Background
The Island, also known as Myengu, is an island in the Bay of Bengal, Burma(Myanmar). It belongs to Rakhine State and is located 5 kilometres (3 miles) to the south of Sittwe, separated from the continental shore by a 2-kilometre-wide (1.2 mi) strait.
The Burma Campaign was a series of battles fought in the British colony of Burma, South-East Asian theatre of World War II, primarily between the forces of the British Empire and China, with support from the United States, against the invading forces of Imperial Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Empire forces peaked at around 1,000,000 land and air forces, and were drawn primarily from British India, with British Army forces (equivalent to 8 regular infantry divisions and 6 tank regiments), 100,000 East and West African colonial troops, and smaller numbers of land and air forces from several other Dominions and Colonies
During the historical battle of Myengu, at dawn, the Japanese scout force surprised the British in the village and captured the support column. The British main force heard the firing and counterattacked though the forest, driving the Japanese out of the village. Unfortunately, the Indian drivers had run away with the truck keys and most of the mules were dead, so the British were only able to salvage two wagons. The Japanese advance had been disrupted enough to enable the British rear guard to hold out near the reservoir until nightfall, at which point the surviving British soldiers joined in the general retreat.
The Game
Situation: The remnants of the 2nd Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) are serving as the rear guard as the army retreats. Japanese infantry of the veteran 33rd Division are probing forward to find and destroy the British position.
Terrain: The central highlands of Burma are much dryer than the lowlands to the south, and it is end of the dry season, so the terrain is open scrub forest (12″ maximum visibility) and low scrub grassland (providing low cover), with clearings of open ground around the village and the reservoir. The village and reservoir are linked by a track that vehicles treat as cross country terrain. The ground is rock hard so digging-in is not allowed after the game begins. The table is 10 X 5 feet. Play begins at sunrise.
British Main Force (CT): Company HQS, 5 infantry platoons (two with 6 rifle teams, three with 8 rifle teams, each with a command team, a light mortar team and a LMG team (ROF 3)). This force is entrenched in the mud flats around the reservoir at the western end of the table, but is not placed on the table until observed by the Japanese. Orders are to hold at all costs. The British commander was given the option of deploying any of his platoons as far forward as the near edge of the forest. Without knowing the strength or deployment of the Japanese, he opted to place one platoon in ambush just within the edge of the forest.
British Support Column (CT): Three rifle platoons, escorting seven trucks and ten wagons. The trucks contain three HMG teams and three 3″ mortar teams and reserve ammunition, the wagons contain food and the soldiers’ personal effects. This column starts in the village at the eastern end of the table and is tasked with moving to and reinforcing the main force. Getting the heavy weapons to the main force is especially important to the prospects of a successful defense. The column commander opted to have the HMGs and mortars move on foot, joining the infantry to form a protective bubble around the transport vehicles as they moved along the track, with the wagons in the lead.
Japanese Scout Force (FV): Two full sized infantry platoons, with command sword team, 9 rifle teams, and 3 light mortar teams in each. This force starts on table hidden in the SE quadrant near the village. The Japanese scout commander was ordered to find the British main position which would trigger the arrival of the Japanese main force and reserve force. He was informed about the presence of the British support column in the village. He was given the options of attacking the village, preparing a hasty ambush, and/or patrolling to locate the British main position. He opted to have one platoon set an ambush along the track at the midpoint of the table, and to have the second platoon patrol through the forest in the direction of the reservoir.
Japanese Main Force (FV): Two turns after the Japanese find the main British position, the Japanese main force may arrive as reserves on the southern edge of the table. This force consists of the company commanders and five full-sized infantry platoons.
Japanese Reserve Force (FV): After the main force has completely arrived, the Japanese reserve force arrives as reserves on the southern edge of the table. This force has three engineer platoons, each with a command team and 12 rifle teams.
The Game
The British column made two moves before it triggered the Japanese ambush. Japanese fire destroyed two of the leading wagons and two rifle teams, pinning one platoon. The column returned fire, and a prolonged and indecisive fire fight developed. The Japanese shifted fire to the HMGs and swiftly eliminated them, after which the British struggled to establish fire superiority with their larger force. Rather than sidestep the ambush and proceed toward the British main force through the forest, the entire column bogged down. This would prove to be fatal to the British cause.
Meanwhile, the Japanese patrol triggered the British ambush at the edge of the forest, losing two teams. The Japanese charged the ambush, and when the smoke cleared, the British platoon was driven away and nearly eliminated, taking half the Japanese platoon with them. The surviving Japanese looked out of the forest and saw the British main position, then sent a runner to bring the Japanese main force and reserve force to the battle.
The Japanese main force arrived and moved at the double to assault the stalled British support column, with the aim of eliminating this half of the British force before attacking the main position. This Japanese attack was unstoppable, wiping out nearly the entire support column at the cost of damage to two platoons.
After the Japanese engineers arrived, the Japanese were ready to attack the main British position, with a superiority of about 8 to 4 (6 full platoons and 4 half-platoons against 4 British platoons). The Japanese stepped out of the forest into a hail of small arms fire (we increased small arms’ range to 24 inches for this scenario). But without their heavy support weapons, the British rifle platoons could not muster the firepower to halt the remorseless Japanese advance through the scrub grass. Once in charge range, the Japanese hurled assault after assault into the British position until it was taken. Resulting in a Japanese major victory.
– Manteuffel