After a long hiatus, we move on to the third battle of the Kokoda campaign. As I rate scenarios, the ratings will be based on the scenario as a stand alone scenario, not part of the campaign. I’m not sure if early scenarios benefit one side with the intent to gain a point lead, with later scenarios designed to close that gap, so I need to consider each as a stand alone.

The Japanese set the obligatory Inf in the west hex of Kokoda and the mortar to the south, while the southern hidden forces were spread between the south village (2 inf), the fork just north of the village (1 inf) and the northern fork as far north as they could set up (3 inf). The Australians came on board cautiously approaching the southern village, and slowly approaching Kokoda while taking control of the airstrip. The forces timed the approach to each village to allow assaults on both on the same turn.

The Japanese spotted units on the airstrip, allowing the northern three inf a chance to rush and reinforce Kokoda, and succeeded in arriving in Kokoda just ahead of the Australians. Attempts to shake up the Australians before reaching Kokoda were a failure, and the Australians came in hot.

Meanwhile, at the same time two Aussie platoons entered the southern village, and walked into an ambush. The initial combat resulted in an exchange of one step, but things went horribly wrong in the south after that. The one remaining Japanese inf rushed forward to reinforce the damaged Japanese, and there began the long string of Japanese rolls of ones and twos on the assault column, while repeatedly rolling 10+ on morale rolls. While the Aussies couldn’t gain ground, the village remained contested.

To the north, in Kokoda, the Aussies managed to move into the village, putting stress under the Japanese. The western hex remained contested through the game, both sides too strong to allow either side to risk first fire. The Australians moved into the southern hex, and moved adjacent to the northern hex until opfire from the Japanese in the north hex caused havoc. On turn 12 the Aussies managed their high water mark, controlling one village hex and both airstrip hexes, while contesting two of the three remaining village hexes. Japanese rolling was abysmal, while Aussie morale rolls were constantly coming up five and below. Despite heavier Australian casualties, it began to look like the Aussies might get anywhere from a minor victory to at worst a minor defeat, with draw the most likely outcome.

Then the dice turned…

In the south, it became a systematic destruction of the entire southern Australian force. Right down to hunting down the individual officers in the jungle and killing them. The only potentially saving grace in the south was that by the time the killing was done the Japanese troops in the south could not hope to ever even approach the northern board before the end of the scenario. Alas, for the Australians the lack of reinforcements coming from the south had no impact. The Japanese gunned down the Aussies coming from the north, then disrupted the Aussies in South Kokoda before assaulting. Aussies died in numbers, and those that did not die, ran. Only in the western hex were both sides maintaining enough strength to prevent the other from assaulting. Australian fear of losing the west hex allowed the Japanese to send a platoon westward and recapture the airstrip. All was lost by turn 20.

The Japanese lost one step and controlled all objectives except the contested western hex of Kokoda. The Australians lost 11 steps (as well as three leaders). Final score, 24 to 1.

While I suspect some potential balance issues, I rate this scenario a 3 based on our play. Had the Australians moved to Kokoda quicker the Japanese would have been fighting to recover rather than defend the village. In the south, it’s just tough for the Australians unless they can reveal the Japanese hidden forces. Both sides suffered frustration, particularly when each side was too strong in a hex for either to initiate assault. But each side has sufficient action and decisions on how to employ their limited forces.

Campaign score: Japanese 53, Australians 7.