Battle of Korona

The Australians had no idea that the Japanese had already arrived at Korona, and had encamped near the trail exits. They were in for a nasty shock...
The first battle took place on the Western track, as Captain Bruce's A Company encountered Captain Kubota's 1st Company.

The Aussies move along the track. Finally, open ground ahead!

Sniper!

Totally unprepared, the first section are taken down in a hail of fire!

The gunfire rouses the Japanese camp.

Stunned, the Australians lose the initiative

Sniper fire takes out the rest of the 1st platoon! The 2nd platoon arrives and moves off the track.

The Japanese move off, looking to infiltrate the flanks.

The sniper is dealt with - but the damage is already done.

The Australians deploy off the track as the Japanese advance to the jungle.

After pinning the enemy, a Japanese charge from the bushes!

Even pinned, the Aussies are able to fight off the attack.

On the right the Japanese remove another Aussie section

And the same on the left. Captain Bruce makes the decision to retreat.

Japanese casualties

Australian casualties

 The battle on the Western track was over almost before it began. I made one mistake, in that the sniper rolled 2 sixes and I allowed that to kill 2 sections, but snipers can't do this, only mortars and artillery. If you wonder how a single sniper can take out a whole section, the figure is representative of a section deployed in ambush. That is why the Japanese casualties show a section, and not a sniper.

With things going pear shaped on the Western track, were things going to go any better in the east? Here Captain O'Reilly's B Company faced Captain Kurosawa's 2nd Company.

The battlefield was similar. The Japanese camped where the track exited the jungle. 

Once again, the Aussies encounter a sniper on guard.

The lead section reacts quickly and assaults the sniper, who will automatically be destroyed 

As the Japanese advance from their camp, they come under fire from the edge of the jungle.

But the Japanese enter the jungle on their left.

The Japanese are able to rally, while on the left the flanking unit does huge damage to the Australians.

Further shooting and another casualty.

The final Japanese charge takes care of the rest.

Banzai!

 In the final turn the Ausralians one move first, which meant that they lost the game (2/3 casualties) in the firing phase, and then lost another platoon in hand to hand.

The uneven casualty list.

Captain O'Reilly himself became a casualty, leaving Lt Duggan to lead the survivors back up the track.

The Battle of Korona has turned into an Australian disaster. In headlong retreat up the track, what will the outcome of the next battle be?

Australians in retreat

Nate