May 12, 1943 – Americans have just landed on Attu. After the previous days fighting (and lack of success), they attempt to quickly cross through Massacre Valley. But the Japanese are hiding and waiting…

The Battle

(visibility = 8 hexes due to heavy fog)

Americans enter in the south, they travel along the track along the muskeg unaware of the Japanese hiding in the hills ahead.

The Americans are efficiently cut down by close range Japanese fire. The Japanese then close in for an assault on the tracks.

Another American platoon is vapourised by the Japanese HMG. Americans fight back and they trade casualties. Just past the one hour mark and already 8 American steps have been lost!

Americans go around the Japanese while leaving a company behind to finish them off. It takes another 45 minutes and another full platoon of casualties, but eventually the Japanese HMG in the south is overcome by the second hour mark. But the fight versus Japanese INF continues.

Meanwhile the lead American forces meet more resistance in the west. Japanese send in some reinforces to assault the Americans and two platoons are demoralized.

Japanese attacks and assaults are relentless and the American body count continues to soar! It takes until the three hour mark for the south Japanese ambush force to be defeated.

The Americans try to race northward along the track. The last of the Japanese ambushers make a stand on the track in the arctic hills. Japanese win initiative and at the 4 hour mark they banzai attack the Americans eliminating two half platoons instantly!

The Americans continue to push northward, but they can’t get by the Japanese infantry in the hills. The American Colonel takes a mortar platoon across the muskeg to the eastern track and exits to the north.

The remaining American forces try to push through the Japanese infantry but they are soundly and repeatedly beaten. By the end, no infantry make it past.

JAPANESE VICTORY!!!

Aftermath

American VPs:

8 casualties inflicted

1 mortar platoons exited the map

9 VPs

Japanese VPs:

7 full platoons and 1 half platoons eliminated

Rest of the Americans (except the mortars and Colonel) still on the map.

27 VPs

JAPANESE VICTORY!!! (it was such a sound defeat, I had to say that again!)

This battle was “similar” to Scenario #2, but it was a bit more “spread out”. Despite the slight increase of time available and ability to use the tracks, time pressure was at a premium. Japanese focus to delay and harass the Americans was very successful.

A fun battle which didn’t take long to play through. I don’t feel that my Americans had a “great” chance but my Japanese opponent, Passionate_Always played a shrewd, and sometimes risky game, which obviously paid off with a very solid victory.

Scenario Rating 3/5 – Good scenario with hidden units. Can play in single evening. Worth playing.