Last Updated 21 December 2018
Phil and Mike have been busy reviewing all of the questions that have popped up on the Facebook Group and put together an FAQ.This latest update includes a number of recent questions from the community
Download Our Man From Saigon here…
Download the Printer Friendly version here…
We will continue to periodically update the FAQ based on your feedback.
April 28th is International Table Top Day. It’s a day to celebrate tabletop gaming in all its glory and share the hobby with some friends, after all one of the best parts about tabletop gaming is the community. To celebrate the day we are giving a 20% discount this weekend from the 27th of April to the 30th of April on Army Boxes, Unit Card Packs and the ‘Nam book itself!
We are still running our launch sale which gives 25% off across the rest of the range but since all good things must come to an end this will be finishing on the 31st of May. That’s just time for you to pick up a book and unit cards on sale this weekend and have a chance to work out an army and pick it up at a great price.
Don’t miss out on this weekends sale on the book, unit cards and army deals though!
| You can now download ‘Nam on the Flames Of War Digital App.
The Flames Of War Digital App has been designed to allow you to carry all of your Flames Of War, Team Yankee and ‘Nam books in one place without having to break your back. Find out how to get the most from the app here (over on the Flames Of War website)… Download the app from the iTunes Store here (iPad only)… |
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We’ve started a new Facebook Group so you can discuss the new ‘Nam rules and range. Come on over and ask the Battlefront team your questions… |
| We are currently working on a Learn To Play Guide to help you learn the basics of ‘Nam as quickly and easily as possible, stand by soldier it is coming soon!
If you have already played Team Yankee or Flames Of War (V4) then you will find your first tour of ‘Nam just as easy and intuitive as these other rules sets from Battlefront. For the cherries among you, don’t worry we will have a comprehensive guide for you soon. |
| To celebrate the launch of ‘Nam we are having a sale! You can get 25% off the entire ‘Nam range, excluding the book, army deals and card packs.
Update: we’ve added the new Battlefield in a Box Gaming Mat to the Online Store, this is also excluded from the sale. This launch sale is a great chance to add a few extra units to finish an existing army, or pick up an entirely new army and get in to this exciting period of history. Head over to the Online Store now to check out the entire ‘Nam range. |
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| The Vietnam War (or the American War to the Vietnamese) defined a generation, whether it was through service in Vietnam or opposition to the war. The war in Vietnam, fought nearly half a century ago, remains one of the longest and bloodiest wars since the Second World War. |
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Despite its popular depiction as a guerrilla war of endless patrols and small ambushes, both sides were constantly looking for decisive victories in large-scale battles. This book allows you to recreate some of these battles on the tabletop using the popular Team Yankee miniature wargaming rules.
We are still putting the finishing touches on the ‘Nam website so if you spot anything odd please let us know at [email protected]. The website (and store) however are live for you to have a look at and purchase a copy of the new book so take a look around. Thanks from the Battlefront team. |
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with Mike Haught & Phil Yates
Few aircraft have the raw firepower and durability of the Douglas A-1H Skyraider. Derided for being a propeller-driven aircraft in the new Jet Age, the ‘Spad’ not only demonstrated that it had a mission to accomplish, it proved that there was still a place for ‘slow movers’. The Skyraider’s legacy paved the way for powerful modern attack aircraft like the venerable A-10 Warthog. Look more about the Skyraider in ‘Nam here… |
| When I was young I was obsessed with the four-engined B-17 bomber from World War II. I built countless models of the famous bomber, drew doodles of B-17s bombing factories on my school papers, and was mesmerized by getting to see the Commemorative Air Force’s B-17G ‘Sentimental Journey’ up close and personal for the first time. To this day I still love that aircraft. It was rugged, powerful, and had an impressive arsenal. So when my dad told me that the AH-1 Skyraider, a single seat Navy dive bomber, could deliver the same payload as a B-17 (8000lbs or 3600kg of ordnance), I was amazed and instantly made it one of my favourite aircraft.
Development The Dauntless II first took to the air on 18 March 1945 and its trial flights greatly exceeded the Navy’s expectations and blew away all of the competing airframes. It was powerful, rugged, and extremely easy to maintain. The Navy instantly ordered nearly 600 planes and designated the plane as the AD-1 Skyraider in February 1946. The airframe was incredibly rugged and could carry up to 8000lbs (3600kg) of ordnance, the equivalent or superior to many of its contemporary bombers. The plane’s fuel capacity meant that it could spend up to 10 hours in the air, meaning it could stay on station and help local troops for a very long time. It also had a pair of 20mm cannons, one in each wing to offer additional firepower. Operational History |
| Korea The AD-1’s first combat action was over Korea in 1950-1953. The plane’s heavy payload far exceeded what the jets of the time could deliver, and so were used as the primary ground-attack aircraft of the Navy and Marines. The AD-1 earned the nickname ‘Able Dog’ after sterling service in the Korean War.During the war several new variants were developed, including early-warning, submarine-hunting, and the up-armed AD-4 with two more 20mm cannon added for a total of four. Over 1050 AD-4 aircraft were built. Following the war, the AD-4 was again updated as the AD-6, which received a more powerful engine, added armour protection for the pilot, and was made capable of delivering nuclear weapons. Over 710 AD-6 Skyraiders were built and saw service in the Navy, Marines, and the Air Force.In 1962, the AD-6 was renamed the A-1H and soon took on the nickname ‘Spad’, a derogatory reference to the fact that it was a propeller aircraft in the jet age. However, the Spad was about to prove its worth once more in Southeast Asia. |
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| Vietnam In the early days of the US involvement in the Vietnam conflict, the Geneva Convention forbid the US military to use jet aircraft in a military role. Enter the Skyraider! The powerful aircraft served the Air Force and Navy well for those first few months until the restriction was lifted and the more powerful bombers were brought online. However, that was not the end of the Spad’s career in Vietnam. It had a lot more still to offer.As the years wore on, the Skyraider became a ubiquitous weapon in the US military’s arsenal. Its 15 hard points under its wings could carry and deliver an assortment of torpedoes, mine dispensers, minigun pods, white phosphorous bombs, high explosive rockets, 500lb bombs, cluster bombs, and napalm. The aircraft’s own 20mm cannon could unload a further 800 rounds. Each aircraft was an army unto itself. Its slow speed was an asset because it allowed the aircraft to deliver its weapons on target with excellent accuracy. Jet attack planes were sometimes too fast to deliver accurate strikes, making the Skyraider better suited for close air support.Skyraider ground attack missions included preparing landing zones for helicopters, supporting friendly infantry, covering rescue operations, disrupting known North Vietnamese supply lines, and whatever else asked of it. If a pilot completed his mission and still had ordnance left, he would radio the local friendly forces and get a target to spend the last of his payload. Never did a Skyraider return to base or the aircraft carrier with ordnance still remaining! They became a major and vital part of the Vietnam War.Towards the late 1960s, the Skyraider was slowly (and reluctantly, according to many Spad pilots) replaced by the new A4 Skyhawks and A6 Intruder jet attack aircraft. However, there were always missions that the Skyraider could do best. The aircraft soldiered on in US service until the last one was removed from active duty in 1972. However, a good number of Skyraiders were given to the South Vietnamese air force, which made use of them until the conclusion of the war. |
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6-Million Pounds Later… In October 1965, the USS Midway was scheduled to deliver the six-millionth pound of ordnance on Vietnam. To mark the occasion, the crew and pilot, Commander Clarence W. Stoddard, arranged for a special bomb to be dropped: a toilet!The toilet was rigged with a bomb rack, tailfins and nose fuse. It was dropped over a target in South Vietnam and the local Forward Air Controller reported that it whistled all of the way down before crashing into the ground below! |
| A New Era The passing of the Skyraider from the US military marked the end of the noble lineage of propeller-driven carrier-based attack aircraft and the full takeover of the jet. However, the transition was not without problems and after years of trying to get attack jets to work, the aircraft designers went back to the Skyraider for inspiration for its next generation of ground support aircraft. The experience of the slow, powerful, and rugged Skyraider would be incorporated into the Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, blending the best the Skyraider had to offer with modern jet technology.~ Mike. |
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Includes one Assault Support Patrol Boat boat.
The Assault Support Patrol Boats (ASPB) were known as Alpha boats, owing to the A-designation on their hull numbers. They were the only boat in the MRF purpose built for the riverine mission. Check out the Assault Support Patrol Boat in the online store here… |
| The Alpha boat entered service in September 1967 and became known as the Brown Water Navy’s “destroyer”. It was lighter and faster than the Monitor, the MRF’s “river battleship”, but it still packed quite a punch, with two .50-calibre heavy machine guns, 20mm cannon and multipurpose 81mm mortar for indirect fire. Each river division could rely on eight ASPBs to lead patrols upriver.
Designed by Evan Allen |
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| The Assault Support Patrol Boat |  |
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| The Assault Support Patrol Boat in ‘Nam | |
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Includes one Monitor boat with optional zippo turrets and command tent .
The Monitor was based on the ATC, but the boat’s ramp was replaced with a blunt-shaped bow and the forecastle extended. Known as the MRF’s “battleship”, it could carry a large number of weapons. A river division had up to three available for operations to provide serious firepower to patrols. |
| Monitors were heavily armored, and normally mounted the largest guns of all riverine warships. The name originated from the US Navy’s USS Monitor, which made her first appearance in the American Civil War, and being distinguished by the use of revolving gun turrets.
The Monitor could call on some formidable weaponry, including a powerful turret-mounted 40mm gun, three 20mm cannon, and a multipurpose 81mm mortar. And that’s not even mentioning the Zippo variant, with two fearsome flame-throwers. Designed by Evan Allen |
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| The Monitor |  |
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| The Monitor in ‘Nam | |
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