This is a neat little tactical puzzle playable in minimal time. Like Jay I noodled through more than one play, and in the process I realized that the optional overrun rule also seems essential to the Japanese chance to win. It also seemed after reading Jay's AAR that I wasn't doing everything correctly; turns out I had incorrectly interpreted regular jungle as heavy jungle. This is very meaningful because heavy jungle is prohibited terrain to tanks, and the Japanese would have no chance at all.

What follows is my final play. I set up two Yank infantry units on the north edge and two on the south edge. The Shermans occupied the first town on the main road, and the halftracks the village in the south middle of the board. Japs had a choice to approach the edge infantry or run up the gullet into the Shermans. The latter seemed futile, so I had them enter along the south edge.

The Yanks retreated and pivoted the infantry. They also moved up the halftracks, occupying both potential exit hexes of an overrun of the full strength forward-positioned platoon. On the second turn, without an overrun option, the Japs tried to flank the Yanks by moving adjacent but into the jungle. The halftracks took a shot when they could without success. Meanwhile the Shermans arrived and now occupied the village where the halftracks originally set up.

At this point the Japs best play, I thought, was to go for step losses. They won initiative. The Shins took a shot at the halftracks but missed. Meanwhile the Type 95 tanks assaulted a half platoon again unfortunately for the Japanese without success. The Shermans shortly thereafter blasted the Shins, and full-strength platoon joined the assault with the Type 95s. Before long the Type 95s were also out.