ASL A47: White Tigers

Playing with Frank Tinschert I was the IJA. I decided to come on in strength my centre (against the bridge) and more so on my left over the badlands (Dense Jungle mainly!) as they seemed to be weakly defended. We played that all single hex building depictions were rubbled, and that fords were same level as ground level due the flooded terrain (probably wrong?). On my right side a 10-1 with the dual MMGs and 2 squads wandered in just to put some pressure there as well. Frank had set up with only 2 squads and a LMG cowering my left, and some 2 squads and a leader in middle close to the bridge, and some units cowering the buildings/ford on the far right. A gamled some with the AFVs, 5 radioless in all. Two entered over the badlands with two leaders, 8 squads or so and various SW. All mortars went up the centre attack, with two AFVs as well and most of the dummies. One single AFV moved through the Palm area in the middle and the forward to the flood on turn 5 to an eye on the Ford on the right.

By turn 5 (when the reinforcements for the Gurkha enters) I was over the left ford with all of my force there, having nuked one squad (648) with an DC and elimiated the squad / LMG cowering the ford itself. The temple had received some reinforcment in the form of a leader, squad and a HMG. As these were cornered in three ADJ hexes by the AFVs and some HS as well (with "Banzai!" written on their forhead) he decided to withdraw, but broke and IJA had supremacy on that board. I had only two LMG in place to interdict the reinforcment, but managed to break two squads anyway. By this time I had 2 LtMtrs as support and 5 squads waiting to rush the bridge in the centre. Also two AFVs (one with an IJA squad rider). On the left the Gurkha were forced back to the final three hex building in front of the ford. A DC attack KIA:ed one full squad there again (missing the 9-2 by random selection).

Frank speed his reinforcement by full speed into the centre, witdrawing his battered front troops to make sure I was denied the final 10:th building and scenario end. On turn seven or so I had eliminated all his units on my side of the river (or so I thought! Little did I know the HIP AT there...). The building on the opposite side of the right ford was defended by a squad with a MMG, and cowered from the rear with a HS/HMG making all considerations of letting that Ford crossing banzai! go impossible, noone would have survived that (I didn't not even know of the two Bore Sighted hexes along the way...). Having eliminated one AT on the centre, I drove an AFV way over to that building and what the heck made BFF. CH! By grace of timing the defending squad broke. Now only the HS/HMG remained. I tried to send a HS from the center along the

orchards following the river, and whoa, HMG malfunction! I rushed whatever I could into the one reachable building hex, finally having 9 FP in squads/hs firepower and leader there. Ahh! Ten buildings. A parked another two AFV close to the building to support it, to no avail. Frank responded by sending troops there untill he had entered exactly 9 FP of squad, HS, Hero and leaders into the same hex for some CC. The adjacent hexes were clogged by PINed and broken units. Do we need to say something about CC? Everyone went down...

The centre was now quite well in the hands of the Gurkha. I was now aiming for the large three hex building across the rice paddings, or the building lost above (or both). First went a lone HS over the rice paddings to draw FF from the single 648 with LOS there from the bordering Jungle. Then I sent the 10-1, 448/LMG stack and another two 447s straight down aiming for a building in his rear. This went nicely and everyone arrived on the edge of the rice paddings without much pain. Frank promptly withdrew his 648 across the road, but badly needed more. Then my Sniper suddenly woke up. With SAN 5 he had missed the whole game for _7_ turns!! He was immediately forgiven by KIAing the 10-2 _and_ pinning the 648 contributing to defence of the three hex building in the centre. And then broke anothe squad in the same building. Life improved. Frank almost immediately HoB:ed a 9-1 (I think) into a 9-2. On turn 9 the HIP at crew could no longer restrain itself. Hidden on my side of the river along the right edge (where it could, probably just by coincidence, reach and take a building away from me should I leave it unguarde for the last round), it decided that my 3 AFVs had been around too long. I started two in plt movement, boom, ROF KIA. Then it fired again (actually wrong since I had only spent one MP to start) and KIA:ed the second one (with ROF) - but the crew survived (note: this was illegal. DFF is only allowed vs. Platoon move when entering a new hex. Also only one shot per MP is allowed). Remember this is a IJA crew. In DFPh the third went the same way. He then reinforced the rear building very well, making it very difficult to take, even with the two Banzais lined up for it.

On my final turn I still needed a building. I decided to try for the two closest to me. The crew stayed put and advanced in the building closest to the ford for some HtH vs a squad. The second hex was taken by a squad.

The two remaning AFVs were sent in to enhance the chanses of banzaing the centra three hex building by parking in a hex on the occupied by a minus leader, squad and MG. It promptly died in Reaction Fire, and in addition turned into a burning wreck, cowering my approach some more. I started with a banzai from units close to the river (after some talking about the allowed directions of Human Waves and Banzais... fix this please!). This was followed by a second Banzai from the other direction. Then I made two misstakes in planning the CC, he had units in two of three hexes, and I concentrated on the 648. The other was pinned HS. I figured the 648 was more important (TRUE), _but_ I only sent a wounded leader to take care of the HS. Leaving a reduced crew and a HS doing nothing in the third hex. One unit would have sufficed to make sure the building was mine if the CC killed all. Adjacent to the building was gurkha HS lurking as well, which I missed totally. Well the 648 CC all wiped out themselves, and leader vs. HS went into melee. I took the ford building by wiping out his squad with my tank crew (whom also bought it), but had a reduced squad there as well. 10 buildings again for IJA again.

On Franks last turn he advanced the lurking HS into the three hex building hex vacated by the 648 HtH ramble. This prevented the building from comming into the hands of IJA should the leader/HS melee prove vital. Herushed the ford building with... a squad, a HS, and a leader. The HS survived some MMG 4-2 unscathed and entered the free hex. The others went for some CC. This CC vacated the location again, and the building was back in gurkha hands again who then claimed victory. Just for fun we rolled the leader/HS CC as well. KIA to all. I wish I had given the lurking HS some attention. Anyway, a great scenario, probably in best five.

The balance that the Gurkha reinforcments arrive a turn earlier seem to heavy in our opinion.