Thursday, February 18, 2016

Khalkhin Gol




Khalkhin Gol







I met up with Brian ward on wednesday to play a battle we have been planning for months.  Not necessarily  the battle of Khalkhin Gol but a skirmish on the Russo-Japanese(Manchuria) border in 1939.  We used the Bolt Action rule set by Warlord Game with the boltaction.net season 3 rules and played the wwpd mission seize and hold.


Brian built an amazing board for us to use that was as close to a Manchurian battlefield as it comes, complete with tall grass, rolling hills and a dry river bed.

We did 1250pt armies from the appropriate theater Selector.


Brian had a lot of infantry and mmgs.  


60pts - Inexp Senior Lt


75pts - Forward Air Observer

52pts - 6 man inexp squad 2xLMG
52pts - 6 man inexp squad 2xLMG

70pts - 6 man Siberian Squad 3xSMG Tough Fighters
163pts - 12 man Siberian Squad 12x SMG
130pts - 12 man LMG Squad 2x LMG
110pts - 11 man all Rifles
0pts - 12 man Free Squad Rifles and ATG

55pts - MMG with Gun Shield
55pts - MMG with Gun Shield
55pts - MMG with Gun Shield

60pts - Medium Mortar w/spotter
35pts - Light Mortar

50pts - Light Howitzer

125pts - BT-7A Fast Tank

60pts - Komsomolet
39pts - Truck

1249pts


I choose to go themed for the area with two platoons one regular and one a cavalry platoon with a mounted officer and three tanks 2 Chi-ha's(rare on the front but gotta work with what i got) and a type 92 armoured car.

Platoon #1
Officer
Second Lieutenant  (page: 17) Regular 60
1   Second Lieutenant
1   Infantry (equipped as modeled) - -
Infantry Squads
IJA Infantry Squad  (page: 20) Regular 128
1   NCO with Submachine gun
1   Infantry with Light Machine gun (requires loader)
10   Infantry with Rifle
IJA Infantry Squad  (page: 20) Regular 128
1   NCO with Submachine gun
1   Infantry with Light Machine gun (requires loader)
10   Infantry with Rifle
Headquarters
Infantry Squad Flag  (page: 0) Regular 25
1   infantry with a flag instead of weapons
Infantry
Medium Mortar team  (page: 27) Regular 50
1   Medium Mortar 18"-60" 1
1 Anti-tank Rifle team  (page: 26) Veteran 39
Artillery
Type 92 70mm Infantry Gun  (page: 28) Regular 40
1   Light howitzer
Armoured Cars
Type 92 Tankette  (page: 36) Regular 90
1   Type 92 Tankette Tracked - 7+ Recce
     Turret-mounted MMG 36" 4 n/a
   Forward facing hull-mounted HMG 36" 3 +1 Front arc
Tanks and SP Guns
Type 97 Chi-Ha Medium Tank  (page: 33) Regular 135
1   Type 97 Chi-Ha Medium Tank Tracked - 8+
     Turret-mounted light howitzer (0/24")-48" 1 HE Howitzer, HE (D6)
   Turret-mounted rear-facing MMG 36" 4 n/a Turret rear arc
   Forward facing hull-mounted MMG 36" 4 n/a Front arc

Platoon #2
Officer
Second Lieutenant  (page: 17) Regular 50
1   Second Lieutenant
Infantry Squads
Japanese/Manchukuo Cavalry Squad  (page: 0) Regular 120
1   NCO with Cavalry carbine
9   Infantry with Cavalry carbine
  Entire squad mounted upon horses
Japanese/Manchukuo Cavalry Squad  (page: 0) Regular 115
1   NCO with Cavalry carbine
8   Infantry with Cavalry carbine
1   Infantry with Light Machine gun (requires loader)
  Tough Fighters  
Infantry
Medium Machine Gun team  (page: 26) Regular 50
1   Medium Machine gu
Light Mortar team  (page: 27) Regular 35
1   Light Mortar 12"-24" 1
Tanks and SP Guns
Type 97 Chi-Ha Medium Tank  (page: 33) Regular 135
     Weapons Range Shots Pen Special
1   Type 97 Chi-Ha Medium Tank Tracked - 8+
     Turret-mounted light howitzer (0/24")-48" 1 HE Howitzer, HE (D6)
   Turret-mounted rear-facing MMG 36" 4 n/a Turret rear arc
   Forward facing hull-mounted MMG 36" 4 n/a Front arc
Transports
General Purpose Truck  (page: 37) Regular 41

Platoon Points: 1241




We both place one objective token in our quarter of the table and another in the opponents.


















After deployment which was pretty standard with a lot of support units (mortars. mmgs, etc) the game began in earnest .

The first turn saw some soviet inexperienced infantry on the move to take the center rock. and in the mortar and light howitzer duel I lost my medium mortar.




The beginning of turn 2 saw our infantry prepping to take the river bed and Brian's inexperienced infantry on the rock begin what would be a heroic stand while every mmg and gun I could spare would miss them.


On my left I began my armoured drive toward the Objective using the hill as cover everything came on except my mounted Cav who just didn't feel like joining the fight just yet.  Interesting note in the picture below.  Brians light mortar took a pot shot at one of my Chi-Ha's as they entered hit and would continue to harass that tank and make it useless for the duration of the game. And try as I might I never hit that little bugger. 




On the other side of the field Brian made his strategy apparent with the arrival of a host of Cucumbers(soviet infantry) bearing down on my men in the river bed.


Holding that river bed was a rough go. 


The beginning of turn 3 saw my dismounted Cav top the hill and rain lead on Brains siberians aka the fatty mic fat fats, or Siberian Huskies.  Very bulky models.


On the other side of the battle Brain was wearing down my defenders as he rushed forward with his infantry.


By the end of the turn my cav had entered the field just to get targeted by an air strike.



The nest turn saw the end of my Cav and my Chi-Ha move over to support my crumbling defence while my type 92 and dismounted cav crushed the huskies and move toward the objective.



Rolling into the finally it was any man's game.

  
Brain smashed through to my objective in turn 5, 


While trying to push me off his.


Then things just fell apart for the Soviets. Brain did a pretty standard assault on my AT gun to get me off the objective......and missed every roll and watch my AT gun take out a 4 man squad while my mmg and light gun finished off the rest of his units.


And try as he might my men held onto his.


The game ended with Japan claiming a hard fought victory.  

Overall a great game and fun mission. the board really added to the fight we both noted the my men just seemed to blend in on the terrain.

Brian did a video battle report along side me and if interested here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHjpfToon9U&feature=youtu.be


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