Island Hopping

[bigjackmac]

Thanks Lemmey, 'twas a helluva fight!

V/R,
Jack

[bigjackmac]

All,

It's 2030 on 6 January 1942, and 1st Platoon is looking for the exit.  Alone and cut off in southern Luzon, a Marine Provisional Rifle Company faced off against much superior Imperial Japanese forces.  The Marines put up a valiant defense, and they would likely have been completely annihilated had the Japanese not been more focused on by-passing them on their way to the capital city of Manila.  Following a series of fights on Horseshoe Ridge, the platoon has suffered more than 50% casualties, and their commander has now come to the decision he must seek an escape from the Philippines for his men and himself.  On the run, they ran into a small group of Marines living on rumors of a US Navy ship lying concealed in a cove to the southeast.

Captain Moon and Sgt Carlson kept the Marines moving east on the southern coast of Luzon, but soon they came to a bridge at a small fishing village.  Captain Moon wanted to avoid enemy contact at all costs; the Marines were unable to skirt the village to the south due to the ocean, but scouting parties sent north were unable to find a suitable crossing as well.

Captain Moon turned to Sgt Carlson: "well, Cody, I guess we're crossing here."  So the Platoon sat tight until nightfall, then sent a squad forward to clear the area before the main body moved to cross.


Overview of map, north is right.  The (fictional) village of Begate is at center, with the river just below it, running north to south.  The Marines are entering from the west (top), the Japanese will be spread throughout the village and on the east (bottom) side of the river.  The Marine will send a squad forward to secure the crossing; they've got to have a bridge as they're carrying all their wounded.  The table is 6' x 4', though we're only using about 4' x 3', and my son and I are playing co-op as the Marines against the Japanese in 15mm, using Ivan Sorensen's rules, "Five Men at Kursk."


The opposing forces, with US on the right and (potential) Japanese on the left.  Finally got the Type 95 tank in the picture.  The US force is all from Eureka Minis, while the Japanese are Eureka except for the tank and the three Type 92 Machine Gun teams, which are from Peter Pig.  You can really see how much the platoon has suffered, down from 33 able-bodied Marines to 21 (after receiving almost seventeen replacements), out of mortar and machine gun ammunition, low on food, water, and medical supplies.


Fighting is getting up close and personal; Sgt Carlson (center, just behind retaining wall) takes care of three Japanese soldiers himself, two in hand-to hand!


But Japanese on the other side of the river (bottom center) prove a problem for Sgt Carlson and his Marines in the village (top right).


The squad's automatic rifleman takes out a Japanese soldier n the opposite bank (casualty figure at bottom left), as Sgt Thomas leads two Marines across a foot bridge (center left) to deal with another enemy troop (bottom right).

To catch the exciting finish to the Marines' saga in the Philippines, please check the blog at:
http://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-philippines-fight-6.html

The Marines got a move on, looking to get clear of the crossing before dawn brought more Japanese troops.  It took awhile, but ultimately Capt Moon and Sgt Carlson were able to locate the US Navy, and make their way out of the Philippines.  But it was a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire: the Navy deposited the raggedy, worn out Marines in the Dutch East Indies, which just so happened to be Imperial Japan's next big offensive.

Thus ends our fights in the Fall of the Philippines, with the Marines escaping only to take part in the Fall of the Dutch East Indies, which will be the next set of five to seven fights.

V/R,
Jack

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Nice one

[bigjackmac]

Thanks Lemmey.

The saga in the Philippines is over.  I added an epilogue to wrap up this chapter, if anyone is interested.

http://oldleadbreed.blogspot.com/2017/02/1st-platoon-in-philippines-epilogue.html

V/R,
Jack

[d_Guy]

As always, Jack, you supply wonderfully engaging narrative with your wargaming.
(I hardly ever post from my phone, which insists on changing to "ear gaming" - in a sense that is true.  )
What little I know about the defense of the Philippines, your narrative captures the look and feel of the period,
Well done!

[toxicpixie]

What d_Guy says

Those Marines are a bit like 2rd Indian Motor Brigade, and are in for a "very sticky war"...

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Yoiks!

[bigjackmac]

Thanks Guy and TP, I appreciate it, and glad you guys liked the series.  The next one (in Sumatra) will look a lot like this: ragtag Marines overwhelmed by Japanese, have to make barn-burning escape.  After that we should be taking it to the Japanese; I've got plans to introduce air-to air (a Marine fighter squadron), and I've been reading up and I'm thinking about a US Navy PT Boat squadron as well.  We'll see.

V/R,
Jack

[toxicpixie]

We use a small boats rules set sometimes for action in the channel - pop me a PM with an email address Jack and I'll throw you a copy! It's long pit of print so shouldn't be any probs with that

[bigjackmac]

TP,

Sent you a PM, thanks!

V/R,
Jack

[pierre the shy]

Love reading your campaign write ups Jack....great stuff as always 

Got to say your scenery looks fantastic, especially the river.

Those Marines have not had a easy time so far, and looks like things aren't getting any easier for them when they get to Pelembang.

Keep 'em coming and best of luck to the company....Semper Fi!!!

[Ithoriel]

I'm reminded of W.E.B. Griffin's "The Corps" novels.

Good stuff, look forward to the follow ups.

[toxicpixie]

Cor, must be twenty year since I read those!

Bobby Shaftoe was the hero, iirc? From memory of his exploits  he should of won the war on his own by about Feb '42

[Ithoriel]

The first volume, "Semper Fi," mainly focuses on Ken J. 'Killer' McCoy. He's a China Marine, initially gathering intel in and around Shanghai just before America gets involved in WWII. It takes him through the period of Pearl Harbour to the fall of Wake Island in the Phillipines. Lots of other characters throughout the series.

If the series is to be believed, a sizeable proportion of the WW2 USMC were incredibly rich and well connected and every WW2 era woman, regardless of race, occupation, social or marital status, falls in love with a marine in about 60 seconds and into bed with him about two minutes later. If you can stomach that, they are a rollicking good "Boys Own" read with lots of interesting procedural detail "to add verisimilitude to an otherwise bald and unconvincing narrative."

[bigjackmac]

Yeah, those were a bit of inspiration for this, at least in terms of starting in PI rather than Guadalcanal.  I only read up to McCoy going into the Solomons with a Coastwatcher, then kind of lost interest.

If the series is to be believed, a sizeable proportion of the WW2 USMC were incredibly rich...
-True, I didn't get poor until I left the service.

...and well connected...
-I regularly hung out with business moguls, politicians, and movie stars while transiting to and from various war zones.

... and every WW2 era woman, regardless of race, occupation, social or marital status, falls in love...
-Ahem, I'm not sure why you would limit that to 'WW2 women.'  The question is, how could they not?

...with a marine in about 60 seconds and into bed with him about two minutes later.
-Well, I shan't get vulgar on a wargaming forum, but I believe our reputation is well deserved. You know, sometimes there are myths, and then sometimes there are things the general populace wished were only myths.

Thanks for the setup boys, that was more fun than you could have imagined

V/R,
Jack