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.
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eBRoHEZbnik/WxHN3E4W4iI/AAAAAAAAjgM/TUpDV1KxkfAzSsDTdDMp6kvmo4dxOqBcACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2053.JPG)
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
A great looking table above and interesting games :-bd =D> :-bd
Fun reports Jack!
Thanks fellas, hope you liked them.
V/R,
Jack
Yep, great stuff. Always love air games!!! And the planes are so much fun to paint!!!
Terry
Great reports
Take care
Andy
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
Excellent report and your figures and terrain are also great!
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.
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y1NaQkf1VcM/WxLq_hGDkGI/AAAAAAAAjok/VxXUgx9UgqII_IAkcP2Q3oCYEw5_FEZmgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2123.JPG)
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).
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tcGX_hePg4E/WxSDqWHAICI/AAAAAAAAjsQ/RIlf7gsP4Cg5cB2cYeGceeRcQFJ2heH3QCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2162.JPG)
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
Nice Jack
Thanks Lemmey, that one was a real bastard, and the first time I've ever handed out a Medal of Honor ;)
V/R,
Jack
Jack, I keep meaning to read these and never get time to get past the first paragraph, sorry! Looks good on that minimal examination :D
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
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.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o5s_5-8-HZ8/WzetVpn0ZtI/AAAAAAAAj30/T4N4aZLGlJkhTA9rDL0piE29TBuJRHDyQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2289.JPG)
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.
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-903UqJ48eaw/WzettZEtJnI/AAAAAAAAj4Y/11gF8kN10HohpAyKuJT3E7B3UYOeqelSQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2297.JPG)
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
Great report and piccies, as always, Jack !
Cheers - Phil
Nice one Jack!
Thanks Phil and Lemmey!
The next fight is up:
http://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2018/07/dutch-east-indies-9.html?m=1
V/R,
Jack
A quick one theN! Ouchies!
Lemmey,
Yeah man, these are pretty quick fights, I wonder if I should have just posted them all together as one big batrep. Hopefully these bite-sized portions don't aggravate anyone.
The fight went as well as could be expected when the Marines were expecting an enemy Mg and got an MG plus half a squad. They did their job, albeit a bit more costly than I'd have liked. Of course, Jennings didn't have to go charging into the river like a maniac...
V/R,
Jack
Good report, again Jack.
Bite - sized portions are better, for me, at least. :)
Cheers - Phil
Phil - Cool, this one is particularly short! Though next week I'll have some really long reports again...
All,
The third fight is posted. Capt Moon's assault element has crossed the river (and defeated the Japanese squad they ran into), Cpl White's team has occupied the Japanese machine gun team (and defeated an enemy attempt to turn their flank), and now Captain Moon's men are up again, close assaulting the machine gun position to clear the way for the rest of his Marines to cross the bridge and escape the pursuing Japanese.
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WuHnangCbhI/Wze1ICvmcnI/AAAAAAAAkC0/WYk0U7HRfAEOWAu52f9F37bdGETGti7HQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2397.JPG)
Pvt Gibson snaps off rifle shots (bottom left), covering the advance Captain Moon and the rest of the team (center, mostly on road), who are closing with the enemy machine gun position (top right). To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
http://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2018/07/dutch-east-indies-10.html
V/R,
Jack
Nicely d9ne Jack!
Lemmey - Thanks man!
All,
The last fight for my US Marine platoon in the Dutch East Indies is posted. Harassed and harried by the Japanese, they've eliminated a blocking position, opening their route of escape, but pursuing Japanese units have caught up to them. The Marines fight a desperate delaying action to allow for the evacuation of the wounded.
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NiDubITynNY/Wze2ZC2WwdI/AAAAAAAAkEs/wGOddlxQibg_rbbL95kfjwTM7imWohtYwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2414.JPG)
Sgt Carlson and the wounded are at bottom left, Cpl White's team is at bottom right, the bridge is off camera to right, and the encroaching Japanese are at top left. Will they make it? To see how it turned out, please check the blog at:
http://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2018/07/dutch-east-indies-11.html
V/R,
Jack