by Andrew Borelli
| South Korea, May 2000 A.D. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Getting to Korea | Briefing | Insertion |
| Approach | Retrieval | Weather |
| Team Duty Roster | Running the Adventure | The Tanker |
| The Airbase | The Opposition | The Scale of the Battle |
South Korea, May 2000 A.D.:
"I remember some time last year when Harris kept bitchin'
and moanin' all day and night about how we don't get any air
support any more. We're just marching up some old highway near
the parallel pretty as you please, and he's going on and on about
it. Wouldn't stop either until the el-tee screamed at him that
nobody was getting any air support any more, and that if he
didn't shut up he'd be defusing mines along the 38th for the rest
of his life. Me, I'd been through a bunch of air attacks, and as
far as I was concerned, no more planes was fine by me.
"So just last week the lieutenant comes over and tells us
we're escorting a bunch of Air Force guys up north - north, for
Christ's sake! And to get the planes moving again, too! Geez.
Well, at least it's paying for our tickets back to Pusan. And if
you ask me, we can't get out of here fast enough."
This was already discussed in 38th Parallel. The PCs may
have landed there on the USS Corpus Christi or any other
seaworthy craft, marched there from various points west, or may
have served there as part of the US defense force.
This adventure is open to characters who have served in any
branch of the armed forces, although Army or Marine characters
are best suited to the action. If the PCs are an established
group "just passing through" Korea, lure them into the adventure
with the promise of vital supplies, gold, or passage on a
transport back to the States. (There are several active ports in
Korea, plus what's left of the main naval base at Pusan. In
addition, the US captured Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam during the war.
It is still a Guantanamo Bay-like outpost.) Freelance groups of
PCs may become re-integrated into the military structure of South
Korea simply by encountering friendly troops. There are various
bases all over South Korea the PCs may visit, while all of the
major cities are still inhabited and patrolled by military
personnel. Groups of PCs who have served in the Korean Theater of
Operations will probably already be a part of the military
structure here and should have no difficulty getting right into
the adventure.
Eighty kilometers northwest of the new DMZ lies an abandoned
North Korean airbase. Troops from the 117th Recon Battalion
recently returned from a reconnaissance of the area and reported
that a large aircraft had been abandoned at the base. Two
choppers from the 3rd Air Assault Battalion scoured the area and
obtained one poor quality photograph of the aircraft. Despite the
condition of the picture, the craft is nevertheless unmistakable
for an IL-78 Midas tanker refuelling plane with Soviet markings.
Two other aircraft are also visible, but cannot be identified.
After several meetings with the Military Tribunal in Seoul,
the 8th Army has decided to dispatch a retrieval team to the
area. Recovery of this aircraft will make long-distance bombing
of North Korea and air transport of troops once again possible,
which may help bring a close to the war.
The retrieval team will consist of five Air Force pilots,
five Air Force technicians, and five Army engineers. Two full
platoons will accompany them to the base.
Upon arrival, the infantry will secure the base and the
surrounding area, while the technicians will determine if the
tanker can be salvaged. If so, they will repair the tanker so it
can be flown. Once repaired, the pilots will fly the plane from
the airbase back to South Korea and land at Seoul International
Airport. The engineers will act as good all-purpose technical
personnel; they may also need to repair the runway.
The retrieval team will depart from Kaesong at 0200 hours
and will move under tank escort to the new DMZ. Once the team has
crossed the line, they are on their own.
The approach to the airbase will not be easy. The area is
constantly disputed between North and South Korean militia units.
Minor skirmishes sometimes escalate into all-out brawls with
considerable casualties. Although both sides try to maintain the
highway system, the surrounding countryside is hilly and battle-
scarred. Few settlements will still be inhabited, and those that
are will be xenophobic and defensive. North Korean militia may
defend some of these towns. There is at least one full sized
North Korean army platoon patrolling the area.
The pilots will make their own way home because they have to
pilot the tanker back to South Korea. Helicopter elements of the
3rd Air Assault Battalion will arrive shortly after the tanker
departs to extract both platoons and the ground crews. The team
has been issued an AN/VRC-12 radio, capable of transmitting up to
50km away. One hour before the tanker is ready to fly (that is,
one hour before takeoff time), the communications specialist will
send three short transmissions to avoid triangulation. A
receiving post is stationed near the 50km waypoint, waiting for
the signal. Pickup should come just a few minutes after takeoff.
Fortunately, it is spring, meaning the ground is no longer
covered in tons of ice and snow. In addition, the rainy season
has not yet started. The next few days should be mild and
slightly overcast. Nighttime temperatures will be cool (30-30
degrees F), with clear skies. These days, however, all weather
forecasts are subject to radical change.
Alpha Platoon
Lt. David Bianca, Platoon Leader
2. Lt. Richard Young, Ass't Platoon Leader
+3 Rifle Squads
+1 Specialist Squad (the technicians, pilots, and engineers)
Vehicles: 1 FAV, 1 Hummer, 1 Hummer FSV, 1 M151 Jeep, 2 8-ton
Trucks, 2 M2A2 Bradley, 1 M113, 1 M577A1 CP
Bravo Platoon
Lt. Ronald Keowe, Platoon Leader
2 Lt. Diane Perkett, Ass't Platoon Leader
+3 Rifle Squads
Vehicles: 1 Hummer, 3 Hummer M1097, 1 M2A2 Bradley, 1 M60A3, 2
M113, 1 M577A1 CP
Typical US Rifle Squad, 2000 A.D.:
1 Squad Leader (M16A2)
Fireteam One:
1 Team Leader (M16A2/M14)
1 Rifleman (M16A2/M14)
1 Squad Gunner (M60/M249 SAW)
Fireteam Two:
1 Team Leader (M16A2/M14)
1 AT Gunner (Any lite AT weapon, plus lite SMG)
1 Rifleman (M16A2)
Vehicle Crew:
1 Driver (M177 or Uzi)
1 Gunner (M16A2 or M249 SAW)
Note: Most troops will have M16A2 rifles, or if in short supply,
the ancient M-14. However, it's not uncommon to see American
troops with captured Kalishnikovs and other assault weapons, or
even cheap Chinese and North Korean copies of Russian weapons.
Travelling to the airbase should provide no more than the
usual problems (impassible roads, bad weather, marauders, enemy
patrols). The real fun begins when the retrieval team actually
gets to the airbase.
The Tanker:
The tanker is structurally in once piece, but many of the
component mechanics have been stripped and there is cosmetic
damage all over the aircraft. The entire avionics system will
have to be replaced or repaired. The 65000 liter fuel tank is
intact, as is the delivery system, so the aircraft is still
useful as a tanker. The aircraft's tanks and the fuel reservoir
are empty. After an extensive examination and many doubtful
moments, the technicians will determine that the aircraft can be
repaired. The team will be supplied with material to repair the
craft, and more can be request via radio if necessary, although
delivery will take time, and availability is highly questionable.
The Airbase:
The base was abandoned in 1999. The runway was cratered from
Durandal bombs; the craters are filled with stagnant water and
weeds. The perimeter fence is completely useless, having been
breached in dozens of places, although in areas where the fence
fell, there are vicious patches of rusty razor wire and chain-
link fence concealed by overgrown grass and weeds.
Hangars: There are three main hangars, all empty. These buildings are battle damaged and falling down.
Barracks: This is a large barracks building, resembling a civilian apartment building, also decrepit. Use the Officer's Quarters map from Merc: 2000 (page 73) to represent this
building. There are 10 floors to this barracks, none of them
safe. There is also a barracks for enlisted menl use the map from
Merc: 2000, page 75. This building is in equally bad shape. There
are five floors.
Control Tower: The control tower is completely demolished and looks as though it was strafed. The building is structurally safe, however. The computers are a total loss, but some of the other equipment, including one of the radio rigs and the secondary radar suite, could be jury-rigged if required. There's a generator under the control tower, but it currently
inoperative.
Ammo Bunkers: Near the perimeter are two access points which lead to underground storage depots. These are excessively
dangerous, unlit bunkers where spare supplies might be discovered
at your discretion.
Air Raid Bunker: This is a bare concrete room about 200 feet underground, with concrete benches for 300 people to sit
uncomfortably. There is nothing down here save for stagnant
puddles and cobwebs.
Motor Pool: A basic motor pool building, strewn with junk and debris. The building has been vandalized. A stripped fire
truck is sitting up on a hydraulic lift which no longer works. At
your discretion, there may be something useful in the debris.
Command Building: A series of administrative offices, a briefing room, and the like. The building is two stories. This
building is empty except for some trash and is in mediocre shape.
AA Nests: Now empty, these hardpoints once held heavy
machineguns, autocannons and SAM sites. The original foundations
where the weapons were fastened are still there, but nothing
more. These are accessible by ladder.
Overall, this facility has not withstood the test of time.
The entire area is scattered with useless debris and garbage, and
wild foliage is growing wherever it can. This place has an erie
feeling, and the wind is always whipping past the characters,
chilling them despite the season.
Incidentally, under one of the hangars is a series of
avionic fuel storage tanks. The very last tank, buried under a
bunch of empty ones, is half full , with 48000 liters of fuel
waiting for the creative PC to siphon out. The pumps no longer
work.
The Opposition: Sure enough, the enemy knows about the operation. The North Korean regional commander has dispatched ten combat platoons with orders to secure the airbase and capture or destroy the tanker. After observing the base for a few weeks, the enemy will attack, pushing the team into a situation not unlike the siege of Khe Sanh in 1968.
The adventure is not really linear. Regardless of the team's
actions, a series of events will occur over the space of four
weeks (the estimated time to fix the tanker) which the PCs will
have to react to. In fact, because the team also has to worry
about defending the airbase and repairing the tanker, the PCs may
find themselves involved in all sorts of affairs which have
nothing do with this series of events (which makes them that much
more unprepared). Naturally, use common sense; good planning on
the part of the team may preempt the entire timetable below:
Week One: Team arrives at the airbase. North Korean patrols begin night reconnaissance. On the third day, US sentry (they DID post sentries, didn't they?) spots movement 2500 yards in front of
him. Additional patrols reveal that someone's been in the area
recently. North Koreans begin preparing artillery.
Week Two: Night recon continues. North Koreans post spotters in nearby hills and begin plotting firing coordinates. Snipers take a few shots at sentries from the opposite direction of the artillery site. Four North Korean platoons now in place.
Week Three: At dawn on the fourth day, rockets begin sporadically falling on the base. Snipers continue harassing fire. In the early morning of the fourth day, a large gunship is seen on the far horizon. That night, mortar fire begins to fall.
Week Four: On the first day of the week, rocket fire becomes regular. On day two, an Mi-24 Hind makes an attack run against the base. (It's lightly armed and low on fuel, but don't let the PCs know that.) On day three, two suicide waves of North Koreans attack the perimeter. These are actually mercenaries, bonded ex-marauders and overzealous guerrillas. Recon units withdraw except for one listening post and a small recon squad.
Day Five, Week Four: Massive North Korean attack force descends on the airbase. They intend to capture the Midas but will destroy it if they have to. If the PCs haven't gotten the plane off the ground by today, they probably never will. Although the PCs have a fair chance of beating off the attackers, by now they are probably fatigued and battered from the past three weeks. The 3rd Air Assault Battalion could show up and save the day, but the
trick is surviving until help arrives.
The Scale of the Battle: It is entirely possible that the PCs will dig in at the airbase and call for help over the course of the four weeks. The typical response is to deny backup support to the team. However, if you are willing, there's no reason the battle shouldn't escalate in scale. This sort of thing is very typical of the Korean AO (see 38th Parallel). Feel free to
prolong the siege as long as you like.
North Korean Platoon:
1 Platoon Leader (AKMS, AKR or PPsh)
1 Sniper (SVD or SkS)
+3 Rifle Squads
North Korean Rifle Squad:
1 Squad Leader (AKMS, AKR, or PPsH)
2 Machinegunners (RPK or DsHK)
2 Asst. Gunners (AK-74, AKMS or AK-47)
1 Anti-Tank Gunner (Any AT Weapon + Pistol)
1 Asst. AT Gunner (AK-47 or PPsh)
1 Rifleman (AK-74)
In Vehicle:
1 APC Driver (PPsh)
1 APC Gunner (PPsh)
Note: By Eastern Bloc doctrine, crews don't dismount.
In addition to the ten platoons of infantry, there are two
other groups present:
Mortar Platoon:
1 Squad Leader (PPsh)
2 Riflemen (AK-47)
20 Grenadiers (Tokarev)
Artillery: 5 120mm mortars, Numerous 122mm rockets
This group stays far from the airbase and continuously fires
shells and rockets until they run out of ammunition or until
someone stops them. They can also be hindered by bad weather or
confused artillery plotting.
Finally, to make things worse, there are two T-55 tanks and
a T-62 (the command tank) supporting the attack. These vehicles
are in deplorable shape, but they're still tanks with a few
shells each.
Each platoon also has one or two old Soviet and Chinese
vehicles, except for one platoon which exists entirely of mounted
cavalry! Consult the Soviet Combat Vehicle Guide and Bangkok:
Cesspool of the Orient for more.
Back to Twilight Expansions page.
© 1997 grimacePCH@aol.com
Get your own Free Home Page