Russo - Japanese War AAR #2 Threat to the Flank

For Sunday nights club I thought I would put on a traditional encounter some where near the Yalu River.....

Scenario 2 - Threat to the Flank.

The Purpose of the Scenario

The Russians must hold the river Yalu, the Japanese must force the river fording it under fire, to mount their main attack, while another part of the force will attempt to turn the enemy flank. The Russians are torn between perserving the main defence and countering the flank attack.

The ground rises steadly to the south over looking the river which is shallow and easy to ford, near the river is a couple of fisherman's huts whilst further up the hill is a small village, further to the west is a stone bridge which provides the Japanese the opportunity to out flank the defending Russians.

Japanese Forces.
2/3rd's must be main force.
1/3rd must be a flanking force.

Russian Forces.
1/2 must be defending the village.
1/2 must be a reaction force.

Success Criteria

The Russian's succeed if they hold the their ground by nightfall preventing the Japanese from advancing North, the Japanese must force the Russians to abandon their positions and inflict as must damage as possible on them.

Russian Briefing

Major Lipov looked out across the Yalu river the morning mist obscuring his view he knew the Japanese could not be far away, General Kuroki Tametomo commander of the Japanese First Army had landed at Chemulpo a few days before and the Russians had been steady falling back.

A messenger arrives, the Japanese have attempted to force the left flank and Lipov is forced to detach a body of men to go at best speed to the bridge to slow the Japanese advance.

Japanese Briefing

Lt Yosi Omura of the 17th Infantry lowered his binoculars the Russians had thrown up entrenchments covering the river, his regiment had been advancing for 24 hrs without rest and is now posed for attack. his force is split between a main force and a flanking force, with instructions to take the bridge and advance across the river breaking the Russian lines.

 

 

Turn one, the Japanese break cover and advance across the open ground, regular infantry supported by Artillery and a HMG, leading the assault is a detachment of Honghuzi Chinese Guerrilla's in the pay of the Japanese. After all why waste Japanese blood. 

 

On the far right the flanking force breaks cover, a section of Japanese supported by a renegade section of  Chinese regulars.

In the village the Russian HMG breaks cover looking to spot the advancing Japanese rushing head long for the shallow river.

In the woods on the Russian left the best the Russian army has to offer the 11th Eastern Siberian Rifle's breaks cover and pours fire into the advancing Chinese attempting to cross the bridge, the opening volley forces the Chinese to go to ground with several points of shock.

In the village, elements of the 4th East Siberian Rifles line the trench lines, of reasonable morale but poor in training, feel confident they can hold back the advancing Japanese.

The Honghuzi under 2nd Lt Tarou Ume are urged on reaching the river, sheltering from the Russian fire by the cover of one of the fishing huts.

Artillery shells fall amongst the Russian lines forcing them to cover. there poor training made the trench not as effective as it could be, but they continued to fire into the advancing Japanese.

On the left things were going rather better for the Russians the accurate fire from Kpt Durov's 11th Rifles had pinned the main Japanese unit and forced the Chinese to seek cover, seizing the advantage the Russians crossed the river counter attacking the ensuing hand to hand damaged both forces as they both sort cover in the wood to lick their woods.

 

The Japanese continue to press home their attack with more sections reaching the river line. The Russians are shattered with numerous levels of shock the Japanese to numerous to be stopped.

In the final turn the Japanese rushed the Russian lines. The first section was defeated but the shock on the Russians forced them from the trench. There was nothing stopping the Japanese from clearing the village.

The HMG's for both sides were terrible spending most of the game jammed the initial fear factor was soon lost as the true performance was revealed.

A great game and really balanced scenario, the Japanese had broken the back of the Russians in the village and were forcing their way over the river and into the village, the flank attack was a disaster, accurate fire with a regular section under a status III big man was able to stop the flank attack in it's tracks.

A moderate Japanese victory.