The Australians managed to grab the initiative early, allowing them to hustle down the main N-S trail towards the objective crossroads hex. One HMG and one infantry squad started up the big hill on the north edge of the map to try and set up some overwatch, but with the heavy jungle, I'm not sure that was my best idea.

Still, the Aussies managed to get an HMG and two infantry squads into a good position just back of the crossroads before the Japanese could move in to stop them. At that point, a couple of intense firefights broke out. One over the crossroads, and one on the hill, as the Japanese sent out a team to intercept the Aussies on the hill.

Today, the rolls were with the Aussies, as the Japanese just couldn't close the distance on the big 16-attack Aussie kill stack fast enough to keep from getting mowed down. The two sides traded losses back and forth, but finally, the Aussies pulled a 12 out of the dice bag, sealing the doom of their opponents.

At the end of the day, the Aussies managed a 5-vp edge, earning them a minor victory. Now on to S2!

So the plan was to send 2 pair of MG and INF platoons with lieutenants through the jungle to engage the Japanese occupying the village west of the junction while sending the main force of 4 INF and 1 MG platoon, commanded by the Captain and the Sergeant, down the secondary trail and take the junction. This would effectively cut the enemy force off from reinforcements and resupply. Then the the captain would take 3 Infantry Platoons and attack the village from the east while the 'jungle force' was keeping the Japanese occupied. The 'jungle force' would jump off through the jungle anticipating attacking the village within 1.5 to 2 hours. The main force would start down the trail about 30 minutes later.

0800 - Jungle force begins its trek through the jungle. Immediately things go awry as both pairs become disoriented. The Captain commanding the main force, realizing the MG platoon will slow the INF platoons down jumps off ahead of schedule and heads down the trail to the junction at the same time. The Japanese Captain sends 3 INF platoons with a lieutenant on their daily patrol to the junction while deploying 2 INF platoons west of the village as an attack was expected.

0815 - Jungle Force making its way through the jungle with difficulty, while the main force and Japanese patrol both making there way to the junction.

0830 - Japanese patrol makes it to junction first. Main force progressing at a normal pace. Jungle force continues to lose valuable time slogging through the jungle.

0845 - First contact as Japanese Patrol fires on the advancing Australian force to no effect.

0900 - the Japanese Captain hearing the battle start takes 3 INF platoons towards the battle to reinforce the patrol. Leaving an INF and 2 ENG platoons with 2 lieutenants at the village. The battle for the junction begins as the Australians engage the Japanese. The sergeant and 2 INF platoons break off the trail into the jungle and enter the main trail cutting the japanese patrol off.

0915 - 1000 - the battle for the junction gets more heated as the Australians assault the Japanese position. The battle rages back and forth. The japanese reinforcements from the village run into the sergeant just west of the junction and the battle widens.

1000 - Jungle Force finally arrives on the outskirts Northeast of the village and the battle begins.

1015 - 1130 - the battle at the junction rages on, at 1045 the junction is secured and the japanese captain is eliminated while a Japanese INF flees south into the jungle never to be seen or heard from again. At 1115 the last japanese INF platoon just west of the junction tries to flee back to the village but is eliminated in the attempt. The battle at the village continues to rage on with no end in sight.

1145 - with the junction secured the Australian Captain takes 3 INF platoons and heads for the village.

Though the village was not taken, the Australians score a major victory.

Casualties: Australians - 3 steps of INF (1.5 platoons). Japanese - 11 steps of INF (5.5 platoons) a captain and lieutenant.

This is my first PG game, first scenario and AAR.

The Aussie plan of action was to advance down the trail as quickly as possible with the goal of getting to the trail junction before the Japanese. With that in mind the Aussie commander split his forces into three groups, two infantry companies with his best commanders and the slow moving HMG’s into a weapons company.

Unbeknownst to the Allies the Japanese commander had the same goal in mind, he split his forces into four groups and one large attack group with two smaller groups, the two engineer platoons would be the reserve.

Both forces surprised each other just short of the trail junction, the Japanese commander was able to gain the initiative and opened fire, alas their fire was inaccurate & ineffective. The Aussie commander made a split second decision, instead of returning fire he rushed his units to the trail junction, seeing this the following Aussie company moved up quickly to fill the gap left by the lead units.

The Japanese were forming up for an assault on the trail junction when the Aussie’s won the initiative and open fire, they did not inflict any casualties but did disrupt the planned Japanese assault.

Frustrated the Japanese decided to try the jungle to get around the flank of the Aussie units, what a mistake that was, the Japanese units became disorientated in the jungle with several stumbling into the crosshairs of the Aussie heavy weapons company coming up the trail. The HMG’s extracted several steps including an officer from the wayward Japanese.

With their morale recovered the Japanese were finally able to assault the junction and succeeded in extracting several steps from the defenders before the Aussies fled demoralized down the trail, victory seemed at hand for the Japanese.

During the assault the Aussies were able to bring up reinforcements, the heavy weapons company got to the adjacent hex just as their comrades were fleeing the other way. They won the initiative on the next turn and opened fire before the Japanese could react, rolling very high, the Japanese failed their morale checks and they too fled demoralize and missing several steps (another officer KIA) back down the trail the way they came.

The Japanese forces were never able to mount another attack on the junction due to their forces either being lost in the jungle or demoralized on the trail. The Australians lost several units but controlled the objective and several adjacent hexes. The butcher’s bill at the end was an Aussie Major Victory, 15-6.

I received this in the post yesterday and got it on the table tonight, it's the first PG game that I have bought.

The Japanese managed to get to the key trail junction first and got lucky with a jungle disorientation roll to be able to have three stacks able to fire on the lead Aussie stack - I think I was right having them fire separately as jungle hexes don't allow combined fire from adjacent hexes.

After a few turns wandering through the jungle, the Aussie HMGs managed to get into a firing position and started to disrupt and demoralize a few Japanese infantry but always seemed to miss when they had a chance to hit disrupted targets. The supporting Aussie infantry were also suffering from disruption and never managed an assault.

The Japanese looked to push the Aussie infantry back with an assault but lost a step in doing so.

At the end of the game, both sides were locked together in vicious little battles with the Japanese winning through control of the victory hexes.

My initial thoughts are that firefights take a long time to have an impact which is historically accurate and that assault combat is likely to be bloodier and more disruptive to both sides so having reserves will be important in future scenarios.

All in all a positive introduction to the PG system and I look forward to more games in the future.