This is my first PG game, first scenario and AAR.

The Aussie plan of action was to advance down the trail as quickly as possible with the goal of getting to the trail junction before the Japanese. With that in mind the Aussie commander split his forces into three groups, two infantry companies with his best commanders and the slow moving HMG’s into a weapons company.

Unbeknownst to the Allies the Japanese commander had the same goal in mind, he split his forces into four groups and one large attack group with two smaller groups, the two engineer platoons would be the reserve.

Both forces surprised each other just short of the trail junction, the Japanese commander was able to gain the initiative and opened fire, alas their fire was inaccurate & ineffective. The Aussie commander made a split second decision, instead of returning fire he rushed his units to the trail junction, seeing this the following Aussie company moved up quickly to fill the gap left by the lead units.

The Japanese were forming up for an assault on the trail junction when the Aussie’s won the initiative and open fire, they did not inflict any casualties but did disrupt the planned Japanese assault.

Frustrated the Japanese decided to try the jungle to get around the flank of the Aussie units, what a mistake that was, the Japanese units became disorientated in the jungle with several stumbling into the crosshairs of the Aussie heavy weapons company coming up the trail. The HMG’s extracted several steps including an officer from the wayward Japanese.

With their morale recovered the Japanese were finally able to assault the junction and succeeded in extracting several steps from the defenders before the Aussies fled demoralized down the trail, victory seemed at hand for the Japanese.

During the assault the Aussies were able to bring up reinforcements, the heavy weapons company got to the adjacent hex just as their comrades were fleeing the other way. They won the initiative on the next turn and opened fire before the Japanese could react, rolling very high, the Japanese failed their morale checks and they too fled demoralize and missing several steps (another officer KIA) back down the trail the way they came.

The Japanese forces were never able to mount another attack on the junction due to their forces either being lost in the jungle or demoralized on the trail. The Australians lost several units but controlled the objective and several adjacent hexes. The butcher’s bill at the end was an Aussie Major Victory, 15-6.