A Driving Charge Scenario 3: Gurkhas at Assun

This is the third game in 'A Driving Charge' a campaign for Chain of Command set in Malaya during late 1941. I am playing the Japanese and Dave, my regular opponent, has the British. 

In the previous game the British managed to conduct an orderly withdrawal just before the Japanese were about to close in on their line of communication marker and force a rout. That prevented the Japanese making a driving charge and moving on to this map in the same campaign turn. So far, the British may have ceded ground, but they've denied their enemy the opportunity to set the pace.

Now, that same Japanese platoon confronts a fresh platoon of Gurkhas defending a bridge at Assun. These men are new recruits and classed as green. Their mission is to delay the Japanese advance by demolishing the bridge and making an orderly withdrawal. 

Eager to press on, the Japanese have chosen not to spend a campaign turn carrying out any reconnaissance. They will attack down the full length of the map. 

Unlike the two previous games, the approaches here are not confined to the road. There is a large expanse of paddy fields on the Japanese left. While those are passable and don't prevent movement, it will be difficult and slow. However, the opposite side features an open field, crossed by a knee-deep stream. This gives the Japanese more options, making their attack a little less predictable.

The monsoon rain that fell during the last game has now stopped (if you've been following the campaign you might want to note that we missed several quite important monsoon rules in the previous game - including limited line of sight and vehicles unable to move flat out. I'm not sure it would have altered the outcome, but it would certainly have changed the nature of the game).

In the patrol phase I choose to use only three markers and the phase plays out quickly, with jump-off-points placed as below.

The British also have a line of communication marker on the road at the rear of the table. This is a key objective for the Japanese if they want to force the Gurkhas into a rout.

Once the patrol phase is finished, the British place a roadblock, not far from the bridge. In the previous game a Japanese demolition team made short work of a similar obstruction. This time Dave ensures that will be much harder, by positioning it further back.

The Gurkha jump-off-points are focussed on covering the road and open field, the most likely avenues of approach. They are not expecting to see the Japanese crossing the paddy fields in force and rightly so. Nonetheless, I've placed a jump-off-point there because I intend calling on a jitter party and a scout team as supports. The jitter party can be used as a diversion, one that might force an early British deployment to cover the paddy fields. If the opportunity is right, the scout team could also try to make their way via those same fields, to then act as a jump-off-point closer to the Gurkha positions. 

Alternatively, I could use the scout team to lead the way for an assault on the other flank. Ideally, both supports can work to stretch or distract the defence.

For the remaining support I will call on my customary Zero Attack to try to hinder Gurkha deployment. Two Type 97 Chi Ha tanks will provide fire support. Given the position of the roadblock, I see little value in trying to clear it and then attempt a dash for the line of communication marker. Instead, their contribution will be mobile firepower. While their HE is not that powerful, it is not without value. Perhaps more effective are their machine guns for laying down suppressing fire. 

Last, I have a Ruse, always a useful option, although I don't have a specific one in mind prior to the start. I did consider using local guides to move a jump-off-point forward 18". This looked tantalisingly possible with the one in the paddy fields. Unfortunately, the only cover is the bank of the stream near the bridge and that's within 12" of a British jump-off-point.

We begin with Gurkha force morale at nine and the Japanese at ten. The British are then made aware that a Zero Attack! is in effect for the first turn.

With that we start. The Japanese have the first phase and, as planned, the jitter party appears in the paddy fields. 

If speed is the key to these initial scenarios I see no reason to hold back on deployment. The platoon's grenade discharger section sets up on the right flank, looking over the stream towards the plantation. They take up tactical positions. 

The Gunso (an inferior senior leader and the platoon's second in command) deploys on the same flank.

Then the first Type 97 Chi Ha appears on the road. 

The gunner is placed on overwatch.

The opening British command roll gives them a double phase, but the two attempts they make to deploy in this first phase are prevented by the Zero attack. 

In the following phase, they enjoy more success. A section deploys entrenched in the plantation on their left flank, opposite the Japanese grenade discharger section. 

The Zero attack has not left them unscathed, they arrive suffering four points of shock. 

That doesn't prevent them laying down suppressing fire on the grenade discharger teams. 

More ominously, a 2 Pounder anti-tank gun appears at the roadblock. They too suffer the effects of the Zero attack and arrive with four points of shock. The gun commander rallies off a point and has the crew target the Chi Ha. 

The men are still shaken by the shock and their first AP round misses the target. The Chi Ha gunner is on overwatch and returns fire with a round of high explosive, but it has no effect. The 2 Pounder is a potent weapon, capable of penetrating the relatively thin armour of Japanese tanks. The Chi Ha will need to take evasive action if it's to last much longer.

The Gurkha VCO Jemadar (a senior leader and the platoon commander) deploys near the gun and rallies the remaining shock from the crew.  

In the Japanese phase, the grenade discharger section fires at the recently deployed Gurkha section, but their initial flurry of missiles all miss their target. 

The Chi Ha commander knows his tank is in danger and he orders the driver to go flat out off the road towards the open field. 

A rifle section deploys into the space recently vacated by the tank. 

They open fire, targeting the crew of the anti-tank gun.

One is hit and they suffer a point of shock.

In the British phase, the section's Naik (junior leader) rallies shock from the men in the entrenchment.  

Then, a little to my surprise, he orders them to fall back at the double into the plantation. 

I'm not sure what Dave has planned. Perhaps, the prospect of facing repeated rounds from the grenade dischargers and the impending arrival of the Chi Ha has made that position less appealing?

The 2 Pounder commander rallies the shock from the crew. He then directs them to manhandle the gun behind the jungle thicket and out of line of sight. 

There seems no point risking the crew when they have no tanks to target.

The next Japanese phase includes a double six. It's a fleeting opportunity and I try to make the most of it by rushing the bridge. The section in the road moves at the double. 

They have some way to go, but hopefully can make even more progress in the following phase. 

The Gunso heads toward the road. 

It will be useful to have him join the section and lead them forward. 

The subsequent Japanese command roll includes another double six. They are enjoying a spell of good fortune and I try to make the most of it. The Gunso moves up to the section. Once there, he orders them to continue moving at the double towards the bridge. 

Clearly, the Gunso communicated the sense of urgency, because the section set a cracking pace. They cover 17” in a single bound, leaving the Gunso far in their wake.

That puts the section on the bridge and within reach of the roadblock. That's far more rapid progress than I was expecting.

The run of phases stops with the next command roll, but it gives the Japanese plenty of options for activation. First, the Gunso runs toward the bridge. Regrettably, he's not as fit as the men in the section and he fails to come within command range. 

That leaves command to the section's Gocho (junior leader). First, he rallies a point of shock. 

He then orders the men forward again, at the double. They continue to move swiftly and cover the remaining distance across the bridge. The LMG team reach the roadblock, with the rifle team not far behind. In the process they close down the nearest British jump-off-point.

For a brief moment fate has favoured the Japanese. The run of phases, in tandem with several rapid moves by the rifle section, has given them a small foothold on the far side of the bridge. However, it has come at a cost. The shock from moving so fast leaves them poorly prepared to cope with the Gurkha response. There's a danger the small band of men are isolated and overwhelmed. I'm eager to bring forward more support.

The first Chi Ha moves flat out toward the stream. 

A second Chi Ha deploys on the road and the gunner is placed on overwatch.

In the British phase, a rifle section successfully deploys through the Zero attack and arrives without any shock. These Gurkhas are not messing around, their response is swift and aggressive. They burst from their jump-off-point and straight into close combat with the Japanese.

The VCO Jemadar joins the attack. As I feared, the Gurkhas are determined to dislodge the bridgehead before it can be consolidated. Can the Japanese hold their ground?

The combat is not particularly bloody. The Japanese lose a man and the Gocho is stunned, taking their morale down to nine. 

The British suffer only a single casualty, but the Japanese inflict more shock and that's enough to see the Gurkhas repulsed. They fall back 6” into the jungle thicket. 

The Japanese remain holding the roadblock, but I'm worried it may not be for long. With shock likely to accumulate, this is no time for the Gocho to be knocked off his feet. 

A second Gurkha section attempts to do exactly the same thing, but fortunately for the Japanese they fail to deploy through the Zero attack. They may have been unsuccessful this time, but it's a clear sign of Dave's intent.

In the meantime, the VCO Jemadar has fallen back far enough to come within command range of the section that withdrew from the entrenchment.

He rallies off some of their shock.

Then orders them to head towards the road. They move around the other side of the village house, closer to the road and the line of communication marker.

In the Japanese phase, the Gunso moves as fast as he can to join the men across the bridge. For as long their Gocho is stunned they are temporarily leaderless. The presence of a more senior NCO will be very welcome. 

He rallies a point of shock when he gets there.

The second Chi Ha drives flat out along the road toward the bridge. 

The section at the bridge move tactically to take up positions behind the roadblock and to face the British jump-off-point in the jungle thicket. 

I suspect we haven't seen the last Gurkha attack from that direction. I only hope the section can hold out until reinforcements arrive. 

In the meantime, the grenade discharger section target the unit that was recently thrown back after the close combat.  

They have line of sight into the jungle thicket and do what they can to support the section at the bridge.

 

Unfortunately, their initial round of fire has no effect.

In the British phase, the VCO Jemadar rallies shock and leads the men forward once more, but movement through the jungle thicket proves slow and they fail to make contact. 

With a Chi Ha approaching the bridge the 2 Pounder crew manhandle their gun back into a position to gain a line of sight. 

The section in the plantation continue moving towards the road.

The Japanese maintain a fragile foothold over the bridge, but now there's little doubt the Gurkhas are determined to act aggressively and drive them off. 

In the Japanese phase, the grenade discharger section target the thicket once again. Only one man is hit, but it's the section's Naik, who is wounded. That takes British morale down to eight. 

A second rifle section deploys on the Japanese right. 

They also target the Gurkhas in the jungle thicket.

It's at effective range and into hard cover, so they only manage to inflict a single point of shock.

Neither the grenades or the rifle fire have done enough to hinder those Gurkhas in the thicket. They remain a serious threat to the men at the bridge.

The Gunso spends the phase rallying shock off those men in preparation for the inevitable attack.  

In the British phase, the Havildar (an inferior senior leader and the platoon's second in command) deploys successfully. 

He rallies shock from the nearby section, before ordering the 2 Pounder crew to target the Chi Ha in the road. 

The round hits the Japanese tank and causes three AP strikes. Somehow the thin armour manages to resist the impact and negate all three, for zero net hits. Remarkably, it has survived unscathed.

In the jungle thicket the VCO Jemadar rallies shock and then orders both sections to assault the roadblock. This is what I feared. The Japanese are outnumbered and may be driven back before help can arrive.

Both Gurkha sections move fast enough to make contact. The Japanese may be facing superior numbers, but they have the advantage of defending cover with a light machine gun. The Gurkhas, while no doubt courageous, have the disadvantage of being green. The final tally of dice is fairly even - the British have twenty, while the Japanese have seventeen.  

This round of combat is more deadly. The Gurkhas lose three men and take four points of shock. 

  

On the other hand, the Japanese suffer only a single casualty, but five points of shock. 

No leaders are casualties and there's a small margin of difference in results, which gives the Japanese the edge. Despite their superior numbers, the Gurkhas are driven back once again. 

That leaves the Japanese still holding the contested ground.

I'm sure the Gurkhas haven't given up just yet and so the battered Japanese must await another assault.

For as long as they remain outnumbered, their control of the bridge is tenuous. To make matters worse, the Gurkhas have a section yet to deploy, while Japanese support is some way behind.

In the Japanese phase, the Gunso activates. With seven points of shock on the section, they are dangerously close to pinning, so he uses his once-a-game ability to administer corporal punishment in an attempt to motivate them. Unfortunately, this fails to impress them and he manages to remove only a single point of shock. That could have been his moment of glory, instead he spends the rest of his activation using his orders to rally more shock. It's better than nothing, but it could have been so much more.

The following British command roll is 5544. What may, under other circumstances, be a less than desirable roll, is almost perfect in this situation. The fives bring enough CoC points for a full CoC die and the ability to end the turn, which is critical if they are to make an orderly withdrawal. With two senior leaders on the table, both fours will be very useful and enables the Gurkhas to activate all units. 

First, the Havildar rallies shock from the nearest section. 

Then, once again, he orders the 2 Pounder to engage the Chi Ha. 

The anti-tank gun scores a critical hit. With seven AP dice against three armour, the odds don't look good for the Chi Ha, but to Dave's frustration it results in only two net hits. Inflicting two points of shock on the AFV crew and giving them another lucky escape. 

The VCO Jemadar leads the section in the jungle thicket in another charge. With a point of shock they need to roll a six on the highest movement dice. A slim chance, but not impossible. Dave defies the odds and rolls a double six. 

Once more, the Gurkhas charge into close combat. This time the prospects favour the Japanese, but by only a small margin. The outcome could swing either way. 

Somehow the Japanese manage to see off the Gurkhas yet again, inflicting four casualties and a point of shock, while suffering only a single casualty and a point of shock themselves. 

All the leaders survive unscathed, but the Gurkhas fall back 12", incurring even more shock as they do. 

They're unlikely to return to the fray any time soon.

In the Japanese phase the Gunso spends his activation rallying off shock. With the Gocho still out of action, the presence of the Gunso could prove decisive. The right man in the right place at the right time.

The commander of the Chi Ha does exactly the same thing, rallying both points of shock off the crew. 

The first Chi Ha then goes flat out. Leaving the field and driving up onto the bridge.  

The rifle section on the right flank moves at the double towards the stream.

Reinforcements are on their way, but will they arrive in time?

At the conclusion of the Japanese phase the British use their full CoC die to end the turn. That sees the end of the effects of the Zero attack, but it also sees the stunned Gocho back on his feet. The men at the bridge need all the able bodies they can get and his presence is very welcome.

Now that the first turn has ended, Dave considers whether he should withdraw in the British phase. However, a chance remains that the Japanese could be driven off. One successful close combat for the Gurkhas at the bridge and some better shooting from the 2 Pounder could rapidly change the complexion of the game. He decides it's worth playing out a few more phases to see what unfolds.

The Havildar rallies shock. 

He then orders the 2 Pounder to fire again.

The gun hits its target with another critical hit that gives it six AP dice. Yet the round can only produce one AP strike which is matched by a save from the Chi Ha's armour. The end result is the hit has no effect on the tank or its crew. British anti-tank fire is proving very ineffectual today, either that, or Japanese tanks are very lucky.

The VCO Jemadar rallies shock from the survivors of the section in the plantation. 

He then orders them to move back toward the road.

 

With reckless bravery the section near the 2 Pounder emerges from behind the jungle thicket and charges down the road toward the roadblock. The Havildar is attached and he joins them.

The Japanese LMG team react fire at such an inviting target. 

The Gurkhas lose a man. 

But that doesn't prevent them moving into contact.

At the same time the Gurkha platoon's third section deploys from the jump-off-point in the thicket. 

That puts them directly into close combat.

Once more the Japanese are assailed from all sides. Is this the moment the Gurkhas have been waiting for?

The advantage this time is marginally in the Gurkhas favour. Once again, the outcome proves deadly. The Japanese suffer three shock, lose two men and see the Gunso stunned, taking their force morale down to eight. 

It's fortunate for the section that the Gocho has returned to action, otherwise they would be leaderless once again.

Despite that, it's still not sufficient to swing the combat the Gurkhas' way. They lose four men. One of whom is the Havildar, the platoon's second in command, and his death takes their force morale down to six. They also suffer three points of shock. 

Yet again, the Gurkhas are repulsed. 

Yet again, the Japanese section holds its ground against superior numbers.

In the Japanese phase I have a full CoC die and use it to move a jump-off-point forward. The one in the paddy field is relocated to the bank of the stream just by the bridge.

It's almost exactly 18" from its original location and in the only cover available.

That enables the third rifle section, accompanied by the Chui, the platoon's commander, to deploy and reinforce the position at the bridge. Not a moment too soon I suspect.  

The Chui immediately sets about rallying shock.

On the right flank, the section crosses the stream and takes cover on the opposite bank. 

In the British phase, Dave announces the platoon will withdraw. The odds have shifted in the Japanese favour and now is as good a time as any to make an orderly withdrawal.

Well, you certainly cannot fault the Gurkhas for a lack of aggression or resolve. The run of phases that allowed the Japanese section across the bridge compromised the entire defence, the only option was a violent riposte. Anything less surrendered the bridge too cheaply. The Gurkhas threw themselves repeatedly at the Japanese in a series of combats that were finely balanced. Any one of them could have gone their way had their luck been better.

Despite those setbacks, the British were able to conduct another orderly withdrawal and so prevent the Japanese making a driving charge to the next map. By doing so they have allowed more time for the strengthening of the main defensive line at Jitra. The three campaign turns it has taken the Japanese to reach this point will give the British an additional three support points for Scenarios 4 and 5.

That now takes us to the Jitra line itself and Phase Two of the campaign - The Attack on the Main Defences.

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