Phil Gray of the Maltby & District Wargamers has sent me the following pictures from a game featuring the Airstrip Road scenario from the Fall of the Lion Gate Malaya/Singapore supplement.

All figures are from Battle Honours - originally put together for Rapid Fire, which is why the "Aussie" force is such a mix of figure types.

Phil writes: "As I told Richard when I got back from the game (I umpired) it was incredibly good fun: the Aussies were so sure they were going to be steamrollered that they just gave up any attempt to drive through the Japanese and spent the day annihilating what was in front of them instead."

Click on the picture shown to see more:

The lead section of 8th platoon just after it took 11 hits from two Japanese squads firing from ambush at effective range - the first six caused three wounds, the next five scored five kills, which included the Lieutenant attached to the platoon

The Japanese squads (from 1st platoon) that did the damage

A shot from behind the HQ, looking down toward the ford where the focus of the action was. The Boys ATR is doing proxy duty as a 2" mortar. To the left you can see (just) 9th platoon entering cover while the remainder of 8th redeploys toward the centre right.

The equivalent view to #03 but taken from the Japanese side of the line, to the right of 1st platoon. "Starsky" is actually James Beeching, commander of the gallant, if ill-fated, 8th platoon (a section of which can be seen moving to his right in the centre ground).

The last moments of the Japanese 1st Platoon, as two full sections of the 9th platoon stand off and shoot them to death: the Aussies seemed incredibly reluctant to allow the Japanese within charge range! Notice how the 8th platoon lead squad is still where it was last seen in #01 - this after some hours of game play have elapsed.

The gallant end of the Japanese HQ (nearest the Aussies naturally) and 2nd platoon (who started in the woods in the foreground), and rapidly learnt that moving in the open made them a target for Vickers guns directed by an eagle eyed Colonel Assheton. He actually got 28 on 5 d6: ouch! For those who know the scenario, the Daimler Dingo is doing proxy for the DR.

Phil Gray

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AAR Fall of the Lion Gate 16: Airstrip Road