The U.S. marines are able to land their small attack force unopposed and advance toward their objective of gaining control of Kokumbona with relative ease. A random event takes place at 10:30/turn 10, resulting in some Japanese friendly fire by some edgy, trigger-happy construction units resulting in the disruption of an adjacent Ensign but order is quickly restored. The defending Japanese service units did what they could to delay the inevitable but by 11:00/turn 12, the village was in American control with the remaining demoralized and reduced Japanese SER units fleeing into the jungle. It looked good for the Americans at that point and they began to dig-in and wait for the reinforcing Japanese units to arrive and make a counterattack. At 11:45/turn 15, the SNLF units begin to advance from the west. The turn after the reinforcements arrive another random event occurs causing misunderstood orders and one platoon of the SNLF goes astray back into the jungle. This was another very minor setback and that unit is able to quickly catch up with the rest but so far the Japanese seem to be either very uncoordinated or just plain unlucky. Contact is made with the American screening force outside the village at 12:15/turn 17. Both sides exchange DF for a few turns and soon one step of SNLF are eliminated along with another platoon becoming disrupted. It looks as is the Americans may be able to hold out but well-aimed Japanese DF demoralizes a platoon of marines who flee their dug-in postions leaving just one platoon left to screen the village and then the Japanese are able to rally and continue to pose a threat. Suddenly, at 13:00/turn 20, with only 5 turns left to go the Japanese are able to miraculously gain the initiative and with little time to waste mount an assault. American first fire on the 9 column is ineffective; the screaming Japanese follow through the assault rolling on the 18 column and a 6 is rolled -BAM! Two steps of marines are wiped out along with a Lieutenant! The Americans are not allowed ANY step losses so this seals a Japanese victory and control of the village is of no importance any longer. Intoxicated by their successful banzai charge the Japanese continue to assault towards the village anyway but their next assault on a marine HMG position is halted with both sides mostly disrupted and then time is up.

It's hard to say whether one side has much of an advantage over the other in this one. With the Americans not allowed any step losses it would seem that this scenario favors the Japanese but then there is also the possibilty that the SNLF reinforcements may arrive a lot later and even a remote chance that they may not ever make it into play; having to roll a 6/D6 to appear starting on turn 12. The SNLF units also have superior morale which will make their assaults even more powerful than usual when combined with the +1 ethnic assault modifier. In any case this one still gets a solid "3" rating out of me and it was a thrill to see the first banzai charge pan out as well as this one did and would of dreaded being on the receiving end of it.