Grumble Jones July Scenario - GJ034 "Mule Skinner"

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The PDF for this scenario can be downloaded from the The ASL Scenario Archive. 

(simply search on Grumble Jones or Mule Skinner).

 

And always remember, these scenarios are presented for fun only and as a thank you to the readers of my blog.

Design note - this scenario is based on a hypothetical occurrence during the March campaigning of Merrill's Marauders. His men were in the Hukawng Valley on March 14th, 1944, but there is no record of any Japanese disruption of an airdrop.

This scenario was inspired by the following webpage:  

http://www.marauder.org/history.htm

 Merrill's Marauders have always fascinated me. Their deep penetrations into the Japanese positions in Burma with little to no support are nothing short of amazing. Their accomplishments, while legendary also came at a huge cost to the unit. I had not previously realized just how grueling and debilitating their campaign had been on them. My research for this scenario, revealed to me that Merrill's men were literally pushed to the brink of their endurance and beyond. The unit ceased to exist as a separate entity at the conclusion of their campaign. I encourage you to check out the web link above and to read the many great books out there about the Marauders. These guys were true heroes of the Second World War.

I have never done a scenario utilizing pack animals before, so my apologies if my SSR's are a bit lacking. The blame is all mine.

 Given the obstinate nature of Mules and the loads they carried, I assigned them only 4MF. This is also why the scenario has 8-1/2 turns. I just wasn't sure how quickly the American Player could get his Mules to the supplies and back to safety. This is definitely a challenging scenario for the American Player. The location of the wing drops will more than likely determine success or failure.

Personally, I cannot imagine hiking, let alone fighting in the Burmese terrain. 

I also took a bit of dramatic rules license with all the Radios and Spotting fire for the Mortars including the US 81's. Hopefully, the SSR was clear that the Leaders in the field with Radios could act as the spotter as long as they had radio contact with the Radio Leader with the Mortars.

Not sure if this a legitimate ASL activity...but what the heck...it's just a Grumble Jones scenario anyway.

 It's important not to forget the courage and suffering of the Japanese in Burma. Merrill's Marauders killed a great many Japanese Infantry in the course of their campaign.

 There are many great ASL scenarios about Merrill's Marauders and I hope that Mule Skinner will give the player a sense of the hardships experienced by Merrill's men in the jungles of Burma.