Invasion of Milne Bay, New Guinea

New Guinea Campaign From The Studio of General Pettygree
Mission: Link air, naval and land action in a campaign and story context
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"The currency of friendship is time."   Dr. Mark Miravale.
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Game #7
January 25, 1942/2020

Japanese Invasion at Milne Bay, New Guinea

Merchant seamen patrons at Jepson's Bar flung their chairs aside when they saw what the dogs were barking about. Grabbing their weapons, all rushed outside to get a better look.

"Look at that!"
"This is a dog's breakfast for sure. Good dogs lett'n us know."
Pulp Figures sailors by Bob Murch.

A Japanese maru....

Began to heave to off the point.

While a small warship did the same nearby. Others farther out were coming in too.

MORNING MISSION

Within hours the Japanese Special Naval Landing Force

commenced landings on the southern edge of the peninsula.
Australian militia rushed forward to oppose them.

Half the Japanese went into the coastal underbrush (off to the left)
while others turned west on the beach facing Jepson's Bar.

This caused the seamen to abandon the tavern for nearby cover.

Additional Special Naval Landing Force combatants arrived nearby on the tip of the peninsula.

Soon supported by Ha-Go tanks.

Time for the militia to retreat.

Casualties were so heavy, they withdrew from the battle.

Rule: Our Reaction Test allows for several kinds of circumstances for units sustaining casualties. In this case modifiers were so heavily negative that the militia abandoned the battle. We do not call this a rout. We simply lift survivors off of the combat area and place them in the rear out of commission for the current game session.

Fortunately Australian regulars manned a log breastwork to slow the enemy.

However, they began taking heavy casualties too and would soon withdraw.
Eureka Miniatures Australia - lovely sculpts.

At this point, Greg B. our Australian commander, declared the morning mission over. This allows both sides to advance or withdraw to logical controlled areas, recover stragglers, recover lightly wounded men and reset for a second mission. Greg essentially instituted a game reset without going through all the motions of movement, retreat and so on. This saves an enormous amount of time. 

This is based on the 1945 experience of USA forces assaulting the Shuri Line on Okinawa eleven times before finally taking it. They would advance, fight, withdraw and reset to attack again later.

This is a convenient expedient for tabletop battles.

We next ate lunch.

AFTERNOON MISSION

Our lunch break provided time to reflect on what happened and about what to do next. While talking companionably about this and that, everyone looked at the table pondering plans. Relaxing.

The Japanese reset within the log breastworks.
Their facing indicates the location of their foe; now all re-hidden.

Ditto for the beach area facing Jepson's Bar off the photo's bottom left.
A Japanese Army Platoon (IJA) arrived to reinforce the next push and.... 

Soon advanced towards Jepson's Bar.

And beyond supported by a spotter plane.

Opposing them were the seamen reinforced by a body of 
newly arrived Papua New Guinea natives armed with modern weapons.

Eureka Miniatures Australia Papua New Guinea natives.

The IJA confidently advanced into the bush.

The sailors and natives could not withstand enemy firepower.

Both retreated to their rear deeper into the bush never to reappear.

Meanwhile the Special Naval Landing Force supported by tanks also pushed resolutely forward.

Just at that moment two Stuart tanks arrived and opened fire.

The leading Ha-Go tanks exploded.

Whilst newly arrived militia advanced and fired decimating the SNLF.
Steve Barber (UK) 28mm early war USA infantry. Finally someone produces them!

Right flank of the militia.

Off image to the right is where the seamen and natives engaged the IJA.

SNLF perspective with the militia to their left and front.

There was no way for this Japanese flank to defeat the Australians not even with the victorious IJA nearby. Defenders had tank superiority, an anti-tank gun, artillery and mortars booming away from the rear and an amazing run of firepower luck. Plus, everyone knew there were substantial Australian green-clad regulars in reserve someplace. "Quitting Time" after 3:00 pm was upon us too. So the Japanese commanders declared a reset.

The Japanese withdrew to their afternoon starting positions, collected stragglers and bandaged the lightly wounded. The Australians did the same recovering lost ground and would redeploy for the next mission. 

All casualties recover on a D6 throw of 5-6. At this stage of the war here with these fresh soldiers, poor health was not yet a grave issue. Otherwise a 6 would have been needed.

FINAL REMARKS

Resumption is scheduled for February 1, 2020 with a different crew of our local wargame pards. In this fashion a medium-sized game by USA standards can be played on different days by more friends. We are so very blessed to have a lot of space for gaming here.

Some uniforms and equipment are out of time and place. We use what we have  and like because the game is the thing. For example, Steve Barber's USA infantry are imagining themselves as khaki-clad Australian militia. It works.

Historically the Japanese had a very hard time at Milne Bay. However, at this point each side has won one session.

Rain besotted the entire area historically. Our vehicles were often bogged down though not as badly as historically. In the photo of the two Ha-Go tanks exploding, a third tank is farther back because it had been bogged down. All soldiers suffered a movement penalty simulating more difficult movement.

Japanese: Dan E. and Jim H.
Australians: Morgan E, Greg B. and yours truly Bill P.

Thank you for looking in. 

Your comments are welcome below where you see the yellow bar.

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