The first "official" Great Lakes game day at The Hobby Place in West Chester, OH, was a great success. A total of six wargamers showed up -- all new faces to HMGS Great Lakes -- consisting of high school students from Hank Lubbers group at Lakota High School, and a couple of others, adult to preteen. Numerous people walked by and commented on the game. We started at 11:30 and were finished by 3 pm, having played about 12 turns in the process.

I'm happy with both the turnout and the enthusiasm of these kids. Best game I've refereed in a while! The game was billed as a learning experience, but these players knew the period and the equipment, leaving us to work on only the game mechanics. Nice change of pace! I handed out all the membership forms I had, along with my most recent copy of the Heraid.

Now on to the after action report...

Japanese resistance on Leyte had been sporadic, but when they fought, they fought hard. Another hard day was ahead for the troops of the U.S. First of the Fifth Cavalry Regiment, tasked with pushing on toward Ormoc and clearing all resistance to their front. The squadron's three rifle troops were backed with a recon troop, regimental cannon company (M7 Priest) tanks and a battery of M 10 tank destroyers.

The road they needed to clear started in a valley, then forked to the right rising along a ridgeline that dominated the town. The U.S. start line was a wooded ridge overlooking the southern approach to the town. North, beyond the town, a wooded valley gave the illusion of tranquility.

The main U.S. push went up the valley toward the rubbled remains of the small town. Aerial recon had revealed extensive wire obstacles and entrenchments, plus two pillboxes guarding the southern and eastern approaches to the town. The U.S. plan was for a fast-moving attack in which the leading armor was to create gaps in the wire for the wheeled armored cars and truck mounted infantry following up.

The early plan worked well, with the tanks smashing the wire apart. A Japanese 47mm AT gun engaged a Sherman, causing only light damage before being driven off by the supporting infantry fire of B troop, as well as the recon armored cars pushing up on the Japanese gun's flank from the southeast. Meanwhile the southern pillbox came under direct fire from the tanks and TD's which quickly eliminated the MMG inside.

At this point, two companies of Type 97 Chi-ha tanks rolled out of the northern woods and occupied tank ramps to the north of town, one company overlooking the village from a ridge. A short firefight ensued with the leading U.S. recon cars, which were trapped in a maze of wire and roadblocks on the road west of the village. The result -- one dead Japanese tank, one burning Greyhound. In the center, the U.S. was creeping up on a large entrenchment just south of town, but failed to spot anything. The U.S. right moved atop the start line ridge and faced an open valley about a 1000 yards wide, leading to the ridge commanding the town. Plainly visible were a series of fortifications and the other pillbox. Facing no obvious resistance, they continued to advance on the right and left flanks.

The Japanese responded in the east by committing two committing two light tank companies. These tanks crossed the ridge and moved into the tank ramps along the forward slope. The U.S. left flank pushed into the town, unsupported armored cars and tanks encountering scattered Japanese troops concealed in the rubble. While the U.S. took some casualties, the superior weight of fire ended these battles rapidly.

In the center, the entrenched Japanese troops were spotted and quickly reduced by massed gunfire. The ensuing morale check forced the two survivors to surrender (failed morale by 71). At this point, the Japanese were reduced to a static defense, which the U.S. took full advantage of. Some 37mm AT guns were brought up and engaged the light tanks to the east. In the Wes,t a daring drive by the armor commander moved the tank destroyer battery through town and behind the Japanese left flank (the armor lost one M 10 to the 20mm AA/AT guns emplaced on the ridge).

The next few turns were basically a mopping up exercise in the center and on the left. A desperate Japanese counter attack in the east was stalled by the AT guns and MMGs of the U.S. weapons troop (scored some hits, but failed morale and was forced back, pinned). An attempt to repeat the U.S. armored thrust with armored cars and halftracks failed with the halftracks knocked out and the surviving armored cars cowering in the village (forced back, then failed a morale check by 5, becoming demoralized).

The Japanese could see the end was near when truck mounted infantry drove up and assaulted the pinned Japanese atop the ridge in conjunction with the M7 Priest of the Cannon Company. The surviving Type 97s were engaged in a lopsided duel that not even horrible die rolling by the U.S. player could reverse. After 12 turns (three hours of simulated combat), the town was cleared and the road off the eastern ridge was clear.

Debriefing

The U.S. players did well, with only a few minor lapses. The basic plan of attack was sound, as the wire was a serious obstacle to the infantry and wheeled vehicles of the squadron. Better use could have been made of combined arms cooperation, especially in the urban fighting. Several times the U.S. armor crashed into built up areas with no infantry support or scouting. This gave the static Japanese infantry defenders easy opportunities to damage the relatively tough armor.

The aggressive posture of the U.S. caused the loss of one M 10, one M8 and a halftrack all to flank fire from Japanese 20mm AA/AT guns.