Sunday, August 3, 2014

ASL AAR Double Trouble, AP 84

Dave G and I played Double Trouble from the new Action Pack To the Bridge at the St. Louis Tournament.  I was the Brits and Dave took the Japanese. My mission was to either to take possession of all of the buildings in the play area, or inflict >= 5 VP more than the Japanese.  Each non-hut building counted as 1 VP. 

Dave set up a couple of squads in the buildings around 6BEE12, and a foxhole with a squad and a mortar in/around 6BGG13.  He also set up a majority of his troops in buildings 5AB7, 5AB9 and around the buildings in 5AC14 and D13 and D14 and around B12. 

I divided my force into two groups that would eventually converge in a pincer movement on both sides of the Japanese lines.  Group 1 would use cover provided by the jungle and the smoke created by the mortar and take the buildings on my right side of the map, around the 6BEE12 area. After taking these building and eliminating the Japanese defenders, this group would swing back around and attack the remaining Japanese force being held and assaulted by Group 2.  Group 2 of my force would move through the jungle as cover and hit the Japanese force occupying the buildings and positions along the 5A rows c and d.



My first mistake concerned my force distribution.  Group 1 was much heavier than Group 2.  I should have put additional units in Group 2 to order to inflict more casualties on the Japanese forces on board 5A. 

I was able to move my Group 1 force through the jungle with leaders to reach the edge overlooking the group of buildings around the 6BEE12 area.  The mortar provided smoke support to cover my assault across the open ground and into the buildings, where I engaged the Japanese defenders at close range or in close combat.  It took a couple of turns, but I eliminated his mortar unit in a foxhole and cleared the Japanese out of the buildings.  I was able to divert some of the force early to reinforce Group 2 by traversing the jungle along the 6BEE and 6BFF rows.  Their focus was on the defenders in 5AB7 and 5AB9. 

Once the buildings around the 6BEE12 area were cleared, the infantry cleared building 5AC6 and was set up to flank the Japanese in the building positions around the 5AD10 area. 

This was all well and good until my attack began to fall apart as I got a little aggressive.  My goal was initially to focus on occupying the buildings, but as I progressed through the scenario I decided to go for the victory point mission.  It was turning out to be very difficult or nearly impossible to occupy all of the buildings without dealing a severe blow on the Japanese defenders anyway.  So I started to press the defenders a little harder. 

Well, two aggressive mistakes sealed the game for the Japanese at the end of the scenario.  One was a platoon of infantry and an 8-1 leader was eventually eliminated as they were encircled by a couple of squads in foxholes that popped up in 6BFF19 and 7AB19, together with defenders shooting from the B9 through the B13 hexes.  I was trying to scramble up to the wall and claim wall advantage against the defenders on the other side when the sneaky Japs appeared in my rear and caused me a world of hurt.  I was able to get over the wall and into buildings C11 and D9, but it was a futile effort. 
My second mistake was a compound mistake of a botched attack and an ambush in close combat on the British far right side of the map in and around the 7AB14 area.  I had a MMG, a couple of squads and a -1 leader adjacent to a couple of Japanese defenders.  Prep Fire time!  Well, I rolled boxcars, breaking the MMG and getting nothing for a result.  Then, in the next turn, Those units dropped the paperweight of a machine gun and jumped into close combat with a Japanese squad and a leader.  The Japanese ambushed these poor souls and they didn’t stand a chance, even though I had the odds.  All of the units were eliminated (he went all out against everyone) and I didn’t get to fight back. 

After that, it was all over but the shouting.  I didn’t get the buildings and with the last close combat, he got the victory point totals. 

This was a fun scenario.  I think the British could have pulled it out, but I learned several lessons again in this scenario.

1.     When playing against the Japanese, you have to keep shooting at them constantly to wear them down.  I haven’t played too many PTO scenarios, but I have come to realize that the Japanese are tough.  You can’t play against them the same way you would play against units in the ETO.  You have to wear down the Japanese.  Constantly.  And that takes concentrated firepower applied every turn.  I should have reinforced my Group 2 and kept pressure on the Japanese defenders to their front. 
2.     Support weapons break down.  My troopers apparently didn’t decide to carry enough ammo for this scenario. Both of my mortars broke on their first or second use, and the MMG broke at the time I needed it the most.  None of them were repaired, and one of the mortars was eliminated for good. 
3.     Close combat with the Japanese can be deadly.  I make sure when entering into close combat I have enough firepower to win.  But when the Japanese get ambush you can find yourself on the painful end rather quickly.  
4.     I have to remember to use the mortars for smoke.  I did at first, but once I had occupied the houses in the 6BEE12 area, I nearly forgot about the mortar support, using a leader as a spotter.  I could have used this resource better and more efficiently to cover moves and smoke his positions. 


This was a fun scenario, and I am really enjoying playing PTO.  I gotta play more PTO.  Where are those Marines?

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