Pertinent house rules: Presumed crests, fast mechanized movement, no hill modifier when firing on lower elevations, & improved direct bombardment accuracy.We played with anonymous leaders too.

The Japanese deployed mostly on the southern peak on board 16. The exceptions being the reduced platoons, these were deployed as pickets to keep Soviet deployment away from base of the hills. The Japanese mortars were deployed west of the crest of the southern peak. The Soviets deployed around the hill as expected. I made a blunder deploying the artillery of the south-eastern Soviet force 10 hexes away from the Japanese mortars.

The battle opened with the Japanese pickets pulling back to the main position and the Soviets advancing to the hill. The Japanese mortars began bombarding the 76mm guns of the 5th Rifle Regiment a couple lucky rolls destroyed 2 batteries and rendered the remaining useless for a a few more turns. The prohibition on Soviet indirect fire prevented retaliation. Otherwise the Soviet proceeds up the side of the hill unimpeded. The first Japanese response occurs as the Soviets reach the pass on board 16.

Soviet tanks deploy on the end of the Japanese line and begin firing. Luck in a resulting morale check demoralized on Japanese defender, and disrupted the other. The tanks, being the only force adjacent, jump in to assault the corner of the Japanese defenses. Luck turns against the Russians as first fire from the defenders demoralizes all 3 tanks. The armor is successfully extracted on the next turn and is replaced by an infantry force led by one Lt. Pavlov. While a competent officer (10-1-1), he and his company never take the hex.

The arms of the attack wrap around the hill. The eastern side breaks into the Japanese position. The western side is gaining a lodgement but otherwise is not making much progress otherwise.The game ends with Soviets having taken heavy casualties, but still far from having annihilated the Japanese interlopers. The most serious problem for the Soviets being the lack of artillery effectiveness and a severe time constraint. If the Soviets had been allowed to play to their strengths, rather than piling Russian bodies in front of Japanese foxholes, the outcome might have been different.