The Japanese had landed on the northwest corner of Papua New Guinea on 21 July and began their trek towards Port Moresby. The Australian Army moved to prevent the Japanese intentions, and the first clash along the Kokoda Trail occurred two days later and established a pattern of superior Japanese forces overwhelming the understrength Australian forces who were far from their supply points. This pattern would continue until the Japanese troops were deployed in front of the small village of Isurava. It was here that the Australian command were determined to delay the Japanese advance.
Attacker: Japanese (3rd Battalion, 144th Infantry Regiment)
Defender: Australian (39th Battalion)
6.5 turns
Players: 2 OBA: None Night: No
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:14.5 D:11.0
AFVs: A:0
AFVs: D:0
Guns: A:1
Type 92 70mm INF Gun Type 89 Heavy Grenade-Launcher
D:0
OML 2-in. Mortar
Misc Rules:
PTO (Exc: roads exist). D: Elite and 1st Line do not cower, -1 drm ambush
Too much boxcars in this game for me from the beginning ( I lost the 9-2 leader in the first turn by wound severity on CR) to the very end (CR on a MC from a pot shot at 1FP). Japanese troops were without mercy for the unlucky Australians...
2022-04-22
(A) Kermit Mullins
vs
Scott Waites
Australian win
Scott's Australians rolled snakes at critical moments to devastate my Banzai charges and then hand to hand was too bloody with a single Australian squad successfully wiping out two squads and a leader. Then a NMC killed my 10-1 and that was it. My Japanese had been bled white and it was game over and an Australian victory. Super low dice rolls for my opponent vs. 10's and 11's for me ensured that I couldn't bring superior firepower to bear.
2022-02-03
(A) O Ramaille
vs
Jeannot
Japanese win
The Japanese forced their way through a withdrawing Australian defense in the middle of a jungle. Successful banzai charges and ambushes eliminated quite all the Australian force. The Japanese lost half of their troops but managed to exit with 15 VP of the 11 needed.
2020-12-22
(D) O Ramaille
vs
Australian win
It began very badly for the Australians who saw two waves of banzaï charges. The second one was particularly deadly ending in close combat that wiped clean the right line of defense. But, on the left wing, Lt Wyman (the 9-2 leader) gathered his men and stalked the Japanese in the jungle. No nippon survived. Lt Wyman continued his hunt, killing any Japanese in CC. Facing Captain Ondori (Japanese 10-1 leader), he was first wounded a first time. Lt Wyman did not survived a second wound but his men eliminated all enemies. Only one Australian half-squad remained alive, but very few Japanese managed to escape the bloody Australians (3 VP for a crew and a HS). Great fun with this scenario.
2020-09-17
(A) Indy Lagu
vs
Rob Oler
Japanese win
Another fighting withdrawal. 11 Australian squads try to hold
off 14 Japanese 447. Each side has five MG (four LMG, one MMG).
Rob (Australian) did not set up too far forward (it would be foolish to, imho).
In our post-game wrap, I thought Rob fell back a bit too far, a bit too
quickly. This allowed me, as the Japanese player, to use Banzai
charges to get close, but not risk too much PBF.
The number of MG and terrain make fire lanes very attractive.
I realise there are no fire lanes in SK; we played as though this was
an ASL scenario.
The Japanese were able to Banzai charge four (or was it five?) times. Two
Banzai charges on the second-to-last turn, after a lucky shot, broke the
Australians back and sealed a victory in this very close game.