Victory Conditions

The scenario was originally titled “PT109,” but the designer recently clarified on a GameSquad thread that one of the PT boats involved should have been PT-59, which was commanded by the future President John F. Kennedy.

The Marines were racing through the jungle in the Solomon Islands towards the river. They had just blown up an IJA fuel and ammo dump and were running towards their extraction point with Japanese shipping clerks in pursuit. This is a rare ‘seaborne evacuation’ scenario. The Marines win immediately by exiting at least 12 EVP along the bottom of the map in 8 turns.

The Marines has a ‘Beach Guard’ who will call in the Landing Crafts when they hear gunfire on/after Turn 2. Two US Navy PT boats will come in to help out on Turn 5.

The IJA has a dozen squads entering on Turn 1 and a party entering anywhere on the left and/or the right of the map on Turn 2.

After Action Report

A platoon of IJA went directly after the retreating Americans on the hill, while the rest of them ran straight ahead towards the shore. The IJA deployed as much as they could, in light of US firepower. The IJA reinforcements went straight to the river shore to flush out the HIP’d Beach Guards and that they did. The beachgoers on the right rammed straight into an American ambush and lost 2 HS’s. The waiting landing crafts added to the firepower.

The foot race between the Marines and the IJA shipping clerks continued. Some of the clerks made the mistake of assembling their knee mortars (and getting delayed) when they thought they need smoke cover but the Marines were really just interested in making it to the water’s edge. The surviving IJA at the river shore routed the Beach Guards but the guards managed to call the landing crafts in. The landing crafts came to shore and fired on the clerks stopping at the tree line. The IJA looked for good positions to setup their mortars, as they would be the biggest threat to departing landing crafts.

FT110 PT-59 (PT-109) After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The Marines & the IJA were both at the treeline! One of the IJA mortars was already pumping out rounds behind the marsh. BOOM!! First damage to one of the landing crafts!

Whilst the IJA were assembling at the treeline, they didn’t have a clear shot to the water’s edge. The Marines took the opportunity to voluntary break and routed into the waiting landing crafts! The two PT boats arrived and provided overwhelming firepower to cover the evacuation. They had twin .50 cals (16FP) on each side which could both fire through the stern (hence the two PT boats backed into ‘Beaching’). The IJA could literally feel vegetation getting ripped apart around them!

The IJA surged forward to get better shots at the departing landing crafts! It’s now a matter of whether the unbreakable IJA sink a couple of the landing crafts with three mortars and an MMG before they wear down to nothing by American firepower. It’s pretty nerve wracking for the two of us as the Marine OB was bundled up into three neat targets!

The American PT boats remembered their Smoke Layer ability! (First time MGB players, us two.) A smoke screen went up to shield the boats from three mortars and an MMG. Some shots landed but apart from reducing some of the passengers, we couldn’t sink any of the landing crafts. The Marines got away!

FT109 Hitler’s Lost Iron After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

Victory Conditions

This is the first of a series of thrilling Motor Gun (Torpedo) Boat scenarios that are part of LFT St Nazaire, reflecting action around the world. The ocean’s at level 0, so a beached MGB, bristling with weapons, poses an exciting situation for garrison units with a taste for adventure. All houses are wooden and ground level only apart from the building at the top left that’s highlighted in orange. These MGBs have 14PP rubber rafts to ferry tourists to shore, but if MGBs are willing to risk going aground in the shallows, they can unload directly onshore.

This was Norway 1943, and the Norwegians were conducting a Commando Raid at Strød Island. As such, their 8 morale was fanatic on Ocean-Hinterland hexes. They win in 6.5 turns if they can successfully exit two DCs toting 338s via the space marked on the top of the map with the British roundels. There’s a +1 LV and Moderate Mist to help those on the move.

The Strød Island Garrison, who must have thought they pulled a nice assignment on the island in 1943, were 8 2nd-line half squads with 2 LMGs. Plus they had a pair of 105mm ART guns on the stone pier that the Norwegians already knew about!