On Leyte in the Philippines, the U.S. 32nd Infantry Regiment seized the town of Dumulaan with ease. Several days later they received news that a large Japanese force was moving toward them. One battalion supported by artillery was to hold the point of the advance – the ridge separating the Palunas and Bucan rivers. The GIs called it “Shoestring Ridge" due to the meager force holding this vital piece of ground. On November 23rd the Japanese began a series of intense night assaults along the ridge, and by the evening of the 24th the defenders' situation was becoming desperate.
Attacker: Japanese (13th Independent Infantry Regiment)
Defender: American (3rd Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment)
7.5 turns
Players: 2 OBA: American Night: Yes
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:17.0 D:12.0
AFVs: A:0
AFVs: D:0
Guns: A:0
Type 89 Heavy Grenade-Launcher x 4
D:1
M3A1 37mm AT Gun
Misc Rules:
PTO (Exc: Woods are Kunai, hammada is OG, crags are Palm Trees). Huts. Night rules.
After looking over the American setup (what I could see), I conducted my pre-game recon. I found a bunch of concealment markers, discovered what was on top of the hill on board 25, found that the small force between the two boards was positioned in the treeline (not in the hut or up near my entrance hexes), and - most importantly - found the AT Gun's location. I set up to make my primary attack on Board 25, hoping to keep out of LOS from the larger force on Board 2 for several turns. I set up two stacks from those that had to enter on Board 2 to be able to quickly move into the gullies on Board 25 to support my main force going over the top of the Board 25 hill. Plan generally worked. I was able to get within range of the main American line of resistance and fired smoke and WP at several key locations. This dramatically limited the MMG on that side. My sniper also broke a squad on Board 25. The handful of troops I had setup to keep the Board 2 Americans occupied were able to do that. Once I smoked the American positions on Board 25, I moved up to go into CC. I did run into multiple wires, but was able to get beneath them without taking significant damage. I made a banzai charge to get into one of the smoked hexes, conducting an infantry overrun against an American leader in the process. Dan was unable to get starshells when needed and on a critical American turn, a couple of my squads had starshells that illuminated the Ameican positions and movement paths and kept them from firing on my big stacks on Board 25. By Turn 5, the U.S. line on Board 25 had crumbled, I had HtH-KIA'd the AT Gun crew (albeit getting a squad killed in the process), and I had 25+ EVP nearing the exit board edge. We called it at that point with a Japanese win. In this one, I think the Americans might consider using his artillery (at least at start) to fire IRs. If the Japanese can get into position, relatively unscathed, to fire smoke/WP with their four mortars (and get those rounds), it will be a difficult game for the Americans.
2019-08-11
(D) Jeff B
vs
Roy Connelly
American win
5.25 hrs
Between NVR of 5, OBA, brutal terrain in the east, and all the wire and trip flares, this one seems really tough for the Japanese. An American kill stack in the west just ripped to shreds the Japanese on that flank, the pass through the middle proved to be Death Valley, and the token Japanese force in the east couldn't get past the staunch defense. By the middle of Turn 4 the Japanese had almost lost enough to make hitting the VC nigh impossible. All this without the AT gun or .50 HMG having to show their faces.