In this scenario the Australians and Americans are defending an airstrip, with the Japanese attacking with a force that includes tanks. Victory is totally dependent on the airstrip for minor, with total control and casualty requirements for a major victory condition. Allied leaders cannot lead units of differing nationalities.

I initially consider sending the Australians towards the map edge to defend against the Japanese, while the Americans defend the airstrip, but after reading Jay’s AAR I decide to stick with a two line setup, but with the Australians much closer to the airstrip so they can fall back, and closer to the shoreline to stop the highway. The Japanese come in with one flank on the shore and in line six hexes across.

The plan is to have the Australians slow the Japanese down, falling back and avoiding conflict until they are back in the fire lane zone. The Japanese take about four turns before they hit the Australian line, and the Aussies can’t resist some opfire. Opfire is devastating, taking out three Japanese steps and causing significant chaos. But the Japanese outnumber the Aussies, and soon the assaults begin. By turn six the Australians are much less excited, and much fewer in number.

A few units (to include some demoralized units that escaped assault hexes) fall back behind the airstrip, and the Americans take lead for the defense for a while. A machine gun nest on the shore next to the airstrip takes out four Japanese steps before falling in assault. The American 40mm, with some engineers, puts up a tough defense, but also falls. The northern flank plays cat and mouse until finally caught, and fails to collapse all the way through the game. This is mainly due to the central American machine gun position (with another engineer) that is ripping into the service troops trying to hit the northern flank. The Japanese never manage to get sufficient force together to manage the assault until the American center is forced to move on turn 23. Slowly recovering Aussies augment the American defenders, but the Japanese catch too many of them to make a difference anywhere except in the north.

Finally the numerical and qualitative superiority of the Japanese forces allows them to put controlling forces on all five airstrip hexes. The American center attempts to move on the airstrip, but is pinned in an assault. One Australian platoon, with two Lts, manages to reach adjacent to the northern airstrip hex on turn 23. Unfortunately, the Japanese win initiative on turn 24, the final turn, and likewise pin the Aussies in the hex while still covering the airstrip hexes. The scenario ends with the Japanese controlling the entire airstrip, 16 Japanese step losses, and 24 Allied step losses. Major Japanese victory.

I really wanted to give this scenario a 4, but I had to go with a 3 due to balance. It was a very fun scenario, but with an Allied morale of 7/6, even the Japanese service troops had the three column Japanese assault shift, if they could avoid a step loss or demoralization. With an Allied morale of 8/6, same as the service troops, this scenario would have been much more balanced. There was never really a chance for the Allies to meet even minor victory conditions; it was a question of a minor or major Japanese victory. An Allied minor requires all airstrip hexes to be clear of undemoralized Japanese units. You just can’t achieve that with a 7/6 morale vs a combo of 9/8 SNLF and 8/6 service troops that outnumber you. But if victory conditions don’t bother you, this is a nice little gem to play.