Kotas Bharu: the Fight continues

Back on Badung Beach, the Japanese are overwhelming the trenches surrounding one of the right hand bunkers:

At the inlet the second wave approaches but the FO for the Artillery gets through on their phone AND successfully calls down a barrage that engulfs one of the landing craft. Heavy casualties result!

The struggle is still intense on Beach Sabak, and no bunkers have yet to fall:

Indians suffer 9 casualties while the Japanese lose none!

0700-0900 Hrs, Turns 8-10;

On Beach Badung, second wave has broken through and has reached the second line wire (upper left) but the Indian 18lber places a shot into another landing craft:

At the Inlet, the third wave is overwhelming the defenders:

At Beach Sabak, newly arriving Japanese press hard against the defenders:

As the sun begins to light up the field, the first Japanese planes (Neils) arrive to bomb the RAF station, but there is little damage. One of the Buffaloes has just taken off while the other prepares. Fortunately the just landed Beaufort which took photos at Singora escapes attention. The photos must make it back to Singapore! (That's Dogra Btn HQ left-center)

Losses on both sides are mounting: Japanese lose 41 more with the Indians suffering 33!

Blenheims and additional Hudsons arrive from Alor Star and Singapore, and immediately make themselves felt, scoring strikes on two additional landing craft! The second wave here has been decimated!

Japanese Oscars and Zeros make their appearance, and several bombers are badly hit:

1000 Hrs, Turn 11:

At Beach Badung, there are only four brave Dogras holding the second trench line...and a Japanese volley takes them all! (Notice an NCO from Co HQ to the right of trench making a reconnaissance. He has just witnessed the last line nearly destroyed!)

Only the extreme right-hand bunker (and the faithful 18lber) still resisits on Badung beach. x2 MMG (one marked with Unionjack to right of Bandung and tsecond to the left of said village), are trying to buy Co HQ (in Badung, near truck) to withdraw and call up reserves:

At the Inlet, the last few Dogra defenders go down under a third wave of Japanese:

At Beach Sabak, the first bunker falls:

Losses: Japanese 3, Indians 16. The end is near

1100 Hrs, Turn 11:

Near Badung, Japanese have now penetrated the last wire and have inflicted casualties on the last remaining Dogras (MMG). HQ is pulling back but they were able to contact Btn HQ and the Frontier Force (2nd Sikh) are on their way:

And at the Inlet, nearly a full company of Japanese are moving inland towards the airstrip:

At this point the game was called. Two companies from the Frontier Force Btn had arrived, but at least two Japanese cos were at or near Badung and so it was agreed that history would play out itself and the counterattack would fail to retake the beaches. (A third Japanese co was just clearing Beach Sabak as well) Overall it turned out to be a great game which mirrored in many ways what happened that fateful morning: Final casualties (now accounting for lightly wounded and men who had 'stopped fighting") were Japanese: 64KIA and 51WIA; Indians: 66 (all were presumed KIA) with five bunkers lost. The club is going to replay the battle (minus aircraft and ships) this Wednesday, and then it's on to Tacticon, Aug 29, in Denver, at the Radisson Hotel. If you're in town, stop by.

Dec 8, 1941, Kota Bharu, Malaya

It's 0045, a few hours before bombs fall on Pearl Harbor. The Japanese landing craft are about to lower their ramps, initiating WWII in the Pacific. The first to storm ashore near the mouth of the Pengkalan Chapa, were the men of Captain Wadar's 11th Company, bearing the navigation lamp to guide the remainder of the invasion force:

At the western edge of Beach Badung, losses are taken by exploding mines and heavy small arms fire:

At the eastern edge of Bandung Beach:

The yellow caps refer to men who were shaken (can't move or shoot on their turn), the red were pinned (can't move), green is a casualty on a two man stand; while white slips of paper where the Japanese dug under the wire. Yes, dug! IT appears the Japanese had no other means to penetrate the Indian barbed wire!

Meanwhile on the western edge of Beach Sabak and the Pengkalan Chapa:

 Finally the eastern edge of Beach Sabak:

Casualties for the first two rounds had the Japanese lose 36 figures while the Indians have lost a man yet!

0200 Hours, Round 3:

An old mountain gun (at extreme right edge of photo) lands a shell amongst several Japanese, taking them all out!

Landing inside the Pengkalan Chapa, (upper left) the first Japanese ashore are totally wiped out!

Lockheed Hudson bombers from RAAF Squadron based at Kota Bharu race in and succeed in planting 3 250lb bombs on the decks of the Awagisan Maru, starting fires and narrowly missing Gen Takumi! 

Two attempts on the next transport, the Ayatosan Maru are unsuccessful. One Hudsons is hit 3 times but is able to return to base:

Japanese casualties now total 65 while the Inidans lose their first

0300 Hours, Round 4:

At the eastern edge of Beach Bandung, on the left, some of the first wave have penetrated the wire:

At the eastern edge of Beach Sabak, the losses have mounted and only a handful of Japanese have reached the Indian trenches:

The second wave is also wiped out in the Pengkalan Chapa as the FO of the 4.5" Bty calls fire down on his own position!

The Hudsons return and one tries to take out CL Sendai, but both bombs miss. Return fire makes 14 hits and the damaged Hudson must return to repair damages:

The Ayatosan Maru is missed again, but the Awagisan Maru is not so lucky and is struck by 2 more! One of the bombers is hit 3 times.

Casualties now have the Japanese at 89 with the Indians at 7

0400 Hours, Round 5:

At the western edge of Beach Bandung, the mountain gun finishes off the last of the first wave:

Some of the Japanese penetrate the wire at the eastern edge of Beach Bandung:

Two bombs strike the CL Sendai, but the Hudson pays the price and takes 27 hits and must return to base:

And the first bomb srikes the Ayatosan Maru:

Casualties: Japanese at 117 with the Inidans at 13

0500 Hours, Round 6:

The first bunker goes down (left) on the eastern edge of Beach Sabak:

Meanwhile the last of Captain Wadar's men goes down:

Two additional hits are scored on the Ayatosan Maru. One Hudson take 3 hits totally 15 and has to return to base. All Hudsons are now at least temporarily out of action:

Casualties have the Japanese at 138 and the Indians at 16

0600 Hours, Round 7:

As the sun begins to peek under the overcast skies in the east, the few remaining Japanese on Beach Sabak have reached a bunker:

But the second wave is now landing, and the second battalion makes itself felt. On Beach Badung, another bunker falls and some of the Japanese now push beyond the beach (notice upper left):

Casualties at the end of Round 7 have the Japanese at 138 with the Indians at 25

The fight (and game) will continue!

Kota Bharu: Dec 8, 1941

The scene is set...it is 0045 Dec 8, and the Japanese are approaching the beaches of northern Malaya. WWII is about to begin in the Pacific, a few hours before the bombs fall on Pearl Harbor. Shown below is the Japanese task force consisting of (back row l-r) DD Ayanami, Isonami; CL Sendai; DD Shikinami and Uranami; (front row) transports Ayatosan Maru, Sakuru Maru, and Awagisan Maru. Heading to shore are the landing craft carrying Maj Gen Hiroshi Takumi and his 56th Regiment.

(Sorry about quality of the next two photos)The battlefield as seen from the west. Coastline is to the left, village of Badang lower left; and the important RAF Air Station to the right:

The view from the east with the village of Sabak lower center:

 View towards Bandang Beach:

View towards Sabak Beach:

The battle report will follow shortly

Japanese versus the Moro

In our continual saga of the Lost Continent, we find the Japanese having colonized the city of Tamil on an island also inhabited by the Moro. In an earlier confrontation, a Japanese landing force was driven back to their ships by overwhelming Moros. Now, several weeks later, the Moro sultan has launched his men against the depised Hindu of Tamil, and their Japanese supporters.

The young Japanese Lt in command has decided to place 13 of his 25 man garrison along the edge of Tamil. Backing them up are the remainder of the Japanese stationed on rooftops. The battle begins with the Moro charging into deadly rifle fire which will actually break the lead element before it even makes contact!

The Moro continue their attack, bringing up two additional elements (totally some 60 odd warriors and five riflemen of the Sultan's personl guard. The first melee takes place as the Japanese suffer their intial casualties:

One Japanese (obviously a descendant of the samurai!) shoots down one charging Moro then finishes off two more in melee!

A second Moro element breaks! One remaining pushes on, destroying the Japanese along Tamil's edge. Some of the Moro climb onto the roof to engage the Lt in melee. He and his bugler will fight for their lives:

The brave Lt is seriously wounded but his bugler drops two Moro...and they break! The city is saved...Banzai!

Japanese casualites were severe, with only five soldiers left standing unharmed. 5 were KIA, 15 moderate/serious WIA, and 6 lightly WIA. Moros paid the price in defeat with 23 total casualites out of the force of 98. The fight for this little island will continue!

The Belgians at Berhampur

Our campaign has seen the rise of an Indian Confederation led by the ruler of Sitapur. (see the Battle of Pabna). To the north of our fictional subcontinent is the land of the Afghans. They too have been motivated to throw out the invaders, and their leading prince, the Emir Dost Mohammed, as led a strong force against the Belgians located along the coast at the city of Berhampur. What follows is the AAR of that battle.

To begin with, this is finished project of an Afghan hill fort. It will be the Belgians stronghold that the Afghans must take for their victory:

A view of Berhampur from the south, with the fort seen in the upper right:

30 Belgians garrison this, their colonial capital. They have in addition, one Gatling gun with a two-man crew.  Earlier in our campaign, a small Belgian force of nine men was overwhelmed by the Afghans who did not remain after their victory. Now the entire Belgian colonial force would fight desperately to hold on to their city as well as their 'lives'.

The Emir began shelling the main gate just before sunset as the Belgians manned one bastion (upper left of above photo) with 4 brave men. The remainder were housed in the newly restored fort. After the gate was blown in , and under the cover of darkness, the army of the Emir entered the town and awaited dawn for their attack.

Two Afghan elements rushed the fort with scaling ladders (note the Gatling gun in tower at left. It would drop five tribesmen with it's first burst!):

A third element moved against the isolated Belgians in the bastion (located just off picture above,  to the upper right) . In round two, an Afghan volley dropped three of the Belgians while their charge into melee finished with the last. One lone tribesmen was brought down, a great start for the Afghans!

The Belgians manning the forts wall however poured deadly fire onto the attackers and by round three both elements had been broken:

But unfortunately for the Belgians, the Emir was not yet done with them. Two further elements of tribesmen poured out with their ladders while a 9lber smashed at the main gate (which would miraculously hold for three additional rounds before it was finally shattered!) Afghans by the start of round 7 were pouring over the walls and through the gateway. It looked dire for the defenders:

A brave Belgian lit the fuse leading to the powder storage room (in tower at bottom center) and it detonated, blowing him up along with six tribesmen, the the second wave of Afghans beat another retreat!

Yet again, the Emir sent his men forward and their numbers now began to overwhelm the stout desperate Belgians. In the tower to the left, a Belgian manning the Gatling missed three out of four tries when he rolled those miserable 1s. He was soon depatched in melee combat by two Afghans. Three Belgians remained:

...and then there was one final man surrounded on all sides, with no thought of surrender! (not to those tribesmen!):

...and...

The Afghans had taken the city. The Beligians had been wiped out, although 10 wounded were taken prisoners, not something they would look forward to. Afghan losses amounted to 14 KIA, 8 moderate/serious WIA, and 11 lightly WIA. The Emir was pleased. The first step in ridding his lands of the infidel had been taken!

Middle East (and perhaps beyond?) Buildings

Just finished painting up some beautiful models I received from Kobblestone Miniatures. They are fantastic. They come unpainted in resin; if you're looking for some examples of more complex urban buildings rather than the usual mud brick, check these out:

The facades (front and back) come away from the building core, giving you numerous options for different buildings. Gates and doors can come loose as well. I've come some pots inside the shop on right that can be removed also.

The Mosque is an incredible model (although I could shoot myself. If you notice the lean of the central  tower: it got to warm in the sun after I basecoated it in black!)

The four facades come away in this model as well but they aonly fit to one spot. The only model to do this.

The friendly people at Kobblestone have numerous ranges including European and Celtic, but I've only purchased the Middle East. Technically, these are listed as modern, but leave off the propane tanks, airconditioning units and light fixtures and away you go!