Opening the Burma Road CBI (id:#60983)
(Dezign Pak 6 ID: ESG #70)   [next]   [previous]
Designer: D.S. Houseman
Starter kit scenario?:    Deluxe scenario?:
 
Balance:
ChineseJapanese
50%

Overview:

The battle to reopen the Burma Road had begun again after months of delays from monsoon rains. General Wei Lihuang's Y-Force was an American trained and supplied fighting force which just a month before had annihilated the Japanese defenders in Tengchung after a four month siege. He now set his sights on the city of Lungling, on the Burma Road proper. Opposing him was the equally determined, if not fanatical, Japanese 56th Division.
Attacker: Chinese (General Wei's Y-Force, XI Group Army, 71st and 2nd Divisions)
Defender: Japanese (Elements of 33rd Army, 56th Infantry Division)  
10.5 turns
    Players: 2     OBA: None     Night: No
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:46.0 D:24.0
AFVs: A:4
M3A1 SC(a) x 2
Carrier C(b) x 2

AFVs: D:3
Type 97A TE-KE x 3

Guns: A:0
5cm leGrW 36(g) x 2
M2 60mm Type 31 MTR x 3
Boys ATR x 3
D:7
Type 93 Twin-Mount High-Angle Machine Gun
Year-41 Type Mountain Gun x 4
Type 89 Heavy Grenade-Launcher x 3
Type 97 Curved-Fire Infantry Gun x 2

Victory Conditions:

Exit VP: Building Control VC: Area Control VC:
Unit Based VC: LOS Style VC: CVP Cap:
Misc Rules: PTO, LJ. (Exc: 1 road w bridges exists). Wooden buildings. A: Air Support w D: no HIP, BT Level A
Overlays: Wd5 Wd4 Wd2 X28 X9 O1
Errata (source)
The first Chinese entry group enters on/between 36 GG6 and 34 A6. The Chinese mortars are German mortars.ESG website
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Scenario info

Last Played:
DateReporterOpponentBal.ResultTimeComments
2026-01-15(D) Jeff B vs John Fedoriw Japanese win15.25 hrsJohn and I continued playing through a few meaty ones with this beefy PTO scenario. I figured denying the Chinese any opening turn Human Waves or Dare Deaths was more advantageous to me than preventing concealment gain, so I set up back off the line. There was no stopping the eastern invaders, so I let them be so long as they didn't make for the footbridge. I heavily defended the east central road, as this was the easiest approach for the vehicles. The west central defense would be a game of delay, while the eastern units were just hoping to survive and hoof it out of there. John chose this route to bring on his vehicles, as all he'd have to do is punch through one hex of woods and have a pretty easy go of it. Of course this would be the area my tanks would be heading once their freedom of movement restrictions were lifted. I had a bit of bad luck in the west when one of my conscripts turned berserk and charged to his doom, otherwise the first turn was quiet. Turn 2 was even more quiet, as the name of my eastern defense was bend but don't snap, constantly keeping two hexes in between any attackers to deny them the possibility of initiating contact without losing concealment. I sent an HMG to deal with the eastern marauders, and manhandled my mortar to give them a little backing. In the west central our forces were content to have a Mexican standoff, with him in the western jungle and me in the eastern. In the west I moved to guard the footbridge, but my tiny force was going to be no match for his in the long run. Turn 3 saw my western conscripts lose a HS and another HS disrupt, and I was down to only two squads. Fortunately for me I could now move my southern reserves, and the tanks raced over to protect the VC area, while my men moved up to protect the jungle path. The contact elsewhere was limited or non-existent as John continued a slow, methodical grind forward. John was disappointed to have his air arrive already on Turn 4 as he would've rather had it timed in conjunction with the kickoff of any assault. They did of course somewhat limit my running around, but most of my men were concealed in in jungle so it was certainly manageable. He of course used them to go after my tanks, and managed to knock one out. But one of his planes was recalled on its first sighting TC. I had my own misfortune breaking the MA on one of my two remaining tanks. Next turn saw me lose it to a failed repair roll, but he lost his second plane to a failed TC again, neither of them able to even drop their napalm. I had just enough bodies, and the terrain was narrow enough, in the east to keep him at bay, and my west central force was in control of the paths. But my eastern force, though substantial, was being stretched thin and also about the be squeezed by the Chinese units which had hooked around from the south, and the ones which had bulled up through the central hill. Turn 6 finally saw a fair number of casualties, as my units in the east central were divided and squeezed relentlessly. By the end of the turn I had lost a crew and two squads, to 1.5 squads to him. Turn 7 finally saw him in control of the west, scaring my last tank into motion and subsequently fleeing the scene. In the west central he finally had pushed his way through the jungle to the tree line, but my force north of the stream was closing in fast to support the original defenders. The east saw him reach the bank of the stream, but I won the battle of FTs when I busted up a squad and his FT-toting leader. The casualties were rather sparse though, with him losing a squad and me a crew. Turn 8 proved to be the nail in the coffin. He finally activated a DD squad, only to see him unceremoniously mowed down by a conscript, and his hero-toting FT fizzled out in his attempt to clear me off the east bank. When my mortar went on a rate tear and completely enshrouded the other side of the stream with smoke, and then I broke his stoutly mortar squad he felt there'd be no way he'd ever be able to push across and clear the east bank. Overall, like the last one, I think I liked this scenario much more than John. But, like the last one, I think he was way too tentative in his attack. In this one ELR of two scared him off, perhaps rightfully so, but I really expected to see some more DDs and even a human wave or two. I've found most every ESG scenario I've played to be quite fun, and this one was no different. I really think, had John's luck gone a little better at a few key points, that this would've come down to a close finish. I'd gladly play it again from either side.
View all or balance report
ActionDate
buser333 Added a playing2026-01-16 21:26:01
Hutch Modified the unit counts2024-05-24 18:25:17
Hutch Modified the Attacker's Guns2024-05-24 18:25:17
hoxson1 Modified the Theatre2023-10-11 22:55:30
SRenaudin Modified the Attacker's AFVs2022-08-10 16:20:28
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(kmt-jap.png)Imagehoxson11326
(burm skimish.png)Imagehoxson11212
(burma road map.jpg)Map Imagehoxson11282
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Statistics:
Avg Rating: 7.00Votes: 1
Views: 5106
To-Play list count: 1
Estimated Play time: 21.5 hours
Recorded Games: 1
Archive recorded plays:
Chinese0
Japanese1
Drawn:0

ROAR Data: (as of today)
Opening the Burma Road
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[A] Japanese 2
[D] Chinese 1
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