For our Saturday Game - Dan Best and I would move into unchartered scenario territory. As it was Dan's turn to choose the scenario, he would pick a Critical Hit scenario. Dan would turn to Critical Hit# 7.1 for this night's ASL action. Scenario CH-167 The Warlord's Estate would be the selected scenario. Set in Hunan Province in 1944, the scenario depicts actions of the Japanese 11th Army advanced through the province during the Ichi-Go Offensive.
The actions depicted in the scenario involves a Chinese Warlord's Estate as the Chinese, led by the local Warlord put up a strong defensive effort against the Japanese.
Designed by Glenn Houseman, this scenario is one that I have seen pop up at Tournaments and based on the number of playing's on ROAR, would appear to be a popular scenario.
ROAR has it with 14 Japanese and 13 Chinese Wins. The ASL Archive has it with 1 Japanese and 0 Chinese Wins. ROAR suggests that it is a balanced scenario and certainly its inclusion in tournament settings would seem to confirm that.
Personally, I have very little experience with Critical Hit products. My most recent was the US Civil War Gettysburg scenario which Dan and I played last year. Dan on the other hand, has played a number of Critical Hit scenarios over the years.
My own familiarity with the Sino-Chinese War is extremely limited. For whatever reason, I have not read or studied very much about this conflict. It's probably my biggest WW2 historical blind spot. Some of that is reflective of the brutality that existed in the early part of this war. When I was growing up, I would look forward to visiting my grandfather in Philadelphia. He was a modeler and amateur historian. His upstairs library would be my primary hangout when visiting. He had a series of Time-Life and Colliers' picture histories of the Second World War. I would spend hours just paging through the volumes. But the volume that contained the invasion of China by the Japanese in the 1930's had some of the most difficult to view pictures of the war. These were then and still are today, images that I would prefer not to view. So, as my interest in the Second World War grew, I would migrate towards other theaters. China-Burma-India and the US Pacific Island Campaigns would be my primary Asian Theaters of study. That said, I was glad to have an opportunity to play a scenario in this theater and to educate myself on this part of World War II.
As the scenario attacker, I would command the men of the Japanese 11th Army. My force would consist of a 4-4-8, 9 x 4-4-7's, 2 x 2-2-8's, led by a 10-1, 9-1, 9-0 and 8-0 with an HMG, MMG, 2 x LMG', a DC, and 2 x 50 MTR's. For support I would have 2 x Type 92b Tanks. Oh...and yes, I would get a Fighter Bomber with Bombs...nice...just what the doctor ordered for flattening the Warlord's Estate.
As the defender, Dan would command the Warlord's men. This force was taken from the 10th Army and acted as the Warlord's personal guard if you will. I suppose that makes Dan a Warlord!!! This force would consist of 3 x 4-4-7's, 8 x 3-3-7's and 2 x 2-2-7's led by two 7-0's with an HMG, LMG, 45 MTR, a 70* ARTY and 82* MTR. On Turn 3, the Warlord himself (an 8-1) would arrive in a Universal Carrier with a 3-3-6.
To win this scenario, the Japanese must make sure there are no unbroken Chinese MMC in the 3M2 building or on any Level 2 Hill Hex.
And now for Dan's Pre-Game Comments:
“The Chinese must prevent the
Japanese from clearing the hills and from capturing the level 2 building on
half of board 3. I will assign the
majority of troops to defend the level 2 building including both leaders both
MGs and both dare-death squads. The MTRs
will set up on the forward hill and the gun on the rear. The priority for the gun is to fire at the
tanks. And the MTRs will try to break up
the infantry as the cross the open ground.
Hopefully the point defense on the building will hold out and keep the
Japanese out long enough for the win.”
I decided to go with a joint objective assault. One force would focus on the Estate and the other would focus on taking the two hills. My Fighter Bomber would wait for the Chinese to reveal themselves and then take down the best targets.
Turn 1 - my boys advance. The force headed towards the Estate gets to the 1st Turn phase line without difficulty. My hill assault force does ok until a 1-1/2 factor shot wounds my 10-1 and stripes a crew and a squad. Rrolling consecutive 10's will have that effect. Chinese rifle fire had found its mark!
As my part of Turn 1 ended, I was happy with my dispositions.
Dan opened his part of Turn 1 by revealing his 81 MTR and sending some love to my 50 MTR.
A look at the relative positions during Turn 1. Both my attack groups had gotten into position and the supporting mortars were both ready to do their thing. My 50 mortars both had smoke and WP, but the range for smoke was only 10 hexes and WP was 6. As it would turn out, I would roll for smoke and neither mortar would have smoke. This happens frequently to me on the smoke thing and is really frustrating. My boys never seem to haul in the special ammo for the fight.
In Defensive Fire, my fighter bomber shows up and goes for Dan's 82 MTR.
My attack would have no result. My bomb would miss the target.
Too bad I only had one bomb!!!
On Turn 2 - My tanks began to move ahead. Dan's HMG on the second floor of the Warlord's Estate opened up and KIA'd the first tank...and kept rate of fire....
The HMG would continue and stun my second tank....and kept rate of fire. So my infantry had lost their armored assault protection and with Dan's hot dice, I elected not to move my boys into the fire zone.
In full Defensive Fire, Dan's hot HMG would lash out again and on the morale check, I would boxcar the roll for my officer and he would go down...dead on the field. Dan would fire more rate and MALF the gun.
Turn 2 - Dan's HMG had checked my assault on the Estate. But my assault on the first hill was going to plan.
A look at positions showed my attack on the first hill was making good progress. I was within striking distance of the Warlord's Estate and if the HMG stayed broken, I had a chance. Ahh...but Dan would fix it in Rally.
Turn 2 Defensive Fire. Dan's HMG stack had decided to skulk, towards the back of the Warlord's Estate. This would avoid the concentration of infantry fire to his front, but made him vulnerable to the circling Japanese Fighter Plane. It would come in hard and low with machine guns blazing.
As my fighter plane attacked, I kept rolling "4's" and activating Dan's sniper, who would eliminate one Mortar team and DM the other.
My strafing run would be very productive. Two of Dan's squads (including one of the Dare Death squads) would eliminated and the 7-0 officer would be the only survivor. With his guns out of ammo, my fighter bomber peeled off and returned to base.
Back home after a very successful mission, which would open the way for a successful assault on the Warlord's Estate. After the miserable bomb failure, I had not expected any positive results from my Fighter Bomber. But, the Turn 2 strafing run was a game changer.
One of Dan's concealed 3-3-7's would jump into CC with me at the base of the first hill. My boys would succeed in winning that first close combat.
Turn 3 - my Stunned Tank...starts up...BOOOOOOMMMM...Dan's 70 ARTY back on the second hill had been firing at me without any results...but as my tank started up...Dan's "Giant Bazooka" as he derisively referred to...would roll snakes and get a critical hit...which would leave my second tank burning. Oh good grief...!!!
Well...so much for my tanks...."your welcome!!"
My other Turn 3 moves were more successful. I finally launched my assault on the Warlord's Estate and would succeed in taking the first hill.
Turn 3 - Chinese Phase - Dan's Warlord would arrive in his Universal Carrier.
The Warlord would make a beeline for his Estate. Dan would go for an ESB to stop on 17 MP. He would fail and immobolize the Unversal Carrier.
Turn 4 - I would secure my hold on the first hill and begin my assault on the second hill. Back at the Warlord's Estate I would break the Warlord who would retreat up to the first floor of his Estate. He was no fanatic by SSR and a very clever rout by my buddy Dan.
The Warlord would rally and prepare to evict the Japanese from his house!
I would lose a melee outside of the Warlord's Estate with Dan taking down 2 of my squads as we all died in hand to hand. This would also happen when I jumped into close combat with his 82 MTR....hand to hand is brutal.
Turn 4- Chinese - Dan counter-attacked, but I would successfully repel it.
Turn 5 - I continued my assault on the second hill and would succeed in taking down the 70 ARTY. Back at the Warlord's Estate, I would continue to take control of the builidng a room at a time.
By the end of Turn 5, I would have Dan's 45 MTR, 82 MTR and 70 ARTY being employed by my troops. My 9-0 officer at the Estate would Banzai Charge into a hex of broken Chinese, forcing their rout and elimination. He would then charge a 1-2-7 under the Universal Carrier and go into Hand to Hand. He would be killed.
Turn 5 - the Chinese would launch their final counterattacks toward the second hill and the Warlord's Estate. Both assaults would be checked.
Turn 6 - Dan's Warlord attempted to rally the DM squads with him on level two. No one rallied and with that Dan gave the concession and the Japanese had the victory. Both hills were in Japanese control and with no chance of rallying, the Warlord's Estate would fall. As the hour was late ( 11:30 PM), it was time to call the game. Both Dan and I had frustrating moments in the game with "12's" and poor shooting. But it turned into a really fun scenario. We both enjoyed it and definitely think that this is a scenario you should give a playing when you have the opportunity. It's has a lot of tactical nuance and a lot of replayability. My thanks to Dan for putting in 9 hours at work on a Saturday and still having the energy to play a long night of ASL!!! We may have missed March Madness this year, but Dan and I still got in two great games this weekend.
My boys celebrate their victory on top of the Warlord's Estate!
And now for Dan's Post-Game Comments:
“The plan did not work. An effective strafing attack by the Japanese
air support eliminated one dare-death squad and the HMG squad. While the tanks were stopped the Japanese infantry
were able to swarm the building and clear it for the win. Congrats to Grumble Jones on the win! This scenario is great fun and is a good
representation of little known battles in China during the war. My thanks to Grumble Jones for another great
game!”
Dan and I will return next Saturday (God Willing) for a playing of Rally Point Scenario RPT 168 Belgians and Centurions...that's right KOREA baby! Can't wait to field my UN Counters.
Until then my friends....
Together we will be the light in this global darkness.
We will Rally Well!
Fantastic AAR! Thanks for the effort.
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