This past Saturday I had the opportunity to play "The Knife Edge Of Defeat" for the second time in as many weeks. The first game was played so poorly that I would not mention it except that from it came lessons that were applied to the second. I chose to play the Amis as of recient weeks I`ve read several books on the subject of Guadalcanal. The battle of Edson`s ridge must still be studied in the Marine Corps, in fact the whole of the Guadalcanal Campaign I would suppose.
In my first attempt I managed to set up as though I were playing a day light scenario with many overlapping fields of fire and troops set up on point to strip away cloaked Japanese as they moved onto the ridge. Of course I realized that by turn three the game was all but done for Col. Edson`s boys strung out on the ridge. So the first lesson to apply was REMEMBER ITS A NIGHT SCENARIO! you can`t shoot what you can`t see.
Second of my errors was to neglect to prereg a hex for the OBA. My thinking at the time was that my observer would not have LOS to any units untill they were actually on the ridge and that by that time it would be too late for OBA prereg. So foolish my impetuosity. And then there was the fact that I placed the second level hill overlay on the wrong hexes but that is a different story.
All of this brings us to my AAR:
I called up a friend late last week and suggested that we have a go at this gem from Rout Report. I was feeling the need for vindication or at least a chance to play it straight up. Once again I chose to play the Amis having had two weeks to think about my previous mistakes. For those of you who don`t own "Knife Edge" I`ll offer a brief description, Knife Edge uses board 34 with copious overlays the most notable of which is hillock #4 from West of Alamein. The hillock represents a large hill area stripped clean of vegetation on which the Marines must setup on or adjacent to. The Marines are allowed 100mm OBA with a preregistered hex, twelve foxholes and four wire counters. The Japanese setup on board but are accorded cloaking as the scenario attacker and begin their advance though the dense jungle south of hexrow Q.
Scenario begins with my setup. I have eleven squads at my disposal along with a 10-2, 9-1, 8-1 and an 8-0. For support weapons I have a HMG, two MMG`s, LMG, 60mmMTR and a field phone. This time around I pre-reg one of my setup hexes on the Hillock overlay. The purpose of pre registering in my setup area should be obvious, but for those of you who have not had the opportunity to use prereg I`ll illuminate. In order for the Japanese to win, they must inflict 19CVP worth of damage on the Marines or capture the three level two hill hexes without losing twenty-nine CVP`s themselves(note this total is different from the original Rout Report). With the limitations placed on the Marines as far as placement is concerned, the Japanese have to attack the overlay. By placing a pre-reg on the overlay I am assured that I will be able to see the aggressor and that this should result in Japanese casualties while my boy`s will at least have the plus four for being in foxholes. I planned to use harrassing fire missions rather than HE consentrations because of the reduced lethality to my men yet I still will hit the enemy with a six minus one at the least.
Foxholes are placed in a line running the length of the overlay down the middle rather than the flanks. My reasoning is that I am guaranteed both seeing my attacker and being able to fire at him with favorable modifiers. (In my first game I set the foxholes up on the edges of the overlay) the Japanese were able to penetrate without losing cloaking or concealment and annihilated my guys. At the point I will deploy one squad and place the half squads HIP on either side of the Hillock north of my mainline of defence. They will be sacrificed for the betterment of the troops on the hill, their job being to light off star shells to elert Edson and Co that the attack is on. Once starshells are lit off I will do my best to light the battle field like daytime using illuminating rounds from my OBA as well as the 60mm MTR, and every man who can will fire off starshells. I hope to deny the Japanese concealment when they move on to the hill.
Squads are setup in foxholes with all three MG`s setup at the base of the second level overlay pointed out to the end of the hill and able to lay down three 2fp firelanes. The 8-0 mans the phone HIP with a squad and their lmg on a level two hex in foxholes safely ensconced behind wire. Wire will also occupy the other two level two hexes and one at the base of the hill where lives my 10-2, squad and HMG.
The first turn begins predictably enough. The Japanese begin a cautious advance though the jungle. One or two units strays away from the main body but no cause for concern. At this point The Amis can only sit and wait. No contact is made so no starshells and we breeze though the first turn.(its a little disconcerting to see a mass of counters moving toward you and not being able to ascertain what they are or where their going).
Turn two finds the Japanese approaching the perimeter where his vanguard runs into the first of my HIP halfsquads, a die roll of two assures a starshell placement which fortunately drifts toward the attackers and not my own lines. This, of course, does not reveal anyone because neither IR`s or starshells can penetrate dense jungle but there placement alerts the fellows on the hill that something is up. The Japanese are furious that their advance has been detected so soon and elect to seek out the protagonist who lit up the sky. They failed!, and my very lucky half squad vacates his hex by withdrawl from C/C by virtue of winning the ambush die roll.
Turn three finds the Japanese inching up the slopes and my other HIP half squad finds a starshell which catches four Japanese squads in open ground. All of the light that could possibly be generated was. I placed two IR`s and three more starshells. Very good for me as I managed to shake several more Japanese from their cloaking and was now able to determine to some extent the strengths of his attacks. My half of turn three finds me lighting up the field and it seemed a good time to call in the artillery. With extreem good luck, my pre-reg draw was black and accurate and I had something like six Japanese stacks in the blast area, several of which were hit at minus one do to airburst in the jungle. I stripped off most of the concealed units on that point and managed to mangle several. My machine guns contributed to the carnage and at this point in the game I was certain of an allied victory.
You can never underestimate the resiliency of the sons of nippon. On turn four serious heat was put upon my Marines. Mark had turned the flank and a bad IR drift roll stripped away most of my dummys. At this point Mark knew that I had left my right flank virtually free of troops and he made the most of the situation. Japanese troops poured across the creek and began to get behind my defenders. I could not move my FFE untill my turn and I could only hope I could hold him off untill that time. Mark placed extream pressure on my defenders, gaining a toehold on the slopes on my right flank well out of the way of any fire that I could bring to bare.
At this point in the game he had gained eight CVP`s to my ten and I was thinking that the game was slipping away but again lady fortune smiled on me. I walked my OBA down the ridge and put an AR on a hex two hexes away from my observer, in the thick of the jungle where his troops were or were going to be. The AR was accurate and the extra chit draw was black so I called down a 100mm Art concentration. When that phase was over I had gained twenty more points with a loss of two or three. We played it though turn six but the game ended with that destruction.
I want to play this scenario again. It seems a nearly perfect night scenario and with the advantage of having played this before I would gladly trade places and play the Japanese. Two players with experience in night rules should play this scenario to a 50-50 conclusion. I might give a slight edge to the Amis but not enough to bet money on.
Scott Picardat