Burma again - Very nice mapboard layout! (board 36 plus board 35 with overlay 2 on 35 D2-D1, overlay 1 on 35 DD8-DD9 - the village lying on the foot of one of the hills, a stream separating it from the other hill. A mix mostly composed of second line IJA troops, few 1 line, few elite ones hold the village. Two pillboxes, five foxholes, 2 DCs, a 37* INF - SW, some of the dreaded foot - MTRs, LMGs, two MMGs. Best leader a 10 -1, weakest a 8+1. 7 « turns going. They have to hold at least one of the huts on overlay 1.
The allied side seems to be determined to get this village since the force they come with is impressive: Few 747 Assault engineers, lots of 667, 6x 347 with four leaders, _all_ minus ones, including even a 10-2. Their weaponry is also one you would respect: 2x 6-12 HMG, MMG, three MTRs, FT, DCs, 81mm MTR OBA.
Attached is a small force of Burma riflers, two 458 Gurkhas with LMG and a further -1 leader.
The designer seems to want the US to have the upper hand. The allied force has 66,6% of the FP available, using Mark Nixons method of calculating. (= Disregard one shot weapons, calculate ROF 3 weapons with 200% of printed FP, ROF 2 with 150%, ROF 1 with 120%, all other with their nominal value) Nixons theory is the attacker needs about 62 % to have a decent chance. We can use this as a crude estimate. Of course this is PTO and has other rules and laws. The 6 range against 4 range FP, smoke exponent 3/5, assault fire give the US troops plenty of advantage. The IJA has to setup on one board within 3 hexes/on the overlay 1. The just get 10 ? at start and may not place additional ? after setup before play begins. An especially nasty SSR (the one with deadly impact) makes all IJA lax, all US have underlined morale score and are stealthy. This has some grave consequences. The IJA has to fear CC like hell, thus making it most inadvisable to initiate it by himself, and G.4 (Detection) cannot be used since it requires HIP _stealthy_ units. Thus the IJA is robbed the possibility of setting up some of those beloved traps, HIP units are detected when a unit enters their location. As a further bonus the US troops may make one human wave charge during the scenario and have the better SAN for the first three turns. The IJA has no turn 8 (which he does not need anyway since it is probable no one will be left then to move).
First we played this as it is (without giving balance), a session I just want to mention shortly as an easy allied victory. The session reported here gave the IJA the balance (two more initial HIP MMC - thus making it possible for the IJA to setup a maximum of 6 squads plus leaders/SW HIP). The IJA cannot dare to setup in a way to be seen from the fine level 3 hill hex 36K3. A killer stack there could devastate the IJA early and make shifting of forces next to impossible, while little can be brought to fire on that hex. That leaves the option to setup in a way to have the allies to dig you out. Since the IJA sets up first it seems to be recommended to do in a way to deny the allied side LOS to key positions, otherwise the US will blast you away early.
Little can be said for the allied side. After seeing the IJA setup check for weak spots which can be exploited by moving or squashed with high FP PF or AF. Setup to move some scouts first to discover possible HIPs in your path, then follow with the bulk of the force. Do _not_ move in stacks. You have plenty of time. Lay out your units like a carpet and blast away anyone in sight. Seek to initiate CC, you have excellent chances to ambush the enemy, and most of the time you are 2:1, thus giving you the chance to trample on him.
The IJA sets up mostly defensive, with the bulk of their visible force in the mixed palm tree/jungle/bamboo area in the northwestern part of board 35. Scouts report some enemy activities around the difficult to survey bottleneck at 35 oY1/oY2. Few unconfirmed enemies are reported around 35 R5. The village looks completely devoid of IJA units, as if it were already conceded. The Galahad team sets up in a way to make a most orthodox assault from the south. Hill 615 just holds the OBA spotter in 35oJ3, a MTR in oJ4, a reserve 347 HS nearby.
The rest is setup on board 36. K3 holds a killer stack (both HMGs plus 10-2) ready to annihilate early resistance and later close up for the assault. This firegroup will also almost prohibit any IJA shifting moves. The gurkhas set up left of hill 601. Another MTR is ready to pound 35oX1 from H1, the third is on the left flank to support the assault and harass units in the jungle area around 35FF2. A big group starts from 36 M1, another one from H1 and I1. The rest starts at the hill 601 area. A small detachment is set up further east to be ready to flank any defenders.
At start not very much defensive fire is seen. There are enemy units discovered in the bamboo of oZ1/oZ2, but allied casualties are light. Some units break, the killer stack in Z3 wraps up the Japanese in oZ1. LOS is difficult here, and some IJA units (using the inherent terrain status of the adjacent bamboo hex as a cover) skulk around oV3/oW3, thus making any progress there difficult. It is obvious the Japanese want to win this on time. The US tries to make the already planned flanking move via the kunai in the southeast part of the overlay to get rid of those pests. Suddenly a 37 mm INF starts firing. ROF is bearable, the effect not, one squad breaks, another one CR's and breaks. Things start to get ridiculous there. Very few IJAs are holding lots of US at bay which seem to get uncoordinated due to defensive fire. The allies are quite lucky since their boys more break than die. The killer stack has no LOS to any IJAs here. Things improve when the 37 INF gun gets dispatched in CC. The attack gains momentum again. Since the commanding officer thinks he wasted too much time a more daring move is tried. While some unit AMs to oY2, another one to oY3, others try to rush the open ground to reach the outskirts of the village. The MTRs pound with high ROF and give the IJA something to chew.
On the left some IJAs get step-reduced without being able to do much damage themselves. oBB3 manages to lay a fire lane all the way down to GG1 with a LMG, but the second shot breaks the weapon. Some US units reach the jungle around EE3, but they see those Japanese MTRs good supplied with WP. They learn their lesson: Some break, the rest leaves the jungle ASAP. Parts of the force tries to reach the bamboo in oAA3 to support their buddies on the right flank. This proves to be a not so good idea, a thrown DC from a HIP unit in that bamboo incapacitates a leader and breaks an assault engineer and a HS. When another IJA unit pops up in ODD4 and one in the marsh of OBB1, these buddies are unable to rout. The units in the marsh leave their location to kill the wounded leader. The US reacts, some units are changing direction when they see pop up enemies in their rear.
One of the most glorious parts for the IJA in this battle is now seen. Some US, unable to fire any further without using FPF break while doing so when their hex gets banzaied. A DC toting hero from the now innocent looking marsh hex oB1 runs forward in a banzai suicidal mission that breaks two pinned,CX 667, killing himself. Now is IJA bloody harvest time. The whole palm tree area gets to be a mess. It has begun to rain, so the IJA squads drop their MTRs and rush forward. They face some devastating fire. Two and a half squads fall, one is step reduced. Another HS makes a daring attack to cut rout routes and survives all defensive fire. The US OBA has zeroed in around oZ5, thus greatly hindering movement. The US commander learns that he has moved his killer stack too early. The US force on the left side is completely overburdened. The result is a massive loss of allied forces during the rout phase.
n the right side a HIP MMG with crew and leader is discovered and ambushed in CC after it shot down (broke) the FT toting squad. The IJA tries to set up as many firelanes as possible, but the US firepower proves to be too much, one by one the nests of resistance are fired down. The 10-2 moving his killer stack is now opening up some devastating high ROF fire. The US player risks to get both HMG toting squads being broken by letting them stacked together. The IJA has not so much firepower, so he seldom fires at this stack. He rather uses it to fire at units that are moving, to break as much as possible. FPF is often seen on the IJA side. It works great but step reducing due to failed MCs also takes it's toll.
Now the terrain comes in effect, lots of hindrances greatly improve allied chances. +3 is nothing for the US that fires 24+ shots at hapless 347 squads. The pillbox hunting starts.
While all this happens, some side scenario took place on the far east side. A 347 charges at high speed hill 615. It takes them three rounds to get into a threatening position. The US player defensive fires never have any effect. The spare US HS, sent to intercept, fails to ambush the IJA and gets killed for no gain during CC. When the Japanese finally reach J4, the US panics. Knowing that the open ground hex will make ambush impossible, the MTR HS withdraw into the jungle. Now the IJAs are on the rampage. Circumventing LOS of the MTR HS they threaten to get into CC with the radio spotter. Some long range defensive fire vs. this squad has no effect. The US is forced to give up the position and move the leader. Finally the US initiates CC himself since the IJA is determined to prevent that units to be of some value by simple staying on the hill. The US boys fail to ambush again, melee results. When this becomes HtH CC, the US bite the kunai again, taking the IJAs with them. Unpossessed SWs are littered on the hill. A real small scale battle reached it's end.
Now the game sees the final stage. Two pillboxes are discovered when their inhabitants open fire at US units in open ground. Both are in bamboo hexes: One in oAA9, one in oCC8. Both contain 448s with LMG One of the original occupants had been moving through a tunnel to reoccupy a hut, but US MGs killed him by breaking him three times. The pillboxes provide some nasty firelanes and are supported by the last surviving forces in oZ10, oDD5 and oCC8. In the next to last round devastating US fire KIAs one squad in the westernmost pillbox, the HMG group reduces the other one to a HS. Nearly all IJA forces are now damaged. There is only one 447 with LMG left. No leaders are available anymore. There is no place to hide, not even skulking is next to impossible due to lack of room. So the defensive fire severed the defenders yet another time. Last turn end of PFPh sees only one and a half squad surviving. The allied side does not even need to conduct the human wave kept in reserve to get control of the last two huts. There are too many US boys left to be able to deny them all the routes possible. Last thing seen on the board was the mutual annihilation of the gurkhas and the 447 in CCPh. A honourable thing that could not change ultimate defeat.
The US had big losses, but the IJA is wiped out completely.
Game length: 3 hours 15 min. actual playing time, setup was prepared and done within minutes.
A nice scenario with some flair. It is a pity that almost all fighting take place in the not so beautiful part of the playing area. Giving the FP of the US, it seems that even giving the balance to the IJA the US seem to have the edge. Most problems seem to arise from the restricted setup (restricted due to possible horrible US First turn PFPh). Conceding so much terrain and firing using low columns with much Hindrance DRM is awful. The US is using high columns, has lots of minus leader to soften the effect of hindrances. High ROF HMGs and Mtrs as well as the OBA is simply more than the IJA can bear. Some casualties due to fire HIP units at units moving in open ground, as well as limited counter-attacks take their toll, but once the HIP positions are revealed, the IJA becomes next to impotent. Being definitely on the receiving end he is slowly grinded down. In this scenario the brittleness of the IJA is very well demonstrated. They fade away, the rest is swept aside easily. The most impact has the lax/stealth SSR. I am curious what others will post for this scenario.
Some last words: I hope you like the format this AAR has been written in. I included the 'TIPS' paragraph since I thought this might be a (valuable?) thing for beginners. I would like to get some comments: Is the AAR too long, would you like to see some changes in the format, is there enough info for those who actually do not have the scenario but might be willing to give it a short glance, etc. (I have tried to give enough info to follow - some might want to buy the 'zine afterwards - but not too much info to get some 'zine editor angry.
I hope not too many errors and typos may have crept in, if you like it, some more are already worked on ;-)
Fritz Tichy