The Marines planned a three-pronged attack against the Japanese forces on the western bank of the Matanikau River. The 1st Raider Battalion would cross the river at a small footbridge upstream and attack from the south while elements of the 5th Marines attacked at the river's mouth. Meanwhile, half of Chesty Puller's 1st Battalion, 7th Marines would land west of the river to encircle the defenders. Unbeknownst to the Raiders, however, the Japanese had crossed the river at the footbridge and set up on the eastern side. As the Marines surveyed the terrain leading to the bridge, machine gun fire rang out. The opening burst cut down the well-liked Major Kenneth Bailey, who would soon be awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions earlier at Bloody Ridge. Having realized that the Japanese were on the eastern bank, the Raiders tried to attack through them. . .
Attacker: American (USMC) (1st Raider Battalion)
Defender: Japanese (12th Company, 124th Infantry Regiment)
6.5 turns
Players: 2 OBA: None Night: No
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:12.0 D:8.0
AFVs: A:0
AFVs: D:0
Guns: A:0
M2 60mm Mortar
D:0
Type 89 Heavy Grenade-Launcher x 2
Misc Rules:
PTO, LJ, DJ interior hexes. Footbridge only crossing point.
Fun and fast playing. The Japanese are outnumbered but have the advantage of starting HIP and only have to defend a narrow footbridge. Bob played a sound defense which forced me to risk multiple CC. I benefitted from some crazy DRs time after time. In the end, he only had two HS, 1 LMtr, and an MMG defending the crossing.
Once the Americans were able to mass their (massive) FP along the river on either side of the footbridge, those two FGs were soon DMd and the route to victory was open.
This scenario is the SK version of a couple of ASL scenarios, one of which is in the mini HASL "Hell's Corner." IIRC, both of the ASL versions are difficult for the Americans to win. However, IMO this SK version is tilted noticeably in favor of the Americans.
That imbalance, coupled with unlucky dice, was more than Bob could overcome.
2023-01-06
(A) Craig Renier
vs
Bob W
American (USMC) win
The American HSs ran up the path and along one side of the path to seek out HIP Japanese units, but found none. The American MMCs followed in force with another 2 MMCs and 8-0 leader swinging around the bamboo and Japanese right. The Japanese set up stacked hoping to break the American squads and eliminate them for FTR. However, the Marines stood firm. Unwisely, 2 Marine MMCs entered CC at 1:1 giving the Japanese an easy opportunity to ambush and eliminate the force. But the dice favored the Allies. 2 Japanese MMCs and a leader were eliminated with no American losses. The rest of the scenario continued in kind. All the Japanese were eventually eliminated with turns remaining.
2022-04-04
(A) Bob McKenna
vs
Robert Kroczynski
Japanese win
US take left flank and turn Japanese back. Poor dice rolls breal Jap mortars and MG. Japanese fall back to both sides of foot Bridge. CC destroyed a US platoon and east side defenders. US get lots of troops across the foot bridge in Turn 7. But Japanses KIA a HS and break two full squads on the final rolls to win. US can only exit 5 VP and needed 6. Great game.
2022-01-09
(A) Alberto Pomar
vs
César Moreno
American (USMC) win
2021-03-25
(A) O Ramaille
vs
Loïc Gourdon
Japanese win
The Marines advanced in the deep jungle and were ambushed by a few Japanese. In this first exchange of fire, Major Bailey was mortally wounded. Afterwards, a Banzaï charge was wiped out by the combined firepower of the Marines. Their progress was quite good and they finally arrived at the footbridge. But not far, a Japanese MMG and several Japanese soldiers were lurking the the shadows of the Jungle. And on the other side of the river, a pair of knee mortars was harassing the Marines. The latter finally deployed their own mortar and silented the threat. A squad of Raiders managed to cross the bridge. But just after, the Japanese counterattacked with accurate fire negating further access to the bridge. The Marines launched several assaults which hardly damaged the Japanese morale and resistance. On the contrary, since the death of their major, the morale of the Raiders was febrile and they broke several times. Nonetheless, the Japanese force shrinked slowly, the MMG was silented but a squad is still defending access to the bridge. The squad was surrounded by raiders and on an effort to break the encirclment a Japanese stack led by a leader engaged in a bloody hand-to-hand close combat that eliminated all attackers and defenders alike. Final turn, the fierce and last Japanese squad is still holding entrance to the bridge and resisted all prep fire preventing any more Marines to cross the bridge. With only 2 VPs, the Marine raiders lost. A great Japanese setup.
2020-05-05
(D) Kevin Sanders
vs
Rob Brown
American (USMC) win
Ass kicked by USMC - Japanese 9-2 dies on MC fail...no good ambush results and massive US firepower = loss. Thought it would be closer...
2020-03-19
(D) M T
vs
Japanese win
Really tough battle. I used my HIP Japanese to stall the American advance, eliminating 6 squads in jungle fighting while losing 3 myself. At around the midpoint of the scenario I withdrew to the western side of the river and started a firefight with the Marine Raiders on the other side with my MMG and mortars. The depleted American force was unable to cross the river, but I would say that it was close and the result hang in the balance right to the very end.
2020-02-29
(A) Dmitry Klyuykov
vs
Igor Luckyanov
American (USMC) win
2020-02-14
(A) Kermit Mullins
vs
Scott Waites
American (USMC) win
In a bloody...bloody battle, my Marines managed to wipe out the Japanese for the win.
2020-02-06
(A) Martí Cabré
vs
Solo
Japanese win
Japanese quickly dispatched mortars and mg on the other side of the Matanikau from where they harrassed raiders that exited the deep jungle. Scattered Japanese squads in the jungle were quickly killed by raiders but that slowed them a lot, including the bamboo bottlneck, where the Japanese made the last stand. With many losses for both sides in hand to hand combat, the Japanese managed to block the footbridge with a squad on their last turn, achieving victory.
2019-08-17
(A) O Ramaille
vs
Matthieu
American (USMC) win
The hidden Japanese in the jungle were no match for the experimented US raiders.
2019-08-01
(A) O Ramaille
vs
American (USMC) win
Despite heavy losses in the jungle from hidden Japaneses, Major Bailey's men paid them back in full. The surviving raiders crossed the bridge without anymore constraints. With more than one third of their force on the other side of the Matanikau river, the USMS got a full victory.
