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| The map for the Battle of Tunga, Leyte, the Philippines. The village of Tunga is at dead centre. Each 1 x 1 cm square on the map represents 100 metres. The map was contructed in layers using Photoshop, with a modern-day satellite photo of the area as the bottom layer to serve as a guide. I cut out small squares and rectangles to represent the footprint of each maneuver element (usually a company). US units are outlined in blue; Japanese in red. This shows the initial deployment as told to me by the commanding players. |
This wargame was not based on a specific historical action, but was simply a convenient way to get elements of my 15mm Japanese collection on the table. I chose this setting because the US Army did the fighting (and I don't have Marines in my collection yet), and they were able to call on armoured support, making for a more interesting game.
We used my home-brew rule set, Hail of Lead (HOL) to play this out. HOL uses 30-minute game turns, and the smallest element (team, or stand) represents a platoon of infantry or approximately five vehicles or towed weapons.
On the above map, elements of American 24th Infantry Division are preparing to attack up the main road from the south as part of operations to clear the Leyte Valley of the Japanese 16th Infantry Division. At the start of the battle the players were in the grip of fog of war: neither side knew the specific location or strength of the other.
The default terrain on the table is "clear cover" terrain, meaning that teams use clear movement rates, get the benefit of soft cover, and line-of-sight is limited to only 25cm (one fourth normal LOS). I'm no expert on the Leyte Valley, but if you look at the satellite maps you see gently undulating ground dotted with palms, clusters of foliage, and all manner of light cover. A video-conference game demands simplicity, so I went for this broad-brush approach. Clusters of light jungle are considered difficult ground for movement purposes, they block LOS, and LOS within them is limited to 3cm. River is passable to all teams, but vehicles may only cross it A) via a stable bridge, or B) cross-country with an engineer team present.
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| The game table measures five by six feet, or 150 x 180 cm. This view is roughly from the south. |
This game was played via Zoom video conferencing during the self-isolation period of the Covid-19 pandemic. My lounge (living room) was set up as a command centre, the game table being watched by a cell phone serving as a webcam on a stationary tripod. I used a second cell phone as a roving webcam. This setup worked well for the players, who remarked that they hardly needed to consult their own maps.
During the course of the game, players relayed their deployment, orders and movement in secret to me, and I plotted all the action on the paper map. When a unit was spotted by the enemy, it was placed on the game table.
Speaking of players, we had two Japanese (based in California) and three Americans (based in Texas and California). Also there were three or four observers, who provided peanut-gallery entertainment for the group (banter being an important part of wargaming).
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| US forces laid out on a cutting board. The 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment is to the left; 2nd Battalion is to the right. Note M4 Sherman tanks and combat engineers attached to the companies of the 1/19th. Not pictured are six off-table artillery batteries; three 105mm, three 155mm. |
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| Japanese forces in neat rows. 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment to the left. 2nd Battalion on right. The infantry are bolstered by light tanks and a couple of batteries of 47mm anti-tank guns. Not pictured are two off-table 105mm artillery batteries in support. On-table support includes various infantry guns and a couple of 81mm mortar teams. |
US Victory Conditions:
·
Clearing the four villages along the main
(paved) road is a minor victory. A
village is cleared when no enemy teams occupy any of its footprint.
·
Clearing the four villages and repairing both
bridges is a clear victory.
·
Clearing the four villages, repairing both
bridges, and clearing the main road is a major
victory. The road is considered cleared so long as there are no Japanese
teams within 25cm of it (within LOS or otherwise).
Any other result is a temporary Japanese victory.
Turn one saw a general advance of three US reinforced infantry companies. The American CinC opted to attach tanks, engineers and machine-gun teams to the infantry. The combat engineers served two important functions: first, flamethrower support; and second, the tanks required engineers to cross the river.
B Company crossed the river to the east under fire from a 75mm infantry gun battery stashed in light jungle to the north. US artillery thoughtfully provided a smoke screen.
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| Japanese 75mm infantry gun falls back into the jungle after taking brisk fire from the Sherman and infantry. |
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| B Company rushes the enemy gun...and you can guess the result. |
C Company and A Company move up toward the river and uncover two reinforced Japanese infantry companies dug in on the opposite river bank!
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| C Company falls back to their starting point with heavy losses. Note burning Sherman (no American Civil War reference intended). The black "krump" markers indicate that the Americans did not take this lying down, and called four artillery batteries on the entrenched enemy. However, Japanese saving rolls were right on point. The defenders weren't budging...yet. |
Both US companies fell back with some losses, but Japanese 2nd Company was well-nigh destroyed.
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| One surviving platoon of 2nd Company hides in the jungle. |
Japanese 1st Company drops back into the jungle and disappears. The Americans send up two reconnaissance elements to screen the front of their village while combat engineers move up to the first river bridge. The two bridges on the main paved road must be repaired to get vehicles across them. And it would be a good thing for victory conditions.
The US engineers come under fire from concealed 3rd Company (also entrenched). The engineers are wiped out before repairs are completed. The recon retires to the safety of the village in case of a hasty Japanese counter-attack.
B company continues their grand tour of the Japanese east flank. Enemy fire whips them from the village just across the river, but their superior firepower dominates this particular contest. (Not shown: a Japanese 47mm anti-tank battery pops out of cover to try for the Sherman, but instantly regrets it. The same thing happens to a Type 89 I-Go "medium" tank with ambush ambitions.)
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| The situation advancing into turn seven. I incorrectly marked the companys of US 2nd Battalion as A, B and C. They ought to be E, F and G. Mea culpa! |
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| A second Type 89 I-Go tank is discovered on the road by a reconnaissance jeep. Ouchy soft vehicle! |
The Americans mount a flank attack from the east on turn six. Reconnaissance runs into a lone enemy tank platoon that is summarily dispatched by fire from a supporting M5 Stuart light tank. But scratch one recce jeep! Obsolete Japanese tanks are not much better than armoured cars.
Our Zoom session is running out of time. At this point the US have captured Tunga itself, and Japanese artillery fire will not drive them out. However, there are four villages along the main road to be cleared, and friendly forces have only accounted for two of them.
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| US E Company is sent packing by a Japanese counter-attack from the road. Note the two burning Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks that attempted an overrun. Bazookas are rather effective against light armour. |
US 2nd Battalion flanking movement surprised the second Japanese infantry battalion as it moved on in road column. However, the Japanese recovered and counter-attacked, wiping out half of E Company.
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| Our battle at its conclusion. |
For those of you who are interested...
US Order of Battle
US 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry
Division
Regimental
HQ Company 3/+0 steady veterans
1
command team with jeep 3 rolls ≤ 25cm
1
staff radio truck boost ≤ 100cm
Elements,
Division Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop 3/+0 steady veterans
1
recon M8 Greyhound OOOOOOO 1 self-roll
1
recon jeep with LMG 1 self-roll each
Engineer
Company 3/+0 steady veterans
integral
command roll ≤ 25cm
1
engineer flamethrower auto-rifle team O
FT and integral bazookas
1
engineer flamethrower auto-rifle team O
FT and integral bazookas
1
engineer flamethrower auto-rifle team O
FT and integral bazookas
Medium
Tank Company 3/+0 steady veterans
integral
command 1
roll ≤ 25cm
1
M4 Sherman (75mm) OOOOOOOO
1
M4 Sherman (75mm) OOOOOOOO
1
M4 Sherman (75mm) OOOOOOOO
Off-Board Artillery
3rd 105mm Field Artillery Battalion
Field
Artillery Battery G 3/+0 steady veterans
1
105mm M2A1 howitzer team OOOOo
Field
Artillery Battery H 3/+0 steady veterans
1
105mm M2A1 howitzer team OOOOo
Field
Artillery Battery I 3/+0 steady veterans
1
105mm M2A1 howitzer team OOOOo
4th 155mm Howitzer Battalion
Howitzer
Battery K 3/+0 steady veterans
1
155mm howitzer team OOo
Howitzer
Battery L 3/+0 steady veterans
1
155mm howitzer team OOo
Howitzer
Battery M 3/+0 steady veterans
1
155mm howitzer team OOo
105s
and 155s are directed by any unit with command or self-roll capability.
Each
105 fires 3 B-dice that hit on 4+.
Each
155 fires 5 B-dice that hit on 4+.
A
single observer may direct any number of 105 and 155 batteries in combination.
1st Infantry Battalion
Battalion
HQ Company 3/+0 steady veterans
1
command team with jeep 2 rolls ≤ 25cm
Rifle
Company A 3/+0 steady veterans
integral
command 1
roll ≤ 25cm
3
auto-rifle teams integral
bazookas
1
weapons team
Rifle
Company B 3/+0 steady veterans
integral
command 1
roll ≤ 25cm
3
auto-rifle teams integral
bazookas
1
weapons team
Rifle
Company C 3/+0 steady veterans
integral
command 1
roll ≤ 25cm
3
auto-rifle teams integral
bazookas
1
weapons team
Heavy
Weapons Company D 3/+0 steady veterans
integral
command 1
roll ≤ 25cm
2
MMG teams
1
bazooka team
1
81mm mortar team OOOOo
2nd Infantry Battalion
Battalion
HQ Company 3/+0 steady veterans
1
command team with jeep 2 rolls ≤ 25cm
Elements,
Division Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop 3/+0 steady veterans
1
recon jeep with LMG 1 self-roll
Elements,
Light Tank Company 3/+0 steady veterans
integral
command 1
roll ≤ 25cm
1
M5 Stuart OOOOOOOOOO
Rifle
Company E 3/+0 steady veterans
integral
command 1
roll ≤ 25cm
3
auto-rifle teams integral
bazookas
1
weapons team
Rifle
Company F 3/+0 steady veterans
integral
command 1
roll ≤ 25cm
3
auto-rifle teams integral
bazookas
1
weapons team
Rifle
Company G 3/+0 steady veterans
integral
command 1
roll ≤ 25cm
3
auto-rifle teams integral
bazookas
1
weapons team
Heavy
Weapons Company H 3/+0 steady veterans
integral
command 1
roll ≤ 25cm
2
MMG teams
1
bazooka team
1
81mm mortar team OOOOo
Japanese Order of Battle
Japanese 9th Infantry Regiment, 16th Infantry
Divison
Regimental
HQ Company 4/+2 fanatical regulars
1
command team 3 rolls ≤ 25cm
1
staff radio wagon boost ≤ 100cm
Regimental
Anti-tank Company 4/+2 fanatical regulars
1
47mm AT gun team with limber OOOOO
Regimental
Infantry Gun Company 4/+2 fanatical regulars
1
75mm infantry gun team with limber OOOOO
Mortar
Company (attached) 4/+2 fanatical regulars
integral
command 1
roll ≤ 25cm
1
80mm mortar team OOOOo
1
80mm mortar team OOOOo
The mortars are
directed by any command team or infantry unit with integral command. 2 B-dice each,
hit 4+.
Medium
Tank Company (attached) 4/+2 fanatical regulars
integral
command 1
roll ≤ 25cm
1
Type 89 I-Go tank OOOOOO
1
Type 89 I-Go tank OOOOOO
Off-Board Artillery
105mm Field Artillery Battalion
Howitzer
Battery 1
1
105mm howitzer team OOOOo
Field
Artillery Battery 2
1
105mm howitzer team OOOOo
Artillery
is directed by any command team (battalion or regiment).
Each
105 fires 3 B-dice that hit on 5+.
A
single observer may direct one or both batteries.
1st Infantry Battalion
Battalion
HQ Company 4/+2 fanatical regulars
1
command team 2 rolls ≤ 25cm
1
70mm infantry gun team with limber OOOOO
1st
Rifle Company 4/+2 fanatical regulars
integral
command 1
roll ≤ 25cm
3
rifle teams
1
weapons team
1
20mm AT rifle team (attached)
2nd
Rifle Company 4/+2 fanatical regulars
integral
command 1
roll ≤ 25cm
3
rifle teams
1
weapons team
1
MMG team (attached)
3rd
Rifle Company 4/+2 fanatical regulars
integral
command 1
roll ≤ 25cm
3
rifle teams
1
weapons team
1
MMG team (attached)
2nd Infantry Battalion
Battalion
HQ Company 4/+2 fanatical regulars
1
command team 2 rolls ≤ 25cm
1
70mm infantry gun team with limber OOOOO
1
47mm AT gun team with limber (attached) OOOOO
1st
Rifle Company 4/+2 fanatical regulars
integral
command 1
roll ≤ 25cm
3
rifle teams
1
weapons team
1
20mm AT rifle team (attached)
2nd
Rifle Company 4/+2 fanatical regulars
integral
command 1
roll ≤ 25cm
3
rifle teams
1
weapons team
1
MMG team (attached)
3rd
Rifle Company 4/+2 fanatical regulars
integral
command 1
roll ≤ 25cm
3
rifle teams
1
weapons team
1
MMG team (attached)
Light
Tank Company (attached) 4/+2 fanatical regulars
integral
command 1
roll ≤ 25cm
1
Type 95 Ha-Go OOOOO
1
Type 95 Ha-Go OOOOO
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