B Company strikes back

Lt Duggan had been pretty much left to his own devices as he retreated over the ranges. He was expecting to meet up with C Coy at Erida, and then be relieved, but the Japanese pursuit was getting a bit too hot. So, once he had a few more bodies attached to his command, he decided to ambush the Japanese advance in a hit and run attack.

Ambush location somewhere on the Eastern Korona track, just south of the Stan Owens ranges.

Duggan deployed one unit as snipers, with orders to withdraw as soon as the damage was done and lure the Japanese advance guard on.

The sniper section does it's job, stirring up the wasp's nest.

Not far behind the rest of 2nd Company is arriving on the track.

The snipers are pinned down, but the rest of B Coy opens up on the Japanese advance guard.

The snipers unpin and redeploy as a section (should have occurred when they decided to move backwards - unwritten rule)

Counterattack! The Japanese advance platoon is pinned and charged by the Aussies on the right.

First blood to the Aussies!

But they aren't finished! further charges. AT this point the other Japanese platoons are following doctrine and trying to flank the Aussie position.

Lt Duggan is too switched on for that. He pulls back and consolidates, prepared to leave the field to the Japanese after giving them a bloody nose.

But one pinned section is left behind to be charged by the Japanese flanking force! Looks like the Aussies will take casualties after all.

But these guys have been hungering for a chance to hit back after what happened at Korona. They win the assault!

With one third casualties and the attacks in disarray, Captain Kurosawa signals his men to fall back and regroup

All of the battle casualties are Japanese. 

Finally an Aussie victory, against the odds as well. I played the rules as they are meant to be played, and the game was a bit smoother, with shooting being much less deadly and much more about preventing assaults. The Japanese were defeated by their own doctrine in a lot of ways - they would have been better if the third platoon hadn't entered the jungle to try to get around the flanks, but then, it has worked for them in every other battle so far.

Nate