Fight in the Dutch East Indies, 1942

[bigjackmac]

All,

Continuing the saga of Captain Moon's platoon of US Marine grunts, I played my first game of Combat Patrol this past weekend.  To catch everyone up, Captain Moon was a Motor-Transport Officer in the Philippines when the Japanese invasion occurred.  He grabbed all the Marines he could find (cooks, bakers, and candlestick makers) and formed a rifle platoon.  They fought it out with the Japanese as long as they could, then made their way south to the Dutch East Indies.  There they were brought up to strength and shipped off to Palembang on Sumatra, and all was well until Japanese paratroopers began to descend on and around the airfield!  Captain Moon immediately led his Marines into the breach.


The Marine M-1917 water-cooled machine gun (bottom center) lays down fire on the objective (top center) as Captain Moon leads 3rd Squad forward (top left).  To hear the tale of how Sergeant Thomas won the Navy Cross, please check the blog at:
http://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2018/06/dutch-east-indies-6.html

Please note, this is fight number six in the DEI campaign.  Here are the rest:

1.  US Marine fighters intercept Japanese reconnaissance aircraft:
http://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2017/11/dutch-east-indies-1.html

2.  Following a bombing raid, US Army P-40s clash with Japanese Zeroes:
http://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2017/11/dutch-east-indies-2.html

3.  US Marine fighters clash with a Japanese fighter sweep:
http://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2017/11/dutch-east-indies-3.html

4.  The naval battle of Balikpapan:
http://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-naval-battle-of-balikpapan.html

5.  US Marine fighters intercept incoming Japanese bombers:
http://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2018/06/dutch-east-indies-5.html

Enjoy, and more to follow!

V/R,
Jack

[paulr]

A great looking table above and interesting games 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Fun reports Jack!

[bigjackmac]

Thanks fellas, hope you liked them.

V/R,
Jack

[Terry37]

Yep, great stuff. Always love air games!!! And the planes are so much fun to paint!!!

Terry

[Womble67]

Great reports

Take care

Andy

[bigjackmac]

Thanks Terry and Andy! I've got more of those little 1/600 airplanes lying around here than I can count! And sorry it's not 10mm, Andy!

V/R,
Jack

[lowlylowlycook]

Excellent report and your figures and terrain are also great!

[bigjackmac]

Thanks, Cookie!  Here's the next fight.

All,

As promised, here's the next batrep, my second game using Buck Surdu's "Combat Patrol" rules, in which my platoon of Marines attempt to break out of the Japanese encirclement of Palembang on the island of Sumatra, Dutch East Indies.


2nd Squad (bottom right) lays down fire on the Japanese 2nd and 3rd Squads on the northeastern hill as the 60mm mortar team looks on (bottom left) and 3rd Squad makes it across the river and into the coconut grove (center).


The scene of much bloodletting.  To see how the fight turned out, please check the blog at:
http://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2018/06/dutch-east-indies-7.html

Chronologically this fight is followed by the 1st and 2nd battles of Badung Strait, which were posted previously but are now re-labeled as Dutch East Indies fights 8: http://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-battle-of-badung-strait-i.html

and 9, respectively: http://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-battle-of-badung-strait-ii.html

More to come this weekend.

V/R,
Jack

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Nice Jack

[bigjackmac]

Thanks Lemmey, that one was a real bastard, and the first time I've ever handed out a Medal of Honor

V/R,
Jack

[toxicpixie]

Jack, I keep meaning to read these and never get time to get past the first paragraph, sorry! Looks good on that minimal examination

[bigjackmac]

Well quit messing around!!!

You need to get over here, too:
http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,17397.0.html

Hope all is well.

V/R,
Jack

[bigjackmac]

All,

It's 1500 on 21 February 1942, and Captain Moon's platoon is beat to hell and has been on the run for six days, harried by aggressive Japanese patrolling, following the collapse of ABDA resistance in and around Palembang.  The last week has seen the platoon of Marine cooks, bakers, and candlestick makers pushing in a constant southerly direction, with little food, water, arms, ammunition, and medical supplies, carrying and dragging their wounded as they go, looking to escape to the southern or western coast of Sumatra, where they intend on finding a boat and getting the hell outta dodge!

But the Japanese, constantly in pursuit from the north, have bottled the Marines up.  With patrols spotted to the north and west, the platoon rounds a bend on the jungle trail they're following, spotting a shallow river with a foot bridge, but it's what's on the other side of the foot bridge that's worrying.  Captain Moon, the platoon commander, and Sergeant Carlson, the platoon sergeant, curse together as they spy an enemy machine gun emplacement, dug in on a knoll overlooking the crossing.  "Shall I scout further south, Sir, try and find a way around?"  "Negative, Cody, there's no time, we're going to have to push through.

Captain Moon and Sgt Carlson fall back to the main body of the platoon, and gives them a quick briefing on the general situation, what's up ahead, and what they're going to do about it.  "It's simple, really, and you old hands from the Philippines have been in tighter spots than this!  Sgt Carlson is going to hold down the fort here, with the wounded and the porters.  Cpl White is going to take the BARs and a couple other Marines and go lay down a base of fire, while Cpl Dishman and I loop around to the right, cross the river, and flank that Jap machine gun, piece o'cake!  Now Cpl White, you boys don't start firing until we're in position, ready to jump across that river.  I'll fire two quick shots from my sidearm to let you know.  Any questions?"

And with that, the Marines weary Marines moved out quickly.  The next four fights were played out in 15mm using Eureka Minis (plus a Peter Pig Japanese MG team) and Ivan's "Five Men at Kursk" rules.  The games were all solo fights, and the action all happens within a 20 minute timespan as the Marines fight for their lives against superior numbers of enemy forces.


Overview of the entire battlefield, north is up.  This is a 4' x 4' table, but each of the four fights will be fought out separately on a little piece of the above table.  Here's the lowdown: at left center is Sgt Carlson, the porters, and the wounded, sitting tight, while Cpl White and the base of fire team is at center top, looking to lay down fire on the Japanese MG position (just right of the river and above the trail, at top right), while Captain Moon and the assault element (center bottom) has moved up and is ready to cross the river.  But the first fight happens as they cross; they didn't have time for a proper reconnaissance, so they moved up to the river unaware a Japanese squad was patrolling on the other side of the nearby knoll (far right), and Cpl White's base of fire element didn't know the Japanese MG position contains more than just the MG team, there's another five Japanese riflemen behind them, just waiting to make life more difficult.  And once the fighting breaks out, the noise draws Japanese from the north out of the woodwork, and they begin moving up the trail (top left), closing in on Sgt Carlson, the porters, and the wounded.


Japanese swarm up the hill (top) as PFC McNeil (bottom center) opens fire with his Tommy Gun and Captain Moon leads the charge (left)! To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
http://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2018/07/dutch-east-indies-8.html

Next fight will be posted tomorrow, aiming at posting all four this week.

V/R,
Jack

[Techno]

Great report and piccies, as always, Jack !

Cheers - Phil