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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