We continued our Kokoda Track campaign by playing the second scenario from the Fire and Fury WW2 web site.
After the earlier clashes against the Japanese 1/144th Battalion at Gorare and Oivi, the Australians fell back to Kokoda Station and its nearby airfield and received reinforcements. Both sides wanted to control the airfield and use it to bring in reinforcements and supplies. Although the position was much too large for such a small force to defend, the Australians were ordered to “hold at all costs.”
Here is a link to the scenario:
http://www.fireandfury.com/scenarios/scenkokoda02.pdf
This Ph.D. thesis provides an excellent description and analysis of the campaign:
This link is to a WW2 survey map of the operational area:
Terrain: Although Japanese strength in the historical battle was probably much less than the scenario provides, we played the scenario pretty much as written, which enabled us to accommodate six players. However, we made a few adjustments to the terrain to better fit our research. The dominant terrain feature is a flat-topped ridge that runs north-south along most of the long axis of the table. The eastern face of this ridge is extremely steep — practically a cliff — and we played it as impassible terrain, except where the track climbs the ridge. The Fiawani Creek runs along the bottom of the cliff and flows into the impassible Mambare River at the northern end of the table. Behind the ridge, to the west, is another creek and the airfield. Both of these creeks are fordable. The northern and southern ends of the ridge, and the western side, are not steep and do not impede movement. The few huts that compose Kokoda Station are located in a clearing at the northern tip of the ridge, and the remainder of the ridge top is covered by a rubber plantation. The track enters the table from the east, then climbs the ridge at Kokoda Station, then turns south and runs through the rubber plantation.
The assault began at 0230 hrs. and the entire action was fought in darkness and fog, so sighting in our game was severely curtailed, and mortar and artillery fire was subject to deviation.
Forces and Deployments:
With the eastern slope of the ridge being impassible, the Australians concentrated their defenses at the northern and southern ends of the ridge. In the north, the Australians deployed B Company, composed of three platoons, with two mortars and one HMG, on top of the ridge in prepared positions that curved around the northern, eastern, and southern sides of Kokoda Station. D Company, with two platoons, deployed in prepared positions at the southern end of the ridge.
The Japanese entered the table from the east, and divided their forces in order to pin the defenders in the front while enveloping both flanks. Accordingly, 1st Company advanced directly along the track toward Kokoda Station. 4th Company moved (in parallel columns of march!) around to the north, squeezing between the river and the northern end of the ridge. 3rd Company moved around the southern end of the ridge. The 1st Company of the 5th Sasebo SNLF would enter later as reserves (when their late-arriving owner appeared!).
Moves:
As the Japanese advanced, their mortars bombarded Kokoda Station, causing few casualties to the dug-in defenders. Australian mortar and small arms fire was more effective once the Japanese came into view. As soon as 1st Company reached the cliff, one platoon launched an assault up the track, led by their gallant platoon leader. By rule, only two teams could assault up the narrow track, and both of these teams were gunned down by defensive fire.
The futile assault by 1st Company did not distract the defenders in Kokoda Station from the greater threat being posed by 4th Company as it worked around the northern flank. Australian mortar fire shifted to this target, and caught all three platoons under the bombardment, causing casualties and pinning all three platoons. From the Japanese perspective, the attack was not off to a good start in the north.
Fortunately for the Japanese, the attack by 3rd Company in the far south was going better. Once the company reached the southern end of the ridge, one platoon made a direct assault while the other two platoons moved to envelop the position. The assault went, in, but was hurled back by a fierce Australian counterattack. The Japanese platoon regrouped and tried again, joined by a second platoon. The first Japanese platoon and the defending platoon fought a prolonged melee that resulted in both platoons being nearly eliminated. The assault of the second Japanese platoon was much easier. The surviving defenders pulled back toward Kokoda Station, and the Japanese consolidated on the ground they had captured.
Back in the north, 4th Company rallied, then made a platoon-sized assault on the NW corner of the ridge. This assault was repulsed. During lulls in the firing, the Japanese could hear the Australians mocking them. Even though few of the Japanese spoke English, the tone of those words hurt.
To avoid further shame, the Japanese battalion commander stepped in, sending runners to change the plan. 4th Company was ordered to break off and move all the way to the rear of Kokoda Station before attacking from the west. 1st Company was to shift to the north, then attack from the north. 3rd Company was ordered to drive through the rubber plantation and attack from the south. The attack from the east would be made by the naval troops of the 5th Sasebo SNLF detachment, which had finally arrived. All four companies would converge on Kokoda Station, and failure would not be tolerated!
And that is how the rest of the battle played out. A platoon from 4th Company overran the mortar positions and then was almost annihilated by an Australian counterattack, but the Japanese platoon leader somehow survived and forced the Australians to pull back. 3rd Company struck the Australian platoon in its foxholes on the southern side of Kokoda and swiftly defeated them. 1st Company attacked up the northern face of the ridge, captured two of the huts, and forced the defenders to retreat from some of their positions on the NE corner of the ridge. This gave the Sasebo detachment enough room to get some of its men up the track and onto the ridge.
On the game’s final turn, the Japanese dropped a smoke screen on the few remaining defenders (rather belatedly, the Japanese commanders realized that minimizing friendly casualties was one of the victory conditions!). Then the Japanese assaulted from all sides. When the smoke cleared, the Japanese were masters of the ridge, and all of the brave defenders had fallen.
The Japanese had overwhelming force, but the scenario was balanced by skewing the victory points toward the defenders. Thus, even though the Australians in our game were wiped out, by holding out to the final turn, and by taking a lot of Japanese with them, they made the game close and the outcome was in doubt until the end. When the points were added up, the Japanese were left with a very minor victory!
- TJ