Lambetti Plantation, New Georgia, Solomon Islands
1943-07-26 (0 others)
Designer: Steve Swann
Starter kit scenario?: Deluxe scenario?:
Balance:
AmericanJapanese
Overview:
The Marine Corps’ 9th Defense Battalion was attached to the U.S. Army’s 43rd Infantry Division for the drive on Munda Airfield. The Japanese airfield defenses consisted of the 229th Regiment, antiaircraft units, and aviation personnel now fighting in a ground role. The fighting raged for several days, and the tanks knocked out numerous log bunkers, pillboxes, and other strong points. The light tanks were operating in rugged terrain not considered suitable for armored tactics, but at one point did break through the tough defenses. They were forced to withdraw as the infantry was unable to achieve the same success. The Japanese also began to use Molotov cocktails to attack the tanks in the close terrain. On July 26th, the Ninth’s tanks, reinforced by an additional six tanks, attacked the Lambetti Plantation. The terrain was marked by slopes and thick underbrush. The Japanese defended from a strongpoint with a number of pillboxes covering a clearing.
Attacker: American (Reinforced elements of 43rd Infantry Division)
Defender: Japanese (Reinforced elements of 229th Infantry Regiment)
7.5 turns
Players: 2 OBA: None Night: No
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:17.0 D:13.0
AFVs: A:5
M2A4 x 3 M3 LT x 2
AFVs: D:0
Guns: A:0
M2 60mm Mortar
D:2
Type 94 Rapid-Fire Gun Type 93 Twin-Mount High-Angle Machine Gun Type 89 Heavy Grenade-Launcher x 2
Misc Rules:
PTO (Exc: roads exist). D: MOL. A: 7-4-7s Assault Engineers. All inf vs inf CC is H-t-H
A fun scenario for both sides but thr US firepower was just overwhelming.
2023-08-18
(D) Richard Jenulis
vs
Brent Morris
Japanese win
2020-08-06
(D) Raoul Duke
vs
MB
Japanese win
Only one half-squad left when all was said and done, but it was enough to deny the Americans control of the last target hex. VERY close, VERY hard-fought.
2020-07-10
(D) nathan wegener
vs
Larry Isensee
Japanese win
Japanese must use all their tricks to survive the American firepower. I was significantly helped by poor rolls by the .50cal HMGs and was able to ambush unsuspecting Americans several times throughout the game. Able to successfully delay without exposing my troops unnecessarily. The attack was also perhaps more cautious than time allowed.
2020-05-13
(D) Rob MacGinley
vs
Ian Willey
American win
I disagree with the other reports - I think this is pro American even using all the little tricks in the book - My main mistake is bunkers forward does not help - He did rush forward with US and with no CVP cap overwhelmed me
2018-02-15
(D) X von Marwitz
vs
Ernst Knauth
Japanese win
After a couple of years, I spent this one again, when my opponent proposed the scenario. This time, I had the Japanese. I conceded the outer approaches and defended in strength where in the jungle area behind the open space with the objective to delay the Americans there and then to fall back with the remains towards the 'Alamo' in the Japanese rear. The first two American turns were taken up with approaches. During turn 3, the Japanese had to balance the necessity to put up some threats and resistance with the need to avoid the vicious US firepower. Many Japanese units were striped or suffered casualties despite being rather cautious. During US turn 4, the Americans attempted to get into the fringes of the Jungle on their left in force and assaulted the Japanese in the Jungle on the right, too. On the left, at long last my Japanese would have some effect breaking 2.5 squads and then another 2 squads by a HIP Japanese HS. Some US HS were pinned and/or CX, too. This relieved a lot of pressure. In the jungle on the US right flank, I did not manage to break much but to pin some decisive units that would not be able to advance into non-HtH CC. As I had carefully kept a few small Japanese units concealed, advancing with the unpinned remaining US units into CC would have been very dangerous with regard to their chances of being ambushed (and subjected to HtH CC instead of non HtH CC), so that the US did not do it. The way things lay, the US was forced to select some very inopportune rout destinations, that would place 4.5 of his squads in locations, where the Japanese could re-DM them in their upcoming turn 4 Prep Fire on the US left. On the US right, the Japanese AA Gun was ADJACENT to the previously pinned important US stack for a 24FP shot and had good odds vs. a US HS, too. The AA gun proved its worth breaking everything ADJACENT. With altogether around 10 squad equivalents broken, around half of which freshly under DM, my opponent conceded during the Japanese Turn 4 Prep Fire Phase. I believe he could have taken greater advantage of his tanks (that were still a pain, though). Probably in his space, I would not have surrendered yet. The Japanese, while not having lost many units to go "off the board" were heavily striped all around and their punch had been reduced. The AA Gun (crew already striped) would probably have gone down in Defensive Fire being in LOS of 3 tanks. The US 9-2 had KIA'ed one of the MMG crews leaving the valuable weapon abandoned in the jungle with no hope of retrieving it although it would have been very important to block the road for the later game. All 5 tanks were yet up and running (except for 1 malfed MA) and the 9-2 with three squads, DC+FT+MMG still unscathed. Another stack had both .50Cals and a747 poised to retaliated vs. the unit that had to re-DM the broken US squads. So Japanese assets would have been thinned out further. On the other hand, it would have taken the US a turn to recover and to regroup and then to move through the jungle before reaching the end-game area where the Japanese had set up all fortifications and some HIP units.
Interesting and good scenario that will probably play on both players' PMCs.
2015-11-08
(A) X von Marwitz
vs
Alex Koestler
Japanese win
BFP-48 NINTH TANKS
Tons of GIs with five Canister toting tanks have to control an area in the backwater of some jungle-area. There are only very few possibilities to move the tanks. A Japanese force awaits with a mixed force strengthened by a twin AA-Gun and a 37L ATG along with some pillboxes and foxholes and MOL.
The US may not lose time in the initial approach, though rushing things might be punished at the same time. My approach might have been a bit too careful and so it seemed that I would never have a chance to make it in late mid-game. My 9-2 and the two .50Cals I stacked with him never managed to do anything meaningful. Some Canister-Shots dished out severe damage, though, which brought me back into business.
In the end, my GIs had eliminated every last Japanese unit with only some abandoned SW and Guns left behind in the smouldering remains. Nevertheless, the Japanese did manage to win: I killed everyone in their last Pillbox which held the last hex I needed to control. However, I did not manage to actually [I]enter[/I] the Pillbox in time. Thus the Japanese still controlled it and therefore the Pillbox hex despite my guys being outside the empty pillbox.
Doh!
von Marwitz
2015-05-03
(D) Ian Morris
vs
Simon Staniforth
Draw
Ran out of time
2015-04-18
(A) Simon Staniforth
vs
Draw
2012-06-25
(D) Richard Carter
vs
Kevin
Japanese win
DC hero flamed a tank after surviving canister fire, mg fire and squad in hex fire. Some good rolls toward the end allowed Japs to hold off Ami attack. With all the possible HIP -- bunkers, guns, 2 mmc equivalents, it can be tough on americans.