Mike Seningen and I got together to play scenario 68, The Rock, recently, and the match proved interesting enough to prompt an after action report on it. The scenario features a large force of Japanese trying to fight through U.S. Marines and Army troops on Corregidor in 1942.
The terrain is not for the faint of heart. Boards 36 and 35 are placed side by side. From the Japanese perspective, board 36 is the far (or south) board while 35 is the near (or north) board. Board 36 has 6 hills, but they can be thought of more as 4 hill masses, each aligned roughly parallel to each other across the width of the board. Board 35 is flat with a lot of kunai, but the scenario calls for overlay 2, the famous heavily wooded and gully-scarred hill, to be placed near one end (the Japanese right, or the west side of the board). Special terrain rules for the scenario include: all streams are dry (hence like gullies), all swamps are open ground, all orchards are shellholes (that's a lot of shellholes), and all brush is brush (not bamboo). There is a road running the length of the board from the northeast to the southwest (Japanese close left to far right). Light jungle is in effect. A mild breeze is in effect from the northwest.
The U.S. player gets a mixed bag of Marines and Army troops, 17 squads in all, plus a few machineguns and leaders, to set up in a roughly northwest-to-southeast strip close to the center of the board. In addition, he gets 5 crews to go with three .50cals and 2 MMGs, that must be set up in a trench complex in the southwesternmost hill area. The trenches are special concrete trenches with a +3 (+5 vs. OVR/OBA) TEM. Lastly, the US gets 6x447, 2x227, a 10-2, a 7-0, a .50cal, and a MMG that can enter on/after turn 1 on the south edge of the board.
The Japanese receive a force of 27 first and second line squads, and the usual assortment of machineguns and knee mortars to go with them. They are fairly well led, with 6 leaders ranging from a 10-0 to an 8+1. They also get a radio for a module of 70mm OBA with plentiful ammunition. Perhaps the most tantalizing toy in their arsenal is a module of 200mm OBA directed by an offboard observer. It is entitled to continuous access, and need only draw a card for "extra" chit draws. However, it is limited to 2 missions altogether, there must be a full player turn between them, and it can never be accurate. As reinforcements, the Japanese get two type 97 CHI-HA tanks that enter along the road on turn 3, and a 9-1 armor leader.
The victory conditions allow for immediate victory for either side. The Japanese can win by exiting 8 VP off the road in the southwest, which means they will somehow have to get past that trench line with the plethora of machineguns. The U.S. can win by exiting 8 VP off the northeast edge.
Mike chose the American side and set up with great care to stay out of LOS of the offboard observer. In this he did a great job throughout the game. Since jungle is 2 levels high, and there are so many hills with jungle on them, it is difficult for an offboard observer, even at level 4, to see much. The Americans were also careful to set up far enough back so as to be out of any serious danger from the Japanese, either through prep fire or banzai, on turn 1. I then set up the Japanese with most of their strength in their right flank, in the hopes of storming the overlay 2 hill, and then working around by the end of the game through the flank of the trench position for the exit. A smaller force was charged with holding the left flank of the Japanese line, but they were led by the 10-0. Lastly, I placed 3 first line squads HIP near the American exit area in the Japanese rear, bolstered by 2 other first line squads nearby. These guys were the goalies, responsible for preventing a sudden American victory. This is the only scenario I know of where the Japanese, on the attack, can set up HIP. This HIP capability is not granted by SSR, it is free for being Japanese and setting up onboard.
I started turn 1 with all of the knee mortars going for smoke. Most of them got it, or white phosphorous, and some even kept rate. It was one of the best displays of getting smoke that I have ever had. I followed it up with a couple of huge banzai charges. The idea was mostly to gain the extra movement and morale, rather than to dispatch the enemy, since the American troops were simply too far away to reach on turn 1. The Japanese suffered very little damage on turn 1. The 10-0 on the left flank did suffer the indignity of one of his squads step-reducing, despite having maintained concealment while assault moving next to a U.S. squad.
Mike brought a big stack of his reinforcements in on turn 1. I found out soon that it was a 7-0, a couple of crews, a couple of half squads, and a squad. They made a break for the quick exit victory and on turn 2 ran into the HIP Japanese. They were broken up fairly well, and those units spent the rest of the scenario chasing each other around the jungled hill on that flank. After the initial rebuff there was little fear of that group exiting by itself, but Mike still hadn't committed the 10-2 with the rest of his reserve, so the Japanese goal keepers had to stay in position.
The middle game saw the Japanese hoard swarm the overlay 2 hill on their right flank. Mike played his forces very well here, as they got the maximum delay out of the Japanese and also whittled them down as well. Still, many of those American troops were lost also. In the center and left, the Japanese worked their way into and across the gully that ran across the middle of board 36 between two hills. A marine 9-1 and squad showed themselves briefly on the edge of the hill and got hammered by the 8 inch naval guns. They survived the first attack pretty much intact but got hit again while trying to rout and were eliminated. Other than that, the 200mm OBA achieved no tangible effect except to create a couple of shellhole hexes. For the rest of the game, Mike superbly kept his guys concealed and/or in blind hexes to the observer. Although I managed to keep a spotting round on the board for most of the game, its only effect was to keep the Americans from getting too bold.
Late in the middle game I thought things were going pretty well for the Japanese. On the right they had overtaken the hill and were getting set to work their way around to the extreme right. A few Americans had survived in good order and withdrawn from the hill, but they didn't look like they would cause too much of a problem. Mike had brought on the rest of his reinforcements against the Japanese left flank, thereby essentially giving up any chance of a sudden American exit victory. I made a foolish move, however, advancing a leader with 3 first line squads and light machineguns into a jungle hex on the far right of the overlay 2 hill. I did not notice that some units in the American trench line could get a bead on them. Despite the fact that they were concealed, a rate of fire bonanza reduced this once proud platoon to a couple of step reduced squads. At that point I thought I had made a critical error. I had nothing to gain by putting them there, so I essentially threw away about a squad and a half and a leader. Still, there was some hope. Needing only 8 VP exited to win, I knew that if I could get both tanks off the game was mine. Mike's only antitank weapons were his various machineguns, and CC. The Americans, however, are saddled with a +1 PAATC by SSR. So I thought that there was some chance that with care I could get the tanks off.
For the rest of the game, I pretty much just tried to creep the Japanese forward, while moving the tanks into position to make a quick dash for the exit. One of the obstacles was the hill in the middle of the American position, about 6 hexes to the east of the trench complex. There were still a couple of American squads up there, out of LOS, waiting to smack any Japanese that tried to get across. Several Japanese units, including the 10-0 and one of the tanks, were at the foot of the hill or on the slope. The tank moved up and went into bypass of the jungle hex occupied by one American squad, thereby freezing him from firing out. Then the other Japanese units moved up to cover the tank, taking care not to expose themselves to very much fire from the supporting American units in the trench line. This tank took many shots from all sorts of machineguns, but survived unscathed. The American squad failed to take it out in CC. In the following American prep fire, however, one of the machineguns managed to stun it. The U.S. squad could not take advantage, however, as a 24 +1 shot directed by the 10-0 clobbered them, they failed ELR, and wound up out of the rest of the scenario.
The second Japanese tank had to work its way through the gully in the center, and therefore was not in position to make a rush for the end line at the same time as the first tank. The first tank made his move, and again took shot after shot from various machineguns all over the board, until it was finally knocked out by a close range shot from a .50cal when it reached the trench line. With ever-dwindling forces, the Japanese were getting desperate. Although they were getting quite close to the trenches, there weren't very many of them left. Toward game end the second tank made his bid for the exit. This time it was successful, netting 5 points for the Japanese. As it turns out the armor leader was in this tank, making it a total of 7 points, although I did not realize it at the time. This tank ran an even tougher gauntlet than the first one, since by now the American 10-2 was on the hill opposite the trench position, which was perfect for getting a rear shot (or several) against it. However, only a 2 or a 3 TK roll could harm the tank, except from very close and/or against the side/rear, so it wasn't too surprising that the tank made it. The 10-2 was also in position, coincidentally, to collapse what remained of the Japanese left flank. Still, only one point was now needed for a Japanese victory (although I thought I needed three).
After the tank moved and had therefore restricted much of the firing options of the Americans, the infantry attacked. Leading with the least potent units, like the many 137 half squads now on the board, they closed with the trench line. Then the 10-0 and his group conducted a banzai to get across the bridge and into the trench line. They survived a 4 -4, plus several other attacks, to do so. In several places some Japanese units were whittled down or eliminated, but overall Mike's dice started to go cold. The ensuing close combat phase in the trenches turned out pretty well for the Japanese. On the north (Japanese right) of the trench line a 137 managed to eliminate 2 crews, one of which was CX, the other which was manning a MMG. Although two other 137s were lost in other close combats, the 10-0's group got a big bonus. Not only did they eliminate the crew they were fighting, but the boxcars by that crew allowed them to withdraw. They chose to do so within the trenches but one hex closer to the edge. This proved to be huge.
Mike spent his next turn (after rallying a 558 under DM) arranging his units to fire on the exit hexes. Little else happened. On the next turn, the last dash took place. The Japanese moved everything they had, least valuable units first. Mike put down a lot of residual, but a couple of crews (one step-reduced) managed to reach the last hex, threatening to get off during the advance phase. They pinned there, however, under lots of American fire. Finally the 10-0 and group moved last. As they exited the trench they took a 6 +0 from the other hill, but Mike rolled a 10. They were able to continue unmolested the rest of the way, due to the other Americans having already fired and being unable to fire again for various reasons. Mike's dice were really cold throughout this critical movement phase. Thus the Japanese pulled out the lucky victory at the end. It was turn 9 out of a possible 10.
This scenario certainly provided a lot of tense moments, and it came right down to the end. I think there are two major frustrations in this scenario, one for each player. For the Americans, the tanks represent an easy Japanese victory. Except point blank, none of the machineguns have a very good chance to stop them. For the Japanese, the 200mm OBA is frustrating because the observer can see so little, particularly of the trench position, which is what he would like to blast the most. That means the infantry has to go in by themselves, and that's tough in the face of all those machineguns.
As the Japanese player, I think I made several mistakes in this scenario. Fortunately, a lot of bad luck on Mike's part at the right moments allowed me to have a chance. First of all, I think it was a mistake to use first line squads, my best infantry, as HIP units to protect against American exit. This took five of my best units away from the main attack. Perhaps it would have been better to use second line units as goalies instead. Second, I never got to use the 70mm OBA. Radios are tough to use in the PTO (+1 to the contact roll), and I was sort of hoping to bring the leader into a position to call down a white phosphorous mission on the trenches in the end game. As it turns out he didn't have enough time to do so. Maybe he could have been better used on the left flank, and maybe he should have tried to call down his artillery early in the scenario. Third, I misused the Japanese MMGs. They rarely fired a shot in anger since they were involved in the hill assault on the right flank, which was characterized mostly by movement. At the end of the scenario these crews had to abandon their weapons in the mad dash for the exit. I think Mike played a very, very strong game and deserved the win. There were several moments when I thought of resigning. He always managed to put good order units in front of the Japanese. Although a few individual units got overwhelmed either in CC or for failure to rout, never did an entire position fall this way. All it would have taken would have been one or two machineguns maintaining rate of fire on that last turn to give him the victory. Beginners should take note. I've said before that you'll never experience a miraculous win if you concede early. This scenario illustrates my point. I thought of resigning several times, and probably would have a couple of years ago, but I stuck it out just to see what would happen in the end game.
Matt Shostak