MYITKYINA, NORTH BURMA

MYITKYINA, NORTH BURMA

A CROSSFIRE SCENARIO

Dick White designed this scenario loosely based on one he found on the internet. I tried to contact the original site at: frenchwargamer@yahoo.fr but have had no response. So I hope that if he sees this and contacts us – Dick Bryant.

In this scenario, the Marines are attempting to dislodge a Japanese force holding the three building village near the pond in the southern area of the map.

Fields are in season; All green terrain is Jungle except for the swampy areas which are swamps (what a surprise!). Buildings are wood and may hold up to two combat units plus one command unit and one photo observer.

SET UP
Japanese forces start hidden and dug in. Bunkers and/or barbed wire if set up clear terrain must be placed on the table. Japanese forces set up anywhere south of the dotted line. Terrain features which overlap the dotted line are deemed to be on the side which as majority of the feature, and the set on will be adjusted so that there are no overlaps on the table.

Marine forces set up north of the dotted line. Marine forces which are set up in fields woods and swamps start hidden. This includes vehicles. Vehicles do not require Bog checks for movement in fields. Vehicles may not move in marshes.

VICTORY CONDITIONS
the Marines win if they have at least one unsuppressed unit in each of the three buildings at the end of the game. In all other circumstances, the Japanese win. The Marine advance begins at 0600 hrs. The battle ends at 0300 hrs. the game clock advances one half hour each time a unit or vehicle is killed, suppressed, or destroyed.

NOTE: this is a new method that was tried by Dick White to mark the advance of game time. It worked fairly well, BUT WAS TOO FAST. We will try it again where at the loss of either side’s initiative, if any unit or vehicle is killed, suppressed, or destroyed, the clock will advance one increment.



FORCES
Marine Battallion (-)                                    Morale: veteran

1 BC (+1) Lt. Col. Dickie Puller (Chesty's Brother) Dick Bryant
1 SMG Sq.
1 M4 Sherman
2 81 mm mtrs. (Off Bd) 2 FO (12 FM 4 may be smoke)
2 HMG's

Engineer Platoon w/
PC +1
3 Eng. Sq. (One SQ with FlameThrowers)

2 Infantry Companies (-) each with:
1 CC (+1)
1 60 MM (CC may act as FO)(12 FM's/4 may be smoke)
2 HMG

2 Inf Plts ea. w/
1 PC (+1) (PC's fight as squads in close combat)
3 Rifle sqds
Bn Reserve
2 Inf Plts ea. w/
1 PC(+1)
3 Rifle sqds


Japanese                             Morale: regulars

1 BC(+1) Col. Mifune Wakabak - Jack Breen
2 81 mm (off Board) 2 FO(12 FM 4 may be smoke)
2 57mm AT Guns
2 Bunkers, 2 Wire, 2 Mine
2 HMG (3 Dice only – does not count as crew served weapon in close combat)

1CC(+1)
1 Rifle Sqd.
1 HMG(3 Dice only – does not count as crew served weapon in close combat)
2 ATR Sqds

3 Rifle Platoons ea. w/
1 PC(+1)
3 Rifle Sqds. One w/ATR
1 Knee Mortar (PC may function as FO or may direct fire. 2” smoke, 3 D6)

Japanese Relief Force
Amphibious Company
1 CC(+1)
1 Rifle Sqd.
1 HMG (effects as above)
2 ATR squads

3 Rifle Platoons ea. w/
1 PC(+1)
3 Rifle Sqds. One w/ATR
1 Knee Mortar (PC may function as FO or may direct fire. 2” smoke, 3 D6)

THE GAME
The Americans started out hidden with Company A on the right with the reserve and Company B on the left of the road. The Engineers and the M$ were kept in local reserve at the baseline on the left. The American plan by “Dickie” Puller (Dick Bryant) was to have Company B attack toward the house at the crossroads and set up a fire line to support the main attack by Company A into the town. The Engineers and the M4 with up to one platoon of Company B (Rich Bryant) were to be the left flank defense should the enemy try an attack from that quarter.

The watchword was to reconnoiter by fire then move up. That was successful and advanced Company A to the East-West road, where they took an enemy platoon under fire and decimated it, suppressing a mortar in the vicinity.

This blurry photo shows the Japanese flank move, one stand is pinned (upper Right) and they are about to charge the engineers just to the left of thepipe cleaner marking the set-on. You can see that the Japanese postion protecting the main objective has been suppressed and easy pickings until the Japanese maneuver on teh left flank. Apoogies for the photo - I have since had my camera fixed! Dick Bryant

Company B was preparing to advance when a Japanese platoon under the command of Rick Bryant swept around the American left, unopposed until it reached a point were it could be seen by the Engineer Platoon and the M4. Despite flamethrower attacks and shots by the M4, this platoon managed to attack the now suppressed engineers in hand to hand and beat them by 1 pip, destroying them.

The Americans rushed to regroup. Rich Bryant was to consolidate a defense of the left flank, while the main attack would move against the town. On the next initiative, however, a complete Japanese Amphibious Company under Jack Breen swept around the American left, following the path of the first platoon’s attack. Once again, the Americans couldn’t lay a hand on them and as they locally outnumbered the U.S. by almost 3:1, Chesty decided to pull out to try another day.

It has been pointed out that with all this force on the U.S. left, the Japanese must be very thin in the village. Chesty did give consideration to pressing the attack but recognizing that there were as yet unobserved mine fields (2) and bunkers (2), it would be a costly operation that the Japanese force on the left could then counterattack when the Americans were at their weakest.

A good scenario and fun to game. The idea of using the loss of a stand to a suppress or a kill for the clock to change is interesting but must be limited to only one such change per initiative or only one such change per one side’s initiative.