A Driving Charge Scenario 1: Probe at Chaglun

This is the first game in 'A Driving Charge' a campaign for Chain of Command set in Malaya during late 1941. I will play the Japanese and Dave, my regular opponent, will take the British. 

The campaign opens with the Japanese moving rapidly to seize key bridges on the main trunk road running south toward Jitra. Their armour has been delayed by the earlier British demolition of bridges in Thailand, but they are not allowing that to disrupt their momentum. The infantry will carry out the assault without waiting for tank support.

This sets up an interesting tactical situation. At first glance the British have little in their favour. The bridge is defended by a green Indian platoon from the 1st/14th Jats, who are outnumbered and in many ways outclassed by an experienced Japanese platoon. 

What they have in their favour is the bridge sits across a deep river which is impassable to infantry. That gives the Japanese few options other than to make a frontal assault before the British engineers can carry out their demolition. Keeping the Japanese off the bridge long enough for those engineers to complete their task is a key objective. 

Having said that, this doesn't call for a fight to the death. The British will win the scenario if they can destroy the bridge. Failing that, it is very much in their interests to withdraw in good order and conserve their force. 

This platoon, or more crucially its surviving elements, must defend the next table. They can only do that if they make an orderly withdrawal from this one. If they are forced to rout, that leaves the door wide open for the Japanese who can then bypass the second scenario altogether and move straight to the third. 

The Japanese assault is all about speed and aggression. In contrast, the British approach is all about careful timing. Crucially, they can't withdraw in good order until after the first turn. While they wait for that to occur they must try to prevent the Japanese from occupying the bridge or breaking through to seize the line of communication marker. Failure to get that timing right could prove costly. 

The patrol phase sees each side establish jump-off-points on their respective sides of the river. The British are able to cover the bridge and the Japanese have a short distance to move to reach it.

The British line of communication marker sits on the road at the rear of the table. If captured by the Japanese it could trigger a rout, with far reaching consequences for the campaign. The more disorganised the British withdrawal, the faster the Japanese can advance, leaving less time to prepare the main defensive line at Jitra.

The first British support to appear is a roadblock at the bridge. The other supports will remain unknown to the Japanese player until they appear. 

I give some thought to what the Japanese should select. Time is of the essence and given the only option is to rush the bridge, I want to make it as difficult as possible for the British to consolidate their defence. 

A Zero Attack will try to impede their deployment and, if they do succeed, there's a very good chance they arrive with shock. As green troops that will greatly diminish their firepower.

 

I also select a Ruse option and I have a specific early-war one in mind. Local Guides allows a jump-off-point to relocate up to 18", as long as it remains 12" from an enemy jump-off-point and is in/behind cover. That move is made before the game starts and the central Japanese jump-off-point is repositioned into the patch of jungle near the bridge. 

That enables the Japanese to deploy directly onto the bridge and prevent the British engineers from laying their charges. It also brings them closer to the British jump-off-points and line of communication marker. The longer the British have to stall the Japanese the greater the likelihood the turn could end, giving them the option for an orderly withdrawal. As the Japanese player, I want to give them the least amount of time possible and increase the opportunity to rout them from the table.

The other supports include a Scout team, a Sniper Team and an Adjutant, which will allow the Japanese to deploy both senior leaders into action early in the game if required. Force morale for both sides is only eight and with that we are ready to start. The Japanese receive an automatic Red dice to add to their five command dice, a distinct advantage given the green Indian platoon has only four command dice.

As I had intended, the opening Japanese phase sees a full section deploy onto the bridge and take up tactical positions. This is risky, but the sooner they can make their way across the better. With any luck the Zero attack will hinder British deployment and give those men more of a chance to cross with few casualties. 

The platoon's grenade discharger section deploys to the right of the bridge. They are placed on overwatch, ready to provide supporting fire. 

It's an aggressive opening, but given the situation I see little advantage in holding back or being cautious.

The British may have only four command dice, but to my horror their opening roll is 6663. The triple six will mean a turn end when this phase is completed. That will see the end of the effects of the Zero attack, but more significantly, it also permits the British to make an orderly withdrawal if they so choose. 

On the one hand an early withdrawal allows the Japanese to capture the bridge intact and bring forward their armour. On the other, it means the Indian platoon will be able to retreat to form a new defensive line. That's important, because it forces the Japanese to fight for the next map. That will slow their momentum and that's something with far greater implications for the campaign than the loss of the bridge. Every turn of delay allows more time for the British to build the main line of defence at Jitra. 

Of course, the triple six also gives the British the next phase, one where my section on the bridge will no longer be tactical. They couldn't have asked for a better command roll. War is hell. 

An Indian section attempts to deploy through the Zero attack, which remains in effect for this phase.

They have AA MGs and it's enough to help the section deploy, albeit with four points of shock. They take up position at the roadblock.

The section can fire automatically as part of their deployment, which frees up the section Naik (the Indian army equivalent to a corporal and a junior leader) to use his orders to rally off two points of shock before they shoot. 

Despite being in tactical positions, the Japanese take two casualties and suffer shock.

To make matters worse, their section leader, the Gocho, is hit and stunned. Japanese force morale drops to seven and it looks as though their bold attempt at a coup de main may be in jeopardy. 

With that the phase ends, as does the turn. That is going to leave that Japanese section facing at least another phase of fire without the benefit of being tactical.

If there's a small consolation it's that the turn end sees the stunned Gocho clamber back on his feet. 

Though it doesn't compensate for the loss of the effects of the Zero attack.

In the following British phase, the Naik rallies off a point of shock and has the section fire once again. 

The Japanese are in open ground and are fortunate to escape with only shock. 

However, with two points on the LMG team and four on the rifle team the shock is beginning to build and will make return fire and movement that much more difficult. 

Unimpeded by the Zero attack a second section deploys into the jungle fringe by the river bank.

They too target the Japanese on the bridge. 

The steel girders offer a bit of protection, but the section suffers more shock. 

Despite a less than ideal opening, the Japanese enjoy a swing of fortune with a double six in their next command roll. The assault on the bridge is at risk of stalling, so I'm hoping to take make the most of the double phase to rally shock and push the section forward. This calls for the stern hand of the Gunso, the platoon's second in command. 

He deploys onto the bridge and uses his once-a-game ability to apply corporal punishment to try to reduce the shock. He could remove up to five points, which would make a significant difference, but unfortunately the best I can do is roll a one. Not what was needed. 

A second section deploys to the left of the bridge. 

They open fire immediately at the Indian section on the opposite bank. 

Despite the hard cover of the jungle fringe, they lose one man and suffer a point of shock.

In the following Japanese phase, the sniper deploys to the left of the section at the river bank. 

He also targets the men across the river, but his initial shot has no effect.

The section on the bridge attempt to move tactically. It doesn't bring them any further forward, but at least it puts them in better cover. 

In the British phase, the Naik at the roadblock rallies off the last point of shock and has his men maintain their fire. 

Despite their tactical positions, the Japanese suffer more shock and are now very close to pinning. 

The section at the river bank also fire at the men on the bridge.

With the other Japanese section so close they now present a bunched up target. That's enough to see their shock accumulate to the point where they are pinned down. 

The LMG team at the riverbank also suffer a casualty and a point of shock.

So far nothing seems to be going to plan for the Japanese. The only consolation is that the section on the bridge is preventing the British engineers from laying their charges. If I can't capture the bridge by a coup de main, then perhaps I can inflict sufficient casualties to force the British to contemplate a withdrawal?

In the Japanese phase, the Gunso on the bridge uses one of his orders to spot for the grenade discharger section. 

They don't have a line of sight to the roadblock, but if the Gunso can call in a steady rain of grenades it could make that position untenable for the British.

The grenade discharger section activates, but their initial volley of grenades does little and the Indians suffer a single point of shock. 

However, if the Gunso can continue to direct their fire, then subsequent phases could see many more grenades hit the roadblock.

He then uses his second order to have the section at the river continue targeting the Indians opposite. That fire proves particularly deadly, killing three of the men and inflicting another point of shock. 

The sniper engages the same target and that inflicts a further two points of shock. 

That has drastically reduced their effectiveness. As a green unit, the Indians are heavily penalised for that much shock, something that is exacerbated by the number of casualties. So, while the Japanese attempt at a coup de main on the bridge has ground to a halt, they may yet be able to win the firefight.

That has become clear to Dave, who sees little advantage in continuing to contest this table. With that the Indian platoon withdraws.

He may surrender the bridge, but an orderly withdrawal will force the Japanese to contest the next map. By doing it now, he is limiting his casualties and enabling the platoon to fight another day.

A short game, but probably a wise decision by Dave. The early turn end provided the British with a 'get out of jail' card that enabled an orderly withdrawal before things turned against them. Whatever the result of this initial scenario the British will surrender this table, the question for them is, at what price? 

In an ideal situation they would demolish the bridge, but that was looking unlikely in this game. The next best option is an orderly withdrawal. That delays the Japanese, forcing them to fight Scenario 2 and allowing the Jitra defences more time to prepare. That's a much better option than the results of an ignominious rout, which would have ceded the next game to the Japanese without a fight and given the main defensive line at Jitra less time to prepare.

So with that we will move to Scenario 2: Roadblock at Nangka, where this Indian platoon will attempt to delay the Japanese at another river crossing. Having captured the bridge at Chaglun intact the Japanese will now be able to call on their armour as support. Will it give them more of an advantage? Time will tell.  

As usual, this game was played in 20mm. If you are interested, you can see more about the Japanese collection is this post.

And more about the early-war Far East British collection in this post.