Author	plloyd1010 (Japan)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Japan
Participants	Shad (AAR)
Play Date	2024-07-19
Language	English
Scenario	AlWa004

Actually giving this scenario was a bit of a squint for me, but as all numbers in PG are rounded up, it's a 3. Hill X is quite similar to the preceding and succeeding scenarios in its mechanics. (Because of the muskeg GSR, I have become convinced that strategic movement is an essential rule to be used.)

My opponent came across the muskeg to form a firing line, and his mortars set up to bombard me. I was dug in on the hill. Between being dig in on the hill and Japanese morale made (and some dice rolls in my favor) mad the firing line ineffective. My mortar was able to effectively counter the American mortars, driving them back into the fog. (My mortar's only success.)

With the firing line not working, one company of American infantry began working its way around the east side of the hill. I harassed it with moderate success, but the muskeg was its primary problem.

Meanwhile, the firing line rushed the hill and largely survived the defensive fire (the IJA really isn't designed for gunfights). The melees first gravitated in the American favor with losses to and routing of 3 IJA platoons. Outside of the assault hexes, the Japanese rallied and formed the basis of a reserve force. My one unengaged platoon was compelled to move to the east side of the hill to support defenders I had already moved there.

The critical point was the northwest corner of the hill where a single infantry platoon held up the Americans. That platoon was demoralized and recovered, disrupted and recovered, demoralized again and recovered again. It just would not move. All the while the Americans assaulting it are getting little setbacks in both assault hexes.

The game gets called as the Japanese are beginning to reinforce the assaults with the recovered units. The eastern flank, while not great, looks like it will hold. I still control 14 hill hexes and the Americans have lost 10 steps to my 1. That hill at least, looks too steep for the Americans to climb.