This 16-turn scenario has 3 units of 105mm and 1 of 155 defended by about 2 companies of infantry. NKPA had spotted the guns and had planned to attack and destroy them in an early morning attack, but were not aware of the infantry unit that had arrived and encamped around the guns. I placed the 3 105s on the 3-hex 2nd level hill on the large hill mass on the south side of the board, and the 155 on the smaller 1-hex 2nd level hill to the east. US infantry were in woods or dug-in around the north, west and south sides of the hill, with the RR and mortar supported by the jeep transports and the 50cal jeeps to add a little closer range support. The 2 single-step Sherman units were set up in the village with a Sgt and infantry platoon to get some early fire opportunities and slow down the NKPA for a turn or two. The NKPA entered in 3 groups, with the Major and Kommissar in a central command group with half of the SMGs, while the southern group had half the infantry, the rest of the SMGs and the ATR, and the northern group had the rest of the infantry and the mortar. Reinforcements for the NKPA arrive on or after turn 8 as a motorized infantry unit. The forward US forces drew first blood which also disrupted the command element and caused the Major and Kommissar to spend several turns recovering. North and south NKPA groups maneuvered trying to get troops to the north and south sides of the main hill, but while the north group had some success, the southern group broke up and stalled, with the Captain, an infantry platoon and the ATR managing to set up to fire down on one of the Shermans and the other 2 stacks were in turn disrupted by the US artillery. First blood was drawn on the US troops as they backed out of the town too late to avoid being assaulted, and the second Sherman step fled after being demoralized while the Infantry and the SGT held off the NKPA infantry until more US troops could join them at the bottom of the hill. NKPA troops managed a river crossing but ended up losing several steps as they assaulted up the hill into US troops in woods at the top. On turn 8 the reinforcements arrived by truck down the road from the west, and after having ended turn 8 stopped where they wanted to de-truck on the next turn, the US again won the initiative and the 105s were directed at the leading stack of 3 trucks, 3 infantry, the Major, an LT and the Kommissar, to disrupt that stack while the other stacks managed to de-truck and maneuver safely. While the command elements worked to reorganize themselves, the reinforcements worked their way forward to start a multi-hex frontal assault on the eastern slope, but only the central stack made it through direct fire to assault the stack with the Captain, a jeep with 50cal, the RR and transport jeep. The small US force held well enough, but after a second turn of assault, successfully broke off from the assault with the only loss being the transport jeeps. With the assault broken and the stacks of US troops to either side now being free, the stack of NKPA faced point blank fire from both sides and fell back. In the end, the NKPA lost 20 steps to only 5 for the US, including two points for the single Sherman step. The guns were never in serious danger. NKPA had a single objective of destroying at least 2 of the 105s and the 155, and failed, giving the victory to the US. Great game.

Korean War: Pusan Perimeter, scenario #47: Surprise!

Kind of a fun scenario to play. I setup my Americans defending on the far northeastern hill so the North Koreans will have to travel far to try and eliminate at least two of the four American 105mm & 155mm artillery pieces to win the game, nothing else matters. The Americans of course surround those pervious artillery pieces with everything they can, to defend them accept some forward spotting units and Infantry stations at some key points.

The North Koreans have two groups of forces that enter the map on the western edge, one on turn one and the other a truck mounted Infantry force that enters on turn eight. The first group of NKPA that entered the map on turn one split up into three forces, as not to bunch up and also to try and attack from three different locations. The Americans are dug-in but have to maneuver a bit to adjust for different NKPA attacking approaches. The Forward Jeep and Sergeant are able to spot the central North Koreans and have artillery rain in on them before they are overrun and lost but well worth the sacrifice.

Right when the first group of North Korean are pretty much battered down, things start to looks up for them as the far flanking units, attack and maneuver from the rear, assaulting a stack of artillery mixed with an Infantry unit and their second group/force of reinforcements enter the map on trucks speeding to the battlefield. However their best opportunity went poorly as they rolled awful on the assault and the dug-in Americans with the fire-first advantage rolled well.

After about turn 15 I called the game with an American victory as the North Koreans had taken too many losses to reorganize any kind of offensive. The American did pay a small price in defense of their artillery, losing one step of M4/76 tanks assaulting a group of NKPA INF and one step of 81mm mortars, one Jeep.50, one forward jeep and SGT as mentioned earlier but the North Koreans lost 13 steps of Infantry including their ATR and one KOM leader and lost the games.

The NKPA field almost two battalions of INF and SMG in an attack on a US artillery position on a 40m hill. The US deploy about two companies of INF reinforced by a few tanks and a battalion of artillery in strong points to cover the possible attack routes. The Koreans try to use a ridge line for cover to drive right at the heart of the US position, but some quick local counterattacks and massive artillery barrages wipe out most of the first wave, including a SMG company that died charging up the slope the guns were emplanted on.

The first wave attack left the US slightly out of position to stop the second wave, arriving in trucks from the west, except for the Colonel, who with a macchinne gun platoon occupied a forward point over looking the western road. He directed withering fire at the first NKPA reinforcements to arrive, while the rest drove hell for leather through the fusillade, disembarking in front of the US artillery position after running a gauntlet of opportunity fire from every available US rifle. It looked like the Korean gambit to risk it all on a truck borne charge into the heart of the US position was paying off, when the big guns barked again. 15 minutes later the reinforcements had been wiped out. The stragglers of the first wave were attempting to consolidate a position on the westernmost hill but they were utterly spent. Major US victory.