. Also as with any mission, you are free to override any of these suggestions and plot your own attack.

Operation Flaming Dart II

Dong Hoi, Vietnam: This mission presents you with two targets that you must do enough damage to within the allotted two hours to achieve a decisive result. Like the previous mission "Pierce Arrow", this cannot be done in the first pass (best case scenario is a draw) and will require you to return your flights to a base, reload and attack again.

There are three aircraft carriers on the map, the Ranger, Hancock and Coral Sea; however as in the previous mission there are closer options available, such as Nakhon Phanom and Ubon, which is what I used during this mission to support the strike on the two targets - Chanh Hoa Barracks and Dong Hoi Port.

Operation Pierce Arrow

Vinh, Vietnam - This mission presents you with three targets that you must do enough damage to within the allotted three hours to achieve a decisive result. This however cannot be accomplished in the first pass (best case scenario is a draw) and will require you to return your flights to a base, reload and attack again.

There are two base types in this mission which require some care in the use of the auto-return function. First up we have the big sexy carriers down in the lower right corner of the map, the USS Constellation (CVA-64) and the USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14). The problem here is one of distance.

The Dragon's Jaw

Thanh Hoa, Vietnam: This scenario is a hypothetical attack on the North Vietnamese Ham Rung Bridge by the US Air Force flying out of the Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand. The mission starts with your forces airborne over Laos and en route to The Dragon's Jaw in Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam.

I honestly tried to follow the tutorial for this mission written by Adam Parker, but dare I criticize a fellow combat writer by suggesting that mixing war fiction in with what purports to be instructions on how to play a war game is something that should be avoided at all costs.