Our Friday Game - March Madness Scenario MM61 - Sandeman's Charge

Today was another day of shelter-in-place. I will return to work on Monday and then schedule another 6 days of vacation before the end of May. So, you may see another period of endless AAR's!!! I have to admit, it's been a lot fun playing ASL over the course of several days. It's not quite like a tournament, but the next best thing. On the subject of Tournaments, I cancelled my reservations for the St. Louis Tournament. While, things may return to normal by the end of July...I probably will forgo attendance this year. A personal choice and one not arrived at lightly. Missing out tournaments this year will be a total bummer. I look forward to the KC and STL Tournaments most of all each year.

Tonight's game will be taken from the ASL March Madness - Full Rulebook ASL pack. When discussing what to play last night, Dan and I flipped over the card and said..."yeah...MM61 looks like fun".  This scenario is designed by Paul Works and covers an incident from the CBI Campaign.

The action captured in this scenario begins as an example of mistaken identity. The British forces were falling back around Toungoo, Burma and the mounted Frontier Force, 1st Burma Brigade was patrolling in the area around Toungoo. Led by Captain Arthur Sandeman the unit approached a hill that appeared to have Chinese laborers on it. With a shock, Sandeman realized they were actually advance force of Japanese busy entrenching on the hill. Sandeman would signal for a charge and his Burmese cavalry would charge across rice paddies and sufferer horrendous losses to the veteran Japanese infantry.

As the defending Japanese, Dan would command the men of the 55th Infantry Division. This force would consist of 5 x 4-4-7's and a 2-2-8 led by a 9-0 with an MMG, LMG and 50 MTR. Optional reinforcements would consist of 1 x 4-4-7 led by a 9-0 with an LMG. The victory conditions give the British Player the immediate victory once 3 of the Level 1 Hill Hexes are controlled on board 38. If the Japanese Player elects to take the reinforcements, then the British win immediately if the they control 2 or more of the Level 1 Hill Hexes on Board 38.

By SSR 5 - the Japanese have 3 -1 Labor Counters which give them a head start towards entrenching.

As the scenario attacker, I would command the men of the Mounted Column, Frontier Forces 3, 1st Burma Brigade. My force would be mounted and consist of 11 x 4-4-7's, led by a 9-1, 8-0 and 7-0 with 3 x LMG's.  Presumably, the 9-1 is Captain Sandeman.  Knowing the historical outcome definitely makes me wonder how I'm going to take the hill away from Dan, especially if his Japanese successfully entrench.

And now for Dan's Pre-Game Comments:

“The Japanese must defend a small diamond shaped level one hill in a sea of rice paddies.  The plan is for a squad and 50mm MTR to start in foxholes at the point of the hill toward the British entry hexes.  The will take shots with the MTR at any British they see through the light jungle.  The 9-0 and crew with MMG will also start there but will move to the foot of the hill to have fire lane possibilities.  A squad and LMG will start at the other end of the hill and move to a jungle hex on the board edge.  This unit will move to a jungle hex between board 38 and 73.  From there they will protect the flank of the hill and have fire lane possibilities.  The other three squads will use their -1 labor counter to dig foxholes on the other three hexes of the hill.  Hopefully they will make their foxhole rolls and can stay in them the rest of the game. “

I really had no idea of how to approach this game. All the orchards are in season rice paddies. So I would be riding my horses through these. By SSR, all of Dan's boys set up on one of the four hill locations. 

"Ok lads...this is really simple....to win today's scenario...we must control 3 or the 4 Level Hill locations on board 38. Ok...got it...good...God Save the King!"

Ok...so a galloping I went as my mounted troops went as far forward as they could. This scenario is only  4-1/2 turns long...so I definitely had to hoof it...

(FYI - the white circled Overlay was placed incorrectly...just in case you happen to notice it. I didn't realize it until the end of the game.)

Ok...Japanese Turn 1 - Dan begins digging his entrenchments. And gets all 3....Dan's dice were hot...and would remain so.

Dan's successful entrenching on the first turn was crucial for the Japanese. Not only was in good positions, but he wouldn't be trying to entrench under fire. He was ready and waiting for me.

Turn 2 - I began moving towards the hill. I dismounted everyone and sent two squads to approach from the south, while my 9-1 and 8-0 led two groups towards the center of the hills. My 7-0 group had visions of a grand Jeb Stuart like round around the enemy...then I came to my senses and remembers...this game only has 4-1/2 turns....and I gotta move....!!!

"Jeb Stuart....you say...Suh...I knew Jeb Stuart and you...well you Suh are no Jeb Stuart!"

"Ok...don't get your sash in a bunch there general..."

My first move against Dan's hill did not work out so well...the Japanese Mortar rained death and ELR'dom down on my boys with the 8-0. Oh man...his dice were so hot...so hot...I mean really hot!!

"Aye Laddie!!! They're magically delicious!!!"

Dan's magic mortar would continue to inflict pain as it smacked me around some more in the center.

At the end of Turn 2...I was feeling the pain. My two center forces...upon which so much depended were getting shredded by a mortar.

Ok..Turn 3- I wasn't feeling especially hopeful...but I went for it with what I had left. And I actually made it into the kunai at the bottom or the hill. Dan's 9-0 was there with the MMG and Dan would MALF it. A serious stroke of luck...(Dan would roll a number of 12's...when his dice were coming up 5 or less...they were 12's...so there was that!!

Dan would eliminate the gun in the next Rally Phase...but fortunately for him, his mortar and riflemen were taking care of business.

Turn 3 - Japanese...in a surprise move (at least to me!) Dan elected to bring in the reinforcements, which lowered the Victory Locations from 3 to 2. I think Dan was just teasing me...torturing me to think I had a chance!!!

You tell him Ginny!!!

Dan's reinforcement came on and I rolled well enough to wound the 9-0 and turn the 4-4-7 into a DM'd 2-3-7. With the reinforcements repulsed, the MMG gone and the 9-0 and 2-2-8 in MELEE...things were actually looking a wee bit better than they should have. 

Turn 4 - yeah...the game was pretty much locked up and would be a Japanese victory, but my 7-0 and boys were remounted and itching to charge....so yeah...I sent them on a death ride...why not!?!

It was a glorious charge...but would end badly with every one shot off their horses...which was bad....

I would advance up the hill with my last good order 4-4-7 and go into close combat with the hated mortar squad. The rest of my boys were retreating back into the jungle.

The melee with Dan's 9-0 and 2-2-8 MMG crew would go badly for me. I would roll successive 10's when an 8 would have brought me the glory...but it was not to be. Dan wiped them out. And I was in Melee with the Japanese Mortar Squad...cause I rolled another 10....UGHHGGG!!!!

Snoop...man that's not funny!!!

With his 9-0 and 2-2-8 freed from Melee...Dan would send them on a Banzai charge towards my 4-4-7 with the LMG. I would manage to KIA the crew...but the 9-0 came charging into my position.

As Turn 4 ended, my 4-4-7 and the Japanese Mortar Squad would kill one another in Hand to Hand. And my boys would manage to take down the Banzai charging 9-0. With that the game was over. Dan had complete control of the hill and my force was wiped out. Congrats to Dan for a very successful defense and a helluva of a win!

Dan's boys would celebrate a commanding win!

The Rising Sun dice....ASL Magic in cube form!!!

And now for Dan's Post-Game Comments:

“The plan worked.  The British approach was across the board and the assault was broken up by accurate MTR fire.  The British did get into CC with the MMG and MTR squad but lost against the MMG and mutually eliminated at the MTR.  All other attacks were driven off with loss.  Fast and bloody scenario with fun use of PTO and cavalry rules.  My thanks to Grumble Jones for a fun scenario.  Looking forward to our next scenario.”

Ok...that's a wrap on Game 3 of our 4 Game Odyssey! 

Can you take stand one more AAR!?! 

Sure you can and that's a good thing...cause our Saturday Game is a few short hours away!!! 

Dan and I will be back for the final game of our 4 game series with a playing of ASL Scenario 51 The Taking of Takrouna!!!

See you soon from Tunisia!