| 2024-09-19 | (D) X von Marwitz | vs | Michael Koch | | American win | | This PTO action by Andy Rogers is set in June 1944 featuring an Infantry only fight in the vincinity of Mokmer airfield on Biak in Dutch New Guinea which the Allies wanted to capture while on their strategic push towards the Philippines. Some US forces tried to circumvent the coastal defences to approach from inland, but the Japanese did interfere, with part of the latter finding themselves surrounded and trying to break out.
The objective for the Japanese is to exit a certain amount of VP along a narrow stretch of the northern board edge with Prisoners not counting double. The playing area consists of two half boards with both sides setting up some forces onboard and receiving reinforcements from offboard.
It is notable, that the Japanese only enjoy a marginal advantage in the number of squad equivalents and weaponry (14 plus a crew with 4 Leaders, 1x MMG, 3x LMG, 3x 50mm MTR vs. 12.5, 4 Leaders, 2x MMG, 1x 60mm MTR).
Being an Andy Rogers design, I fully expected the scenario to develop into a vicious close-in fight culminating in a very few hexes when first looking at it.
The Terrain:
PTO is in effect including Light Jungle. All water depictions are Level 0 Open Ground, all Marsh and Swamp is Light Jungle – something which VASL is not able to mirror. Kindling and – more importantly – Entrenching are NA. During the first two turns, a +1 pre-dawn LV Hindrance is in effect.
The terrain is represented by the oldies but goldies halfboards 38 and 35. Been there, done that. Maybe some other boards might have been able to be found for some novelty. But on the other hand, just a single SSR, no overlays, familiar boards, and a simple Infantry-only OoB's make this comparably easy to set up and play. In fact, it might serve quite well as a learning-scenario for PTO.
The main force of the Japanese sets up roughly in the western half in the middle of the southern board. They will initially have to cover some Kunai which will provide some cover somewhat improved by the +1 LV hindrance. The middle of the playing area is covered by patches of Light Jungle, Palm Trees, and some Bamboo. The Japanese reinforcements will enter into the middle ground from the east, offering some chance to flank the defenders.
After the Japanese have overcome the middle ground, the terrain becomes more open, which will provide the Americans with the challenge to eventually fall back across it and the pursuing Japanese to attack across it.
The north-western most part of the playing area forms the American „Alamo“ position. Relevant patches of Bamboo make it a boon for the defenders albeit these can also become a bane if the defending Americans get stuck in front of the Bamboo when the Japanese close in. Altogether, though, the „Alamo“ substantially helps the defenders, who need to make the best of this terrain in the end game. The US reinforcements conveniently can enter anywhere along the north edge.
American Considerations:
The US setup area requires the Americans to set up in the wider middle of the playing area. It is immediately obvious, that they will have to fight a fall-back defence. Initially, they are up against three Japanese Leaders, two of which are a 10-1 and a 9-1 leading 3x 448 Elite squads and 7x 447 First Liners.
As the Japanese have no options but to cross the Kunai towards the Americans, you may bet that they will use Banzai Charges to boost their Morale to dizzy heights, taking the +1 LV hindrance as a bonus.
Kunai is fine terrain to lay firelanes, which can be especially effective against Impulse Movement. But 2 Firelane Residual FP flat shots (-1 FFNAM, +1 LV) will still have trouble scratching Morale Levels of 10 and 11 which are not subject to Pinning during the charge. Heck, hardly anything can stop these fanatics yearning to give their lives for the Emperor. And exactly this is the problem the Americans face. If the Japanese succeed in initiating H-t-H Close Combat and/or Melee, evil things might befall the Americans and a timely retreat might become exceedingly difficult. Or the US might lose squads early that they will direly need to defend the „Alamo“ later. Furthermore, if the Japanese manage to stay right on the heels of the retreating Americans, the latter might find themselves having to cross the Open Ground before reaching their „Alamo“ under Japanese fire. If this weren't enough, the Americans might get trapped in the middle ground by the reinforcing Japanese entering from the east if they linger too long.
Likely, this is exactly what Andy „H-t-H Melee“ Rogers had in mind.
But as the defending Americans, this is exactly not what you want to let happen.
So you need to watch out that the initial Banzai Charge will mostly just fall short of being able to reach you. And you need to make sure that you don't get caught up by the Japanese in the middle ground. Instead, your objective should be to get the bulk of your force back across the Open Ground to reach the „Alamo“. This also includes to take precautions that your broken units can make it back to the „Alamo“. After all, if they have some time of respite which they will not get in the middle ground, the Americans tend to rally quickly. To that end, it may be necessary to sacrifice some US units if this allows you to delay the Japanese onslaught just enough to enable your fallback.
Once in the „Alamo“, make the Japanese pay dearly for crossing the more Open Ground south of it. And then, a „wall of bodies“, even if broken, can be enough to foil even the most vicious Japanese for just that turn of time to deny them victory by exiting the required number of EVP. To prepare your „wall of bodies“ for the end game, you should deploy throughout the previous turns. The Japanese will rush after you, so most of the time the shorter range will not matter that much. At the same time creating more targets and thereby dividing up Japanese fire can be beneficial to you.
Japanese Considerations:
„The shortest route to victory is 14 to 18 hexes for which you have 6 Turns, so you can make it in just two successive Banzai Charges! The soft gum-chewing Americans have about just half the morale that you have while Banzaiing. This means that with expected roughly even OoB's, your strength is just twice as big as that of your enemy. On top of that, while normally the filthy Americans are supported by several battleships, scores of destroyers, and half a dozen squadrons of bombers and fighter bombers - not to mention battalions of tanks and regiments of artillery to take out a single pillbox close to the coast, they have none of that here. Have our scouts descried that inevitable 7-0 with a Radio? In fact, yes, they have. And I have personally beheaded him while he was casually lagging behind to take a leak. I also have beheaded his radio for good measure. This is why you'll not find them on the scenario card!“ Rifleman Tanaka ponders the inspirational words of Captain Mitsukami: The Captain has always had a reputation of being absolutely intrepid and resolute facing off any odds for the glory of the Emperor. But even if half of his words were true much less than Mitsukami's imagined "doubled" Japanese force might indeed pull it off in more than double the time forseen by the Captain.
Naturally, there is no time to lose. There is never any time to lose in ASL. The only occasion to lose lots of time in ASL is when you try to rally your 10-3 Leader in vain for consecutive Turns after he gacked his MC following that 1FP @ +1 shot. You can respire in relief as you have no 10-3. Sometimes, the historical notes provide a hint regarding the tactics to be applied in the given scenario. In this case, the hint is found even before that:
Scenario Design: Andy Rogers
Usually, this means that you will end up with stacks of units concentrated in a few hexes and then drop a fistful of H-t-H Melee counters on top of that general area. Before you know it and before the SMOKE clears [EXC: Gusts], everyone has been slaughtered but a few survivors covered in gore that are yet too dazed to realize that they have just won the scenario.
The fastest way to cover ground and your Japanese in gore and with H-t-H Melee counters naturally is to conduct a Banzai Charge. Or several of them. The initial approach does not leave much room for subtlety, and for the first two Turns you can take advantage of the +1 LV hindrance for Pre-Dawn conditions to mitigate some of the US firepower. Your high Morale and the Kunai will do the rest. And your swords and bayonets, needless to say. If the Americans set up too far forward, this will likely play into your hands. If you have ended your Banzai Charge and become Lax and subsequently advance into CC in Jungle terrain, you have to consider the Ambush odds. But once the Japanese are in H-t-H, evil things tend to happen. If the issue is not decided immediately, locking the Americans in Melee for a turn might already be enough to spell his doom as this can enable other Japanese units to swarm in and possibly take advantage of the lower US Morale when pouring bullets into a Melee.
After you have reached the middle of the playing area, you should attempt to break the US right there and to prevent it from escaping beyond the rather open area beyond. Cutting Rout Paths of the retreating Americans is probably your most efficient way to inflict damage on the enemy. I believe that the game is won or lost in the middle of the playing area. Besides hurting the Americans as described, the Japanese should attempt to stay on their heels so that they can fire at them when they have to cross the open area to fall back to their „Alamo“. The Americans do have the chance to mostly avoid that, but in order to do so, they rather have to run backwards rather than to merely conduct a fighting withdrawal with most of their troops. If they retreat quickly, then the Japanese can follow up quickly, which will win them time for the end-game. Whatever the Japanese do, they will never be able to „outrun“ the US Turn 2 reinforcements. But if the Japanese are able to hurt the Americans badly in the middle area, the US reinforcements might turn out to be insufficient to prevent Japanese victory.
Before the end-game, at least some American forces will have reached the „Alamo“ area. But unless they have been attrited by then, the Japanese will have their hands more that full attempting to push through. This is all the more true, because the Bamboo in the area channels Japanese movement. On top of that, the blocking Bamboo might allow the Americans to shift their forces behind it to concentrate their surviving forces where the Japanese place their Schwerpunkt. In fact, the Americans might likely be able to shift their defensive Schwerpunkt faster than the Japanese can shift their offensive Schwerpunkt.
If things get tight, the Japanese should not forget to play the dirty tricks: You can still advance (offboard) after concluding a Banzai Charge. If you contrive to Ambush your enemy, you can Infiltrate offboard. If only an American SMC blocks the exit, an Infantry OVR might be the last resort.
How the Game Played Out:
Turn 1:
I played the defending Americans in this one. True to my own analysis, I set up my defences in a way that the expected Banzai Charges would mostly just barely fall short of reaching me. The MMGs were placed in 38W10 and 38X10 with the intention to lay down Fire Lanes across the Kunai at the first opportunity to get as many 2 FP flat shots (-1 FFNAM, +1 Pre-Dawn LV) as possible against any charging Japanese. My 60mm MTR was placed in 38R8 ready for a timely retreat to 38R5. A lone half-squad lingered back in 38X6 which to which would be transferred by one of the MMGs double-timed back there to be in place for a Fire Lane before the Japanese Turn 2 reinforcements could attempt to rush across the Open Ground towards the exit area or to threaten my eastern flank. One Leader and three squads had basically the same task in the 38AA trough 38CC hexrows. Each of my at-start three Leaders was paired with a full squad in order to begin with Deployment in a timely manner. I forgot to conceal my units in Concealment Terrain, i.e. just everyone, in an awkward display (sic!) of ineptitude. I had to console myself telling me that very soon there would not be much Concealment left anyway.
As expected, there could not be real surprises by the Japanese setup either: The sons of Nippon were lined up along the edge of their setup-area hissing with the thirst for blood. My opponent tried to pop SMOKE and WP from his two 50mm MTRs but did not find any. As it would be extremely difficult to stop what was about to ensue, it might have been better for him to save the attempt of going for SMOKE and WP until after having overcome the central jungled area. Then the IJA Banzai Charged. ALL of them with the exception of the two half-squads that had fired their knee-mortars. I put down my first Fire Lane and cowered for the second one. The Japanese were passing their Morale Checks right, left, and center. Altogether, I managed to kill merely a single half-squad – these apparently were some Japanese with an attitude.
So it was time for the Americans to call in the Battleship NOBA, the bombers, and the artillery regiments. Enter Lt. 9-1: „Gee whiz! Now where he heck is Sgt. Tucker with his darned Radio? I thought I saw him stepping into a bush to take a leak just a moment ago.“ IJA rifleman Tanaka was just about to believe that Captain Mitsukami had had it right, when the arty did come in. The 60mm MTR went on a ROF spree and viciously rattled a Japanese stack in 35N9 wounding their 8-0 Leader. But besides that, the Japanese were quite uninhibited. Final Fire into 35K10 killed another Japanese half-squad importantly preventing an advance into CC with one of my MMG squads, and Japanese Advancing Fire broke the most forward US squad in 35M10, which fell back to 38T8. This left the Japanese roughly in the line of 35O10, 38T10, 35M10, 38V10, and 35J9.
In the first American Turn, I beat an expedious retreat towards 38R5, leaving behind one broken US squad in 38T8 and forfeiting the 38T9 area Jungle altogether. My MMGs pulled back into the 38X7 Kunai area. On the American eastern flank, my Leader with a squad pulled out from 38AA10 to 38Y5, the other two squads went to 38AA8 and 38BB9 to delay the Japanese Turn 2 reinforcements about to enter from their eastern entry area. In the end, the Japanese had no LOS whatsoever to any US unit, so there would be no Banzaiing in Japanese Turn 2.
Turn 2:
My opponent seemd convinced that forcing the 38R5 Jungle which was firmly held by 1.5 American squads and their 60mm MTR, supported from the 38W7 area by an MMG would be imprudent. Therefore, he only sent his 228+MMG and Wounded 7+1 with a MTR half-squad to the 38S8 direction to chase my broken squad in 38T8. The rest of the Japanese at-start forces shifted for an easterly hook around the 38V9 Bamboo area. The Japanese reinforcements pushed in from the east, taking up positions in Jungle and Palm trees of the board 38 DD and EE hexrows. Contrary to my Defensive Fire, the Japanese Advancing Fire was quite effective, breaking two of my eastern squads. The Japanese Sniper broke one of the MMG squads for good measure. This left my Americans in the center quite shaken. I began to rout back to the Huts in 38Y5. My broken squad in 38T8 ran away to 38T7 with increasing desperation.
Meanwhile, the US reinforcements had moved into the 38W1 area to guard the „backdoor“.
Turn 3:
Not only getting mad but „even“, the Japanese now blasted my strongpoint in 38R5 with their MTR, which had in the meantime also been reinforced by one of my MMGs. My 9-1 and the MMG squad broke, my MTR squad was CR'ed and broke as well. In the center, the Japanese continued to push forward but I was able to just prevent a breakthrough. The Japanese reinforcments in the 38EE hexrow mostly moved northwards towards the Palm Trees close to the northern boardedge likely aiming for the „backdoor“ of 38Z0. With some luck, I could just manage to rout out all my brokies into the Huts of 38Y5 to the point of being overstacked. My brokies in 38T7 took and passed Interdiction, escaping back to 38R4 – too close for comfort! But at times, No Quarter and a broken Morale of 8 opens opportunities...
In my US Turn 3, I took the last chance to cross over the Open Ground from the center area to the „Alamo“ area while the Japanese were still subject to LOS Hindrances. Leaving a sacrificial squad in 38Y4, re-DM'ed brokies in the 38Y5 Huts were able to slink back to 38V2 at the last moment. All the while, I tried to continue deploying squads with limited success.
Turn 4:
After I had somehow evacuated every American unit [EXC: one Dummy waaay back which was supposed to be Sniper bait], the Japanese moved up to the Open Ground gap separating the US „Alamo“ position from the center. A stack worth 6 VP of Japanese flankers had reached 38EE2.
My Americans used this turn to consolidate. Units were rallied, squads deployed and spread out to form a „wall of bodies“ and „Banzai bait“. I believe with the exception of one squad or one half-squad, all my defenders were Good Order. Up to this point, the Americans had lost 2.5 or 3 squad-equivalents and the 60mm MTR. I even managed to evict a Japanese 228 Crew from the important hex of 38R5 in CC, replacing it with my Good Order 666.
Turn 5:
Taking the US defensive position into consideration, my opponent conceded at the start of Japanese Turn 5. His reasons were that first of all the Bamboo would severely channel his attack path. Second, even with Banzai Charges to help him crossing the Open Ground, he would not be able to penetrate the opposing „wall of bodies“ within his remaining two Movement Phases. Third, the Japanese push would have to be executed against (almost) entirely Good Order defenders able to put down Point Blank Fire on Open Ground. On top of that, both MMGs were in position to lay down Fire Lanes. Finally, it seemed doubtful if ensuing Close Combats would be decided immediately for two consecutive turns in favor of the Japanese to allow them to make the exit.
American win.
Review:
I suppose that the scenario began according to the designer's intentions – with one or more Banzai Charges, which are exceedingly difficult to significantly harm. Possibly, in Turn 2 things began to veer off track for the attackers, because the Americans completely withdrew out of LOS and the Japanese decided to pass the 38V9 Bamboo area with almost all of their at-start forces only around the east. This might have allowed the US to concentrate their falling back forces more in the center and provided them just barely with enough men to delay the Japanese onlslaught around Turn 3 just long enough to let the considerable number of broken Americans (3.5 squad equivalents with one MMG and a Leader), to rout back first to the Huts in 38Y5 and then onwards into the „Alamo“ Jungles.
The latter area favored the American defenders, as the Bamboo would channel the attackers to a few hexes, block Banzai Charges through it, and to block LOS of the Japanese as well, so that the G.I.s with their high broken Morale had just the time needed to recover. Because, likely decisively, considerable losses in the center area by the US could be avoided, there were now enough units around to form the impenetrable wall of bodies blocking the exit area. Deploying the Americans in larger numbers took also several Turns, as with their lower Good Order Morale, the G.I.s tend to „stick together“.
Had we continued to play, Andy Rogers would have had his way at long last. Melees all about, H-t-H fighting and his fistful of red counters with white letters. But at odds likely favoring the Americans. With 20 reported playings it might be a bit early to state, but the now current ROAR rating of 8 Japanese vs. 12 American wins might indicate, that the latter have an edge in this scenario.
What was remarkable about this scenario from the US point of view is that it felt that the Americans could nowhere „take root“ to anchor their defenses anywhere before hiding behind the Bamboo of the „Alamo“ in the end. The terrain felt „uncomfortable“ to defend, which was reinforced by the – necessary – SSR to rule out Entrenching. From the Japanese point of view, it was frustrating in our playing to always barely falling short to really come to grips with the Americans before it was too late and they were limited by the narrow exit area.
von Marwitz |
