For our third game of the Kokoda Track Campaign, we created our own scenario.
Background: After the Japanese captured the airstrip at Kokoda Station on 29 July (see our previous report), the operational tempo eased as both sides paused for nine days to rest and to receive reinforcements and supplies.
There continues to be some debate about how many Japanese the Australians were actually facing in this campaign. According to some historical accounts, the previous battles in the campaign had not been much larger than a company of men on each side, and losses had been comparatively light on both sides (our previous games were much bigger and much, much bloodier). With the arrival of reinforcements, both sides could now field forces that were battalion-sized.
At this stage of the campaign, both sides were capable of attacking, and both sides had reasons to attack. The Japanese wanted to continue to force their way down the Kokoda Track to the south, with their next objective being the Australian forward base at Deniki, and the Australians wanted to recapture the airfield at Kokoda Station.
Thus we tasked the senior Japanese commander and the senior Australian commander to issue operational orders to their forces which would shape the conditions for our game on the table. Each commander was given a map, his order of battle, an assessment of the enemy, and objectives to try to achieve, and was tasked to issue orders to their forces for 8 August (via the umpire). Situation reports were then provided and orders were allowed to be revised until solid contact with the enemy was made. At that point the tabletop game (or games) would begin.
We found the information in this graduate thesis about the campaign to be very helpful:
https://ris.cdu.edu.au/ws/portalfiles/portal/22709439/Thesis_CDU_8307_Williams_P.pdf
This map shows the operational area, which falls between grid squares 94-104 on the vertical axis and 50-60 on the horizontal axis.
https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-233565814/view
(Note that the Japanese were only provided with a rough sketch of this map, which did not show the track running from Overa to Kokoda Plantation/Kokoda Station. The Australians were given this map (which was actually produced in 1944) to reflect the superior scouting of their Papuan auxiliaries. Also note that Kokoda Station is at the northern tip of the rubber plantation near the airstrip, and Kokoda Village is about 1000 meters to the northeast, as shown on the map.)
Grand Tactical Considerations:
Each grid square on the map is 1000 square meters. Grand tactical movement can only be done via the tracks, or through the non-jungle areas, at the rate of 1000 meters per 40 minutes. Forces that are halted may deploy off the track into the jungle at the rate of 1000 meters per hour. The creeks are fordable with no penalty where the tracks cross them, otherwise movement is halved when crossing a creek. The Mambare River is impassible. Tactical movement through jungle is at 3/4 speed. Runners carrying messages move at twice these speeds. Sunrise is at 0600 hrs and sunset is at 1800 hrs. Most days at this time of year have thunderstorms in the late afternoon.
Japanese Order of Battle:
1st Company (reduced by previous combat): Two platoons (at Kokoda Plantation)
2nd Company: Three platoons (at Pitoki, patrolling toward Deniki)
3rd and 4th Companies: Three platoons each (Kokoda Plantation)
Support: 8 X HMGs (two per company), 2 X infantry guns, 4 X 81mm mortars (Kokoda Plantation)
Engineers: Two platoons (one at Kokoda airstrip, one at Pirivi)
Supply Carriers: One platoon, resting at forward supply depot (Kokoda Village)
(Note: The Japanese have no radios, so communications between forces can only be done by runners.)
Japanese Objectives:
— Capture the Australian forward base at Deniki
— Defend the airstrip at Kokoda Station and deny its use to the enemy
— Protect the supply depot at Kokoda Village
— Protect the line of communications from Kokoda Station thru Pirivi to the coast.
Japanese Orders:
— 1st, 2nd and 3rd Companies, with the support weapons and the battalion HQS will attack Deniki, moving on the track from Kokoda Plantation thru Pitoki. These troops will pause at Pitoki to rest and will time their advance to attack Deniki from the north after sunset.
— 4th Company, with one engineer platoon, will move from Kokoda Station on the track thru Pirivi, Gebara, Kanandara 1 & 2, and Fela and will attack Deniki from the east after sunset.
— The supply platoon and one engineer platoon will hold at Kokoda Village and Pirivi, patrolling the main track from the coast.
(Note that the airstrip at Kokoda Station was left undefended, but its runway had been blocked by the Japanese with numerous obstacles and ditches which would take a few days to remove and repair.)
Australian Order of Battle:
A, C and D Companies: Three platoons each, with Confident morale (Deniki)
B Company: Two small platoons with Reluctant morale (due to previous losses) (Deniki)
Support: 2 X HMGs and 2 X 3″ mortars (Deniki)
E Company: Three platoons, Confident morale (this was the battalion MG company, but was armed as infantry) (due to arrive at Deniki at mid-day on 8 August)
(Note: Each company has a radio that works poorly in the jungle, and the battalion HQS has a powerful radio station at Deniki to communicate with higher HQS at Port Moresby.)
Australian Objectives:
— Defend Deniki
— Recapture the airstrip at Kokoda Station
— Disrupt Japanese communications with the coast
Australian Orders:
— B Company will move to Overa/Kanandara and dig in, to defend the track coming from Pirivi/Gebara.
— A and C Companies, accompanied by the HMGs and mortars, will move to Kokoda via the track through Overa, attacking after sunset to take and hold Kokoda Station, the rubber plantation and the airstrip.
— D Company will hold at Deniki until relieved by E Company, then will probe toward Kokoda Station on the track thru Pitoki. Depending on the strength of any enemy forces encountered, D Company will either press on to Kokoda or fall back to Deniki.
— E Company will occupy the defensive positions at Deniki when it arrives.
— Battalion HQS will remain at Deniki.
Australian Situation Reports:
Received 1400 hrs. — D company reported (via radio) that the enemy was encountered in strength at Pitoki, and that D company was falling back to Deniki.
Sent 1220 hrs, Received 1500 hrs — A and C companies reported (via runner) that Kokoda Plantation appeared to be unoccupied. Accordingly, these two companies will take the initiative to immediately advance to occupy the plantation, airfield, and Kokoda Station.
Received 1510 hrs — B company reported (via radio) that firing was heard in the direction of its outpost on the track to Gebara.
Received 1530 — A Company made radio contact from the southern end of Kokoda Plantation and reported that the entire area is devoid of the enemy, and that the runway is unusable.
Australian Reactions:
— A Company was ordered to return to Deniki via Pitoki, with two HMGs, leaving C Company and the mortars to hold Kokoda Station.
— B Company was ordered to hold at Kanandara.
— D Company was ordered to fall back into the defensive positions at Deniki.
— E Company was ordered to send two platoons forward of Deniki to set up ambush along the trail from Pitoki.
Japanese Situation Reports:
1330 — An enemy company on the track from Deniki pushed back our patrols and discovered our main force at Pitoki, then the enemy broke contact and started to move back toward Deniki.
Japanese Reaction:
The entire main force was ordered to pursue immediately and attack Deniki, with one platoon serving as an advanced guard. The order of march was: 2nd Co., Battalion HQS, 3rd Co, Support Weapons, 1st Co. (Note this hasty attack will speed up the Japanese timetable so the tabletop battle will be fought in the late afternoon vice at night.)
At 1630 hours, E Company sprang its ambush on the Japanese advanced guard, and the game on the table began.
Terrain on the Table: The photo of our map shows the details of the terrain. Our 14 X 5 foot table was set with the long axis running east-west. Almost the entire table was covered with dense jungle. The western end of the table was dominated by a steep mountain spur, with two creeks flowing down from it to the north. Three other creeks also flowed to the north from other points on the table. East of the spur, near the southern edge of the table, was another hill, with a hut representing the tiny village of Deniki located in a small clearing on the forward crest of the hill. Forward of Deniki, facing north and curving from the spur in the west to the village of Fela in the east, was a long line of prepared defensives, featuring a shallow trench and breastworks protected by abatis, and a cleared field of fire across its immediate front. Another, much smaller, defensive position was in the clearing at Deniki, and additional foxholes were emplaced behind Deniki. East of Fela, in an area of open woodland and grassland (which provided cover but did not hinder line of sight or movement), were the villages of Overa and Kanandara 1 and 2. The eastern end of the table contained the village of Managari, located along the track to Gebara.
Australian Deployments: The first line of defensive works at Deniki was solidly held by D Company on the left and in the center. The right side of the line was more thinly held by one platoon of E Company. The other two platoons of E Company were in an L-shaped ambush forward of Deniki, in the jungle where the trail from Pitoki crossed a creek. The two small platoons of B Company were dug in around Kanandara 2.
Moves:
The Australians started the game by ambushing the Japanese advanced guard, which was moving in column along the track from Pitoki. The sudden volley of fire coming from their front and their right dropped about half of the Japanese platoon, with the head of the column taking most of the casualties. On their turn, the Japanese rallied and assaulted the Australian platoon to their right. The assault went in, and a few Australian teams were slain. Not wanting to get into a stabbing contest several hundred meters in front of their lines, the Australians elected to break off and fell back toward their defenses.
The Japanese had halted their other forces in order to deploy them off the track before entering the table, and on Turn 2 these forces began to arrive. Two platoons of 2nd Company moved to the west of the trail, heading toward the lower slopes of the spur to try to outflank the defenders on that end of the line. 3rd Company advanced to the east of the trail, heading toward the center of the Australian position. The guns and the mortars, followed by 1st Company, were trailing behind and remained off the table until the following turn.
Further to the east, the Japanese 4th Company and the platoon of engineers filtered through the jungle and made contact with B Company at Kanandara 2. The Japanese launched an immediate assault, which overran one defending platoon. The other Australian platoon then made a counter assault, which beat back the Japanese. Both sides lost the equivalent of a platoon in these initial clashes. With three more Japanese platoons approaching the position, the survivors of B Company began to fall back to the defensive lines beyond Fela.
Back in the west, the Japanese 2nd Company made contact with the left flank of the Australian line, which was anchored on a creek at the foot of the spur. Attacking with only a few teams, the Japanese assault forced the defenders to peel away. 2nd Company would continue to make small assaults on the end of the line, wedging open this flank of the defensive position. Soon the Japanese would be infiltrating teams into the undefended rear of the Australian position.
The attack by the Japanese 3rd Company in the center was not going as well. Heavy fire from the defenders claimed many Japanese before the defensive line was even reached, and the first assault was repulsed. The Japanese then used the firepower of their machine guns, mortars, and light artillery to suppress and reduce the defenders before making a second assault. The defenders fired back as best they could, causing some further losses to 3rd Company.
This pause in the fighting in the center enabled the Japanese 4th Company to close in from the east on the right flank of the Australian line. 4th Company then halted and prepared to make a joint attack with 3rd Company.
At this point, the Australian A Company entered the table from the north. The surprise appearance of Australians in their rear forced the two platoons of the trailing Japanese 1st Company to turn around to face these new opponents. 1st Company would then conduct a fighting withdrawal through the jungle until, late in the game, it reached the vacant Australian lines, where it halted any further advance of the Australians.
The advance of A company also forced the Japanese guns and mortars to displace forward to avoid being overrun. With their artillery support suddenly halted, the Japanese front line commanders realized that it was now or never, and launched assaults across the entire front before the pinned down defenders could recover.
The Japanese assaults went it, but the results were very bloody for both sides, as small pockets of desperate men fought each other to the death. The British defensive line was left in tatters.
Realizing that the Japanese had infiltrated behind him, the Australian battalion commander rallied all of the remaining troops and led them on an attack to the rear (at least, that is how he described the maneuver!). This assault cleared the Japanese from the rear of the position and opened up the route of retreat, but nothing was left holding the front.
Finally, on the last turn of the game, as the sun was setting, the Japanese battalion command team, with its bugle blowing, led a final charge up the hill and took the hut representing Deniki. Deniki had fallen!
Final Assessment:
At the pub afterwards, we assessed the results of this epic game and discussed what the next logical moves for both sides would be. The Japanese had captured their offensive objective at Deniki, and had driven the few surviving defenders from the field. The Australians lost almost three full companies (B, D, and E) in the fight for Deniki. The cost to the Japanese was about 6-7 platoons, spread across the four companies that were engaged.
At the same time, the Australians captured their offensive objective, but discovered that the airstrip was worthless due to the damage to the runway. C Company was unengaged at Kokoda throughout the day and remained at full strength. A Company, reduced to 50%, and cut off from the direct line of retreat to the south, would now presumably fall back to Kokoda to join up with C Company. The question is, would A and C Company then try to escape back to Australian lines, using their Papuan scouts to guide them on tracks that would avoid contact with the Japanese? Or would they dig in at Kokoda and make a gallant last stand to disrupt the Japanese offensive for as long as possible? We had the Australian commander roll a die, and the result was a last stand!
We are not going to play the last stand (we’ve played quite enough of those in this campaign!). But the strategic result of this sacrifice will force the Japanese main force to turn around and mop up the Australians at Kokoda, costing the Japanese more lives and more time when they do not have enough of either. So we determined that the result of the game was a draw!
- TJ