Bolt Action: US Marines vs The Imperial Japanese Army

Another day, another Bolt Action game! My son Nick, myself and John sat down for a short sharp action that saw a group of US Marines attempt to clear a village and some nearby entrenchments of some determined  Japanese defenders. John and I were the Marines and Nick was the Imperial Japanese Army troops.

Nick focused most of his troops on his right behind the entrenchments- so John and I headed for the other  side of the table - our objective!

This was going to be a tough task for the marines but some initial deployment mistakes by the Japanese made it a little easier. Nick had deployed his heavy machine guns and two light tanks in and around the entrenchments but the long grass, hill and trees cut line of sight to the village and so most of the Marines' advance was unimpeded.

The Terrain- the village in the distance...the Japanese entrenchment in the foreground. The Marines entered from the right.

When he realised his mistake, Nick sent his infantry reserves across the back of the table only to arrive in time to get into a vicious firefight with two of John's squads. Nick had no support weapons, but John had the backing of two of my mortars and two 0.30 cals.  One of John's squads found itself quickly pinned but the other cleared the advancing Japanese out of the center of the village and secured this important objective.



High grass fields

Nick then decided to send his two light tanks racing across the table  in front of his entrenchment. The Marines' bazooka teams had taken up position at the edge of the high grass fields in anticipation of just such a move......and Alpha team with Bazookas scored a direct hit against the first tank immobilising it for the duration of the game. But Alpha's luck didn't survive the blast from two emplaced Japanese machine guns which cut the crew down. Bazooka team Bravo then took out the second tank- and the Japanese position was not looking good!
With two squads left, his heavy weapons on the wrong side of the table and no tanks Nick decided to engage in a forward move to the rear......the Imperial Japanese army officially doesn't 'retreat'!!!!!

The Japanese Defenders

The Marines

The Marines disembark from their DUKW and advance. The Japanese tanks are on the extreme left. The trench is bristling with fanatical Japanese defenders. (The Marines avoided this bit!)

The Defenders in their Bunkers and trenches

Advancing Marines

John's Marines advancing on the village

Hiding in the long grass

Firefight at the village edge.

First Japanese tank bites the dust- strike one for the bazooka teams.

The Japanese cleared out of the village.

Japanese reinforcements race to the village,

Close range firefight. The Japanese came a close second!.

The last throw of the dice for the Japanese- an advance with the last remaining tank and supporting infantry brought to a halt by bazooka team Bravo!