Burma 1943: Chindits at Nankin Station-A Far East Chain of Command Campaign

  

My friend Pierre-Yves is in the process of writing a pint sized campaign set in Burma with the Chindits facing the Japanese. The campaign is set in Burma in March 1943, during Operation Longcloth, Major Calvert's Chindits execute daring raids behind Japanese lines. The campaign focuses on the sabotage of the railway at Nankan Station and the subsequent Japanese counterattacks. 

I am going to leave the rest of the details to PY, as it is his campaign but will document each game we play, also please understand this is the first game we are playing using the new rules as laid out in the Far East handbook. I am playing the Japanese. I should also note that these are one off platoons for the first game, they do not feature in any further games, they will however affect the CO, MO and Platoon Leader's Outlook for the campaign.

Scenario 1: Initial Reconnaissance (The Patrol)

Japanese (FM 10)

1943 Infantry Platoon

Supports

Red Dice 

Chindits (FM 9)

1943 Chindit Platoon

Supports

Sniper

Patrol Phase

I got flummoxed in the Patrol Phase, with most of my JOP's in a tight small area, while PY got a fairly wide deployment.

Game

I am not sure why this happened but all our sections were deployed in a small area on the Japanese right flank. I had several double phases so I was able to get my sections down on overwatch. I found the movement rules in the Jungle a little difficult to appreciate first. You lose dice pips unless you move in single file through the Jungle, I did figure it out after awhile.

The Chindits deploy to counter the Japanese

Japanese fireing line

I used one of my sections to attempt to capture the Chindits JOP on my left flank, this was stupid as I could easily of sent off a Scout Team! 

Summary

Well it was an interesting game but not that exciting in respect to the play. I believe we got the new Jungle Rules down quite quickly, it is too bad that the game quickly degenerated into a long firefight with several sections being firing range but with no tactical movement aside from the Japanese play to capture the isolated Chindits JOP.  We essentially just pulverised each other until the Chindits FM dropped to 0, while the Japanese maintained their's at 4. A Japanese Victory. I did get a lot of double phases while I do not believe PY got any. But my Command Dice were abysmal, I got multiple 4's when both my SLs were out of commission. 

Butcher's Bill

Japanese

CO

MO

Outlook

Chindits

CO

MO

Outlook