Designer's Diary - Part 4: That Others May Live - Roll Call

That Others May Live is a solitaire game about Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) in Vietnam. Published by Hollandspiele, the game puts you in the role of a scene commander coordinating the rescue of downed American aircrew in the jungles of South East Asia. For a rundown of the game and how it plays, check out my previous post here. This article is a brief "roll call" about the types of aircraft and enemy guns that are represented by each counter in the game.

Aircraft

The team of aircraft depicted in the game is much like the standard rescue force that was used in Combat Search and Rescues during the mid-stage of the Vietnam War (approximately 1967 to 1970).

Each aircraft type had shortcomings, but they were also well-suited for the CSAR mission due to their own unique specifications.

Sandy (A-1 Skyraider)

The A-1E Skyraider (nicknamed “Sandy” or "Spad") was a propeller-driven close air support aircraft that came to represent the heart and soul of search and rescue efforts in Vietnam. Though it lacked the speed and complexity of a modern jet fighter, the A-1E made up for this in low-level maneuverability, fuel capacity, armor, and ordnance, which made it perfect for CSAR operations.

The versatility of the A-1 made it an integral part of the Combat Search and Rescue mission throughout the war. Skyraiders were flown extensively by the USAF, USN, and VNAF. Late in the war, it was succeeded in the Sandy role by the A-7 Corsair. An excellent rundown of why this happened and how it worked can be found in this article. For a first-hand account of a Sandy pilot, I recommend George Marrrett's Cheating Death: Combat Rescues in Vietnam and Laos.

FAC (O-2 Skymaster)

Flown mainly by forward air controllers, the O-2 Skymaster was a temporary replacement for the O-1 Bird Dog. The O-2 was a converted civilian Cessna 337 aircraft that could carry two pods of White Phosphorous rockets that were used mostly for marking targets. 

The O-2 was a twin-engine aircraft that employed a unique “push-pull" configuration. Although it was small and maneuverable, it was a civilian design adapted for military use. As a result, some of its features were less than ideal for combat situations. For example, the pilot needed no less than three radios to communicate with the different elements of a SAR team while at the same time steering the aircraft and avoiding enemy ground fire. 

The O-2 was eventually replaced by the OV-10 Bronco, which was better-armed, had a much longer loitering time and a comprehensive communication suite. The period depicted in TOML is prior to the OV-10's entry into the theater.

For an excellent account of the war from the point of view of a Skymaster FAC, check out Tom Yarborough's Da Nang Diary. Another must-read is A Lonely Kind of War by Marshall Harrison. an OV-10 FAC during the later stages of the war.

Helicopter (HH-3E / HH-53E)

When it first saw widespread use in 1967, the HH-3E Jolly Green Giant represented a leap forward in CSAR capabilities. Designed by Sikorsky, this variant of the S-61R was adopted for use in transport and CSAR roles throughout South East Asia. 

The HH-3 had a refueling capability that allowed it to reach remote areas and loiter near a rescue site until the area was sanitized by close air support aircraft. Despite this, the HH-3 was still highly vulnerable to enemy ground fire, especially while engaged in a hover. 

The HH-53 replaced the HH-3 in South East Asia. It was an order magnitude in terms of improvement with miniguns, and a more powerful engine (the GE-7 versus the GE-5 engines) that enabled it to maintain a hover even in relatively high altitudes. The scenarios depicted in TOML use both the HH-3 and the HH-53, but within the scope of the game, they are indistinguishable.

Vietnam Air Rescues is an excellent book by former Jolly Green pilot Dave Richardson.

Fast Mover (F-4E Phantom / F-100 Super Sabre)

Though the counter shows a silhouette of F-4E Phantom aircraft, it is meant to represent a wide variety of combat jets. During the Vietnam War, a host of aircraft flew support missions in support of Combat Search and Rescue operations. Most notably, the F-100 Super Sabre was rated highly among SAR pilots and FACs for its performance and accuracy.

A standard bomb load for most combat aircraft was a mixture of both general-purpose bombs and napalm. Guided weaponry was exceedingly rare at this time and jet pilots needed caution to avoid hitting friendlies, especially while performing CSAR missions.

Fast moving jets usually needed a Forward Air Controller to guide them on to target either by marking them with white phosphorous or by "talking" them on to the target. When used effectively, they were devastating against a wide variety of threats.

There are countless books written by pilots of fast jets in Vietnam, but one of the better ones I've come across is Fast Movers: Jet Pilots and the Vietnam Experience by John Sherwood.

Enemy Guns

DShK 12.7mm HMG

The DShK was a 12.7mm heavy machine gun fielded by NVA infantry and anti-aircraft artillery units throughout the Vietnam War. Despite its relatively low caliber and limited range, the DShK has a high rate of fire (600 rounds per minute) that made flying through its firing envelope a potentially lethal experience. 

Due to its rugged reliability and relative light weight, it was also the most common AAA gun of the war and served as the NVA’s principle antiaircraft weapon along the Ho Chi Minh Trail and in Viet Cong controlled areas of South Vietnam. The DShK counter in TOML represents a combination of both heavy machinegun and small arms fire.

ZPU  14.5mm

The ZPU weapons system was a dedicated AAA gun with several variants (the ZPU-2 is shown on the counter). The ZPU is a towed or mounted gun with one or more barrels that are based on the 14.5mm KPV heavy machine gun. 

It was small and easily concealed, making it a deadly and nearly invisible threat for slow moving aircraft – especially helicopters. 

Effective range was approximately 1000 meters against a target below 1500 feet and 200 knots speed. Like the DShK, ZPU crews typically worked independently of each other and chose their own targets.

 

M38/39 37mm

The M38/39 37mm anti-aircraft gun was a World War II gun built and exported by the Soviet Union, though many of the M38s in Vietnam were of Chinese origin. The M38 had no fire control and relied on a manual range predictor with an open sight. 

Compared to lower caliber weapons, the M38/39 had a much slower firing rate (approximately 80 rounds per minute) with a maximum horizontal range of roughly 8,000 meters. In practice, however, the gun usually opened fire at half this range or less. The guns were often grouped together and worked as a battery against the same target.

S-60 57mm

The S60 struck terror into the hearts of aircraft crew due to its powerful 57mm round, high rate of fire (120 rounds per minute) and long range (12,000 meters though it typically opened fire at around 5,000 meters). The S-60 used a fire control radar and batteries would open fire collectively on a single target determined by the battery commander. The gun’s slow traverse rate made it more effective against targets at longer ranges.