After playing the Ludendorff Bridge scenario (see Tom Weasle’s Axis & Allies Miniatures blog), I was looking forward to try SgtFury’s (et al.) Eastern Betio Island scenario set in Central Pacific. This scenario pits 100 points of defending Japanese against 120 points of attacking US troops. US must control two of the three objectives by the end of turn 7. See blog above for army lists and scenario details. Maps (which are gorgeous by the way!) were printed in black and white for the game. There are many well-thought optional rules but we ended up only using the dug in bonus for Japanese units.
Note: you might notice on the pictures that there are many Chinese Kuomintang Rifleman fighting along Japanese troops. We did not have all our figures that night (= not enough Arisaka). KMT Rifleman were used as proxies for Arisaka Rifle…
Turn 1. US wins initiative and goes second: Japan stays entrenched. US advance through jungle. Amtrack land Marine on eastern tip of Betio island.
Turn 2. US wins initiative and goes first. BAR suppress-fire SNLF Fanatic; Flamethrower & M4A1 kill two Arisaka. BAR gunner dies from two Arisaka counter attacks.
Turn 3. US wins initiative (again). US kills disrupted Fanatic and another Arisaka with Vickers MG and Thompson Gunner. Japan Type 92 Machine Gun Team disrupts bold Amtrack!
Turn 4. US wins initiative (yet again!). Amtrack disrupts 47mm ATG, Flamethrower burns SNLF Paratrooper. Antitank Gun sinks Amtrack.
Turn 5. JP wins initiative (finally!) and goes second (”Let them come!”). Eastern part: Resourceful Hero dies from an Arisaka shot but kills a SNLF Fanatic before dropping to the ground.
Turn 6. JP wins initiative and goes last. US troops are stuck before a wall of tank obstacles & barbed wire. Many (in fact all but one Marine!) units fail their movement rolls to cross. One Marine Rifleman dies and four more units are disrupted! Losses are great also on the Japanese side: 1x MG Team, 2x Arisaka, and 3 disruptions! But the US is not contesting the second objective and must move forward!
Turn 7. US wins initiative and goes first. An Arisaka dies but takes its killer (a Marine) with him. M4A1 Sherman overcomes tank obstacle and drives next to the objective. Imperial Sergeant force a Banzaï Charge on Sherman with an Honor-bound Hero: tank is damaged.
Turn 8. JP wins initiative and goes first. Combined fire from Honor-bound Hero, SNLF Fanatic (Banzaï Charging), disrupted 47mm ATG blows the Sherman. Japan wins!
