Kokoda Campaign: Pitoki patrol & Deniki Hill action

Its been ages since my last post but for some reason winter has been as hectic as anything - barely time to finish painting my Prussians! (which I will and post the results)  But of course, there's always time for a decent wargame.  We have patiently awaited our Allied commander Doug to return from foreign lands so that we can resume the Kokoda campaign.  Herewith is the next instalment of the action. 


PITOKI PATROL


Following the previous patrol actions at Naro and Fela, the battered 39^th, ordered by Allied Headquarters in Australia (now also known as ‘Fantasyland HQ’) to retake Kokoda, attempted to fulfil those orders without getting wiped out in the process. We started with patrols carefully probing Jap positions around Pitoki village, the scene of the previous near-disastrous attempted ambush of the Japs advancing from Kokoda.  A depleted company of the 39^th of three platoons with attached PIB (Papuan Infantry Battalion) acting as guides led by Michael, Ian and me under the overall command of Doug, cautiously approached Pitoki village from three directions.

The Pitoki table - all the action took places in the jungle at the corners! 

And yes, those are conifers - we had to dragoon foliage from everywhere to pad out the jungle patches.

The Japanese under Greg, Cameron and George had time to dig in and so were awaiting us in prepared positions rather than the usual scrapes we had used when they were attacking us.  Our Papuan scouts had told us that there could be up to a company of Japs now entrenched in and about Pitoki but concealed in thick jungle, the well-prepared Japs were difficult to spot even with our redoubtable PIB scouts.  And moving through the jungle no matter how cautiously, there was the real risk that they would spot you first.  The first contacts occurred when we were practically on top of one another.

I think Michael's patrol made the first contact - note the Papuan scout diving for cover!

Ian to the north of Pitoki (and on the other side of the river) had great difficulty locating the entrenched Jap positions in the jungle but Michael to the south ended up getting spotted by the Japs who immediately opened up on his lead patrol (with PIB scout).   Originally he had intended to cut across open ground to the native gardens opposite the village but luckily his platoon never got that far, encountering and exposing dug-in Japs ringing the edge of the jungle in front.  Had his men stepped out into the open Greg revealed later he had one of his dreaded snipers lying in wait to pot the officers and NCOs.  Fortunately for the Allies, this was the first of our encounters where we didn’t suffer officer casualties from snipers. 

Having probed the defences and provoked a reaction (forces equal to or greater than theirs) both Ian and Michael’s platoons conducted a reasonably secure withdrawal.  On the other side of the table south of the village, it was a very different story.

I had intended to stagger my advance with one rifle section, LMG and PIB scouts going first, followed by the platoon headquarters section (with our precious radios) and the second rifle section with the Bren LMG following up the rear.  C-inC Doug insisted that they all sweep forward in a single or joined group so that (sensibly) if any element were attacked, one of the others would be close enough to support it.  

Rifle section with HQ section behind (eventually) find a Jap foxhole

After three turns my HQ section came under fire (George’s Japs spotted them first) but my PIB scouts and leading section finally spotted other entrenched Japs to our left.  In the thick jungle actually hitting your target is extremely difficult and it took the concentrated fire of the entire rifle section three rounds to wipe out just two foxholes of Japs – we never found a third right in front of us.  

2nd section advances while the 1st eliminates a second Jap foxhole 

(red marker notes the position is 'suppressed')

At this point George advanced a section to our right, threatening my flank then at the same time advanced a full platoon directly behind me (from the direction we had come from in fact), effectively trapping the Australians between them and threatening to cut my platoon off completely.  The ongoing fire-fight had been confusing but the honours up till that point in our favour (1 dead to 3 Japs).  Then all Hell broke loose.

 Georges' cunning Nipponese sneak up behind - note the 2nd foxhole in front has been eliminated

We couldn’t spot the Japs behind us but they spotted our HQ section just in front of them and a murderous volley at close range virtually wiped it out.  While we knew we were being fired at from behind as well as in front, we just couldn't spot the Japs in the thick jungle.  Another intense round of shooting left just the officer, who managed to join the section in front of him.  At this point there was no question of continuing to push towards the village, but rather of cutting our way out of the Jap forces who all but encircled us.

The surviving Japs from the nearest section BANZAI!!! - a desperate hand-to-hand ensues.

After the HQ section were cut down, the next Jap section opened up on the closest Militia rifle section.  Fortunately this time their shooting was off and for a loss of two or three, we returned fire, accounting for all but four of the 15-man section.  But rather than flee into the jungle, the Japs once again (predictably) failed their 'Guts' test and decided to die for the Emperor - BANZAIIII!!!!  


Here's where it got really nasty - in the hand-to-hand for the loss of one rifleman and a PIB scout, three of the surviving Japs were taken down which left just the officer.  With his Samurai sword he then proceeded to slice and dice teppenyaki-style through the remainder of the Aussie squad.  Four times I rolled to cut him down and four times failed - that's four D8's in a row!  At long last the remaining PIB took him out - he must have been worn out from all that chopping as Papuans normally don't mix it hand-to-hand. But just as I was just about to promote the brave chappie to corporal, he may have disappeared into the bush, never to be seen again!  

The stunned survivors of the 1st section have cleared the way for our withdrawal - only just - and in the nick of time from the converging Japs

With less than half my platoon left alive and hordes more Japs closing in from front and behind, it was time to bug out as best we could.  We used our LMG to cut down more Japs from Georges HQ section that tried to interdict and managed to use the jungle to cover our hasty retreat back to Deniki.  Big George's clever ambush/encirclement very nearly came off - only the steady courage of the Aussies and some good shooting when we needed it most that saved us.

ACTION AT DENIKI HILL

Meanwhile at Deniki our PIB scouts had reported finding lots of tracks behind our lines.  They led up a hill near Deniki and a force of tired militia from the depleted company at Deniki were dispatched to hunt down the Jap patrol.  Ideally, we should have taken prisoners to find out what the Japs were up to - but we found out just how difficult that is with Japs determined to die for the Emperor!

Doug took command of one platoon and HQ section on one side of the hill while Michael and I took the other two sections with attached PIB scouts to sweep around the other side, with my section edging around the base of the hill to (hopefully) cut off the Jap's remaining avenue of escape.  Campaign referee Andrew also told us that the Japs had dug in overnight. Great. After what we'd just experienced with dug-in Japs at Pitoki, we weren't too happy at the prospect of entrenched Japs waiting somewhere on a jungle clad hill to bushwhack us, so we proceeded with great caution.

Papuan scouts out front, my section cautiously moves around the base of the hill at Deniki

After a few turns of finding nothing (Jap commander Dom had hidden his boys well), the first contact came all at once - a Jap squad in a string of foxholes directly in front of us - both sides opened up simultaneously!  What happened next I think I will dine out on for some time during this campaign.  Having a full section of nine with a Bren LMG I got 14 x D10 to roll.  Dom's rifle-armed squad got 7 x D10.  Result - Aussies: seven hits and seven kills, Japs 0.  After my crap rolling earlier I felt vindicated - until Doug 'Blamey' informed me I was meant to take prisoners!  Bit difficult if they insist on dying for the Emperor SIR! 

Empty emplacements show where we cleaned out the Japs - the more important officer and his radio on top of the hill has just been spotted by Michael's Papuan scout - now if we can just get him to surrender...

I swear we tried to take some prisoners, but Dom's Japs just weren't interested!  We got into a fire-fight with the Jap command squad on top of the hill, rather than get into a hand-to-hand and then try to affect a capture, with the predictable result.  Doug's endeavours were not much better - those Japs just didn't want to come quietly!

Doug's and Michael's sections converging on the remaining dug-in Japs who predictably died for the Emperor.

We were told by Andrew that the Japs didn't have any documents for our intel boys - just a radio - so that to find out what they were up to or what they knew we had to capture them.  Somehow I think if we didn't capture the officer or radioman we wouldn't have found out much anyway.  On the plus side the  use of the PIB - splitting them up amongst the militia units in a scouting role - has proved to be  much more effective.  For all the fighting and even further losses, only one seems to have deserted permanently - a remarkable achievement.  


Deniki Hill was the most successful action of the campaign so far for the Allies in terms of casualties - I think 1 Aussie/PIB for an entire section of Japanese.

It was a fun way to end an afternoon's long-awaited gaming - having both the best and worst of the dice rolls that day too.  The poor 39^th are slowly but inexorably being ground down - but a shadow of the inexperienced young men who started out from Port Moresby only a few short weeks ago.  But they have become experienced, forged in the crucible of the merciless battles of the Kokoda campaign.  

The Japs emerge from the jungle south of Pitoki village, attempting to pin the Aussie militia's left flank, sandwiching us between the rest of the Jap platoon coming from the Deniki direction and cutting off our line of retreat.

Things are going pretty much for us as they did for the original Aussie militia in 1942; at this stage, not so good!  


Anyhow, I'm reliably informed that Japanese spies may read this blog - so I can't give  too much away.  As usual thanks go to Andrew for running the campaign and refereeing the games, Doug for the venue, table (and the rations!) and of course the rest of the boys for as ever, congenial company and gentlemanly gaming.  And for not hanging too much crap on my dice rolling and mutinous mutterings - except 'Blamey' Doug that is! ;-)

My next post will hopefully not be so long after this and will likely be my finished FPW Prussian army. Just one battalion of Rhineland contingent infantry (Hesse-Darmstadt) to go.  Yippee!

As always, click on the pics for an enlargement and feel free to leave a comment or two, they are gratefully appreciated.

Cheers,

           Doc 

Kokoda campaign - patrol action Naro and Fowani Creek

Following the retreat to Deniki by the Australian militia and the accompanying Papuan Infantry Battalion (PIB) troops after the desperate action at Pitoki (the ambush that nearly wasn't!), there was the briefest of lulls as contact with the Japanese was lost.  Some of the survivors (two sections of PIB and a depleted one of 39th) had to go the long way 'round to avoid being cut off by the Japs.  The Australians of the 39th are being led through the jungle by a section of PIB, but have yet to reappear at the next Australian post on the Kokoda track, Deniki.

Guided by PIB, the surviving Aussies abandon the track to avoid being cut off at Pitoki.

Having to go the long way around, they are yet to emerge from the bush and make it to Deniki. 

To find out just where the Japs are and how close they may be to Deniki, several patrols of PIB with accompanying 39th sections were sent out.  Doug took the right flank at Fowani Creek and I took the left at Naro, very gingerly probing our way forward.  The Japs were doing the same and it wasn't long before we ran into one another!

PIB patrol carefully feels their way forward through the jungle

Crafty Jap commander Greg concealed (or rather didn't commit) his larger section to the patrol, but rather sent a two man scouting party forward to find us.  It didn't take long.  While I have an issue with ANYBODY spotting motionless Papuans in the jungle (as its been my experience you just don't unless they want you to see them!) at the end of the day, my dice rolling with additional factors for PIB failed to spot the Japs before Greg's better rolling enabled his scouts to spot me!

Contact at Naro!

Perhaps it was the clumsy white man with the Papuans that gave the game away (all PIB sections have Australian NCOs in command) but we all opened up on each other, the Japs missing their targets and the Papuans hitting both Japs but only killing one.  The Jap predictably failed his 'gut check' (morale) and charged the nearest Papuan.  Amazingly the Papuan stood his ground and a short but indecisive melee ensued.  The Papuans can  actually fight as well as shoot as long as their NCOs remain alive but once he's killed, their fragile morale means they usually break and run into the nearest jungle - an all-to-familiar occurrence in the campaign so far!

Bit of 'cut and thrust' in the jungle!

After the brief encounter in which the brave Papuan didn't run - the PIB were ordered to fall back on the second PIB section immediately behind them.  I fully expected a full section of Japanese to appear on top of my position by the canny Greg did not oblige, his scouts having done their job of spotting us, withdrawing themselves.  It was a smart move as we had several sections of PIB and even an ANGAU (Australian New Guinea Administration Unit) section waiting to ambush any significant force of Japs that should appear.  The mutual withdrawal signaled the end of the first patrol action at Naro.  

PIB carefully withdraw from the contact

The second patrol action at Naro was an even shorter affair with my PIB stationary in the native gardens north west(?) of Naro and once again spotted first by the Japanese (absolute bollocks I say - but them's the rules and I only have my own crappy dice rolling to blame!)  This time Greg had pushed forward a few snipers, one of whom my PIB did manage to spot!   

PIB in the native gardens managed to spot a Jap sniper

The Jap sniper also spotted the 39th section next to the PIB and firing soon commenced.  Here Greg's usual good rolling deserted him and the sniper hit nothing whereas the PIB managed to 'pot' the sniper - huzzah! One up for the (usually) luckless PIB!  At this point Greg announced he had seen all he needed to see and was withdrawing whatever he had back toward Pitoki.  Our PIB scouts had performed well and we assessed that a platoon-sized Jap patrol had probed the northern (flank) approaches to Deniki.

Aggressive patrolling - the Japs decide to show themselves at Fela

The real action was between the more aggressive Japs under Cameron at Fowani Creek and the more 'European oriented' (ahem) Australian commander Doug.  Here the PIB and Japs once again ran into each other without the 'extra' factors in the jungle helping the PIB to spot the Japs - both the Allied commander's rolling for this was consistently appalling.  Doug managed to account for about one section of Japanese and about nine PIB and five Australians he lost (so the 'honours' roughly even).  I'm sorry to say I didn't get any pics of the action.

I was pretty happy with my PIB who accounted for two Japs without loss themselves.  As a result of these actions, the Allies have assessed platoon-sized patrolling by the Japs but no sign of the main force.  We think they may be digging in around Pitoki or even Kokoda itself to await Horii's main Jap force which historically arrived mid August - in our campaign its only the end of July - so there's a long way to go yet!

Just to make things difficult, we have just received a rocket from Blamey (Australian commander under MacArthur) to retake Kokoda.  Just great.  The Allied High Command who had absolutely no idea of the conditions on the ground in New Guinea are ordering exhausted, ill-equipped (Allied logistics were a disaster) out-numbered and inexperienced militia to attack the 2,000 veterans of the Jap advance force who now appear to be digging in.  They also ordered a road to be built over the Own Stanley's to Kokoda - they really had no idea that it was an impossibility.  Nearly seventy years on, there's still no road to Kokoda!

The Allied commanders contemplate yet another rotten situation at Kokoda 

(earlier game, Yours Truly closest to the camera)

I've just noticed this blog has now passed its 50,000 hits milestone - yaaaay!   Anyhow, enjoy the pics (click to enlarge) and feel free to leave a comment.  

Now back to some yard work before the real Supreme Commander (aka She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed, Minster of War & Finance etc etc) grants permission to paint some more Prussians!

Cheers,

          Doc

Man long Yapan ekum - PIB's attempted ambush at Pitoki

The withdrawal from Kokoda didn’t quite turn into a rout but the battered survivors needed time to re-group, reinforce and rest at Deniki before the next major encounter with the Japs.  Part of the plan was to try and ambush the Japs at the village of Pitoki, about halfway along the track between Kokoda and Deniki.  The job fell to a platoon of Papuan Infantry Battalion (PIB) supported by a 39^th Battalion section with a Lewis gun.  My humble command was split between Ian and myself (four 8-man sections each commanded by an Australian NCO with an automatic weapon) with Doug commanding the Australian Lewis-gun section located in the village. 

Japs cross the creek into the jungle below Pitoki

The big surprise we had for the Japs at Pitoki was the air cover - although Cameron and Greg probably guessed it was something like that as they spent most of the time avoiding any open ground in their approach to the village.  Ian, Doug and I spent the first three moves watching the Japs advancing stealthily through the jungle mainly either side of the creek that ran past the native village.  We had to nominate which move the air cover came on - Turn 5 - which was (I think) only one turn after we opened fire, revealing our positions.  Given we had been hammered every time we had done so previously, the Allies were determined to avoid another possible pasting until the last possible moment - and hand one out to the Japs for a change!

 Jungle ambush - PIB squad prepare to meet the advancing Japs

Ian very gallantly let me position one of his Papuan squads on an isolated finger of jungle on the far left, to try and hit the Japs as they massed before crossing the creek.  It was a calculated risk of course - revealing our position not just to inflict casualties on the Japanese (which they did) but to hopefully lure them out into the open to attack us in time for the air support!  Didn't work out that way of course.  Japs stayed in the jungle and actually flushed US out into the open!  

The poor old PIB gallantly inflicted a few more casualties with their attempt to 'shoot 'n scoot' but were forced to retreat onto the open ground in front of the native gardens to escape the advancing Japanese.

Despite the covering fire from Ian's 2nd PIB squad concealed in the gardens, the first squad were cut down to a man before they could regain cover.

 The 2nd squad of PIB well hidden in the native gardens

It was supposed to be an ambush designed to slow the Japs down and give them a bloody nose, but it had gotten off to a shaky start.  Mercifully for the Allies things didn't go entirely the Jap's way with the arrival of the P39 Aircobra on Turn 5.

The Aircobra's first bombing run

We soon discovered just how difficult it was to acquire targets from the air when they're hiding in dense jungle!  Amazingly the Aircobra pilot spotted movement - a hapless Jap sniper on the edge of the jungle and let loose his 500 pdr bomb.  It was deemed to have buried itself in the soft earth and killed a few trees.  An ignominious start for our much-vaunted air cover!

Strafed!  A Jap HMG & crew cop a pasting!

A second pass proved more successful with more target acquisitions and more hits - the Aircobra's four 30 Cals taking out most of a Jap machine-gun crew.  But it was our final strafing run that proved the most effective.  The Japanese had dug in their mortars and were pasting our Australian Lewis gun squad (supposedly) hidden in the village.  After wiping out the pursuing Japs (who had cut down the fleeing PIB) with some of the best shooting of the day, Ian then took further honours and rolled for the last Aircobra run and KA-BOOM! - a 500 pdr right down the Japs throat!  The bomb hit inside the emplacement and wiped the crew (the tube was deemed to have survived - what a load of it!)  Needless to say, this gave great heart to the Allies who had once more found themselves hard-pressed by the Japanese.

Aircobra scores a direct hit on the Jap mortar pit

On the other side of the creek in the approaches to the village, the Japanese had used the jungle to get virtually on top of the concealed Australian positions.  My other PIB section was divided into two squads, one hidden in front of the village and the other along the creek.  The one next to the creek allowed the Jap scouts to pass through then opened up on the main body as it came up but fatally for them - it was too early!  Half the squad cut down the scouts and the other half - including the Thompson-armed Australian NCO - managed to get a few more with the main body but in doing so exposed himself and was taken out in turn by a Jap sniper.  This proved disastrous as with the death of their NCO, the fragile PIB morale broke and they ran.

The Japs approach Pitoki with caution

The PIB entrenched in their 'scrapes' in a patch of jungle before Pitoki

Behind them the Australian militia squad is getting plastered with Jap mortar fire.

The other PIB squad was made of sterner stuff (their Aussie NCO remained alive!) and they opened up on the approaching Japs, taking out a few more including the blasted sniper and a forward observer who had been bringing down a rain of mortar fire on the village.  That was the last of the successes for the Allies who decided NOT to get caught again and started to withdraw.

Survivors of the Aussie militia section with their precious Lewis gun start to pull out 

with the surviving PIB squad covering the withdrawal

The Australians were the first to pull out - after callously allowing the Jap's to concentrate their fire on the running Papuans (they could have attempted to rally them into the shelter of the village) - then followed in turn by the surviving PIB squad.  Ian's remaining squad had withdrawn the previous turn and suddenly appearing where they had been was another section of Japs, one of two that had circled around behind us!   The Australians would have been cut off but for the Papuans of the PIB who with their Australian officer, led the Australians into the jungle to escape the encircling Japanese.  Its going to be a very long walk to Deniki!

The surviving Allies at Pitoki head for the jungle, the Papuan guides faithfully saving them from the rapidly closing Japanese - just as more Jap mortar fire starts to rain down behind!

Well, the ambush proved a little harder to execute than the Allies planned. From the Jap perspective they had gained their objective - the village - with some losses (only slightly more than our own) but we hope the sacrifice of the PIB has brought some time for the main force at Deniki to prepare for the next Japanese onslaught!

The jungle fighting is extremely difficult to replicate on the table - I screwed up the timing of the ambush on one side of Pitoki as I allowed the scouts through but should have allowed the main body too before opening fire - and revealing my position.  The fragile morale of the PIB depends on their Australian officers and NCOs - once they are killed the poor old Papuans tend to rout - which is exactly what happened to my squad.  To ambush successfully it would appear that in the jungle you have to literally cut the enemy down at point blank range but I confess that I haven't got a handle on just how this is supposed to work with Disposable Heroes.  The strafing from the air was much more straight forward and a lot of fun - it saved whatever of our bacon was saved at Pitoki and caused at least half of the Jap casualties including a mortar, HMG and crews.

A nice bit of Photoshop-ing from Greg Blake showing what the Allies would have liked to have seen

 happen to the Japs with an Aircobra strafing run (using the nose cannon too!)

Another great game and once more thanks to Andrew (who designed and adjudicates our game) Ian for some great work on the Allied left, Doug our genial host and Cameron and Greg our inscrutable foes who once again proved formidable opponents on the table!

Next game - Deniki, last stop before the apocalyptic clash at Isureva which nearly decided the whole campaign.  Stay tuned folks!

Cheers,

          Doc 

Battle for Kokoda West Part 2.

Headquarters section, Kokoda

(Photo courtesy of Greg Blake, foggy bits etc, by Doc)

It’s been so long since the last post on the Kokoda campaign that I should have included a short history and synopsis of it so far for those new to the blog or perhaps not familiar with this as it was one of the more obscure military campaigns of WWII.  I have to say that it may be remote and tiny in terms of geographic location and numbers involved (initially under 20,000 all told - 13,000 Japanese faced by less than 4,000 Australian and local Papuan militia), but it is of immense and increasing historical importance to many Australians. In my opinion it now equals that of the better known Gallipoli campaign of WWI, and rightly so as it was on our doorstep and involved incredible heroism and sacrifice by a generation that is still with us.

Jap patrols pushed through the mist shrouded jungle and native gardens,

probing towards the Kokoda escarpment

The Japanese task force, the Nankai Shitai, has landed on the north coast of Papua and and advance force of over 1,000 Japanese veterans has rapidly pushed inland from the coast with the immediate aim of capturing the vital airstrip at the old colonial administration outpost of Kokoda, located on a flat plateau jutting out from the foothills of the formidable Own Stanley mountain range.  The Australian forces in Papua New Guinea at the time consisted only of the inexperienced, barely trained and badly equipped 39th Militia  battalion, commanded by a leavening of experienced AIF officers led by Col. Owen.  They were augmented by a few companies of the native Papuan Infantry Battalion, local recruits and former native constabulary led by Australian officers and NCOs - most of them also former police and colonial administrators.

 39th Bttn militia, Kokoda.

(Photo courtesy of Greg Blake, foggy bits etc, by Doc)

Aggressive Japanese tactics have seen an advance patrol under the gallant Templeton wiped out at Ovi river and Templeton killed.  Papuan militia help the survivors escape.  Owen has withdrawn most of his forces to Deniki in the mountains behind Kokoda but soon realises his mistake and force marches his exhausted troops back.  A second smaller patrol is ambushed and also destroyed, shortly afterwards the assault on Kokoda East begins. The Australians just have time to dig in - temporary trenches called 'scrapes' - they give the bare minimum of cover.  At first they inflict heavy casualties on the Japanese but numbers and firepower, in particular mountain guns, mortars and heavy machine guns start to take their toll.  The Australian advance platoon is cut off and the Aussies, attempting to withdraw across open ground lit by star shells are cut down, almost to a man, ending the battle for Kokoda East [for full story and lots of pics, see earlier posts on Kokoda East, parts 1 & 2 in Dec last year, links on LH side].

Much the same fate has now befallen the Australian command at Kokoda West under Owen (both historically and in the game he was killed by a sniper!)  Heavy Japanese assault on the Aussie positions in front of the native huts at the top of the Kokoda escarpment have wiped out several sections.  As is the familiar pattern, Jap assaults initially suffer heavy casualties: one section wiped out and a second decimated and forced back.  But the Japs can afford to absorb these casualties (Jap platoon sections are 15-18 men while Aussie sections range from 6 to 8 men) as the Japs have two+ full strength companies, as apposed by a weakened company of three under strength militia platoons. Once again the Japanese threaten to cut off most of the Australians defending the far end of the escarpment.

The determined Jap assault reaches the foot of the escarpment.

The first Jap assault was stopped in its tracks but at a very heavy price.  It was followed by second and then third waves, each one becoming increasingly hard to hold off.  As before the defenders were hugely disadvantaged by their positions being exposed and targeted once they opened fire, lit up by constant star shells.  The Jap commander Greg held off his third and final assault, keeping his men outside of visible range while using his numbers and firepower to suppress the Australian positions - a very effective tactic.  Meanwhile, at the other end of the escarpment Jap C-in-C Cameron's men got within visible range of my positions so by Turn Three I was forced to open fire.  

The action at the end of the village.  The Japs attack through deteriorating visibility  with a light drizzle adding to the mist and gloom. The conditions were NOT conducive to good shooting. The Aussie automatic weapons failed completely, the blasted Owen gun jamming yet again (red marker).  The Jap section on the left is suppressed (green marker), having passed its gut check.  Repeated attempts to get them to charge failed, so I could not use grenades on them.  I eventually wiped out one section and with the support of one of Doug's sections, most of another but the Japanese used concentrated fire from mortars and HMGs in the clump of jungle in the top LH corner to completely obliterate the first section at the end of the village.  The third Jap section held back and used its superior firepower to shoot up the second Aussie section.  Time for the beleaguered Aussies to withdraw - 'shoot & scoot'!

   Doug adds his reserve to my own diminishing firepower 
to hold off the Japs long enough to pull out

The idea was for one section to cover the other, retreating in stages.  But the star shells lit up our position and Cameron rolled consistently well on shooting to decimate my troops.  Two eight man sections were soon reduced to just four men.

My two sections pull back - the surviving Bren gunner heroically shoots and scoots three times

all the way back to the edge of the table, where he tried just one more parting burst...

After own East Kokoda experience, we tried to pull back in plenty of time but were frustrated by the rules not allowing the dug in section an overwatch (covering) capability which would have seen them cut down the Japanese as they appeared at the top of the escarpment.  The Japanese lost one group but brought up another and two HMGs which they used to cut us down.  And the Jap snipers once again acquired and killed all our officers almost as soon as they exposed themselves to order the withdrawal.

The Australians withdraw

(Photo courtesy of Greg Blake)

As the Aussies withdraw through the village 

they are once again lit up by another star shell

Victorious Japs enter Kokoda - just next to Doc Vernon's 1st aid hut.  

After this my brave Bren gunner cut down all but the flag bearer from the lead group!

The thing that finally did us in was the proximity of the Japs to our one exit point at the other end of the village.  Greg persisted and got enough men into a position where they could concentrate their fire on the remaining Australians as they attempted to get off the board.  Apart from the cooks and clerks section - who picked up the Vickers in the process - nearly everyone was cut down by Japanese fire as they tried to escape.

The Japs finally cut off the Aussie withdrawal - didn't get it all their own way: the group at the top 

were virtually wiped out by grenades - the only time the Aussies managed it during the entire game!

Historically of course the Japs found getting up the escarpment extremely difficult, suffering heavily from Australian grenades and the Australians successfully withdrew.  A Bren gunner stayed behind to cover the withdrawal, hiding about 50 yards from Doc Vernon's fist aid hut.  He emptied a full clip of 30 rounds into celebrating Japanese, killing about 20 of them.  He casually remarked to an officer as he withdrew "you couldn't miss!"  My intrepid Bren gunner kind of paralleled that feat (but the rules only give you a measly 3 dice for shooting - not thirty!) - tried a burst into the Japs at the end of the table - the only time he missed - and paid the ultimate price. 

Well folks, that another disaster for the Allies even though once again they inflicted a huge number of casualties on the Japanese.  Both sides lost about four sections which meant the Japs lost more than twice as many as we did but we probably needed to inflict three times the casualties to have any chance of success.  

It was enormous fun to play and we will have to tinker with the Disposable Heroes rules to get a fairer and more historically accurate result - they are incredibly bloody - but you are guaranteed a result in about five turns!  The next stage of our campaign will be the Allies defence of our next outpost along the Kokoda track - Deniki - where the remains of the 39th will try to hold out, but I believe help may be on the way for us.  We certainly need it!

Cheers,

           Doc