Marching West

DATE: 12/02/2026

TIME (GMT): 19:00

ERA: Vietnam

MAP(S): Dong Giang

TYPE: COOP

GAME: Arma 3

EVENT: Official

AUTHOR(S): Sclembi

SLOTS: 73 / 91

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The Kingdom of Laos emerged from the First Indochina War free of the French, but in a state of chaos. Even as the French pulled out of Laos, the US took up their advisory role to the Royal Lao Government through such agencies as the Programs Evaluation Office. Meanwhile, Vietnamese communists and Lao communists were active in Laos, sowing discontent against the government. The government itself was in turmoil, as various Lao soldiers and politicians scrambled for positions of power. The US became convinced that Laos could not be allowed to fall under communist control, lest other countries in Southeast Asia follow suit.

On 14 December 1960, General Phoumi Nosavan won control of the Kingdom of Laos in the Battle of Vientiane. Although he was backed by US covert operations, he did not want to await a political solution to the political turmoil in Laos. In a move to assert control over Lao territory, he authorized military operations in northwestern Laos near the Chinese, Burmese, and Vietnamese borders. In so doing, he hoped to force a military solution on the unsettled political situation in Laos.
In January 1962, even as the Chinese Road pact was announced, the Royal Lao Army abandoned its occupation of Muang Xay, Laos. It withdrew into Luang Namtha, a village with about 1,800 inhabitants 24 kilometres (15 mi) from the Chinese border. The communist troops in the vicinity fired a few mortar rounds into the outskirts of the town. Royalist reinforcements were flown into Luang Namtha over the next few days, including four 105 mm howitzers and twelve 75 mm howitzers. T-6 Harvards from the Royal Lao Air Force operated from the unpaved airstrip there. Communist shelling beginning 1 February forced withdrawal of the T-6s to Luang Prabang. The US military attaché at that time deemed the topography of Luang Namtha too similar to that of Dien Ben Phu to be defensible.

By May, the PAVN moved in a battalion of their 316th Brigade. This invasion did not go unnoticed by the Royal Lao Government. They planned a two pronged response.

In September 1962, the Royal Lao Army formed an ad hoc regimental-size task force, Groupement Tactique 2 (GT2, Tactical Group 2) in Muong Houn, south of Muang Xay. Three Lao battalions were accompanied by U.S. Special Forces Field Training Team 40, which was stationed with them on a temporary duty training mission. Groupement Tactique 2's mission was to advance southeast up the Nam Beng Valley 82 kilometres (51 mi) to Muang Xay.

The other Royalist prong emanated from Luang Namtha. In October, Bataillon Infanterie 2 (Infantry Battalion 2), accompanied by U.S. Field Training Team 2, made a three-day eastward march to occupy Ban Namo. There they held up for a month, awaiting action from Groupement Tactique 2. On 2 December, they were reinforced by a fresh battalion, Bataillon Infanterie 1, as well as by Field Training Team 3.

GT 2, having undergone three months of training, kicked off its advance, but by 26 December had stalled halfway up the Pak Beng Valley. While the Special Forces tried to coax the column forward, the infantry battalion on the high ground screening the western flank fled after light contact by the communists. All but one company of the volunteer battalion comprising the main body of the expedition promptly followed suit. US advisers and the remaining Lao troops alike were left in a low-lying position that might easily be taken under plunging fire from the west.

At this juncture, Kuomintang General Li Teng led the Nationalist Chinese mercenary veterans who comprised Bataillon Speciale 111 (Special Battalion 111) down from their east flank hilltop. Bataillon Speciale 111 shielded the Americans for the next five days. On 31 December 1962, the Americans were extracted by helicopter and flown to the royal capital, Luang Prabang. The Lao volunteers dispersed into the countryside. The Chinese mercenaries headed westward toward northern Thailand, quitting the war.

On 21 January 1963, the other prong of the Royal Lao Army operation began to come apart. Bataillon Infanterie 2 (Infantry Battalion 2) ran from light probing fire from the PAVN. It was the turn of Bataillon Infanterie 1 (Infantry Battalion 1) the following day. The two US training teams were on their own. They were rescued by an Air America Sikorsky H-34 despite their dead radio.

The failure of this pincer movement did not end the siege of Luang Namtha. General Phoumi Nosavan was being pressured by his US allies to await a political solution to the situation. Although all economic aid to Phoumi was cut off, including his troops' payroll, he spent the next three months reinforcing his garrison in the town, eventually stationing 5,000 troops there.

In this mission, the players will deploy as ROC mercenaries into Laos in the aftermath of the events that transpired at Pak Beng Valley. The royalist forces are scattered and can't be depended on anymore so it is up to the mercenaries to cover the US withdrawal. Afterwards the player force will march westwards to leave this conflict through Thailand. The mission will be hard, as the players will have to both attack the enemy and defend their rear from incoming PAVN forces. To top it off the supplies will have to be rationed due to the guerrilla nature of the player force.